The girls have brought their clothes and makeup in little cases. And we started doing pre-makeup moisturizing. Honey said to me, “Tallulah, there ith brown thtuff in your eyebwow …”

The rest of them moved away from me.

I said, “It’s only curry powder.”

Flossie said, “That’s what they all say.”

I washed it off.

Honey knows a lot of tips about makeup. She said, “The thing ith to enhance your natuwal beauty, not cover it up.”

So for instance, because Flossie had “such a nice fwinge” she should make more of her lips. But not bother with her eyebrows because it was pointless. To enhance my green eyes, Honey showed me how to do layers of mascara and then said eyeliner would weally set them off.

I’m going to miss her when she goes, she’s so confident and nice. Like when she looked into Charlie’s eyes and she didn’t start doing Irish dancing or blinking her eyes like a fool.

I am going to try and be more like her.

At six thirty we were all ready and Jo was bouncing round like a bean on jumping bean powder. Even though it was only early evening, it was pitch-black as we made our way over to the gig. There were lights streaming out of the hall and we could see people inside unrolling cables and setting up a bar. When we got nearer, we heard guitars being tuned up and already outside there were figures sloping around in the shadows.

Vaisey said, “I think I can hear Jack on the drums. I wonder if he knows I’m going to be here. He said ‘see you at the gig,’ didn’t he? But that might mean ‘see you all at the gig’ but he didn’t say ‘see you all at the gig everybody,’ did he?”

We shook our heads.

“If … if he talks to me, you don’t think the Bottomly sisters will get me, do you? I mean, he’s not a village lad, is he? He’s just in the band, but maybe they think that’s like being an honorary village lad?”

Was there really going to be trouble? Who knows? Who cares? I am not interested in any of the village lads anyway. And never will be.

Quite a few of the other girls from Dother Hall started arriving as well, primping around with compacts and lipsticks and giggling. They are all excited about The Jones. They think they are cool. Hmmm, well, they have never had their noses licked by any of them. Milly and Tilly were both dressed exactly the same.

I said to Jo, “I think that is a bit on the weird side, myself. They are not twins. In fact, even if I was a twin and my twin was wearing orange culottes, I wouldn’t feel I had to. Anyway, I think orange culottes are just the kind of thing to annoy the Bottomly sisters.”

Jo said, “Is it seven o’clock yet?”

I don’t think she has heard a thing anyone has said for about four hours, she is so wound up about Phil’s phone call.