Lisa walked with us as we headed out to the car. “How many girls your age get to make a TV appearance on vacation – that’s something to put on your postcards home. I’ll send a stylist and make-up artist over to Jeremy’s house before you go. They do make-up at the show, but I want us to have control over how you look. Young, fresh and pretty,
OK? And remember the Queen,” Lisa added.
“The Queen?”
“The posher your voice, the more they will love you,” Lisa replied in such a terrible English accent that I actually laughed.
“Look, it’s a breeze,” she said. “This is your chance to get to twenty million viewers.”
And after that I didn’t take in another word.
Chapter Five
I stared at my reflection in the mirror. True to her word Lisa had sent over not one, not two, but three stylists to the house. One for clothes, one for hair and one for make-up. Cary, Simone and Julian.
They went through everything I brought with me and all the things that I got for Christmas.
“Sorry, honey, but none of that stuff will really do,” Cary told me. “It’s lovely, but for a TV show you need a little less stretch cotton and a little more pizzazz! But don’t worry, we’ve got a rack full of stuff here that’s going to look great.”
I looked at the pile of cellophane-covered outfits that had been laid out on my bed. A lot of it looked extremely pink. And although I like pink a lot, because after all I am a girl, I rarely if ever choose to be dressed head to foot in it – at least, not since I was about seven. I had a terrible feeling that I was about to be propelled in front of twenty million strangers looking nearly as bad as I had in the lemon-yellowbridesmaid’s dress I was almost forced to wear to an award ceremony while we were filming The Lost Treasure of King Arthur.
“It’s Just that, well, if I could wear my own clothes I’d feel more like myself and more relaxed and less likely to wet myself.”
All three stylists roared with laughter. “You’re a funny kid,” Julian said. “You should use that line.”
I sighed. For some reason everyone thought I was joking when I certainly was not. And then I had an idea. I pulled out my suitcase from under my bed and took out the top that Dad had given me for Christmas. I had packed it away, neatly folded with the tags still on, because I wanted to wear it the next time I saw him. Knowing my track record for spilling stuff that never quite washes out I decided it would be safer not to wear it at all until then.
“What about this?” I said, holding it up against me. “I was saving it, but I really love it and—”
“Oh my God, no, not that tat!” Cary said, plucking the top from my hand and flinging it across the room where it landed in a crumpled heap on the floor.
“Trust us, darling,” Simone said. “We’re here to make you look better than you’d ever thought possible.”
An hour or so later I stood looking at myself in the mirror. It could have been worse I supposed. I didn’t look dreadful. I Just didn’t look like me. And clearly David didn’t think so either because he started growling at me again. I looked at David and then at my reflection. “I know what you mean,” I said.
They had dressed me in baby-pink three-quarter length trousers with a deep pink sequinned belt. And an immaculate white T-shirt with the word ENGLAND inscribed across it in diamante. Then they had brought out a string of pearls and some pearl stud earrings for me to wear.
“Very English, very sophisticated, very Princess DI,” Julian told me as he fastened the necklace.
“Yes, but not very teenage girl,” I said bleakly and unheard.
“You can keep them if you like,” Simone said. “They are fake – we know you’ve got a track record!”
“Ha ha!” I fake laughed. It seemed nobody except me wanted to forget the time I accidentally stole thousands of pounds worth of diamonds.
They straightened my hair so that it fell in one long smooth
OK? And remember the Queen,” Lisa added.
“The Queen?”
“The posher your voice, the more they will love you,” Lisa replied in such a terrible English accent that I actually laughed.
“Look, it’s a breeze,” she said. “This is your chance to get to twenty million viewers.”
And after that I didn’t take in another word.
Chapter Five
I stared at my reflection in the mirror. True to her word Lisa had sent over not one, not two, but three stylists to the house. One for clothes, one for hair and one for make-up. Cary, Simone and Julian.
They went through everything I brought with me and all the things that I got for Christmas.
“Sorry, honey, but none of that stuff will really do,” Cary told me. “It’s lovely, but for a TV show you need a little less stretch cotton and a little more pizzazz! But don’t worry, we’ve got a rack full of stuff here that’s going to look great.”
I looked at the pile of cellophane-covered outfits that had been laid out on my bed. A lot of it looked extremely pink. And although I like pink a lot, because after all I am a girl, I rarely if ever choose to be dressed head to foot in it – at least, not since I was about seven. I had a terrible feeling that I was about to be propelled in front of twenty million strangers looking nearly as bad as I had in the lemon-yellowbridesmaid’s dress I was almost forced to wear to an award ceremony while we were filming The Lost Treasure of King Arthur.
“It’s Just that, well, if I could wear my own clothes I’d feel more like myself and more relaxed and less likely to wet myself.”
All three stylists roared with laughter. “You’re a funny kid,” Julian said. “You should use that line.”
I sighed. For some reason everyone thought I was joking when I certainly was not. And then I had an idea. I pulled out my suitcase from under my bed and took out the top that Dad had given me for Christmas. I had packed it away, neatly folded with the tags still on, because I wanted to wear it the next time I saw him. Knowing my track record for spilling stuff that never quite washes out I decided it would be safer not to wear it at all until then.
“What about this?” I said, holding it up against me. “I was saving it, but I really love it and—”
“Oh my God, no, not that tat!” Cary said, plucking the top from my hand and flinging it across the room where it landed in a crumpled heap on the floor.
“Trust us, darling,” Simone said. “We’re here to make you look better than you’d ever thought possible.”
An hour or so later I stood looking at myself in the mirror. It could have been worse I supposed. I didn’t look dreadful. I Just didn’t look like me. And clearly David didn’t think so either because he started growling at me again. I looked at David and then at my reflection. “I know what you mean,” I said.
They had dressed me in baby-pink three-quarter length trousers with a deep pink sequinned belt. And an immaculate white T-shirt with the word ENGLAND inscribed across it in diamante. Then they had brought out a string of pearls and some pearl stud earrings for me to wear.
“Very English, very sophisticated, very Princess DI,” Julian told me as he fastened the necklace.
“Yes, but not very teenage girl,” I said bleakly and unheard.
“You can keep them if you like,” Simone said. “They are fake – we know you’ve got a track record!”
“Ha ha!” I fake laughed. It seemed nobody except me wanted to forget the time I accidentally stole thousands of pounds worth of diamonds.
They straightened my hair so that it fell in one long smooth
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