by Rosie Clarke
‘I’d give you the earth if I could.’ Harry reached across to take her hand in his. ‘I’ve asked you if you’d marry me before, Lizzie, but this time I’m serious. I want to get engaged now and married next time I have leave.’
‘Harry, are you sure?’ Lizzie’s stomach was tying itself in knots and her heart raced. She’d sensed this was coming and she knew she was going to say yes, but she had to ask. ‘You don’t know much about me…’
‘I know all I need to know,’ Harry said, his smile caressing her. ‘You’re lovely inside and out and I adore you – so will you say yes?’
Lizzie drew a deep breath, then formed the word he wanted to hear. She saw his face light up with pleasure and her own doubts faded into insignificance. She couldn’t question that he wanted her, loved her, and she responded with all the needy love that had waited for an outlet.
‘We’ll have to write to my aunt and get her permission,’ she said. ‘I’m not sure what she’ll say, but I hope she just signs and ignores me. I’m twenty-one next January Surely she can’t refuse me now?’
‘Why should she?’ Harry said. ‘If she makes trouble, I’ll sort her out.’ He reached into his jacket pocket and took out a little black leather box; from that he produced a gold ring with three small garnets and two pearls in a bar and Lizzie held out her left hand, a little gasp of delight on her lips as she saw the expensive ring. ‘There, you’re mine now,’ he smiled triumphantly. ‘Ask your aunt to send her permission in writing, Lizzie – and then we can arrange the wedding as soon as I come home on leave.’
‘Yes, I will…’ Lizzie couldn’t stop smiling. She was going to marry Harry and continue to work at his uncle’s workshop. What more could she ask of the future? If a little voice reminded her of another man who’d had plans for her future, she shut it out. Sebastian Winters was just a flirt and, if she let him, he would break her heart. ‘Where shall we live afterwards?’
‘Oh, I’ll find us a little flat, somewhere in the area so that you can walk to work,’ he promised. ‘Leave all that to me, Lizzie. I told you I’d look after you when we left your aunt’s house that day, and I shall…’
The reminder of that day sent a little shiver down Lizzie’s spine, making her feel cold, but she shrugged the irrational fear off. Her aunt couldn’t hurt her now. She’d made a new life for herself and she was going to marry the man she loved and be happy.
*
Beth was thrilled for her when Lizzie showed her the ring at the dance that evening, but she was a bit quiet after that and Lizzie thought she saw shadows in her eyes. Was she upset because her father wouldn’t let her get married for another year?
‘Maybe if Tony were to ask your dad at Christmas,’ she suggested as the men went off to fetch them some drinks, ‘perhaps he’ll see the sense of it, especially once the war starts.’
‘Dad thinks I might be widowed before I’m hardly a wife and he doesn’t care what we think.’
‘Would you marry Tony if you could?’
‘Yes, I think so, but sometimes…’ Beth shook her head. . ‘Take no notice of me, Lizzie. This is your night and we’re celebrating your happiness.’
*
In bed that night Lizzie heard Beth shed a few tears. Harry had brought Lizzie home in the van and they’d sat outside talking until Beth and Tony arrived, taking the chance to kiss and plan their future together. Beth and Tony had taken ages to walk home, and by the look on Beth’s face when they arrived, they’d had another row. Lizzie didn’t let on that she’d noticed, because she didn’t want to make Beth even more upset.
In the morning, Beth looked glum and told Lizzie in confidence that she thought it was over with Tony. ‘I’ve told him that I’m not interested in having sex until we’re married and he says he’ll find someone who is.’
‘No, he couldn’t have said that, Beth. He doesn’t mean it.’
‘He sounded as if he did…’
‘Surely if he loves you he’ll wait?’
‘Oh, he’ll sulk for a while and then come back with his tail between his legs,’ Beth agreed, ‘but I’m not sure I want that. I’ve been thinking about what happens when the war starts, Lizzie. Tony won’t go until they make him, but when he does he’ll be away for ages – months or years. I’m thinking about joining some sort of military unit…’
‘You wouldn’t leave Oliver’s?’ Lizzie was shocked.
‘I might,’ Beth said. ‘I’m not going yet and I’ll tell you first – but I don’t want to sit around doing invoices when there’s more important work to do…’
‘You won’t go to the munitions factory? You know how dangerous it can be – and some of the girls go yellow…’
‘No, I don’t fancy that but… the Wrens or the nursing aid service… they called them VADs in the last war, so my father said…’
‘It’s a worthwhile thing to do,’ Lizzie said. ‘I couldn’t leave Oliver’s. I love my work – besides, he’s going to need all of us in the workshops…’
‘What if the supply of materials runs out?’
‘I’d better remind him to stock up well just in case things get difficult. I respect you for wanting to do something to help the war, Beth, but I want to stay where I am for now anyway.’
‘The nursing detachment might not take you if you’re married,’ Beth said and smiled. ‘Anyway, it hasn’t happened yet…’
‘But it’s going to.’ Lizzie said. She would miss Beth’s company if she joined a military unit, but then, if Lizzie married, she wouldn’t be living here either.
*
‘Will you serve Mr Winters this morning?’ her employer stopped by Lizzie’s bench as she was cutting out some patterns on the Tuesday morning. ‘He particularly asked for you. His order is ready, isn’t it?’
‘Yes, he ordered ten hats, all of them priced from twenty-five to thirty-five shillings.’ Lizzie looked at the cheap watch she’d bought for herself. ‘What time is he expected?’
‘In half an hour,’ he said. ‘You can take a break, make tea for everyone and then tidy yourself up.’
Lizzie put her scissors down. ‘I wanted to get those patterns done this morning…’
‘Don’t worry, Lizzie. I’ll do them for you,’ Ed said cheerfully. ‘You are coming tomorrow evening? Madge missed you on Saturday afternoon. We bought a nice dress though. It will go with the hat I made for her and she’s going to wear it to the wedding this week. She’s really looking forward to coming with you.’
‘You’re not coming?’
‘No, lass, weddings are not for me. Madge will be all right with you.’
‘Yes, of course she will,’ Lizzie said and went off to make the tea and tidy herself up. She collected all the hats they’d made for Mr Winters and took them into the showroom, making certain she had an invoice book to write down his order.
She had everything set out as best she could when the doorbell jangled and he entered. He gave her a reassuring look and then turned to a young woman he’d brought with him.
‘This is Miss Mabel Hennessy and I’ve asked her to come in and tell you what she wants herself.’
‘Oh…’ Lizzie was lost for words as she saw the smart young woman, dressed in a navy two-piece suit and a cream silk blouse, with a cream straw hat that Lizzie remembered trimming herself. ‘How do you do, Miss Hennessy – what can I do for you?’
‘Hello, Lizzie,’ the girl said and smiled brilliantly. ‘I wondered if you would be an angel and make me some of these wonderful hats. I spotted your drawing book in Sebastian’s office and made him tell me all about you – and then I twisted his arm to bring me to meet you.’
‘I see…’ Lizzie hesitated, then, ‘Did Mr Winters tell you that these designs are not our regular stock? I would have to clear it with Mr Oliver and cost out the materials and the time… because these hats are individual and different…’
‘Yes, of course, and that is why I want them,’ Miss Hennessy told her. ‘I’d like to order twelve for my wedding at the end of
September – and I’ll show you the three designs. I want them in different colour schemes and I thought we might discuss that…’
‘Well, I’m not sure…’ Lizzie began, but then the door from the workshop opened and Mr Oliver entered.
‘Ah, Oliver,’ Sebastian Winters said. ‘We were just discussing the possibility of Miss Larch making some hats for a special customer of mine. Miss Hennessy understands that they will be quite expensive, but she wants Lizzie to make her wedding hats… and I was quite unable to dissuade her from coming here.’
‘What’s this, Lizzie?’ Mr Oliver asked and looked at the sketchbook. ‘Did you offer to make some hats for this lady?’
‘No, sir. Mr Winters asked about some different styles and I gave him the sketchbook. I was going to consult you about any new styles if anything appealed…’
‘Quite a few appeal actually,’ Sebastian said before her employer could answer. ‘I should like six of the designs, which I’ve marked with a tick, and if Lizzie could cost them and then give me an idea of the colours she intends to use I should like to order three dozen – five of each.’
‘I see…’ The size of the order had got Mr Oliver thinking. ‘I should have to put Lizzie full-time on an order like that – and these other hats the young lady wants, will they come through you?’
‘Yes, of course. I’ve promised Miss Hennessy she can have a discount from me, but they will be retail at my end, as usual.’
Mr Oliver nodded, then looked at Lizzie. ‘Can you make these yourself without help from Ed?’
Lizzie had been looking through the book, noting the styles Mr Winters wanted and also the more extreme styles Miss Hennessy had chosen. ‘Yes, sir, I believe so. I will consult Ed in our own time over one or two of them, though I think I know what to do, but I’m sure he can put me right… and he will help me cost them up for you over the weekend.’
‘All right then,’ her employer said, surprising her. ‘I’ve been considering putting you on the specials full-time, Lizzie, and it looks like this is the time to do it. We’ve got to make hay while the sun shines… don’t know how long I’ll be able to get all the materials we need. Local stuffs are OK, but some of our best stock comes in from abroad, a lot of the silk from Italy…’
‘I was going to suggest we doubled or trebled our next order, just in case,’ Lizzie said and he nodded in agreement.
‘All right, we’ll make them all – but if Miss Hennessy doesn’t want the hats when they’re ready, you’ll buy them, Mr Winters?’
‘I assure you I shall want them,’ Miss Hennessy said, but Sebastian smiled and nodded.
‘These are just what I need for my shop,’ he said. ‘I shall be able to purchase more from you in future, Oliver, if you’re going to let Lizzie loose…’
‘Not sure about that,’ Mr Oliver said. ‘We’ll see how this works out…’
He grunted and went back into the workshop. Lizzie finished writing down the details for Miss Hennessy’s hats and then wrote up the invoice for Sebastian Winter’s order. He paid for them, asked Miss Hennessy to wait in the car for him and turned to Lizzie with a serious expression.
‘Don’t forget, if you get bored working for Oliver I can offer you a better job, Lizzie Larch.’
‘Oh?’ Lizzie’s spine tingled. ‘I’m not sure what you mean, sir? You’ve never said exactly what you mean by my working for you…’
‘I’ll give you five pounds a week to come and design and make hats for me. Depending on what happens once the war starts, I’m thinking of opening a small workroom at the back of the shop. You would be the designer and have others working under you – and in time you would receive a share of the profits and a range with your own label…’
Lizzie caught her breath because the offer made her head spin. To have her own label and work for a prestigious shop in the West End was beyond her dreams… and yet the voice of caution was telling her not to believe in fairy tales.
‘I don’t think I could do that, Mr Winters. It would be disloyal to Mr Oliver.’
His eyes seemed to snap with annoyance, as if he’d been sure she would jump at his offer once it was made.
‘You won’t get a better offer.’
‘No, I’m sure I shan’t,’ Lizzie said and felt regretful. ‘At this moment I cannot give you the answer you want, sir.’
‘Well, I’m sorry about that,’ he hesitated, then, ‘I didn’t tell you, but there is a small flat that goes with the job. It’s part of the deal and you only have to pay for your electricity.’
Lizzie’s cheeks burned, because she was now, more than ever, certain that there were strings attached to this offer. All this was too good to be true, which meant there had to be more to it, an ulterior motive.
‘And what else would you consider my duties for this favour?’
He stared at her in bewilderment for a long moment and then gave a shout of laughter. Shaking his head, he said, ‘Oh no, Lizzie Larch, I’m not after your body, lovely as it is.’ As Lizzie remained silent, his smile faded, ‘Well, I’ve given you two chances and that’s more than I do most people. Stay where you are in your safe little world, Lizzie. I shan’t bother you again, believe me. The one thing I don’t do is beg.’
Chapter 16
Lizzie forgot about Sebastian Winters and his offer in the excitement of Mary’s wedding. It was lovely being part of a family and preparing for the big day. She and Beth had tried clothes on together and Beth helped Lizzie choose a simple white dress with a yellow bolero that complimented the hat she’d made for herself.
On the day of the wedding, Madge came round to Beth’s home an hour before they all left for the church. She, Beth, Mary and Lizzie had all made bits and pieces for the big day. Mrs Court had left the sandwiches until the last minute, but everything else had been packed into big tins to be taken round to the hall just before they left for the wedding. One of their neighbours and her daughter was going to set it all out on the tables for them.
It was all a bit of a rush, and Mrs Court was still fussing over her hat and the pretty corsage of roses and fern pinned to her suit when they finally got her out of the house. Lizzie and Madge went with Mrs Court in the car hired for the wedding party, because they’d both been giving her a helping hand; Mary and Beth stayed behind with Mr Court to follow in the second car. Two cars were a luxury, but Mr Court had insisted on paying the extra money so that Mary’s pretty white lace dress wasn’t squashed by crowding too many into one vehicle.
‘You’ll only get married once, Mary,’ he’d told her. ‘We’ll splash out a bit and start saving again for Beth’s day – but she has a way to go yet, so there’s plenty of time.’
Lizzie had seen her friend’s face when her father spoke of her wedding as being a long way off and felt sympathy for her, not least because, as yet, Tony hadn’t been round after their last quarrel.
After the ceremony, everyone gathered outside the church and threw confetti over the bride and groom; photographs were taken and then the guests trooped into the church hall, which was just round the corner.
The food was good, plain home-prepared fare and seemed popular, judging by the jostling round the long table. Beer, sherry and orangeade had been provided. Beth’s mother had made a two-tier cake with frosted white icing and a tiny bride and groom on top. To Lizzie, who had never been invited to a wedding before, it seemed a lavish affair and she thought Mary was lucky. Her parents were far from being comfortably off, but somehow they’d found the money to give Mary a wonderful wedding. Lizzie couldn’t imagine her aunt giving her a send-off like this if she married Harry.
She looked lovely in her pretty dress and so happy. Catching a look of envy in Beth’s eyes, Lizzie put an arm round her waist.
‘It will be your turn next,’ she whispered, but Beth shook her head. Tony had been invited but he hadn’t turned up and Beth seemed to think that it was over between them.
‘I’m not sure I’m bothered,’ Beth said but Lizzie knew she loved Tony and w
as hurting inside.
The bride and groom were going for a short honeymoon at Southend. Mary’s husband was working on the railways, which meant he could probably get out of signing-up if there was a war, but Lizzie had heard Mary telling Mrs Court that Andy was going to join up when war came.
After the young couple had left, Lizzie and Beth helped clear up the plates and glasses and cups. Most of it was hired for the day and would be collected by the firm who had rented the crockery out. Hardly any food was left over, and Mrs Court said it wasn’t worth taking home, because it would be dry after being on the table for hours, except for the remains of the cake.
‘Mary was lucky,’ Mrs Court said when they were all home. She’d taken off her wedding finery and was busy making a fresh cup of tea for them all. ‘She got a proper fruit cake with white icing, but if there’s a war, newly-weds won’t be so lucky in future. In the last war we couldn’t get dried fruit for love nor money. I’d been buying what I needed for ages…’
‘I’m going out for a walk, are you coming, Lizzie?’ Beth had clearly had enough of hearing about weddings. ‘We’ll walk home with you, Madge – and leave you and Gran in peace for a while, Mum.’
‘Your grandmother is lovely,’ Lizzie said as they returned home after leaving Madge to tell Ed all about the lovely reception and give him the piece of cake Mrs Court had sent wrapped in a paper serviette. ‘I’d only seen her twice before but I had time to chat to her this afternoon.’
‘Mum is going to ask her to move in,’ Beth said. ‘Mary’s room is free now and you’ll be leaving to get married…’
‘If my aunt agrees,’ Lizzie said. ‘She might make me wait until my birthday just to be awkward…’
‘Surely not,’ Beth said and then looked gloomy. ‘I think Tony has started going out with that girl…’
‘What girl?’
‘Sylvia Butcher. I saw her this morning when I took some food round to the hall. She gave me such a look – gloating, like the cat that’s got the cream. I know she wants Tony and now I think she’s got him – and it’s all my father’s fault. If he’d let us get married this Christmas, Tony wouldn’t have minded waiting…’