‘Jesus,’ Alan swore. ‘You may just have saved my marriage. Cheers, Bob,’ he said, raising his glass.
‘I never took you for someone who could forge a signature, although I’m not sure, being an ex-copper, you should be talking about it,’ David joked. ‘Talking of coppers, here’s our Mike,’ he added, as Mike appeared from the public bar with a grim look on his face. ‘Cheer up, mate, it might never happen.’
‘It has,’ Mike said. ‘Freddie Unthank is out of prison. I’ve just bumped into him and his brother at the bar. To be honest, he should have been locked up for at least two years for arson. However, his father has some powerful friends, and with Freddie’s dodgy ticker he was let out on compassionate grounds.’
‘Dodgy ticker, my backside,’ Bob huffed. ‘He’s fitter than our Tony here, and that’s saying something. No one with a bad heart would be in here knocking back whisky before lunch. No, they are up to something.’
‘I suggest we head for the church now, in case those thugs intend to cause trouble at the wedding,’ Douglas said looking over his shoulder to where the two brothers could be heard talking loudly above the other drinkers.
Alan shrugged his shoulders. ‘They wouldn’t know we were going to a wedding, and Freddie was locked up fair and square.’
Mike shook his head. ‘The Unthanks will want to get back at you, Lemuel and Freda for giving evidence against them. They are sore losers. Mark my words, this is not over yet.’
‘Freda and Tony’s wedding announcement was listed in The Erith Observer, so all and sundry will know her friends will be with her today,’ Bob said, looking worried. ‘Mike, can you ring the station and tell them there could be trouble? Meanwhile, we need to get to the church and warn our male friends about impending problems. However, let’s not tell the womenfolk just yet. It could all blow over, and there’s no need to spoil the day. Come on, drink up, we need to be on our way.’
Leaving the pub, Mike Jackson looked back and saw the Unthank brothers were watching them closely. This was not going to blow over any day soon, he thought grimly.
‘Keep still, I’m trying to make sure your veil is pinned securely. It will only take one of the little ones stepping on the edge, and the whole lot will be off your head and on the floor. My goodness, I’ve never known such a wriggly bride,’ Maisie scolded.
‘I’m only trying to see if Tony’s inside?’ Freda said, trying to peer through the church door. ‘I had a dream that he wouldn’t turn up. Wouldn’t that be embarrassing?’ she asked with a nervous giggle.
‘Oh, he’ll be there all right. I gave my David strict instructions ter get him here, in one piece – and sober. I know what those blokes are like when they get together,’ she tutted, sticking another hair grip into the smart French pleat underneath the voluminous veil.
Ruby popped her head into the church, and came back with a smile on her face. ‘All is as it should be, thank goodness.’
‘Oh good, Tony’s in there,’ Freda said, giving a huge sigh of relief.
Ruby gave her a frown. ‘I meant my Bob and that blooming greyhound. Do you know he wanted to bring it with him? Seems the puppy would have missed a meal if it had been left behind, and going by my daft husband, that could have lost him the Greyhound Derby in a year or two’s time due to being undernourished. Honestly, the man has gone barmy over this dog. If only he knew that I’d been slipping it a few biscuits, and it helped Nellie finish off our scraps from the table most days. At the rate it eats it won’t be able to walk, let alone race around the course chasing a rabbit.’
‘Ruby, you are a one,’ Betty said as she pulled out the full skirts of Freda’s gown and stepped back to view her handiwork. ‘Now don’t you look a picture,’ she said, pulling out a clean handkerchief and dabbing at her eyes.
Freda looked to Maisie and then Sarah, who was trying to make the youngest bridesmaids behave themselves. The three girls all burst out laughing.
‘Whatever is wrong?’ Betty asked. ‘Do I have a mark on my nose or something?’
Freda leant forward and kissed Betty’s cheek. ‘Dearest Betty. Think of all the years you’ve kept a supply of clean handkerchiefs in your desk drawer for when one of us needs to wipe away our tears. This is the first time we’ve ever seen you need to use one for that reason.’
Betty joined in with their laughter. ‘I can assure you that there have been times when I’ve reached for a handkerchief. You’ve never been around to see. I tend to cry in private. Now, I’m going into the church, as I’m not needed here. Will you join me, Ruby?’
‘Just a minute, love, I want to give this to our Freda,’ she said, giving Freda a hug and a kiss on the cheek. ‘Who’d have thought the day you came into my house for a steak and kidney pudding dinner, you’d become a part of my life? I’m that pleased you hung around and didn’t leave Erith. Here, tuck this up your sleeve. It’s for good luck,’ she said, handing over a small silver horseshoe tied to a thin piece of blue ribbon. ‘This can be your something blue. Do you have the rest?’
‘The something new is my dress, and the something old is my veil, as it’s second-hand,’ Freda explained, touched by Ruby’s words.
‘The something borrowed is my sixpenny necklace,’ Sarah said as Freda touched the chain at her throat. ‘It means a lot to me, and as it is part of Woolworths and Freda is part of our lives, it’s only right she wear it today.’
‘I remember when Alan gave that to you after he nicknamed you Sixpenny Sarah as everything used to cost sixpence at Woolworths, and that’s where you both met,’ Freda said as her eyes shone with happiness.
‘Oh, you’ve set me off again,’ Betty sniffed as she took Ruby’s arm to help her into church.
‘I’m on the verge myself,’ Ruby said before wagging her finger at the girls. ‘Now, if you fall out again, I’m going to bang your heads together. Hear me? As for you, you little ragamuffin,’ she said, turning to where Freda’s brother Lenny was waiting patiently to walk his sister down the aisle, ‘I will never forget the trouble you put us through all those years ago. But you’ve not turned out so bad for all that,’ she added, patting his arm. ‘Come on, Betty, let’s get ourselves settled before the organist starts playing.’
‘Oh, Ruby,’ Maisie called out to the old woman. ‘I ’ope yer not wearing that old corset, are you? I swear yer left ’alf the whale bones on my sewing-room floor when yer went.’
Ruby roared with laughter and wagged her finger at Maisie. ‘Don’t you ever change, Maisie Carlisle . . .’
Maisie snorted with laughter. ‘As if I would, Ruby. Come on, Sarah, let’s take the kiddies inside ready to wait fer their aunty Freda. I won’t rest until I see them all walking in line behind her.’
Freda smiled as her two best friends disappeared in a flurry of small, identically dressed children.
Lenny took his sister’s arm as they stepped towards the church door. ‘If I’ve not told you already today, I just want to say you’re as pretty as a picture, and I know our mum and dad would be as proud as punch of you. Thank you for waiting for me to be on leave so I could give you away.’
Freda wasn’t so sure about her mum being interested in anything she did, but her dad was a different kettle of fish. ‘We’ve been lucky in so many ways,’ she said. ‘Come on, let’s get down that aisle so I can become Mrs Anthony Forsythe and start my married life.’
Lenny looked behind him as they stepped through the church door. ‘Oh, we seem to have a couple of latecomers,’ he said as he spotted two men standing by the lychgate.
Freda looked over her shoulder through the layers of veil that now obscured her vision. She froze in horror for a moment as she recognized Freddie Unthank and his brother. What were they doing here? She’d given a statement on the night of the fire, and it was her evidence that had helped put Freddie behind bars. They could only be here to spoil her wedding day, and she’d not stand for it. She had to tell Alan and Mike what she’d seen. But first she had to get married. Composing herself, she turned a
way from the two men, determined they wouldn’t ruin her special day. ‘Come on, let’s get inside right now and, Lenny, close the door behind us please.’
‘This is your secret surprise,’ Tony said as the car pulled up alongside the jetty at the Erith river front. ‘I remembered what you told me, and decided that I’d do my utmost to bring you your dream on the day of our wedding.’
The couple had left the church in a shower of confetti and rice, and much to Freda’s relief there’d been no sign of Freddie or his brother. It had been a beautiful service and the little bridesmaids had all behaved perfectly. Freda had spotted Betty and Sarah dabbing their eyes throughout the ceremony, and she had to admit that she’d cried with happiness too when the vicar had announced that she and Tony were now man and wife. After Sarah had taken some photographs outside the church, she and Tony had climbed into the car lent to them by George, and Tony had driven them to their wedding reception.
Freda peered from the car window. ‘But it’s the Running Horse pub.’ Her stomach churned as she thought back to how Maisie and David had almost been killed the day a landmine went off close to the pub, and she shuddered to think of the lost lives. A shiver ran down her spine, almost as if someone had walked over her grave. She tried to give herself a talking to. If Tony had been thoughtful enough to plan their reception in this pub, she would have to grin and bear it. She’d not wish to disappoint him by showing she was unhappy with his choice. Hadn’t she just vowed to love, honour and obey her husband?
‘You’re looking the wrong way,’ Tony said, giving her a nudge as she turned to looked towards the river.
‘Oh, my goodness,’ she shrieked. ‘Is that the Kentish Queen?’
‘No, this is the Medway Maid. We did our best to book the Queen, but the owner’s been ill, so I failed on that count,’ he said as he helped her from the car.
‘Don’t ever say that,’ she gasped. ‘You could never fail me, Tony. So, does this mean we are going on the river? How long we will be gone, what about our guests? I thought my surprise would be a reception at the Prince of Wales – gosh, I’m so sorry for asking so many questions, I can’t believe we are going on the river!’ She shrieked with delight before throwing her arms round her husband’s neck. ‘I don’t deserve such a wonderful husband.’
‘And I don’t deserve such an adorable wife,’ he replied, nuzzling her neck. ‘Come on, let’s go on board and I’ll show you the rest of the surprise.’
‘There’s more?’ she asked as she lifted her voluminous skirts and headed down the short jetty, the breeze catching her veil so it flowed out behind her. ‘I’m not sure I’m wearing the best outfit for this kind of outing, but I’ll manage,’ she added as a deckhand took her arm and helped her aboard.
Grasping her hand, Tony led her down a short flight of steps. Below deck there was a room complete with bar, and a table laden with food. ‘This is for your friends and family,’ he said, watching her face as the penny dropped.
‘We are having our wedding reception on board? Oh my, I can’t believe this is actually happening.’
‘Come and see this,’ Tony said, getting caught up in her excitement. He led her back up the steps to the deck at the stern of the paddle steamer, where a piano had been set up. An open area bordered by bench seats formed a makeshift dance floor.
‘It’s perfect,’ Freda sighed as she grabbed his hands and spun him around the deck until, feeling dizzy, they stopped, laughing fit to burst.
Cheers from the jetty made them to look to where their guests were arriving in a charabanc. The newlyweds went down the gangplank to greet their guests and were soon caught up in the good wishes from their friends and family.
‘All right, kid?’ Alan said as he kissed her cheek and shook Tony’s hand.
‘I’m more than all right,’ she grinned back. ‘I take it you had a hand in helping Tony arrange this?’
‘I only did what you deserved. Tony knew what he wanted, and I helped him achieve it. I’m sorry for putting you through so much, kid. I’ve been a bloody idiot, but hopefully now we can all move on with our lives,’ he said, glancing over to where Sarah had arrived with their children. ‘Will you excuse me? There’s someone I need to speak to,’ he said, giving them both a grin. ‘Wish me luck.’
As Alan started to move through the crowd of guests, Freda hurried after him. ‘Hang on a minute, Alan, I want to tell you something. You’re going to think I’m daft, but I swear I saw the Unthank brothers outside the church . . .’
Alan didn’t want to worry Freda, as it would only spoil her big day. ‘You must have imagined it,’ he grinned. ‘Freddie Unthank is still locked up in jail. Just enjoy your wedding day, and don’t give it another thought.’ He gave her a playful punch on the arm.
Freda shrugged her shoulders. ‘With all this floating around my face, I probably imagined it,’ she said, tugging at the veil that seemed to have a life of its own in the river breeze. ‘Forget I said anything,’ she smiled back.
Tony claimed his bride as the pianist started to play, and they took to the dance floor just as the pleasure boat set sail down the Thames. ‘By the way, the answer is Margate,’ he whispered in her ear.
‘Oh Tony, you old romantic, what a thing to say to a woman,’ she giggled.
‘I thought you’d want to know where we are heading.’
‘I never gave it a thought. Will we have time to go to Dreamland?’
‘No, the steamer only has time to turn and come back, but after the weekend I’m taking you to Ramsgate to stay at Sea View guesthouse, where George and Maureen stayed on their honeymoon. It’s their gift to us.’
Freda was lost for words. As the day progressed she mingled with her guests and danced until her feet ached. She moved around the boat, spending time with Lemuel and his family, chatting about their homeland, and then sat catching up with her sister-in-law, Sally. Everyone was having a wonderful time, and all too soon the boat was turning at the seaside town of Margate and heading back up river to Erith, where it would put down anchor mid-river for the party to continue.
Alan swept his wife around the dance floor. The conversation was pleasant, but he was no further forward than when he had boarded the boat. Over Sarah’s shoulder he could see Lemuel dancing with Sadie. It did his heart good to know his old mate from his RAF days was in love and settled. As the music stopped there was a call for Maureen to give them a few songs. It was then he had an idea. Making his excuses, he joined his mum and whispered in her ear. Maureen nodded, knowing the song meant a lot to Alan, and bent to speak to the pianist. Soon, people were humming to the strands of a song known well to friends who worked in the Erith store.
‘What is this song?’ Cynthia asked Sadie, who had just joined her mother-in-law and her nan.
‘Oh, it’s so romantic,’ Sadie smiled. ‘The song is an American one and is about a man who met his sweetheart in a five and ten cent store. That’s what they called Woolworths in America. I’m told that when Alan proposed to Sarah in the middle of Erith Woolworths, someone started to sing the song, just like a musical.’
‘Now that is romantic,’ Cynthia said as she leant over to explain the song to her daughter. ‘Lemuel and James, now this is how a man romances a woman. Take note, both of you.’
The two brothers ribbed their mother good-naturedly about their singing prowess, but did attempt to catch a line or two of the song as the guests all joined in with Maureen.
Alan looked to where his wife was sitting, and she smiled back and nodded. Was it the sign he’d been waiting for? Taking over from his mum, he sat down next to the pianist and soon the haunting introduction to ‘I’ll See You in My Dreams’ flowed across the boat and his rich, musical voice sang the plaintive words. For friends in the know, it was obvious Alan was singing to Sarah.
He’d just stood to go to her side when something caught his eye. He looked towards the wheelhouse on the upper deck and saw Freddie Unthank standing alongside his brother – but what really caused him to freez
e with fear was that the fact that Freddie was holding a gun. He stood up and forced himself to walk calmly towards his wife. It looked to everyone present as though he was going to join her and continue the song. Along the way he passed Mike and David, and encouraging the guests to join in with the song he was able to whisper to the two men, alerting them to what he’d seen.
As the song came to an end, he started to sing ‘The Lambeth Walk’, encouraging guests to get to their feet for the jolly dance. With luck this would stop the Unthanks being able to take aim at Freda. Even the younger children lined up and copied the steps from their parents. Alan reached Sarah and pulled her close, whispering to her to take their children and do their best to hide away before he hurried to the steps to the wheelhouse, close to where he’d just seen the Unthank brothers. On the opposite side of the boat, Mike and David were doing the same. Mike stepped forward and challenged the Unthanks, and Alan took his chance to start his approach from the opposite side. With luck, and having the element of surprise, the three of them would be able to overcome the two men. In between them was the captain of the boat, unaware of what was going on. Suddenly Freddie raised his gun, and shouted at Mike to stand still. Alan dived in from Freddie’s blind side, and the gun went off as the men piled into each other.
As the guests heard the gunshot they rushed to take shelter, screaming to children and loved ones to hurry. Lemuel and James, seeing the struggle taking place in the wheelhouse, leapt up the steps, followed by David and Douglas. The men quickly overpowered the Unthank brothers, pinning them to the deck. It was then that Alan realized the boat was not steering a steady course and instead was veering to one side, heading for a tugboat moored in the river. Looking towards the wheelhouse, he saw that the captain was slumped over the wheel, causing the boat to change direction at an alarming speed. He shouted out a warning, but it was too late. In only seconds, the pleasure boat hit the tug and rocked violently from side to side. Guests who were still on the outer deck were thrown over the edge of the railings and hurled into the dirty, grey river.
Wedding Bells for Woolworths Page 30