by Ellie Dean
She was literally trembling with awe as she opened the hatbox to find not only a darling little cream hat which had pink silk ribbons and a bunch of tiny roses to match the dress and coat, but a pair of low-heeled glossy cream pumps. As she lifted them out of the tissue paper she saw the small white envelope, and because her legs threatened to give way in all the excitement, she sank onto the bed to read it.
Dear Mary,
Please accept these gifts, for we cannot thank you enough for agreeing to play at our wedding. We do apologise that everything isn’t as new as we would have liked, but my mother was also eager to thank you, and this was the only way we could think of being able to show our appreciation. We do hope you enjoy our special day, and that everything fits – we could only guess at sizes!
With many, many thanks,
Suzy, Anthony, and Evelyn
Mary sat on the bed in a daze until she realised that time was ticking away and she was now in danger of being late. She quickly left the bed and went to sit at the dressing table to use some of the make-up Ivy had persuaded her to buy. She was inexperienced and a bit clumsy, for she’d never been allowed to wear more than a dusting of powder before, and it took a bit of time to get it just right.
Having washed her hair the night before, she decided that only a sophisticated style would do and so brushed it out and twisted it into an elegant chignon which she tethered with hairpins. She then carefully stepped into the gorgeous dress, which slithered like swansdown over her skin and fitted perfectly. There was a bit of a struggle to fasten the tiny silver buttons at the nape, but once she’d stopped panicking this was soon achieved.
Slipping the jacket over it, she caught the faint reminder of some delicate, flowery perfume Mrs James must have worn, and when she looked at her reflection in the mirror, she almost didn’t recognise the elegant, pretty young woman who stared back at her. Mary Jones from the rectory at Harebridge Green had never looked so grown-up, and for a fleeting moment she wished Jack could be here to see her in all her finery.
Turning from the mirror, she tried on the shoes and gave a sigh of disappointment. They were about half a size too small and would kill her feet if she had to walk anywhere, but she was determined to wear them, for she only had brogues and sandals, and they would have spoilt the look of everything. She took a few faltering steps to get used to walking in heels, and then sat back down at the dressing table and carefully placed the little hat over her hair, tethering it with the fancy silver-tipped pin that had come with it.
A scrabble inside Ivy’s jumbled box of cheap jewellery produced a pair of fake pearl earrings, and she clipped these on. They were the finishing touch.
‘Are you ready, Mary?’ called Ted on the other side of the door.
‘Coming!’ She smoothed back a stray wisp of hair, took one last look in the mirror and went to open the door.
Edward was freshly shaved and looked very handsome in his morning suit. ‘My word,’ he said appreciatively as he looked her up and down. ‘You do scrub up nicely, young lady. I’m so glad everything fits and looks so well; Anthony was so worried they might have got the colour and sizing wrong.’
‘It’s all wonderful,’ she breathed. ‘They’ve been terribly kind and very generous.’
He looked at his watch and pulled a face. ‘We’d better get going or I’ll get it in the neck from Doris.’
There was no sign of Anthony or Doris as they went downstairs and out to the car, and as Edward drove her to the church, Mary couldn’t help but remember sitting beside her father in his car on that fateful last night. Determined not to spoil this happy day with sad reminiscences, she waved Edward a cheerful goodbye and hurried inside the church to have one more practice before people started arriving.
Beach View was in chaos, with girls dashing back and forth, calling to each other and arguing over whose turn it was to use the bathroom. Ron and Julian were miraculously dressed and ready, but they’d sought refuge from the female uproar in the kitchen with Harvey and a whisky bottle – which Peggy found very worrying.
Evelyn was cloistered with Suzy in the large front bedroom, and Cordelia was so beside herself with excitement, she couldn’t stand still long enough for Peggy to pin on her hat.
‘Cordelia, if you keep moving about I’ll end up stabbing you with this hatpin.’
‘Oh, I do so love weddings, don’t you?’ she trilled as she plumped down on her dressing-table stool. ‘What do you think her dress is like? I just know she’s going to look an absolute picture, because Suzy’s a beautiful girl to start with and brides are always radiant, aren’t they?’
Peggy knew she didn’t really expect an answer so she nodded and finally managed to get the pin into the hat. ‘Do you want me to fasten your pearls and help with your earrings?’
‘Yes, dear, if you would. They’re far too fiddly for my old fingers.’
Peggy took the double string of pearls and fastened the silver catch at the back, and then carefully screwed on the matching earrings. ‘There you are. Now stand up and let me look at you.’
Cordelia leaned heavily on her walking stick and heaved herself off the stool to turn this way and that to show off her new suit.
Peggy felt quite tearful, for the soft heather of the tweed enhanced Cordelia’s lovely clear skin and white hair, and the way Sally had cut it was quite superb, for it fitted perfectly.
‘Sally’s done a wonderful job, hasn’t she?’ said Cordelia in delight as she admired her reflection in the long mirror behind the door. ‘I haven’t looked this smart in ages.’ She turned back to the dressing table, opened her jewellery box and handed Peggy a lovely brooch of twisted gold encircling an amethyst of the deepest purple. ‘Could you pin this on for me, dear?’
Peggy fastened the brooch to the jacket lapel and stood back to admire the effect. ‘You look wonderful,’ she said as she kissed her soft cheek. ‘Now let’s make sure you have everything you’ll need in your handbag then I’ll help you downstairs. I think Ron and Julian are about to open a bottle of champagne so we can drink a toast to a happy day.’
‘Ooh, how lovely.’ Cordelia’s little face lit up and she grabbed her handbag, checked she had at least three handkerchiefs and then headed for the door. ‘Champagne is supposed to be good for you, you know. My doctor said so.’
‘I think he meant in small doses,’ laughed Peggy as they made their slow descent to the hall. ‘You’d better pace yourself, Cordelia, or you’ll fall asleep during the ceremony and miss everything.’
‘Stuff and nonsense,’ she retorted as she headed eagerly for the kitchen. ‘How could you possibly think I’d do a thing like that?’
Peggy smiled, for Cordelia could fall asleep at the drop of a hat. ‘I’ll leave you to the tender mercies of Ron and Julian,’ she said. ‘I still have to sort out Daisy and get dressed myself.’
‘Well, don’t be too long, or you might find we’ve drunk all that lovely champagne,’ Cordelia replied with a giggle.
Peggy closed her bedroom door and let her breath out on a sigh. It had been a long, busy morning and the day wasn’t even half through. She returned Daisy’s smile and quickly changed her nappy before seeing to herself. Having put on her make-up and tidied her hair, she pulled on fresh underwear and her one decent pair of stockings before slipping on the lace-edged slip that was made from the same material as the suit lining.
Once dressed, she stood and admired herself in the mirror, for the pale blue silk suit looked gorgeous and showed off her slender figure to perfection. The straight skirt reached to just below the knee, and the raglan-sleeved jacket had a deep collar which revealed a hint of the lacy slip where the front of the jacket was crossed over to be fastened at the side. With the matching sash tied round her waist, she grinned with satisfaction before she slipped on her shoes, pinned on the hat and hurried to get Daisy dressed in the lovely dress and coat Evelyn had bought in London.
Peggy emerged from the bedroom with Daisy in her arms to find that Evelyn was waiting
for her in the kitchen with Cordelia, Ron and Harvey – and a glass of champagne. ‘Julian’s gone up to have a few quiet words with Suzy before everything gets going,’ Evelyn said as she patted Daisy’s cheek and admired her in her new outfit. ‘I don’t need to tell you that she looks utterly beautiful and that I’ve had to put at least four handkerchiefs in my bag.’
‘Me too,’ admitted Peggy, who thought Evelyn looked like a fashion plate in her gorgeous grey shantung dress and coat, and matching hat. Her shoes and handbag matched the cream band that ran round the hat, and pearls glowed discreetly in her ears and at her throat. ‘You look lovely,’ she breathed.
‘And so do you. Where did you find that gorgeous suit?’
Peggy was in the midst of explaining about Sally when there was a knock on the front door. ‘That must be our taxi,’ she said and quickly drained her glass. ‘Cordelia, Ron, it’s time we were leaving.’
‘Surely you aren’t going to carry Daisy about all day?’ Evelyn frowned with concern.
‘Ron took the pram round to the church this morning and left it in the vestry,’ Peggy explained as she chivvied Ron and Cordelia out of the kitchen to the anguished howls of Harvey, who’d been quickly shut in the cellar. ‘She’s far too heavy, and wriggles worse than an eel now she’s finding her feet.’
Peggy opened the front door and looked back up the stairs to the lovely, excited faces of her girls as they leaned over the landing railings and waved. ‘See you all in church,’ she called up to them.
As the taxi pulled up outside the church and they climbed out, they could already hear the beautiful organ music drifting from inside. Other people were arriving and Peggy recognised them as Suzy’s nursing friends from the hospital, so she said hello, introduced them to Evelyn, and then hurried in to greet the rather elderly vicar and put Daisy in her pram.
Having strapped her in firmly, she pushed the pram down the aisle, nodding and smiling to everyone before she kissed poor, nervous Anthony and shook hands with his very calm and rather dull-looking best man, who introduced himself as Robert Goodyear and explained that he worked with Anthony at the MOD. Peggy parked the pram by the front pew against the wall, gave Daisy her bottle of juice, then sat down and looked round at the gathering.
There was no sign of Martin yet, but then he had said he might be late. Cordelia and Evelyn were now coming down the aisle, and Ron slipped into a pew towards the back next to Rosie, who looked very glamorous in a black hat and pink suit. Peggy hoped she hadn’t left Tommy in charge of the pub for the rest of the lunchtime session, for she could say goodbye to any profit if she had.
Just as Evelyn took her place on the bride’s side of the church, Doris made a grand entrance on Edward’s arm, her honey-coloured silk dress perfectly matching the long mink coat and hugely extravagant hat. The whole outfit looked new – Doris had obviously been shopping this morning. ‘You can say a lot of things about my sister,’ she muttered to Cordelia, ‘but you can’t deny she knows how to dress for the occasion.’
Cordelia eyed Doris up and down as she and Ted came to sit next to her, and then sniffed with disapproval. ‘If you think so, Peggy,’ she said acidly. ‘Mutton dressed as lamb, if you ask me.’
Peggy wasn’t at all offended by this, for she knew there was no love lost between Cordelia and Doris. She settled back to listen to the wonderful music, while Daisy waved her rag book about and beamed an almost toothless smile at everyone. Mary looked so different in Evelyn’s lovely dress and jacket, and her hair really suited her that way. My goodness, she was growing up fast, and how beautifully she could play that ugly great brute of an organ.
The music came to an end and she saw Mary look towards the main door. Her heart began to thud and she could already feel the tears beginning to prick in anticipation. Then Mary played the opening phrase of the bridal march and everyone was on their feet.
A radiant Suzy virtually floated down the aisle on her father’s arm in a confection of white taffeta and lace, the bouquet of exquisite white lilies, dark green ivy and copper leaves trailing almost to her toes, the cobweb of veil drifting over her beautiful face.
And there were Peggy’s girls following her in the dresses that Evelyn had brought down from her dressmaker in London. They were in soft shades of gold, silver and russet, except for the chief bridesmaid, Fran, who wore a deep shade of copper which enhanced her magnificent hair and made her look like a sprite that might just have momentarily ventured out of her forest glade.
Peggy could barely see as she shot a glance at Anthony, and the tears were already threatening to ruin her make-up when she saw how his eyes shone with love and his face lit up as Suzy came slowly towards him. How wonderful. How simply perfect it all was. Oh, she did so love weddings.
The service began as the young couple stood by the altar steps and the aged vicar welcomed them all and gave the usual preamble about marriage being a serious business in his quavering voice. Then they all stood again for the first hymn, ‘Love Divine’, and Peggy found she was too emotional to be able to sing, so just enjoyed listening.
The service continued and then Julian’s wonderfully rich, deep voice rang out as he read the passage from the bible that told the story of the wedding at Caanan. This was followed by the heart-stirring ‘I Vow to Thee, My Country’, which left everyone reaching for their handkerchiefs.
The vicar led the couple to the altar, where they knelt in prayer before they exchanged their vows and Anthony slipped the wedding ring on Suzy’s finger. Then he tenderly lifted the veil and shyly kissed his beautiful bride before they turned towards the congregation and, with beaming smiles, headed for the vestry to sign the register.
As Julian and Edward left their pews to join them so they could witness the register, Peggy’s heart skipped a beat. Fran hadn’t followed the rest of the bridal party but was standing on the altar steps, the violin nestled under her chin, her glorious hair and dress making her look almost of another world.
She shot a glance at Doris, who was staring at the girl with deep suspicion, and she could only pray that, for once, her sister would keep her mouth shut and not cause ructions.
And then the haunting strains of the violin soared to the high rafters and everything else was forgotten as the music captured and ensnared them and they were unable to tear their gazes from the glorious girl with the autumnal hair and shimmering, copper-coloured dress.
There was a stunned silence as the final note gently drifted away, then people forgot where they were and rose as one to applaud. Peggy was crying, and so was Cordelia – even Doris looked tearful, and as Peggy glanced round the church she could see an awful lot of handkerchiefs being put to good use.
Then Mary struck the first chord for the triumphal entrance of the newly married couple from the vestry, and Fran slipped in beside the rather stunned-looking Robert Goodyear to join the procession down the aisle. She grinned at Doris and gave a naughty wink to Peggy as she walked past.
‘Did you know about that?’ rasped Doris.
‘I certainly didn’t,’ Peggy replied truthfully. ‘But wasn’t she magnificent?’
Doris cleared her throat and delicately dabbed her eyes with a lace-edged handkerchief. ‘You should have warned me it was Fran I was lending my very expensive violin to.’
‘Oh, Doris,’ Peggy sighed as everyone gathered their things and prepared to follow the bridal party out of the church. ‘Just give the girl some credit for once. She’ll do that violin no harm – you only have to see how lovingly she plays it to know that.’
‘I grant you, she does play extremely well, which came as a real shock. One would never have imagined …’ She noted Peggy’s glare and quickly changed tack. ‘But subterfuge is something I cannot forgive. It’s clear that Mary was in on it, and I shall be having a few words with her once all this is over, I can tell you.’
‘Oh, give it a rest,’ snapped Peggy. ‘They played at your son’s wedding because they wanted to make their day special. Don’t spoil it, Doris. Or
I’m warning you, you’ll have me to deal with.’
‘Well, if you’re going to be vulgar like that,’ Doris retorted with a sniff, ‘then there is obviously no point in carrying on this conversation.’
‘Put a ruddy sock in it,’ Peggy muttered crossly, ‘and let us all enjoy the day without you carping on about things that don’t matter.’
There were no church bells to ring out the joyous news of the wedding, for they’d been silenced for the duration of the war to be used only if there was an invasion, but no one seemed to notice as they rushed to be the first to congratulate not only the bride and groom, but also a triumphant Fran.
Peggy bumped the pram down the shallow steps and pulled up the hood. Despite the bright sun the wind was cold, and she didn’t want Daisy to get a chill. She’d been marvellous during the ceremony, and when Fran had played, she’d sat wide-eyed and silent, as if mesmerised.
‘Fran, that was truly wonderful,’ Peggy said when she finally managed to get anywhere near her. ‘I don’t think I’ve ever seen people react like that in a church.’
Fran grinned impishly. ‘Doris was po-faced, but she did compliment me on my playing and said I could borrow the violin for the foreseeable future as long as I promised to accompany Mary when she does the charity concert on New Year’s Day.’
Peggy rolled her eyes. ‘I might have known she’d want something in return.’ She glanced across at the best man, who seemed to be completely transfixed as he stood at a distance and admired Fran with undisguised longing. ‘I see you’ve got an admirer,’ she softly teased.
‘Lord help me,’ whispered Fran. ‘Robert’s not my sort at all, but there’s nothing I can do about it. Is he still staring at me like a lovesick puppy?’
Peggy nodded as she regarded the rather earnest, awkward young man. ‘Give him a chance, Fran,’ she coaxed softly. ‘You can’t always tell a book by its cover, you know, and he could turn out to be extremely nice.’