A Family Christmas (23 page)

‘I want you to be my bridesmaid, Lily.’ Nellie smiled. ‘I just hope your dress fits, that’s all.’ The dress in question was the most beautiful Lily had ever seen. Lilac satin with a wide sash to tie in a bow at the back. A posy of anemones lay on the dressing table next to Nellie’s pink carnations. Lily promptly burst into tears, much to Nellie’s consternation. Nellie hugged the young girl, who to Nellie’s knowledge had never had anything except serviceable working dresses, and even those probably hand-me-downs. ‘Come on,’ she said. ‘You’ll make your eyes all red and they’ll clash with the colour of your dress.’

Lily laughed. ‘Oh Nellie, I’m so happy; that’s why I’m crying.’

‘Yes well, come on, let’s see if it fits.’

‘Oh it’s far too pretty for somebody like me.’ The dress fit as though it had been made to measure.

‘No it isn’t. You’re not just pretty, you’re beautiful, Lily. I’m going to fasten your hair up under the head dress and then you’ll see how beautiful you are. You’ve got to do my hair in return. Like you did when I went out to dinner with Tom.’

‘Oh, Nellie. And now you’re marrying ’im and I’m going to be all dressed up.’

The others had hurried down for a look at the sea but Lily was quite content making Nellie look beautiful. When they were ready Lily said, ‘Oh, I wish me dad could see me now, and me mam and our Molly.’

‘They will. I shall send you a photograph when they’re developed.’

‘Do yer think Ernest’ll think I look nice?’ Lily blushed.

‘Well, he’d have to be blind not to.’

When all the guests had left for church Nellie and Lily came downstairs, where only Mr Slater remained. ‘Eeh, lass, tha’r a sight for sore eyes. And thee an’ all, love. Come on, let’s not keep that young man waiting any longer.’ A wedding car was standing at the bottom of the steps. Nellie Gabbitas was all set to make her marriage vows to the man she adored and who loved her more than life itself.

* * *

Margaret Johnson was in her glory; she had taken charge of the catering, leaving Nellie free to put the finishing touches to the house. Some of the guests seemed quite intimidating to Nellie, but Tom introduced his wife with pride and everyone agreed young Tom had done well for himself.

John Grey found himself in conversation with a man quite a bit older than him. The man seemed quite taken with little Bernard, who had a habit of chatting away to everyone. ‘Handsome little boy, your son; he’ll set a few pulses racing in a few years’ time.’

‘Yes, I expect he will.’ John laughed. ‘He isn’t my son yet, though.’

‘Oh, I apologise. I just assumed.’

‘That’s all right. His mother died, father unknown. We’re about to start adoption proceedings.’

‘Hmm.’ The man looked at John. ‘I know it’s a personal question, but how old are you? It’s just that you look a bit young and being a lawyer, I do know that as the law stands, no one under the age of twenty-five is eligible to adopt.’

‘Oh!’ John hadn’t known that. ‘Not even if the child’s being cared for by us because he’s no relatives to look after him?’

‘I’m afraid not.’

‘Surely if I explain, the adoption can go ahead. I’m twenty-four so it’s only the matter of another year.’

‘Sorry, it is as the law stands at the moment. Best
to
wait, in my opinion. Actually it could cause problems if you apply too early. The authorities may decide you’ve no right to be caring for him.’ John considered what the lawyer had said. He knew how heartbroken Lucy would be if the boy was taken away now.

‘So you think it would be better if we waited a year?’

‘Absolutely. Keep quiet is my advice; don’t rock the boat.’

‘Right. Well, thanks for your advice.’

‘You’re welcome,’ he laughed. ‘Not often we give out free advice. Would have cost you a few quid if given in my office.’

‘Thanks. Nice to have met you.’ John shook his hand.

‘You too. Paul Tomlinson, should you ever need a lawyer.’ He bent and ruffled Bernard’s hair. ‘Be a good boy for your father.’ He winked at John. ‘Good luck.’ He went off to refill his glass.

Music had been arranged for the reception in the form of a trio, but it wasn’t quite what the younger guests considered up to date and Nellie gave them permission to go and see the sights of Blackpool. Tom’s young cousin eagerly offered to take them to the Pleasure Beach. Lily was torn between changing her dress and joining the young ones or staying in and wearing her bridesmaid’s dress. Of course Ernest Slater made up her mind for her. He had been eyeing her up all day. Tom gave his cousin
enough
money for them all to have a few rides at the Pleasure Beach and for their fares on the tram to get there.

‘It’s a long walk to the South Shore,’ Tom told them. None of them minded the walk. They crossed the promenade and walked along the sea front, watching the waves bashing on the sea wall, wetting their best clothes and in Lily’s case, her white, uncomfortable shoes she had forgotten to change. ‘Does anybody really go swimming in there?’ she asked.

‘All the time. It’s lovely when the tide’s out, or on a calm day.’

‘Well, you wouldn’t get me in there.’

‘Me neither,’ Dot agreed. ‘It looks far too dangerous.’

‘Now that’s what I’d call dangerous.’ Will looked up at the latest ride as they entered the fairground. ‘But I’m going on it all the same.’

‘Come on then.’ Clarence the cousin ran to the kiosk to pay. Lily wasn’t sure, but didn’t like to be the odd one out. ‘What would Mrs Cooper say?’ she asked nervously as the ride set off up the steep metal track.

‘She’d say, “Yer want yer brains washing.”’ Larry gave a decent impersonation of Mrs Cooper, making them all laugh. They soon stopped laughing as they reached the top and set off down the other side, with the ride gathering speed as they went. The girls screamed and they all hung on for their lives.

‘We do want our brains washing.’ Will was as white as Nellie’s wedding dress when the ride came to a halt.

‘Who’s for another go?’ Clarence called out, but nobody bothered to reply. After testing a few more rides they took a tram back along the prom and walked up by the station to Nellie’s house. All Nellie’s family and friends were to stay there for the night. Most of the men were inebriated by this time and the women not far behind them. Rosie and Bernard had been put to bed in the family room and Mrs Cooper, Lily and Dot were to share. The young lads were up on the top floor, where they told dirty jokes and acted the fool until it was almost light. Lily, due to habit, was awake by that time.

‘Mrs Cooper,’ Lily said as she saw the woman stirring. ‘Should I go and cook breakfast for everybody? After all, I am the bridesmaid.’

‘Eeh, lass, that’d be a lovely thing to do, and I’ll come and ’elp yer.’

‘I’ll come too,’ Dot said. ‘I’m not used to lying in bed.’

‘Come on then. More the merrier,’ Lily giggled.

Mrs Cooper found a tray and set out breakfast for Nellie and Tom. She found a flower and put it on the tray.

‘Ooh, Mrs Cooper, doesn’t that look lovely? Can I tek it up? I know where their room is.’

‘All right, but don’t go in until you’ve knocked and they invite yer in.’

‘Ooh no, I’d better not.’ Lily and Dot began to giggle.

‘And we’ll ’ave less of that,’ Mrs Cooper said, but the girls noticed the merriment in the housekeeper’s eyes. ‘Is that batch o’ bacon done yet?’ she asked Dot.

‘Not quite. Shall I go and wake everybody?’

Lily carried the tray up to the first room and tapped on the door with her toe.

‘Come in.’ Tom’s voice made Lily nervous, but she opened the door with her elbow and delivered their breakfasts without spilling a drop, either of fruit juice or tea.

‘Oh, Lily, how lovely. You’re supposed to be on holiday, not working or waiting on us.’

‘Ooh, I am on holiday. It’s the best time I’ve had in all me born days.’ And not one of the Millington guests would have disagreed.

After breakfast Tom took the men to look round his garage, where Mr Smith had arranged to take possession of a new car. The rest of them made their way to the North Pier – though Larry would have liked to join the men, if only he’d been invited. The sea was calm now and the young ones decided to go for a paddle. Even Lily and Dot couldn’t resist taking off their shoes and stockings and running along the wide expanse of golden sand and standing in the water where the waves rippled round their ankles.

‘Ooh, it’s lovely,’ Lily said. ‘I wish I ’ad a bathing
costume
, then I could go right in.’ The sea looked so different now it was calm.

‘Aye, I’d go with yer. I bet you’d look all right in a costume,’ Ernest said. It wasn’t much of a compliment but it was enough to send the colour flooding to Lily’s cheeks. They followed the tide mark along the beach, splashing each other and running away. Then Dot saw a gypsy coming towards them dressed in garments of orange, purple and red. The woman was carrying a basket of paper flowers and dolly pegs. ‘Me mam told me to look out for the gypsy woman on the sands. I’m going to have me fortune told. She’s the best fortune teller in the world is Gypsy Lee.’

‘How’d yer know that?’ Ernest said.

‘Because she told me mam’s fortune and everything she said came true. She even knew me mam was named after a queen, without being told.’

‘Tell yer fortune, lady?’ The gold at the gypsy’s wrists and throat gleamed in the sunlight. She came towards Dot. ‘Cross me palm with silver.’ Dot gave her a shilling. ‘Give me yer hand.’ The gypsy traced Dot’s palm with her finger. ‘You’ve a long and healthy life ahead of you. You’ll share it with a tall, dark man. A man who will never cease to be faithful to you.’ Dot’s heart sang. ‘But not yet. Years may pass before you can share your life. Long dark years, all because of the wickedness of a woman.’ Dot didn’t like the gypsy’s prediction now; it was scaring her. ‘Stay close to your family, the earth, the green
fields
. Your man will return; have faith. Beware a tall, slim woman, long-haired and evil. She will fight, but you will win in the end.’

Dot wished she hadn’t had her fortune told now. It had made her sad, spoiled her weekend. Then she brightened. The gypsy had said Dot would win in the end. Besides, she had said he would always be faithful. She didn’t mind waiting a few years. In fact she would wait for ever so long as she knew she would eventually share her life with Robbie.

Mrs Cooper finished helping Nellie prepare the vegetables for dinner. Then she put on her coat, hat and gloves. She would go breathe in some of the finest air in England; if that didn’t give her an appetite nothing would. She walked on Central Drive and down to the promenade. Every building, every street sign, even the salt air brought a rush of memories, some filling her with joy, others bringing heartache. She endeavoured to remember the good times. The way they had run down the steps to the beach, his hand holding hers, protective yet warm with longing. She remembered how the ripples on the sand hurt her feet. The shock of the cold waves round her ankles. Most of all she remembered the love they had shared on that wonderful week, before he was cruelly snatched away from her. No warning, no signs, just the news that he had died of a heart attack.

She leaned on the railings and looked out to sea.
She
clutched her hat as the wind threatened to tear it away from her, then she called out across the sand, ‘Thank you, Joe, for the love and the memories.’ Then she turned and looked up at the great tower, memories flooding through her. They had stood way up there as they tried to locate the street and the little boarding house where they had stayed with Joe’s sister as a chaperon. Joe had pointed out the Isle of Man and North Wales. Then he had taken her in his arms, kissed her and asked her to marry him. ‘We shall come back here on our honeymoon,’ he had promised. They had danced in the ballroom and he had told her she looked like a queen in her maroon fine wool dress and shoes to match. Then they had returned to Cragstone and heartbreak. Until now, she had never returned to the resort, afraid of the memories, but she would come again, if God chose to preserve her long enough, and next time she would go to the ballroom and relive those wonderful days, in memory of Joe. She sighed and set off back. Nellie would need her help with a house full of hungry guests. Then she smiled to herself; Nellie Johnson wouldn’t need an old woman’s help. She was young and could cope well enough on her own. She stood waiting for a tramcar to pass and suddenly her hat went flying like a kite along the promenade.

A young couple ran, trying to catch it, but all in vain. ‘Eh, love, don’t bother. It’ll be almost at Squires Gate by now,’ Mrs Cooper laughed and they
laughed
with her. They reminded her of her and Joe all those years ago. She hoped they would have more years together than they had had. It had been so short, but oh so sweet. She wondered where her hat would end up.

She called after the couple, who were walking away, ‘I looked daft in that hat anyway.’

Lucy and John had spent an enjoyable hour building sandcastles on the beach for Bernard and Rosie, and burying Bernard up to the waist in sand. Then they had fed the seagulls with bread brought from the breakfast table. Bernard shrieked and waved his arms excitedly at the squawking birds.

‘I suppose we’d better go back. Our Nellie said dinner would be ready at one. She should have let us all help.’

John laughed. ‘Your Nellie’s quite capable of catering for a house full.’

‘Oh, John. Have you ever seen a house like it? Tom must be really wealthy to afford a place like that.’

‘Well, it’s good to see one of the family doing well for herself. He’ll make your Nellie a good husband, and a generous one.’

‘Yes, it was a lovely wedding and it was good of them to open their home to all us lot.’

‘Aye, it was a grand wedding.’ John caught Lucy’s eye. ‘But do you know what?’

‘What?’

‘I enjoyed ours much more.’

Lucy took his hand. ‘So did I, and I wouldn’t swap you and our two for anything, not even our Nellie’s house, or Tom’s car, not even the chance to live here at the seaside.’

‘Me neither.’ John rose to his feet and lifted Rosie from Lucy’s arms so she could put on her shoes. ‘But I must admit I’m looking forward to one of your Nellie’s dinners. I’m starving.’