Gypsy Wedding (12 page)

‘It doesn’t look like it from here. And why you couldn’t dress up a bit I don’t know. Look at the effort Shania’s put into her outfit. Anyone would think you didn’t have any decent clothes in your wardrobe.’

And in truth, Shania did look lovely in a sparkly top that she wore under her coat which she’d left open so as not to hide the full impact of the plunging neckline and the gorgeous pink colour that enhanced the creaminess of her skin. Her bottom half was clad in a pair of skintight purple leather trousers with sequins running down both legs to pink cowboy boots. In contrast Vicky was in a simple pair of jeans and a dark sweater. And lots of her cousins were dressed more like Shania than herself and even the babies and toddlers were in frilly frocks or dear little suits and dicky bows.

‘I was afraid of feeling cold, Mammy.’ But in truth Vicky had got used to being careful about what she wore to college so as not to attract any attention and her low-key dress-sense had now become a habit.

‘Were you now,’ said her mother in the sort of tone that left Vicky in no doubt that her mother didn’t really believe her.

They had barely got into the market proper when they began to meet all manner of people they knew. Many of the market traders were friends or relations and other traveller families had also come along to shop for clothes, or housewares. Within an hour there were several large groups of traveller families in various parts of the market exchanging news and gossip noisily and attracting stares from non-travellers because of their colourful clothes and the men’s tattoos.

As Vicky became swept up in the traveller scene her bad humour began to give way and people she hadn’t seen for an age congratulated her on her impending wedding or offered her discounts on china and glassware for her bottom drawer, ‘As a wedding present, me darlin’.’

By two o’clock she had her bed linen sorted, a dozen crystal wine glasses, a load of saucepans, frying pans and casseroles, a bone-china dinner service and a tea set. She and her mother had made the trek back to the car park on several occasions to dump purchases in the car and the roll of twenties that Liam had given her was almost spent.

‘I can’t think why you like this tea set so much,’ her mother grumbled as they returned to the car a fourth time, this time to offload the box of tea things. ‘The one covered in pink roses was so much prettier. And what about the one Shania bought? That was lovely. And it had a matching cake-stand.’

‘But I like the plain one, Mammy. I like things that are simple.’

‘I don’t know what’s the matter with you. It doesn’t look expensive like the patterned one does. We could take it back and change it. If you’re worried about the extra cost I’ll pay the difference.’

‘But I don’t want the patterned one.’

Mary-Rose shook her head. She didn’t understand her daughter at all and her trailer was going to look awfully bare and drab if she didn’t have nice knick-knacks and lots of ornaments round and about. No matter how she encouraged her daughter to buy various bits and pieces Vicky had remained stubbornly obstinate about not wanting ‘clutter’. It was just as well, thought Mary-Rose, that she’d managed to raise one daughter who was normal and liked things on the fancy side.

They returned to the market for a last look around and met up with Shania, Mikey and his family. It was a big, exuberant and colourful group that pretty much filled one of the walkways between the various stalls.

‘For God’s sake,’ a loud angry voice said, cutting through the travellers’ laughter. ‘Bloody pikeys, blocking everything.’

Vicky spun round before she could help herself; she recognised that voice.

‘Chloe.’

‘Vicky! What the hell …’

‘Don’t you dare call us that,’ screeched Shania, not realising that Vicky was already trying to manage the situation.

Chloe turned her attention to Shania. Her bravado was buoyed up by the fact that she was also in a big group of girls, some of whom Vicky recognised from college. ‘
Us? Us?!
’ screeched Chloe in shocked amusement. ‘
How dare you call us that
,’ she said, mimicking Shania. ‘If the cap fits …’ She leaned towards Shania and said ‘pikey’, right into her face.

‘Don’t you dare talk like that to my sister,’ said Vicky.

‘Your sister?’ crowed Chloe. ‘Oh my God. I don’t believe it. This gets better and better. A whole family of pikeys and they’re all Vicky’s relations.’

There was a disturbance as Kelly forced her way through to stand beside Chloe.

‘Vicky. Oh my God, I am so sorry.’

‘What have you got to be sorry for, Kelly?’ said Chloe, her voice like acid. ‘It’s not your fault that your mate’s a pikey.’ Then the penny dropped when she saw the look on Kelly’s face. ‘You knew. You knew, didn’t you? All along you’ve known Vicky’s dirty little secret. And now you’re feeling sorry for her because we’ve found out the truth.’

The other travellers hadn’t really spotted what was going on at the edge of their group, they were too busy chatting and catching up. But a mother’s sixth sense alerted Mary-Rose to the quarrel and she waded through the crowd of friends and relations to be beside her daughters.

She was a big woman with forearms like cooked hams and as soon as she clocked what was going on she acted, moving forward to stand squarely in front of Chloe.

‘And just who do you think you’re talking to,’ she said, her bulk dwarfing Chloe’s slim frame.

Chloe quailed but stood her ground. ‘I was talking to Vicky here.’

‘You mean my daughter.’ Mary-Rose’s eyes narrowed and she thrust her face aggressively towards Chloe. ‘And what right do you have to talk to her like that?’

Chloe drew on her last reserves of courage and fought back using spite as a weapon. ‘Every right,’ she spat back, ‘because she keeps making eyes at my boyfriend.’

‘I doubt that,’ roared Mammy. ‘Vicky’s a respectable girl who’s engaged to be wed and there’s no way she’d ever look at another man. Maybe it’s your boyfriend who’s making the eyes, and why wouldn’t he want to look at my Vicky in preference to you, you whey-faced trollop.’

Chloe was dumbfounded by the insult and, lost for words, knew she was beaten. She wasn’t going to take on this belligerent Irish woman, not if she didn’t want a good thrashing, so she turned and walked away with as much pride as she could muster, followed by her entourage. Only Kelly didn’t follow her.

‘Kelly?’ said Vicky, not understanding why her best mate now seemed to be siding with the enemy. ‘But you hate Chloe, don’t you?’

‘I do,’ Kelly said with conviction. ‘I didn’t know she’d tag along too when a gang of us fixed up this trip. If I’d known … If I’d imagined for a minute … Oh Vick,’ said Kelly with a shaky voice. ‘I can’t believe what’s happened.’

‘It’s not your fault,’ said Vicky. She sighed with relief that her friend was still true. ‘You were nowhere around when she started on me. If you’d realised I was here, I know you’d have done everything to make sure our paths didn’t cross. You’d have warned me or something and I could have kept a look out for her. It was just one of those things. I think my background was bound to come out eventually.’

‘But what,’ said Mary-Rose with a steely edge in her voice, ‘was all this business about you making eyes at another boy?’ Whatever anger Mary-Rose had felt towards Chloe was now being focused on Vicky and the possibility that her daughter had behaved inappropriately.

‘Mammy, I swear I haven’t. Honest. May I burn in hell if I’m lying.’

‘She hasn’t, Mrs O’Rourke. What Vicky’s saying is true.’

Mary-Rose swivelled round to face Kelly. ‘And just who might you be?’

‘I’m Kelly. Vicky and I have been friends since year seven. Chloe’s just a nasty piece of work and her boyfriend makes eyes at anything in a skirt. But Vicky’s always just ignored him. Honest.’

‘Is that so?’ Mary-Rose didn’t sound at all convinced.

‘Yes it is, Mammy. I wouldn’t lie to you. Never.’

‘It’d better be so, my girl. If your daddy thought you were behaving in a way that would shame the family he’d never get over it. And you could forget Liam. He wouldn’t want you. Frankly, no one would.’

‘I know, Mammy, I do.’ Vicky’s face was pale and earnest with worry at the consequences of Chloe’s allegations if no one believed her side of the story.

Mary-Rose sighed. ‘Then I’ll take your word for it. But don’t ever,
ever
let me hear anything like this again.’

Vicky felt quite shaky as her mother left her with Shania and Kelly and returned to the main group of her friends.

‘So
were
you making eyes at that girl’s fella?’ asked Shania, hopping with curiosity. The thought that her sister might have done something quite so terrible was deeply exciting. ‘That was that Chloe, wasn’t it? Isn’t she the one you told me was going out with Jordan?’

Vicky nodded.

‘The bloke you think is fit, even if his dad is from Africa?’

Vicky nodded again.

‘So did you make eyes at him? I mean, he is a looker, isn’t he.’

‘No, I didn’t.’ Vicky’s voice was almost shrill with indignation. ‘You’re as bad as Mammy. As if I would.’

‘Well, I don’t know. You’re the one who thinks Jordan is fit; you’re the one wanting to do college instead of getting married; you’re the one who has to be pushed into everything to do with your wedding.’ Shania shrugged. ‘Strikes me that if you really,
really
loved Liam you’d have done it by now. And then
I
wouldn’t be hanging around waiting for
you
to get on with it and you wouldn’t be seeing Jordan behind Liam’s back.’

Vicky was trying hard not to lose her temper with her sister. ‘But I’m not.’

‘Chloe seems to think you are.’

‘We all go to college together. I see a lot of people there but just because I do doesn’t mean there’s anything else going on. And just because I want to learn how to make dresses properly doesn’t mean I don’t want to get married.’

‘Huh.’ Shania didn’t even try to keep the sceptical note from her voice.

‘Well, I can tell you,’ interrupted Kelly, ‘that your big sister always behaves totally properly. You remember how she was at school? She hasn’t changed just because there’s no other travellers to keep an eye on her.’

Shania didn’t look convinced. ‘Well,
I
think if she really wanted Liam she’d have wed by now. For God’s sake, she’s been engaged for over two years now.’

That’s what the problem really is
, thought Vicky wearily. If her mammy wasn’t so set on the idea that her daughters had to get married in age order the heat would be right off her. And Shania wouldn’t be snapping at her heels like an angry Jack Russell.

Kelly shook her head, not understanding travellers’ ways. Vicky was only a teenager so she was hardly over the hill, was she? She said goodbye to Vicky and Shania and headed back home.

‘So what did you get for your bottom drawer?’ asked Liam as soon as Vicky had got out of the car. He’d been waiting for her return outside his own parents’ trailer.

‘Take a look.’ Vicky popped the boot of her father’s car to reveal her haul. ‘And it would be a real favour to me if we could store this in your daddy’s workshop.’

‘I’ve got a better plan than that,’ said Liam with a smile.

‘Oh?’

‘I’ve got a surprise,’ he said, the grin spreading over his face.

‘Oh, what?’

‘Never you mind. Close your eyes.’

‘Why? What’s the surprise, Liam?’

‘Just shut your eyes.’

Vicky closed her eyes and allowed herself to be led by Liam by the hand. They seemed to go for miles. At one point Liam slipped his arm around her waist and pulled her close to him to make her steps less hesitant. Vicky could feel the warmth of his body, even through her sweater. A delicious shiver ran through her.

‘Don’t worry, babe, I won’t let you walk into anything,’ said Liam, clearly thinking it was a shiver of nerves, not desire. ‘Almost there, now. You’re not peeking, are you?’

‘Promise,’ said Vicky, squeezing her eyes tighter shut still, fighting the urge to open them.

Liam stopped. ‘Okay, take a look.’ Ahead of them was a brand-spanking-new trailer. ‘You’re not the only one who’s been shopping.’

Vicky didn’t know what to say. It was perfect.

‘Take a look inside,’ said Liam, opening the door.

Vicky peered into the pristine interior. There was plastic down to protect the soft furnishings and the carpets and it had that wonderful fresh smell that was a mixture of wax polish and unused fabrics, the sort of smell that you only got with new trailers or cars. The bunks were covered in cream leather and the curtains at the windows were pale yellow. Everything was light and bright and just perfect as a new home. Excitedly Vicky stepped up and in through the door and slipped off her shoes. No way was she going to have any mess being trampled into this fabulous caravan.

Liam jumped in behind her. ‘We’ll need to get a step,’ he said as he did.

Excitedly he showed Vicky round all the cunning features that hid other cunning features so not a square inch of space was wasted. ‘So you can move all the things you bought today right on in here.’