Lizzie's Secret (15 page)

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 was 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…'

‘Perhaps your father just needs time to save up for another wedding…' Lizzie suggested.

‘I know it wouldn't have been easy for Dad, but I wouldn't mind having just family and going without all the fuss and bother…but that cat's got Tony now…'

‘Perhaps it's just a fling and Tony will come back,' Lizzie said but Beth shook her head.

‘If I know he's been with her I shan't have him.'

*

The letter from Lizzie's aunt when it came was brief. She did not approve of Lizzie's decision to marry and advised her to think carefully but she'd signed the necessary permission. Lizzie showed the letter to Harry when he came home on leave that weekend and he was thrilled, seizing her about the waist and swinging her round in exuberance.

‘I knew when they gave me that thirty-six-hour pass something good would happen,' he told her. ‘I'll buy a special licence and as soon as I get another leave, we'll be married, Lizzie.'

‘Yes…' Harry's excitement was catching and she responded willingly when he grabbed her, holding her close and kissing her with a passion that took her breath and left her trembling. ‘I do love you, Harry.'

Harry insisted on taking Lizzie round to his uncle's house. She'd only met his Aunt Miriam a couple of times previously, but now she was welcomed as part of the family and his Uncle Bert insisted on getting out a bottle of sweet sherry.

‘Well, that's good news,' he said as Harry told him that they were planning to get married as soon as he got another leave. ‘Just let me know and I'll arrange a reception for you – but you'll need somewhere to live…'

‘Yes, I know. I rang someone last night. A friend of mine told me about a flat coming up for rent. It's not far away from here, so Lizzie will be able to walk to work. She intends to keep working for you until we start a family, but that won't be just yet. It wouldn't be fair on her, with me away all the time…'

He didn't need to elaborate. . Everyone knew that the future was going to be difficult for young men at the front. Every day the papers carried dire stories, and it was only a matter of time, despite Hitler's denials that he had no intention of going into Poland. All the signs were there and most people expected it daily.

Lizzie made the most of the time she had before Harry went back to start his training. He didn't expect to get home for a few weeks, which would give her time to find a pretty dress of some kind. They would marry in church, but it wouldn't be a white wedding with all the usual trimmings. She couldn't afford a lace dress and a veil, but Harry said it didn't matter. All he wanted was to make Lizzie his wife.

The morning after he'd announced his intentions to his uncle, Harry went out and found them somewhere to live. He paid the rent in advance, before taking Lizzie to see it, because, as he told her, someone else was after it and he'd had to get in quick. It was over a small workshop that made men's shirts and was part of the rag trade area. When he took Lizzie later that evening, she saw that most of the buildings were small manufacturers with offices over the top. Some of them were still open and she saw a rail of ladies' coats being transferred from one side of the road to the other. It was a hot August night, but winter coats were being made now ready for sale in a few weeks when the weather turned colder.

Lizzie thought the rooms were very small, but the rent of fifteen shillings was reasonable, and it actually had electricity, a fireplace in the sitting room and a gas cooker in the kitchen. The landlord had renovated the whole place and it smelled of fresh paint. She'd never lived in anything this modern-looking before and looked in wonder at clean plasterwork on the ceilings and walls, and wooden floors that were painted with clear varnish. All it needed was a few rugs, pretty curtains and furniture, and she would enjoy choosing something modern and bright.

‘It's lovely,' she said. ‘I never expected anything like this…'

‘Only the best for my Lizzie,' he said and kissed her. ‘We shan't be able to afford all the furniture we want to start with, love, but my aunt says I can have my bedroom furniture and we can have a look in the second-hand shops for the rest.'

Since there was only the kitchen, the sitting room, one decent bedroom and what Lizzie would call a box room, she didn't think it would take much to make the place look nice.

‘I haven't spent the money the lawyer got me for the lease of Uncle Jack's shop. I can make some nice curtains and we only need a small table and two chairs in the kitchen, perhaps a cabinet for the bits and pieces… I could get a couple of armchairs in here and… oh, it will be fun looking…' Lizzie felt excited as she planned how to make things nice for them.

‘It may be six weeks or more before I get leave,' Harry pulled her into another passionate embrace. ‘I love you so much, Lizzie. I want to make love to you…'

Lizzie hesitated, on the verge of saying she was ready, because his kisses made her want more, to know what loving a man was all about.

‘Don't worry, love, I'm not going to,' Harry said as she was silent. ‘Much as I want you, I know it wouldn't be right, just in case something happens to me. Some chaps have been hurt during training and I would hate people to point the finger at you. You're my Lizzie and I'm going to look after you. I don't intend to have an eight-month-old baby or worse… I'm proud of you, Lizzie and I won't have anyone whispering behind your back.'

The look he gave her made Lizzie smile and yet she felt coldness at the nape of her neck. Harry was so intense, so sure of himself… supposing she let him down in some way… would he still love her then?

After Harry had returned to his training camp, Lizzie worked all hours to finish the orders. The hats Sebastian Winters had ordered costed out at between thirty-five shillings and two pounds each to make, which wasn't much more than he'd paid before, but Miss Hennessy's order was more expensive to make. She'd mainly chosen hats with large brims and lots of veiling, although apart from one of them they were easy enough to shape.

The hat that caused Lizzie the most trouble was a beautiful creation of silk velvet and tulle. It was a soft design with a V-shape at the front that looked rather like opened birds' wings and was sewn with feathers and a jewelled motif.

‘It looked lovely on paper,' Lizzie said, after unpicking her first attempt and remodelling it so that it was slightly more shaped and stiffened. ‘I never thought Oliver would accept it and I hadn't given a thought to how I would make it.'

‘Just as well, we worked it out together,' Ed told her. ‘Soft hats are fine, but not if you're going to have that fancy structure at the front… that needs support.'

‘I've learned my lesson now,' Lizzie said humbly. ‘I don't know what I would have done if you hadn't sorted me out, Ed.'

He chuckled softly. ‘You've still got a way to go, Lizzie love,' he told her. ‘Oliver threw you in at the deep end, didn't he?'

‘I told him I could do it,' Lizzie said, because she wanted to be fair. ‘I hadn't worked that one out properly though.'

‘Next time do several drawings so that you can see how you're going to make it up, Lizzie. I know you like drawing these fanciful things, but most women want a practical hat.'

‘Yes, I know,' Lizzie agreed. ‘I have to make them in a certain time and that means they need to be simple in structure.'

Ed inclined his head. ‘Save your flights of fancy until you're a famous designer.'

Lizzie shook her head, because that wasn't going to happen. She'd turned down Sebastian Winters' offer and remembered it wistfully – but it wouldn't have worked. She would soon be married to Harry, and he wouldn't have wanted her to work for anyone but his uncle.

*

The declaration of war took no one by surprise, but it was awful just the same. Lizzie heard it on the radio with Beth and her family. Outside the sun was shining but Lizzie felt cold all over as she heard the Prime Minister tell the British people that they were now at war. Germany had broken all her promises and invaded Poland, wreaking havoc on a people too weak to stand up to the might of the German machine.

‘God help us,' Mr Court said. ‘I'd hoped my son and my daughters' husbands would never have to go through what we did, but it looks as if we're in for it now.'

‘It will be worse than last time,' Mrs Court said, close to tears. ‘The papers say it will be war in the air… we'll be bombed, much worse than what happened in the first war. Things have moved on…'

‘Yes, I'm afraid you're right,' her husband said. ‘I feel sorry for the poor buggers that have to fight. I had enough of it last time. I shall offer my services of course, but I doubt they will take me.'

‘Don't be a fool, Derek,' Mrs Court cried. ‘Let the young men go. You've done your bit…'

‘Even if they won't take me in the forces, I'll be useful somehow…'

Over the next few days the recruiting offices were choked with men wanting to sign up. It seemed that people had forgotten the pain and horror of the war that was supposed to end all wars and were now carried high on a wave of national pride and ready to fight for king and country.

Beth was very quiet for a couple of days and then she told Lizzie that she'd made enquiries about training to be a nurse.

‘Oh, Beth, what does your mum say?'

‘I'll tell her once I've been accepted,' Beth shrugged. ‘I'm not going to stay home and do nothing now our men are going to be fighting'

Lizzie nodded, feeling a little guilty because the idea didn't appeal to her. For the moment she wanted to stay where she was – and once she was married the women's services probably wouldn't want her anyway, because although it wasn't absolutely forbidden as it had been once, those in charge often thought married women were too much of a liability to take on important jobs. Married women had children and they took time off if their children were ill, and in times of war, people had to keep their mind on the job… at least that was the way some officials saw it. They thought the WVS was fine, but when it came to the dangerous and vital work it should be reserved for men, but women were capable of a lot more than some men gave them credit for and by the time this war was over they were going to need them.