East End Angel

by Rivers, Carol

‘You’re getting married!’

  ‘Yes, we’re making plans now.’

  Pearl kissed Em’s cheek. ‘I’m very happy for you.’

  Em blushed. ‘Colin’s a really nice person. I’m lucky to have found him. A white wedding, especially in wartime, is a big challenge. So we’ve made very careful arrangements, which we’d like you and Ruby to be part of too, as our good friends. We’ve set the date and the church and, of course, we have the gowns to make. We’d like you and Ruby to be bridesmaids, or should I say, in your case, matron of honour?’

  ‘It sounds very grand.’

  ‘Do you think Ruby will agree?’

  ‘You can ask her when she comes in.’

  Suddenly the thought struck Pearl that this might be just the thing to bring Ruby to her senses. A white wedding like Em’s was what Ruby had been dreaming of. Perhaps Em and Colin’s visit had come just in time to remind her of what she was missing if she married Ricky in haste.

  Ruby pedalled fast down West Ferry Road. It was a lovely April day and her hair flew out behind her. It was wonderful not to have her turban on, or her factory overall. Wearing utility slacks and shoes was a bit of a nightmare, but at least the restrictions weren’t so bad. She even had her eye on a brand-new lilac costume. She’d saved all her coupons and was determined to buy it for the happy day. And after what Ricky had told her today, she might be wearing it sooner than she’d thought.

  Ruby couldn’t ride home quickly enough. She wanted to tell Pearl her news. There were several whistles along the way, even though it was Sunday. The Americans were all over the place. London was full of them, swanking about in their smooth uniforms that so outshone the rough English material. It was generally known that they were on nationwide military exercises to keep the enemy guessing about when and where the next offensive might be. But for all their charm, thought Ruby wistfully, none of them could compare to her Ricky.

  So eager was she to share her news that she just missed a Jeep coming from the docks. She jumped off the bike to regain her breath. The Jeep was full of American servicemen, and once more she was treated to admiring glances.

  ‘Can I teach you how to ride that thing properly?’ called one handsome young soldier as the vehicle slowed. ‘Sure as Jiminy Cricket I’d love the chance.’

  Ruby blushed, tossing back her hair. ‘No, thanks. Me fiancé will do that for me. As soon as he gets home, that is.’

  There was a chorus of disappointed ‘ah’s and ‘oh’s, as the young men leaned out of the uncovered truck. ‘You mean he’s left a great-looking gal like you alone?’

  Ruby laughed at the flattery. She was too proud to tell them he was in hospital. ‘He’s in the navy.’

  ‘You don’t say?’ The soldier grinned. ‘Then we wish him good luck. Reckon we’ll all need it now Ike’s given the thumbs up.’

  Ruby sat back on the saddle. ‘Thumbs up to what?’

  ‘You don’t know about the invasion, sweetheart?’

  Ruby shrugged. ‘We’ve all heard a lot of talk.’

  ‘Well, ma’am, you better believe it. Uncle Sam is all set to win this war.’

  Ruby stuck out her chin. ‘We weren’t doing a bad job of it before you came in.’

  ‘The little lady is right!’ another soldier nodded, knocking his companion’s shoulder with his elbow. ‘But remember, it was us that first gave you the real news! Hitler’s Fortress is about to fall all the way down! It’s goodbye to—’

  Just then another Jeep sped up. All the soldiers sat down and were quiet. The officer looked across and spoke words that Ruby couldn’t hear. Within seconds the first Jeep had moved on. The American officer saluted her, then drove away.

  Ruby rode home slowly. She was thinking about what the Americans had said. She was glad Ricky wasn’t returning to service. If they were right and this was the last push, once again Ricky would have been in the thick of it.

  There were hugs and kisses all round when Ruby came in.

  ‘Em has some wonderful news,’ Pearl smiled as she poured tea.

  ‘This is for you,’ said Em as they all sat in the living room. She handed a white envelope to Ruby.

  ‘What’s in it?’ Ruby opened the smooth paper. ‘Pearl, do you know?’

  ‘Yes.’

  Cynthia sat on Ruby’s lap. ‘Come on, Cynth, you can help me open it. Oh, you’re getting married!’

  ‘As you can see, the wedding is in October,’ Em explained as Ruby read it. ‘We’d like you to be my bridesmaid and Pearl matron-of-honour.’

  ‘How lovely,’ said Ruby quietly.

  ‘We’ve asked Gwen and Fitz too. So you’ll be able to sit at the same table. Colin’s sister, Hope, is a dressmaker and is designing and making the gowns. Hope will need your measurements to begin with, then perhaps you could come for a fitting? I think you will like the material we’ve chosen. Thanks to Hope’s pre-war stock, I can wear white satin and you girls, pink. She lives in Poplar, off the High Street, and has her dressmaker’s room there.’

  ‘Pink is a good colour for us,’ said Pearl, looking at Ruby, but her sister just sat quietly.

  ‘I’m so glad. Now I have everything I want.’ Em looked shyly at Colin.

  ‘I want you to have the best,’ Colin murmured. ‘You deserve it after all you’ve been through.’

  ‘Where will you live after you’re married?’ asked Pearl.

  ‘We’ve bought our own house,’ Colin said. ‘But sadly it isn’t on the island. Everything is in ruins here.’

  ‘Yes, that’s true,’ agreed Pearl, thinking of Roper’s Way.

  ‘Colin’s been given promotion,’ said Em, ‘to north London.’

  ‘What about your dad?’

  ‘He’ll come with us. Though the kids don’t take the mickey or throw stones as much as they used to because Colin is around, he is better off with us. I don’t think he could live on his own.’

  Colin adjusted his spectacles. ‘It will be a new start for us all.’

  ‘Are you having a honeymoon?’ Ruby asked softly.

  ‘Yes, we’re going to Cornwall, to spend a fortnight in a rather splendid hotel,’ said Colin.

  ‘We’ll miss you when you move,’ said Pearl.

  But Em only smiled. ‘You can come and visit. I’ll have the house to show you. It does need a bit of redecoration, but we shall make it cosy.’

  ‘I know you’ll be very happy wherever you live.’ Pearl glanced at Ruby, but her sister seemed far away.

  ‘I’ve invited Moira and her husband too,’ said Em. ‘She left the office you know, Pearl.’

  ‘No, I didn’t. I’ve lost touch and didn’t even know she was married.’

  ‘Nor did I. But I sent an invitation to an address that Mr Hedley gave me. She wrote back asking if it was all right to bring her husband.’

  ‘Is it Arnie, that fellow we met at the dance?’

  ‘I don’t know. But it will be interesting to see if he turned out to be her Prince Charming.’

  Ruby sat on the edge of her chair. Her eyes were very wide as she suddenly said in a very high voice, ‘With all this talk of weddings, I’d better tell you my own news.’

  Everyone turned to look at her. Even Cynthia, who was playing on the floor.

  ‘Me and Ricky are getting married too.’

  ‘Oh, Ruby, congratulations!’ cried Em. ‘But Pearl said he’s in hospital. Is he well enough to leave?’

  ‘It’s not really a hospital,’ Ruby said waving her hand. ‘Brawton Manor is an old country house and is the country seat of Lord and Lady Brawton. We’ve decided it will make the perfect setting for our wedding.’

  ‘It sounds delightful,’ said Colin.

  ‘However, it’s in Surrey so I’m afraid we can’t invite many guests.’

  Everyone was silent. Ruby looked at Pearl. ‘Except you, of course.’

  ‘Me?’ Pearl asked in surprise. ‘But I can’t come all that way. I’ve got Cynth.’

  ‘Won’t Gwen look after her?’

 
‘They’ve got the shop.’

  ‘We’ll take care of her,’ said Em hesitantly, looking from Ruby to Pearl. ‘It will give us a bit of practice.’ She blushed again as she glanced at Colin.

  ‘Oh, that’s wonderful!’ exclaimed Ruby.

  ‘But I’ve never left her before,’ protested Pearl.

  ‘You can count on us,’ said Colin. ‘We look after Hope’s two youngsters and there’s been no complaints.’

  ‘And your honeymoon?’ Em asked.

  ‘We’re considering Switzerland after the war,’ said Ruby airily. ‘Ricky has so many wonderful ideas that it’s hard to choose between them. It was Scotland to begin with, but we’d rather wait until we can go somewhere special. In the meantime we’ll look for our house. Like you, we will move off the island to a nicer area. We want a house with at least three bedrooms, so we can have guests to stay.’

  ‘Well, again, congratulations,’ nodded Colin. ‘Your plans sound very exciting.’

  Pearl sat in bewildered silence. It was the first she’d heard Ruby speak of a honeymoon in Switzerland, or that a lord and lady owned Brawton. It was also the first she had heard of a house with three bedrooms.

  ‘What was all that about?’ asked Pearl when they’d gone.

  ‘What?’ asked Ruby, her cheeks flushed as she looked through her bag.

  ‘You’ve never said you wanted to go to Switzerland.’

  ‘You’ve never asked. You never seem interested, so why should I say?’

  ‘I am. It was just a shock to hear you talking like that.’

  ‘I’m getting married too, you know.’

  Pearl looked away. ‘I don’t know about leaving Cynth.’

  ‘It seems you’re still hoping I won’t get married.’ Ruby closed her bag with a snap. ‘If you come or not, I don’t care now as the plans are made. Ricky and me are tying the knot on Saturday the twenty-ninth of April.’ Swinging her bag over her shoulder she flounced off.

  Pearl sat down on the chair and hugged Cynthia. So the date had been set. It looked like nothing could stop Ruby now.

  Chapter 17

  Pearl sat on the comfortable seat of the train and though she’d had reservations about leaving Cynthia, she was enjoying the countryside. The fields were emerald green, full of cows and sheep. Except for her honeymoon in Margate, the last time she had been to the country was when she was twelve and had gone on holiday with the club. The Country Holiday Fund, as it was known, had sponsored her and Ruby’s stay in Gloucestershire. It had been a wonderful seven days for children who only knew the Smoke. None of them knew what the country looked like. Now it came back to Pearl’s mind as the train sped along.

  Two horses galloped in a field, their thick manes flying behind them as though they were trying to keep up with the train. Even the people waiting at stations looked well dressed. There were no crying kids with dirty faces or East End accents. Some English servicemen had sat with them for a while and had been very flirtatious. Pearl wondered if Jim acted in the same way when he saw pretty girls. He couldn’t be fighting the enemy all the time. And she’d seen pictures in the paper of the Allies being given a warm welcome as they liberated the towns and villages of Italy. If only she knew more about his whereabouts . . .

  ‘Penny for your thoughts,’ said Ruby, nudging her arm.

  ‘I was only thinking about Jim.’

  ‘’Spect he’s thinking about you too.’

  ‘I hope so.’

  ‘I wish he could be at the wedding.’ Ruby sounded upset. Had she forgotten Jim’s feelings towards Ricky?

  ‘You know Ricky and Jim didn’t get along at the wedding,’ Pearl said hesitantly.

  ‘It will be different,’ shrugged Ruby dismissively. ‘When Jim knows the price Ricky has paid for serving his country, he’ll change his mind. They’ve got a lot in common now.’

  ‘I don’t know about that.’

  Ruby turned quickly. ‘Pearl, I’m pleased that you finally agreed to be with me today, so don’t go and spoil it.’

  Pearl sighed and turned back to the window. She had been undecided about coming to Brawton, but, as usual, Ruby had won her round. There wasn’t anything she could do about Jim’s feelings, however. Ruby had convinced herself that Ricky and Jim would be friends in the future. And although she was right in saying that Ricky had paid a big price for serving his country, was that enough to make Jim change his mind?

  ‘How do I look?’ asked Ruby, poking Pearl’s arm.

  ‘Beautiful.’ Pearl ran her gaze over the new lilac costume her sister had bought. It fitted her slender waist and hips perfectly. A cloche-style hat in the same colour covered her blonde hair and moulded to the shape of her head. Her eyes were shining. She looked very much in love.

  ‘I hope Ricky thinks I look beautiful too.’

  ‘Course he will. Any one of those soldiers or sailors would have married you on the spot.’

  ‘It was nice to hear their flattery,’ Ruby smiled dreamily. ‘The tall officer was staring at you.’

  Pearl blushed and Ruby laughed. Pearl had been surprised the officer had smiled at her. She felt dull in comparison to her sister as the suit she was wearing harked back to the days when Jim was on leave from Luton. She hadn’t worn it since and had lost so much weight it hung on her. She glanced down at the freshly ironed skirt and remembered the hole in the hem that she’d mended. It hadn’t taken Jim long to take it off her. She shivered at the thought of his hands caressing her. What would it be like when they made love again? Would they still be mad for each other? Two years was a long time. It would be even longer by the time he next got leave – if he got leave.

  ‘What was that?’ Ruby frowned.

  ‘Didn’t think I’d said anything.’

  ‘You mumbled about the war.’

  Ruby waved her hands. ‘Some Yanks I met said President Eisenhower has given the thumbs up.’

  ‘Where did you meet them?’ asked Pearl curiously.

  ‘It was the day Em and Colin visited. I nearly ran into this Jeep on me bike. They said Hitler’s Fortress was about to come down. Well, that means France, doesn’t it?’

  Pearl didn’t want to get up her hopes. Was this just another rumour? And even if the Allies landed in France, it would mean yet another battle. Where would Jim be in all this?

  They sat quietly as the train sped on. Pearl’s thoughts turned to Cynthia, whose happy laughter she was missing. She hoped there wouldn’t be any raids whilst she was away. Em and Colin were going to stay the night at Pride Place as everyone thought it would be better for Cynthia to be in her own home. But when she woke tomorrow morning, her mum wouldn’t be there.

  ‘Mum and Dad should’ve got my letter by now,’ Ruby said suddenly.

  ‘I hope they’ll forgive you.’

  ‘It was the only way.’

  ‘So you keep saying.’

  ‘They would have tried to talk me out of it.’

  Pearl knew they would be shocked and hurt. And even though Amy liked Ricky, Ruby was her baby. She’d had great plans for the day when Ruby got married.

  ‘I tried to explain that the reason is because of Ricky’s condition,’ Ruby said insistently.

  ‘Not because you’re worried he’ll change his mind?’ Pearl pointed out.

  But Ruby shook her head. ‘They wouldn’t have understood.’

  ‘They might have.’

  ‘Don’t be a wet blanket now. Remember, this is my wedding day.’

  How could she ever forget it, Pearl thought as she returned her gaze to the countryside. From the very start, Ruby hadn’t wanted any opposition to her plans and had told Pearl many times nothing was going to spoil them. Their parents would have advised delaying the wedding until Ricky was well again, and Ruby knew that.

  ‘Surrey is such a romantic setting for a wedding,’ said Ruby, unable to keep still. ‘And I don’t suppose there’s many who can say they got married in a manor house owned by a lord and lady. I feel very lucky to have the opportunity for su
ch a special affair.’

  A village church and a small cemetery flashed by, then a row of cottages. Ruby had certainly talked herself into this special affair, Pearl reflected as she admired the thatched roofs and tiny windows of the half-hidden cottages. Could she imagine herself and Jim living here? But the Smoke was where they came from, where they’d always be. There was always the hustle and bustle of the docklands, and friends and neighbours to speak to. Perhaps living in the wilds would have its advantages. Especially if you knew a lord and lady to have afternoon tea with!

  When they got off the train an elderly man wearing a brown cap and tweeds was waiting on the station platform.

  ‘Miss Jenkins and Mrs Nesbitt?’

  They both nodded.

  ‘I’m Arthur Forsythe. I live in the village and though I’m retired now, I’ve offered my driving services to the hospital. I understand this is rather a special occasion?’

  Ruby blushed. ‘Yes, I’m getting married today.’

  Arthur smiled under his walrus moustache. ‘Indeed. Matron has asked me to act as your driver.’

  Ruby looked surprised. ‘We thought we’d have to get the bus like I did last time.’

  ‘Can’t have the bride using public transport on her wedding day,’ Arthur said in a cultured voice as he patted the big pockets of his smart country jacket. ‘Matron tells me you’re staying at the Brown Bear. Have you any bags to leave en route?’

  ‘Only this.’ Ruby lifted the attaché case containing their few personal effects.

  ‘I can stow it in the boot,’ Arthur nodded. ‘We’ll drive straight to the Manor.’

  Arthur took the attaché case and led the way from the platform. Outside an old and battered, but sturdy-looking motor car awaited them. Arthur opened the door and Pearl and Ruby climbed in. ‘Welcome to Brawton,’ he said with a grin. ‘Sit back and enjoy the view.’

  Once more the trees and fields flashed past and it was not long before they entered an imposing drive. The bushes on either side were glossy and thick. The trees overhead rippled like a green sea. Pearl gasped as the redbrick Manor, its dozens of windows reflecting the sun, came into sight. The roof had many tall chimneys, and two white pillars stood at the big front door.