by Annie Groves
They bent over the strawberries that peeped like rubies out of the green leaves. Dina was trying to help but treading on more than she was picking.
Lily could smell the setting lotion on her hair. Sylvio had washed it in the bathroom basin, trimmed it again and set it on soft curlers. He brought a black-hooded hair dryer, which Queenie had borrowed from Gianni.
‘I wanna thank you many times for finding me in Manchester. I heard about Marco from nurse in hospital who have her hair done. I felt so bad. I just ran. I was crazy man but I go back to Gianni and beg him to take me back. He call me no good, say no…so I tell him I will stay in town and join Pickering’s hairdressers. He change his mind pronto.
‘I will make Maria plenty proud but I ask one favour. She must leave the Santinis soon when they find out about us. It will be big trouble. She need to find house to stay. Is possible…she come here?’
With her head stuck under the hood and the racket from the whirring air, all Lily could do was nod. There was no way she could stay on in Division Street herself.
Maria could have her room and keep the peace between Freddie’s ladies. When Mother moved out there could be a whole League of Nations lodging in the house. Why not? That would give Doris Pickvance a bone to chew on.
Now she felt the sun on her face as they turned to Billy’s raspberry cage. Ana was picking bowls and bowls, as if she was feeding the five thousand. Was she going to make jam?
‘That’s enough, surely?’ Lily said, feeling hot and sticky.
‘Oh, no, plenty more. Come on.’
This was not how she planned to spend her wedding morning but beggars can’t be choosers. ‘You like it here?’
Ana smiled. ‘When I am here, I am honorary man. Billy has nice son, called Ken, see over there.’ She was pointing in the direction of a young man hoeing his patch, who waved at them. ‘If I am stuck, he help me. He was Tommy soldier in battle of Kriti. He knows my island. We talk many times.’
‘Oh, do you?’ Lily smiled. ‘And is this Ken married then?’
The look on Ana’s face was a picture. ‘I don’t talk to married men. He lives at home.’
‘I bet he works very hard on the allotment for his father then?’
‘Yes, he is very diligent. He makes krasi… wine from his berries like we make with grapes.’
‘Just you watch yourself, Anastasia. He thinks you are a widow.’
‘Oh, I will tell him truth one day, but not Dina here. She must never know.’
‘She’ll have to know sometime, but not today. Look at the time, we’ve been up here hours.’
‘You are right. Time to go back and get dressed up. Dina!’ she smiled and raced after her daughter.
Dressed up? What was there to get dressed up for now?
There was no point in packing again. Lily looked at her wristwatch and sighed. In another half-hour she should have been on her way to the church. Only Zion’s doors would be locked, and the waiting Brownies would be wondering what was happening. It was going to be a long day, skulking in the back garden out of sight. It was too good an afternoon to waste indoors. It was all very quiet downstairs. Everyone seemed to have vanished, probably busy taking stuff back to the shops from the church hall kitchen. What a waste of coupons.
The effects of Levi’s herbal tea were wearing off but it still felt as if all this was happening to someone else. Perhaps it was a dream and she would wake up to the ticking of her Mickey Mouse alarm clock and the day would begin all over again.
She felt a bit peculiar, a bit shaky. It must be too much sun on the allotment.
Not that her mind was changed. No matter what happened next, the relief was genuine enough. What to do to fill the rest of this day, though? Her mind was like a blank sheet. All she did know was it was better not to be on her own. The house had gone quiet. Where was everybody?
As if answering her prayer, Esme appeared with Su and Ana. They were dressed up in their best clothes; Mother in a gunmetal slub silk dress and jacket with a straw hat covered in dark cherries and dyed feathers. Ana was wearing a smart navy-blue dress with inverted pleats in the front and Su was in a bright orange silky concoction. There were marigolds pinned to her bun.
‘What’s going on?’ said Lily. Had she been dreaming after all?
‘You’re to get dressed, and sharpish. The car’s coming at one.’
‘What car? The wedding’s off, isn’t it?’ she croaked.
‘That’s for us to know and others to find out. The Daimler’s coming for you as planned. I don’t want the whole of Division Street knowing our business so put your glad rags on and a bit of lipstick.’
‘I don’t understand…’
‘You will. Trust us, we know what we’re doing. Here, put a comb through your hair. It’s a good job you had it done this morning.’ Mother disappeared round the door.
‘What’s going on? Has she gone mad? Everyone must know I’ve been stood up!’
It was hard to talk with clothes being shoved at her in all directions, her new corselet, petticoat, stockings and shoes. Then it was time to slip on the dress and jacket.
‘It is all about saving face, Lily,’ said Su. ‘In my country it is the custom. You not show the enemy your fear. “Wise man’s anger never come out.” You smile when you are sad and put on very best clothes. You fly the flag. We are flying the Winstanley flag today. You will see. It will all be right, but first we must go through a special play. No one has to know our business, where we go or what we do.’
Sitting down in front of the mirror with Ana teasing her set hair into shape and clipping it back, there was little room for Lily to manoeuvre. The hat came out of its box while she powdered her nose and applied a little Max Factor rosy lipstick. Her eyes were still puffy from tears and sleep, but once the hat was in place and pinned firmly on, Lily felt quite the glamour puss. Shame there was no wedding to go to now.
‘You look like a film star, Lily,’ Su said as they opened the bedroom door and she glided down the stairs in a dream.
Levi was waiting at the foot of the stairs with the two little girls and Neville in his velvet trousers and cream silk smocked shirt. His curls were plastered down in a parting like Little Lord Fauntleroy.
‘You scrub up well, Sis,’ winked Levi.
Esme handed her the bouquet of pink roses and ivy that sprayed out in front of her. She put on Ana’s lace gloves and felt the sugar lump in the finger. Perhaps life could be just as sweet without a man by your side.
‘I think you’re all mad,’ she whispered.
‘Knock ’em dead, Sis,’ whispered a voice in her head. Freddie was behind all this madness. Dad would be roaring with laughter at their antics.
‘The show must go on. Time enough later when everyone’ll see the funny side of it.’ Esme was eyeing her up and down with satisfaction. ‘You look champion. I’m not sure that picture hat’s going to get through the door. Whoever made that was on top of the job. Your dad’ll be proud of you today, and Freddie too. Come on, no time for tears. Let’s get the show on the road. Smile everybody, and look as if you mean it.’
Lily floated out of Waverley House like a Rose Queen with her procession of attendants, waving as the unsuspecting neighbours gathered to wish her well.
I deserve an Oscar for this performance, she thought. Vivien Leigh has nothing on me. She kept wondering if this was still a dream from the funny baccy, but the Daimler was real enough with the white ribbons on its bonnet.
The Winstanleys were on top form, not a flicker of embarrassment. Redvers would have been proud of his family, united for once. No one suspected a thing. Esme, Levi and the bride were all squashed in the back of the limousine, with the attendants on their knees. No one could say they were extravagant on transport, though. She turned to see if Ana and Su were following behind. What was going on?
They drove round the block, down Green Lane and out away from the town towards the moors, away from Zion and the puzzled onlookers, waiting for a show that would neve
r happen. Eventually the Daimler glided to a halt.
‘What now?’ whispered the bride-not-to-be.
‘This is as far as we go by taxi. There’s the Rover parked up, and Levi will chauffeur us the rest of the way. No point in overdoing it on petrol coupons. We’ve made our point,’ Mother explained, ushering them all out onto the pavement.
‘Just tell me where we’re going?’
‘All will be revealed in good time. Be patient, lass. I’m not quite sure, myself.’
It was hard to be patient with Neville jumping on her knee as they piled into the Rover, still with its white ribbons too. All dressed up and nowhere to go. This was ridiculous.
Lily thought of Walt sunning himself in a deck chair on the beach. She hoped he had been violently sick on the ferry across. I’m never going to speak to him again, she whispered to herself. How dare he beat me to it!
Tonight they should have lain together on the new mattress at Well Cottage. She’d moved heaven and earth to get enough coupons for that. Then he had the cheek to suggest they postpone their nuptial bliss until they were settled. ‘Best not to rush things,’ was his excuse.
What would they have been like together, a couple of fumbling halfwits? It would have been a disaster from the start. What a wonderful feeling of release.
They were driving north now, away from the red brick of dye mills and factories, out towards the white stone villages of North Lancashire. The sun was shining as they turned into a long drive, through wrought-iron gates with rampant lions sitting on the top. On and on they cruised, winding through shrubbery and oak trees, the tyres scrunching on the gravel as they turned into a circular driveway.
‘I don’t understand. This is private land. We don’t know anyone round here, do we? What’s all this in aid of? Someone please enlighten me.’ Lily’s heart was thumping with excitement now. The mystery tour was turning into an adventure right enough.
Then she saw the white stone of the castle turrets. She’d seen it once on a postcard. It was Cardwell Towers. What on earth were they doing here?
There were blackout curtains still at the windows, and smoke coming from a chimney. Her hands were shaking. There were cars parked under some trees and one of them was Diana Unsworth’s blue sports car.
‘Well, I’ll be blowed! Trust her to be up to something. Come on, spill the beans before I burst my elastic,’ Lily smiled, pointing at the assembly of friends.
Esme turned from the front seat and smiled. ‘I take my hat off to you in your choice of friends, Lily. They’ve come up trumps and no mistake. Just wait and see what they’ve sorted out for you.’
The children spilled out of the car, crumpled, confused, blinking into the sunshine. Queenie Quigley’s black van was following slowly behind. Out poured Ana, Su, Maria and Rosa from the back, all dolled up in their wedding attire. Avril and Bill from the travel agency were waiting smiling, holding a basket of bread buns.
‘I don’t believe this!’ Lily smiled shyly. ‘What’s going on?’
‘The wedding may be off but the party’s still on. We’ve just jiggled things around, made a few phone calls, and Bob’s your uncle: a picnic in a private park, no prying eyes, no confetti, no awkward customers, just friends together. It’s too lovely a day to sit indoors and mope.’ Diana rushed forward to give Lily a hug. ‘I hope you don’t mind us taking over.’
‘Mind? It’s the kindest, nicest thing that has ever happened to me. I don’t know what to say.’
‘Then get your gloves off and help us unpack the picnic. We’ve got the run of the place until dusk. There’s a lake down there. I thought we could take the rugs and chairs down under the shade of the willows and set up our picnic. I expect everyone is starving. I know I am.’ Diana was already lifting boxes from the trunk of her car.
‘Did you know about this, Mother, and you, Levi? How did they manage this at such short notice?’
‘Co-operation, delegation and lists, the secret of any good enterprise,’ laughed Queenie, staggering with a basket of covered tins. ‘Diana’s not a hospital sister for nothing. As soon as she heard the news, she was on the blower, giving us orders right left and centre. Quite the tornado in full flight. We’re just carrying out orders.’
Levi was making himself useful carrying chairs down from a summerhouse with Bill Crumblehume, and a gardener who was looking askance at this motley party dressed up to the nines, making divots in his lawn.
The children raced ahead, excited, like figures in some Victorian portrait-Rosa wearing her Babes in the Wood lace dress with the sash, Neville in his knickerbockers. What they would look like at the end of the day was anyone’s guess.
Lily was speechless and shaking with excitement. This was ten times better than any stuffy wedding breakfast in the church hall. She didn’t want to sound ungrateful but it was worth all the drama just to be standing there, dressed like a toff in the midst of a set worthy of Gone With the Wind, amongst the people dearest to her in all the world. How on earth they fixed all this in a few hours, she would never know, but it was wonderful.
Levi made to go but she stopped him. ‘Have a picnic with us,’ she smiled, but he shook his head.
‘I’ve things to do, Sis, while Neville’s here, out of earshot. Ivy’s been ringing round. I’d better sort things out between us.’ He hugged her and promised to pick them all up later.
Poor man would get an earful from Ivy when she found out what she’d missed. The Olive Oils were giving their bride a blow-out to remember. If only her brother would stand up to his bossy wife and tell her straight that if she’d played fair with Lily’s friends she would have been invited too.
Well, what you sow you reap: wheat and weeds together sometimes. Now there was all this joy just because she picked up two strays and lost a pram. What a tale to tell her grandchildren one day-if she ever got round to having any children of her own, that was. There was a full contingent: Eva, Stefania, Polly Isherwood and even Enid Greenalgh. Lily was glad they’d brought Enid along for she didn’t get out much and would be company for Esme: ten of them, and children carting picnic baskets like sherpas in their high heels and finery. What a sight.
The shadows of branches flickering on the lawn was a scene from an old Master painting. The noise was of children racing, wood pigeons cooing from the rooftops. Was this really happening? She must find out more.
‘Why here?’
‘Let’s say you were bringing the hat back to its rightful owner. Cardwell Towers belongs to the Marsdens. Hilly’s a friend of Mummy. She’s District Commissioner. We sometimes take guides camping out here.
‘As soon as I heard the news, we had an impromptu meeting at HQ, by the way. Everyone wanted to do their bit. I got this vision and I just knew Hilly would come up trumps: Guider to Guider, Be Prepared sort of thing, you know how the rule goes. It’s her Ascot hat you’re wearing and it’s very becoming on you.
‘We’re just lucky that there were no events today in the park and they’ve gone to some sailing regatta at the Reservoir. Hilaret and Monty are keen yachtsmen. She was delighted to loan us the grounds. I expect we’ll meet them later on. Oh, and she said to tell you she once did a runner before the war, bolted from some dreadful army type, lucky escape and all that. Only happy to oblige with the hat and the venue.’
‘I don’t know how to thank you,’ Lily replied.
‘That’s Guiders for you: always ready to fill the breach, so just sit down and eat up. We’re not going until it’s all finished. You’ve paid for most of it, after all!’
People kept coming up and patting her on the shoulder, touching her hand and giving their condolences as if she’d suffered a bereavement but it didn’t feel like that at all. How could she explain that a heavy lead cloak had disappeared from her shoulders or that there were coiled springs in her peep-toes? Even her head was fizzing like pop for the first time in months.
Chairs were brought out and a table laid in the shade with a fine linen cloth. A tray full of glasses sparkled o
n a wooden trolley with soda siphons and mysterious bottles coloured like jewels: emerald, ruby and rich topaz, and a jug of homemade elderflower lemonade. A picnic basket was groaning with fresh buttered rolls and slices of cooked meats under a net cloche-ham, pork, beef. A bowl of lettuce and tomato, cucumber and celery bulged by a huge raised pie with a golden crust. A pair of silver salad servers sparkled in the sunlight.
‘This is not the ham salad we ordered,’ Lily cried. ‘This is a feast.’
‘Allotment Billy gave us the tomatoes and the rest. We traded in some of the ham for the cooked meats, the piccalilli is last year’s from my pantry and Maria has made you a special salad dressing,’ Diana announced.
‘It is olive oil vinaigrette, Mamma’s recipe with summer herbs. You will like.’
She looked young again, with black curls, freshly cut by her lover, framing her face. Her dress was a silky mourning lilac with white polka dots and on her head she wore a peekaboo sun hat with a scarf wrapped round it.
‘I don’t know what to say,’ Lily croaked.
‘Just eat up and we’ll be happy,’ laughed Esme, who had a napkin tucked under her chin like a bib. ‘Try and not get grease on your outfit. SOS, everybody.’
‘Yes, Mother. Stretch or Starve, folks,’ Lily said, watching everyone tucking in.
There was silence in the group, just the chink of glasses and forks on someone’s best china plates, the rustle of the breeze in the willows and the sound of ducks hovering for titbits by the lake edge. It was perfect. So much trouble taken to make this impromptu wonderful picnic happen.
From out of Queenie’s van came an ice tub of Santini’s best vanilla, a bowl of freshly picked bilberries and the strawberries and raspberries she had picked with Ana. So that was what the visit was for! There were also shortbread biscuits shaped like hearts.
‘The baker gave me those for you. He said to tell you he was sorry and that if he didn’t have a missus he’d marry you himself. You’re a good customer and he hopes things will buck up,’ Queenie said with lips stained purple with fruit.
‘So everyone knows then?’ Lily asked, fearing the worst.
