by Joan Jonker
Lily averted her eyes as a blush covered her face. ‘Is that just a general question, Archie, out of curiosity, like, or are yer proposing?’
‘If yer’ll look me in the eyes, Lily, I’ll tell yer.’ He waited for her head to turn and her big hazel eyes to meet his, then he said, ‘I think yer know how I feel about yer, Lily. How I’ve felt since the moment I first saw yer. Some people say there’s no such thing as love at first sight, but there is. I fell for yer hook, line and sinker then, and my love for yer has grown deeper over the months. I’d give anything to hear yer say yer feel the same way about me.’
Lily pulled back and lifted a hand to stroke his cheek. ‘You are such a dear, kind, sweet man, Archie, it would be very hard not to love yer. And if ye’re proposing to me, then yes, I will marry you.’
‘Yer will!’ Archie was beside himself. He cupped her face between his hands and rained kisses on it. ‘When will yer marry me?’
‘Well, not tonight ’cos it’s a bit late.’
They burst out laughing and clung to each other. ‘Let’s tell yer mam and dad, I want them to know how happy I am.’
‘Me mam would skin yer alive if yer woke her up now! Besides, we’ve got a lot to talk about before we tell anyone. For instance, will we be getting engaged in the near future?’
‘We can go for the ring on Saturday, if yer like. Anything yer want to do is all right with me, as long as yer don’t change yer mind about marrying me.’
‘There’s no fear of that, love, I know when I’m well off. When yer come tomorrow night we’ll tell me mam and dad, and Paul, of course. Then if yer like we can look at the rings on Saturday. But it doesn’t have to be an expensive one, Archie, I don’t want yer to skint yerself.’
‘I’m all right for money, sweetheart, so you’re to choose a ring that yer really like. I want yer to have the very best.’ Archie was so full of happiness he wanted to share it. ‘I wish there was someone we could tell, my heart is bursting to share the news with someone.’
‘Yer can hold out until tomorrow. I won’t tell the family, I’ll leave that for you to do when yer come.’ Lily put her arms around his neck and held him close. ‘We’ve got a lot to discuss . . .’ Her words were cut short when Archie’s eager lips covered hers.
Nellie’s eyes were suspicious as she looked across the table to where her daughter was eating her meal with a smile on her face. ‘What’s got into you, Lily? Yer’ve had a grin on yer face since yer got in from work. Have yer had a pay rise or something?’
‘Oh, aye, and pigs might fly. No, I was just thinking of something one of the girls in work said today. She’s a scream at times and has us in stitches.’
‘Well, don’t keep it to yerself, let us all in on the joke.’
Lily began to eat quickly. ‘I’ll tell yer some other time ’cos Archie’s coming early tonight and I want to be ready.’
‘Blimey! Yer don’t have to shovel yer food in, five minutes is neither here nor there!’
‘I want to get to the sink before Paul, he takes ages getting ready.’
‘I’m in no hurry tonight,’ her brother told her, ‘I don’t even know where I’m going yet.’
‘In that case I’ll have a swill and then help wash the dishes.’ Lily wanted everywhere looking nice for when Archie came. The news he had for her parents wouldn’t sound right told over a table strewn with dirty plates. ‘I’ll make a start, and by the time I’ve washed, yer’ll all have finished yer dinners.’
Nellie was shaking the tablecloth in the yard and Lily was putting the glass bowl back in the middle of the table when the knock came. ‘This’ll be Archie, I’ll open the door.’
George looked up from the Echo when Archie came in, and it struck him that the lad looked very pleased with himself. He must have heard a good joke in work, too, he thought, as he greeted his daughter’s boyfriend. ‘Has that lazy so-and-so yer work with been up to any more of his tricks, son?’
Archie looked surprised. ‘No, he hasn’t had a day off for two weeks now, why?’
‘It’s just that our Lily has had a smile on her face like a Cheshire cat since she came in, and you have that same look. I thought perhaps yer’d heard the same joke she had.’
Nellie came in from the kitchen and pulled out a chair. ‘Sit yerself down, son, there’s no charge.’
‘I will in a minute, Mrs Mac, but I’ve got something to tell yer and I’d rather do it standing up.’ Archie held out his hand to Lily. ‘Come and stand next to me, love.’
Nellie’s eyes were like slits. ‘What the hell d’yer need her to hold yer hand for? What’s going on?’
‘I’ve got a job to do, and I need to do it proper. I want to know if you and Mr Mac have any objection to me and Lily getting engaged?’
The Echo was dropped on to the floor at the side of George’s chair as he sprang to his feet. Grasping Archie’s hand, he shook it soundly. ‘That’s marvellous news, son, and me and the wife will be delighted. Won’t we, love?’
Nellie folded her arms to hitch up her bosom. ‘Ay, not so flipping fast, George. As Lily’s father, ye’re supposed to ask some questions before agreeing to give yer daughter away. Like, for instance, how much Archie has in the bank, and can he keep her in the manner to which she’s been accustomised?’ But she couldn’t keep up the pretence, she was too excited and happy now her wishes had been granted. Pushing herself to her feet, she held her arms wide. ‘Come here, yer daft ha’porth, and give yer future mother-in-law a kiss.’
Paul was smiling and his congratulations were hearty. He thought the world of Archie and knew his sister would be in safe hands with him. But he couldn’t rid himself of the ache in his heart when he remembered how he and Phoebe had talked about getting engaged when they’d saved enough money. Still, this was a joyous occasion and not one to be thinking about what might have been. ‘I hope yer realise what ye’re taking on, Archie? Ye’re not only getting our Lily, but me mam as well. Tommy always said yer were a brave man, and yer must be to take on Helen Theresa McDonough.’
Nellie was standing beside her husband and they had their arms around each other. The happiness on their faces said it all, they didn’t need to put it into words. They were both mentally comparing this fine, upstanding young man with the boy Lily was courting last year. How different their feelings would be if it was Len Lofthouse standing in their living room now asking for her hand. ‘When were yer thinking of getting engaged?’
‘We’re going to look at some rings on Saturday,’ Lily said from the shelter of Archie’s arms. ‘But I’ve been having a good think about it today and I’d rather we didn’t tell anyone for a week or so.’
Nellie’s mouth gaped. She was already planning to go down and tell Molly as soon as the love-birds went out. ‘Why not? It’s no big secret, is it?’
‘Of course not! But everyone is still celebrating Doreen’s baby and I’d hate them to think we were stealing their thunder. Phil’s taking the men out for a pint on Saturday to wet the baby’s head, let’s not spoil things for him. We can leave it just for another week until the excitement has calmed down.’
Nellie’s voice came out in a high squeak. ‘Yer mean I can’t even tell Molly?’
Archie stepped in quickly. ‘Lily, love, I don’t think there’s any need for that. It’s not as though we’ve got the ring and are having a celebration party. All we need to say is that we’re getting engaged soon. I would like to go round the Jacksons’ tonight and tell Tommy. Yer know he’s torn between who to ask to be his best man – me or Ginger. He’s afraid of upsetting one of us. Well, I think it should be Ginger ’cos they’ve been mates for eighteen years. And I can smooth things over now by telling Tommy that I’d like him to be my best man when we get married. That should make everyone happy.’
Lily’s face lit up with joy and mischief. ‘I’ll give in to yer tonight, but don’t take that as a sign yer’ll get yer own way with me when we’re married.’
‘Thank God for that!’ Nellie’s chest hea
ved. ‘I couldn’t have kept it to meself if I’d tried. As soon as you two go out I’ll be down to Molly’s to give her the news. It’ll make a change for her to sit listening to me bragging rather than the other way round. And, oh, boy, am I going to brag!’
‘Mam, ye’re past the post, you are,’ Lily laughed. ‘Yer’d be no good in the Secret Service, yer’d be giving all the secrets away to the enemy.’
‘Oh, I don’t know, girl! Anyway, I don’t think you and Archie getting engaged is enough to start another war, do you?’
Chapter 24
‘Ay, girl, isn’t it the gear about our Lily and Archie getting engaged?’ Nellie did a little jig with her shoulders. ‘Me and George haven’t stopped smiling for the last three days, we’re so pleased.’
‘I don’t blame yer, sunshine, ’cos I’d be exactly the same,’ Molly told her sincerely. ‘Lily’s got a good one in Archie, he’s a helluva nice bloke. Yer’ll not have any worries as far as yer daughter’s concerned, he’ll take good care of her. And our Tommy’s over the moon about it! As yer well know, Archie is his hero and he’s delighted he’s coming into our extended family.’
Nellie looked puzzled. ‘What d’yer mean, girl, our extended family? He’s marrying into our family, not yours.’
‘The names may be different, sunshine, but the Bennetts and McDonoughs have always been like one big family and they always will be. I mean, Phil’s not really one of us, but as far as we’re all concerned he’s a member of our large and happy family.’
This pleased Nellie no end. ‘Yeah, ye’re right, girl. We’ve always shared everything, haven’t we? The bad times and the good, the laughter and the tears.’
‘I think on the whole there’s been more good times than bad, and more laughter than tears. But whatever, you and me have always shared them.’ Molly winked across the table. ‘We couldn’t be closer if we were sisters.’ She began to chuckle. ‘Anyone listening would think we spend our time paying each other compliments. And I shouldn’t even be here, I should be across the street helping me daughter with the baby.’
But Nellie didn’t fancy going back to an empty house so she tried delaying tactics. ‘Ay, did Jack tell yer about the good laugh they all had on Saturday night, when Phil took the men out for a drink?’
Molly nodded. ‘He said Phil was like a dog with two tails. All the neighbours were slapping him on the back and shaking his hand, and he was lapping it up. Some of the men have three or four children of their own, but Phil was talking as though he was the only one who’d been clever enough to perform this miracle. And Jack said he remembers feeling the same when Jill was born.’ She spread her hands on the table in readiness to push herself up. ‘That’s it now, sunshine, so don’t be thinking of anything else to keep me back. I’m late getting over there as it is.’
But Nellie was still reluctant to budge. ‘Have yer heard whether Jack’s brother from Wales is coming for the wedding?’
‘Yes, we had a letter on Saturday to say he and his wife are looking forward to it.’ Molly tried to keep a straight face but couldn’t. ‘It’s seven weeks to the wedding, sunshine, and if yer had your way, yer’d keep me talking all that time. So just get off yer backside and let me go about me business.’
‘I’ll come with yer and give yer a hand.’
‘Oh, no, yer won’t! Doreen’s got her hands full with seeing to Victoria and the baby, she doesn’t want visitors this time in the morning.’ She saw her friend’s mouth open to object, and got in first. ‘Yer can ask till ye’re blue in the face, sunshine, but ye’re not coming over to Doreen’s with me. Now will yer vamoose, please?’
‘Ye’re a miserable bugger, Molly Bennett. I bet your Doreen wouldn’t mind at all, she’d be glad to see me.’ Nellie lifted her bosom from the table and pushed her chair back. ‘I hope yer won’t be late for us going to the shops?’
‘If you don’t stop talking and scram, I won’t be back in time! So, on yer way, sunshine, and I’ll see yer later.’
Molly still had a smile on her face when Doreen opened her front door. ‘You look as though yer’ve had some good news, Mam! Either that or yer’ve got a feather in yer knickers.’
‘It’s that mate of mine! Honest, she’s a cracker, she really is.’ Molly walked into a room which was a lot tidier that the one she’d left. Victoria sat in her rocking chair smiling a greeting and looking very neat and tidy, and a peep in the cradle showed the baby fast asleep on spotlessly clean sheets and pillows, with that sweet smell all babies have, coming from him. ‘Ye’re very organised, Doreen, I must say. My place looks like a muck midden compared to here.’
‘That’s because yer sit gassing to yer mate instead of getting on with it. I do the work first and then relax.’
‘I don’t have much option, sunshine, ’cos when Nellie’s bored at home with nothing to do, she takes a trip down to our house and we both take a trip down Memory Lane. The truth is, Nellie doesn’t see why the furniture should be polished more than once a week. So every other day it’s just a quick flick of a duster and Nellie’s finished. She’s very clean, but she’d be the first one to tell yer that she’s not house-proud.’
Molly’s fit of the giggles started slowly and built up. ‘I’m going to tell yer something that ye’re not to repeat to a living soul, and I want yer to know I’m not laughing at me mate, I’m laughing with her, ’cos at the time she really did see the funny side. Anyway, one morning the hem on Ruthie’s gymslip was hanging down and I couldn’t find a needle to sew it. So I nipped out to the back entry and up to Nellie’s to borrow one. I knocked on the back door but couldn’t get an answer so I peeped through the net curtains. I could see she was in, so I knocked again. When she still didn’t answer, I did no more than open the door and walk in. And yer’d never guess what she was doing. She was jumping up and down to blow the dust off the mantelpiece so she wouldn’t need to stand on a chair and dust it proper. I couldn’t believe it and told her she wanted her bumps feeling. I mean, she wasn’t getting rid of the dust, just blowing it around. And when I told her, she said, ‘“If some nosy bugger can be arsed looking up there for dust, then they deserve to find some.”’
Victoria was laughing behind a hand while Doreen had her arms around her tummy and was doubled up. ‘Ye’re making that up, aren’t yer, Mam?’
‘Am I heckerslike! I’d never think that up in a month of Sundays! It was so funny, I laughed about it for weeks. Yer know how big Nellie’s bust and tummy are? Well, I think her bust reached higher than she did! She’s not half a case, the things she gets up to.’
‘Yer wouldn’t have her any different, would yer, Molly?’ Victoria asked, even though she knew what the answer would be.
‘I wouldn’t change a hair of her head, sunshine. She may be daft, but she helps me keep my sanity. The day can be dark, with black clouds overhead and rain tipping down, but when Nellie walks through my door she brings the sun with her.’ Molly slipped her coat off and hung it behind the door. ‘That’s enough about Nellie’s shenanigans for today, we’ll have another instalment tomorrow.’ She rubbed her hands together and asked, ‘What needs doing? Are the baby’s nappies in steep?’
‘Yes, they’re in the bucket. But I can do them, Mam, I’ve got all day.’
‘I came over to help, and help I will, So you get on the couch and put yer feet up for an hour while yer’ve got the chance. In a couple of weeks, when yer’ve got yer strength back, I’ll leave yer to get on with it ’cos I’ll be busy sorting things out for the wedding. Until then, make use of me while yer can.’
‘I wish I could do more to help Rosie with the dresses, Mam, but I’m tied with having to feed Bobby every two hours.’
‘Rose is managing very well, sunshine, she’s got everything under control. Jill, Lily, Phoebe and Ruthie have had a dress rehearsal and I believe they looked lovely. Rosie bought new head-dresses so the outfits look a bit different than they did for your wedding, and apparently all the girls are more than happy. No one has been allowed to
see the wedding dress, though, not even me. Tommy said they want it to be a surprise.’ Molly tutted and pointed a stiffened finger. ‘Ye’re doing an Auntie Nellie on me, keeping me talking! Now get those feet up on the couch and let me see to the nappies. There’s a good blow out, so they shouldn’t take long to dry.’
An hour later, eight nappies were on the washing line being whipped by the wind, the stove had been given a thorough clean and the sink and draining board washed down. ‘The kettle’s on for a cuppa, it won’t be long now.’ Molly was drying her hands when she heard a low whimper. Throwing the towel down, she rushed into the living room. ‘Let me pick the baby up, please? I know he’s ready for a feed, but it won’t hurt him to wait two minutes while I have a little cuddle.’
Molly felt a surge of love as she gazed down into the face of her first grandchild. How perfect he was with his pink baby skin and bright blue eyes. He was lively, too, with his arms waving and feet kicking. ‘Hello, little feller! I’m yer grandma, and yer’ll be seeing a lot of me from now on. And yer granddad, too! He’ll be so happy taking yer to the park to play on the swings and roundabouts, just like he did with yer mammy when she was young.’ Her eyes wide with wonder, she stared at her daughter. ‘Look at the way he’s got hold of me finger! He’s got a really strong grip.’
Doreen swung her legs off the couch. ‘He’s also got an appetite, Mam, and he’s ready for a feed. So yer two minutes are up.’
Molly handed the baby over reluctantly. ‘He could have waited until yer’d had a cup of tea. Yer can tell him from me that he’s very inconsiderate.’
‘I’ll take him upstairs to feed and change him. Will yer make Aunty Vicky a drink, though? She’s probably dying of thirst. I’ll make a fresh pot when I come down.’
‘Yeah, I’ll do that, sunshine. Then I’ll have to be on me way to get to the shops before they close. Nellie will be laying duck eggs by now.’
‘Tell her I’ll buy two off her,’ Doreen said with a grin. ‘Phil is fond of duck eggs but I don’t like them, they’re too strong.’
