certificate and she definitely knew him.”
Clara fixed her eyes on the vestry door, as if she could bore her way in and
find out what was happening. She was worried about Laura, she had looked so…
destroyed, when they had walked away.
“I mean it happens.” Tommy continued, “During the war
there were a lot of lads who married girlfriends quickly in case they never had
the chance again.”
“How many abandoned them to find another wife?”
Tommy gave a shrug.
“All I am saying is this is feasible. Andrew marries the
girl before he goes to the front, a little bit of foolishness and then he comes
back and forgets all about her. Goes on with his life, thinks no one will ever
know.”
“That isn’t terribly honourable.” Clara said.
“War warps your sense of honour. Maybe she was a girl he
wanted in a…” Tommy screwed up his eyes.
“You can be honest with me, Tommy, I am very difficult to
offend these days.”
“Well, say a fellow wants a good time with his girl, but
she refuses without him making her an honest lass. So they pop to a registry
office and deal with the necessities and everyone is happy.”
“She didn’t look like the sort who would care about such
things.” Clara answered darkly, “She looked a tart and by my reckoning several
years older than Andrew.”
Tommy pulled a face.
“That’s not very nice.”
“Perhaps not, but I stand by my statement. Besides,
whether she is a good-time gal or a lady of strong moral-fibre, Andrew
abandoned her, forsook his vows and embroiled Laura into a marriage that would
have been wholly illegal. Whatever he might have thought, it would have come
out eventually.”
“So better now than later. Just as well the woman came.”
Clara harrumphed.
“I’ll tell you this now Tommy, that woman has been here
several days and has been biding her time to reveal her secret at the worst
possible moment for Andrew. She could have quietly gone to the Campbells and
explained the matter before today. Instead she storms in and humiliates poor
Laura who has done nothing to her and is innocent in this matter. That in
itself lowers her in my opinion.”
“How can you be so sure she did not just arrive?”
“Where were her bags? If she had just come off the train
and walked here – it’s a good two miles you know – then why were her shoes
spotless? Did she look like a woman who had just come off a train? Did she look
worn out by her travels? No, she was fresh as a daisy, her hair and make-up
faultless. She has been planning this little scene for a while.”
“I guess she would have seen the marriage announcement in
the papers. Hogarth made sure it featured in most of the nationals.”
“The real question is why now? Why not sooner? She must
have known how to find him, his name would have been reasonably easy to trace,
especially if she had his service number.”
“Not everyone is you Clara.” Tommy smiled at her, “Some
people don’t think like that.”
“So say they don’t, what does she want? Money? Andrew to
return to her? She must realise the latter is impossible!”
“Maybe she teases herself with the hope he just might.”
“She looked a little too experienced to dabble much with
hope.” Clara remarked grimly.
Reverend Draper reappeared. Hogarth was a step behind
him. He walked up to the altar and looked uncomfortably at his guests.
“As you may appreciate there has been a small
complication in the arrangements for the wedding. We are therefore postponing
it until matters are resolved. If you would please head into the village, the
Bon-Bon is hosting the reception and we would not see good food go to waste. So
please, do go and enjoy yourselves. My wife and I will join you shortly.”
Hogarth glanced at his attentive audience, “I’m sure everything will be sorted
out soon. There seems to have been some confusion. I need not add, please do
not spread any rumours about this business abroad, as it really is a very
mundane
Clara fixed her eyes on the vestry door, as if she could bore her way in and
find out what was happening. She was worried about Laura, she had looked so…
destroyed, when they had walked away.
“I mean it happens.” Tommy continued, “During the war
there were a lot of lads who married girlfriends quickly in case they never had
the chance again.”
“How many abandoned them to find another wife?”
Tommy gave a shrug.
“All I am saying is this is feasible. Andrew marries the
girl before he goes to the front, a little bit of foolishness and then he comes
back and forgets all about her. Goes on with his life, thinks no one will ever
know.”
“That isn’t terribly honourable.” Clara said.
“War warps your sense of honour. Maybe she was a girl he
wanted in a…” Tommy screwed up his eyes.
“You can be honest with me, Tommy, I am very difficult to
offend these days.”
“Well, say a fellow wants a good time with his girl, but
she refuses without him making her an honest lass. So they pop to a registry
office and deal with the necessities and everyone is happy.”
“She didn’t look like the sort who would care about such
things.” Clara answered darkly, “She looked a tart and by my reckoning several
years older than Andrew.”
Tommy pulled a face.
“That’s not very nice.”
“Perhaps not, but I stand by my statement. Besides,
whether she is a good-time gal or a lady of strong moral-fibre, Andrew
abandoned her, forsook his vows and embroiled Laura into a marriage that would
have been wholly illegal. Whatever he might have thought, it would have come
out eventually.”
“So better now than later. Just as well the woman came.”
Clara harrumphed.
“I’ll tell you this now Tommy, that woman has been here
several days and has been biding her time to reveal her secret at the worst
possible moment for Andrew. She could have quietly gone to the Campbells and
explained the matter before today. Instead she storms in and humiliates poor
Laura who has done nothing to her and is innocent in this matter. That in
itself lowers her in my opinion.”
“How can you be so sure she did not just arrive?”
“Where were her bags? If she had just come off the train
and walked here – it’s a good two miles you know – then why were her shoes
spotless? Did she look like a woman who had just come off a train? Did she look
worn out by her travels? No, she was fresh as a daisy, her hair and make-up
faultless. She has been planning this little scene for a while.”
“I guess she would have seen the marriage announcement in
the papers. Hogarth made sure it featured in most of the nationals.”
“The real question is why now? Why not sooner? She must
have known how to find him, his name would have been reasonably easy to trace,
especially if she had his service number.”
“Not everyone is you Clara.” Tommy smiled at her, “Some
people don’t think like that.”
“So say they don’t, what does she want? Money? Andrew to
return to her? She must realise the latter is impossible!”
“Maybe she teases herself with the hope he just might.”
“She looked a little too experienced to dabble much with
hope.” Clara remarked grimly.
Reverend Draper reappeared. Hogarth was a step behind
him. He walked up to the altar and looked uncomfortably at his guests.
“As you may appreciate there has been a small
complication in the arrangements for the wedding. We are therefore postponing
it until matters are resolved. If you would please head into the village, the
Bon-Bon is hosting the reception and we would not see good food go to waste. So
please, do go and enjoy yourselves. My wife and I will join you shortly.”
Hogarth glanced at his attentive audience, “I’m sure everything will be sorted
out soon. There seems to have been some confusion. I need not add, please do
not spread any rumours about this business abroad, as it really is a very
mundane
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