wanted to go to Laura at once, but I
insisted she go back to bed. Honestly, this family is a wreck! What do you make
of it all Clara? Tell me?”
“Quite frankly I’m as baffled and stunned as you. I
hardly expected what occurred in the church.” Clara picked up Peg’s discarded
fag end which was beginning to singe a hole in the hall rug; they didn’t need a
fire to complicate matters further.
“So what now? I ask myself.” Peg blew out a cloud of
smoke and sank back against the wall, “Is it true? I mean, could Andrew really
have married that woman?”
“Bit of a pain he isn’t here to ask.” Tommy remarked.
“If you could get any answer out of him.” Peg grunted,
“Andrew, you may have noticed, is hardly the forthcoming type. He was bad
enough before the war, you could never get anything out of him, it would make
you scream.”
“I’m sure this will all be resolved. The woman may be a
fraud, just trying to stir trouble and get some money.” Clara suggested lamely.
“She had the certificate, I saw Glory and father look at
it. It seemed genuine enough to them. Glory might have been fooled, but my father
is a wily man and he knows what a legal document should look like.”
“Peg, try to calm down. We have to take this matter
step-by-step, and if it is true, well there are ways and means of solving that
as well. It will be Andrew’s decision, depending, of course, on whether Laura
still wants to marry him.”
“Gads, I wouldn’t want to.” Peg reached the end of another
cigarette, “After such nonsense, I mean the shame of it! Poor girl. Poor, poor
girl.”
“Well, you can’t do much until Andrew decides to
reappear, so I suggest trying to put it out of your mind for the moment.” Clara
collected the second cigarette butt as it tumbled to the floor.
“I suppose I could make father some tea.” Peg wandered
off abruptly, looking half-dazed, “And I could get out of this damn dress.”
Clara let out a small sigh of relief as Peg disappeared.
“Right mess, isn’t it?”
Tommy and Clara both looked left to see uncle Eustace
hovering in the drawing room doorway.
“It’s flared up my indigestion no end.” He rubbed at his
chest again, pulled a face and then exited to the drinks cabinet.
“Right, how fast can we be packed and off home?” Tommy
asked his sister hopefully.
Clara wasn’t listening. Her mind was caught up with all
the small dramas around her that had culminated in one huge disaster. She was
wondering if they should track down Andrew, or even visit Laura. But in the end
she knew they would do neither. They would keep their heads down and watch
things develop until either Clara was asked to help or asked to leave. In the
meantime she thought it advisable to keep out of the way of the family.
“Why do I have the feeling this is going to get worse
before it gets better?” She murmured.
“That’s because you are a pessimist.” Tommy said, “I, on
the other hand, am an optimist. For instance I am optimistic we can pack and be
on the next train home to Brighton in a few hours.”
He watched his sister.
“Except we’re not going home, are we?” He added
miserably.
“Not yet, it would be like abandoning a sinking ship.
We’ll hang on until tomorrow, that’s all. Anyway, you have those race tickets.”
“Think Andrew will be brazen enough to still take part?”
“Oh, who knows? He is mad enough on his cars to postpone
his honeymoon! Anything is possible.”
“That’s what worries me.” Tommy shook his head, “Well,
don’t come running to me when you wish you had gone home on the first train.”
“I won’t.” Clara assured him, “Besides, we are family!”
Chapter Eight
Clara went to bed early that night. Dinner had been an
unpleasant event, with mournful faces and downcast eyes. Everyone fudging over
a cold montage of dishes left over from the reception. It seemed a lot of
wedding guests had felt it indiscreet to eat a reception feast without
insisted she go back to bed. Honestly, this family is a wreck! What do you make
of it all Clara? Tell me?”
“Quite frankly I’m as baffled and stunned as you. I
hardly expected what occurred in the church.” Clara picked up Peg’s discarded
fag end which was beginning to singe a hole in the hall rug; they didn’t need a
fire to complicate matters further.
“So what now? I ask myself.” Peg blew out a cloud of
smoke and sank back against the wall, “Is it true? I mean, could Andrew really
have married that woman?”
“Bit of a pain he isn’t here to ask.” Tommy remarked.
“If you could get any answer out of him.” Peg grunted,
“Andrew, you may have noticed, is hardly the forthcoming type. He was bad
enough before the war, you could never get anything out of him, it would make
you scream.”
“I’m sure this will all be resolved. The woman may be a
fraud, just trying to stir trouble and get some money.” Clara suggested lamely.
“She had the certificate, I saw Glory and father look at
it. It seemed genuine enough to them. Glory might have been fooled, but my father
is a wily man and he knows what a legal document should look like.”
“Peg, try to calm down. We have to take this matter
step-by-step, and if it is true, well there are ways and means of solving that
as well. It will be Andrew’s decision, depending, of course, on whether Laura
still wants to marry him.”
“Gads, I wouldn’t want to.” Peg reached the end of another
cigarette, “After such nonsense, I mean the shame of it! Poor girl. Poor, poor
girl.”
“Well, you can’t do much until Andrew decides to
reappear, so I suggest trying to put it out of your mind for the moment.” Clara
collected the second cigarette butt as it tumbled to the floor.
“I suppose I could make father some tea.” Peg wandered
off abruptly, looking half-dazed, “And I could get out of this damn dress.”
Clara let out a small sigh of relief as Peg disappeared.
“Right mess, isn’t it?”
Tommy and Clara both looked left to see uncle Eustace
hovering in the drawing room doorway.
“It’s flared up my indigestion no end.” He rubbed at his
chest again, pulled a face and then exited to the drinks cabinet.
“Right, how fast can we be packed and off home?” Tommy
asked his sister hopefully.
Clara wasn’t listening. Her mind was caught up with all
the small dramas around her that had culminated in one huge disaster. She was
wondering if they should track down Andrew, or even visit Laura. But in the end
she knew they would do neither. They would keep their heads down and watch
things develop until either Clara was asked to help or asked to leave. In the
meantime she thought it advisable to keep out of the way of the family.
“Why do I have the feeling this is going to get worse
before it gets better?” She murmured.
“That’s because you are a pessimist.” Tommy said, “I, on
the other hand, am an optimist. For instance I am optimistic we can pack and be
on the next train home to Brighton in a few hours.”
He watched his sister.
“Except we’re not going home, are we?” He added
miserably.
“Not yet, it would be like abandoning a sinking ship.
We’ll hang on until tomorrow, that’s all. Anyway, you have those race tickets.”
“Think Andrew will be brazen enough to still take part?”
“Oh, who knows? He is mad enough on his cars to postpone
his honeymoon! Anything is possible.”
“That’s what worries me.” Tommy shook his head, “Well,
don’t come running to me when you wish you had gone home on the first train.”
“I won’t.” Clara assured him, “Besides, we are family!”
Chapter Eight
Clara went to bed early that night. Dinner had been an
unpleasant event, with mournful faces and downcast eyes. Everyone fudging over
a cold montage of dishes left over from the reception. It seemed a lot of
wedding guests had felt it indiscreet to eat a reception feast without
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