never recovered.’
Lloyd poured himself and Sali brandies, then held up the bottle to Harry.
‘No, thanks. Toby and I have taken Charlie next door. I’ll ask David and some of the other boys to put him in the taxi and make sure the driver has his father’s address. In the meantime, I’d better drive Toby and Bella to the station.’
‘What happened to Judy was horrible …’
‘I’m sorry I told you about it,’ Edyth interrupted Bella.
‘I’m glad you did. I never liked Charlie Moore,’ Bella said vehemently. ‘His father and grandfather are nice, but there’s something horrid and spooky about Charlie.’
‘I agree, but Toby had to be nice to him because of all the work the Moores put his way,’ Edyth reminded her.
‘Well, Charlie Moore won’t be allowed to put a foot over my doorstep, I can tell you.’
‘Forget him, Belle. You’re going on honeymoon, remember?’ Edyth laid the lace veil carefully on the bed and folded it between sheets of tissue paper.
Belle went to the window and gazed out over the lawn. The band was playing ‘Someone to Watch Over Me’ in slow tempo, and several couples were dancing, arms locked around one another, on the wooden platform. ‘I bet the party is going to go on for hours.’ She picked up her wide-brimmed, cream straw hat from her dressing table, set it on her head and angled it first one way then another.
‘Of course it will.’ Edyth handed her sister her pearl-headed hatpin.
‘Thank you, for your sisterly consolation.’
‘You don’t need consoling.’ Edyth looked around the room to see if Bella had forgotten anything. ‘You’re dressed like a film star, you’ve a suitcase full of brand new clothes that wouldn’t disgrace a duchess and in an hour you’ll be on a sleeper leaving Cardiff for Southampton. Tomorrow night you’ll be cruising across the Atlantic to New York on the Olympic. And that’s without bringing Toby into the equation. I’ve never even seen a ship with a swimming pool, let alone America.’
‘But you can stay at the party and flirt with as many boys as you want.’ Bella finally adjusted her hat to her satisfaction and secured it.
‘You’d rather change places with me and give up your honeymoon with Toby so you can flirt with boys?’
‘No.’ Bella’s mouth twitched and her eyes glittered, suspiciously damp.
‘Sorry you married Toby?’ Edyth questioned in concern.
‘Of course not.’
‘You’re worried because tonight’s the night?’ Edyth ventured.
Bella lowered her voice. ‘That night was two years ago, and it was fantastic, but don’t tell anyone. Although I think Mam suspects, and I don’t doubt she’s told Dad. They can’t keep anything from one another.’
‘You and Toby …’
‘Wait until you fall in love, Edyth.’ Bella exercised all the authority birth had bestowed on her as the eldest sister. ‘I promise you, once you find the right one, you won’t be able to think of anyone else or keep your hands off him. Or he you. And in this day and age you don’t have to. Because making love doesn’t have to result in a baby unless you want it to. But that doesn’t mean I’m not looking forward to my honeymoon. The best part will be not having to sneak around when we want to make love and waking up next to Toby in the same bed every morning after lying naked next to him all night. There,’ she faced Edyth, ‘What do you think?’
‘I think you look gorgeous and the hat is beautiful. But –’
‘We’ll have long talks when I come back. Don’t forget we’ll be living next door until our house is finished and even then we’ll only be five minutes away.’
‘And I’ll be in Swansea teacher training college – if I pass my exams,’ Edyth added.
‘Of course you’ll pass them, and you’ll only be there in term-time.’ Bella hugged Edyth again. ‘Thank you for helping me to choose my trousseau, the wedding dresses and the flowers. And making the buttonholes. And a special
Lloyd poured himself and Sali brandies, then held up the bottle to Harry.
‘No, thanks. Toby and I have taken Charlie next door. I’ll ask David and some of the other boys to put him in the taxi and make sure the driver has his father’s address. In the meantime, I’d better drive Toby and Bella to the station.’
‘What happened to Judy was horrible …’
‘I’m sorry I told you about it,’ Edyth interrupted Bella.
‘I’m glad you did. I never liked Charlie Moore,’ Bella said vehemently. ‘His father and grandfather are nice, but there’s something horrid and spooky about Charlie.’
‘I agree, but Toby had to be nice to him because of all the work the Moores put his way,’ Edyth reminded her.
‘Well, Charlie Moore won’t be allowed to put a foot over my doorstep, I can tell you.’
‘Forget him, Belle. You’re going on honeymoon, remember?’ Edyth laid the lace veil carefully on the bed and folded it between sheets of tissue paper.
Belle went to the window and gazed out over the lawn. The band was playing ‘Someone to Watch Over Me’ in slow tempo, and several couples were dancing, arms locked around one another, on the wooden platform. ‘I bet the party is going to go on for hours.’ She picked up her wide-brimmed, cream straw hat from her dressing table, set it on her head and angled it first one way then another.
‘Of course it will.’ Edyth handed her sister her pearl-headed hatpin.
‘Thank you, for your sisterly consolation.’
‘You don’t need consoling.’ Edyth looked around the room to see if Bella had forgotten anything. ‘You’re dressed like a film star, you’ve a suitcase full of brand new clothes that wouldn’t disgrace a duchess and in an hour you’ll be on a sleeper leaving Cardiff for Southampton. Tomorrow night you’ll be cruising across the Atlantic to New York on the Olympic. And that’s without bringing Toby into the equation. I’ve never even seen a ship with a swimming pool, let alone America.’
‘But you can stay at the party and flirt with as many boys as you want.’ Bella finally adjusted her hat to her satisfaction and secured it.
‘You’d rather change places with me and give up your honeymoon with Toby so you can flirt with boys?’
‘No.’ Bella’s mouth twitched and her eyes glittered, suspiciously damp.
‘Sorry you married Toby?’ Edyth questioned in concern.
‘Of course not.’
‘You’re worried because tonight’s the night?’ Edyth ventured.
Bella lowered her voice. ‘That night was two years ago, and it was fantastic, but don’t tell anyone. Although I think Mam suspects, and I don’t doubt she’s told Dad. They can’t keep anything from one another.’
‘You and Toby …’
‘Wait until you fall in love, Edyth.’ Bella exercised all the authority birth had bestowed on her as the eldest sister. ‘I promise you, once you find the right one, you won’t be able to think of anyone else or keep your hands off him. Or he you. And in this day and age you don’t have to. Because making love doesn’t have to result in a baby unless you want it to. But that doesn’t mean I’m not looking forward to my honeymoon. The best part will be not having to sneak around when we want to make love and waking up next to Toby in the same bed every morning after lying naked next to him all night. There,’ she faced Edyth, ‘What do you think?’
‘I think you look gorgeous and the hat is beautiful. But –’
‘We’ll have long talks when I come back. Don’t forget we’ll be living next door until our house is finished and even then we’ll only be five minutes away.’
‘And I’ll be in Swansea teacher training college – if I pass my exams,’ Edyth added.
‘Of course you’ll pass them, and you’ll only be there in term-time.’ Bella hugged Edyth again. ‘Thank you for helping me to choose my trousseau, the wedding dresses and the flowers. And making the buttonholes. And a special
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