she could hear him above the noise.
‘Congratulations, Edyth.’ He winked at her again and her spirits soared. There was something between them. And she knew – just knew – that he sensed it, too.
Holding the bouquet, Edyth followed Bella and Toby outside. Harry burst into laughter when he saw her.
‘That settles it, sis, you’re definitely next. So much for college.’
‘She’s going,’ Lloyd growled. He opened the back door of Harry’s car, kissed Bella and shook Toby’s hand. ‘Look after our daughter.’
‘I will, sir,’ Toby promised solemnly.
‘It’s wonderful to have another son.’ Sali kissed Toby’s cheek. Harry helped Mary into the front passenger seat, closed the doors on Toby and Bella in the back, and drove off to the clattering of the tin cans the boys had fastened to the bumper of his Crossley tourer.
The crowd dispersed, with most of the guests making their way to the marquee where the waitresses were serving wine and savouries. The band saw the car moving down the drive and Jed, who’d rejoined them, broke off mid-tune and signalled the others to switch to a jazzed-up version of the old wartime favourite ‘Goodbyeee’.
Lloyd wrapped his arm around Edyth’s waist. ‘Make no mistake,’ he warned, ‘Reverend Slater or no Reverend Slater, you will be going to college, miss.’
‘Reverend Slater?’
‘Don’t look so innocent, I saw you two talking nonstop throughout the wedding breakfast.’
‘We were just talking. And, if I pass my exams, I promise I will go to college.’
He kissed her forehead. ‘Good girl.’
‘But you have to admit the Reverend Slater is very good-looking, Dad,’ she teased.
‘He’s not my type.’
Joey playfully slapped Lloyd’s back. ‘How about breaking open that bottle of old malt you’ve been keeping for a special occasion, big brother?’
‘His idea or yours?’ Lloyd asked Victor, who was hovering close by.
‘Does it matter?’ Victor smiled in anticipation.
Lloyd disappeared into the library with his brothers, and Edyth turned to the kitchen to fetch a vase for Bella’s bouquet. Peter Slater touched her arm and she stepped back alongside him.
‘Congratulations again on catching the bouquet.’
‘Not that I’m superstitious enough to believe it means anything. But I will press it and frame it so Bella can keep it as a reminder.’
‘Your sister looked very elegant. The softer lines of the longer skirts in fashion now are more attractive than the harsh silhouettes of the last decade. And she chose her colours well. Coffee and cream go well together, especially when worn by someone as dark as your sister.’
‘She did look lovely.’ Edyth was astounded. She had never met a man who had been remotely interested in women’s clothes before. Certainly not to the extent of daring to express an opinion on an outfit.
‘There are more hats here than in your average milliner’s.’ He flicked through the dozens of caps, panamas and trilbies on the shelf above the coat rack and lifted one down.
‘You’re not going just when I’m free, Peter?’
‘I have no choice. But thank you for your warm welcome. It was kind of your parents to invite a newcomer to a family wedding.’ He glanced in the mirror and dropped his panama on his head.
‘The pleasure was all ours.’ She repeated the standard phrase without thinking. ‘I had hoped that we could continue our conversation over supper.’
‘As you pointed out earlier, tomorrow’s the busiest day of my week.’ He moved back against the wall when Mrs Hopkins sallied forth in search of her coat.
‘The band is still playing and we’re serving light refreshments. Couldn’t you stay just a little while longer?’ she pleaded.
‘Forgive me but Reverend Price has asked me to take the early-morning service and I need to revise my sermon.’ He gave her a conspiratorial smile. ‘I’ve found out the hard way that a curate’s reputation can be made or broken by the first
‘Congratulations, Edyth.’ He winked at her again and her spirits soared. There was something between them. And she knew – just knew – that he sensed it, too.
Holding the bouquet, Edyth followed Bella and Toby outside. Harry burst into laughter when he saw her.
‘That settles it, sis, you’re definitely next. So much for college.’
‘She’s going,’ Lloyd growled. He opened the back door of Harry’s car, kissed Bella and shook Toby’s hand. ‘Look after our daughter.’
‘I will, sir,’ Toby promised solemnly.
‘It’s wonderful to have another son.’ Sali kissed Toby’s cheek. Harry helped Mary into the front passenger seat, closed the doors on Toby and Bella in the back, and drove off to the clattering of the tin cans the boys had fastened to the bumper of his Crossley tourer.
The crowd dispersed, with most of the guests making their way to the marquee where the waitresses were serving wine and savouries. The band saw the car moving down the drive and Jed, who’d rejoined them, broke off mid-tune and signalled the others to switch to a jazzed-up version of the old wartime favourite ‘Goodbyeee’.
Lloyd wrapped his arm around Edyth’s waist. ‘Make no mistake,’ he warned, ‘Reverend Slater or no Reverend Slater, you will be going to college, miss.’
‘Reverend Slater?’
‘Don’t look so innocent, I saw you two talking nonstop throughout the wedding breakfast.’
‘We were just talking. And, if I pass my exams, I promise I will go to college.’
He kissed her forehead. ‘Good girl.’
‘But you have to admit the Reverend Slater is very good-looking, Dad,’ she teased.
‘He’s not my type.’
Joey playfully slapped Lloyd’s back. ‘How about breaking open that bottle of old malt you’ve been keeping for a special occasion, big brother?’
‘His idea or yours?’ Lloyd asked Victor, who was hovering close by.
‘Does it matter?’ Victor smiled in anticipation.
Lloyd disappeared into the library with his brothers, and Edyth turned to the kitchen to fetch a vase for Bella’s bouquet. Peter Slater touched her arm and she stepped back alongside him.
‘Congratulations again on catching the bouquet.’
‘Not that I’m superstitious enough to believe it means anything. But I will press it and frame it so Bella can keep it as a reminder.’
‘Your sister looked very elegant. The softer lines of the longer skirts in fashion now are more attractive than the harsh silhouettes of the last decade. And she chose her colours well. Coffee and cream go well together, especially when worn by someone as dark as your sister.’
‘She did look lovely.’ Edyth was astounded. She had never met a man who had been remotely interested in women’s clothes before. Certainly not to the extent of daring to express an opinion on an outfit.
‘There are more hats here than in your average milliner’s.’ He flicked through the dozens of caps, panamas and trilbies on the shelf above the coat rack and lifted one down.
‘You’re not going just when I’m free, Peter?’
‘I have no choice. But thank you for your warm welcome. It was kind of your parents to invite a newcomer to a family wedding.’ He glanced in the mirror and dropped his panama on his head.
‘The pleasure was all ours.’ She repeated the standard phrase without thinking. ‘I had hoped that we could continue our conversation over supper.’
‘As you pointed out earlier, tomorrow’s the busiest day of my week.’ He moved back against the wall when Mrs Hopkins sallied forth in search of her coat.
‘The band is still playing and we’re serving light refreshments. Couldn’t you stay just a little while longer?’ she pleaded.
‘Forgive me but Reverend Price has asked me to take the early-morning service and I need to revise my sermon.’ He gave her a conspiratorial smile. ‘I’ve found out the hard way that a curate’s reputation can be made or broken by the first
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