be split up before we know it. They want to evacuate the youngsters. Jessie came round last night
and she was telling us that a lot have gone already, but where are they sending them, that’s what I’d like to know? I’m not letting Reggie go to live with strangers.’
‘They’re not going far,’ Archie tried to console her, but he had his own worries, concerns he had not yet shared with his wife. Just what was going to happen to his livelihood
now? The North Sea and beyond would be an even more dangerous place. ‘It’s true some are going to Derbyshire,’ he went on, trying, for the moment, to concentrate on Edie’s
anxieties. ‘But a lot are only going as far as Skegness, Alford or Spilsby or even just into the Wolds. Reggie could stay relatively near home, just so long as he’s out of the
town.’
‘It’ll be far enough. Transport to get to see him will be difficult.’ Edie paused and then asked in a small voice, ‘You think I should send him?’
‘To be honest, love, I don’t know. Let’s just see how things work out, eh? He can always go later.’
‘I don’t know whether he can. They’re already saying that if they miss the first evacuations, they might not have the chance again.’
Archie put his arm around his wife’s shoulders. ‘Let’s not worry about it now. In fact, let’s not worry about anything except enjoying this wedding.’
‘I can’t now. Not when Laurence won’t be with us.’
‘Just try, Edie love. For Frank and Irene’s sakes, just try.’
When the news had reached them from Laurence, Frank had sought out Reggie. ‘You’ll have to be my Best Man now. Think you can do it?’
‘Of course I can – if you tell me what I’ve got to do.’
Frank laughed. ‘Stick close to me and make sure I don’t run away at the last minute.’
Reggie blinked and asked solemnly, ‘You’re not going to, are you?’
‘Of course I’m not. I want to marry Irene more than anything in the world and, if I’m likely to get called up, then the sooner, the better. By the way, has Mam said whether
she’s going to send you into the country with the rest of the kids?’
Reggie shrugged. ‘She’s not said owt, though I reckon Dad thinks she ought to.’
Frank squeezed his brother’s shoulders. ‘You wouldn’t be far away. Anyway, let’s forget all about that. We’ve got a wedding to enjoy first. Oh, and you have to keep
the ring safe. I’ll give it to you when we get to the church. You have to hand it to me in the service.’ Reggie nodded, feeling important.
‘Oh, you look beautiful, Irene,’ Shirley said, as the three girls readied themselves in Irene’s bedroom on the morning of the wedding. ‘That dress fits
you a treat. You’ve got such a lovely figure.’
‘And you don’t look so bad yourself,’ Irene said. ‘Your hair looks really pretty, curled up like that. And you’re getting a very nice shapely figure too.’
Shirley blushed, whilst Beth grimaced comically. ‘More than can be said for me. I can’t seem to get any voluptuous curves, however much of Mam’s cooking I put away.’
‘Thanks for doing my hair, Beth,’ Shirley said. For once, she was feeling involved with the excitement of the day. ‘I can’t seem to get it right myself. I get this side
all nice and then this side seems to flop.’
‘When you leave school,
chérie
, I’ll treat you to a perm,’ Beth promised. ‘Now, Irene, it’ll soon be time we were leaving. Let’s have a last
look at you. Dad’ll be round in a minute.’
Archie was to give Irene away.
‘You were Tom’s best friend, Archie,’ Lil had said. ‘It’s what Irene and I both want – and it’s what he would have wanted too.’
Irene was wearing a full-length, long-sleeved gown of ivory satin with a heart-shaped neckline and a small train. She had a full-length veil, held in place by a pearl tiara, and was carrying a
bouquet of pale pink roses and fern.
‘You look amazing,’ Beth said now, a
and she was telling us that a lot have gone already, but where are they sending them, that’s what I’d like to know? I’m not letting Reggie go to live with strangers.’
‘They’re not going far,’ Archie tried to console her, but he had his own worries, concerns he had not yet shared with his wife. Just what was going to happen to his livelihood
now? The North Sea and beyond would be an even more dangerous place. ‘It’s true some are going to Derbyshire,’ he went on, trying, for the moment, to concentrate on Edie’s
anxieties. ‘But a lot are only going as far as Skegness, Alford or Spilsby or even just into the Wolds. Reggie could stay relatively near home, just so long as he’s out of the
town.’
‘It’ll be far enough. Transport to get to see him will be difficult.’ Edie paused and then asked in a small voice, ‘You think I should send him?’
‘To be honest, love, I don’t know. Let’s just see how things work out, eh? He can always go later.’
‘I don’t know whether he can. They’re already saying that if they miss the first evacuations, they might not have the chance again.’
Archie put his arm around his wife’s shoulders. ‘Let’s not worry about it now. In fact, let’s not worry about anything except enjoying this wedding.’
‘I can’t now. Not when Laurence won’t be with us.’
‘Just try, Edie love. For Frank and Irene’s sakes, just try.’
When the news had reached them from Laurence, Frank had sought out Reggie. ‘You’ll have to be my Best Man now. Think you can do it?’
‘Of course I can – if you tell me what I’ve got to do.’
Frank laughed. ‘Stick close to me and make sure I don’t run away at the last minute.’
Reggie blinked and asked solemnly, ‘You’re not going to, are you?’
‘Of course I’m not. I want to marry Irene more than anything in the world and, if I’m likely to get called up, then the sooner, the better. By the way, has Mam said whether
she’s going to send you into the country with the rest of the kids?’
Reggie shrugged. ‘She’s not said owt, though I reckon Dad thinks she ought to.’
Frank squeezed his brother’s shoulders. ‘You wouldn’t be far away. Anyway, let’s forget all about that. We’ve got a wedding to enjoy first. Oh, and you have to keep
the ring safe. I’ll give it to you when we get to the church. You have to hand it to me in the service.’ Reggie nodded, feeling important.
‘Oh, you look beautiful, Irene,’ Shirley said, as the three girls readied themselves in Irene’s bedroom on the morning of the wedding. ‘That dress fits
you a treat. You’ve got such a lovely figure.’
‘And you don’t look so bad yourself,’ Irene said. ‘Your hair looks really pretty, curled up like that. And you’re getting a very nice shapely figure too.’
Shirley blushed, whilst Beth grimaced comically. ‘More than can be said for me. I can’t seem to get any voluptuous curves, however much of Mam’s cooking I put away.’
‘Thanks for doing my hair, Beth,’ Shirley said. For once, she was feeling involved with the excitement of the day. ‘I can’t seem to get it right myself. I get this side
all nice and then this side seems to flop.’
‘When you leave school,
chérie
, I’ll treat you to a perm,’ Beth promised. ‘Now, Irene, it’ll soon be time we were leaving. Let’s have a last
look at you. Dad’ll be round in a minute.’
Archie was to give Irene away.
‘You were Tom’s best friend, Archie,’ Lil had said. ‘It’s what Irene and I both want – and it’s what he would have wanted too.’
Irene was wearing a full-length, long-sleeved gown of ivory satin with a heart-shaped neckline and a small train. She had a full-length veil, held in place by a pearl tiara, and was carrying a
bouquet of pale pink roses and fern.
‘You look amazing,’ Beth said now, a
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