Page 12 of The Winter Bride

‘Is there anything you would like me to show you?’ Annie offered.

Mrs Taylor-Lloyd shook her head before seating herself on one of the gilt chairs. ‘Not at the moment. I only popped in to show an interest and see how the shop is doing.’

To be nosy more like, Annie thought, but she didn’t say it. She was Monty’s mother after all.

Soon after Susan appeared with the tea and as she was drinking it Mrs Taylor-Lloyd asked, ‘So how is the shop doing?’

‘We’re getting a few more customers week by week, and we’re quite happy with that,’ Annie answered truthfully. ‘As Monty pointed out, this is the only shop of its kind in the town, so it will take a while for word to spread. The good thing is that the customers who have bought from us have returned, so they’re obviously happy with their purchases.’

‘Hmm, and I hope you’re seeing that my son has a nourishing cooked meal each evening. It’s what he’s used to, although how you can manage that when you’re in here all day, I can’t imagine.’ She was still firmly of the mind that a woman’s place was in the home and didn’t agree with the women who had taken men’s jobs during the war continuing to work now it was over.

‘I prepare our meal each morning before I come down to open the shop,’ Annie told her. ‘And I go up an hour before we close to turn the oven on so that it’s ready when Monty and I are finished work.’

‘Well, he certainly looks well on whatever he’s having,’ Susan said pointedly. ‘He’s always got a smile on his face.’

Mrs Taylor-Lloyd sniffed disapprovingly as she placed her cup down and rose from her chair. ‘It’s time I was going. Good day.’ And with that she sailed from the shop, the feathers on her hat dancing in the breeze.

‘She really is a nasty old bat!’ Susan said angrily when the door had closed behind her. ‘I really don’t know how you keep your temper with her.’

Annie giggled. ‘She’s Monty’s mother so I try an’ keep the peace fer him.’ She sighed, ‘Sorry – for him!’ The woman had made her forget that she was trying to speak correctly. ‘Anyway, will you be all right on your own for a couple of hours? I’m going to have a look at some stock in a new outlet in Coventry. I shouldn’t be too long; I’m going there and back on the train.’

‘Be as long as you like,’ Susan told her.

Annie went to fetch her coat and an umbrella – it was typical April weather, sunny one minute and showers the next. She hadn’t lied when she said she was going to Coventry, but first she was going to see the doctor. She had missed two courses now and could put it off no longer.

An hour later she left the doctor’s looking pale and shaken. She had known deep down that she was going to have a child, but to have it confirmed made it seem all the more real.

As she walked towards the train station it started to rain, a short sharp shower that lasted only a matter of minutes, and then the most beautiful rainbow formed in the sky above her and a sob caught in her throat as she thought of Alex. The doctor had told her he thought she was about two months gone, which would mean the baby was due in November, and therefore Alex must be the father. She would have to tell Monty December, and then when the child came tell him that it was early. She hated lying to him but what else could she do if she didn’t want to break his heart? And so the lies would begin and she didn’t know how she was going to live with herself.

Late that evening, as she and Monty sat together in the flat, Annie plucked up her courage and said quietly, ‘Monty, may I speak to you?’

‘Of course, darling, what is it?’ Monty folded his newspaper and laid it aside with a smile.

‘The thing is . . .’ Annie licked her suddenly dry lips. ‘I know what I’m going to tell you might come as a bit of a shock, but the thing is, I, er . . . I went to see the doctor today and he told me that I’m having a baby.’

Monty looked shocked for a moment, but then his face broke into a smile. ‘I see, and when can we expect this happy event?’

‘Oh, somewhere around December,’ Annie lied, avoiding his eyes.

‘So it’s a honeymoon baby! How wonderful.’ He put his arm around her. ‘That explains how you’ve been for the last few weeks – sickly in the mornings and what not! But aren’t you happy about it? We did discuss having children.’

‘I know,’ she said softly. ‘I just didn’t expect them to come along quite so quickly. Not when I’m just getting the shop up and running.’

‘Ah well, what will be will be,’ he said stoically. ‘And is there ever a good time? What I mean is, if the shop were doing a roaring trade, it would still be difficult, wouldn’t it? I think we’ll have to start looking around for a house, though. You won’t want to be lugging a baby and a pram up and down the stairs here. Somewhere close by where it’s easy for you to come into work – if you want to, that is. I’m sure Susan could be trusted to manage the place. She seems very efficient and good with the customers. And we could let her move into these rooms, then she’d have a little more space than she does in the ones she’s in now, plus someone would always be here to keep their eye on the place.’

‘Why did you look so shocked when I first told you?’ Annie asked quietly.

‘Well, I wasn’t expecting it,’ Monty said. ‘But I’m pleased about it. I hope you are too? I wonder what my mother will say to being made a grandmother?’

‘I can’t imagine she’ll be very pleased about it at all. And of course I’m happy. But could we just keep it to ourselves for now?’ Annie squeezed his hand. ‘Just for a while longer until we know everything is all right?’

‘Of course everything will be all right, and Mother can please herself,’ Monty assured her. ‘But if that’s what you want it isn’t a problem.’ He leant over and gave her a tender kiss on the lips, and again Annie was wracked with guilt. She still had very mixed emotions about the child. Half of her longed to have a part of Alex forever, but the other part of her hated herself for deceiving Monty. Whatever happened now, she would just have to live with the consequences of what she had done, and pray the baby came late and Monty never found out. It would break his heart if he did and he didn’t deserve that.

Over the next few weeks, trade in the shop continued to improve, allowing Annie to add more stock to the shelves. Susan had proved herself to be more than capable, so she was happy to leave her in charge while she went buying.

As they moved into June Annie found that her waistbands were becoming uncomfortably tight, although thankfully the earlier sickness had abated, so she and Monty shared their news with Levi, Davey, Eve and Susan, who were all delighted for them. As yet, they hadn’t told Monty’s parents, although Annie knew they wouldn’t be able to hide it for much longer.

Throughout this time, Monty had been busy house hunting, and he came in one evening beaming. ‘I think I might have found just the place for us.’ He took his jacket off and crossed the room to give her a kiss. She was in the kitchen preparing their meal.