Page 70 of The Winter Bride

‘No, I wouldn’t mind. And yes, I’ll let you have my address.’

They both seemed to sense that it was going to take time to build any sort of relationship, but they were willing to let things take their course.

‘When are you going back to London?’ Charity asked.

‘Tomorrow. We have to choose an outfit for Peggy for her wedding, so she and Levi are coming back with me.’

Charity tried to hide her disappointment. She’d hoped to see Annie for a little longer but under the circumstances she couldn’t expect her to alter her plans. She passed Annie a slip of paper and a pencil and Annie scribbled down her address while Mercy slipped away to fetch her baby daughter.

‘I suppose I should be getting back now,’ Annie said.

Charity nodded. ‘Of course. But will you at least have a cup o’ tea afore yer go? Oh, and meet yer new niece – she’s a little beauty. Who knows how long it might be afore we see you again.’

‘If you’re going to be staying here for the winter it shouldn’t be too long,’ Annie assured her as Charity rose and began to prepare some mugs for the tea. ‘I shall certainly be back for the wedding in December and very possibly before then.’

Mercy returned with the baby at that moment. Just as Peggy had said, she was absolutely beautiful, and Annie fell in love with her immediately.

‘We called her Skye, just like you were meant to be,’ Mercy told her.

For the next half an hour they chatted pleasantly about Mercy’s baby and Adam, and by the time Annie left she felt that the ice between them had been broken and they were more at ease in each other’s company. She also realised that she was actually looking forward to seeing Charity again and wondered if that augured well for the future.

Chapter Thirty-Five

Peggy was a bag of nerves on the train journey to London the next day. She’d never ventured further afield than the Midlands, so visiting the capital felt like going to the other side of the world to her. She was even worse when the train pulled into Euston and she saw the throngs of people on the platform.

‘Eeh, I reckon there’s more folks ’ere than there is in the whole o’ Nuneaton,’ she said as she clung to Levi’s arm.

Annie led them outside and hailed a cab and soon they were rattling through the busy streets with Peggy’s eyes on stalks.

When they reached the shop Peggy was impressed. ‘It looks so classy,’ she told Annie. Marie and Nancy were there waiting to take Adam back to Marie’s house for a few days, and Ruth was busy serving a customer.

Nodding to Ruth, Annie ushered everyone else up to her rooms.

‘Did you ’ave a nice break, ma chèrie?’

Annie sighed. ‘I certainly did and I have so much to tell you. But first I’d like to introduce you to Peggy and Levi. Peggy and Levi, this is my very good friend Marie.’

They shook hands and Peggy offered, ‘Why don’t you chat to your friend, an’ I’ll make us all a drink, just point me in the direction of the kitchen.’

So while she was gone, Annie told Marie and Nancy of the latest developments.

‘Now at last yer know who yer mam an’ dad are,’ Nancy said enviously. ‘You must be tickled pink.’

‘I am but it takes some getting used to,’ Annie confessed. ‘It turns out I have Gypsy and circus blood running through my veins.’

An hour and two cups of tea later, they’d caught up on all the gossip and Marie departed with Nancy and Adam, telling Peggy and Levi, ‘Stay as long as you wish. I ’ave many nice outings planned for these two.’

Alfred had always adored Levi and he flopped down on his feet as Annie went to see them off.

‘That girl Marie’s got a ’eart as big as a bucket from what I can see of ’er,’ Peggy commented when Annie returned. ‘Yer lucky to ’ave found each other again. Now show me where we’ll be sleepin’ an’ I’ll go an unpack us stuff.’

They’d decided that Peggy would sleep with Annie and Levi would have Nancy and Adam’s room for the duration of their stay. Annie would have had no objections to Levi and Peggy sleeping together but Peggy had soon put her straight on that score. ‘There’ll be none o’ that stuff till I’ve got a ring on me finger,’ she announced, and Annie grinned. The gossip at home had been rife since Levi had moved in with Peggy but it seemed it had been unfounded.

After the shop closed the next day, Annie took Peggy down to try on some of the gowns she’d selected. Peggy had insisted that Levi should stay upstairs, ‘I don’t want ’im seein’ me in me new things till the day o’ the weddin,’ she declared, and Levi knew better than to argue with her.

Peggy fell in love with the second outfit she tried. Annie could see it in her face as Peggy stared at herself in the gilt cheval mirror. It was a two-piece costume in a pale-lilac colour. The short, fitted jacket had a peplum waist with lapels in a darker lilac silk and it had a calf-length chiffon skirt. It fitted her as if it had been made for her and showed her figure off to perfection.

‘You look beautiful in that,’ Annie said happily. ‘But if you’re not sure there are plenty more options for you to try.’