Page 9 of The Winter Bride

‘And where are they living now?’

‘They’ve got their own trailer, an’ very nice it is too,’ Peggy said. ‘Barney is chuffed to bits wi’ it, an’ his new wife, if it comes to that. He were like a cat that had got the cream on their weddin’ day an’ she looked just beautiful.’

‘I hope they’ll be very happy,’ Annie said. ‘Anything else been happening while we’ve been away?’

Levi and Peggy exchanged a glance and Levi gave her an almost imperceptible nod.

‘Aye,’ Peggy said quietly. ‘There were a young girl attacked in the town. She were raped an’ beaten an’ left fer dead in one o’ the alleys late on Wednesday night. Luckily someone found ’er before she bled to death. She’s in the cottage hospital now an’ word is she’ll recover, but they ain’t caught who did it.’

Annie gave an involuntary shudder as she thought back to the time Reggie had raped her. She would never forget it; it was engraved on her mind. ‘Does no one have any idea who it might have been?’ Annie asked in a trembling voice.

‘Well . . . when she recovered enough to be questioned by the police the poor girl told ’em that she put her hand up onto his face to try and push him away and it felt all rough, but it were too dark fer ’er to see ’im. Next day they went round to question all the young men who came back from war with burns, includin’ Reggie Taylor-Lloyd, but his mother vouched that he’d been in all night wi’ her, so he had an alibi. I’d rather yer didn’t get goin’ off out on yer own after dark though, pet, till they’ve caught ’im. If they catch ’im, that is.’

‘Don’t worry, I won’t.’

They chatted of other things for a time and eventually Annie left to pay a visit to Davey and Eve, who were as pleased to see her as Levi and Peggy had been. She had bought young Jack some sweeties from the seaside and once she’d given them to him, she told them all about the lovely hotel she and Monty had just stayed in. Both Eve and Davey were working in the two second-hand shops, so the conversations were held between them serving customers.

‘So how long have you got to go now?’ Annie asked Eve in a quiet moment.

Eve smiled and laid a protective hand on her stomach. ‘June. We’d like a little girl this time, though we ain’t really bothered so long as it’s ’ealthy.’

‘Well, boy or girl, I can’t wait to meet them.’ Annie couldn’t have been more pleased for them. Eve was positively glowing.

‘I’ve had this mad fancy fer pickled onions,’ Eve giggled. ‘I even take a jar to bed wi’ me an’ keep poor Davey awake munchin’ on ’em. He reckons this baby will come out pickled.’

They both laughed but the shop was growing busy again, so Annie took her leave and went to see if Monty was back from visiting his parents. She felt guilty for not going with him, although she knew she wouldn’t have been welcome. Even at their wedding, his mother hadn’t tried to hide the fact that she disapproved of her, and all Annie could do was hope that she would become more accepting in time – for Monty’s sake.

Chapter Five

‘What time were you thinking of going to see Barney and Mercy?’ Monty asked as they had breakfast the next morning.

‘I hadn’t really thought about it, but I suppose it would make sense for us to go this morning. I dare say they’ll be busy with a matinee performance at the circus this afternoon.’

Monty sipped his tea and stared across the table at his new wife. She was still in her nightgown and her jet-black hair was tousled and fell across her shoulders. With her face rosy from sleep, she was the most beautiful woman he had ever seen, and he felt like the luckiest man on earth!

‘In that case we’ll go as soon as we’re dressed,’ he answered. ‘And then perhaps you will allow your husband to take you out to lunch somewhere to save you having to cook. It’s far too nice a day to be slaving over a hot stove.’

‘Be careful, I might get used to all this spoiling,’ she warned with a smile.

He took her hand and tenderly kissed the back of it. ‘I’ll spoil you for as long as there’s a breath in my body. Now go and get dressed and make yourself beautiful, not that that will be very hard.’

As she trotted away, Annie smiled. Monty really was such a loving, kind man.

Shortly before eleven o’clock they approached the trailers at the back of the circus and a man directed them to the one the newlyweds now lived in.

Annie tapped at the door and when Barney opened it, he beamed at them. ‘Come away in both o’ you. It’s great to see yer.’ He kissed Annie’s cheek as he ushered her inside and shook Monty’s hand. At that moment Mercy appeared from a door further along the trailer and the two young women smiled at each other.

‘Annie, Monty, this is me wife, Mercy,’ Barney said, placing his arm about her waist. It was plain to see how much he loved her, and if the way she looked up at him was anything to go by his love was returned.

‘It’s grand to meet you at last.’ Mercy smiled shyly at them. ‘Barney’s told me so much about you over the years. An’ I was sorry you couldn’t make it to our weddin’, although I believe you two are newly-weds an’ all. Congratulations.’

‘And the same to you.’ Annie had taken an instant liking to the girl and had the circus not been moving about so much she felt they could have become good friends. For the rest of the visit they talked about their respective weddings and Annie told them about their honeymoon. But guessing that Barney would have jobs to do before the performance that afternoon, they didn’t stay long.

At the door Mercy and Annie gave each other a hug. ‘Do come again soon,’ Mercy urged. ‘Then next time you can perhaps meet me mammy an’ daddy.’

‘I’d like that,’ Annie answered.

As they left the trailer, a woman was walking towards her, and their eyes locked. For no reason she could explain, Annie’s heart started to race; there was something familiar about the woman, but she was sure they’d never met.