now sitting beside her, holding her hand, and she, too, was laughing. But when the tears began to run down her daughter's face she pulled her into
her arms, saying, "There now. There now. Give over. Give over."
Neither of them was aware that the door had opened until Victoria looked up and saw her mother standing above them. And she said to her,
"Lizzie's upset. Mother." And Emma Funnell nodded, saying, "Well, there's nothing like a good cry to clear the system. And the next best thing is a glass of sherry, eh?"
Lizzie pulled herself from her mother's arms, lay back on the couch again and, looking up at her grandmother, her tears turned to laughter once more, and almost on a gurgle she said, "A glass of sherry, Gran?
Yes, a glass of sherry. This must really be an occasion, for Mother, too, suggested it, and we only have sherry on occasions. "
"Well, we will make this an occasion, dear," said Emma Funnell.
"As we drink our sherry we'll discuss the wedding and whether we're going to have a little reception here or at an hotel. After what you have told me about his people, though, I myself think an hotel would be preferable. Anyway, we'll discuss the matter over the sherry. Go and bring the bottle, Victoria, and the best glasses, too. And there are those new biscuits that came from Fortnum and Mason's. And if Peggy's in her room, bring her down too; she should be in on this."
Lizzie let her chin droop on to her chest.
"Bring Peggy down too," Emma had said, 'she should of in on this. "
Dear God! Life was really funny when you came to think of it, because it was made up of families, and there was nothing funnier than
families, was there? or more tragic, or more sad or more hopeless and desolate. And it was all inside of her,
It was the night before her wedding and Peggy was standing in the little sitting-room of her new home. Her mother and gran had worked wonders with it over the past four weeks, and for the last week her Auntie May and Mr. Conway she couldn't even now think of him as Uncle had been of enormous help. And so the whole place was looking fresh and shining. The rooms were mostly emulsioned a delicate shade of mauve, the doors and woodwork painted a bright yellow-sun colour. For the sitting-room they had brought down furniture from the attics, but her great-gran had fitted the kitchen out with a new electric cooker, a washing machine and dryer, and cupboard fitments, besides a kitchen table and four chairs. She had also bought her a modern bedroom
suite.
The bedroom carpet and the landing and stair carpets were new. They had found two comparatively good carpets in the attic, one blue for the dining-room and one pink for the sitting-room. There had been no talk of fitting out the second bedroom as a nursery, not as yet.
There was a small scullery going off the kitchen and it was here the door connected with the house. There had been no lock or bolt on the connecting door, and when she saw Mr. Conway putting a lock on she didn't know whether he was doing it off his own bat, or her mother had suggested it, and she didn't enquire.
It was from the small dining-room at the far end of the annexe, away from the house, that another door led into the yard and almost on to a path which, in turn, led to the tradesmen's entrance. And this was plainly stated on a wooden board at the lower gate. It was by this way that Andrew had made two recent visits to his future home, and on each he had been ill-at-ease, for both her mother and gran had been
present.
But now she was waiting for his coming and she was alone. She walked round the sitting-room. It seemed small, box-like after the one in the house. But there was one consoling thought: it was to be her own .
well, not quite her own, because he would be with her. And what was more, she would have to cook for him. She wouldn't mind that though, for she liked cooking. Her mother had been showing her how to cook for some time.
She walked into the dining-room. The table
her arms, saying, "There now. There now. Give over. Give over."
Neither of them was aware that the door had opened until Victoria looked up and saw her mother standing above them. And she said to her,
"Lizzie's upset. Mother." And Emma Funnell nodded, saying, "Well, there's nothing like a good cry to clear the system. And the next best thing is a glass of sherry, eh?"
Lizzie pulled herself from her mother's arms, lay back on the couch again and, looking up at her grandmother, her tears turned to laughter once more, and almost on a gurgle she said, "A glass of sherry, Gran?
Yes, a glass of sherry. This must really be an occasion, for Mother, too, suggested it, and we only have sherry on occasions. "
"Well, we will make this an occasion, dear," said Emma Funnell.
"As we drink our sherry we'll discuss the wedding and whether we're going to have a little reception here or at an hotel. After what you have told me about his people, though, I myself think an hotel would be preferable. Anyway, we'll discuss the matter over the sherry. Go and bring the bottle, Victoria, and the best glasses, too. And there are those new biscuits that came from Fortnum and Mason's. And if Peggy's in her room, bring her down too; she should be in on this."
Lizzie let her chin droop on to her chest.
"Bring Peggy down too," Emma had said, 'she should of in on this. "
Dear God! Life was really funny when you came to think of it, because it was made up of families, and there was nothing funnier than
families, was there? or more tragic, or more sad or more hopeless and desolate. And it was all inside of her,
It was the night before her wedding and Peggy was standing in the little sitting-room of her new home. Her mother and gran had worked wonders with it over the past four weeks, and for the last week her Auntie May and Mr. Conway she couldn't even now think of him as Uncle had been of enormous help. And so the whole place was looking fresh and shining. The rooms were mostly emulsioned a delicate shade of mauve, the doors and woodwork painted a bright yellow-sun colour. For the sitting-room they had brought down furniture from the attics, but her great-gran had fitted the kitchen out with a new electric cooker, a washing machine and dryer, and cupboard fitments, besides a kitchen table and four chairs. She had also bought her a modern bedroom
suite.
The bedroom carpet and the landing and stair carpets were new. They had found two comparatively good carpets in the attic, one blue for the dining-room and one pink for the sitting-room. There had been no talk of fitting out the second bedroom as a nursery, not as yet.
There was a small scullery going off the kitchen and it was here the door connected with the house. There had been no lock or bolt on the connecting door, and when she saw Mr. Conway putting a lock on she didn't know whether he was doing it off his own bat, or her mother had suggested it, and she didn't enquire.
It was from the small dining-room at the far end of the annexe, away from the house, that another door led into the yard and almost on to a path which, in turn, led to the tradesmen's entrance. And this was plainly stated on a wooden board at the lower gate. It was by this way that Andrew had made two recent visits to his future home, and on each he had been ill-at-ease, for both her mother and gran had been
present.
But now she was waiting for his coming and she was alone. She walked round the sitting-room. It seemed small, box-like after the one in the house. But there was one consoling thought: it was to be her own .
well, not quite her own, because he would be with her. And what was more, she would have to cook for him. She wouldn't mind that though, for she liked cooking. Her mother had been showing her how to cook for some time.
She walked into the dining-room. The table
Similar Books
