Read Online Sealed With a Loving Kiss by Ellie Dean - Free Book Online

there’s no need to fret over any of us.’
    The thought of Cissy’s Randolph and Rita’s Matthew being up there with Kitty’s Roger and Freddy gave her no peace of mind at all. But there was a war on, lives were being put at risk every day – and she simply had to accept that and not make Martin’s job even harder by making a fuss.
    ‘Will you be able to come to the wedding?’ she asked, determined to change the subject.
    ‘I sincerely hope so,’ he replied, clearly relieved to be moving to an easier topic. ‘But I might be a bit late arriving,’ he warned. ‘I’m hoping to dash up and see the parents for a couple of hours that day because I’ll be on duty over Christmas and it will be the only chance I’ll get. If the traffic’s bad, or there’s a raid, I could be delayed.’
    Peggy had very little time for Martin’s parents. They’d treated Anne very badly when she and Martin had been courting, for they’d disapproved of her lowly background and simply refused to accept that their son wanted to marry such a girl. They’d actually bothered to turn up for the wedding after a great deal of shilly-shallying which had hurt Martin dreadfully. But their cool disdain and stiff politeness had set them apart from the other guests, and they’d made their excuses within minutes of the speeches at the reception and left without even saying goodbye.
    ‘Are they well?’ she asked, to be polite.
    ‘They seem to be coping all right,’ said Martin. ‘Unfortunately I don’t get to see them much, and they don’t write often.’ He gave a sigh. ‘I’m rather hoping that the birth of their second granddaughter might alter their attitude to Anne – which is why I want to take the photographs up to show them instead of just sending them in the post.’
    Peggy didn’t say so, but she doubted either of them would change their snooty opinion of her beautiful daughter – and as far as she was concerned, they could stick their money and position right up their expensive jumpers.
    ‘Oh, Peggy,’ Martin chuckled, ‘your face is a picture. Please, never try and play poker.’
    Peggy giggled, and Martin placed his large, warm hand over hers. ‘I know they’re trying, and their attitude hurts me as much as it does you and Anne. But when all’s said and done, they are my parents, so I can’t just ignore them.’
    ‘I realise that,’ said Peggy.
    ‘Then let’s not spoil our time together by being gloomy. You go and make a pot of your famous tea while Daisy and I find some toys to play with.’
    There were tears in Peggy’s eyes as she put the kettle on the hob. Martin was such a very nice man – one of nature’s gentlemen – and she hated the thought that his visits to his parents were made out of duty and not love. It was all terribly sad, for how could any parent not be proud of such a brave son, and of such beautiful grandchildren?
    As she hurried off into the bedroom to fetch Cordelia’s tin of chocolate biscuits, which she’d hidden away in her wardrobe, she sent up a silent prayer of thanks that her children loved her, and if it was only possible, they would all be at home now, sitting round her kitchen table and chattering like sparrows.
    The next hour was spent very pleasantly. Martin played on the floor with Daisy and her toys until she fell asleep. Ron regaled him with a very colourful account of the nights in the pub, which reminded him of similar occasions during his boyhood in Ireland. Cordelia passed the delicious biscuits round and told him she was having a lovely suit made out of the tweed her family had sent from Canada, and Harvey sat licking his lips in anticipation of getting his teeth into one of those biscuits.
    Peggy finished writing her note to the lovely couple who’d lent her the cake decorations, then sat and watched them all. Her heart was full, for Martin was one of their own and every precious moment he could spend with them was a gift.
    He finally looked at the clock and got