All My Tomorrows by Ellie Dean Read Free Book Online Page B

through the house.
    Peggy and Cordelia exchanged glances and grinned. This was more entertaining than any show at the theatre, and they were both on tenterhooks to see what sort of transformation Sarah made of Rita.
    Daisy was asleep in her cot in Peggy’s room on the ground floor, the door ajar so they could hear if she woke up crying. Ron, Peggy and Cordelia had tucked into the hot, tasty vegetable stew that was so welcoming on such a dirty night, and Suzy had spent the last few tense minutes nervously flicking through the stack of old magazines that sat next to the wireless.
    Ron had left for his Home Guard meeting when the knock on the front door heralded Anthony’s arrival and Suzy rushed to meet him.
    ‘I think she’s glad the waiting’s over,’ said Cordelia, ‘but utterly dreading what’s to come.’ She took off her half-moon glasses and pinched the bridge of her little nose. ‘Oh dear. I do hope it doesn’t all end in tears. They make such a lovely couple.’
    ‘If there’s one tear shed after tonight then I’ll make sure my sister pays for it,’ said Peggy flatly. Her mood lightened immediately when her nephew Anthony came into the room, for she’d always been extremely fond of him, and couldn’t for the life of her understand how someone as awful as her sister Doris could have given birth to such a sweet-natured son.
    Tall and rather too thin, he had a well-defined mouth and his horn-rimmed glasses framed expressive eyes. The shoulders of his thick overcoat sparkled with raindrops, and as he undid the buttons, she could see he was wearing a suit instead of his usual corduroy trousers, sweater and tweed jacket.
    Anthony greeted them both with a soft kiss on their cheeks. ‘Don’t worry, Auntie Peg,’ he said warmly, ‘I’ll look after Suzy and make sure she has a pleasant evening.’
    ‘I know you will,’ she replied, ‘and I’m relieved that you realise this could be quite an ordeal for her.’
    He smiled his lovely shy smile and patted her shoulder. ‘Mother can be a little bit difficult at times,’ he said with admirable British understatement, ‘but don’t fret, Auntie Peg, I won’t let her spoil Suzy’s evening.’
    As Suzy came back into the room Peggy saw the love that shone from his eyes and knew his promise would hold good. She kissed them both goodbye and waved them off as they quickly ran out into the rain and down the steps to the little black Austin parked by the kerb. She closed the door, heard the giggling and chatter coming from upstairs and, with a smile of contentment, returned to the kitchen.
    ‘Whatever is keeping those girls?’ grumbled Cordelia some time later. ‘It’s past seven o’clock and we haven’t seen hide nor hair of them for nearly two whole hours.’
    As if on cue they heard footsteps on the stairs and the click-clack of heels on the hall’s tiled floor and both turned towards the doorway. They could hear muffled giggles and hoarse whispers and wondered what on earth they were up to out there.
    ‘We thought we’d give you a fashion show,’ said Fran from the other side of the doorway. ‘Are you ready?’
    Peggy and Cordelia smiled in pleasurable anticipation and replied that they were.
    Sarah came in first, her fair hair elegantly coiled at the nape of her nape, the string of pearls gleaming at her throat, the plain cream sheath of her linen dress skimming over her slight figure. She looked sophisticated and completely self-assured as she gave a twirl, acknowledged their happy applause and then went to stand by the table.
    Jane’s long fair hair had been swept back into victory rolls which emphasised her fine cheekbones and blue eyes. She looked rather bashful as she teetered a bit in her borrowed high-heeled sandals and showed off the deep blue dress Suzy had lent her for the occasion.
    Fran had no such inhibitions and sashayed in wearing a dress of emerald green, her beautiful hair rippling down her back and over her shoulders as if