Chapter Thirteen
The following week, Annie set off bright and early for the shop with Adam tucked into his pram.
Alfred wasn’t at all happy about being left behind but Annie couldn’t take him too.
Susan and Mrs Jenkins were delighted to see her and fussed over the baby, and Annie couldn’t help but notice that Susan looked brighter than she had for a very long time.
The shop was extremely busy as people came in wanting to purchase dresses to be worn over Christmas, and by lunchtime Annie had to admit that she was tired.
‘Take Adam upstairs and feed him there,’ Susan told her kindly when he woke for his feed.
‘And afterwards, make yourself a cup of tea and put your feet up for a while. As you can see, we have everything in hand down here. Oh, and while you’re up there you could take a look at the books too.
I was going to pop them round to you this evening.
Even after wages, restocking and overheads, we’re well into profit. ’
Since having Adam, Annie had been more than happy to leave everything in Susan’s capable hands.
She had even been keeping the ledger up to date and when Annie looked at it, she was impressed.
The money in the bank was building up nicely, so much so that if it kept on this way, she would soon be in a position to think about opening a shop in a new location.
It had been her dream to own a string of shops for a while now.
Admittedly there was not enough to buy a shop outright yet, but almost enough to restock another one if she could rent somewhere suitable.
She decided not to mention that idea to Monty just yet; he was clearly unhappy with her decision to go back to work, even part-time, so she would let him get used to that first. And, of course, there was also the fact that Adam wouldn’t always be a small baby.
Once he was crawling and walking, she would have to consider finding someone to look after him if she was going to continue working.
She felt torn because as much as she liked to be in the shop, she loved looking after her son too, and the thought of leaving him with anyone, even for a short time, was painful.
The other problem was that should she buy any more shops they would need to be in another location, and she couldn’t see Monty wanting to move house.
For now, she would have to be content with what she had.
It didn’t stop her being ambitious though.
She set off for home mid-afternoon to make a start on Monty’s dinner, but she hadn’t gone far when she saw Reggie striding towards her and her heart sank.
‘I’m surprised you have my nephew out in this cold weather,’ he said sarcastically as he drew abreast. Annie carried on walking but he fell into step beside her, peering into the pram.
‘Actually, Adam is very well wrapped up and fresh air is good for him.’
‘Hmm, I should have said the baby, shouldn’t I?’ he goaded. ‘After all, none of us know if he is Monty’s, do we? He certainly looks nothing like him, and he’s doing remarkably well considering he’s such a premature baby.’
‘Reggie, why don’t you just go away and leave us alone,’ Annie snapped. She had tried her best not to rise to his bait but he always managed to anger her.
He chuckled. ‘I was wondering why you and Monty haven’t asked me to be his godfather yet,’ he went on. ‘Mother tells me you’re having the christening the Sunday after Christmas. And with a whore for a mother, this one here will need all the support he can get.’
Annie stopped abruptly and glared up at him. ‘Just go away or so help me it won’t be you telling your brother what you did to me, it will be me!’
And with that she set off again, not pausing until she was safely back inside her own home.
‘How did your first day back at the shop go?’ Monty asked that evening as they sat down to dinner. She’d cooked him one of his favourites – a saddle of lamb with roast potatoes.
‘I didn’t stay all day,’ she told him. ‘I wanted to get Adam in before it got dark.’ As much as she hated to admit it, she was already realising that taking Adam to the shop wouldn’t work for long.
At the moment, he slept for most of the time between feeds but once he was awake more, she could hardly leave him strapped in his pram alone in the kitchen.
If she was going to go back to work, she really would have to get someone in to take care of him, even though she hated the thought of leaving him.
Still, that was out of the question while she was breastfeeding, and it could be months until she stopped.
Monty looked at her pensively. ‘Is everything all right, darling? You seem a little distracted this evening. Have you gone back to work too soon, do you think?’
‘I’m fine. I quite enjoyed being back, actually.
’ She raised a smile as she sliced the lamb and laid some on his plate.
She could hardly tell him about her run-in with Reggie, but he was seriously getting her down.
More than once while Monty was at work, she’d seen him stroll by the house, although thankfully he hadn’t knocked on the door or attempted to come in.
He probably realised that if he did, she would send him away with a flea in his ear!
Annie was beginning to dread the christening.
Monty didn’t have any more time for Reggie than she did, but she could hardly tell him that she didn’t want his brother there, nor that she had no intention of asking him to be a godfather.
Thankfully Monty hadn’t suggested it, and she’d already asked Levi and Davey to take on that role, which they’d both been thrilled about.
Susan and Peggy were going to be his godmothers, and Peggy was making him the most magnificent christening robe from a piece of lace she’d bought.
Meanwhile, Monty had hired the same room in the hotel they had used for their wedding reception for a party after the service.
Although Adam was still his own little person, not much favouring anyone in looks as yet, in her heart, Annie knew he was Alex’s son and wondered what he would think of him if he could see him.
It was sad to think they would never know each other, although Monty was a wonderful father.
He doted on Adam, which made it even harder for her, somehow.
Still, she’d made her choice not to tell him and now she would have to learn to live with it.
Soon Christmas was upon them – their first in their new home with a baby.
All in all, it was a pleasant time. Mrs Taylor-Lloyd had invited them to her house for Christmas dinner but thankfully Monty had declined, saying that he and Annie wanted to spend their first Christmas and celebrate Annie’s birthday as a family on their own.
Monty gave her a beautiful gold bracelet set with blue topaz stones, which was the birthstone for December.
Annie loved it and refused to take it off all day.
She also wore the lovely shawl she had been wrapped in on the day she had been abandoned on the workhouse steps as a newborn.
She only wore it on special occasions, but somehow it made her feel closer to the parents she had never met and she wondered what they would have thought of their lovely grandson.
Overall it was a special day and if thoughts of Alex sometimes popped into Annie’s head, she pushed them to the back of her mind.
And then suddenly the day of the christening was upon them. That morning Peggy, looking very pretty in an outfit Annie had treated her to from the shop, arrived in plenty of time to get the star of the show ready.
Adam looked magnificent in the lace robe trimmed with ribbons that she’d made for him. Annie declared that it wouldn’t have looked out of place on a royal baby, which made Peggy glow with pride.
The guests were all assembled at the church when Annie, Monty and Adam arrived.
Peggy had gone ahead, but Monty had purchased a small car for his family, so they arrived in style.
Monty looked proud as he carried the baby into the church.
Adam behaved impeccably, barely blinking when the vicar baptised him with holy water, and as soon as it was over everyone made their way to the party.
‘Where did the name Alexander come from?’ Reggie enquired sarcastically to Monty. They had been forced to invite him but much to Annie’s relief, he’d stood back in the church. She supposed it would have been too much to expect him to go the whole day without saying something cryptic.
Mrs Taylor-Lloyd was holding Adam and watching Monty’s reaction expectantly.
‘Annie just liked it,’ Monty answered, trying not to let his brother rile him. The day had gone well so far and he didn’t want Reggie to spoil it.
‘Hmm!’ Reggie leered, moving away.
Seeing that Monty was getting annoyed Annie shook her head warningly at him and the awkward moment passed.
When they got home late that afternoon, Annie sighed with relief as she kicked off her shoes and threw some coal onto the fire before fussing Alfred. She always got an enthusiastic greeting from him if he had been left alone for a while.
‘That went well but I have to admit I’m glad it’s over,’ she commented as Monty lay Adam in his pram.
The baby was fast asleep, although Annie knew he wouldn’t be for much longer because he was due a feed anytime.
‘And now we have the New Year to look forward to. Were you hoping to go out anywhere?’
She was relieved when Monty shook his head. ‘Not at all, my love, not if you’re happy to stay in. I’m quite content to spend New Year’s Eve and New Years’s Day here with you and Adam.’
Annie was relieved. She hadn’t left Adam with anyone for as much as a single minute yet and she was dreading the time when she would have to.
Her hopes of going back to work in the shop for two days a week hadn’t quite worked out. It was a bit of a struggle having to get Adam and herself ready and round to the shop for opening time, and once she was there, she was constantly nipping off into the kitchen to check he was all right.
Thankfully, Susan found it highly amusing. ‘Anyone would think you didn’t trust us,’ she’d teased. ‘I assure you, myself and Mrs Jenkins are quite capable of keeping everything running smoothly here until Adam is a little older.’
Annie was quite aware of the fact, but she missed meeting the customers and going off to buy the stock. Even so, somewhat reluctantly she agreed to wait another few months before she returned.
As planned, she and Monty spent New Year’s Eve quietly at home with Adam and she was shocked when on the stroke of twelve he kissed her and handed her a long velvet box.
‘What’s this?’ She frowned as she stared down at it.
‘It’s my New Year’s present to you.’ He tenderly stroked her hair, which was loose about her shoulders and gleaming like wet coal in the glow from the fire. ‘Just to say thank you for making me the happiest man on earth.’
‘B-but I haven’t got you anything, and you already gave me such a beautiful birthday and Christmas present,’ she faltered.
‘I’ve got everything I could ever want. Now open it, will you. I was assured you could take it back and change it if you didn’t like it.’
Annie carefully sprang the lid and gasped as a beautiful blue topaz and diamond necklace to match her bracelet winked up at her. ‘Oh . . . but, Monty, this is too much.’
He laughed as he lifted it from the box and fastened it about her neck. ‘Nonsense. Nothing is too much for my wife. You do like it, don’t you?’
‘How could I not,’ she whispered as she turned this way and that to admire it in the mirror above the fireplace. ‘It’s just stunning.’
‘Then wear it and think of me when you look at it. Happy New Year, my love.’ He put his arms about her and kissed her soundly.
Annie laid her head against Monty’s shoulder feeling guilty. ‘Who knows, the new year might bring a new little brother or sister for Adam,’ she said softly, failing to see the brief look of pain in his eyes as he gently kissed her hair.