Chapter Thirty-Two
Annie was absolutely delighted when they shared their good news the next day. Peggy was still as weak as a kitten but was much more her old self. She had a twinkle in her eye and something to look forward to.
‘And about time too,’ Annie told them. ‘Why, a blind man on a galloping horse could see how much you two care for each other. So, when is the big day to be?’
‘Well, I want her to be properly right first,’ Levi answered. ‘So we thought per’aps somewhere around Christmas. Give her a few months to get back on her feet.’
‘How lovely, a winter bride.’ Annie clapped her hands.
‘In that case, here’s what we’re going to do.
Nearer to the time you’re going to come and stay with me in London for a few days and I insist on the bride having a complete new rig-out from my shop.
That will be my wedding present to you, Peggy. ’
Peggy frowned. ‘Eeh, there’s no need fer that, pet,’ she said. ‘I’m sure I’ll find sommat suitable to wear here in one of our shops.’
‘You most certainly are not going to wear second-hand clothes on your wedding day,’ Annie declared indignantly.
‘And I shall love scouring the fashion houses for something suitable. I know what you like and it will be a pleasure. And while you’re staying, I can take you sightseeing with Adam and Nancy and you can make a little holiday of it. ’
‘But who’ll look after the shops?’ Peggy said doubtfully.
Annie chuckled. ‘Eve will, of course, and she’ll be glad to. I’m sure both she and Susan will be delighted to hear your news. But now I’m going to phone Marie, if you don’t mind, and just check that all is well there.’
‘Help yerself.’ Peggy was still rather nervous of the phone and rarely used it apart from to phone Annie. It was usually Annie who rang her and even then, her heart would start to flutter as she forced herself to answer it.
Annie came off the phone shortly after content that all was well in London. Adam was being spoilt shamelessly by the sound of it and the shop was still doing well.
Over the next two days Peggy grew strong enough to come downstairs and sit in the chair for a few hours each day, and by the end of the week it was hard to make her rest any more.
‘I don’t want all this fussin’, I’m fine,’ Peggy insisted. She was up and pottering about now, although Levi was still keeping a very close eye on her.
‘In that case I think it’s time I went home and left you to it, if you’re sure you can manage,’ Annie said.
‘O’ course I can manage,’ Peggy said indignantly.
She had never been one to sit about for no good reason.
‘But I’ll be sorry to see yer go an’ I do appreciate what you’ve done fer me.
But now get yerself out fer a bit o’ fresh air.
You’ve been stuck inside wi’ me an’ yer look like yer need to put a bit o’ colour back in yer cheeks. ’
‘I think I might just do that,’ Annie agreed.
She was glancing in the shop windows along Queen’s Road when she looked up to see Mrs Taylor-Lloyd and her friend walking towards her.
She sighed; she’d hoped their paths wouldn’t cross again after the awful things the woman had said to her the last time she’d seen her, but now it couldn’t be avoided so she held her head high and walked on.
She nodded an acknowledgement as she made to pass, and Mrs Taylor-Lloyd scowled at her. ‘Back again, are you,’ she said nastily. ‘I was rather hoping you’d stay in London and we’d seen the last of you.’
‘Then I’m sorry to disappoint you,’ Annie answered coldly. ‘But don’t worry, I shall be going back within the next couple of days.’
‘And all I can say to that is it will be good riddance to bad rubbish.’
Annie swallowed her anger. The last thing she wanted to do was lower herself to this despicable woman’s level.
‘I’m sorry to hear that, but then they do say “it takes one to know one”, don’t they? Good day.’ And with that she moved on, leaving Mrs Taylor-Lloyd with a face like a dark thundercloud.
‘What my poor Monty saw in that slut I shall never know,’ Mrs Taylor-Lloyd fumed to her companion.
‘She was never good enough for him. Despite all her fine clothes and fancy words, she’s nothing but a guttersnipe from the workhouse!
’ And with a toss of her head, that set the feathers on her hat dancing, she flounced away.
Annie decided not to mention the meeting to Levi and Peggy. She didn’t want to say or do anything to spoil their happy mood.
Two days later she set off back to London.
It was only when she was alone in the carriage that the emotions of the last few days caught up with her and she allowed the tears she’d been holding back to fall.
Peggy had been so ill when she’d first arrived that for a time she had feared they would lose her.
And then had come the joy of seeing her start to recover, and she and Levi finally admitting their feelings for each other.
She was delighted for them, but it seemed everywhere she looked there were happy couples.
Eve and Davey, Susan and Tim, Ruth and Simon, Marie and John, Mercy and Barney.
Even young Nancy had Jamie. They all had someone special to love, whereas she was quite alone.
She instantly felt guilty for thinking such a thing.
Of course I’m not alone. I have Adam and Nancy.
But it wasn’t quite the same as having that special man to love.
With a sniff she dabbed at her eyes and pulled herself together.
She had a thriving business in London to return to, and yet even that didn’t bring the joy she’d expected.
Ruth could run it just as well as she could, just like Susan ran the other shop in Nuneaton.
Now that the initial excitement of getting the shop up and running was over, she felt deflated and began to think of things she could do next.
Strangely, she had never got the same satisfaction of running her elite dress shops as she had when she was out on old Dobbin doing the rag-and-bone rounds with Levi.
But then she doubted that the second-hand shops would do as well in London as they had in her hometown.
Settling back in her seat she tried to concentrate on what she might do for her next project.
She arrived back at the shop shortly before midday to find Ruth serving a customer. She had had her hair cut into the new bob shape that was so popular and it had knocked ten years off her age. She looked lovely.
Annie waited until the customer had gone before saying, ‘Hello there, is everything all right?’
‘Everything is wonderful.’ Ruth smiled as she pointed at the gaps on the rails. ‘We’ve had a really good few days. I’m afraid you’re going to have to visit the warehouse to stock up again.’
‘Well done and thanks for holding the fort.’ Annie smiled. ‘Are Nancy and Adam upstairs?’ She’d missed them and was looking forward to having a cuddle with Adam.
‘Ah, they’re not actually,’ Ruth told her.
‘Marie popped in first thing this morning and said she hoped you wouldn’t mind but she and John have taken them to Southend for the day.
They won’t be back till late, so she’ll bring them back first thing in the morning.
I bet Adam will love it there on the beach. ’
‘Yes, I’m sure he will.’ Annie swallowed her disappointment.
She didn’t wish to appear ungrateful but she’d been really looking forward to being with her son.
Instead, a lonely night stretched ahead of her.
‘Right, I’ll just go and freshen up then come and take over.
I think you deserve the rest of the day off. ’
‘Are you sure?’ Ruth looked happy. ‘In that case I’ll let Simon take me out to lunch when he calls in.’ If the twinkle in her eye was anything to go by, she was clearly even more smitten with him than she had been when Annie went away.
And so half an hour later Annie watched from the window as Simon helped Ruth into his car and they drove away. The way things were going, Annie thought, she wouldn’t be a bit surprised if Peggy wasn’t the only winter bride that year.
As it turned out Annie wasn’t completely alone that night.
Marie had dropped Alfred off before going to Southend, and so they curled up on the sofa together as Annie tried to read.
But she couldn’t seem to concentrate, so eventually she gave up and decided to have an early night.
And that was when Alfred began to bark frantically.
‘What is it?’ she asked, almost as if she was expecting him to answer.
She hurried over to the window that looked down on to the street.
For a moment nothing was obvious but as her eyes grew accustomed to the gloom, she saw a dark figure trying the shop door.
Her heart leapt into her throat as she hastened back to the fireplace to pick up the poker.
‘Come on, Alfred, let’s go and see who it is.
’ She gripped his collar and allowed him to race towards the door.
Halfway down the staircase, Alfred managed to slip away from her and ran off like the wind as she followed more cautiously.
After crossing the kitchen, she opened the door to the shop and Alfred flew towards the door still barking.
He hurled himself towards the shape he could see through the glass and whoever it was instantly turned and sped away.
‘All right, all right. Good boy.’ Annie patted his head.
‘Calm down, they’ve gone now.’ She suddenly felt sick as she wondered what she would have done if Alfred hadn’t been there and heard the would-be intruder.
Would they have managed to get in? She shuddered and snapped the lights on, but there was no one in sight.