Chapter Thirty-Five
Peggy was a bag of nerves on the train journey to London the next day.
She’d never ventured further afield than the Midlands, so visiting the capital felt like going to the other side of the world to her.
She was even worse when the train pulled into Euston and she saw the throngs of people on the platform.
‘Eeh, I reckon there’s more folks ’ere than there is in the whole o’ Nuneaton,’ she said as she clung to Levi’s arm.
Annie led them outside and hailed a cab and soon they were rattling through the busy streets with Peggy’s eyes on stalks.
When they reached the shop Peggy was impressed. ‘It looks so classy,’ she told Annie. Marie and Nancy were there waiting to take Adam back to Marie’s house for a few days, and Ruth was busy serving a customer.
Nodding to Ruth, Annie ushered everyone else up to her rooms.
‘Did you ’ave a nice break, ma chèrie?’
Annie sighed. ‘I certainly did and I have so much to tell you. But first I’d like to introduce you to Peggy and Levi. Peggy and Levi, this is my very good friend Marie.’
They shook hands and Peggy offered, ‘Why don’t you chat to your friend, an’ I’ll make us all a drink, just point me in the direction of the kitchen.’
So while she was gone, Annie told Marie and Nancy of the latest developments.
‘Now at last yer know who yer mam an’ dad are,’ Nancy said enviously. ‘You must be tickled pink.’
‘I am but it takes some getting used to,’ Annie confessed. ‘It turns out I have Gypsy and circus blood running through my veins.’
An hour and two cups of tea later, they’d caught up on all the gossip and Marie departed with Nancy and Adam, telling Peggy and Levi, ‘Stay as long as you wish. I ’ave many nice outings planned for these two.’
Alfred had always adored Levi and he flopped down on his feet as Annie went to see them off.
‘That girl Marie’s got a ’eart as big as a bucket from what I can see of ’er,’ Peggy commented when Annie returned. ‘Yer lucky to ’ave found each other again. Now show me where we’ll be sleepin’ an’ I’ll go an unpack us stuff.’
They’d decided that Peggy would sleep with Annie and Levi would have Nancy and Adam’s room for the duration of their stay.
Annie would have had no objections to Levi and Peggy sleeping together but Peggy had soon put her straight on that score.
‘There’ll be none o’ that stuff till I’ve got a ring on me finger,’ she announced, and Annie grinned.
The gossip at home had been rife since Levi had moved in with Peggy but it seemed it had been unfounded.
After the shop closed the next day, Annie took Peggy down to try on some of the gowns she’d selected. Peggy had insisted that Levi should stay upstairs, ‘I don’t want ’im seein’ me in me new things till the day o’ the weddin,’ she declared, and Levi knew better than to argue with her.
Peggy fell in love with the second outfit she tried.
Annie could see it in her face as Peggy stared at herself in the gilt cheval mirror.
It was a two-piece costume in a pale-lilac colour.
The short, fitted jacket had a peplum waist with lapels in a darker lilac silk and it had a calf-length chiffon skirt.
It fitted her as if it had been made for her and showed her figure off to perfection.
‘You look beautiful in that,’ Annie said happily. ‘But if you’re not sure there are plenty more options for you to try.’
Peggy shook her head as she reverently stroked the soft material. ‘Oh no. I doubt I could find better than this if we searched fer a hundred years,’ she breathed.
‘In that case we need to look for a hat to match it, and some shoes and a bag.’
They spent another hour happily trying on the accessories and by the end of it, Peggy was beaming.
‘Levi’s eyes will pop out when he sees you all done up,’ Annie tittered.
Without warning Peggy pulled her into a hug and gave her a smacking kiss on the cheek. ‘You’ve been better to me than a daughter over the years,’ she said in a throaty voice. ‘But I just dread to think ’ow much all this lot must ’ave cost yer.’
‘You’re worth every penny and more for everything you’ve done for me,’ Annie replied.
‘You were the only one who ever showed me an ounce of affection for years when I was in the workhouse and I’ll never forget that.
But come on, let’s get that off you and wrapped up.
That hat is so perfect it might have been made to go with this outfit.
You’re going to be the most beautiful winter bride. ’
Peggy blushed becomingly. ‘I actually envy your mam,’ she said quietly. ‘She can’t ’ave any way o’ knowin’ as yet what a beautiful daughter she ’as, but I’m sure you’re goin’ to grow to love each other.’
‘I hope you’re right, but you will always have a special place in my heart.’ And Annie meant every word she said.
For the next two days, Annie was busy in the shop but each evening she took Peggy and Levi sightseeing, and on the night before they were due to return home, she took them to the West End to see a show. She would have liked them to stay longer but Peggy was missing home.
‘I’ve loved visitin’ the city,’ she admitted ruefully. ‘But it’s all a bit too fast-paced fer me an’ I enjoy me quieter way o’ life. But don’t worry, it won’t be long an’ you’ll be comin’ back to see us again. You ’ave a double reason fer visitin’ more often now, at least through the winter.’
The next morning Annie took them to Euston.
Peggy was in good spirits and laden down with her wedding outfit as Annie waved them off on the train.
On the way back she intended to pick Nancy and Adam up from Marie’s.
She’d missed them but she felt strangely deflated.
Like Peggy, she sometimes missed her hometown but her business was thriving and she couldn’t just leave it.
That same evening, the phone rang, and she was surprised to hear Peggy on the line.
‘Eeh, you’ll never guess what’s ’appened while we’ve been away,’ Peggy garbled without preamble.
‘Mr Taylor-Lloyd ’as ’ad a massive stroke.
An’ in the whorehouse, no less! Yer can just imagine what his missus thought o’ that.
It’ll not go down well wi’ her posh friends neither, will it?
’ She chuckled. ‘Apparently he got a bit rough wi’ one o’ the girls an’ when she put up a fight, he keeled over.
Serves ’imself right an’ all, that’s what I say.
After the way he treated Eve, he don’t deserve no better.
But that ain’t the best of it . . . Reggie were visitin’ the place at the same time an’ it were him as had to call the doctor in. ’
Annie couldn’t be a hypocrite and pretend to be sorry. She was a great believer in what goes around comes around and perhaps this was his comeuppance.
‘So how bad is he?’ she asked.
‘Well, accordin’ to what folks are sayin’, he’s in a sorry state.
He’s at home an’ Mrs Taylor-Lloyd ’as employed a nurse to look after ’im.
No surprise there, eh? I can’t imagine ’er havin’ the patience to look after an invalid, especially in these circumstances.
She’s a laughin’ stock. They reckon she hit the roof when they took him home an’ she found out where he’d been. ’
When she put the phone down, Annie shook her head.
At least that poor little maid of theirs will be safe for the time being, she thought as she went back upstairs to Adam, who was tucked up safely in bed fast asleep.
Nancy had gone out for a walk with Jamie and as she settled in the chair by the fire she sighed. Life could be funny at times.
Marie called in the following morning with an invite to another of her dinner parties.
‘Oh, do say you’ll come,’ she pleaded. ‘Someone you know will be there and I’m sure he would like to see you.’
Annie was in the process of putting a new gown on the mannequin in the window and she frowned. ‘Oh yes, and who would that be?’
Marie grinned. ‘Alex Gordon. You remember him, the man you met in the war?’
Annie’s heart skipped a beat. She hadn’t heard Marie mention Alex for a long time and had assumed that he must have moved away with his family. She also assumed that if Alex was invited his wife would be too, and she could only imagine how guilty she would feel sitting at the same table as her.
‘Oh, thank you but I, er . . . have a lot on here at the minute,’ she responded eventually, hoping to wangle her way out of it, but Marie was having none of it.
‘Not that much that you cannot spare a few hours to come to dinner. I am sure Nancy will be more than happy to watch Adam.’
‘When is this dinner party?’ Annie asked.
‘Not until Friday, so you ’ave days to arrange with Nancy about looking after Adam,’ Marie persisted. And then seeing that Annie was still hesitant, she rushed on, ‘Oh please, ma chèrie! You will be doing me the great favour. Without you I will ’ave odd numbers at the table.’
Annie nodded reluctantly. Marie had been so good to her and she didn’t want to let her down. And after all, what had happened between her and Alex was a long time ago. He and his wife were probably settled now and he wouldn’t give her a second look.
‘Very well then . . . as long as Nancy doesn’t mind watching Adam.’
Marie chuckled as she drew on her gloves. ‘I am sure that Jamie will join her and the young lovers will be more than happy to have a night in together in front of the fire. But I must go. I have many things to do today. Goodbye for now.’
Annie was left with very mixed feelings. A part of her was excited at the thought of seeing Alex again but another part was dreading it.
She tossed and turned that night. She was still trying to get accustomed to the fact that she knew who her parents were, and the thought of seeing Alex again only added to her confusion.
As it happened, she needn’t have worried about seeing Alex because the next day she was woken from a restless sleep by the sound of Adam coughing. She hurried into the room he shared with Nancy to find her standing over his little bed looking worried.
‘I think he’s got a temperature,’ she told Annie. ‘An’ he’s been ever so restless all night.’
As soon as Annie felt his forehead she grew concerned. ‘Yes, he has got a temperature,’ she agreed. ‘I wonder if you could run downstairs and phone the doctor and ask him to call in. I’ll stay up here with Adam today and Ruth can mind the shop.’
The doctor confirmed that Adam had come down with a severe case of whooping cough and Annie spent the day sponging him down with cool water and trying to tempt him to drink.
For two days his temperature remained stubbornly high, despite all Annie’s attempts to get it down, but at last on the third day he seemed to improve a little and she breathed a sigh of relief.
‘Ain’t it tonight yer goin’ to Marie’s fer dinner?’ Nancy enquired.
‘I was,’ Annie told her as she spooned some porridge into Adam’s mouth. ‘But I’m not happy to leave Adam just yet, so I’ll phone and cancel. I’m sure she’ll understand.’
Marie did understand, although she was disappointed.
In a funny sort of way Annie was relieved that she had a good enough excuse not to go.
There was no point in raking up old feelings.
Alex had probably all but forgotten about her by now and she didn’t want him to feel embarrassed when they met.
And so, she concentrated all her efforts on getting Adam well and tried her best to push Alex from her mind.