The following day, Grace wrote and posted her letter off to her aunt and uncle; she caught the first post and then she put it to the back of her mind and thought instead of going to the pictures with Ben to see the Tarzan film. As it happened Simon dropped by after school to see Fergie and she mentioned the film to him.
‘Dad and I have seen it,’ he said.
Grace was disappointed but decided not to mention it to Ben when he called for her on Friday. She had also received a reply to her letter from her aunt that day which was brief, simply saying that the four of them would be there. Grace decided not to mention it to Ben until after their outing to the flickers.
As it was, Ben asked her did she like Clark Gable and Claudette Colbert. She certainly liked Clark Gable and so answered in the affirmative. So, he told her that Jimmy had mentioned going to see a film called It Happened One Night which was fun, so off they went to the Paramount on London Road to see it.
The film was enjoyable, romantic as well as witty, but Grace enjoyed Ben holding her hand throughout the film even more. On the tram home she told him that her aunt, uncle and two cousins were all coming to tea on Sunday.
‘I’d best get baking,’ she said.
‘So, I can look forward to having some more of your delicious scones,’ he said, squeezing her hand.
‘And cake and sandwiches,’ she said, gratified by the compliment.
The following day she withdrew some money from her post office saving account to buy the extras she would need, such as the best boiled ham and a tin of Canadian salmon, as well as extra eggs and mayonnaise for the sandwiches, not forgetting the sugar, butter and dried fruit for the scones and cake. On the way home she realised she was looking forward to the feast and showing her relatives that she was capable of plotting out her own life, whatever came her way. She just prayed that the oven would behave itself. She would have to make sure it did not get too hot, but she would bake that evening, so that if anything went wrong, she could make some more scones on Sunday morning.
Her father thought it would be a good idea if he lit a fire in the parlour and everyone could sit in there until Grace was ready to serve tea in the kitchen. ‘What about using up the coal?’ she fretted. ‘We could run short before the next delivery and we can’t afford to buy extra from the coal yard, not at their prices.’
‘Stop worrying,’ he said. ‘We can keep our coats and hats on or go to bed early.’
With that settled Grace set about making scones having decided to bake a dozen fruit ones and a dozen plain. As for cake, she would make a fruit cake and two dozen fairy cakes. Hopefully, that would be enough with the sandwiches as well. She would have to make sure everything was put safely away out of reach of Fergie whose curiosity might lead him into mischief. Could be best if she took him for a quick walk before bedtime and then have his basket in her bedroom overnight.
Happily, everything went to plan that evening, and the following morning Grace was able to do a quick tidy around before having a lunch of sausages and mash and taking Fergie for a run in the park after which he curled up in his basket and fell asleep. She then boiled some eggs and mixed them with mayonnaise, mashed the salmon with salt and pepper, and made the sandwiches and placed them into greaseproof bags. The boiled ham sandwiches she decorated with slices of tomatoes and put them on plates on the table covered by an embroidered Irish linen tablecloth. She asked her father to place everything else on the table, as she took Fergie with her upstairs and changed into her best tweed skirt. It had a lovely green, beige, and red pattern, which she matched with a pine-green sweater. Grace brushed her hair and fastened it back with two slides, before applying a light rose lipstick and face powder. She took a final look in the mirror at herself and then left the room followed by Fergie.
The first thing Grace did on entering the kitchen was to check the time on the clock on the mantelshelf and saw that it was three o’clock. She had an hour to check everything was in place before Ben and Simon made an appearance.
Ben did not come empty-handed, but brought three bottles of beer, one of sherry and a bottle of dandelion and burdock. She thanked him and drew him and Simon inside and led them into the parlour and invited them to sit down. The bottles she placed on the sideboard and then she took glasses out of the cupboard beneath and a bottle opener out of a drawer.
The door knocker sounded, and she excused herself and went to answer its summons, leaving her father to see to drinks. As she expected, her aunt, uncle and cousins stood on the step along with Beryl’s fiancé, Davy.
‘Come on in,’ said Grace, stepping aside and holding the door wide open. ‘Go into the parlour.’
Polly led the way with her husband Douglas close behind, followed by their daughters and Davy. Grace closed the front door and followed them into the parlour. The three men were on their feet while Simon was on the rug playing with Fergie.
Her aunt sniffed. ‘I forgot you had a dog – who’s this young man on the floor?’
‘I’m Simon,’ said the boy, uncurling and rising to his feet. ‘My dad is going to marry Grace and they are going to come and live in our house.’
Grace stared at her aunt, whose mouth had fallen open, and waited for the explosion. But it was Marion who said, ‘That’s a right turn up for the book! You’re a right secretive bitch.’
‘Language, girl,’ rebuked her father. ‘Remember you’re a guest in this house.’
‘Yes, Marion,’ said her mother. ‘Keep a civil tongue in your head.’ She looked across at Ben. ‘I take it I’m right in believing you are this young man’s father?’
‘You are, missus. I’m Ben Evans.’ He proffered his hand.
She hesitated and stared at it before taking it and shaking it. ‘I presume you do know that Grace was supposed to be marrying my son?’
‘Yes, and that they are cousins, and that you and her father were not in favour of the match.’
Grace could not doubt that Ben’s words had taken the wind out of her aunt’s sail. The next minute her uncle was shaking Ben’s hand and congratulating him and welcoming him to the family. Then Beryl and Davy stepped up and shook Ben’s hand and had a conversation with him that Grace could not hear. Marion held back and looked on with a disapproving expression as the rest made friends with Ben and his son. Grace asked her father to pour out some drinks. She was relieved that this first meeting between Ben and her relatives had passed with little unpleasantness.
Suddenly her aunt was at her side. Polly made a point of saying to her, ‘Have you been in touch with Dougie telling him of your plan to marry someone else?’
Grace smiled and handed Polly a glass of sherry. ‘I sent a letter to the address in London that he sent me a couple of days ago. Although, whether he’s in London yet I don’t know. I also told him that Dad was ill, and I couldn’t possibly leave him right now.’
‘I see,’ said Polly. ‘Norman is obviously in favour of you marrying this Ben Evans.’
‘Yes, he and Ben and Simon get on like a house on fire.’
‘They must if he’s prepared to have Norman living with you after your wedding,’ said Polly. ‘But if Norman is seriously ill, it won’t be for long will it?’ Her aunt’s words and her tone infuriated Grace.
‘Well, he’ll have the best care we can provide and a good Christmas. The wedding is planned for Sunday 9th December at one o’clock in St Margaret’s Church.’
‘So soon! You’re not pregnant, are you?’
‘Certainly not! Dad didn’t want us to wait and we thought it would be lovely to spend Christmas Eve under the same roof, so we can watch Simon empty his stocking and open his presents. Unlike Dougie, Ben has a sense of family. Anyway, I’d best go and put the kettle on,’ she excused herself. ‘Food’s ready in the other room, I just need to make a pot of tea.’
As Grace made to leave the room, she was aware that Marion had hurried across to her mother and the four men were in a group talking avidly about the political situation in Germany. The British press were taking a great interest in what was going on in Italy and Germany as the aged German president, Hindenburg, had died a short while ago and it looked likely that the fascist Chancellor, Adolph Hitler, was likely to take over that powerful role. In Italy, fascist Mussolini was in power and it was said that Hitler was a great admirer of the dictator.
‘Hitler is a fanatic – he is growing too big for his boots,’ she heard Ben say. ‘He needs to be stopped. Chamberlain has done his best to bring peace to Europe, but even he agrees there’s a lot of dissatisfaction in Germany since the last war and the terms of the Treaty of Versailles.’
‘You don’t think there’ll be another war, do you?’ Grace asked, alarmed, from the doorway.
‘I bloody hope not,’ Ben said vehemently. ‘Nobody wants another war, even the Germans, I should imagine. There’s no use in worrying about it. We can only leave it to the government and the diplomats and hope for the best.’
‘If there is another war,’ said Norman. ‘It’ll be very different to the last one.’
‘I wish we hadn’t started this conversation,’ wailed Grace, worried about losing Ben just as they were about to get married.
‘Go put the kettle on for tea,’ interrupted Ben, and Grace left the room determined not to worry about such rumours, especially on such an important day like today. She believed that the British government would do anything to prevent another war, so she set aside her fears and got on with making a pot of tea and removing the food from the greaseproof bags. That done she returned to the parlour and told everyone to come through into the kitchen.
Some of her guests seated themselves at the table, while others stood, and Grace handed round plates and told them to help themselves to more food. Ben had saved a chair for her next to him, and once everyone had some food, Grace poured tea into their best china teacups, which were decorated with dark red roses and had belonged to her mother.
‘Good spread,’ Ben said. ‘You must have really worked hard.’
‘It’s a special occasion,’ Grace responded.
‘Our wedding will be more special, but I wouldn’t expect you to prepare the wedding breakfast or make the cake,’ he said with a smile.
‘I’ll ask Milly for the name of her caterers, although I suppose ours will be a smaller affair as neither of us have a big family like her and Jimmy.’
Ben agreed, ‘Just some friends and those of your relatives who are here. Where shall we have the wedding breakfast?’
‘We can’t afford to hire a hall,’ she said.
He agreed, adding that the Co-op hall and the Tudor Rooms would be too large and expensive.
‘I’d suggest the church hall,’ said Grace. ‘But being so close to Christmas, it’s probably going to be used for a party for one of the organisations or refreshments after a carol service.’ She paused. ‘I’ll ask Milly and see if she can come up with any ideas.’
She turned away and began to talk to Beryl about her and Davy’s wedding plans. As she did so her uncle said, ‘Nice food, Grace. The scones are deliciously light.’
She smiled and said, ‘That’s thanks to Aunt Polly, she taught me.’
Polly smiled across the table at Grace. ‘You were a good pupil.’
It was not until her aunt, uncle and cousins were leaving that Polly asked who Grace was having for her bridesmaids. It was a question that Grace had been dreading, and in a voice as calm as she could make it, she replied, ‘No bridesmaids, only a matron of honour, my best friend, Milly.’
Her aunt looked as if she had sucked a lemon, but she managed to refrain from voicing her feeling, and simply said, ‘Goodnight and thanks for the lovely tea.’
Grace stood on the doorstep, waving until they were out of sight, then she closed the door, rested her back against it and sighed with relief before hurrying into the kitchen and putting on the kettle.
‘Anyone for cocoa?’ she asked.
Ben and Simon were clearing the plates away, but they each put up a hand. Her father had lit his pipe, but he took it out of his mouth and said, ‘You sit down, lass, and relax. I’ll make the cocoa. I must admit that went off better than I thought it would.’
‘Everything got eaten,’ Simon said forlornly.
‘Not everything,’ said Grace, going over to the sideboard and taking out an old biscuit tin. She removed the lid and revealed various goodies she had set aside. ‘I thought we’d want something to eat with our cocoa.’
The three men grinned and blew her kisses.