‘I’ve borrowed this from Mrs Cook,’ Audrey said, self-consciously touching her saucer-style hat with a green ribbon bow on the front. ‘She says she has no use for it now, but is it a bit grand for me?’

‘Not at all,’ said Lily, with a smile. ‘It suits you. Will you hold Joy for a moment, please?’

They were standing outside St Katherine’s Church, with William and Elsie, in the afternoon sunshine, waiting for Maggie to arrive. The wedding had been arranged in haste, slotting into the few days that George had left in Bournemouth before he was to be posted elsewhere.

Audrey had done her best with the cake, baking a fruit cake flavoured with orange, cinnamon and cloves. A dense cake, it was the best she could do with the ingredients available – and had used gravy browning to enhance the colour. The icing was a plaster of Paris mould and she had carefully attached the cake topper Maggie loved the most, the couple sitting on a crescent moon. With a gold ribbon wrapped around the bottom, it looked beautiful for a ‘make-do’ cake. Brides were definitely having to ‘make do’ during wartime on all fronts, but judging by the look of utter happiness on Maggie’s face as she arrived at the church, she didn’t care one jot.

‘Doesn’t she look a picture?’ said Lily, joining a long line of admiring glances.

Dressed in a delphinium blue dress, with tucked bodice and a knife-pleated skirt, Maggie wore white shoes and long white fingerless gloves. Over her face she wore a short veil, through which her red lips and blue eyes dazzled. She carried a Victorian posy, arranged by Pat, of delicate spring pink and blue flowers, surrounded with frilly ivory broderie anglaise, and from which long strips of ribbon fluttered in the breeze.

‘She really does,’ said Audrey, feeling tears leap into her eyes. She blinked hard, focussing on her fingers, which were red and sore from working in the bakery. Moving her wedding ring around her finger, she was overwhelmed by a desperate need to see Charlie or even hear his voice. It was a horrible feeling, but sometimes she felt she couldn’t remember what he sounded like, and though he had written a couple of times, he wasn’t a natural letter writer. Today, despite being surrounded by people she loved and for such a happy occasion, she felt her heart might burst with longing for the one she truly loved.

‘Looks like trouble is on the way,’ whispered Lily into Audrey’s ear, interrupting her mournful thoughts. ‘Who on earth is that?’

Snapping out of her reverie, Audrey looked up and followed Lily’s gaze to Maggie’s grandmother, who was staggering towards the church. Maggie’s sisters were trailing close behind, looked concerned and embarrassed, Isabel tugging at her grandmother’s arm.

‘Is that Maggie’s grandmother?’ said William. ‘She’s three sheets to the wind and heading inside!’

Audrey handed Joy back to Lily and marched over to Gwendolen. Swaying slightly in her shoes, the old woman focussed on Audrey and sneered.

‘Here she is,’ said Gwendolen, pointing her gnarly old finger at Audrey and twice jabbing her in the chest. ‘Miss Goody Two Shoes coming to put me in my place! Well, I’ll tell you something, you’ve no right. Maggie is my granddaughter and she’s not getting married without my consent. I’ve not even met this George fella yet.’

‘I’m so sorry, Mrs Barton,’ said Isabel, blushing madly. ‘Please excuse my grandmother, she’s not herself. I tried to convince her not to come, but she wasn’t having any of it.’

‘Don’t you worry, Isabel, just go inside and see Maggie,’ said Audrey, grabbing hold of Gwendolen’s arm and steering her around the corner to the other side of the church. The rest of the small congregation had gone inside.

Isabel, rooted to the spot with anxiety, followed Audrey with her eyes until Nancy pulled at her shoulder and instructed her to go inside. When Maggie’s sisters were finally in the church, Audrey addressed Gwendolen.

‘Gwendolen,’ said Audrey, ‘you’re in no fit state to go inside. That home-distilled alcohol you’re drinking, it’s very strong and could be dangerous.’

‘And what’s that got to do with you?’ she said, slurring and stumbling over onto the grass.

Audrey rubbed her forehead in dismay, then helped pick up the old lady. With one hand firmly holding her arm, she led her to a bench, where a seagull was perched. Audrey flapped her arm at the gull and it flew into the sky, cawing at the top of its lungs.

‘Eh?’ said Gwendolen, her eyes narrowed. ‘What did you say?’

‘Nothing,’ said Audrey, with a sigh. ‘Look, I’m sure you have your reasons for being so angry with the world, but this is Maggie’s big day. If you go inside the church like this, she will be mortified. You can hardly stand up.’

‘But I want to tell her what I think…’ she cried. ‘I’ve not even met this George, and in my experience these fellas are bad news!’

‘Why don’t you sober up a bit and come along to the food and drinks reception in the café afterwards?’ Audrey said. ‘I can walk you back to the bakery now where I work, if you like, and you can have a nap? I’ll make you a brew and find you a slice of cake too. Come on, let Maggie enjoy her day. There’s not much for young women to enjoy at the moment, is there?’

Grumbling, Gwendolen consented, and though Audrey was desperately disappointed to be missing the wedding ceremony, she walked the old lady back to the bakery. After settling her down in a comfortable armchair, with a cup of tea and a slice of gingerbread cake, Gwendolen softened considerably. Audrey realised the poor woman was vulnerable and probably needed a bit of looking after. She told her that she planned to return to the wedding, but that Uncle John was in the bakehouse, should she need any help. The next moment Gwendolen fell into a deep sleep – the cake plate sliding to the floor with a crash. Clearing up the shards of broken porcelain, then quietly closing the door on the snoring old lady, Audrey walked back to the church as quickly as she could.

On her way there, she thought of her own wedding day, when Daphne and Victor hadn’t attended, much to her huge disappointment – yet now they wanted to make amends. In the same vein, there was hope for Gwendolen changing into a nicer woman, wasn’t there?

By the time Audrey got back to the church and crept through the cool stone entrance into the congregation, the ceremony was over and Maggie and George were embracing and kissing.

Once everyone was back outside in the church grounds, Elsie caught up with Audrey.

‘Where did you go?’ Elsie said. ‘Are you okay?’

‘Yes,’ said Audrey. ‘Just making a thirsty person a cup of tea.’

Both women were watching Maggie, the picture of happiness, as she turned her back to the assembled gathering and prepared to throw her bouquet. Maggie’s sisters were elbowing each other out of the way to find the best position for catching the posy, shrieking and laughing.

Audrey caught Isabel’s eye and smiled, so glad and grateful for the joy of weddings when all the other news in the world was so depressing.

‘Thank you,’ mouthed Isabel.

‘What do you mean, a thirsty person?’ said Elsie, frowning. ‘Gwendolen?’

‘I’ll explain another time,’ said Audrey, her eyes following the posy, which was soaring through the blue sky, tumbling this way and that, and heading towards Elsie. ‘Oh Elsie, look out! Catch it!’

Elsie raised her hands in the nick of time and caught the flowers, collapsing into shocked laughter. A small cheer and a smattering of applause went up from the crowd, and she looked bashful as William kissed her on the cheek.

‘You two are next,’ said Audrey, smiling.

---

The reception afterwards was in the community hall, decorated with bunting and where Audrey had set out the food on borrowed tablecloths and Maggie’s sister, Isabel, had strung up a banner saying ‘Congratulations’ over the entrance. It reminded her of the wedding party she had arranged for Elsie and William’s wedding the previous year that never happened, but she tried to push that thought aside.

George’s parents had had to return to the city due to travel restrictions, and all of his brothers were overseas, but several of his peers were there, determined to enjoy the party.

‘This war has made every party even more fun!’ one pointed out.

Gwendolen, who had sobered up and was clearly feeling ashamed of herself, sat looking perplexed in the corner of the room. Earlier, she had approached Audrey and muttered her apologies, which Audrey quickly accepted. Like many of the older people, she wore too many layers and must have been boiling hot, but she refused to take off her coat. George, bless him, treated the old woman like a member of the royal family, collecting a plate of food for her, before sitting down next to her and engaging her in conversation.

‘Whatever can he be talking to her about?’ Maggie asked nervously, biting into a beetroot and horseradish savoury split. ‘Goodness knows what she’s saying about me. She’s never had a nice word to say where I’m concerned…’

They both watched George and Gwendolen for a moment. It seemed George was doing all the talking while the old lady was shoving sandwiches in her mouth, ten to the dozen.

‘She doesn’t look like she’s saying much at all,’ said Audrey. ‘It’s not every man that would have the heart and patience to talk to a woman who has been so cruel to his beloved. You’ve got a good one there. And hopefully your grandmother will see the error of her ways. I think she’s perhaps just lost her way a little.’

‘She’s an old bag,’ said Maggie, her voice low. ‘But I know she has her reasons. She lost my grandfather in the Great War. She never really moved on from that. Then when my parents died, she was left to look after us girls and couldn’t take any more.’

‘Poor old dear,’ said Audrey, suddenly noticing that William was sitting on his own at a table, staring into a glass of beer. Though he seemed to be on the mend now that he’d patched things up with Elsie, there were still moments when she felt desperately worried about what was tormenting him. Occasionally he just seemed to disappear somewhere else in mind, if not in body. Here, where everyone seemed delighted to be able to enjoy a few hours of celebration, a welcome relief in wartime, toasting Maggie and George’s happiness, his sombre mood made him stick out like a sore thumb.

‘Why don’t you go and ask your new husband to dance, Maggie? I suspect he’d like to be rescued from your grandmother!’ Audrey said. ‘I’m going to check on William, then I’d better get back to the bakery.’

---

As the gramophone record played out, a cheer rippled through the room, and people began to dance. From his seat at the table William glanced up to see Elsie talking animatedly to Lily, as they danced together. William was taken aback by Elsie’s beauty. Her glossy black hair piled high on her head and dark eyes seemed so definite – if this were a painting hanging on a wall, she would leap off the canvas, having been painted in the boldest, brightest colours. He, on the other hand, felt as if he were a shadow in contrast. Watching her move with energy and grace, he suffered a tremor of doubt about whether he could be a good husband to her. Did he have what it takes? He hadn’t told her what a coward he had been overseas – and if she knew, would she still love him?

Pull yourself together, he told himself, rolling his shoulders and sitting back in his chair. You need to let this go.

‘William?’ said Audrey, suddenly by his side at the table and taking a seat. ‘Are you okay? It can’t be much fun watching everyone dance. Where’s Elsie? I should probably get back to the bakery if you’re okay here?’

William smiled and cleared his throat, placing his hands flat down on the table, while he nodded towards Elsie in the throng. ‘She was just dancing with Lily,’ he said. ‘Yes, I’m fine. I’m okay. I was thinking…’

‘About…?’ Audrey asked, looking at him questioningly, but William flapped his hand dismissively in the air.

‘Nothing,’ he said. ‘It’s nothing at all. Or should I say, all and nothing.’

Brother and sister sat for a moment together in silence, when Elsie rushed over, grinning broadly. She sat on William’s knee and pulled off her shoes, wriggling her toes and pulling a relieved face.

William tried to iron out the frown he knew he was wearing, forcing himself to smile.

‘These shoes are giving me blisters!’ she said, holding up her heeled bow court shoes. Slinging an arm joyfully around William’s neck, she kissed him on the cheek and he felt himself melt.

‘I hope you’re not having second thoughts,’ she said to William, half smiling.

He put his arm around her waist and hugged her tight, squeezing his eyes closed for a moment, suppressing the emotion that was threatening to wash over him, catching the hand of a drowning man.

‘Never,’ he said into her ear, breathing in the lavender scent of her shampoo.

‘I can feel another wedding cake waiting to be baked,’ said Audrey, laughing and standing, then winding her way through the revellers to find little Mary and take her home.