Poor Little Rich Girl (50 page)

Mrs Bailey bustled forward and began to arrange the veil about Hester’s shoulders. ‘You look like a film star, queen, so you’ve no cause to feel nervous,’ she said gently. ‘This is
your
day, the most important day of your life, very like, and you’ve got to remember every moment of it with pleasure.’ She ran a critical eye over her son-in-law’s suit, then brushed an imaginary speck of dust from his shoulder. ‘In you go, the pair of you!’ she said briskly. ‘Lonnie, Phyllis, try to walk at the same rate as Hester does so everyone can see that beautiful train. Off we go!’

*

Inside the church, Dick was every bit as nervous, though he didn’t intend to show it. He would have been happier had Ted been able to be his best man, but Joey Frost, his foreman, was a very good substitute. Now Joey turned his head a fraction, then checked his pockets, clearly making sure that he had not lost the ring. ‘She’s comin’,’ he breathed hoarsely. ‘I’ve seen many a bride in me time, but your Hester knocks spots off all of ’em. Dick Bailey, you’re the luckiest feller alive!’

‘Wilt thou have this man to thy wedded husband, to live together after God’s ordinance in the holy estate of Matrimony? Wilt thou obey him, and serve him, love, honour, and keep him in sickness and in health; and, forsaking all other, keep thee only unto him, so long as ye both shall live?’ The priest’s sonorous voice rolled around the church and Hester spoke out, soft but clear.

‘I will.’

‘Who giveth this woman to be married to this man?’ Frank stepped forward, then released Hester’s arm and stepped back. The service continued on its solemn yet joyful course. Hester did her part almost in a dream, and when Dick slipped the ring on her finger and she smiled up into his eyes she felt the heat rise in her cheeks. We’re married, she thought wonderingly. I never really thought this would happen but now it has and I’m Mrs Richard Bailey. I’ve got a beautiful home, a little girl I’m fond of to share our lives, but best of all I’ve got the most wonderful husband in the world.

The triumphant music swelled from the organ and Dick swung her round towards the congregation. Every face wore a broad smile. As they processed
towards the west door, Hester saw Eileen, Tom and young Jimmy, various friends from the bakery, Millie and the terrible twins, and then other members of the Bailey family, as well as what seemed to be half the employees of Cammell Laird’s.

‘Phew! Now the serious bit is over, we can begin to enjoy ourselves,’ Dick whispered in her ear. He put his arm round her waist as they emerged from the porch and even as they did so a tall figure ran towards them, hurling confetti as he came. Hester ducked, laughing, but to her astonishment Dick released her and rushed over to the man in seaman’s clothing who was standing grinning at them.

‘Ted!’ Dick shouted. ‘Oh, Ted, you made it after all. I’m that glad, old feller, and Mam will be pleased as punch.’

The reception was held in the church hall and Hester soon lost the last trace of nerves and began to enjoy herself. She was introduced to a good many of Dick’s friends whom she had not previously met, as well as to their wives and girlfriends, and chatted happily with neighbours from Elmore Street. Everyone had contributed to the wedding feast, though Mrs Bailey, Hester herself, and Millie had spent days preparing it. There was cold ham, tongue, cold beef and sausage rolls, as well as quantities of sandwiches, hard-boiled eggs, pickled onions and a number of huge bowls of trifle. Mr Briggs at the bakery had iced and decorated the wedding cake, which Mrs Bailey had made, and the hall was gay with holly and ivy which the children had collected from the surrounding area.

Dick and Hester, seated at the head of the table, had their first opportunity for a quiet word. ‘I left
a message for Ted at the shipping office, telling him about the wedding on the off chance that he might be back in Liverpool for Christmas,’ Dick told her. ‘It were the best wedding present I could have had, to see me brother grinning like an ape and chucking confetti all over us. Mam’s so thrilled, she’s scarcely took her eyes off him. As for Ruby, Ted’s learned a thing or two since he left and isn’t worried about reprisals, or anything like that.’

‘It’ll be a wonderful Christmas with Ted back,’ Hester agreed. ‘Nothing can make up for the loss of your dad, but at least your mam won’t be missing two of her men. We’ll be home from our honeymoon in plenty of time to hang up our stockings on Christmas Eve, and we’ll go straight round to Elmore Street on Christmas morning. Your mam wants a family Christmas, same as always.’

‘Mam’s right; we’ll all have to do our best to make it a good Christmas, but there isn’t one of us that won’t be missing Dad sorely,’ Dick agreed. ‘But Dad wouldn’t want us to be miserable, you know. He loved Christmas and was always at his happiest on that day, no matter how hard up we were.’ He squeezed Hester’s hand. ‘You an’ me’s lucky, queen. I’ve a good trade and what with the help we’re having from the Hetherington-Smiths, and Ted contributing to Mam’s expenses, we’ll never know the hardships Mam and Dad suffered.’

‘Yes, we are lucky,’ Hester agreed. ‘There aren’t many people who are able to have even a couple of days’ honeymoon, let alone a whole week. But in a way, I wish we weren’t going away at all. We’ve got our own beautiful home waiting for us and I do so want to start being a proper housewife. Your mam has given me lots of advice and lots of help and it will
be such fun to cook and bake and dust and sweep in my own home.’

Dick chuckled. ‘You’ll be spending the rest of your life cooking and cleaning, so just be grateful that we’re having a bit of a holiday first,’ he advised her. ‘We don’t have to worry about Lonnie, since she’ll be with Mam, so we might as well enjoy ourselves while we can.’

‘You’re right. Your mam says Llandudno and the surrounding countryside is beautiful,’ Hester said.

Dick gave her a wicked grin. ‘I don’t think honey-mooners spend much time admiring the scenery,’ he told her. ‘I think they spend most of their time admiring one another. But you’re right, of course. I loved the mountains and the moors around Bwlchgwyn. We’ll have a grand time, just you wait and see.’

It was the day before Christmas Eve and the last full day of their honeymoon, for Dick and Hester would be returning to Liverpool on the 11.50 train next morning. Right now, however, well wrapped up against the cold, they were having a last walk along the promenade in the windy darkness. To their left, the white-tipped breakers crashed against the shore, and the long roar of the pebbles being dragged back into the ocean as the waves ebbed made conversation difficult. Dick shouted something and Hester dug him in the ribs and yelled that he would have to speak up.

‘I asked if you were happy,’ Dick bawled. ‘Hasn’t it been a grand week, queen? I shall miss our walks along the shore each night when we’re back in Liverpool.’

‘So will I,’ Hester shrieked. ‘But there are compensations …’

‘What?’ Dick shouted. ‘I can’t hear you for the wind and the waves.’

Hester laughed and pulled him round so that they were facing back the way they had come. Together, arms round each other, they battled their way along the promenade under the frosty stars. As they turned into their boarding house, Hester glanced back at the humped shoulders of the Great Orme. ‘What I was trying to say,’ she said, as they entered the warm little hallway, ‘was that, much though I’ve enjoyed this wonderful week, what is ahead of us will be even better. Ordinary married life, when you have the perfect partner, is bound to be wonderful.’

She went to mount the stairs to their room, but Dick caught her round the waist and turned her to face him. ‘Tomorrow, real life starts,’ he said huskily. ‘Things won’t always go right, because nothing is perfect, but we’ll make it a good life, Hester, troubles an’ all. Oh, Mrs Hester Bailey, I
do
love you!’