Children in Her Shadow (13 page)

Taking the bull by the horn, Ruth asked boldly and bravely, “Are you going to ask me to marry you?” Edward, who clearly had not reached that point in his thinking spluttered and said, “Well why not. If my parents agree, then would you marry me?” Tirade number three was about to explode when Edward sensing that Ruth was again about to erupt, interrupted and said, “That came out wrongly” he said. “I would be honoured if you will agree to marry me and if you do, then we should go immediately to my parents and tell them the news.” Ruth, taking this as a serious offer of marriage said “Yes.”

They boarded the bus and set off to see Edward’s parents. As they did so, Ruth reflected upon the enormity of what Edward had just asked but also considered the prospect of whether she should at this stage be telling her parents, firstly that she was pregnant and then that she was to be married. The thought of telling her mother that she was pregnant out of wedlock was, for Ruth simply not worth contemplating at this juncture.

Before long they had arrived in Garden Walk where Edward lived. Edward opened the door and shouted in “Hello it’s me and I have Ruth with me.” The first person to emerge from the sitting room was the dreaded Aunt Matilda, to be followed by Ellen and Sam. There was a look on their faces that immediately suggested to Ruth that this was a family that was unused to people just dropping in.

Ruth reflected how dissimilar this was to her Welsh upbringing where it was quite normal, indeed it was expected that you would simply knock on the door shout your name and walk into a house that was familiar to you bringing with you anyone that was in your company. The Carmichael household was clearly not that familiar and based upon the glaring looks from Aunt Matilda they were not likely to be nearly as welcoming.

They sat down and before the ice could be broken Edward said, “We have some news for you” and with that he turned to Ruth obviously expecting her to complete his sentence. Before another word could be spoken, Aunt Matilda, Ruth’s Attila the Hun, her bête noir pointed a finger at Ruth and exclaimed, “You’re pregnant aren’t you?” Ruth ceased the moment and replied, “Yes I am and Edward and I want to be married.”

Aunt Matilda slumped back in her chair and in a sign of resignation to what she appeared to have predicted she said, “This would never have happened with Sarah, she had standards and she would never have given herself before she was married.” In a blistering attack she turned to Ruth and delivered the coup de gras; “I expected the worst from you young woman and you have not disappointed or failed to deliver.”

At this point, the soft voice of Ellen was heard as she implored the family to hear the couple out and with that she turned to Edward and said, “We are where we are and we cannot turn the clock back or change what has happened, so what do you want Edward?’. He repeated what Ruth had said a moment earlier that they wanted to be married as soon as possible and that he wanted to be a good father to his child.

Aunt Matilda was by no means finished and was certainly not going to be silenced, “What proof do we have that she isn’t lying, the little trollop may be playing Edward for the fool to marry him and then declare that she has lost the baby in a month or two’s time.” Ellen again attempted to calm the situation but Ruth was to have the last word, “Yes I may be seen as common to you because of my Welsh accent, and my poor upbringing and I may not measure up to what Sarah seemed to you, but I’m not a liar, I am pregnant and we plan to marry because we love each other.” She went on, “We, that is Edward and I have made a mistake but at least we are facing up to it. Our purpose in coming straight to you was to ask for your support and blessing for our plans to marry, clearly there is no hope of that here.”

Sam was distinctly uncomfortable and declared that he would slip into the kitchen and make some tea but was immediately ordered to remain where he was by Ellen who suggested that Matilda make the tea so that a calmer more rational conversation might take place between the four of them. Matilda was furious and in leaving the room to do as instructed she fired her final salvo at Ruth by again muttering in a loud voice, “She will never be the woman Sarah is and you have the evidence of that before you.”

In a somewhat calmer atmosphere the conversation turned to plans for a wedding that should take place as quickly as possible before it became apparent that Ruth was expecting a baby. Sam, Ruth and Edward agreed to see the vicar at the family church and arrange for the banns of marriage to be read as soon as possible under the circumstances. It was a requirement that the banns of marriage must be called in the parish church where each person is resident. Banns needed be called on the three Sundays before the marriage, in order that any objectors to the marriage might come forward.

It was also agreed that the whole family would be discreet and make no mention of the pregnancy dealing with the sudden nature of the marriage as being ‘typical of young impetuous young people in wartime, simply living for today’. There was then the matter of where Ruth and Edward should live once they were married and with some reluctance Ruth saw the sense of her moving into Edward’s family home at least as a first step until an alternative might present itself.

After several hours of discussion Ruth left the house feeling that at least Ellen had warmed to her something that was confirmed when, as she was about to leave, Ellen whispered into Ruth’s ear. “Now be sure to look after yourself and my grandchild.” She then in an audible tone said, “Ruth, you are to be a member of this family and whilst it might take time to get to know each other, we will, and we will make this work for the best.” Much nodding followed as Edward was dispatched by his patriarchal father to “carefully walk Ruth to the bus stop and see her onto the bus.”

On Ruth’s return home she found Moira was waiting for her anxious to know what Edward’s reaction had been. She made a cup of coco and they sat in the kitchen as Ruth repeated all the news of the night. Moira was genuinely pleased and listened intently to the plans that had been formulated in the few short hours she was with Edward’s parents. When Ruth had finished Moira asked when Ruth would tell her mother. Ruth was slow to respond but when she did she was adamant that for the time being at least, she didn’t want her parents to know she was pregnant but under pressure from Moira she agreed to write to her Mother and tell her that she was soon to be marrying Edward.

Ruth’s only hope was that her mother did not see through the words she would use in the letter and discover that she was expecting a child. That night she carefully worded a letter that was full of excitement about her forthcoming marriage in the hope that her mother would be diverted from the most obvious conclusion, that this was a marriage of convenience.

Ruth was bursting with happiness and confided to a number of friends at work that she and Edward were to be married and that they were seeing the vicar as soon as possible. Most of those she told were excited for her, some remarking that Edward was a wonderful catch. Others immediately questioned the haste and inferred that the haste may reflect urgency more than anything else. Within minutes, the whole of the cockpit was aware of the planned marriage and by the time Ruth broke for lunch her intended marriage to Edward was the talk of the factory.

As Ruth settled down to eat her sandwiches a tall pretty girl who Ruth knew to be called Victoria came and sat next to her. After a general chat about work, Victoria said, “I hear that you are going to marry Edward, congratulations.” Ruth thanked her and with that Victoria began to talk to Ruth in a whisper. She explained that she was not wishing to burst her bubble but she questioned if Ruth was aware that Edward had dated most of the girls in this section. Ruth was decidedly unaware of this and attempted to conceal her embarrassment by appearing to be unmoved by the news.

Victoria explained that even when Edward was courting Sarah she was aware that he was two timing her with two people that she knew well. In a cautionary tone Victoria said that both these girls came to her a few days after Edward had taken Ruth on her first date to warn her that he was playing the field and that he was certainly two timing someone that he was supposed to be marrying. Finally, Victoria turned to Ruth and said, “Be very sure that you know what Edward is like before you tie the knot and you are trapped for ever in a marriage where he may well cheat on you.”

Ruth, in an attempt to defend Edward and to suggest that she was very aware of his past, angrily said, “I know that you and the others are jealous and that you would have liked him to marry you, but it’s me he has asked to marry him and that means his flirting days are over.” Victoria opened her mouth to utter a final warning and stopped herself. Ruth dismissed Victoria’s words as those of an envious, venomous woman and put the conversation behind her.

Having met the Vicar later that week with Edward and Sam, the wedding date was set for June twelfth, a little more than six weeks after their night of love next to Jubilee Tower. This whirl wind of plans sucked Ruth into the vortex of an experience she had long planned since her childhood to be very different to this. She felt that events rather than plans meant that the wedding was now completely out of her control. Like most young women, Ruth dreamt of a long courtship and a long engagement to plan her fairy tale wedding. This was neither.

Ruth included the date of the wedding in her letter to her mother anticipating that it would be impossible for her or any member of the family in Ireland to be able to attend. Ruth’s greatest fear was that her mother would see this as a shotgun wedding and make her views known on the day if she did attend. She also knew that if her father were able to afford to attend, the day would certainly not pass without him feeling the need to punch someone, anyone to mark his displeasure.

Ruth met with Edward’s family outside their church on the first Sunday that the Banns were to be called. Not surprisingly, Aunt Matilda and Aunt Dorothy were both there. Ruth could only imagine that their presence was akin to knitting alongside the gallows!

Edward’s family were clearly well known by parishioners attending the church with many passing the time of day with them or stopping to have a few words as they walked up the pathway to the main entrance of the church. The Carmichael’s entered the church in what seemed like seniority order, with Sam, being followed by Aunt Matilda then by Ellen, followed by Aunt Dorothy then Edward, and finally Ruth. They went to an empty pew, clearly the one the family had been using for many years and a place that other parishioners would never use at the nine o’clock service. As they sat in the pew, Ruth was conscious that people nearby were whispering to each other clearly noticing the new appendage to the Carmichael Sunday line-up.

Ruth had not been much of a church goer since she was in her early teens but she could see that this Church of England service was not too far removed from the typical Catholic service she had attended all those years ago with the very helpful exception that the service was in English and not Latin. However, her thoughts were drawn to the threats of hell and damnation, preached by her Catholic priest in Wales as the punishment for any of his brethren that might be seen to cross the threshold of a Protestant church.

The Sunday service eventually moved to the point where the vicar gave his parish notices: The sad death of Sergeant Morrison, killed in action; the demise of Mrs Postlethwait at the age of sixty nine and finally the illness of Mildred Evans. Parishioners were asked to pray for them all.

Then came the formal reading of the Banns: “
I Publish the Banns of Marriage between Mr Edward Carmichael of this Parish and Miss Ruth Dervla O’Connor also of this parish. If any of you know cause, or just impediment, why these two persons should not be joined together in holy Matrimony, you are to declare it. This is the first time of asking
.”

As each of the solemn words were read, so heads in the congregation began to turn as it registered slowly for some, rapidly for others that Edward was to be marrying someone not known to them in what could only be described as ‘haste’ in this hallowed place. More was to come, as the parishioners rose to leave the church at the end of the service they looked over towards the Carmichael pew and their gaze followed Ruth and the Carmichael’s until they were outside.

The usual ritual that slows down the rapid departure of parishioners from the church, the shaking of the vicar’s hand gave time to the more inquisitive in the queue to take a good long look at the person of Ruth O’Connor. Ruth had deliberately worn a modest high neck dress but one that fitted her slim body sufficiently that for those who sought to detect the merest hint of a swelling stomach there was much disappointment. As the party reached the vicar and shook hands, he whispered that he would be looking forward to seeing Ruth again next week.

With the ordeal over, Ruth and Edward walked hand in hand to his parent’s home. There they finalised the arrangements for the wedding. It was agreed that the witnesses would be Sam and Matilda for the Carmichael’s and Ruth was asked who would be the witness for her family. Ruth faced a terrible dilemma. She dearly wanted to have members of her family present at the wedding but feared that if any attended it would not be long before her secret was revealed and that was something she simply could not face at this time. Deep down, Ruth was hoping that once the wedding was over with she could announce to her family that she had become pregnant on their wedding night and then hope that the mathematics of the date of birth added up and fitted her story.

Ruth had been dreading this question as she had no idea if any member of her family from Ireland would attend and so in desperation she acknowledged that it was likely to be her cousin Moira and her husband Jack, if he could get the day off work. Aunt Matilda looking down her nose remarked “I thought you Welsh and Irish had more family than you can count, surely you’re not telling us that your only family at the wedding will be a factory girl and a bus driver.” These comments were intended to undermine Ruth’s confidence which they did and no matter how many times Edward would ask her to ignore the comments she found they increasingly cut deeper.