The Buffer Girls (34 page)

Walter’s eyes filled with tears and a ghost of a smile spread across his mouth. Suddenly, Harry ran to a toy box in the corner
of the room and picked out an ABC book. Coming back, he
climbed up onto Walter’s knee, settled himself and opened the book. Pointing at a picture on one of the pages, he looked up at his grandpa and said, quite clearly for one so young,
‘Cat, Pap-pap.’ And then he waited. Now, Walter’s mouth worked as he tried to make a noise. ‘C-ca . . .’

‘Cat.’ Harry repeated and waited again. After
four attempts, Walter managed to say something that was recognizable as the word. Harry turned the page. ‘Dog.’ And the
effort was repeated.

‘The little chap’s very advanced for his age, isn’t he?’ Trip whispered, watching the heart-warming sight of the little boy on his grandfather’s knee.

‘Yes,’ Emily said proudly. ‘But his mother and his other granddad spend a lot of time with him.
And now he has another grandfather.’ Emily pressed her face against
Trip’s shoulder to stem the tears of relief. Her father was going to be all right now that he was back home in Ashford and she was sure that Harry’s bright chatter would bring Walter
even further out of his world of silence.

And coming into the room together, Martha and Josh saw Emily with Trip’s arm around her. For a
moment, Martha looked uncertain and then she sighed and nodded. A slow smile spread across
her face. ‘It looks like we might have two weddings to organize, then.’

Emily lifted her head. ‘That’s what we’ve come to talk to you about, Mam. I’m going back. I never thought I’d hear myself say it – but I adore life in the
city. I’ll always love the countryside and my home – my roots – but there’s
something about Sheffield. The people are so friendly and it’s exciting and – and
–’ she searched for the word – ‘vibrant. And there are so many opportunities.’ She glanced at Martha. ‘You were right about that, Mam. It just wasn’t for
Josh, but it is for me. Oh, I know there’s a dark side, but there is to every big city. Besides,’ she added, as if it answered everything – and it did – ‘Trip’s
going back and I want to be with him. It’s where he wants to be and, as the tenancy on the house in the court in Garden Street isn’t up yet, it seems sensible for him to live with
me.’ As Martha opened her mouth to protest, Emily added swiftly, ‘So his mother suggested that we should be married first.’ Now she glanced at Amy and Josh. ‘We wondered if
you’d agree to a double wedding?’

Josh glanced down at Amy. ‘What do you think, love? It’s up to you.’

‘Mrs Trippet has said she’ll organize a wedding reception for all of us on the lawn at Riversdale House.’

Amy’s eyes widened at Emily’s words and she glanced uncertainly at Trip.

‘Yes, it’s true. Do say “yes”. We’d have such a lovely day.’

So it was agreed and it would not take long to call the banns in Ashford’s
church and arrange two weddings.

Mick had been away from the city for over a week. After the run-in with Steve Henderson, he had decided to disappear for a few days, just to let things cool down. So, it
wasn’t until the Ryan family had packed up and gone that he came home to find Lizzie in tears.

‘She’s been like this for days,’ Bess told him angrily. ‘It’s that young rascal next door
who’s to blame. I’d get you to sort him out good and proper,
our Mick, if the wretch hadn’t done a bunk already.’

‘Eh?’ Mick was suddenly afraid. Had Josh turned informer on him and his mates? He’d been a little unsure of Josh’s real commitment to the gang, anyway.
‘What’s he done?’

‘He’s jilted your sister, that’s what. Gone back to the village they came from to marry a girl he left
pregnant there.’

For a brief moment, Mick felt a stab of admiration. So, old Josh wasn’t the goody-goody he’d seemed, eh? But then, hearing his sister’s sobs grow louder until they became like
a banshee’s wail, he changed his mind. He muttered an oath under his breath and went to sit beside Lizzie on the sofa. ‘Want me to go after him, Sis, and give him a good
hiding?’

Lizzie’s tears
stopped miraculously, as if a tap had been turned off. She lifted her head and her eyes narrowed as she said, ‘No, let him go. I’ve thought of a much better way
to hurt him. I’ll get back at him and at her at the same time.’

‘Who? This girl he’s—’ Mick began, but Lizzie was shaking her head. ‘No, not her. Emily, of course. I thought she was my friend, but she’s betrayed me too.
And nobody
betrays the Dugdales, now, do they?’

Mick hugged her to him, ‘No, luv, they don’t.’ He’d help his sister get her revenge any way she wanted, but he couldn’t help feeling glad that it was an affair of
the heart that was causing all the trouble and not a betrayal of him and his cronies.

It had been agreed that Trip should stay with his mother until the weddings to regain his full strength,
after which he would return to the city to look for work too.

But Emily returned to the court in Garden Street to sweep and dust the whole house that was now hers and soon would be Trip’s too. She was lucky; the rent had been paid for the next month
and with only herself to keep, the money she’d received on leaving the little business would be enough to last three weeks. After the wedding
– for which Trip’s mother was
generously paying – they would both come back to the city to look for work. She ventured out only rarely in the weeks she was there; she didn’t want to run into any member of the
Dugdale family if she could help it and there was plenty of work in the house to keep her busy. She cleaned every room and papered the walls and painted the doors, skirting boards and picture
rails. She scrubbed all the floors and black-leaded the range until it shone.

The morning after everything was finished to her satisfaction, Emily was about to pack her few things to leave when there was a knock at the door. She opened it to find Bess Dugdale standing
there, her arms folded across her ample bosom, her foot tapping with ill-concealed anger.

‘Oh, so it is you, is it?
Rosa said she’d seen you, but I thought she must have been mistaken. I didn’t think you’d have the cheek to show your face here
again.’

‘Mrs Dugdale, I’m very sorry for what has happened. I tried to warn Lizzie when we first came here that Josh had a fiancée back in Ashford, but she wouldn’t listen. She
set her cap at him and that was that. I didn’t want her to get hurt. You and your family
have been very good to us.’

‘Oh aye, I know that. You wouldn’t have had your little business, if it hadn’t been for our Mick sorting everything out for you.’

‘He helped us a lot, I’ll not deny that.’

‘Well, I don’t know what you’re going to do now, missy, but you’ll get no more help from him. In fact, you’d better watch your back.’ She wagged her
forefinger in Emily’s face. ‘Mick’s
not taken kindly to the way your dear brother’s treated our Lizzie.’

‘Mrs Dugdale, I . . .’ But Bess had turned on her heel and was marching back to her own house, outrage in every step.

The morning of the weddings, Saturday 15 April – just over a week after Emily’s twenty-first birthday – was blustery, but fine.

‘If only the rain keeps off,’ Emily said, as the two girls readied themselves in Amy’s bedroom. ‘Mrs Trippet has said the buffet reception will be in her dining room but
that people can wander out into the garden if it’s not raining. At least
it’s not too cold.’

Amy was wearing her mother’s wedding dress; it was old-fashioned but still in good condition and Amy was proud to wear it. She knew it was what her father wanted. Emily’s dress was a
simple, but pretty, evening dress in cream that had belonged to Trip’s mother and had hardly been worn. Mrs Trippet had had it altered to fit her new daughter-in-law and be suitable as a
wedding gown.

Both girls carried small posies, generously donated by Mr Osborne from the corner shop, and Grace Partridge had supplied both girls with something blue. She’d chuckled as she presented
them each with a blue garter. ‘Now, have you got everything else to satisfy all the old superstitions?’

‘I think so, Amy’s dress is old and so’s mine, in a way. We’ve both got new underwear
and now we’ve got something blue –’ she turned to Amy –
‘but what have we got that’s borrowed?’

Both girls frowned at each other, trying to think what they could borrow from someone.

‘I know,’ Grace said. ‘Borrow a handkerchief from each other.’

‘Oh, what a good idea.’ Hastily they swapped white lace handkerchiefs and then they were ready.

It would be a proud moment for Bob Clark
to walk his daughter up the aisle to stand beside Josh. Grace held Harry in her arms though they all doubted the little chap would remember much about
the day.

‘But he can’t be left out,’ Grace had declared. ‘I’ll look after him and I’ll take him out if he’s noisy.’

But Harry didn’t make a sound. He knew Grace Partridge well and he knew his mam and his granddad would be coming soon and
there, waiting for them, too, was the man he was learning to call
‘Daddy’. The little boy gazed around the church as they waited for the brides to arrive. His child’s eyes were wide with wonder at the huge space; the pretty stained-glass window
above the altar, casting coloured light upon the floor, the curved arches and the shining pews and the organ music playing softly whilst they waited.
His gaze wandered over the beautiful floral
displays that adorned every windowsill – daffodils, tulips and wild spring flowers – arranged by the women of the village, who were all there now with their families to witness the
marriage between the two young couples. It seemed as if the whole village were crammed into the church, all dressed in their Sunday best, whispering amongst themselves as
they waited along with
Harry. A double wedding was unusual in the small village and no one was going to miss it, nor were they going to forego a chance to visit Riversdale House and be royally entertained.

There was only one person absent: Arthur Trippet. Stubbornly, he had stayed away from the celebrations, vowing to his wife that he would not return until ‘all this silliness is
over’.

There was a rustle amongst the congregation as the organ struck up ‘Here Comes the Bride’ and all heads turned to see the bridal parties enter the church.

Amy and her father came first and, behind them, Emily walked on her own followed by Martha pushing Walter in a wheelchair, which had been kindly loaned by one of the villagers so that Walter
could be at his daughter’s side on her special
day. Martha had been very subdued since the family’s return to Ashford. She could see for herself the happiness shining out of
Josh’s eyes, had witnessed him taking up candle making again and how the villagers flocked to him for their orders, all of them saying, ‘How we’ve missed you, Josh.’ As for
her husband, in the few weeks that he’d been back in Ashford, Walter’s condition had improved
beyond all their hopes and today there was no shaking. His eyes were clear and bright and
he seemed to know everything that was going on. When it came to Emily and Trip’s part of the service and the moment for Walter to give her away, in answer to the vicar’s question,
‘Who giveth this woman . . . ?’, Walter’s voice rang loud and clear through the church: ‘I do.’ There was a ripple of surprise
and pleasure amongst the congregation
and Emily’s eyes filled with tears. Her happiness was complete.

After the service, everyone walked the short distance to Riversdale House to be greeted by Constance Trippet and made welcome in her home. It could be said to be the happiest day of
Constance’s life too, for it was a great deal happier than her own wedding day had been.

When everyone
had food and drink and were happily chatting to one another, Constance drew Martha aside. ‘Well, Martha, my dear, since we are related now, I think we should dispense with
formality, don’t you?’

Martha blinked. ‘If you say so, ma’am – sorry, Constance – but I find it a little awkward, since I was going to ask you if you knew of any cleaning jobs in the area. Josh
is doing well, but he
has his own family to support now. We can’t expect him to provide for me and Walter long term.’

‘Oh, I’m sure we can help you there. I hear Mr Osborne is looking for some part-time help in his shop. That would be nice and handy for you, wouldn’t it?’ Constance
glanced shrewdly at Martha. ‘Your husband still needs a deal of help, I expect.’

Martha nodded. ‘Yes, but he’s much better since
we came back and having a little grandson has cheered him up no end. Oh, Constance,’ Martha added, with tears in her eyes,
feeling suddenly able to confide in this kindly woman, ‘I’ve made some dreadful mistakes. I’ll never forgive myself for all I’ve put my family through. I was so ambitious
for Josh that I was blind to everything else and everyone else.’ She shuddered. ‘To think what might
have happened. I could have caused Walter’s death and – and there was
something else I did that I’m ashamed of now. I just hope Josh and Emily never find out. They – they’d disown me for sure.’

Constance formed her reply carefully, for she knew now about the missing letters and what had happened to them. With forced casualness in her tone, she said, ‘Well, I’m sure whatever
it is, they’d
forgive you, but today is not the day for recriminations or looking back. Today is all about the future, Martha, so raise your glass of champagne and let’s drink to
that.’

They clinked glasses and Martha laughed as the bubbles tickled her nose. ‘I don’t know how to thank you for giving them this wonderful day.’

Constance gazed across the room to where Trip was standing close to Emily,
looking down at her. ‘It’s thanks enough to see my son so happy, Martha. May they always be as happy as
they are today.’

The two women touched glasses again and Martha took another sip of champagne, feeling a little lightheaded already.

‘And now I think it’s time they cut the cakes. Go and find Walter, Martha. He mustn’t miss this.’

Constance had arranged for two cakes to be made.
Mr Osborne’s wife had made and iced them. ‘You’ll have different friends you want to give a piece to,’ Constance
explained. ‘And besides, you’ve shared everything else; I thought you should each have your own cake.’