She went to answer the door, trying to hide behind it as she ushered in the visitors. Of course, Topsy started smirking as soon as she saw what her friend was wearing – or rather what she wasn’t wearing.
‘Oh Lor,’ she said. ‘What on earth did we interrupt, Birdy?’
‘I was… having a lie-down,’ Bobby said, feeling her cheeks heat. ‘I had a headache.’
‘Tops, I hope you won’t take it personally if I tell you to make this a quick visit and beggar off home,’ Charlie called from the bedroom.
Jolka shook her head solemnly. ‘And your poor husband suffers with a headache too, Bobby. I see he also has been in need of a lie-down.’
The three women looked at each other, then broke into laughter.
‘Oh, Birdy, I am sorry,’ Topsy said. ‘I should have known better than to drop in on newlyweds unannounced.’
Bobby smiled, her embarrassment dissolving in their laughter.
‘I’m not sure we count as newlyweds any more,’ she said. ‘We’ve been eight months married now. But we were forced to spend so much of our early married life apart that, um…’ She blushed. ‘Well, it does rather feel as if we’re still on our honeymoon.’
‘This is most natural,’ Jolka said in her rolling Polish lilt. ‘Piotr and I are the same whenever he has leave.’
‘Are you really?’ Topsy said, regarding her with interest. ‘I can’t imagine you as a giddy, giggling bride, Jolka. You’re always so sensible and grown-up.’
‘Well, perhaps I do not giggle,’ Jolka said, smiling. ‘But Piotrek says it is good for me sometimes to be giddy.’
‘I’ll make tea, if you can allow me five minutes to make myself respectable,’ Bobby said. ‘Please, sit down.’
‘There is no need to hurry,’ Jolka said. ‘I am sure between us, Topsy and I can locate the tea caddy.’
‘We’ll send Charlie to the Golden Hart so we can have a jolly girls’ gossip,’ Topsy said. ‘We’ve got such a lot of news, and one piece is going to make Charlie just green with jealousy, Birdy.’
Charlie emerged fully dressed from the bedroom. With none of the shyness that Bobby struggled with, he pulled his wife to him for a deep kiss. This gave every indication of going on for some time, but Bobby pushed him away.
‘We’ve got guests, Charlie,’ she said, laughing. ‘Behave yourself.’
‘I’m just staking my claim, before these wicked women take you away from me. I did hear that threat to evict me.’ He greeted both ladies with a peck on the cheek before turning to Topsy. ‘What’s going to make me green with jealousy, Tops?’
‘Only that there’s an old friend of ours come back to the village,’ Topsy said, managing to look both cryptic and smug. ‘But I shan’t tell you who. It’s for Birdy’s ears only, then she can tease you about it later.’
‘Well, I suppose I can make myself scarce for a little while so you girls can chat about knitting patterns and Robert Taylor’s swoon-inducing eyes.’ Charlie put on his macintosh and extracted his walking stick from the umbrella stand. ‘I’ve been meaning to call on Gil Capstick and congratulate him on his engagement.’
Bobby gave him a kiss. ‘Thanks, love. Give Gil my congratulations as well.’
The news of the cheery sub-postmaster’s engagement to Mabs Jessop, long the object of his unrequited affection, had been announced a week ago. It was bittersweet news, coming as it did on the back of a tragedy for the Jessop family: the death of Bobby’s old friend Andy, Mabs’s grandfather, at the age of eighty-three.
Bobby had discovered Andy confined to his bed after her discharge from the WAAF, in the throes of his final illness. She had been heartbroken to say goodbye to one of the first friends she had made in Silverdale, but Andy himself had been sanguine. He had lost so many people he loved at a young age that he considered it a privilege to have seen so many years, and to have enjoyed so much happiness.
But one good thing had come of Andy’s death. Mabs, a flighty young lady of nineteen with an eye for a man in uniform, hadgrieved heartily for the grandfather she adored. The support and comfort Gil had offered her at this difficult time had finally given Mabs perspective. She had at last learned to value the caring, steady young man who loved her over and above a handsome face. Andy would be glad to think his death had helped his young granddaughter find happiness.
When Charlie had left to visit Gil, Bobby went into the bedroom to dress, put on some lipstick and arrange her dishevelled hair.
It was when she was hanging up her dressing gown that she remembered the torn letter in the pocket. She took it out and frowned at it.
There must be some reason Charlie had torn it up. But why conceal it like something shameful when it was such an honour?
There was no time to worry about it now, however. Bobby thrust the pieces into a drawer and went out to her guests.
Chapter 7
Bobby attempted to put the letter out of her head as she joined her friends. Perhaps it had been a mistake. It was an easy thing to muddle one piece of waste paper with another. Perhaps Charlie had even concealed it on purpose so he could surprise her. There were a hundred innocent explanations.
