Some Lucky Day (50 page)

Roger waved to the people on the doorstep and brought the car to a halt. ‘I honestly can’t think why you’re so nervous about meeting the parents. They’re really looking forward to meeting you, you know.’

Kitty didn’t know anything of the sort, but there was no time to discuss it, for Charlotte had come flying down the steps to open the door and give her a hug.

‘Welcome, welcome,’ she said excitedly. ‘Your room’s all ready, Daddy’s had the mechanic in to service the lift, and we’re going to have such fun, Kitts. All the girls are coming tonight, and Daddy has promised us champagne.’

Kitty hugged her back and then clambered out of the car to find herself amid a whirlwind of greetings. Freddy picked up Charlotte and spun her round until she was laughing uproariously and begging him to put her down; Roger shook David Bingham’s hand, kissed Cecilia’s cheek and then greeted his parents; David Bingham did the back-slapping thing with both Roger and Freddy; and then Cecilia, looking as cool and elegantly beautiful as always, was kissing Kitty’s cheek.

‘Welcome home, my dear,’ she murmured. ‘I can’t tell you how pleased we all are to have you here for such a special occasion.’ She stepped back from the embrace and carefully avoided looking at Kitty’s empty trouser leg as David came to give her a hearty hug which almost knocked her off balance.

‘Good to see you, Kitts,’ he boomed. ‘I see you’re up and about and as ravishing as ever despite the old crutches. Looking forward to tomorrow?’

Kitty grinned. She liked Charlotte’s father very much, for he was a straightforward sort of man, and utterly genuine. ‘I certainly am,’ she replied.

Roger took her hand as David went off to chat with Freddy. ‘Darling, I’d like to introduce you to my parents,’ he said. ‘Don’t worry,’ he added in a stage whisper. ‘They don’t bite.’ He turned to the slim blonde woman in her late forties, who was dressed in a beautifully cut lavender tweed two-piece. ‘Mother, this is my darling Kitty.’

‘How do you do, Lady Makepeace,’ stammered a very nervous Kitty as they shook hands.

‘Oh, my dear, please don’t be so formal,’ Lady Makepeace said with a warm smile. ‘You must call me Beatrice – and this is my husband, Edward.’

Lord Edward Makepeace was tall and broad and also dressed in tweeds, but his were brown, and the plus fours revealed thick knee-length socks and shining brown brogues. As Kitty’s hand was swamped by his huge, rather rough fingers, she looked up into a face weathered and lined from the elements and saw twinkling blue eyes looking down at her from beneath rather fearsome eyebrows that even Ron would have envied.

‘Jolly good show,’ he said. ‘Glad to meet you at last, don’t y’know. Roger’s been banging on about you, and I can see why.’ He turned to Beatrice. ‘She’s a little smasher, eh what, Bea?’

As Beatrice nodded agreement, Kitty had to stifle a giggle. Edward sounded so like Roger it was uncanny.

‘Come along, everyone,’ called David. ‘It’s still warm enough to have our drinks outside, so they’re laid out in the rose garden. Follow me.’

Kitty was feeling much more relaxed now the dreaded meeting had proved so pleasant, and she was about to follow Roger and the others into the house when she felt a light hand on her arm.

‘Could we just have a tiny moment before we join the fray?’ Beatrice asked.

Kitty was suddenly nervous again, for Beatrice was blocking her way.

Beatrice must have realised how anxious Kitty was, for she smiled. ‘Edward and I have been longing to meet you,’ she said warmly. ‘Roger is so obviously in love with you, and we’re both delighted that at last our darling boy has found someone special who makes him so happy.’

‘So you don’t mind about my leg?’ she asked warily. ‘Or the fact that my family are working people?’

Beatrice laughed uproariously. ‘Silly girl,’ she spluttered. ‘Of course we don’t mind any of that old-fashioned nonsense – in fact we’re very proud of you, and admire the courage you’ve shown during what must have been a terrifying experience.’

‘Thank you,’ murmured Kitty. ‘You’re very kind.’

Beatrice smiled. ‘Then I hope you feel easier about things now,’ she said. ‘I remember how ghastly it was when I met Edward’s parents for the first time. I was a nervous wreck, believe me.’

She leaned a little closer, her delicate perfume drifting between them. ‘His mother was the most frightful old trout and horribly disapproving. You see, I wasn’t exactly from the top drawer either.’

Kitty looked at her in surprise. ‘Really?’

Beatrice nodded delightedly. ‘My father started out as a labourer but he had far grander ideas, and by the time he was forty, he had his own construction company. He designed and built some of the most gracious houses you will see in London and the Home Counties. But to Edward’s mother he was still “trade” and it was therefore beneath her dignity to acknowledge him, even after our wedding.’

‘She sounds perfectly horrid,’ Kitty shuddered.

‘Oh, she was,’ said Beatrice, ‘but as we lived in Wiltshire and she was in London, I didn’t have to see her more than once a year.’

Kitty smiled, for she rather liked Beatrice.

‘That’s better,’ she said as she placed her warm, soft hand on Kitty’s arm. ‘Now we’re friends, let’s go and do justice to David’s super champagne before the sun takes off the chill.’

The next three hours sped by as they drank champagne in the garden and chatted about the wedding, the honeymoon and the planned dinner party for the girls that evening. It was agreed by all that if this glorious weather held out for tomorrow, and the Luftwaffe didn’t decide to raid them, it would be perfect.

After Charlotte had run down to visit her grandmother, who lived in the gatehouse with an elderly housekeeper, they sat in the shade of a large umbrella and ate a light lunch of delicious ham and salad, followed by cheese and coffee. The ham had come from Edward Makepeace’s pig farm, and the cheese, butter and lovely white bread were the products of the vast estate’s numerous and varied farms, mills and village businesses.

Once lunch was over the dishes were cleared away by the two women who’d come in from the village to help out over the weekend. There had once been housemaids, gardeners and handymen, but of course the war had changed things quite radically, and now Cecilia was running the house almost single-handedly.

One of the women returned half an hour later and tapped Cecilia on the shoulder. ‘The dressmaker’s here, Mum,’ she said. ‘I’ve put her in the front sitting room.’

‘Thank you, Edna, but please don’t call me Mum. It’s ma’am, and it rhymes with ham.’ She must have noted the sour look on the woman’s face, for she hurried on. ‘Would you give her a cup of tea while she waits? The girls won’t be long, I’m sure.’

‘Yes, Mum,’ she replied before stomping off back into the house.

Charlotte pushed back her chair. ‘Now Mrs Fowler’s here, it’s time to try on that dress, and I can’t wait to see how you look in it.’

Kitty followed her in through the French windows and along the passage to David’s large, book-lined study. The shimmering blue dress hung from a padded hanger that had been hooked onto the picture rail.

‘I’ll just pop in to say hello to Mrs Fowler while you get changed. You won’t be disturbed until you’re ready, so don’t worry.’

As Charlotte closed the door behind her, Kitty went across the room and felt the weight and smoothness of the beautiful dress. The colour was quite extraordinary, reminding her of the ocean in the way the rich silk changed from turquoise to blue and green as she removed it from the hanger and draped it over the desk.

Eager now to try it on, she set her crutches to one side and stripped off her blouse and ugly brassiere. Sitting in a chair, she pulled off her trousers and kicked off her sandal. Reaching for the dress, she reverently slipped it over her head and felt its sensuous, silky coolness ripple over her skin as she let it slide down her body.

She had to fiddle a bit to get all the tiny covered buttons done up at the side, but at last they were done, and as she stood, the dress slithered over her thighs and pooled on the carpet in delicate, watery folds. She grabbed her crutches and, wary of tripping on the hem, carefully turned to look in the long mirror that had been brought in especially.

The colour was wonderful, for it enhanced her sun-browned skin and golden hair, and made her eyes an even deeper blue. The silk skimmed her body from the delicate shoulder straps and brought an elegance and sophistication to her boyish figure that she’d never before possessed. But the crutches completely marred the effect, and she could have wept with frustration.

Charlotte tapped on the door and came straight in. ‘Oh, Kitty, you look absolutely wonderful,’ she breathed. ‘And the dress fits perfectly, although the hem will have to be taken up.’

‘I look awful,’ said Kitty, almost in tears. ‘The dress is quite the most beautiful thing I’ve ever worn, but these damned crutches ruin everything.’

‘Then we’ll have to do something about them,’ said Charlotte determinedly. She opened the door. ‘You can come in now, Mrs Fowler.’

The plump little woman bustled in and shot Kitty a warm smile as she placed her sewing box on the desk. ‘Hello, dear,’ she said brightly. ‘My, my, don’t you look a treat?’

‘As you can see, the hem will have to be taken up,’ said Charlotte. ‘But more importantly, we need you to help us come up with some idea of how we can make those crutches a sight more attractive.’

‘Right y’are,’ said the homely little woman as she regarded Kitty from head to toe with a nod of approval before she eyed the crutches with a frown. ‘I’ll think on it while I pin up the hem.’

Charlotte and Kitty were giggling in delight as they returned to the garden almost an hour later. The problem had been solved, and it had been so simple they couldn’t believe they hadn’t thought of it straight away. But it had meant Charlotte racing down to her grandmother’s again to borrow her old crutches.

‘Hello,’ said Roger. ‘Something’s afoot, I see. What have you two been up to?’

‘It’s a secret,’ said Kitty as she kissed his sun-warmed cheek. ‘You’ll find out tomorrow.’ She caught Charlotte’s eye and winked as she picked up the glass of champagne. No one had noticed the different crutches.

As the sun lost its warmth and started to disappear behind the trees, everyone began to move indoors. ‘We’d better be off, Freddy,’ said Roger. ‘The landlord at the Ox will think we aren’t coming and we won’t get dinner.’

‘I rang him earlier to warn him you might be late,’ said David. ‘He’s still expecting you, and I’ve taken the liberty of booking me and Edward in for dinner as well, if that’s all right. The girls won’t want us hanging about, and I suspect we wouldn’t enjoy an evening of chatter and giggling anyway.’

‘We’d be delighted to have your company, sir,’ said Freddy. ‘And I agree. There’s nothing worse than having to listen to twittering women when they’re overexcited and full of champagne.’ He gave a cheeky wink to his sister.

‘Get out of here,’ said Kitty as she playfully swiped at his arm.

She turned from Freddy and looked up at Roger. ‘I’ll see you tomorrow,’ she murmured. ‘Please don’t let Freddy drink too much. It would be simply awful if he was suffering from a hangover at the altar.’

All too aware of their interested audience, he kissed her lightly on the lips. ‘I’ll keep an eye on him, never fear. Sweet dreams, darling girl, and I’ll see you tomorrow.’

As Charlotte accompanied Freddy to the car, Roger kissed his mother goodbye and then strolled after them.

‘I think it’s time we all had our baths and took a little snooze so we’re fresh for this evening,’ said Cecilia once Charlotte returned. ‘Dinner’s at eight, but our guests will be arriving at seven so we can have a glass of champagne to really get in the party mood.’ She looked across at Kitty. ‘Did you remember to bring an evening dress, dear?’

Dinner had always been a formal occasion in this house, and Kitty had packed accordingly. ‘I certainly did,’ she replied. ‘It’s my trusty cream silk that has travelled all over the country with me ever since I joined the ATA. And my friend Sarah has lent me the most beautiful Indian silk shawl to go with it, so I’ll be quite presentable.’

‘Jolly good show,’ boomed Edward Makepeace. ‘Now I’m off for forty winks. Can’t let the chaps down by falling asleep over dinner, eh what?’ He turned in the doorway. ‘What time are we off, David?’

‘Ten minutes before the girls arrive,’ he replied with a wink at Cecilia. ‘But don’t worry about wearing black tie, it’s only the Ox.’

The evening had been a tremendous success, for Kitty and Charlotte’s childhood friends had been as welcoming and accepting as they’d always been, so Kitty had been able to relax and thoroughly enjoy the party.

There were ten for dinner, and although each one of them looked beautiful, Charlotte had outshone them all in her grandmother’s diamonds and a black velvet gown. Beatrice had turned out to be quite the raconteur, for she’d kept everyone in stitches with her vivid and rather risqué tales of country life and all its pitfalls and colourful characters.

Now Kitty was in her bedroom, and the glorious dress was hanging in the wardrobe all pressed and ready for tomorrow. She was feeling a little light-headed and rather tired after the long, lovely day, and was glad that Cecilia had called a halt at half past ten. She turned off the light and drew the curtains and blackout right back from the open window so she could see the moon and listen to the owls hooting in the trees while she lay in the comfortable bed.

Her eyelids were drooping with weariness and she was on the very edge of sleep when there was a light tap on the door. ‘Only me,’ whispered Charlotte. ‘Are you awake?’

‘I am now,’ she replied with a yawn. ‘What’s the matter?’

‘I’m too excited to sleep,’ Charlotte murmured as she closed the door. ‘Can I come in with you for a bit?’ Without waiting for a reply, she slipped into the other side of the big double bed.

‘Your feet are cold,’ Kitty complained.

‘Sorry.’ Charlotte giggled. ‘It’s quite like old times, isn’t it? Remember how we used to talk all night and then couldn’t get up in the morning?’