The Mersey Daughter (Empire Street #3)(102)

As if on cue, the back door opened and Sarah came into the kitchen, her cheeks flushed by the cold outside. ‘Sorry I’m a bit late,’ she gasped. ‘Some silly accident down on the dock road. They asked me to help this afternoon but I said no.’

‘Well then, I am honoured,’ grinned Rita. ‘You never say no. Bet they were shocked.’

‘Just a bit.’ Sarah came across and hugged her sister. ‘How’s the blushing bride? Do you need any help getting ready?’

Rita shook her head. ‘No, as soon as Nancy gets here we’re going over to my place and she’ll doll me up. You just make sure you’re as gorgeous as possible.’

‘And you could fold some napkins if you’ve a moment,’ Dolly told her youngest. ‘We don’t want anyone saying we don’t do things properly round here.’

‘Where are the children?’ Sarah asked.

‘I wanted them out of the way,’ said Dolly honestly. ‘It’s lovely to have them back but they aren’t much use at a time like this. So Danny’s taken all three of them down to the victory garden. Not that there will be much to bring back at this time of year, but you never know.’

‘That’s good of him,’ said Sarah, knowing how hard Danny had been working recently. But he’d be pleased to see his little brother and spend some time with him. She just hoped they didn’t get too filthy down there. ‘Right, I’ll go and get changed out of my uniform, put on my glad rags and then grab an apron and help out.’

There was another sound at the door and she turned to open it.

‘That’ll be Nancy now,’ Dolly predicted, glancing at the clock. ‘She’s cutting it fine.’

But it wasn’t Nancy who stepped into the kitchen. For a moment nobody spoke and then they all exclaimed at once – except Ruby, who was confused.

‘Kitty!’ Rita ran across the room to hug her friend, who was still in her Wren’s uniform. ‘I didn’t think you’d be able to come! You should have said, we’d have sent someone to meet you.’

Kitty’s face glowed with happiness. How wonderful it was to be back, and it was all the sweeter for having been away for so long. Now it hit her just how much she had missed everyone, and this place in particular. She’d always loved Dolly’s kitchen, which had been like a home from home since she was a little girl. Dolly had promised to look after her when her own mother had died so tragically young, and had always welcomed her with open arms. ‘That’s why I didn’t tell you,’ she replied now, taking in Rita’s changed appearance – her loss of weight, but the deep contentment that radiated from her in a way she’d never seen before. ‘I wasn’t sure if I’d make it in time. It’s no trouble. I just dropped my case at home and thought I’d come across to see if I could make myself useful. But I can see you’ve got it all under control.’ She gazed at the spread on the kitchen table and every available surface: sandwiches of every sort, meat pies, vol-au-vents, and the luxury of tinned fruit in Dolly’s best cut-glass dishes.

‘Well …’ Dolly glanced at the clock once more. ‘Thanks to Joan and Seth, we’ve got eggs and butter, and everyone’s donated sugar, so … there might just be time. Kitty, would you make us a cake?’

‘Oh!’ Rita couldn’t help herself. The memory of Kitty’s famous cakes made her mouth water. Surely her friend would be too tired – if she’d just got off the train she must have been up at an unearthly hour.

But Kitty was taking off her jacket and rolling up her sleeves. While it could never be anything like the three-tiered iced confection she’d produced for Nancy’s wedding to Sid, back when the country had still been at peace, she was sure she could come up with something. ‘For Rita’s wedding? I’d love to.’

The parlour rang with laughter and the sounds of everyone eating, drinking and having a good time. Gloria’s parents had donated bottles of beer and the menfolk were cheerfully opening them. Someone had got hold of some whisky as well. Kitty’s cake stood in pride of place at the centre of the table. By a miracle it had been ready to come out of the oven just as they couldn’t wait to set off any longer, and she’d been relieved to find it hadn’t sunk in the middle when they’d returned from the civil ceremony. She’d surreptitiously lifted off the dome of netting and dusted it with a precious teaspoon of icing sugar, and tied a beautiful satin ribbon around it, which Dolly had procured from somewhere. Now it was ready for Rita and Jack to cut, once they’d finished receiving everyone’s congratulations. That might take a while, Kitty thought. She had never seen so many people crammed into the house. Some were in the parlour, some in the kitchen or narrow back kitchen, and some were even in the back yard, even though it was a cold day. Everybody, it seemed, wanted to wish the young couple well; Rita was well liked locally and the story of how she had tried to rescue Winnie and Charlie, despite him being a deserter and everything the pair had done, had gone around like wildfire. Of course Jack was known as a serving airman and people admired him for his daily dicing with death.

‘You’ve done them proud with that cake,’ Violet said in admiration, coming to Kitty’s side. ‘Rita’s made up about it.’

‘Well, you’ve made all those sandwiches,’ Kitty responded, ‘so you must take the credit for feeding all these guests.’