Free Sealed With a Loving Kiss by Ellie Dean

But at least you’ll have a quiet evening, as we’re all due to go to Aunt Peggy’s for dinner at eight.’
    ‘Well, good luck,’ Mary replied as she pulled on her coat and reached for her gas-mask box.
    ‘Anthony, darling!’ Doris rushed out of the sitting room and threw her arms about her son, ignoring her husband completely. ‘You have no idea how much there is still to do, and these girls have proved to be utterly useless when it comes to ironing napkins correctly.’
    Mary and Ivy bridled at this, for they’d spent hours trying to please her, but before Ivy could respond sharply, Anthony steered his mother out of the hall while his father tipped them a wink.
    ‘Take no notice,’ he said softly. ‘Doris loves making a drama out of everything and doesn’t think before she speaks.’
    ‘Edward? What are you doing out there? We have things to discuss.’ The imperious call came from the sitting room.
    ‘It seems my presence has been royally commanded,’ he said with a gentle but wry smile. ‘Enjoy your evening, girls. Tomorrow can only get worse.’
    Mary and Ivy were giggling as they left the house. ‘He’s all right, ain’t he?’ said Ivy as they hurried through the wintry night to the end of Havelock Road. ‘Though Gawd knows how the pair of them put up with ’er.’
    ‘The same way we do,’ said Mary. ‘By not letting her ride rough-shod over us – but I can honestly see why Edward moved into his flat. Having to put up with her day after day over so many years must have been a terrible strain.’
    ‘Yeah. Did you see the way she virtually shoved him out the way to get to Anthony? Blimey, my dad would never have stood for that, and no mistake.’
    Edward reminded Mary of Gideon in so many ways – although he would never have gone as far as being unfaithful to Emmaline – but she made no comment as they turned left to walk up the High Street, past the forlorn remains of the old church and vicarage which still tugged at her heartstrings and brought all the sad memories back.
    They reached the point where Ivy would turn off for the large hall that had now been turned into a cinema courtesy of the Americans. ‘I’ll see you back at the house,’ said Mary.
    ‘Aren’t you going to dinner at Peggy’s afterwards?’
    Mary shook her head. ‘She did ask me, but she has enough people to entertain tonight, and it’s really a family thing, so I’d’ve felt a bit out of it.’
    ‘Fair enough,’ said Ivy. ‘Just don’t eat all them biscuits we managed to buy this afternoon. I might be peckish when I gets back.’ She grinned and headed down the side street as Mary continued on up the hill.
    It would have been quicker to go along Camden Road, but as it meant having to pass the Anchor she preferred to use the back streets to get to St Andrew’s. Findlay still gave her the creeps, though she managed to ignore him when he was working behind the bar and only went to visit Rosie when she was certain he was out. Yet she still dreaded bumping into him when she was walking on her own at night.
    St Andrew’s was a rather ugly Victorian church of red brick. It stood on a corner in about an acre of land, with the equally unattractive vicarage standing in the next plot. There was a graveyard and garden of remembrance at the back which had a memorial to the fallen of the First World War, and as Mary headed for the vestry door she noted that the wreaths of red poppies at the foot of the memorial were faded and battered after all the rain they’d had since early November.
    The vestry was icily cold and made even darker by the blackout curtains that had been hung over the two small windows that overlooked the churchyard. As she switched on the light and went through the door into the body of the church she was greeted by the familiar scents of damp stone, candle wax and incense, poignant reminders of home and her father’s church.
    Her footsteps echoed beneath the vaulted roof and into the dark corners of