Free Guarded Passions by Rosie Harris

smiling up into his face. Proudly she held out her left hand, displaying its shining gold band for her father’s inspection.
    â€˜It’s the starkest wedding ceremony I’ve ever attended,’ Dr Price said. He cast a disparaging glance around the sparsely furnished office, with its threadbare red carpet, a vase of wilted roses on the desk the only form of decoration.
    â€˜Well, never mind dear. It all went very smoothly,’ Mrs Price said placatingly. She stroked the backs of her white gloves, and then nervously moved her handbag onto her other arm.
    â€˜But it doesn’t feel like a family wedding,’ Dr Price muttered gloomily as he held open the door for them to leave. ‘We’re twenty miles from home; we know no one – we might have been negotiating a bank loan for all the atmosphere there is.’
    â€˜No fuss, no dressing up, no speeches, no waste of time … I would have thought you would have approved,’ Aunt Julia said tartly.
    â€˜I’m so glad you’re pleased with the way we’ve done things, Aunt Julia,’ Helen said quickly. ‘And you do look very smart in your uniform,’ she added warmly.
    â€˜Certainly better than seeing you dressed up in one of your exotic outfits and peculiar hats, I suppose,’ Dr Price muttered drily. ‘Although that might have made the occasion seem more real. At least we’d be able to look through the wedding album and have a good laugh. As it is, there isn’t even a photographer here.’
    â€˜I’ve brought my camera though,’ Aunt Julia retorted, ‘so we can take our own.’
    â€˜You’d better let me take them,’ Dr Price said, holding out his hand for the camera. ‘Your snaps are usually pretty disastrous.’
    â€˜Rubbish! You can take some in a minute, but there must be at least one family group with you on it,’ she insisted.
    â€˜Well, get on with it then,’ Dr Price snapped, as he stood with the rest of the group.
    â€˜I really don’t understand why you are being so disagreeable,’ Mrs Price said sharply, frowning at her husband. ‘There’s no call to be so disparaging. Normally you abhor big weddings and having to dress up in top hat and tails.’
    â€˜Other people’s perhaps, but when it’s your only daughter …’
    â€˜For heavens sake!’ Aunt Julia exclaimed. ‘There’s a war on!’
    â€˜Helen could still have been married in the village church instead of this hole-and-corner affair. Our friends and neighbours could all have been there to see her, even if we couldn’t muster up enough rations to wine and dine them afterwards.’
    â€˜And I could have borrowed a white wedding-dress from the WVS I suppose,’ Helen said scornfully. ‘No thanks! I’d sooner wear my own clothes, even if it has to be an ordinary dress.’
    â€˜Ordinary is a most apt description,’ her father said cuttingly. ‘Why didn’t you at least buy something new …’
    â€˜Clothes are rationed – or had you forgotten?’ Aunt Julia cut in triumphantly. ‘Anyway, what’s wrong with what she’s wearing? I can see the paragraph now in the local paper. “The bride wore a full-skirted cream dress, with a hand-embroidered fitted bodice trimmed with cream lace.”’
    â€˜There’s a whole book of coupons lying on top of the Bureau that Donald Brady left for Helen …’ Dr Price went on, ignoring the interruption from his sister-in-law.
    â€˜Helen will need those to buy everyday things, like a new coat for the winter,’ Mrs Price said quietly. ‘Under the circumstances I think she’s been very sensible having a quiet wedding and not wasting precious coupons on a dress she’d only be able to wear once. Anyway,’ she added brightly, ‘it’s not over yet. Now the legal bit’s been dealt with, let’s all relax