for a picnic lunch.’
‘In that case I’ll get us some breakfast now. Here, cuddle your godson.’
‘My godson?’ He looked to Bethan in surprise as Alma passed the baby to him.
‘I asked Alma if you’d like to be his godparents. It seemed appropriate, considering his name. Eddie was fond of both of you; he used to say you were the best boss he ever had.’
‘He was a good friend.’
‘So,’ she continued a little too brightly, ‘when this Eddie was christened, Alma stood godmother and my father stood in for you. Jenny and Haydn are the other godparents.’
‘Haydn was home?’
‘He had a forty-eight-hour Christmas leave, so he brought Jane down for the day.’
‘Lucky devil. And before I forget, thank you for this leave. I imagined snatched moments in between serving customers.’ He sat down and laid the baby on his knees. Eddie snuggled sideways and continued sleeping.
‘Most men hold babies out at arm’s length as though they’re likely to explode. You look as though you’ve handled them all your life.’
‘Does that surprise you?’
‘I just never thought of you with children.’
‘I was the eldest of six, but none of them were as quiet and well behaved as these two.’
‘I’m glad you approve. Have you thought any more about tonight?’
‘I’d like to see your father and Phyllis, Megan and Diana if you’re sure it’s not too much trouble for you.’
‘No trouble. I’ll stretch my district nurse’s petrol-ration and bring them up. Would you mind if Wyn, Ronnie Ronconi, Tina and Jenny come as well? We try to include Jenny and Tina in all the family things for Eddie and William’s sake, and Ronnie’s only just got back from Italy.’
‘No,’ he replied evenly, ‘I wouldn’t mind at all.’
‘You look a bit brighter than you did last time I saw you, but those clothes do nothing for you,’ Jenny Griffiths greeted Ronnie as he hobbled into her shop wearing a pair of trousers that were three inches too short and a pullover that barely skimmed his waist.
‘I raided Tony and Angelo’s wardrobes up at the house. They both seem to be a foot shorter than me, especially in the arms and legs, but as Tina confiscated the only rags I possess to fumigate them, these will have to do until I can get some clothing coupons.’
‘Eddie was about your height, but heavier,’ she said thoughtfully. ‘You’ve lost a lot of weight.’
‘The way Tina is feeding me I’ll soon put it back on.’
‘I’ve kept Eddie’s clothes. He moved them down from Graig Avenue on his last leave. I’d be grateful if you took them off my hands.’
‘I couldn’t do that. Think how you, Evan and Bethan would feel seeing me walk around town in Eddie’s things.’
‘We’d be thankful that they were being put to some use, instead of mouldering away in a wardrobe. Please, Ronnie, I wouldn’t have offered if I hadn’t meant it. I’ve almost taken them down to Wilf’s stall a couple of times, but I couldn’t bring myself to do it. It didn’t seem right to sell them and they didn’t fit anyone in the family. I’d rather you had them than strangers.’
‘I don’t know what to say.’
‘You’d be doing me a favour by taking them. I need the space and if you don’t mind me saying so, it’s obvious you couldn’t bring much from Italy.’
‘I couldn’t bring anything from Italy. Not that there was much to bring,’ he added ruefully.
‘Come upstairs and look them over. If they fit and you can use them, I’ll pack everything up and ask Bethan to drop the parcel off at Laura’s house the next time she passes. That is where you’re living?’
‘It is,’ he answered, surprised that she’d taken the trouble to find out.
She opened the flap in the counter and threw the bolt across the shop door. ‘I daren’t leave the shop unlocked when I’m not here. George Collins delivered the cheese and butter rations this morning, and there’s always people looking for a bit extra.
‘In that case I’ll get us some breakfast now. Here, cuddle your godson.’
‘My godson?’ He looked to Bethan in surprise as Alma passed the baby to him.
‘I asked Alma if you’d like to be his godparents. It seemed appropriate, considering his name. Eddie was fond of both of you; he used to say you were the best boss he ever had.’
‘He was a good friend.’
‘So,’ she continued a little too brightly, ‘when this Eddie was christened, Alma stood godmother and my father stood in for you. Jenny and Haydn are the other godparents.’
‘Haydn was home?’
‘He had a forty-eight-hour Christmas leave, so he brought Jane down for the day.’
‘Lucky devil. And before I forget, thank you for this leave. I imagined snatched moments in between serving customers.’ He sat down and laid the baby on his knees. Eddie snuggled sideways and continued sleeping.
‘Most men hold babies out at arm’s length as though they’re likely to explode. You look as though you’ve handled them all your life.’
‘Does that surprise you?’
‘I just never thought of you with children.’
‘I was the eldest of six, but none of them were as quiet and well behaved as these two.’
‘I’m glad you approve. Have you thought any more about tonight?’
‘I’d like to see your father and Phyllis, Megan and Diana if you’re sure it’s not too much trouble for you.’
‘No trouble. I’ll stretch my district nurse’s petrol-ration and bring them up. Would you mind if Wyn, Ronnie Ronconi, Tina and Jenny come as well? We try to include Jenny and Tina in all the family things for Eddie and William’s sake, and Ronnie’s only just got back from Italy.’
‘No,’ he replied evenly, ‘I wouldn’t mind at all.’
‘You look a bit brighter than you did last time I saw you, but those clothes do nothing for you,’ Jenny Griffiths greeted Ronnie as he hobbled into her shop wearing a pair of trousers that were three inches too short and a pullover that barely skimmed his waist.
‘I raided Tony and Angelo’s wardrobes up at the house. They both seem to be a foot shorter than me, especially in the arms and legs, but as Tina confiscated the only rags I possess to fumigate them, these will have to do until I can get some clothing coupons.’
‘Eddie was about your height, but heavier,’ she said thoughtfully. ‘You’ve lost a lot of weight.’
‘The way Tina is feeding me I’ll soon put it back on.’
‘I’ve kept Eddie’s clothes. He moved them down from Graig Avenue on his last leave. I’d be grateful if you took them off my hands.’
‘I couldn’t do that. Think how you, Evan and Bethan would feel seeing me walk around town in Eddie’s things.’
‘We’d be thankful that they were being put to some use, instead of mouldering away in a wardrobe. Please, Ronnie, I wouldn’t have offered if I hadn’t meant it. I’ve almost taken them down to Wilf’s stall a couple of times, but I couldn’t bring myself to do it. It didn’t seem right to sell them and they didn’t fit anyone in the family. I’d rather you had them than strangers.’
‘I don’t know what to say.’
‘You’d be doing me a favour by taking them. I need the space and if you don’t mind me saying so, it’s obvious you couldn’t bring much from Italy.’
‘I couldn’t bring anything from Italy. Not that there was much to bring,’ he added ruefully.
‘Come upstairs and look them over. If they fit and you can use them, I’ll pack everything up and ask Bethan to drop the parcel off at Laura’s house the next time she passes. That is where you’re living?’
‘It is,’ he answered, surprised that she’d taken the trouble to find out.
She opened the flap in the counter and threw the bolt across the shop door. ‘I daren’t leave the shop unlocked when I’m not here. George Collins delivered the cheese and butter rations this morning, and there’s always people looking for a bit extra.
Similar Books
