doctor said it was a sort of handbook on how married couples can make one another happy.’
Shocked, she closed the book and returned it to his bedside table. ‘You already do that.’
He turned back the bedclothes. ‘I’ll do a whole lot more if you take that off and climb in here beside me.’
‘Wow! Scarlet woman!’ Brian exclaimed, coming up from the basement, as Lily walked down the stairs in her new frock.
‘Thank you, kind sir.’ When Lily had checked in her bedroom mirror earlier she could scarcely believe she was looking at herself. The crimson dress complemented her black hair, emphasised her slender waist and lent a glow to her cheeks and lips that made her feel positively glamorous for the first time in her life.
‘Not a word for us.’ Judy left the lounge and twirled in front of Brian in the brown satin polka dot dress she had finally settled on in the warehouse. With short, elasticised sleeves that could be pushed off the shoulder, it was the most daring evening frock she had ever owned.
‘Me first. Note, clean shirt.’ He flipped back his jacket and showed off a mascara-free shirt-front. ‘And triple wow. Both you and Katie look stunning,’ he told them sincerely, as Katie followed Judy in a short-sleeved, plain white cotton blouse and tightly belted, wide, pale-blue cotton skirt. Compared with Lily and Judy, she was ‘dressed down’ but somehow the plain clothes added attraction to her sweet features and enormous brown eyes. He caught himself giving her a second glance and quickly smiled at Judy lest she notice and get the wrong idea.
‘Thank you.’
Katie spoke so quietly that Brian couldn’t be sure he’d heard her. He looked enquiringly at Judy. She shook her head, warning him off, as the doorbell rang.
Lily opened the door.
Martin stood on the step in the new suit he had bought for the wedding wearing a clean white shirt and a blue tie she had given him. ‘You look fantastic. That is a smashing dress.’
‘That deserves a kiss.’
‘Not in broad daylight.’ Aware of Joe Griffiths watching them from his doorstep, Martin tried to avoid her.
‘You’re a prude.’ Oblivious to Joe’s presence, Lily grabbed the lapels of Martin’s suit and planted a kiss on his cheek.
‘Hello, Lily … Martin,’ Joe called out in a deadpan tone.
Martin nodded a reply but to his annoyance Lily gave Joe a broad smile.
‘Hello, Joe. Sorry, didn’t see you there. It was a lovely wedding, wasn’t it.’
‘Considering it was Helen’s, everything went relatively smoothly.’ Joe locked his front door and went to his father’s car, which was parked in front of the house.
‘You coming in?’ Lily asked Martin.
‘Not if we’re catching the eight-o’clock train.’
‘I only have to get my coat and handbag.’
‘Sam and Adam coming?’ Brian offered Martin a cigarette as he walked into the porch.
‘Sam’s giving Adam a shout now.’
‘He’s recovered?’ Judy asked.
‘From what?’ Martin enquired, puzzled by Judy’s question.
‘Whatever Brian fed him last night.’
‘There were five of us last night and you have to blame me.’ Brian helped Judy on with her coat.
‘Only because I know what you’re like.’ Judy tempered her sharp words with a smile.
‘Charming. My girlfriend doesn’t trust me.’
‘If we’re going to catch the eight-o’clock train, we ought to be going.’ Katie lifted her coat from the stand and walked on ahead.
‘What’s up with Katie?’ Martin whispered to Lily as she stopped to lock the door.
‘I have no idea. She seemed fine this morning and all through the wedding. I tried to talk to her when we were getting ready, but you know Katie. It’s impossible to get anything out of her unless she’s ready to tell you.’
‘I’ll give it a go.’
‘If I were you, I’d wait until she comes to you.’
‘Knowing her, she’ll just let whatever it is fester.’ As they stopped at the corner and waited for Sam and Adam to catch up
Shocked, she closed the book and returned it to his bedside table. ‘You already do that.’
He turned back the bedclothes. ‘I’ll do a whole lot more if you take that off and climb in here beside me.’
‘Wow! Scarlet woman!’ Brian exclaimed, coming up from the basement, as Lily walked down the stairs in her new frock.
‘Thank you, kind sir.’ When Lily had checked in her bedroom mirror earlier she could scarcely believe she was looking at herself. The crimson dress complemented her black hair, emphasised her slender waist and lent a glow to her cheeks and lips that made her feel positively glamorous for the first time in her life.
‘Not a word for us.’ Judy left the lounge and twirled in front of Brian in the brown satin polka dot dress she had finally settled on in the warehouse. With short, elasticised sleeves that could be pushed off the shoulder, it was the most daring evening frock she had ever owned.
‘Me first. Note, clean shirt.’ He flipped back his jacket and showed off a mascara-free shirt-front. ‘And triple wow. Both you and Katie look stunning,’ he told them sincerely, as Katie followed Judy in a short-sleeved, plain white cotton blouse and tightly belted, wide, pale-blue cotton skirt. Compared with Lily and Judy, she was ‘dressed down’ but somehow the plain clothes added attraction to her sweet features and enormous brown eyes. He caught himself giving her a second glance and quickly smiled at Judy lest she notice and get the wrong idea.
‘Thank you.’
Katie spoke so quietly that Brian couldn’t be sure he’d heard her. He looked enquiringly at Judy. She shook her head, warning him off, as the doorbell rang.
Lily opened the door.
Martin stood on the step in the new suit he had bought for the wedding wearing a clean white shirt and a blue tie she had given him. ‘You look fantastic. That is a smashing dress.’
‘That deserves a kiss.’
‘Not in broad daylight.’ Aware of Joe Griffiths watching them from his doorstep, Martin tried to avoid her.
‘You’re a prude.’ Oblivious to Joe’s presence, Lily grabbed the lapels of Martin’s suit and planted a kiss on his cheek.
‘Hello, Lily … Martin,’ Joe called out in a deadpan tone.
Martin nodded a reply but to his annoyance Lily gave Joe a broad smile.
‘Hello, Joe. Sorry, didn’t see you there. It was a lovely wedding, wasn’t it.’
‘Considering it was Helen’s, everything went relatively smoothly.’ Joe locked his front door and went to his father’s car, which was parked in front of the house.
‘You coming in?’ Lily asked Martin.
‘Not if we’re catching the eight-o’clock train.’
‘I only have to get my coat and handbag.’
‘Sam and Adam coming?’ Brian offered Martin a cigarette as he walked into the porch.
‘Sam’s giving Adam a shout now.’
‘He’s recovered?’ Judy asked.
‘From what?’ Martin enquired, puzzled by Judy’s question.
‘Whatever Brian fed him last night.’
‘There were five of us last night and you have to blame me.’ Brian helped Judy on with her coat.
‘Only because I know what you’re like.’ Judy tempered her sharp words with a smile.
‘Charming. My girlfriend doesn’t trust me.’
‘If we’re going to catch the eight-o’clock train, we ought to be going.’ Katie lifted her coat from the stand and walked on ahead.
‘What’s up with Katie?’ Martin whispered to Lily as she stopped to lock the door.
‘I have no idea. She seemed fine this morning and all through the wedding. I tried to talk to her when we were getting ready, but you know Katie. It’s impossible to get anything out of her unless she’s ready to tell you.’
‘I’ll give it a go.’
‘If I were you, I’d wait until she comes to you.’
‘Knowing her, she’ll just let whatever it is fester.’ As they stopped at the corner and waited for Sam and Adam to catch up
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