no need.’
‘Yes there is,’ he said, touching her tummy lightly. ‘That’s my son’s in there and I want to make sure he’s all right.’
Pearl found herself smiling, pleased that he was showing such concern. ‘Or your daughter.’
He grinned. ‘A girl, eh? No, I reckon it’s a boy.’
‘We’ll just have to wait and see.’
‘Go on, go to bed,’ he said, kissing her lightly on the tip of her nose. ‘I’ll see myself out.’
Pearl nodded, her heart melting as, for a moment, Kevin held her gently.
‘We’ll be all right, you’ll see,’ he said, giving her a final soft kiss before leaving.
She heard his footsteps on the stairs, the shop door closing, and smiled. Despite everything, she loved him, and now fought to dismiss the worries from her mind. Kevin said they’d be all right, and she believed him.
It was mid-February before all the legalities were sorted out, allowing Pearl and Kevin to marry. The registry office had originally said that she wasn’t old enough to marry without permission, but without relatives the solicitor had finally sorted it out, presenting the affidavit and the reply from the orphanage to the registrar.
During this time, any doubts that Pearl had about Kevin were laid to rest. He was being so kind, so gentle, and on the rare occasions they were able to make love, he was careful and considerate. He was still looking for a job, he assured her, one out of the area, but so far hadn’t found one with decent pay. She was disappointed, but he told her to be patient, saying that he didn’t want her or the baby to want for anything and a well-paid job was sure to turn up soon.
Though most of the locals still refused to speak to her, the awful earlier animosity had eased, though Derek still turned his back when he saw her. She’d hurt him so much and it weighed heavily on her mind, but despite this, her love for Kevin deepened.
She hadn’t made any headway with Dolly, but now that she was finally to marry Kevin, her worry eased. He would be her husband and was sure to stand up for her against his mother.
‘Well, girl, are you ready?’ Bessie asked on the morning of the wedding.
‘Yes,’ Pearl said, with a last look in the mirror. Although it was a registry office wedding, with only Dolly, Bernie and two witnesses in attendance, she still wanted to look nice. At five months pregnant she had been thrilled to find a cream swagger coat amongst Bessie’s stock, one that hid her growing lump.
The marriage was to take place at ten thirty, but with Dolly refusing to close the café for more than a few hours, there would be no wedding breakfast. Instead, Dolly and Bernie were returning to the café, opening at twelve thirty for the lunchtime session.
Pearl’s head was spinning. It had been a frantic morning. She’d been up at the crack of dawn, hurrying to work at five o’clock to prepare all the vegetables in advance. Gertie and Madge had been roped in to cook them, and with the rest of the menu partly prepared, they had only to put the trays in the oven ready for Dolly’s return.
Pearl now put on a tiny pillbox hat before picking up her handbag. ‘Do I look all right, Bessie?’
‘Yeah, but if you ask me it’s a funny sort of wedding. No reception, no honeymoon, and you ain’t even carrying flowers.’
‘I know, but it doesn’t matter. Dolly has given me the rest of the day off and Kevin is taking me out to lunch.’
‘Huh, big deal. Tell me, when you’re back to work in the kitchen tomorrow, what will Kevin be doing?’
‘Bessie, please, don’t start again. I’m sure he’ll find a job soon.’
There was a knock on the street door, the old lady speaking quickly as she grabbed Pearl’s arm. ‘It isn’t too late to change your mind.’
Pearl saw the anxiety etched on Bessie’s face and bent to kiss her on the cheek. ‘Don’t worry, I’ll be fine. I know I thanked you last night for letting me stay with you, but I’m going to miss you so much.’
‘I’ll miss you too, but you never know – you may be back.’
‘Back! What do you mean? Is it your second sight?’
‘Now then, don’t look at me like that. It’s just wishful thinking from a silly old woman. I’ve grown fond of you, girl.’
The knock was louder this time. ‘I’d best go, but I’ll be over to see you as soon as I can.’
Kevin stood impatiently on the doorstep. ‘Blimey, Pearl, you took your time. If we don’t get a move on we’ll be late.’
‘Sorry, I was saying goodbye to Bessie. I wish she was coming with us.’
‘Mum didn’t want any fuss, and once you start sending out invitations, where do you stop? It’s better this way.’
He took her arm, leading her to his car, where she saw Dolly and Bernie sitting in the back. It was only Bernie who remarked on her appearance, saying kindly, ‘You look nice, Pearl.’
Dolly was wearing a fitted, brown coat with a turban-style hat that hid every inch of her hair. She looked severe, grim, and nervously Pearl said, ‘You look nice too, Dolly.’
She didn’t respond, and as Pearl settled, Kevin closed the door. He walked round to the driver’s side, saying as he climbed in and gunned the engine to life, ‘Right, let’s get this show on the road.’
As they drove through the market many eyes were watching. Pearl had a brief glimpse of Derek, thought he was hurrying towards them, but then they turned the corner. She looked over her shoulder, but couldn’t see him, and decided she must have imagined it.
‘What are you looking at Pearl?’ Kevin asked.
‘It’s nothing. I just thought for a moment that Derek was chasing after us.’
‘Why would he do that?’ Dolly snapped.
Kevin chuckled. ‘Perhaps he wanted to offer us his congratulations.’
‘Huh, I doubt that,’ Dolly said.
Pearl was quiet during the twenty-minute drive to the registry office. The atmosphere was strained, Bernie trying to lighten it, but Dolly hardly replied, except to complain about the business they were losing that morning. She looked grim as they climbed out of the vehicle, but Bernie tried to jolly her along. ‘Come on, Dolly,’ he cajoled. ‘This is a wedding, not a flaming funeral.’
‘Yeah, cheer up, Mum,’ Kevin said.
‘Shut up,’ Dolly snapped. ‘What’s to be cheerful about? You’re marrying a girl we know nothing about – well, except that she’s a slut.’
‘Now then, Mum, there’s no need for that. Pearl ain’t a slut.’
‘Don’t argue with me, Kevin. I won’t stand for it.’
‘Sorry, Mum,’ Kevin said meekly.
‘I should think so too,’ she snapped. She then glared at Pearl, adding, ‘Huh, well I suppose we had better get this farce over with.’
Pearl felt frozen to the pavement as she watched Dolly march into the building, her mind racing as all her doubts and fears rose to the surface. It was obvious now that Kevin couldn’t stand up for her against his mother, and she shivered, unable to face the thought of living in the same flat. Kevin took her arm, but she turned wild eyes towards him. ‘I … I can’t do it. I can’t live with your mother.’
‘Don’t worry. It won’t be for long,’ he said, moving them forward.