Chocolate Shoes and Wedding Blues - Trisha Ashley


TRISHA ASHLEY

Chocolate Shoes and Wedding Blues


Copyright

AVON

An imprint of HarperCollinsPublishers Ltd

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London SE1 9GF

www.harpercollins.co.uk

First published in Great Britain by

HarperCollinsPublishers 2012

Copyright © Trisha Ashley 2012

Trisha Ashley asserts the moral right to be identified as the author of this work.

A catalogue record for this book is available from the British Library.

This novel is entirely a work of fiction.

The names, characters and incidents portrayed in it are the work of the authors imagination. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, events or localities is entirely coincidental.

All rights reserved under International Copyright Conventions. By payment of the required fees, you have been granted the non-exclusive, non-transferable right to access and read the text of this e-book on-screen. No part of this text may be reproduced, transmitted, down-loaded, decompiled, reverse engineered, or stored in or introduced into any information storage and retrieval system, in any form or by any means, whether electronic or mechanical, now known or hereinafter invented, without the express written permission of HarperCollins.

Ebook Edition © May 2012 ISBN: 9780007478408

Version: 2016-03-12

Dedication

This one is for my friend Nora Neibergall,

distant only in miles.

Contents

Cover

Title page

Copyright

Dedication

Prologue: June 1945

Chapter 1: Christmas Present

Chapter 2: Frosted Knots

Chapter 3: Trashed

Chapter 4: Philtred Out

Chapter 5: Charlies Aunt

Chapter 6: True Lovers Not

Chapter 7: Old Valentines

Chapter 8: Amazing Grace

Chapter 9: Barking Mad

Chapter 10: Cat Flap

Chapter 11: Cross Patch

Chapter 12: Summoned by Bells

Chapter 13: Fresh as Paint

Chapter 14: Bell de Jour

Chapter 15: Luscious

Chapter 16: Blessed

Chapter 17: Typecast

Chapter 18: Dead as my Love

Chapter 19: Overtures

Chapter 20: Sister Act

Chapter 21: Fat Rascals

Chapter 22: April Fool

Chapter 23: Well Knotted

Chapter 24: Sweet Music

Chapter 25: Good in Parts

Chapter 26: The Birds and the Bees

Chapter 27: Late Calls

Chapter 28: Mixed Messages

Chapter 29: Describing Circles

Chapter 30: Bananas

Chapter 31: Lovers All Untrue

Chapter 32: Chicken Run

Chapter 33: Mayday!

Chapter 34: Porkers

Chapter 35: Shared

Chapter 36: Wishes

Chapter 37: Wrecked

Chapter 38: Uninvited Guests

Chapter 39: June Bug

Chapter 40: A Delightful Plot

Exclusive Recipes from Trisha Ashley

Keep Reading

Acknowledgements

About the Author

Also by the Author

About the Publisher

Prologue: June 1945

Nancy had to walk quite a way to the red call box near the village green, then stand in an unseasonably cold wind waiting for a large woman in a spotted headscarf tied turban-fashion round her head to stop talking and come out, before she could place the call to her sister.

At last! What kept you? Violet exclaimed.

Never mind that now, Nancy said tersely. Im in the phone box, so call me back. Youre the one with all the brass.

She dropped the black phone back onto its rest, thinking that brass was something her sister had never been short of. But her latest scheme well, that really took the biscuit

The phone rang almost immediately. I was starting to wonder if youd got my letter, Violet said.

Oh, I got it all right and Mother and Father got theirs, too. But what on earth are you thinking of, Violet? This mad plan of yours will never work!

Viola, her sister corrected her automatically. And of course it will why shouldnt it?

I can think of at least five reasons off the top of my head. And you might have asked me first.

Were sisters, so why wouldnt we help each other out of a sticky spot? And Ive got it all planned. Im going to rent somewhere quiet, where no one knows us, and in a couple of months youll be home again as if nothing had ever happened and can put it right out of your head.

But something will have happened. And if I suddenly vanish like that, then reappear, dont you think therell be talk? You know how rumours get around in the village.

Oh, probably no one will notice, Violet said optimistically, and if they do, they wont know, thats the main thing.

Vi, I cant let you do this and dont you think your husband might have something to say about it, when he finds out? No, well have to find another way.

Too late, because Ive already written to Peter explaining everything, though goodness knows when hell get the letter, Violet said triumphantly. Despite the recent VE Day celebrations, many men were still fighting out in the Far East, Violets husband among them.

Youve actually sent it? Without asking me first?

Of course, because it was obviously the only way out of the situation. So you see, well have to go through with it now. Peter will be fine about it when he comes home. I can twist him round my little finger, Violet added. Theres no fool like an old fool.

You shouldnt speak like that about your husband. You chose to marry a much older man when you were barely in your twenties, Violet, no one forced you!

Nancy could almost see her sister shrug her thin shoulders. So, when are you coming?

Violet, we cant possibly do this. Youre quite mad to even think it!

You mean you wont come, Nancy? Youll just tell Mother and Father the truth? Mother will probably have another stroke from the shock and shame.

Youve got Mother upset already, telling her youd been ill again and were going to convalesce somewhere quiet and wanted me to keep you company. She was all set to come down herself and look after you, but Father wouldnt entertain the idea for a minute, Nancy said. Their mother had suffered a mild stroke the previous year and, though she had made a good recovery, she was still not fully fit.

Thank goodness for that! But I didnt think hed let her. I take it theyre OK about you coming, though?

Yes, in fact theyre so worried about you they want me to go at once. They think youre a frail little flower since the pneumonia, though you only got that from gallivanting about in flimsy clothes in the evening with your fast friends, drinking too much.

Honestly, Nan, you sound more like twenty years older than me, than two! But the sooner you come down the better, because its lucky no ones noticed anything yet. Theres nothing to keep you there now, is there? I mean, youre not still seeing that American pilot?

No, hes gone home and, anyway, we were just friends, really, Nancy said. Her fiancé had been killed in the early days of the war and there hadnt been anyone serious since then. Not that Violet was likely to believe that.

Tell that to the marines! she said now, rudely.

But I have started seeing someone recently, Nancy confessed.

This is certainly not the time to get involved with another man! Violet said severely. Who is he?

The new curate. Hes been round to tea at our house once or twice and weve been for walks. Mother and Father like him and well, hes a good, decent man. I know Ill never love anyone like I did Jacob, but I dont really want to spend the rest of my life alone, either.

A curate? Good grief! Violet exclaimed.

He was an army chaplain.

Honestly, what a moment to pick to go out with a curate! Lets just hope he never gets wind of this, because I dont suppose hed be very forgiving.

Amen to that! Nancy said devoutly. And I wouldnt have encouraged him if only Id known

Well, you didnt, and with a bit of luck youll be back home before long, and can pick up where you left off.

I dont think I could not without telling him the truth.

You can never tell anyone the truth. And its not like you can back out of the situation now, Nan, is it? It would finish Mother off if it all came out, and as for Father

You dont think that theyll suspect anything eventually?

They might guess, but thats not the same as knowing and everything will be nicely sorted out by then, no scandals. But you must keep it secret Violet paused then asked, You havent already told Florrie, have you?

She knew Florrie was Nancys best friend and there were few secrets between them.

No, no one knows but you and me. Nancy sighed. It suddenly feels as if Im trapped in a horrible nightmare, but I cant see anything else I can do, so Ill be down on Monday afternoon.

I dont know about nightmare, but its all a damned nuisance, Violet said. Tell me which train, and Ill meet it.

A woman walked up to the phone kiosk and stood shifting her feet restlessly outside. Look, Ill have to go theres someone waiting for the phone, Nancy said.

Stepping out of the booth Nancy pulled her warm coat around her against the chilly evening breeze. It was made of good but well-worn pre-war tweed with a little fur collar, and was now getting tight over her waist and tummy but then, Nancy was a typical Bright, like her father, small and dark, and the womenfolk did tend to put on weight in their late twenties. Her sister, Violet, in contrast, was tall and fair like their mother, and stayed slim no matter what she ate.

Normally, the thought of the carrot cake her mother had made earlier would have hastened Nancys steps home, but now the heavy burden of lies, secrets and subterfuge she was shouldering made her feel distinctly queasy.

Chapter 1: Christmas Present

My name is Nancy Myfanwy Bright. My father liked the name Nancy and I was called Myfanwy after my mother. Im ninety-two years of age and Ive lived quietly in this cottage behind Brights Shoes in Sticklepond all my life, so I dont really know why you want to record my memories for your archive, because it isnt going to be very interesting, is it, dear?

Do help yourself to a slice of bara brith its a sort of fruit loaf made to my mothers recipe. Theres another kind they call funeral cake in the part of Wales Mothers family came from, because it was always served to the mourners after an interment. Ive told Tansy thats my great-niece that she should do that when I pop my clogs, too. Ive taught her all Mothers old recipes

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