a damp ironing cloth at various stages, being tried on frequently to see how it hung. The loose long sleeves had set into the cuffs a treat. Tomorrow she would start on the panels of the removable tabard-like overbodice and the front and back panels that would fall from the waist to finish off the fashionable barrel line.
Mum came in as she was draping the almost complete gown on a hanger, hooking the hanger on the bedroom picture rail, pleased with the way it had gone together and how quickly it was shaping up.
Mum was in the room before she knew it. âSorry I was a bit delayed, leaving you âere all on yer own. Hope you werenât bored. Mrs Golding was telling me about â¦â She stopped, her eyes on the lovely garment hanging from the rail.
âWhatâs that? Not something yer bought yesterday? Wasting yer money again.â It was then she noticed the machine and the offcuts and cotton littering the room. âOh, youâre
making
it. Itâs a nice colour. Making it fer going out somewhere special?â
Geraldine suppressed a smile. Mumâs idea of
somewhere special
was hopefully a date with a young man â a young man who one day might be
the
one! Mum waiting and hoping, concerned about a daughter coming up to nineteen and still without a regular boyfriend to introduce to the family.
âItâs ter wear for Mavis and Tomâs wedding.â
âBut youâll be a bridesmaid.â Mum was engrossed inspecting the gown, turning it this way and that on its hanger and making faces of approval at the workmanship even though there was still a lot to do to it.
âI donât want ter be a bridesmaid the entire evening,â said Geraldine.
How could she tell her that she abhorred the thing â was going to feel a right idiot in shocking pink? All right for Evie who was looking forward to it all.
âI âope Mave and Tom wonât be upset, you wearing something else in the evening.â
âThey wonât know. Theyâll be gone off on their honeymoon by the time I put this on,â said Geraldine firmly and ushered her mother out of the bedroom so she could put everything away before Mavis came home for Sunday dinner and asked her share of questions, and put Geraldine in an awkward position in trying to answer them.
Monday morning â again! Apart from bank holidays, she said this to herself every Monday along with millions of others as she cycled off to work.
This Monday, however, wasnât followed by the word âagainâ. This morning passed in a stir of anticipation and excitement, her eyes fixed on the fast-moving machine needle with its bursts of deep-throated whirring as she thought of where sheâd be at lunchtime. Not much time; sheâd have to cycle like fury to get to Hanfords and back and have time to look for her necklace. It was no use waiting until after work â he shut at six.
As soon as the buzzer went for the three-quarters of an hour lunch break, she was up and ready to leave, aware of her friend Eileen looking at her. Sheâd already said she had to go out instead of eating sandwiches at her bench as always.
âYou ainât even said where youâre going,â came the complaint. âWhatâs so secret?â
âTell yer later,â said Geraldine and dashed off to gather up her coat and handbag from the cloakroom before any more questions could be fired at her.
He was serving some woman when she walked in. He looked up casually and smiled. âBe with you in a tick.â
Was that smile not quite as formal as he might use for anyone else? Did he recognise her? She hoped so. It had been a couple of months since coming in here at Christmas, but she hoped so.
The woman, having chosen a bargain pendant, was having it wrapped and Geraldine noticed with a little thrill just how skilled his hands were at wrapping the purchase in bright fancy paper. The woman departed, leaving