‘Is this ’great speaker that we’ve been hearing about?’ Peggy also turned towards Delia. ‘The one who quotes Shakespeare?’ and at Delia’s merry nod she said, ‘I thought he was a made up person, someone out of Robin’s imagination! Well,’ she exclaimed. ‘I’d better go inside and get myself ready to greet him, but as for you marrying him, Jenny, I don’t know about that!’
‘I think you’ll find, Ma’ – Jenny laughed – ‘that although there wasn’t any necessity, Arthur has already spoken to my father.’
Later, after Arthur had been introduced to Peggy and remarked that now he knew where Jenny’s glorious hair had come from, had shaken hands with Giles and kissed Delia on her cheek and said how radiant she looked, he sent his driver to book rooms at one of the pubs in the village, telling him to get himself a meal and return at nine o’clock to collect him. Arthur and Giles, clad in an assortment of rubber boots and old coats, then went out with Aaron, Robin and an uncommunicative Jack to look over the farm. There were new spring lambs still undercover that Robin wanted to show them; young piglets still suckling and weaners who had been separated from their mothers who were snuffling about out on grass, and land that was showing new spring growth.
‘I’m pleased that you could come, Delia,’ Peggy said, whilst Jenny made them another pot of tea. ‘I want to talk to you later and I know it will be a difficult matter for you to discuss, but it must be done.’
Jenny came in carrying a tray of tea and cake. ‘I found this cake in a tin, Ma,’ she said. ‘Is it all right that I’ve cut into it?’
‘Of course it is, but don’t eat too much as I’m cooking lamb. It’s ready to put in ’oven, but I might need to do more vegetables,’ she said meaningfully, still reeling from the sight of the unexpected visitor.
‘There will be enough,’ Jenny said pragmatically, and poured them each a cup of tea. ‘You always do more than we need. Incidentally, we have to return tomorrow morning as we’re travelling to Derbyshire. Delia,’ she changed the subject, ‘you and Giles both look very happy. Is there a reason?’
‘We are happy,’ Delia said contentedly. ‘And we weren’t going to say anything yet, but Giles has filed for divorce and although it might be a while before he’s free, he’s asked me to marry him and I’ve said yes!’
‘Good heavens! How long have you known each other?’ Peggy asked. ‘And as for you, Jenny, you haven’t known Mr Crawshaw more than five minutes! What’s the rush?’ Then she gave a gasp and looked at them both. ‘There isn’t one, is there?’
Delia and Jenny both laughed and shook their heads. ‘I didn’t think it would ever happen to me, Peggy,’ Delia said wistfully, and Jenny responded by saying, ‘And I decided to catch Arthur before he had the chance to change his mind! And, Ma, you forget that you once told me that you fell in love with Da the first time you met him and were married before you reached eighteen.’
Peggy nodded. ‘It’s true, I did. We were both young but I was determined to have him.’
‘Well there you are then,’ Jenny said. ‘I’m following in your footsteps, but I’m not eighteen so why would I wait?’
Supper was a jolly affair and all the girls came along with Susan to be introduced by Robin to Mr Arthur Crawshaw, whom they hadn’t believed to be real either, just as their grandmother hadn’t. They didn’t stay to eat but were coming for lunch the next day.
On the stroke of nine, Arthur’s driver returned and Giles was offered a lift back to the village, where he and Arthur retired to the best room in the Humber Tavern and consumed several glasses of whisky, discovering that they knew many of the same theatrical people; they then discussed various aspects of marriage, of which Crawshaw knew nothing. It was then that Giles finally appreciated that his companion had never had any romantic notions towards Delia, and had regarded her as someone who was badly in need of a good and reliable friend. ‘I was there at the right time, old chap,’ he said. ‘She was pretty desperate, poor girl.’
Peggy and Delia were the last to go to bed. Delia was sharing Robin’s room but wasn’t tired and she’d hung back, helping Peggy to put dishes away, preparing the breakfast table and ignoring Peggy’s entreaties that she would see to everything. Finally, she sat down by the banked-up fire and said, ‘What was it in particular that you thought we should discuss, Peggy?’
‘Oh, not tonight, honey,’ Peggy said. ‘Tomorrow, mebbe, when Jenny and Mr Crawshaw have left. I want you to have a pleasant weekend.’
‘We are having a lovely weekend,’ Delia told her. ‘And we don’t have to rush back. The theatre is closed for the holiday. But I won’t sleep tonight unless you tell me what it is we need to discuss. It’s about my parents, isn’t it? Have they been found?’
Peggy sat down opposite her and took off her cap. Pulling the pins out of her hair, she ran her fingers through it so that her curls fell on to her shoulders.
‘You’re lovely, Peggy.’ Delia smiled at her and her eyes prickled. ‘You’ve no idea how much I used to wish that you were my mother. I always wanted to call you Ma, like Jenny.’
Peggy leaned forward and grasped her hands. ‘You can, m’darling. I’d like you to.’
Delia swallowed and nodded. ‘Have they been found?’ she repeated.
‘Mrs Deakin has.’ Peggy carefully avoided calling her Delia’s mother; neither did she mention that Giles already knew, for she guessed that he had had his own reasons for not telling Delia. ‘She’s been identified by several people, including Aaron. She was found on a
