As the hours passed, Lena sat back and watched her friends dance to the sound of a man with an accordion and another with a guitar. Everyone was enjoying themselves, except George. He looked sad, and hadn’t taken his eyes off Sarah. She worried about him. He said he was seeing Julie, she knew his heart wasn’t in it.

Sarah was twirling around with some of the children. She must miss Tommy so much, especially on days like this, Lena thought, but once again she admired the girl’s strong spirit.

‘Are you all right, Mrs Bosco? You look very deep in thought there,’ Albert asked.

‘Yes, my love, I couldn’t be happier. It’s so nice to see everyone having a good time.’

‘You and your friends have done an amazing job organising all of this,’ Albert said, ‘but I’m finding myself rather weary. Would you mind if we go home now? I’m looking forward to getting my new wife to myself.’

‘We didn’t organise it all. You sorted out the booze for us. Anyway, I’d very much like to go home now,’ Lena answered. ‘Let’s see if we can just slip away without anyone noticing.’

Home, Lena thought. Today she was leaving behind the house she’d shared with George since her first husband had been killed. It felt strange, and though she was sad to be leaving, she was also excited about starting her new life with Albert. As soon as the shop was sold they’d be off on their travels, and she was so looking forward to their future together.

Chapter 51

It had been a month since Lena’s wedding, but many of the customers who came into the shop still talked about it. It had certainly been a day to remember, though Sarah wished Tommy had been there to share it with her. The shop was now under offer, and Lena had told Sarah that Albert had accepted a very fair price. She’d felt awful about having to let Violet go, but had heard the girl had a new job, which eased her conscience somewhat.

Sarah had seen a few empty shops, but hadn’t yet found one in a decent location. She was due to see another one shortly, and was hoping the premises would be more promising than the others she’d viewed. Lena had told her about this one, saying that Albert had put a word in for her, and had offered to come with her. The shop was ideally situated on a busy stretch between York Road and Battersea Park Road. It wasn’t far from where she worked now, but was on a main street instead of up a back one.

Lena walked into the shop now and said, ‘Hello, love, are you ready?’