Rosie tugged his arm and pulled him down to sit beside her. ‘Don’t keep on, Ron,’ she sighed. ‘Honestly, Peggy, anyone would think his dog was royalty the way he pampers that animal.’

‘Well, it looks as if everyone’s here,’ said Peggy as Suzy came in with little Teddy, and sat next to Sarah and Danuta. ‘All we need now is the bride. I hope she isn’t going to be late like Ivy was.’

‘She’ll be waiting to make a grand entrance, so she will,’ muttered Ron.

‘Well, it is her wedding day, and all brides want to make an entrance,’ defended Peggy.

Ron waggled his brows. ‘Aye, and none more so than your sister,’ he said with a grin.

The registrar switched on the piped music as the doors opened and Doris appeared on her son’s arm. She held him back for a long moment to make sure everyone had realised they’d arrived, and then they slowly made their way down towards John and Martin.

Peggy didn’t think she’d ever seen her sister look as lovely or as radiantly happy as she did today. The beautiful cream linen coat and jacket were discreetly piped with the same navy blue as her broad-brimmed hat, and her slender, well-shaped legs were enhanced by the navy peep-toed high heels. She carried a small bouquet of cream roses that were nestled into dark green ferns, and there were pearls in her ears and round her neck.

John’s gaze never left her as she walked slowly towards him, and it was clear to all that he simply adored her.

Peggy felt the prick of happy tears, for her sister deserved to be well loved after all she’d been through with duplicitous Ted, and she had the feeling that John would cherish her until his last breath – and that they would have a long and very happy life together.

Much later that night when Peggy had finally fallen into bed ready for sleep, she sighed with pleasure at the feel of lovely clean sheets and pillowcases. Doris’s wedding had gone off without a hitch. The reception had been very grand even though it had started to rain this afternoon – and a ruckus had been avoided between Doreen and Pauline when Pauline complained of having one of her headaches and ordered poor Frank to drive her home. Doreen had resisted teasing Doris and managed to avoid the subject of the schoolmaster she was walking out with, which she’d known would be an irritant to her nosy elder sister, and cause unpleasantness between them.

Peggy snuggled down beneath the blanket, thinking of John and Doris who were already on their way to the Lake District, and realising yet again that she hadn’t had a proper talk with her sister about her finances. She nestled her head into the pillow and after blowing a kiss to Jim’s photograph, turned out the bedside light. She would have to leave it now until Doris came back from her honeymoon.