‘You look stunning,’ breathed Peggy as she stood behind her and gazed at her reflection. ‘Stan’s going to faint when he sees you.’

Danuta giggled. ‘I hope not, because if he goes down it will take four men to get him on his feet again.’

She took Stanislaw’s gift of crystal earrings and necklace from the velvet-lined box, and once they were in place, she turned this way and that to see the effect of the sun shining on them and the tiny sequins stitched into the column of lace that moulded to her slender body, and the way the froth of lace swirled around her feet. Sally had padded and wired the close-fitting, heart-shaped bodice so it stayed firmly in place and didn’t really need the support of the wide satin straps.

‘Beautiful,’ sighed Peggy, her eyes bright with tears.

‘We must be careful to pin the veil very tightly,’ Danuta said. ‘For if it falls and I look back, it is a very bad luck for Polish bride.’

Peggy took the gossamer veil and carefully fixed the sparkling comb into Danuta’s glossy dark curls, anchoring it firmly with hairpins. Fluffing it out around the girl’s shoulders to her satisfaction, she stepped back and handed her the sweet-scented posy of early white roses and lily of the valley that young April had made from her uncle’s allotment.

‘Perfect,’ she sighed. ‘You really are the most beautiful bride, Danuta, and I’m so proud and happy to be with you on this special day.’ She softly kissed her cheek. ‘I’ll tell Ron he can come up now.’

‘Wait, one more moment, Mama Peggy.’ She set aside the posy and took her hands. ‘I want to tell you that I love you with my heart. You have given me so very much, and I will never forget that. And although I am to be Stanislaw’s wife, I will always be your daughter.’

‘Oh, Danuta, I never for a moment thought I would lose you.’ Peggy blinked rapidly on her tears to stop them ruining her make-up. ‘We have a saying in England, that a son is a son until he gets him a wife, but a daughter’s a daughter for all of her life – and I firmly believe that’s true. Now, I must fetch Ron, or we’ll be in danger of arriving late at the church.’

Danuta’s heart was full as Peggy left the room, for although her Polish family were gone, she knew they’d be watching her now, happy in the knowledge that she’d been truly blessed in the loving second family she’d found here in England – and in the man who was soon to be her husband.

Peggy had to take a moment to repair her make-up before she went down to tell Ron he was needed and to make sure Cordelia and Rosie were ready to be driven to the church. Daisy, Rose and Emily were to be bridesmaids and they had gone ahead with Anne. Martin was best man, and was probably having a hard time of it to keep Stanislaw calm, but knowing the emotional Pole, Peggy suspected there would be many happy tears shed before the day was out, so she made sure she and Ron had plenty of handkerchiefs.