Apologies from me, Santa, for liberties taken with the timeline - but after all I can make wishes come true and Christmas is a magical time of year. Enjoy!
Joey turned as the door opened. She was as pale as the snowflakes that were gently swirling past her window, and her sister could see at once that she had barely slept.
“Joey dearest, what’s wrong? Why aren’t you dressed yet? I’m sorry that it’s taken me so long to get the babes ready – you should see Peggy and Daisy, they look like miniature angels in their white velvet bridesmaids’ dresses – such a blessing that we found that old fabric in our attic, Bonne Maison is a real treasure trove of useful things! Primula, Bride and Sybil will make enchanting flower girls even though all they can scatter are Christmas Roses. I’m not so sure that it was a good idea to have Rix and David as page boys though. If we get Rix through the ceremony without.....Joey, you’re not listening!” Madge broke off in full spate and looked at her sister with concern. “What is it Joey baba?” she said lovingly, reverting in her anxiety to the baby name she had always used when her sister was small.
“Oh Madge” said Joey wearily “I really don’t think I can go through with this. I do love Jack, really I do, but the thought of leaving you and the babes, especially now that Jem has to be away so much – I lay awake all night worrying and crying, and thinking, and planning and I really don’t think I can do it today. Will everyone be very upset if I call it off?”
Madge gaped at her sister “Upset? Of course they’ll be upset! I’d be devastated and how do you think Jack would feel? And after all you have been through together.......”
“I know Madge but I just can’t do it. I’ve always said I wouldn’t get married, you know I have. I can’t think what came over me in these last weeks. I suppose it was the stress of the escape, and how supportive Jack was – he really IS a solid lump of comfort you know – and then all the excitement of planning the day, and finding out about special wedding and winter customs here on Guernsey but.....I can’t do it. Please don’t make me”.
Madge had recovered herself a little by this time and her voice was now very calm as she said “Joey, of course no one will force you into something you really don’t want to do but you have rather left this to the last minute haven’t you? How long have you been having thoughts like this?”
“On and off, all the time I think, but it really came to a head when I couldn’t sleep last night. I just lay there, tossing and turning, and trying to imagine how it would be to go away from you, and all the nursery folk, and to leave Robin ......” and poor Joey broke down in a storm of weeping. Madge was by now almost as pale as Jo herself. “Oh Joey, I do wish I’d known, I’d have asked Jem to give you something to help you sleep. Now, now dearest, hush. You really mustn’t cry like this – it’s your wedding day!”
“Madge, you haven’t heard a word of what I’ve been saying. I can’t, and won’t, go through with it. You had better go and dress the children in their normal clothes. And someone will have to break the news to Jack. I can’t bear to see the look on his face.”
Madge sank down onto the bed, thinking hard of what she could say. She knew how Joey could dig her heels in over something and how she would then be almost impossible to shift. She remembered how difficult it had been to persuade her that she was the right, indeed the only, choice for head girl in her year. One false word from her would probably result in hysterics on Joey’s part, and whilst she would normally not hesitate to administer a sharp slap to bring her sister to her senses, she rather felt that if Joey could be brought round to the thought of walking down the aisle of Torteval Church later in the day, it might be better if her cheek were not bruised.
It's lovely!
Perhaps you should go ahead, Madge!
