Jane smiled to herself. She was proud to be a police officer and determined to make a career of it, but as yet she was unsure exactly what she wanted to do after her probation. Even though she was enjoying assisting the CID she knew there were many different branches of the force she could eventually apply for. Her sister had no ambition other than to get married and start a family. She had met Tony the carpenter only a year ago, started a whirlwind romance that led to engagement and, in Jane’s opinion, too soon a marriage. She sighed, at least the day was over and done with. She could not for a moment contemplate ever wanting an elaborate ceremony like that for herself. That is, when and if she found her Mr Right, but she felt there was more chance of finding him if she wasn’t living at home.
There was a tap on the door. ‘Would you like some cheese on toast, dear?’ she heard her mother ask. ‘No thanks, I ate too much at the reception.’
‘Daddy and I are going to have a sherry. Would you like to join us?’
‘I’ll come out in a minute, I’m just changing.’ Jane sighed and got off the single bed she had slept on since she was a child. She looked around her bedroom with its Laura Ashley wallpaper and felt proud of the silver-framed photographs of her in uniform and the Met Police plaque on the dressing table. She lifted her dressing gown from the hook on the bedroom door, and feeling guilty about the crumpled bridesmaid dress on the floor picked it up and placed it on a hanger in her wardrobe.
Her parents were sitting on high stools at the breakfast bar listening to soft jazz music on the radio. They were both eating cheese on toast and sipping sherry from small crystal schooner glasses.
‘Hi, you must both be tired out,’ Jane remarked.
Her mother gave a little shrug and sighed. ‘We’ve been going over the entire day… it was so wonderful and everything went according to plan, didn’t it, dear?’ she said, looking at her husband for confirmation.
‘Fabulous day, apart from your Uncle Brian and his munchkin wife going on and on about their precious Barbara being an air hostess. Even though she’s allegedly lost weight I bet she still has to squeeze between the aisles.’
Jane laughed but her mother frowned and ignored his remark.
‘Pam looked so beautiful, so happy and radiant. Tony’s a very nice young man. At first I was worried they might have rushed things, but I think he will make a good husband and he’s a carpenter so he’s good with his hands – he’ll work wonders on their lovely little flat, won’t he, Daddy?’
Mr Tennison nodded, downed his sherry then slapped the base of the bottle of Lea & Perrins making sauce splash out over his toasted cheese. Jane noticed that her mother’s cheeks were flushed and she wondered if after the champagne at the reception, and now the sherry, she was a little drunk.
‘I’ve been thinking, the bridesmaid dresses cost so much that what you should do is get the dressmaker to cut down the neck, remove the puffs and shorten the length, then you’d have a beautiful cocktail frock. Pam was going to have her wedding gown made into one, but then she said she was going to keep it in the box so that when she has a baby it can be made into a lovely christening gown.’
Jane remembered Kath Morgan’s remark. ‘Oh my God, she’s pregnant!’ she exclaimed in surprise.
‘Good heavens, no she is not. Whatever made you think that?’ her shocked mother asked.
Jane shrugged and said nothing, though she wondered if it was true and Pam had kept quiet about it.
Her mother continued, ‘She wants to start a family right away and I for one think it’s a lovely idea. I never had a big white wedding.’
‘What?’ Jane interrupted, wondering what her mother was inferring.
‘It’s not what you think. My parents couldn’t afford a big do, and don’t forget the war wasn’t long over. Daddy and I have always saved in a special account for your and Pam’s weddings.’
‘She’ll have to get a boyfriend first, sweetheart. Am I right, Jane?’ he said with a wink.
Jane hesitated and drew one of the stools out from beneath the breakfast counter.
‘I need to discuss something with you,’ she said quietly and was about to explain about moving out when her father pointed to the radio.
‘Bloody hell, there’s more on the news about that Lord Lambton scandal.’
‘Dad, I really need to-’ Jane started to say but he wasn’t listening.
‘He’s a junior Defence minister. Apparently the
‘You’d think a Tory minister would behave better,’ his wife added as she turned up the volume slightly.
‘Blimey, he’s admitted it was him in the compromising photographs,’ Mr Tennison said as he moved closer to the radio.
