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Audrey Hall watched as Siegfried Farnon came down from Mr Wentworth’s cart, still talking and laughing with some of the other men and she felt proud. She had been worried about the beer situation and he had delivered!
She decided to approach a small group of women who were also watching the scene. She knew them all from WI meetings.
“Oh Audrey” Susan said, “we were just saying that your organization of this party was a success”.
“No, we weren’t” another woman immediately interjected. By her voice Audrey could tell she was already a bit tipsy. “We were commenting on how dashing your man looks today!”.
“Irene, really!” The third woman said.
Irene went on “Oh, come on Rose. She gets to have a certain kind of fun and I get to have another!”. And she laughed.
Audrey felt herself blush and said: “I think you are misunderstanding my relationship with Mr Farnon”.
Irene sniggered “Sure! That’s the version to present the vicar!. Although, if Siegfried looked at me the way he looks at you, I might prefer to stay in bed on sundays!”
To this comment the third woman, grabbed Irene by the arm and guided her away “Let’s get you a cup of coffee, Irene!”.
Audrey was left alone with Susan and feeling very embarrassed.
Susan tried to apologise: “Don’t mind her, Audrey! She is just envious and sorry that Darrowby’s most eligible bachelor is no longer available! It’s been several months since he came to the dances”
And before Audrey could articulate an answer she walked away.
Soon after she left, Siegfried joined her, bringing her a glass of ale. She thanked him and looked away. At this point Charlotte and Tristan had walked away from the others and were quietly talking, and Audrey kept her eyes on them.
“Are you alright, Mrs Hall?” Siegfried asked. Lately he had been very much in tune to her moods and he seemed to detect immediately when something was bothering her.
“Yes, I was just having a conversation with your former dance partners”. She kept her eyes away from him. “They seem to be missing you in the dance halls. I take it you were a frequent visitor”. She had to admit to herself that her voice was a bit cold.
Siegfried looked embarrassed, cast her a sideways glance but talked looking away in his brother’s direction. “I suppose I was. A feeble attempt to fill the void I felt. Didn’t mean anything by it”
She didn’t answer him. And he kept on “I sometimes wondered if you had found dance partners in Sunderland…”
To this she looked in his direction. “Why do you ask?”
“Well, I wondered if maybe that was one of the reasons you didn’t come back.”
Audrey hesitated and said” There may have been people who were interested in being dance partners, but they weren’t given the chance”
To this Siegfried gave a small sigh of relief. And she went on “And I didn’t come back earlier because you never asked me to”.
Siegfried looked shocked in her direction “But surely you knew I wanted you back!”
She looked him in the eyes “How could I? You didn’t come to my son’s wedding and you stopped writing”.
Siegfried gave her a look of consternation and Audrey felt sorry for him. She really couldn’t resist his puppy dog look. She smiled and said: “Well, we’re both here now”.
They both looked away towards Tristan and Charlotte. Those two were clearly having a serious discussion and were clinking their bottles.
Audrey said: “You see?
Siegfried answered: “What?”
“You didn’t need me”
“I’ll always need you Mrs Hall” To this Audrey felt embarrassed but pleased.
Siegfried cast her an embarrassed sideways look.