Mattie and Charlie decided that their first full day as Mr and Mrs Davies would be spent with his mother. Elizabeth Davies had not been able to attend the wedding. She suffered from severe arthritis and found travelling painful and tiring. Mattie had purposefully brought pieces of wedding cake for her and Charlie's brothers and had arranged that when the photographs were ready, one would be framed and sent to her. She was sure she would like her new mother-in-law, Charlie had likened her to Jean, strong, capable, resilient. Traits that Mattie saw in her new husband.

They pulled up at the little terraced house in a quiet suburb of the city. It was neat and well cared for, Charlie said one of his brothers was always there for his mother, keeping the house clean and tidy and the garden neat. Mattie hoped she would meet his brothers, they sounded lovely.

Inside it was obvious Elizabeth and the boys had made a special effort to welcome the new addition to the family. They knew Charlie's new wife had been married before and widowed, and that she had a child. Charlie's letters had described her as one of the best people he knew and he hoped they would love her as much as he did. There was a lovely home cooked dinner, a roast just like Charlie did for Jean occasionally and the table was set with the best china. Mattie smiled.

'Mum,' Charlie went over to the woman seated in a chair by the fire, 'this is Mattie.' He beckoned his wife over to the chair. Mattie went and took the woman's hand.

'I have looked forward to meeting you for so long.' She bent and kissed her cheek, 'Charlie speaks of you so often. May I say, he has your eyes, and I think I fell in love with them first.'

Elizabeth held out her crippled arms to her new daughter-in-law and they hugged, ever so gently, Mattie knew that she was probably in constant pain.

'Oh, my dear Mattie, welcome, welcome.' Elizabeth was lost for words, what a lovely girl her Charlie had chosen, she was sure they would become firm friends.

Over the meal they chatted and got to know each other. Charlie's brothers were each very different, Eddie was quiet and reserved, Johnnie was a laugh a minute. Elizabeth said he should go on the stage as a comedian. He had trained as a teacher and Mattie said she was sure his pupils enjoyed their lessons because they would be fun. She remembered her dull as ditchwater schooling, where girls were not encouraged to have too much ambition, but to be well read and able to cook and sew. It had been a battle to be recognised as a scientist in the science lessons. The reading and English lessons were fine but it wasn't until she went to live with Jean and Lucien that she had learned how to cook and sew, and then quite recently. She admitted to Elizabeth that Charlie was a better cook than she was.

'Yes, but you're better at replacing the buttons on my uniform,' Charlie laughed and kissed her cheek.

After dinner Mattie showed her new family pictures of Grace, and said she would be honoured if Elizabeth would consider her, her granddaughter, and one day she would bring her to meet them all. Elizabeth was delighted and said how sweet she was.

'Not first thing in the morning, she isn't,' quipped Mattie, 'very noisy demanding her breakfast. It's a good job Jean's an early riser!'

Eddie was a lawyer's clerk, he said it suited him, being a bookish sort of chap. Mattie said everyone had an important role to play in life and she was sure his was just as important as teaching or nursing.

'Will you continue to work, Mattie, dear?' Asked Elizabeth, these modern girls wanted to have it all she thought. She'd been happy to keep to bringing up her boys and looking after their father and the house.

'Yes. I'm sure Charlie has told you I am Lucien's practice nurse, which means I work from home and keep an eye on Grace. Jean is a brick and looks after her a lot, but that will stop soon when her babies are born.'

'We'll all muck in,' said Charlie, 'Jean will have her hands full with twins, but I think your mother will be around a lot more than usual, and she seems to enjoy helping.'

'She does,' Mattie agreed, 'I think it's the variety and the easy way Jean had taken to her.'

'I didn't know Jean was expecting twins,' Elizabeth said.

'Oh, didn't I tell you?' replied Charlie, 'I thought I put it in my last letter.'

'No you didn't,' said Johnnie, 'I bet that was a shock.'

'Yes, Lucien was speechless. She finds carrying twin tiring though,' said Mattie, 'she thinks she's still twenty. She ran a farm when her older boys were born and thinks she can still do the same.'

'Typical.' said Charlie and then changed the subject.

'So either of you two seeing anyone?' He asked of his brothers.

Eddie blushed. He admitted he had taken one of the girls from the typing pool out a couple of times. She was quiet like him. For once Johnnie didn't tease his younger brother, like he had Charlie when news had broken that he and Mattie were courting. He'd said he only went with a nurse so he could get patched up by a pretty face after a fight with a criminal. Charlie had said he usually saw Lucien for that because Mattie told him off for getting into scrapes and gave him no sympathy what so ever.

Mattie noticed Elizabeth was looking tired and suggested to Charlie they get back to the hotel for dinner, actually a light supper, they were still full from lunch.

Kissing her mother-in-law, she said they'd a call again before they left for home. She thanked them all for a lovely day as Charlie hugged his mother.

They strolled hand in hand back to the hotel.

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As they lay in bed, spent from getting know more about each other, Mattie looked into Charlie's eyes and smiled.

'Your family are lovely,' she said.

'They think you are, too,' he kissed the tip of her nose.

'Charlie, would you might dreadfully if we went to see if we can meet dad?' She was sorry Martin had not met Charlie properly and got to know him, but she still wanted to mend fences.

'If that's what you want, of course not. How do you want to go about it?' His worry was that Martin would either refuse to see her at all, or if he did, be horribly unkind to her.

'I think a surprise visit to the house.' She said, 'if he's not in we can leave a note to say where we are and give him the opportunity to come and meet us on neutral ground.'

'A politician's daughter, eh?' he teased.

She dug him in the ribs for that, 'I hope I'm a bit more diplomatic than he is, though.' She replied and draped herself over his chest as she had done the night before. It really was a most comfortable spot, she thought as her eyes closed in sleep. Charlie kissed the top of her head, it was the only part he could reach without disturbing her, and allowed his eyes to close too.

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Mattie and Charlie stood at the end of the drive to the O'Brien residence. She sighed and gripped his arm tightly, she wasn't feeling quite so brave or sure about this now.

'You don't have to, you know?' whispered Charlie, 'I won't think any less of you if you want to turn round and go back.'

'No,' Mattie squared her slight shoulders, 'I need to do this. I need to know if he really doesn't want to be a part of our family anymore.'

The drive was long and edges with shrubs, it was at the time of year when they were at their most colourful and the scent was quite heady. Standing at the top of the steps to the front door, Mattie knocked. The door knocker echoed down the hallway and quick, precise step were heard advancing to answer the door.

'Miss Matilda!' the housekeeper, Gina, was delighted to see the young woman. She hadn't seen or heard anything about her for some time but, in her position, it was not right she should ask. She had heard Sir and Madam arguing recently over their daughter and Madam had mysteriously disappeared. Sir had said she would be away for a while. Gina was an Italian and family was everything to her.

'Hello, Gina,' Mattie smiled, Gina had been a partner in crime when Mattie was home from school, sneaking her biscuits and cake to her room when she had been sent to bed for a misdemeanour or three! 'How are you?'

'I'm very well, thank you Miss.' Gina grinned, she was very fond of Matilda, always her full name at home.

'Is father in?' Mattie inquired, almost hoping she'd say 'no'.

'I'm afraid he is away for today and tomorrow, Miss, and so is your mother.'

'Oh, never mind, it was just a fleeting visit. This is my husband, Charlie Davies,' Mattie introduced Charlie with a smile.

'Pleased to meet you, Sir,' Gina was always very formal, just how Martin wanted it.

'Nice to meet you too, Gina,' Charlie extended his hand and a surprised Gina took it. She was unused to visitors being so friendly, it was always so formal.

'Please, Miss Matilda,' she indicated they should go into the house, 'Cook has just made some fresh biscuits. Come down to the kitchen and try them.' Mattie had spent an awful lot of time in the kitchen, not learning to cook, but testing Cook's biscuits and cakes. She had a sweet tooth.

Mattie smiled and took Charlie down to the kitchen, this was the part of home she would rather show him, not the drawing room, or the dining room, the place she felt most relaxed.

Peeking into a large room with an even bigger table than Jean's Mattie squealed and ran over to a plump woman standing with her back to them She flung her arms around the woman,

'Cookie!'

'Miss Matilda, oh my heavens, where did you spring from?' Cook, or Cookie to Mattie, held her at arm's length and grinned her approval at how well she looked.

'I'm in Melbourne on my honeymoon.' Mattie proudly introduced Charlie, 'This is Charlie.'

'Pleased to meet you Mr Charlie,' Cook shook his hand, 'Now, Gina, tea. Sit down you two and tell me what you think of these.'

Cook put a plate of delicious looking biscuits down, still slightly warm from the oven.

'Cookie, did you know I was coming, you know your shortbread is hard to beat.' Mattie spoke with her mouthful, Charlie laughed, but he agreed that perhaps Jean and Cook had been trained together, there wasn't much difference between their shortbread, they were both superb.

It was so relaxed down in the kitchen, Mattie was obviously very much at home there. Mattie knew they wouldn't ask about her time in London so she volunteered the tale of her work there, her training, her marriage to Tom and her subsequent widowhood. Cook and Gina both hugged her when they heard about Tom but were delighted to see the photograph of Grace, proclaiming her to be the image of Mattie at that age! Charlie watched, amused at the three women renewing their friendship. Now he knew why Mattie was so approachable, so loving and giving to everyone she came across. These two ladies had almost brought her up, and certainly indulged her when her parents were forging political alliances.

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As Sir and Madam weren't at home Cook suggested they stay to eat some dinner with them in the kitchen. It wouldn't be anything special but it would be ...

'Oh Cookie,' Mattie hugged her, 'that would be lovely!'

'Can we help?' Charlie asked, 'we do at home, we all muck in together. The doctor's wife is expecting so we all lend a hand. And, you know, Mattie's not too bad in the kitchen.' That comment got him a playful punch on the arm, but she agreed it would be fun to cook together.

There was much hilarity in the kitchen as they all moved around between the table and the oven. Cook was impressed with Charlie's preparation of the meat and vegetables, and surprised at Mattie's skill with the sauce for the meat, not a lump in sight!

The laughter and talk during the meal sounded as if a large family were having a party. They did not realise how the time had flown by even while they were washing up, and the newlyweds didn't leave until quite late. Mattie ordered a taxi to get them back to the hotel, leaving a note for her father to say where they were and how long they were staying. She invited him to contact them at the hotel to arrange to meet for tea.

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Martin didn't call. Mattie was disappointed but not surprised. She had a little weep but as Charlie held her close he whispered,

'You've done all you can, and I think you've been very generous holding out the olive branch. He knows where you are and it is now up to him.' He kissed her, slowly and tenderly.

'Why does he have to be so stubborn?' she whimpered, 'he's going to miss his grandchildren growing up. I loved my granddad and I wanted Grace to be able to love him. She doesn't have a grandfather.'

'Lucien would beg to differ.' Charlie offered the doctor as a substitute. He was generally called 'Uncle' Lucien, but maybe he could be the grandfather Grace deserved. He certainly spoiled her, so much that he kept getting told off by both Jean and Mattie.

Mattie smiled through her tears, 'S'pose so,' she blew her nose and pulled herself together. They were due home the following day, home; where the heart was.

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Well, Martin was never going to come round, in my mind, and you have to have a 'villain'! I'd like to continue this story, at least until Jean has her babies.