Jackson Is Missing

by Wendy Gill

  “I will go and see the vicar tomorrow, no, we will go and see the vicar tomorrow and see if we can get a special licence and get married as soon as we can. Is that alright with you Blanche?” Jackson wanted to know.

  “You ask if it is alright with me, of course it is alright with me. I do not know what to say, this has all come so unexpectedly.”

  Blanche looked ’round the table again and she felt as though she had finally found her place in the world, friends, a home, a husband and soon, a baby of her own to love and cherish.

  “What is your first name?” Ella asked Jackson.

  “Now why did you have to go and spoil such an excellent evening’s entertainment by asking a thing like that?” asked Jackson.

  “How is telling us your first name going to spoil the evening?”

  “Why can’t you just be happy to call me Jackson?”

  “The vicar will want to know your first name, for the marriage licence so we are going to find out sooner or later so why not get it over with now?” Ella was not going to let it go.

  “If you must know my first name is Charles.”

  “You are an old dog Jackson. You told me your first name was Ned,” Charlie accused him.

  “The world is full of Charlies, there are three of us in this room for a start,” Jackson told them.

  “There might be four,” Blanche patted her stomach.

  “I have already told you if it is a boy we are not calling him Charles,” Jackson glared at Blanche.

  “We will see,” she smiled.

  Charlie’s shoulders shook with laughter and he said, “This is what I call poetic justice, all the times you have called my name and it turns out we have identical names. That baby has started to change your life already Jackson old boy, and it is not even born yet.”

  “Thank you for the meal Ella. It was very nice of you to put yourself out on our behalf, but I must get Blanche home. It is getting late and she needs to rest you know. Now she is having my baby, I do not want her tired out.”

  Jackson wiped his mouth with his napkin and stood up, going around the table he pulled Blanche’s chair out for her and held out his arm for her to take.

  “For heaven’s sake Jackson, I am having a baby I am not an invalid. Ella, I was going to suggest I come over tomorrow and do something with your hair. Why on earth do you wear it in a bun severely tied back like that, it does not suit you.”

  "This is how I wore it when I was a governess. If I went around with my hair modish, I would not have lasted very long in my employment. Having said that, I did not last very long in my employment with my hair in a bun either.

  “But please come around tomorrow, I will be delighted to see you, in fact why don’t you make it Monday morning and then we can spend a bit of time getting to know each other. Tomorrow you are going to see the vicar with Jackson.”

  "Very well. I will see you early on Monday morning and when we have sorted out your hair, why don’t we go shopping afterwards? I feel much better now that I have told Jackson I am having a baby. It will give me something to look forward to. Thank you for the meal it was delicious.

  “Goodnight and thank you all again for your support, especially you Mr Grundy for offering Jackson the workshop. It is a wonderful opportunity for us. I never expected all this kindness when I set off to come here this evening,” Blanche told them.

  "Think nothing of it my dear. I am sure Fran would be over the moon to think her workshop is being put to good use and a baby running around to boot. Bless my soul it is a miracle.

  “But sit back down both of you. Another solution has just popped into my head while you were all talking, that might be just the very thing.” Mr Grundy motioned them both to sit back down.

  Blanche and Jackson retook their seats and Mr Grundy continued.

  "I have been thinking for a while, since Fran passed on, that I might retire. Hearing you two are in a situation, I have just made the decision that the time is right for me to hang up my boots.

  “The building in which my office is located belongs to me, it is bigger than this place and once I have put all my files in order and put them to storage in the basement, I can convert the building back into a house.”

  Mr Grundy looked around the table, but no one made any comment.

  “Ella seems to have settled in nicely, she already feels like one of us so instead of her looking around for a place to live I shall convert my office into a small flat for me and then Ella can have the rest of the building to herself.”

  Again, Mr Grundy looked ’round the table, but no one spoke.

  "Jackson and Blanche can move in here once we have things sorted out. We should be able to be out of here before the baby arrives. That way Ella will have her own place and I shall have mine, but we will be living in the same house and I will not feel that I have nobody or that I am totally alone in my old age.

  “Also, Ella will not be on her own, she will be under my protection. I think that would be the ideal solution for all of us, don’t you?”

  “Are you sure Mr Grundy? I do not want you to think you have to move out on our account,” Blanche told him.

  “You could use this place for the office and Blanche will be able to help you out with the paper work as well as being at home to look after the baby and if you need to, you can always build a couple of stables in the meadow at the side. What do you think of that, Jackson?”

  “Things seem to be going a little too fast for me to keep up with,” Ella said, “But as a plan, I cannot fault it. Well thought out Mr Grundy.”

  “I am speechless,” said Jackson.

  “Whatever it is you just said Clarence, remember it. Anything that can make Jackson speechless, will be worth a fortune,” Charlie told him.

  “Well, I am not speechless, and I want to say I never thought I would have such friends as the people sitting ’round this table. Mr Grundy, I am more than willing to accept your offer, it is a perfect solution to our problem. Thank you so very much,” and Blanche stood up and went over and gave Mr Grundy a hug and a kiss on the cheek, much to his discomfort.

  “And you shall never be alone in your old age for you have all of us,” Blanche added.

  “But I do not have any money to pay for all this. It is alright in theory, but one must be practical about these things. I am alright now, my living arrangements are very cheap, in fact none existent, although I do have a lot to put up with,” Jackson glanced across at Charlie.

  Continuing Jackson said, “But although I have most of the medical equipment I will need, there will be medicines required, bandages and to say nothing of cages if the animals need overnight stays, I just cannot do it.”

  “Then Charlie and I will go into business with you and help you out,” Mr Grundy told him.

  “The devil we will,” said Charlie.

  “There, that is one stumbling block before we start,” said a dejected Jackson.

  "You do not have to pay me any rent for the properties Jackson. If I retire, I can come and help you look after the animals. I like animals, and Charlie, although he says he won’t, I know damn well he will help with the funding of the materials you need. Ella can help with the baby if she wants to, if Blanche would like that of course. There are all sorts of things we can do to help.

  “Once you are on your feet, you can get your own surgery. You need not feel you will be a burden to us because you will not. You will be able to get somewhere of your own if you want to. I can only live in one house at a time so in that respect you will be helping me out. I trust you not to wreck the place.”

  No one spoke. All eyes turned to Charlie and he wanted to know, “Why is everyone looking at me?”

  “Jackson wants to know if he has your support,” Mr Grundy told him.

  “Wants my support, wants my support! What the devil does he think I have been doing these past ten years?” said a furious Charlie.

  "Why should I withdraw my support now, when he needs it most? It’s that fall from Mars t
hat did it, landing on his head, it has made him addled. He has never been the same since. Not that I knew him before he fell from the sky, and maybe that was a blessing.

  "I will help fund anything Jackson needs but I will not go into business with him, I have enough on my plate without starting up in business. He can pay me back when his pockets are flush.

  “A thought did go through my mind when Jackson mentioned getting married and Blanche is coming to live with us, I thought I might ask her to be the housekeeper. Keep it clean and have a meal ready for me when I get in from work, do my washing and things like that. I would pay her for her services until she has the baby of course, then she will have her own house to keep in order.”

  Ella looked at the stunned Blanche. It was Blanche’s turn to be speechless and Ella started laughing.

  “Poor Blanche, she has gone from thinking she was going to be snubbed because she is having a baby out of wedlock to having a husband, her own house and now a paid job. It is enough to make anyone speechless.”

  “Yes, and it is a damned unthoughtful thing to do now that she is having a baby. The shock of it is enough to knock anyone for six. I am going to take her home now and I am going to tell her parents that we are getting married and if they throw her out I shall bring her back here to her friends. Goodnight to you all.”

  Jackson stood up and taking Blanche by the hand he dragged her out of the kitchen and the assembled party in the kitchen heard the front door slam behind them.

  “I think that went well, don’t you?” Mr Grundy asked.

  Charlie burst out laughing, “Mr Grundy you are an old devil. Yes, I think that went very well indeed. It was worth it to see Jackson nonplussed. That is the first time I have seen that, he usually has an answer for everything. It was a pleasure to behold.”

  “With all this going on our man from the trunk has been forgotten. I hope he is alright,” Ella said.

  “You are right Ella my darling about our man from the trunk, I had better go and have a look at him, make sure he is comfortable for the night. No doubt Jackson will check him before he retires but I had better go and see him all the same. It has been a very pleasant evening Clarence, and a delicious meal Ella. I shall look forward to having many more evenings like this.” Charlie took his leave of them.

  Mr Grundy looked at Ella and asked, “Are you alright with the arrangements Ella? I know I took it upon myself to organise things, but I think Blanche has had a bad time of it growing up and then to find herself in this position I thought she needed some help.”

  “You do not have to ask my permission to do whatever you want with your property and money, Mr Grundy. I thought it was very expertly done if you must know, and I agree with you about Blanche. I think she is having difficulty in taking it all in. I know how she feels, I have only been here a couple of days myself and a lot of things have left me speechless too.”

  “You have only yourself to blame for that. You were the one that found the bleeding body in the trunk and from that moment on we have not had a moment’s peace. It has been one thing after another. I bet you made an excellent governess, the little cherubs in your care would not have known what had hit them.”

  Ella could not help laughing.

  “Come on, let us get these dirty dishes in the sink and I will see to them in the morning. I admit to being tired, it must be the country air.” Ella told him.

  “It has nothing to do with the air,” Mr Grundy groaned. “But I meant what I said about us moving into my office building together. I know you said you wanted a place of your own, but would you consider sharing the house with me. I won’t be much of a trouble to you. It will be nice for me to know there is someone else in the house besides myself.”

  “Mr Grundy, if I had to move away now, I would be devastated. I know I have only been here a couple of days, but I feel as though I have lived here all my life and as for moving into your office building with you, I would appreciate your protection and companionship. I do not want to be on my own either, and I would feel safer if I knew there was someone else in the house as well.”

  “Then I shall sleep well tonight, and I might even have a lie-in in the morning, get used to being retired. I am looking forward to it now I have made up my mind.”

  Mr Grundy stood up and took his plate to the sink then made his way to the staircase and to his bed.

  Ella watched with a smile on her face, she had become very fond of the old gentleman in such a short time.

  Whilst lying in her cosy single bed, Ella thought of the impropriety of it all. She was living with an elderly gentleman who had told her he was her uncle when she knew he was only her uncle by marriage.

  He is no blood relation and she had not even known her Aunt Fran had existed until a few days ago. Then there was the hole in the wall giving access to a bachelor home with a very nice bachelor living in it and his little Martian friend. Ella had not felt as safe as this since she had been left to fend for herself, this was her home now and she was going to stay, come what may. She pulled the covers snuggly around her neck and went to sleep with a contented smile on her face.

  Chapter Six

  Blanche and Jackson were told, on entering the Moyer’s residence that Mr and Mrs Moyer were in the sitting room. Without hesitation, Blanche led Jackson across the hall and into the sitting room where Blanche’s mother, dressed in a pale blue blouse and royal blue full-length skirt, was sitting reading a book.

  Her father was dressed in his favourite smoking jacket that had seen better days and was nodding off in his favourite black leather armchair that had also seen better days. There was a roaring fire blazing in an open fireplace and a discarded newspaper scattered on the floor.

  Mrs Moyer had given up trying to get her husband to abandon both smoking jacket and old black leather chair. Although he had plenty of new smoking jackets hanging in his wardrobe and comfortable armchairs in various other rooms in the house, he always seemed to revert to his old favourites.

  “Mother, we have come to tell you, Jackson and I are getting married as soon as we can. We are going to see the vicar tomorrow to arrange a special licence. You and Father will be welcome if you wish to attend the ceremony but if you do not, then it will be your loss. Jackson and I are having a baby. It is up to you whether you wish to be a part of your grandchild’s life growing up, but I will not under any circumstances allow you to interfere with any decisions Jackson and I make for the wellbeing of our baby.”

  Mrs Moyer looked from Blanche to Jackson, "We have done our best to try to find a suitable husband for you Blanche, and you have blocked our every turn. If this man is the one you have chosen, the one you want to spend the rest of your life with, then so be it.

  “Believe it or not, your father and I have only ever wanted you to be happy and if we will be welcome at your wedding, we would be delighted to attend. As for having a grandchild, it is the best gift you could possibly have given us. Your timing is a little unorthodox to say the least, it would have been better to get married first and then have your baby afterwards, but I will say no more on that subject. If you are willing to let your father and I be part of the child’s upbringing, then we ask for nothing more.”

  “How do you intend to provide for my daughter and grandchild?” a gruff voice came from the direction of the old black leather chair.

  “It may surprise you Papa, but I have friends, friends that are prepared to stand by us and support us. We are being given a roof over our heads and Jackson has been given a workshop to turn into a veterinary surgery. Jackson is a very fine vet and once he has been able to establish his business, he will be able to provide us with everything we need. Do not worry Papa, I will try my best not to come to you for assistance,” his daughter told him.

  "Since when have I ever kept you short of money? Money has never been the root of the disquiet that holds us apart. There was never anything your mother or I could do that pleased you, so in the end we stopped trying.

  "If this Jackson i
s the man you want to marry, then he will be as welcome here as you are. I hope you will allow your mother and me to see our grandchild and to tell you the truth, I hope you have more than one child. Your mother and I were not blessed with more children, as well you know.

  “Maybe if we’d had a brother or sister for you to play with, things might have been better between us. Let us have none of this nonsense about your mother and I not wanting to be part of your family, of course we want to be part of your life and our grandchild’s life. What sort of monsters are you trying to make us out to be?” Mr Moyer said angrily.

  Standing up, Mr Moyer came forward with his hand outstretch and Jackson who had been expecting to have a battle on his hands was once again left speechless.

  This was a new experience for Jackson, he had been brought up in a quiet little country village by his mother and father.

  There was never any money for extravagances, but he had never gone hungry. Jackson had no brothers or sisters either and once he had qualified as a vet he had joined the army.

  The opulence of the house had taken Jackson by surprise too, he could only stand and shake hands with his father-in-law to be.

  Mr Moyer was no taller than Jackson and he had a slim, lithe figure that belied his fifty years.

  Mrs Moyer on the other hand was as tall as her daughter and her figure was prone to the fuller figure, but nonetheless, she had a very striking presence and she clasped Jackson to her ample bosom and nearly squeezed the life out of him.

  “There will be a considerable dowry for Blanche of course, and I will not stand for any nonsense from you Jackson by refusing to take it. Blanche is our only child and what we possess belongs to her as well as us. This is her home and always will be.” Mr Moyer looked at Jackson and waited.

  When Jackson made no comment, Mr Moyer told him, “We know all about you. You don’t think Sally and I are ignorant of your character, do you? I have made it my business to find out about you and I know you are a very brave man. Colonel Gregson is a friend of mine and he has told me all about you being sent to the battlefield to look after the horses and when the doctor was killed you stepped in and saved more than one life of our brave men.”