by Wendy Gill
Again, Mr Moyer waited for Jackson to speak. He did not.
"I also know you have been awarded two medals for your bravery. I will be proud to be able to boast that you are my son-in-law, but it has taken you eight years to come up to scratch. Lord, we thought you would never get around to proposing to our daughter.
"I had said to Sally, on more than one occasion, that I was going to have a word with you about it, but she would hear none of it. She said if we started interfering then Blanche would cry off. It has all been a lot of damn silly nonsense if you ask me.
“Now be off with you. My daughter needs her rest now that she is with child and do not forget to come and collect her in the morning to go and see that vicar or I shall be ’round with my shotgun.”
Jackson walked back home in a daze. He was glad to escape the house, the turn of events that evening had taken him completely by surprise. Blanche’s parents were nothing like he had expected them to be, they were both a force to be reckoned with.
While walking home, Jackson began to feel ridiculous. He had just stood there like a dummy. He had never uttered a single word the whole time he was there. Things had been taken out of his hands and he had been carried along with all this sudden change of events in his life from the moment Blanche had told them she was pregnant.
One thing Charlie had been right about, this baby of his had started to change his life already and he had only known of its existence for a few hours. What would happen to his life once the baby was born? He did not know, but one thing he was certain about, he could not wait to see it and hold it in his arms.
Charlie was still up when Jackson reached home, and he found him in the sickroom sitting in the chair near the window reading the little black occurrence book.
“Jackson, how did it go?” Charlie wanted to know.
"I have been rendered speechless twice in the last few hours Charlie. I have been threatened with a shotgun and nearly smothered in the biggest pair of breasts you have ever seen.
Charlie’s eyes danced, and he made a mental note to repeat this to Ella and Clarence, knowing they would appreciate it too.
“I have been welcomed with open arms by the Moyers, and Blanche’s father says there is a considerable dowry attached to Blanche and I have not got to refuse it. Refuse it, what sort of a man does he think I am? It means there will be enough money for me to get the surgery up and running and not have to rely on you and Clarence to subsidise me. That is enough about me. How is the patient doing?”
“He has not made a sound whilst I have been sitting here reading this occurrence book.”
“Have you found anything out?”
“No, there is nothing in here to help me even hazard a guess as to why he was being chased across the meadow with a couple of bullets lodged in him.”
“I am going to get some warm milk and try and get him to drink it before I go to bed. Will you wait here and help me lift him into a semi-sitting position before you retire?”
“Of course, then I am going to bed. I am up early in the morning. I am going into Hotshell to try and find out if he is one of their policemen.”
Things went better than Blanche had expected when they went to see the vicar. She had known the vicar since she was a child and he was delighted to be having the opportunity to conduct the marriage ceremony.
The date was set for the following Friday, giving Blanche and Jackson enough time to plan for a small celebratory party afterwards. Nothing too big or expensive, just their three close friends and Blanche’s parents was what they had decided upon.
Ella spent all Sunday in Aunt Fran’s workshop trying to sort out her aunt’s things. Most of it was to do with her collection of drawings and illustrations she had cut out of books and stuck into scrapbooks.
She was fascinated by them. Some of them were quite spectacular, especially the black and white etchings. The faces of some of the people in the illustrations were very beautiful and some were very funny. There were also etchings of faraway places, places Ella had never heard of before and she found them all enthralling.
She came across two piles of scrapbooks completely different to the illustrated ones and these too kept her captivated. These scrapbooks had black silhouettes pasted onto the white pages of the scrapbooks. All sorts of different shapes, sizes and caricatures covered the pages.
Ella stacked them all up in a corner. She was going to ask Mr Grundy if she could take them with them when they moved to West Street.
She also decided to add to her late aunt’s collection and she intended to learn how to cut out the silhouettes, it would give her something to do in the long winter evenings.
Ella worked away trying to get things sorted out, so Jackson could take possession of the workshop as soon as possible.
Mr Grundy had gone to his office with the intention of doing the same, sorting some of his files out and taking them down into the basement to store. He got as far as taking some of the files out of the cabinets and placing them on the top. He had nearly completed this task when he decided he had done enough for one day.
He was about to put on his coat and go home, then he changed his mind. There were only the bottom drawers of two of the cabinets left to empty, so he decided he would finish the job. His back was aching by bending down so he took two chairs over to the cabinets, threw a cushion on the floor and knelt on it.
Mr Grundy proceeded to empty the first drawer and he placed all the files on one of the chairs. Moving his cushion across to the last drawer, he emptied it of files and as before, he placed the files on the second chair. He then slammed the drawer shut with satisfaction. Now, he could go home with a clear conscience.
He pulled himself up by the cabinet’s drawer handles, groaning at the effort but he was more than pleased with his days’ work. He had no qualms about leaving all the files piled up on the cabinet tops and chairs; Ella was going to help him move them all down into the basement.
No visitors came knocking on Mr Grundy’s door on Sunday and they spent a pleasant evening in each other’s company. Although when they retired to the front room Mr Grundy was soon nodding off in his favourite chair.
While Mr Grundy enjoyed his catnap, Ella found one of her aunt’s books and was more than content to sit and read.
While they were having their evening meal, Ella mentioned the scrapbooks to Mr Grundy and asked him if she could take them all over to West Street and carry on with the collection.
Mr Grundy told Ella that her Aunt Fran spent hours in the workshop with her scrapbooks and one of the reasons they had the workshop built in the first place was to give her aunt more daylight to work by and storage space for her precious scrapbooks.
He told Ella that her aunt would have her little desk placed in front of the window, so she could look up and see the meadow when she wanted to give her eyes a rest. He had moved the desk away from the window when Fran had passed on because every time he went into the workshop he expected to see Fran sitting at the desk and it was most upsetting.
When Mr Grundy woke from his catnap, Ella suggested they should go next door to check on the patient and they found Blanche busy in the kitchen.
“You look very domesticated Blanche,” Ella smiled.
“Don’t I just. I am getting some practice in before Friday when I shall be living here officially until the baby arrives. Jackson asked me to make some chicken soup for us all then he can give some to the patient. I have not seen Charlie, so I do not know if he will be in for dinner, but there will be plenty of soup to go around if he does turn up.”
“How is the patient?” Mr Grundy wanted to know.
"Still unconscious but Jackson thinks there is a slight improvement. He keeps feeding him with milk and giving him plenty of water. That is why he asked me if I would make a soup for dinner tonight; he said he will try and get the patient to take some of it.
“So here I am, making soup. I only hope I do not poison everyone. I am not used to cooking but, funnily enough, I have foun
d it relaxing. Our cook at home told me what to do so at least I have her instructions to follow.”
“May I go up and see the patient for myself?” asked Mr Grundy.
“Yes, of course you may, you do not have to ask my permission Mr Grundy. I am sure Charlie would have no objection.”
After Mr Grundy had left Ella asked, “How are things with you and your parents?”
"Believe it or not they have been very supportive. My father thinks Jackson is the best son-in-law he could possibly have. I think it is because Jackson has a couple of medals and he can boast about it to all the fellow members at the club, but I don’t care what the reason is Ella. I am so happy they have accepted him, and my mother and I seem to have become less animated with each other.
“I think she is looking forward to having a grandchild. You are coming to our wedding Ella, aren’t you? I would very much like you to be my maid of honour if you would.”
“I would be honoured Blanche, thank you for asking me but I have nothing to wear.”
"Tomorrow is Monday, I am coming to do something with your hair then we can go into town to go shopping. I will buy you a new outfit for the wedding, as a thank you gift. It is only right that I should provide you with your gown. I will take you to meet my mother and father and I shall ask my mother if she would like to come shopping with us.
“I shall also ask my father for some money. It is something I have not done for a long time. He gives me an allowance of course, but I never ask him for anything else. I think my father would like that, if I was to ask him for some money. Then we will all go on a spending spree. I have not been on a spending spree for quite a while but now I am looking forward to it very much. Do you mind if I ask my mother to come shopping with us Ella?”
“It is very exciting just thinking about it. Of course, I don’t mind you asking your mother to join us I shall look forward to meeting her. It is also such a long time since I went shopping for something for myself. I shall explain the situation to Mr Grundy and I am sure he will supply me with some money too. He tells me that I am rich and that my Aunt Fran left me all her money, so I shall ask him if it is possible for me to have some of that money and we shall all three of us go and have a good time spending in the shops. Do you think your mother will be willing to join us?”
“I do not know but I shall ask her all the same. She is glad I am getting married and she has not told Jackson he is not welcome in their house, quite the reverse. I thought they disapproved of him, but I was wrong, so I am going to hang the white flag out and see if my mother and I can become friends from now on.”
“Good, I am glad to hear it. I wish I had a mother to go shopping with. You are very lucky Blanche, that your mother is still alive,” Ella told her.
“I never thought about it like that, but yes, I am lucky my mother is still alive.”
Mr Grundy came back into the kitchen and they said their goodnights and went back home.
Ella said to Mr Grundy over a steaming cup of hot chocolate, “Did you know Jackson and Blanche are getting married on Friday?”
“Yes, he came into the sick room to see the patient just before I came back down to join you and Blanche in the kitchen. He told me that just the five of us are going to be there. Charlie is going to be the best man and you are to be the maid of honour with me bringing up the rear. Mr and Mrs Moyer are to be present of course, I had forgotten about them. That will make seven of us. Jackson’s mother and father died years ago.”
"That is right. Blanche has asked me to be her maid of honour and tomorrow we are going shopping for some new clothes for the wedding. She is going to ask her mother if she would like to come with us and she is also going to ask her father for some money too.
“Blanche is going to buy me a dress for the wedding as a thank you present. I told her I would ask you if it was possible for me to have some of my Aunt Fran’s money, so I can join in and then I will not feel like a loose fish. It is such a long time since I had any spare money to spend.”
“Of course, I will give you some money for tomorrow Ella. Go and enjoy it, then on Tuesday we will go to the bank and get your Aunt Fran’s money transferred over to you, then you will not have to ask me for money again.”
“I will pay you back when we have been to the bank. Thank you, Mr Grundy.”
"You will do no such thing. I said I would give you some money and that is what I meant, not lend you some money. So, do not be ungrateful Ella. Please allow me to join in your fun. I shall get more pleasure from knowing you are enjoying yourself spending it, than I would letting it just sit in the bank doing nothing.
"What is money to me now? If I did not have any, that would be a different thing altogether, I would not be able to give you any. As I stand now, I can afford to be a little generous and give you some money to be frivolous with, in fact I shall get it for you now before I forget, then you will not have to ask me again. I know how difficult it must be to have to ask someone for money.
“You go and enjoy yourself Ella. I know your Aunt Fran would want you to, she was very proud of you, of the way you survived, after your father died. I have a few things I need to sort out tomorrow, so I will be up and out very early, our paths might not cross until evening. There is no need for you to rise early you can sleep in as long as you like.”
“Luxury, sheer luxury Mr Grundy, you do not know how much it means to me to be able to lie-in for as long as I like.”
“And you do not know how much it means to me to have you here, my dear. I was so lonely when Fran left me.”
Mr Grundy left the kitchen and came back with a bundle of paper money and handed it to Ella.
“Mr Grundy, I cannot take all this,” Ella said in dismay.
He Mr Grundy leaned forward and taking Ella’s hand in his, he closed her fingers over the bundle of money and holding it tight he said, “Take the money Ella, and go and spend it. You never know what is around the corner, you may never have this opportunity again, take every opportunity that is offered to you. Now I am going to bed and if our paths do not cross in the morning, enjoy your spending trip. Goodnight my dear, sweet dreams.”
“Goodnight Mr Grundy. I know I said I would come to the office with you to start on the filing tomorrow but having my hair done and going shopping has tempted me to indulge myself instead. If we are finished with our shopping early I will head for the office and make a start on the filing.”
“There is no rush to see to the filing Ella, I have taken all the files out of the cabinets and piled them on top and on a couple of chairs. We can take them down to the basement as the opportunity arises. Jackson and Blanche have a few months yet before the baby is born. You have your hair done my dear, the filing can wait.”
Before Mr Grundy left her, he went over to the drawer next to the sink and took out a bunch of keys, “Here, take these, they were your Aunt Fran’s keys. They fit both the office and this house, so you may come and go as you please.”
When Mr Grundy had gone to bed, Ella opened her hand and counted the money and found he had given her fifty pounds. A fortune indeed. Tears welled up in her eyes but only one dropped onto the kitchen table. She put the money and the keys carefully in her pocket, washed up the teacups ready for breakfast and went upstairs to bed.
Chapter Seven
Blanche went up to her parents’ bedroom and knocked on the door, she was greeted by her father’s voice saying, “Come in.”
Both her parents were sitting up in bed reading. There was a lit double candlestick standing on a bedside cabinet at either side of their bed. They were both shocked to see their daughter walk in and sit at the bottom of their bed. She had not done this since she was a little girl of no more than ten years old.
“Mother, Ella and I are going shopping tomorrow. Would you like to join us? I am going to buy Ella a gown for the wedding. She has agreed to be my maid of honour and buying her the dress is the least I can do for her as a thank you gift. You will like Ella, Mother, she is all I am not,
she is small, pretty and very clever,” Blanche told her mother.
"And what makes you think I would prefer her to you? You have some funny notions in your head about your father and me, Blanche. I have only to look in the mirror and see where your height comes from. I have never had a problem with my height and neither has your father.
"We have been extremely happy over the years but the only thing we are sorry about is not giving you a brother or sister. It just did not happen, but we had you and we have never complained over anything about you.
“And I might add you are very pretty and much more intelligent than I. No doubt I shall like Ella very much if she is a friend of yours, but I love you Blanche. I would very much like to come shopping with you both tomorrow and if Ella is going to have a new outfit for the wedding, then so are we.”
“In that case Father, may I have some money?” Blanche asked.
“By Jove you shall have as much money as you want and so shall your mother.”
Mr Moyer threw off the bedclothes and padded across the bedroom carpet with bare feet and dressed only in his nightshirt. He went over to a portrait of his wife and pushing it to one side, he opened a safe and came back with three rolled-up wads of bank notes.
“Here is one for you,” he handed one of the rolls of money to Blanche, “one for you,” he handed one to his wife, “and one for my grandson. Go and spend some money.” He handed the third wad of notes to Blanche.
“Thank you Father, but there is no guarantee that you will get a grandson,” Blanche told him.
“Nonsense, of course it will be a grandson. Jackson is a hero, he will not be fathering a girl, I can assure you of that,” her father was adamant.
