by Rosie Clarke
‘Yes if I did something that I would never be able to serve my guests I’m pretending to be something I’m not.’
‘Oh, Peggy, no wonder we all love you,’ Maureen said. ‘Yes, you stay true to yourself and then it doesn’t matter. After all, you didn’t ask to be a part of this, you won’t care if you don’t win.’
‘I haven’t even given it a thought,’ Peggy said honestly. ‘Whoever put me in for it was well meaning, but I would never have entered myself, even though the prize is a nice diploma to hang on the wall and five hundred pounds…’
‘As much as that?’ Maureen stared at her. ‘I thought it would be a silver trophy or fifty pounds.’
‘I couldn’t believe it when I saw the figure. I read it twice before I took it in – not that I imagine I’ll stand a chance. Apparently, it’s a huge thing, far more than I thought when we first got the nomination. There will be an awards ceremony and everything… a lunch I imagine. They host them for fishing competitions and all sorts…’
Maureen nodded, because lunch at the Savoy was usually considered the best part of winning a big competition and you often saw the winners in the paper with their trophy. ‘It’s fabulous that you got to the finals of something like that,’ Maureen said.
‘Yes…’ Peggy shook her head. ‘I had no idea they did things like that – I still feel amazed even now. Apparently, even if I come last, I’ll still get a year’s supply of soaps from a leading manufacturer for my guests.’
‘I’ll bet that’s what it is all about, advertising for big firms,’ Maureen said. ‘Gordon often talks about sales incentives and I reckon a big firm is sponsoring this to get their name in the papers.’
Peggy laughed softly. ‘I think you might be right, Maureen – the winner will probably have to say they always use a certain brand of soap or something.’
Maureen nodded and popped the last of her cakes in the oven. ‘That’s me finished then. I’ll put the kettle on and we’ll have a sit-down,’ she smiled. ‘Pip and Sheila get back to London today, don’t they?’
‘Yes. She said she thought they would be moving him in the middle of the morning and she would travel up on the nine o’clock train – which should get her home within the hour.’
‘I’ll go and fetch Gordy and Matty from Mrs Simpson’s,’ Maureen said, ‘and then I’ll come back and see how Sheila is.’
Peggy agreed and placed her last tray of almond macaroons in the oven. ‘I hope these turn out as well as the last batch. Able really loves them – but I never used to get them quite right until Sheila told me her secret.’
Sheila looked tired but well when she came in carrying her daughter in a cot and a small suitcase. Peggy went to take the case and embrace her, kissing her granddaughter.
‘How are you, love? Was it a tiring journey on your own with this little one?’
‘Not too bad,’ Sheila said and sighed. ‘She’s been amazingly good – but I’m glad to be home.’
‘Yes, of course you are, love,’ Peggy said and smiled at her. ‘Maureen will be back soon. She’s just collecting the children from Mrs Simpson. Alice had a bit of a chill, so she couldn’t have them today.’
‘Poor Alice,’ Sheila sympathised. ‘It was chilly the day before yesterday, she may have caught cold…’
‘September is normally glorious, but it has been cool this past week,’ Peggy replied. ‘I think it is warmer today, but it was very bitter the other day – and Alice is seventy-seven. I thought she was a bit younger, but she told me the other day that she will be seventy-eight in November.’
‘Oh yes, it’s her birthday – we must have a little party for her, Peggy.’
She looked thoughtful. ‘You always gave a party for the regulars at Christmas, but we let it slide when we took over. We shan’t wait for Christmas this year; we’ll have a party for our regulars on Alice’s birthday.’
Peggy nodded her agreement. ‘She would love that; it would be the best present we could give her.’
‘Since you took her in, she has thrived,’ Sheila said. ‘I didn’t do all I might in the years you were away. I didn’t know her the way you did, but I should’ve made it my business to get to know her – she is elderly and needs help.’
‘Don’t let Alice hear you say that,’ Peggy laughed. ‘She thinks she’s still capable of anything, and most of the time she is – sprightly and sensible, though once or twice lately she’s looked a bit tired. But I didn’t want her living alone and having to choose between buying food or coal for her fire. Since I married Able, I’ve been lucky and never wanted for anything. I like to pass on a little of my good luck.’
‘Yes, I know what you mean.’ Sheila looked at her enquiringly. ‘When will you visit Pip?’
‘Tomorrow,’ Peggy confirmed. ‘He’ll be tired after the move to London and will need to settle… so I’ll go tomorrow afternoon.’
‘What about Janet?’
‘She will visit with me – and then she’ll go back to Scotland with Ryan and Maggie at the weekend. It’s been lovely having them here. Goodness knows when we’ll see them again.’
‘You could go up later; you said you hadn’t got much booked in for November. You could take a few days then?’
‘Oh, you don’t know, do you?’ Peggy smiled. ‘I’m through to the final of that competition I told you about, that’s in mid-November and I have to cook a meal…’ she nodded thoughtfully. ‘Fay has a big competition then too.’
30
Pip was lying with his eyes shut when Peggy and Janet approached his bed in the men’s ward at the London hospital the next day, but he opened them and smiled. ‘You’ve come at last,’ he said and then gave his mother a reproachful look. ‘Hello, Janet. You look a different shape since I last saw you. Sheila says you’ve got a boy at last – where is my wife anyway?’
‘Sheila is having a rest,’ Janet said. ‘She’ll come and see you later this evening for an hour.’
He nodded, but his eyes were still dark with latent storm clouds as he looked at his mother. ‘I could’ve died and you would never have seen me again…’ he said in an accusing manner.
‘Mum had to hold the fort while we came,’ Janet said. ‘Don’t blame her, Pip.’
‘Don’t bother defending me,’ Peggy looked her son in the eyes as she spoke. ‘I’ve been thinking of you, Pip, but be angry with me if it helps. Your father used to do that when he was worried or upset.’
His gaze fell away and then he looked at Janet. ‘Clear off for a while, will you, sis? I want to talk to Mum alone.’
‘I’ll be in the corridor and come back in a few minutes,’ Janet obliged with a shake of her head. Peggy sat on the chair by his bed and looked at him, silently placing the paper bag of fruit and a magazine by his bedside.
‘What’s on your mind?’
‘Did you tell Sheila what the police told you?’ Pip asked. His question, asked so directly, took her by surprise but she knew immediately what he meant.
‘I thought you’d forgotten that bit?’ she said and looked at him curiously. ‘No, I didn’t tell her that the young woman who was with you was pregnant, if that’s what you’re worried about. I haven’t told anyone – is she your mistress?’
‘No, she bloody well isn’t!’ Pip retorted, looking furious. ‘The police questioned me about her over and over, but I told them I had never seen her before that night. I can’t believe you thought it!’
‘I won’t lie. It did cross my mind, but I didn’t want to believe you would do to Sheila what your father did to me – and I would never dream of hurting her by mentioning something like that—’ She bit her lip. ‘I’m sorry for doubting you, but I why were you at a hotel in Winchester, when you were supposed to be in Devon?’
Pip frowned. ‘It was drizzling with rain that evening and I saw her standing there on the street, looking lost and miserable, so I picked her up. She said she had no money and nowhere to go, so I was taking her to a hostel I knew of. I gave her two pounds and stopped at the bot
tom of the hill – and then something hit us and I knew no more until Janet and Sheila were sitting beside me in the hospital.’ He frowned. ‘If you must know I was attending an interview for a new job – one that wouldn’t take me away so often, but it was no good…’
‘So, you were thinking of Sheila…’ Peggy nodded thoughtfully. ‘That girl ran off and the police wanted to trace her in case she or the baby were harmed.’
‘That’s what they told me, but I couldn’t help, because I only know her name was Polly – if it was her real name…’
‘It probably isn’t and half her story, whatever she told you, may not be either.’ Peggy smiled at him. ‘It was a kind thing to do, Pip, but sometimes being kind rebounds on you.’
Pip looked at her directly. ‘I thought you believed I was like Dad – that I’d betrayed my marriage. I thought that was why you hadn’t visited me in hospital.’
‘You will never know how much I wanted to,’ Peggy told him earnestly and tears gathered in her eyes. She blinked them away. ‘I’ve missed you, worried about you, and I was desperate to see you for myself, but someone had to look after things and both Janet and Sheila were eager to see you, love. I did what I believed would help you most – and I was right…’ She smiled at him. ‘Janet always knew how to get through to you. You have traces of your father, Pip, that is bound to be – but you’ve got me in you, too. I shall never stop loving you, because you’re my son.’
‘And I love you, Mum. I got myself in a right stew thinking you’d condemned me without giving me an opportunity to explain.’
‘I would never do that,’ she said on a soft sigh. ‘I’ll give anyone the benefit of the doubt – and I’ll always protect you, because you’re mine.’
Pip grinned at her. ‘I’m just a big baby at heart, Mum. I know I can be moody – just like Dad – but I love Sheila far too much to betray her. I was only angry over the baby because I was afraid that I would lose her.’
‘Well, now you have your lovely little girl, Chris, and Sheila, Janet and Maggie. Little Ryan, big Ryan, the twins, Able and me too…’
‘I’m lucky,’ he admitted. ‘I don’t think I knew how lucky until I came close to losing it all.’
‘I think that’s the same for a lot of us,’ Peggy agreed. ‘Cheer up, Pip, your injuries are healing well they tell us and you’ll be back home soon. It probably means coming back for physiotherapy for your shoulder injury for a couple of months and your ankle will still be in plaster a bit longer, but when they told us about the injuries, I thought they were even worse. We were lucky, Pip. They did say there might be some internal damage, because you had broken ribs, but it wasn’t major and they stitched you up. At least, that’s what I’ve been told.’
‘I may need to take a bit of care in the winter, because I could get problems with my lungs but I’ll be better when I get home.’
Peggy bent to kiss his cheek, trying not to let him see her anxiety. ‘Let’s hope that’s soon. Sheila needs you, love – as we all do.’ A little shiver went through her. ‘For a while I thought I might lose you – and I hope they punish the driver who did this to you…’
‘His brakes failed apparently. It will be his firm who has to pay for not making sure it was safe.’ Pip frowned. ‘I don’t feel bitter, Mum, and nor should you. I just thank God I’m still alive.’
‘As long as there is no permanent damage to your lungs – though someone ought to pay for what happened to you.’
‘All I want is to get out of here. I’ve had enough of hospitals to last me forever,’ he grumbled but grinned as his sister ambled back to him. ‘Mum has sorted me out.’
‘That’s more than you deserve,’ his sister said and gave him a playful punch on his arm. ‘If it was me, I’d clip your ear for you – she was always too soft with you, even when we were kids.’
‘I was no different with either of you,’ Peggy protested, but she’d seen the way Pip’s eyes lit up as he prepared for battle with the sister he’d always loved and admired.
‘So, what are you calling my nephew?’ he demanded. ‘I hope it isn’t after me. I hated the name Philip.’
‘That’s why we called you Pip,’ his mother said. ‘It was your father’s choice. I wanted to call you George after my grandfather and the King.’
‘Georgie?’ Pip scowled. ‘I’d prefer Philip to that – or Pip. At least Dad did me one favour.’
‘He did you lots of favours,’ Janet said. ‘He always held you up to me as an example of a good son, whereas I was a disappointment…’
‘He wasn’t much of a judge then,’ Pip said. ‘You’re worth ten of me, Janet.’
‘I couldn’t agree more,’ she said serenely and he laughed. It was a good sound and one of the nurses looked across at them and then came over.
‘Mr Ashley hasn’t laughed like that since he got here,’ she said. ‘I’m Nurse Jenkins. Our patient is getting on well, but we were a bit concerned he might be depressed, but I can see that isn’t the case.’
‘My sister and mother soon put me in my place, nurse,’ Pip told her. ‘If I sulk, I need a good kick up the pants.’
‘I’ll remember that,’ she quipped and grinned. ‘How soon are you going to take him home?’
‘As soon as he can come,’ Peggy answered instantly. ‘Is there any chance of that?’
‘Well, we need the beds,’ Nurse Jenkins said, a twinkle in her eye. ‘I think probably after Doctor’s rounds tomorrow we’ll know more. He’ll need more treatment, but he can probably come in as an outpatient.’
‘Good,’ Janet and Peggy said together.
‘Sheila will be pleased,’ Peggy went on. ‘She needs her husband with her now she has a small baby and her businesses to run.’
Pip frowned and then nodded. ‘Mum – would you take the pub on again full-time?’
‘Have you discussed this with Sheila?’
‘Not yet – but I’d like to move nearer to my real work. It would mean less separation for us and we could have rooms over the pub still and come up for holidays.’
‘I shall have to think about it and talk to Able,’ Peggy replied thoughtfully. ‘There is a lot to consider, Pip. I wouldn’t mind running the pub of course, but the bed and breakfast is doing well – I might have to take on a partner to help.’
‘Sheila’s shop doesn’t bring in much,’ Pip said and we don’t make a fortune out of the pub either. I’ve been offered excellent terms if I go into the office more and we’d be better off than we are now.’
‘Money isn’t everything, love,’ Peggy reminded him. ‘If Sheila would be happy with the move, I’ll sort something out for you – but you have to talk to her first. And give yourself time to recover from this – good grief, Pip, for a week we thought you might never recover consciousness…’
‘Yes, I know, and I will rest and talk to Sheila, but I wanted to ask you if you were willing first. You work hard enough as it is—’ He frowned. ‘I wouldn’t need to drive as far as I do now or sit for hours on trains that get delayed every time there’s leaves on the track, but if it would mean too much work for you…’
‘Not as much as I have worked in the past. During the war, I had it all to do, but Able helps me so much,’ Peggy told him. ‘Give it some more thought, Pip. ‘I’ll talk to Able and then we’ll have a family dinner and decide what’s best.’
‘Take over the pub again?’ Able looked at her after she’d finished telling him, noticing the sparkle in her eyes. ‘Would you enjoy that, hon?’
‘Yes, I think so. I’d have to take on more help, of course, but I should enjoy being back behind the bar more.’
‘What about the bed and breakfast?’
‘I think Pearl might move in here and take over. She’d need an assistant and she’d still be working for me but as a live-in manager.’
‘You wouldn’t rather sell it?’
‘No, I’d like to keep both but employ more help,’ Peggy said. She frowned. ‘The only thing is – I’m not sure when we’d
ever find the time to go down to the cottage, Able. It’s a shame and I feel bad about it – but would you mind if we let it out so we don’t have the expense of a caretaker? I don’t want it to go to rack and ruin because we don’t visit.’
‘We could do that,’ he said. ‘Or we could sell it?’
‘You and the children would be so disappointed. If we keep it, we can go down there in the future. We might even let it as holiday accommodation and keep a space for ourselves.’
‘Yes…’ Able nodded but didn’t answer. ‘Let’s think about it a bit, Peggy. I’ll get a price for selling it and discover what we could get in rent, if you like?’
‘Yes, you do that, love,’ she said. ‘Fay is caught up with her skating for now and Freddie has settled in with his football club and his ice hockey so they won’t mind.’
‘You don’t think so?’
‘I’m sure of it. They both love living in London, there is so much more for youngsters to do…as for me, it’s my true home.’
Able agreed, a thoughtful look in his eyes.
‘What do you think I could get for the Mulberry Lane house that I’m currently letting out?’ he asked the estate agent. ‘I need to raise some capital for another project.’
‘I would say between six and six hundred and fifty,’ the man said. ‘Six if you want a quick sale.’
‘I’ll give it some thought,’ Able said. ‘Thanks for the valuation – at least I can consider my options now.’ He nodded to himself. ‘I’ll be in touch shortly.’
‘Don’t leave it too long. It’s quite a good time at present.’
Able made no comment as he left the premises. It was October now and he saw the news headlines on a newspaper stand. They were going to open the Houses of Parliament at the end of the month; for the first time since it had been bombed during the war, it would be back in use.
