The Midwives of Lark Lane

by Pam Howes

  ‘They have. Sandra’s all legs and long hair now and lad-mad,’ Alice said. ‘Rosie hasn’t changed much and neither has Roddy. The girls will be in from school shortly. Gianni has taken Lucy to meet Roddy but you can bet your life he’ll have been dragged into the café on Lark Lane for jam tarts and orange juice.’

  ‘And how is little Lucy?’

  ‘Not so little any more,’ Cathy replied. ‘She starts school in September. I can’t believe how quickly the time has flown. She hadn’t seen Gianni for a while until he came home and she’s already got him wrapped around her little finger. He falls hook, line and sinker for her demands though.’

  ‘What about your two boys?’ Alice asked. ‘Have you brought photos with you? And congratulations on the new one.’

  Brian beamed and reached into his pocket for his wallet. He pulled out two coloured studio photographs of his sons. ‘Samuel’s on the right and little James is of course the baby.’

  ‘Oh, you’ve called him after our dad. That’s lovely, Brian. Do you remember? That’s what I was going to call Cathy if she’d been a boy?’ Alice said, her eyes filling. ‘How thoughtful of you.’

  ‘Sammy is Lori’s dad’s name, so we thought James would be nice for the little one. In a year or two, when they’re a bit older, we’ll bring them on a visit to Liverpool. Lori can’t wait to meet my family and I’m dying for you all to meet her too.’

  ‘I’ll get that,’ Cathy said as someone else knocked on the door. She hurried down the hall and smiled as Davy greeted her with a wide grin.

  ‘Just to let you know I’ve brought Debs and the baby home. Pop across later if you’ve got a minute.’

  ‘Oh I will. I’m so sorry I haven’t been back to the ward to see them.’

  ‘Hey, don’t you worry about that. You’ve had quite enough on your plate. We’re both very sorry to hear about your granny. Catch you later.’

  ‘See you in a bit then,’ Cathy said and waved goodbye as he hurried away.

  ‘Debs and the baby are home,’ Cathy announced, going back into the sitting room. ‘I’ll nip over later.’

  ‘Have they chosen a name yet?’ Alice asked. ‘I saw Davy the other day and they were still dithering.’

  ‘Oh, damn. I forgot to ask. No doubt I’ll find out tonight. Right, I’ll refill our mugs seeing as Brian really enjoyed his first brew.’

  ‘I did,’ Brian said and laughed. ‘It might sound a bit daft but a proper cuppa is one of the things I’ve missed most. Americans either make it like gnat’s pee or so you can almost stand a spoon up in it.’

  Cathy laughed. ‘But you’ve got Elvis Presley, Bobby Vee and the Ronettes.’

  ‘Well you’ve got the Beatles, so don’t you be complaining,’ Brian teased.

  ‘We have and loads of others too. I’m not complaining really. We’re very lucky music-wise in Liverpool.’

  Cathy gazed down proudly at the beautiful baby in her arms. ‘She’s really filling out, Debs, and she’s gorgeous. How are you feeling?’

  ‘Absolutely fine,’ Debbie said. ‘I’m raring to go now. Can’t wait to push her out in the pram.’

  ‘Don’t be in too much of a rush or you’ll tire yourself out. Night feeds can take it out of you. Make sure you get a nap in the day when she’s asleep.’ She looked up as Davy and Gianni came into the room carrying glasses and a bottle of sherry.

  ‘A little toast to our new arrival,’ Davy announced, pouring tots of sherry into the glasses and handing them round. He raised an eyebrow in Debbie’s direction and she nodded. ‘It’s taken us a while to choose a name that we feel suits our little girl, but here’s to our Catherine Alison Ayres. May she have a truly wonderful life.’ He raised his glass and smiled at Cathy as her hand flew to her mouth and tears spilled down her cheeks.

  ‘Oh my goodness. Thank you. I wasn’t expecting that.’

  Debbie smiled. ‘Well, you brought her into this world, Cathy. We’d also like you and Gianni to be her godparents, and I want to ask your mam to be the other godmother. She’s always looked out for us since we moved in here.’

  ‘Oh, Debs, she’ll be thrilled to bits. She really will. So much is happening at the moment. I don’t know if I’m on my head or my heels right now. But this has just made my day and I know Gianni will be absolutely chuffed too.’ She beamed at them both as Gianni nodded his agreement.

  ‘Oh that’s wonderful Cathy, we really hoped you’d say yes. We know you’ve had so much going on. How are you feeling about Granny?’ said Davy.

  ‘I really wish she was still with us, but we’ve got everything planned for the funeral on Friday, so that’s a relief. And she left me her bungalow, which has really knocked me for six.’

  ‘She’s left you the bungalow?’ Debbie gasped. ‘How wonderful. It’s lovely and the garden is gorgeous too. When will you move in?’

  ‘Not for a while. I love it, as you know, but I’ll feel strange living there alone with just Lucy and no Granny.’

  ‘But surely now you’ll have a roof over your head you can be a real family and all live there?’ Debbie looked pointedly at Gianni. ‘And you might want to try for another baby again soon too. Lucy starts school this year. The age gap will be too big if you leave it much longer like we nearly did.’

  Gianni smiled and sat down on the sofa next to Cathy. ‘It’s a nice thought and when Cathy feels ready we will try again. We have a lot to talk about, but we need to get Granny’s funeral out of the way first. I think Cathy will find things easier when we’ve said our proper goodbyes.’

  Cathy took a deep breath and nodded. ‘I will. I feel a bit in limbo at the moment.’

  After saying goodnight to Davy and Debbie, Cathy and Gianni joined her mam and Johnny and Brian for another drink before going to bed. Johnny was showing Brian his ideas for the Woodlands Road house and telling him all about the girls’ plans for a private maternity home.

  ‘We’re almost at the finishing post with the purchase, just need a completion date now,’ Johnny said. ‘We need to invite your friends round soon for another meeting, Cathy. When you get back to work you can maybe organise something.’

  Cathy nodded. ‘Yes sure, I can call Jean and she’ll arrange for the girls to come over one night next week if that’s okay.’

  ‘That’s fine, love. Just let me know what night and I’ll ask Jimmy over as well.’

  ‘Sounds like a really sound plan to me,’ Brian said. ‘I know the house, it’s really nice.’

  ‘Have you been in there?’ Alice asked.

  ‘Well it looks like the one where Jack had a room when he worked at the Legion, before you and he married—’ He stopped quickly. ‘Ah, I’m sorry, Alice, I shouldn’t have brought that up.’

  ‘It’s okay,’ Alice said. ‘It was a long time ago and we’ve all moved on.’

  Cathy turned to Gianni. ‘Shall we go to our room? I’m really tired and we’ve loads to do tomorrow. Granny’s solicitor wants to see me at eleven and I’d like Gianni to come with me.’

  Gianni nodded and got to his feet. ‘See you all in the morning,’ he said.

  Cathy said goodnight to them all and Gianni followed her out of the room.

  As they lay in bed Gianni turned to her and said, ‘I’ve been thinking things over, Cath. If you want us to be together as a family now, I’m willing to leave the fair and make a home with you and Lucy. I’ve loved us being together here, and I’ve really enjoyed my time with Lucy as well, little madam that she is.’

  ‘You give in to her too much. You need to learn to say no more often and mean it,’ Cathy said, an amused smile on her face. She thought about the last few days, and how wonderful it was to be a proper family at last. She tried to keep her voice level. ‘You love the fair, Gianni, and I would never ask you to give it up. That decision must be yours alone. But if it’s what you really want, I’ve got another five months before I qualify and then I will be on a much higher salary scale, so I could work to keep us both. And we’d have no mortgage to pay.’


  ‘We’re very lucky. I’ve got the money from Mam’s house to come when the sale to Davy and Debbie is completed. Erm, by the way, I want to offer half to you to put into the maternity home project. I think it will be a good business for us to invest into. That’s if you want it, of course.’

  Cathy sat up and stared at him. ‘Are you sure? I mean, I thought you’d want to put it away or buy a bit more of the fair from your dad.’

  He shook his head. ‘I think Dad is itching to go back to Italy at some point. Maria too. Marco will buy him out eventually. Nothing has been said yet, but it’s just a feeling I get. The quarter I own, I will willingly let go. I’ve got it out of my system. The bikes I mean. I saw you growing up without a real father figure and so did I. I don’t want that for our Lucy. She needs a proper home with both her parents always around. I’ll see this season through with them, but by November I’ll be finishing for the winter anyway, and I’ll tell Dad I won’t be going back. I can get a job here, I’m sure. I’ve got my draughtsman qualifications and there’ll be the money we’ll have left from my house sale to live off that will tide us over for ages.’

  ‘There’s nothing I’d like more than for us to be a family again,’ Cathy said, moving into his arms. ‘But like I say, the decision to give up the fair and the opportunity to work with your dad has to be yours and yours alone.’

  Cathy sat open-mouthed in front of Joseph Trent, her granny’s solicitor. He’d just told her that as well as the bungalow, Granny Lomax had money invested in various accounts that would now be transferred to Cathy. There had been two life insurance policies in the box at the bungalow that would more than pay for the funeral. Cathy had already made calls to both companies and cheques had been issued within days. They were awaiting clearance in Cathy’s bank account. Mr Trent said once he’d finalised all the details and transferred the money and the deeds of the bungalow into her name, he would send her a bill for his services. He handed her a sheet of paper listing the names of the banks and building society that held Granny’s money, plus a written statement for each account. He assured her that all would be dealt with as soon as possible, commiserated over her loss and shook her and Gianni’s hands. They left the Bold Street office in the city in a bit of a daze and wandered hand-in-hand for a while as the news sank in.

  ‘Let’s go and get a coffee in the Kardomah,’ Gianni suggested. ‘I need to see if I can find a cheap black suit for the funeral tomorrow as well. I guess I’ll need one anyway, for job interviews later in the year.’

  ‘Then get a decent one,’ Cathy suggested. ‘It’ll serve both purposes. You’ll need a white shirt and black tie as well. Good job I’ve just been paid. We’ll go in Lewis’s and see if Millie can get us a bit of a staff discount.’

  Gianni smiled. ‘It’s mad isn’t it? Between us we’ve got more money than anyone we know and no access to any of it yet.’

  ‘Mam and Johnny will sub us if we need it. But Granny’s policy cheques will clear by tomorrow. Then I can pay the funeral and the buffet bills and there’ll be a fair bit left over.’ Cathy led the way into the café and Gianni ordered two coffees and cakes.

  ‘Oh, this is lovely,’ Cathy said, taking a bite of the rich chocolate sponge cake. ‘I’ll be glad when tomorrow is over. I hate the thought of saying a final goodbye, but Granny will be reunited with my dad and granddad and I have to keep that thought in my mind.’

  Gianni smiled and reached for her hand across the table. ‘She will.’

  In Lewis’s Millie greeted them both with hugs and was more than happy to oblige with her staff discount. She took a break from her cosmetics supervisor duties and accompanied them to the men’s clothing department. She and Cathy hung around while Gianni tried a couple of suits on and when he called them over from the changing rooms, Cathy’s hand flew to her mouth.

  ‘Oh my God, I’d forgotten how smart you can look in a suit.’ Gianni was so handsome with his thick dark hair and brown eyes, and now, as he stood in front of her in that suit with an amused smile on his face, she was glad he was so willing to give up the fairground for her and Lucy. At least he’d be away from that slutty Eloisa, his stepsister.

  It was funny how she never gave the girl a thought any more, and she trusted Gianni always to be faithful to her – after his one night of indiscretion when they were split up – but she was glad he’d be away from her soon. She would never trust the girl as far as she could throw her. She shook her head to clear her mind while Gianni went back into the cubicle to take the suit off. Millie accompanied them to the till and the salesman sorted out her discount. They walked back to the ground floor, said goodbye to Millie and made their way to Lime Street station.

  ‘Feels weird being here,’ Gianni said, looking round. ‘Back home I mean. I didn’t realise how much I missed Liverpool. It’ll be great to be back for good.’

  Cathy nodded. ‘I would hate to be away from the city.’

  ‘That’s because you’re just a sweet little Liver Bird at heart,’ he teased.

  Fourteen

  Granny Lomax’s funeral was the perfect send-off for a lady who had been so well loved and respected in her community. The church was packed with friends, neighbours and people Granny knew from church, as well as Cathy’s family. Rosie and Sandra had been allowed the day off school as Granny had been the only grandparent they’d ever known. They sobbed quietly while the vicar of St Michael’s read the eulogy he’d prepared a few days ago with Cathy and Alice’s help and they sang Granny’s favourite hymns. Saying Psalm 23 almost finished Cathy off, but with Gianni by her side she held it together.

  Brian had written a eulogy too and got up to read it. He said how grateful he was to Granny Lomax for all the help she’d given him with his education, teaching him at home during the war and helping him to achieve his school certificates, which had led to him gaining his university degree. He made everyone laugh when he said she was a terrible cheat at board games though and had always beaten him at ludo and snakes and ladders.

  The vicar thanked him and led the final prayers and hymn before the congregation filed out of church. They gathered by the prepared graveside and Alice wept as she saw Terry’s name etched in gold on the marble headstone. Johnny slipped his arm around her waist and Gianni held on to Cathy as Granny’s coffin was lowered into the grave and she gave way to her tears. Both Cathy and Alice picked up a handful of soil and scattered it on top of the coffin, followed by the other mourners, and then they led the way into the church hall where the buffet was being held.

  Cathy, Alice and Brian stood by the doors to welcome everyone inside. As the last mourners passed them, Cathy blew out her cheeks and turned to her mam and Brian. ‘Thank you. I couldn’t have got through this without you both by my side.’

  Brian gathered the pair into a group hug. ‘That’s what families are for,’ he whispered. ‘I remember the times when it was just us three after Mam died and Granny was always there to help and look after us.’

  ‘She was,’ Alice said. ‘And I go and repay her by marrying that swine whose name I’m not even going to mention.’

  ‘Mam, you need to forgive yourself,’ Cathy said. ‘Come on, let’s go and do our hostessing bit. The Lark Lane café have really done Granny proud with the lovely buffet.’

  Jack ran a comb through his beard. It was growing really long now and he had a moustache that beat Jimmy Edwards’ into a cocked hat. He twirled the ends out and smiled. Eloisa didn’t like it. She complained it tickled and made her want to sneeze. Well tough, the facial hair was part of his disguise and no way was it getting shaved off to suit her. By the time he got to Liverpool, Jack hoped, he’d be unrecognisable.

  It had been difficult to hide his wooden foot from her, and she ribbed him about leaving his socks on in bed, but it was a dead giveaway as it had been reported in the papers. He’d told her he had an ugly scar on his foot from a serious war injury that he didn’t like people to see and preferred to keep it covered. So far she’d bought his story, and had tol
d him the reason she also had a slight limp was because she’d had a broken leg a few years ago due to an accident at the fairground.

  He’d panicked last night when he’d seen two police officers patrolling the fairground and showing people his and Andy’s mugshots. But from the shaking of heads it was clear that not one of the hands recognised him, which was great to know. When he’d asked Eloisa what the cops had been saying to Luca before they started patrolling around, she’d replied that Luca’s daughter-in-law’s stepfather, a man named Jack Dawson from Liverpool, along with another man from Glasgow, whose name she couldn’t remember, were on the run for the murder of a prison officer.

  ‘Wonder why they came here to look for him?’ Jack mused with what he hoped was a scornful tone. ‘What a waste of time.’ So Cathy was definitely married to Gianni then. ‘Somebody on the run is hardly likely to take shelter with people he knows, is he? Family contacts and friends would be the first places they’d check.’

  Eloisa laughed. ‘No idea what he’d do, but we’ve been told to report any sightings if he does turn up.’

  ‘Fair enough.’ Jack laughed it off, but he would keep a firm eye on anyone he felt was looking at him too closely. ‘Is the boss’s son still away?’ he asked.

  ‘Yep. We won’t be seeing him again now until we pitch up in Liverpool. And she’ll be around, making sure to keep a watchful eye on him, when we do get there.’

  ‘She?’

  ‘Cathy, the moaning wife. She doesn’t trust him around me. We have a bit of history, me and Gianni. We were going to get married at one time. But he’s tied to her and the kid now, so that’s that. She’s well and truly got her claws in him.’ She strolled away and Jack watched her go, wondering what the history she’d referred to was all about. She’s jealous of Cathy, no doubt about that, he thought. And she said the couple had a kid. Well, that was news, but then it would be.