‘Charlotte was my mum,’ Molly prompted. ‘But what about Sally? Is she still living in these parts?’
‘Oh yes. She married Dan Dempster and lives in one of the Turners’ farm cottages over a mile or so away. She has a bonny pair of twin girls.’ The elderly woman squinted at Molly. ‘There’s a likeness between you . . . Yes, there’s definitely a likeness. But then the apple never did fall far from the tree with the Kenyon women.’
‘A successful day, don’t you think?’ Johnny said as he helped Molly from the car.
‘Beyond my wildest expectations,’ Molly said, pulling her cardigan around her shoulders and picking up her handbag from the seat of the car. ‘I had no idea when I woke this morning that by the evening I’d have information about a family I never realized existed.’
‘It’s a shame your aunt Sally wasn’t home. It would have been the perfect end to a perfect day if you could have met her.’ Johnny took her hand and tucked it through his arm as they headed up the driveway towards the Butlins buildings, waving to Spud as they passed the gatehouse.
‘Yes, it’s been a perfect day,’ she said, looking up at the handsome man. ‘In so many ways. I don’t know how to begin to thank you. If it hadn’t been for your help, I’d have still been a miserable mess and most likely have taken to my bed to brood over my problems.’
Johnny turned and pulled Molly to the side of the road, so they were hidden from view of the camp by a large rhododendron bush, before taking her into his arms. ‘Oh, you darling girl, it should be me thanking you.’
He held her close, his lips seeking hers. She melted against Johnny’s body, reaching up to his broad shoulders as he held her as close as was humanly possible. She’d dreamed of this moment for so many years. However, this was not a girl’s crush on a matinee idol but a woman falling in love with a man. A man she thought would never love her back in a million years.
Johnny pulled away from Molly, running a finger across her cheek while controlling his laboured breathing, then placing a gentle kiss on her forehead. ‘I need to catch up with some work, but I’ll see you later in the ballroom. Yes?’ he almost pleaded.
Molly stood on tiptoe and kissed him back, longing to hold Johnny tight and never allow him to leave her arms. ‘I’ll look forward to that.’ She smiled.
They walked hand in hand towards the large reception building before parting company. Molly had just started to follow the footpath to the staff chalets when she heard her name being called. It was Gloria.
‘Molly, Molly . . .’ The woman strode towards Molly waving her hand dramatically so that passers-by stopped to look. ‘Oh good, you heard me. I wondered if you’d seen Johnny.’ The look she gave Molly showed that Gloria was aware that Molly had just parted company with their boss. Had she spotted the couple kissing? Molly wondered.
‘I believe he is going to his office to do some work,’ Molly replied, trying hard to appear as if she hadn’t just been kissing the man they were now discussing. Not that it was any business of Gloria’s.
‘Oh right. I’ll catch him there. I just need to go over some of our travel and accommodation arrangements.’
Molly’s face fell. ‘Accommodation?’
‘Yes, Johnny is taking me to London for a couple of days. We are really looking forward to our trip,’ the woman replied, and she smiled at Molly with her thin lips pressed tightly together. ‘Mr Butlin has given his approval for our trip.’
Molly was puzzled. Did the kiss she shared with Johnny count for nothing if he was going away with Gloria? She’d seen the woman clinging to Johnny’s arm a few times since she started work at the holiday camp. Perhaps they were a couple. If Billy Butlin knew about them, then it must be true.
‘I hope you have a lovely time,’ Molly said, trying hard not to show how affected she was by the many thoughts whirling through her mind. ‘If you’ll excuse me, I have to change before dinner.’
‘There is one other thing before you go. It seems one of the redcoats who should have been on bingo duty this evening has gone down with a summer cold. You are required to stand in for her.’
Molly nodded glumly and walked away. Her perfect day was no longer perfect.
A sneer crossed Gloria’s face as she watched Molly walk away. She could see by the slump of the girl’s shoulders that her words had hit home – just as she’d hoped they would. That’ll show Molly Missons, she thought to herself. It was fortunate she’d spotted her with Johnny as she was heading down to the gatehouse with a message, and she thanked her lucky stars that Spud Jenkins hadn’t answered his telephone and she’d had to go in person. Gloria had hidden as soon as she’d seen the tender moment between the pair. Gloria intended Johnny to be hers, and after their trip to London, she was confident Johnny would no longer be interested in the young redcoat.
Molly slumped down onto her bed, too drained even to cry.
‘Whatever is the problem? You look as though you have the troubles of the world on your shoulders,’ Bunty said, concerned for her friend. She had her own news to share of her encounter with the horrid camp photographer but knew that could wait now she’d seen how down Molly appeared to be. Bunty had been aware that today was Charlotte Missons’s birthday and Molly would be sad, but felt there must be something more for her to be this miserable.
Molly threw off her cardigan and lay back on the pillows, staring at the ceiling of the chalet. ‘So much has happened since breakfast. I don’t know where to begin.’
Bunty sat on the edge of her friend’s bed. ‘Why not tell me the highlights? You can fill in the rest later.’
Molly chewed her lip and thought for a moment. ‘George, Kath and Freda are coming here for a holiday at the end of next month . . .’
‘That’s excellent news. I’m longing to meet them. I feel as though I know them already – you’ve told us so much about them. Surely that’s not why you’re so sad.’
‘There’s more. I found out I have family and know where my mum’s younger sister lives.’
‘Why, that’s marvellous. How did you find out? And I still want to know why you are unhappy.’
Molly sat up and hugged her knees to her chest. ‘Johnny took me out for afternoon tea and he kissed me. That was wonderful,’ she sighed.
‘Oh my gosh,’ Bunty exclaimed. ‘How can you be so down when your dream came true and Johnny Johnson kissed you?’
Molly frowned. ‘How . . . ? What . . . ?’
Bunty brushed Molly’s questions aside. ‘It’s been written all over your face for ages. You’re in love with the man, regardless of what happens whenever you meet. Plum and I just knew it would happen before too long. So?’
‘So what?’ Molly was surprised her attraction to Johnny was so obvious.
‘So why are you so unhappy? Come on – spit it out.’
‘I found out he is going to London on a trip with Gloria.’
‘Oh my, that does put a different perspective on things. Perhaps in the circles he moves in, it’s the done thing to have a few women friends?’
Molly thought of the times she’d seen Johnny with a starlet on his arm coming out of the theatre and on the Pathé News at some grand event or other. He was never short of a glamorous female as an escort. Perhaps she’d been fooling herself to think he was as interested in her as she was in him. She was just a silly young thing he could spend a couple of hours with and kiss without any strings attached. She sighed. She had hoped for so much more. It was time to forget about her longing for the matinee idol and get on with her life. She was at Butlins, she enjoyed her job, and she intended to have fun with other men – with no strings attached.
Johnny leaned back in his chair and stretched his arms above his head. His paperwork had taken longer than he’d thought, as Gloria had placed more on his desk. He just had time to wash and change before finding Molly in the ballroom. They were both off duty, but the life of a redcoat was such that they hardly ever left the confines of the large holiday camp. Today had been a good day. He’d make
sure he took his allotted time off so he could treat Molly to more trips into the surrounding countryside to look for her family. He thought for a moment of their kiss and smiled to himself.
‘You look pleased with yourself,’ Gloria said from the doorway.
‘You could say that, Gloria. Everything is up to date, and now I’m off to the ballroom for a relaxing evening. There’s not anything else, is there?’
‘No, apart from a few changes to the staff rota. I called in that Molly Missons to cover tonight’s bingo game, as we are a redcoat down.’ She looked at Johnny to see how her news affected him.
‘I thought it was her day off,’ Johnny replied.
‘It was, but as you often say, Johnny, our work at Butlins comes first. She said she wasn’t doing anything important this evening and was happy to oblige. It hasn’t stopped her enjoying her day off, as I spotted her in the bar earlier with a crowd of male redcoats having a good time.’ She watched again to see if her lies had hit home and was pleased to see Johnny was not amused.
‘If there’s nothing more, Gloria, I’ll have an early night, thank you. I’ll see you at nine o’clock tomorrow. It’s a long drive to London in the car and I want to make an early start.’
‘I won’t let you down,’ Gloria said, simpering at Johnny. ‘I’m looking forward to our time together.’
Johnny frowned as the woman left the room. Switching off the desk lamp, he went to the window of his office and stared out over the footpath leading to the ballroom and theatre. He could see couples arm in arm, enjoying the cool evening air. He envied their happiness and carefree lives.
Plum took the glass of lemon squash from Molly and sighed with delight after taking a sip. Since the weather had become warmer, they’d changed their nightly cup of cocoa to something cooler. ‘It was lovely to spend the day with Lizzie. I really didn’t want to leave her today.’
‘It must be a wrench,’ Bunty said. ‘I’m not sure I could do it.’
‘At the moment, I have no choice. Someone has to put food on the table, and I think myself fortunate that not only is Lizzie safely taken care of but I have a job that is flexible enough for me to spend time at home. Though, it would be good to sleep in my own bed each night and be able to travel into Butlins each morning, rather than make haphazard trips home when the duty rota allows,’ she said wistfully.
‘Why don’t you ask if you can change your shifts?’ Molly suggested.
Plum shook her head. ‘I don’t want them to think I can’t cope. After all, I’m doing a man’s job. Spud told me the chap who ran the stables before the war worked all hours. I don’t want them to think I can’t at least equal what he did. It would just be nice to be able to tuck my daughter up in bed occasionally and read her a bedtime story, then be there in the morning when she has breakfast,’ she added longingly. ‘Now, that’s enough about me. What have you two been up to today?’
Bunty and Molly looked at each other.
‘Come on, you two. Spill the beans. I can see something has happened by the looks on your faces. Have you drowned a camper in the pool or something?’ She laughed.
‘If only it were that simple, Plum. You go first, Bunty. I feel my news will take much longer,’ Molly said.
Bunty explained about the newspaper reporter, currently masquerading as a camp photographer, hounding her for news of Gordon. ‘I fear he will give the game away if he doesn’t hear something of interest soon.’
‘Surely this is blackmail,’ Molly said. ‘Why not go to Connie, the staff officer, and ask for help?’
‘If I do, I may might well lose my job. I’ve been honest with Butlins and they know I spent a while in prison, but they know nothing of Gordon, and he was working on their fairground . . . and he did run away from prison. I feel as though my life is on a knife-edge at the moment. I’m not sure what to do,’ Bunty said sadly. ‘I just wanted a fresh start when I joined Butlins, but it hasn’t turned out to be the case at all.’
Plum thought for a moment. ‘I don’t think it’s the right time to tell the bosses about your dilemma. We just need to keep that oik Charlie champing at the bit for a few more weeks. With luck, Gordon will catch up with Richard or find proof that he did not have a hand in Aileen’s murder. Perhaps Aunt Gertie should be a little more frequent with her letter-writing?’
‘But how . . . ?’ Bunty looked confused.
Plum pulled open the drawer of her bedside table and lifted out her writing set. ‘I’ll get writing first thing tomorrow and arrange to have the letters posted back to me at the camp. Flap a couple in front of Charlie and we’ll have him eating out of our hands within days.’
‘But the postmark will be wrong . . . How . . . ?’ Bunty was perplexed.
‘Just leave things to me. With a little help from Spud, we can get around most problems.’ She smiled.
Bunty hugged Plum then Molly. ‘I don’t know how to thank you both. I’ve never had friends like you who trust me enough to help me get out of trouble. You seem to be able to solve any problem, Plum.’
Plum hugged Bunty back, then reached for her cigarettes and lit one with shaking hands. ‘I just wish I was as good at sorting out my own problems,’ she said as she inhaled deeply, then exhaled, waving the smoke away from her friends. ‘I have family problems that if not handled properly, could have my daughter ostracize me in years to come.’
‘We will help if we can. That’s if you want to share with us?’ Molly said.
‘A problem shared and all that,’ Bunty added quickly.
‘If you are sure?’
Both girls nodded. Plum was a mate, and if she needed their help, they’d do their best to support her.
‘You may be shocked by what I tell you. The thing is, I was never married to Lizzie’s dad, William. Do you think I’m an awful person?’
‘Oh, not for one minute. A few of the women who were in the same prison as me were unmarried mums. Whatever they’d done to be locked up, they seemed decent sorts when it came to their children. So many times they would be in tears because they worried for their kids and missed them. You don’t shock me, Plum.’
‘Me neither,’ Molly was quick to say. ‘Women who had children outside of marriage used to be frowned on in my community, but the war changed many things. You have my support, Plum. Is this why you never speak of your parents?’
Plum nodded. ‘They turned me away at the door. I wasn’t even allowed to cross the threshold when they knew William was missing and I was expecting his child. Oh, they offered me money, but I was to move away and not shame the family name. I threw the money back at them and walked away. I wrote when Lizzie was born, but the letter was never answered.’
Molly was shocked. She knew that if she had gone home to her parents with a baby, they would have been disappointed in her, but they would have supported her and the child. ‘Where did you go? What about William’s family?’
‘William’s mother is a widow. She wouldn’t accept I was carrying William’s child, as there was no marriage licence. I could have been any woman out to gain money from a widow woman who had not long lost her only child. Fortunately, Lizzie is the image of William, and although I visited and did my best to encourage her to share Lizzie’s life, the woman really didn’t wish to know.’
‘It’s so awful. Where did you live?’ Bunty asked.
‘My own nanny took me in. That’s how I came to work here, as her brother is Spud who works in the gatehouse.’
‘You had a nanny?’ Bunty gasped.
‘Oh yes. I come from the full landed gentry. I wouldn’t give you tuppence for the lot of them. In fact, I took William’s name, Appleby. Plum is the nickname he gave me when we first met. In my old life, I was Lady Elizabeth Plumley, born with a silver spoon in my mouth.’
‘I feel as though we should be curtsying to you,’ Bunty said.
Plum threw a pillow at her. ‘Don’t be so daft.’
‘So what is your family problem?’ Molly asked. ‘You have a good home and a nice jo
b as well as a lovely daughter. Has something changed?’
Plum lit another cigarette and offered the packet to the two girls, who both refused. ‘You could say that. I tried to keep in touch with William’s mother by sending photographs of Lizzie and little notes on how she was progressing. After all, she was the only thing she had left that was linked to William. She ignored me until three years ago, when a letter from her solicitor arrived. She wanted to take Lizzie from me and bring her up herself. She wanted to pay me off, would you believe? It was a mess for a while. I had to use most of my savings to employ my own solicitor to send her packing.’
Molly and Bunty didn’t speak. They couldn’t believe their friend had experienced such terrible events in her life.
‘I felt sorry for the woman but dared not visit with Lizzie or even write as I feared she would take my daughter from me. Perhaps she’d finally realized that William would never return. It’s the not knowing that eats at you the most. Many nights I’ve spent awake wondering what happened to my beautiful man. But I knew that someone had to be strong, and if that was to be me, then so be it. I decided to stop all communication with her, and things went quiet until a few months ago, when letters and even a telegram arrived asking me to get in touch.’
‘Did you?’ Molly asked gently.
Plum shook her head. ‘No. I didn’t dare. I’d secured the job here and if she had found out that I was leaving Lizzie alone with someone while I worked at a holiday camp, it might have meant she could take my daughter from me. Would she have understood that caring for donkeys and ponies and doing shifts in a ballroom was the right job for a mother? Then today this arrived.’ She pulled a crumpled letter from the pocket of her slacks and handed it to the girls to read.
‘Crikey, she’s coming to visit you?’ Molly said. ‘What will you do?’
‘I really don’t know. One part of me thinks she will snatch my child, but another part of me keeps thinking about you, Molly.’
‘Me?’ Molly was surprised.
The Butlins Girls Page 20
