Diamonds in the Dust

by Beryl Matthews

  Alan bent slightly so he could look into her eyes. ‘Does this hesitation mean you’ll come?’

  ‘I’ll have to see Winnie first.’

  ‘We’ll go there now, and then I can take them to visit Stan.’

  They were both soon in the car and heading for Winnie’s.

  Reg was also at home when they called and Alan didn’t hesitate. ‘We’ve come to ask a favour. I want to take Dora out dancing, but she’s concerned about leaving Tom and Lily alone for the evening. Would you be kind enough to look after them?’

  Dora was uncomfortable, and she spoke quickly. ‘We’ll understand if you can’t do it.’

  ‘Of course we can.’ Winnie smiled at Alan. ‘When would you like to go?’

  ‘Tonight? I’ll drive you to see Stan, and we’ll collect the children around eleven.’

  ‘Oh, that’s far too late for Lily!’ Dora protested.

  ‘Why not let Lily sleep here?’ Reg suggested, glancing at his daughter who was beaming from ear to ear at the prospect. ‘I’m sure June would be happy to share her bed.’

  ‘Excellent idea! That’s very kind of you.’

  Dora could only stand there feeling helpless as Alan arranged everything. ‘I can see you’re used to giving orders, Captain!’

  He broke into a lazy smile, and Dora could see that Stan’s family were just as captivated with him. June had remained quiet, never taking her eyes off the tall man.

  ‘We’ll be back in an hour,’ Alan announced as he guided Dora out of the house.

  He was chuckling quietly to himself as they got back in the car. ‘There, that wasn’t any bother, was it?’

  Dora blew out a pent-up breath. ‘Oh, no trouble at all. You never gave them a chance to refuse.’

  ‘Are you saying I’m bossy?’

  ‘Yes!’ Dora glanced at him and they burst out laughing.

  When they reached the house, Alan organised Tom and Lily with the same authority. Cramming seven in his car was impossible, so he drove Winnie and all the children to the hospital first and then came back for Reg and herself. They dropped Reg off at the hospital and Alan whisked Dora away, wasting no time.

  ‘I thought we were going in to see Stan for a couple of minutes?’

  ‘Take too long, and you can see him tomorrow.’

  He drove to a private officers’ club in Piccadilly. It was only when they walked in that Dora realised Alan was not middle class, as she’d assumed, but a step up from that. After her hat and coat had been taken from her, she tipped her head to one side and studied him thoughtfully.

  ‘What?’ he asked.

  ‘I was just wondering if you have a title.’

  ‘No.’ He slipped her hand through his arm as they walked into the dimly lit room. There was a small dance floor surrounded by tables. He led her over to one near the band and held the chair for her. Then he sat down and raised his eyebrows to the waiter.

  ‘Yes, sir?’

  ‘Champagne, please.’

  ‘Certainly, sir.’

  Dora gazed around with interest. This was a very different world from the one she lived in, but she had no fears that she would disgrace herself. Their mother had taught them how to behave, no matter what class of society they found themselves in. Dora had never given it much thought before but now she wondered, how had her mother known so much about etiquette?

  ‘Hey.’ Alan touched her hand. ‘I’m being ignored here!’

  ‘Sorry, that’s rude of me.’ Dora picked up her glass and took a sip. ‘Are you a member here?’

  ‘No, too stuffy for my liking. I prefer the Wandsworth house. They let me in because my father’s a member.’

  ‘Is he an army officer as well?’

  ‘Not now, he’s retired.’ Alan stood up and bowed elegantly. ‘Will you dance with me, Miss Bentley?’

  ‘Thank you, sir. I’d love to.’

  The time seemed to fly by, and for a short while Dora relaxed enough to push away the horror of her mother’s disappearance. Alan was good company, charming and attentive. He had a dry wit, making her laugh often.

  They were about to leave when a distinguished couple came in and walked straight up to Alan. He introduced Dora to Brigadier Stanton and his wife.

  After the introduction, the brigadier turned his attention back to Alan. ‘How’s the General?’

  ‘He’s fine, sir.’

  ‘Good, good. Tell him I’ll be in touch.’

  ‘I’ll do that. He’ll be pleased to see you.’ Alan took Dora’s arm and led her out.

  She stopped when they were on the pavement and stared at him. ‘General?’

  ‘Hmm, retired.’

  ‘And what does the General do now he’s retired?’

  ‘He’s a barrister.’

  ‘Alan!’ Dora was shaking her head in astonishment. ‘What on earth are you doing taking me out? I’m nothing more than a housemaid!’

  ‘Don’t you ever put yourself down like that!’ He spoke sharply. ‘You’re a lovely caring girl, and obviously well educated. You’re as good as anyone else – and don’t you forget it!’

  ‘No, sir!’ The laughter faded from her eyes when she said, ‘You sounded just like my mother then. She always told us that.’

  ‘And she was right,’ Alan said softly. ‘The war has changed a lot of the old ways, Dora. The class barriers aren’t so important now. We all fought and died together. Things will never return to the way they were, and that’s a good thing.’

  ‘Yes, I agree.’

  Chapter Twenty-Two

  Two weeks later Stan had had enough. Reg hadn’t been able to make any progress with the investigation. Bloomsbury police had given him access to their findings in the hunt for Mrs Duval – which were next to nothing – but had not considered the connection with Mrs Bentley strong enough to give him permission to do a thorough search of the flat. Both men were frustrated about this, but there was nothing they could do until they had some proof that the missing Mrs Duval was indeed Mrs Bentley. And another thing fretting Stan was the fact that Alan was seeing far too much of Dora.

  ‘Damn it, Doc!’ Stan swore when Dr Burridge appeared at his bedside. ‘How much longer are you going to keep me tied to this bed?’

  ‘Is he always this bad tempered, Nurse?’ he asked mildly.

  ‘I’m afraid so, sir. If he could get hold of a pair of crutches he’d be out of here as soon as my back was turned.’

  Stan calmed down and grinned. ‘She’s hidden them.’

  ‘Hmm, very wise. I’ll have a look at your back first. How does it feel?’

  ‘Better than ever. There’s no pain there at all now.’

  ‘It’s healed well.’ The doctor examined Stan’s leg, nodded in satisfaction and sat on the edge of the bed. ‘It will be at least another two weeks before you can put any weight on your leg, but it’s looking good. Your back’s now strong enough for you to use crutches. Nurse will find a pair for you, if she can remember where she’s hidden them.’

  ‘Can I go home?’ Stan asked eagerly.

  ‘In a day or two. I want to see how you manage first. You’re going to be rather weak when you start to move around, but you’re a tough man and it shouldn’t take you too long to get back to normal.’

  The nurse appeared with the crutches. She was accompanied by a young man.

  ‘Ah, good, you’ve brought help. Let’s get Mr Crawford on his feet before his language gets any worse, shall we?’ The doctor stood up and moved away from the bed.

  Stan’s head swam alarmingly when he stood up.

  ‘Take deep breaths,’ the nurse ordered, seeing his difficulty.

  As his head cleared he straightened up. ‘I’m all right now.’ The walk to the other side of the ward and back was hard, but he made it and was satisfied.

  ‘Use the next couple of days to get your strength back,’ the doctor said, giving him a stern look. ‘And remember, don’t put your foot on the ground until I say you can.’

  ‘I’ll be careful,�
�� Stan promised, grateful he was moving around again at last. ‘Thanks for everything you’ve done for me.’

  ‘Glad we could help.’ The doctor’s eyes glowed with amusement. ‘One of the first things you’ve got to do when you get out of here is to stop Dora going out with Alan. He isn’t the man for her.’

  Stan’s mouth opened in astonishment. ‘I agree with you, but what makes you think I can do that?’

  ‘I’ve got eyes in my head, and I have every faith in your powers of persuasion.’ The doctor began to turn away, then faced Stan again, his expression serious now. ‘And you must find out what’s happened to her mother. That poor family aren’t going to be able to get on with their lives until this mystery is resolved.’

  Stan nodded. ‘I’m convinced she’s dead.’

  ‘Then find the body and let them bury her. It’s important, Stan. Dora’s putting a brave face on things, but she has the added responsibility of her brother and sister. That weighs heavily on her. She needs an end to this nightmare.’

  ‘I won’t let her down, Doc.’

  Dr Burridge nodded, then left the ward.

  ‘Look at you!’ Reg strode in. ‘You’re out of bed.’

  ‘And I’ll be home in a day or two.’ Stan was pleased to see his brother-in-law. Reg never bothered with official visiting times, he just came in whenever he felt like it and no one stopped him.

  ‘You must come and stay with us until you’re completely recovered.’

  ‘Thanks, but I’d rather be in my own home. I can manage well enough.’ To prove this he did the walk again, smiling all the time. ‘See. I’ve got to use the crutches until my leg’s healed, then the doc’s sure I’ll be able to walk again.’

  Reg smiled with relief. ‘I’ve told them at the station that you’ll be coming back on the force. Now, sit down and I’ll bring you up to date with things.’

  Stan settled, hoping there was some progress.

  ‘I’ve finally convinced the Bloomsbury police that there could be a connection between the two women, and they’ve agreed to let us search the flat. But I want to wait until you can come with me. You’ve got a sharp eye and might see something I’d miss.’

  ‘We’ll go as soon as I’m out of here,’ Stan said eagerly. ‘Anything else?’

  ‘Nothing solid.’ Reg sat back and sighed deeply. ‘One minute I’m convinced Duval is Dora’s mother, the next I’m sure she can’t possibly be.’

  ‘I know the feeling, but it’s all we’ve got to go on, Reg. Have you spoken to Roger Grant again?’

  ‘Yes, but he’s still denying he knew her. I’m sure he knows more than he’s telling though. He’s uneasy and evasive, and he couldn’t get away from me fast enough.’

  ‘Leave him to stew for a while. We’ll get back to him later. All we’ve got are suspicions that he’s hiding something from us, and that isn’t enough.’

  Reg’s expression was grim. ‘I wish we could find her. We’re worried about those youngsters. Lily won’t talk about her mother any more. It’s as if she’s closed her mind because it hurts too much. Tom’s masking his worry with anger, he’s convinced that their mother has just abandoned them. And then there’s Dora …’

  ‘How is she, Reg? I haven’t seen much of her lately because Alan’s been taking her out, I believe.’

  ‘They’ve been out a few times, but it’s hard to tell how she’s feeling. We do know they’re struggling and are pawning things to survive. Every time we offer to help she just smiles brightly and tells us they’re quite all right.’ Reg slapped the bed hard in frustration. ‘If that woman’s dead there must be a body somewhere. Why the hell haven’t we found any trace of her?’

  ‘London’s a huge city and an easy place for people to disappear in.’ Stan held his brother-in-law’s gaze. ‘She might be in the Thames.’

  Reg was shaking his head. ‘The river gives up her dead eventually. She’d have surfaced by now. But our immediate concern must be for the children. Dora’s too proud to ask for help. We need to do something!’

  ‘That’s all we bloody well keep saying!’ Stan muttered irritably. ‘When the Bentleys came to me for help I never dreamt this would become such a tangled web.’

  Dora was thrilled when Winnie told her that Stan was coming home the next day. ‘Is he staying with you until he’s fully recovered?’

  ‘No, he’s insisting on going back to his own house. I’ve talked myself dry trying to persuade him to live with us for a while.’ Winnie gave a helpless shrug. ‘But he’s determined to manage on his own, and you know how stubborn he can be.’

  ‘I do,’ Dora agreed. ‘But don’t worry. I’ll keep an eye on him to make sure he’s all right.’

  ‘Thanks, that does ease my concern. Alan’s going to collect him tomorrow evening and bring him home in his car.’

  ‘That’s good.’

  ‘You look tired,’ Winnie said gently. ‘Is there anything I can do?’

  An expression of anguish suddenly appeared on Dora’s face, so intense that it nearly made Winnie cry. ‘Oh, my dear …’

  ‘Why haven’t they found her?’ Dora’s self-control wavered. ‘It’s nearly six weeks. We’ve got to know. We can’t go on like this! I’ll soon have to find us somewhere cheaper to live.’ She spun in a circle as if lost. ‘But where? Lily and Tom like it here, they love their schools. I can’t ask them to leave. It’ll break their hearts. Tom’s doing so well. He’s a clever boy. I’ve been trying to find another job, but even if I do I’ll never earn enough for us to stay here. I don’t know how Mum did it after Dad was killed. Where did the money come from? Where is she? What’s going on, Win?’

  ‘Dora!’ Winnie stopped the distressed girl. ‘I know you’ve got a thousand questions running through your head, it’s only natural. And things do look hopeless at the moment. But you have friends. Stan is coming home and he’s going to be well again. We’ll all help because we care about you.’

  Taking a deep breath, Dora stepped back. ‘I won’t take money from any of you. You can’t afford to help in that way. Your own family must come first. I’ve got to sort this out myself or we’ll end up in the workhouse.’

  ‘No!’ Winnie was horrified that things were this bad. They’d been so concerned about Stan that none of them had noticed Dora’s struggle. And knowing the girl as she now did, she was certain Dora had not told her brother and sister about this. ‘That will never happen!’

  Dora was standing, head bowed and arms hanging limply by her sides, a picture of dejection. Then her head came up, mouth once again set in a determined line. ‘No, of course not. Please forgive my outburst, but it’s so hard.’

  ‘You don’t have to ask forgiveness, my dear. I doubt there are many people who’d cope as well as you. Be proud of the way you’re managing this terrible tragedy. Now, I’ll walk you home.’

  ‘That isn’t necessary.’ Dora spoke with conviction. ‘I’m quite all right, I just have to let it all out sometimes or I’ll burst! I only wish Stan and Reg would tell us what they’ve found out. I believe it’s something they don’t want us to know, because they’ve stopped talking to us. I haven’t said anything while Stan’s been in hospital, but we need to know, no matter how bad. Will you tell them that, Win?’

  ‘Of course.’ She watched Dora leave the house and walk up the road. Her head was held high, but Winnie now recognised the terrible strain Dora was under. She cried for all three of Mrs Bentley’s children, but mostly for the eldest who was giving all her love and support to others when she was the one most in need.

  An hour later Reg arrived home, soon after June had finished school for the day. ‘You’re early.’ Winnie kissed her husband. ‘We can all go and see Stan tonight.’

  ‘Hmm.’ Reg studied his wife’s face. ‘You’re upset. Is there something wrong? Stan’s all right, isn’t he?’

  ‘He’s fine. But you’re right, something has happened. I’ll tell you about it later. Stan needs to hear this as well.’ She was now very cross. Stan and Reg had n
o right to keep anything from the youngsters, and she was going to make sure they damned well knew it! But she wasn’t going to discuss this in front of June in case she said something to Lily and upset her.

  ‘Can’t you tell me now?’

  ‘No, I need the two of you together.’

  The corners of Reg’s mouth twitched. ‘Ah, I know that tone of voice. I think we’re in trouble. What have we done?’

  ‘It’s what you haven’t done that’s the trouble. Now, sit down and have your tea, then we can go to the hospital.’

  ‘Is Dora coming with the children this evening?’

  ‘No, I don’t think they can afford the fare. Not that Dora would admit to that.’

  Reg frowned. ‘Alan brings them sometimes.’

  ‘He’s busy.’

  Her husband noted the sharp tone and was wise enough to let the subject drop.

  They were waiting outside the ward before visiting hours. June was already being amused by one of the junior nurses, and Winnie couldn’t wait to see Stan.

  As soon as it was time, she marched into the ward, but Reg beat her to Stan’s bedside.

  ‘Oh-oh! I know that look. What have we done, Reg?’

  Winnie waded straight in. ‘You can wipe those smirks off your faces. I don’t know what you’ve found out about Mrs Bentley, but whatever it is you’ve got to tell her children. This can’t go on! I’ve just found out Dora’s situation is getting desperate. She might do something stupid like marry Alan to give Tom and Lily a secure future.’

  The amusement drained from Stan’s face. ‘Tell us what the hell you mean by that!’

  Winnie sat on the edge of the bed and told them what had happened when she’d seen Dora this afternoon. By the time she’d finished her eyes were clouded with tears, and both men were silent.

  Stan leant back against the pillows, his mouth set in a straight line. ‘Thank God I’m getting out of here tomorrow. We thought we were protecting them, but all we seem to have done is made things harder for Dora.’

  ‘You see you put this right as soon as you can. I got the impression that Dora would rather have any news than nothing at all, even if it is bad.’