‘It was an interesting and fruitful visit, wasn’t it, Vicki? Show them the photograph.’
‘That’s Bill,’ she told them, without the slightest hint of doubt.
The photograph was passed round. When it reached Charles, he studied it carefully. ‘That’s Manton! You must be mistaken, Vicki. He was killed. I was there and he couldn’t possibly have survived. The barrage was so fierce we couldn’t get to them for hours, and I was told that they were all dead.’
‘Did they recover all the bodies?’ Harry asked.
‘As far as I know. They were all listed as killed, so they must have done.’
‘Then they made a mistake.’ Vicki was adamant. ‘I’m absolutely certain that’s the man I met at the old warehouse. Do you know where his family live?’
Charles shook his head. ‘Sorry. I didn’t deal with the paperwork for Manton.’
‘Did you know him well?’
‘We only met a couple of times, Harry, but I liked him. He was a damned fine officer. I could make some enquiries with the military. They should be able to give us more information.’
‘An address, if possible. Even if his family are no longer there, it would be a starting point.’
‘Leave it with me. I’ll see what I can do.’
Vicki slipped the photograph carefully in the book and put it safely in her handbag. Now they must wait and see if the army could provide something to help. She was content. It had been a good day. She now knew his name and had learnt more about him, and she even had a picture of him. They had taken a step forward, and she was hopeful that the chance of finding him had increased.
‘Where are the boys?’ Harry asked.
Charles gave a quiet rumbling laugh. ‘Upstairs, sleeping in a four-poster bed. By the time they’d had a tour of the stables and house, they were tired. When they saw the large bed, they were fascinated, so I said they could have an afternoon nap in it. They are still up there. One of the maids is keeping an eye on them in case they wake and don’t know where they are.’
That amused Vicki. ‘I bet they couldn’t wait to get in it.’
‘They couldn’t,’ Pearl told her. ‘They both had the biggest smiles on their faces I have ever seen. But the bed is so huge I hope we can find them in it.’
‘Oh, this I’ve got to see. Come on, Vicki.’ Harry stood up. ‘We won’t wake them up. Which room, Charles?’
‘Top of the stairs, turn left and it’s the third door along on the right.’
Harry and Vicki found the room. The maid was sitting outside, with the door open just a crack. ‘Are they still asleep?’ Vicki whispered.
‘Not a peep from them.’
Opening the door cautiously, Vicki and Harry doubled over with laughter at the sight. The boys were awake and propped up against lace pillows. They grinned at them as they walked into the room.
‘You look comfortable,’ Harry said.
‘Have you ever seen such a bed?’ Dave wiggled around. ‘It’s ever so soft – it’s like sleeping on air. Come and try it, Vicki.’
She ran over and jumped on the bed, making the boys squeal in delight. They both began to hit her with the pillows until the three of them were rolling around shouting with delight.
‘I like this place,’ Alfie giggled. ‘Can we stay here, Mr Harry?’
‘We will be moving into the house we saw this morning when it’s all fixed up,’ Harry told them, sitting on the edge of the bed. ‘Did you like that?’
He nodded enthusiastically. ‘We saw horses, so can we have horses as well?’
‘Yes, and you can learn to ride them.’
‘Cor …’ His eyes opened wide. ‘When can we move there?’
‘In about three weeks.’ Charles walked into the room. ‘Pearl and Edward will need to be here to oversee the work, so would you like to stay as well? You can sleep in that bed. Unless you want to go back to London, of course.’
‘No, no! Never want to go back there!’ Alfie declared. ‘Nice here. Nice people here.’
‘Then that’s decided. Is that all right with you, Harry?’
‘That will be fine, and thank you, Charles.’
‘The invitation to stay includes you as well. You will also need to be on site a lot of the time. I know you will have to go back to London and sort things out there. I will send a van to collect your belongings, and you can return with it.’
‘That would be a great help. I can then close up the house until I decide what to do with it.’
‘Good, good. It will be nice to have the house spring into life again, and the staff will enjoy that. It has been quiet for too long. Now, who wants tea and cakes?’
‘We do!’
Charles lifted Alfie off the bed. ‘I thought you might. Come on, young man, let’s beat your brother to the food.’
Harry looked at Vicki and nodded as Dave raced down the stairs, trying to beat Charles and Alfie. ‘Our young lad is making more progress than I dared hope when we first saw him, and I’d say we can thank Charles for that.’
‘Having that replica stick made for him was the turning point, wasn’t it?’
‘Yes, Charles is a good man, and we are so pleased you met him.’
‘He appears to have a talent for turning lives around,’ she said.
‘There’s no doubt about that, and perhaps we are helping him. His wife died after only two years of marriage and he doesn’t have any close family.’
‘Oh, that’s sad.’
The journey back to London that evening seemed strange with only four out of the eight sitting in the carriage.
‘We are going to miss you and the boys, Harry,’ Bob said. ‘We’ve got used to having you around.’
‘You’ll have to come and visit often.’ Harry ran a hand through his still-abundant hair. ‘Everything has happened so fast I can hardly believe it. To be offered such a fantastic place to start the school is beyond my wildest dreams. I keep thinking I’ll wake up and none of this will be true.’
Flo laughed. ‘You’ll soon come back to reality when the children start arriving. Charles is very enthusiastic about having a school on his property, and it wouldn’t surprise me if he’s already demanding that the authorities send you youngsters straight away. He’s clearly a man who likes things done, and done quickly.’
Harry nodded in agreement.
‘You’re going to need more teachers, Harry. Three of you can’t run a place of that size on your own. Your original plans were more modest, but once Charles stepped in things changed.’
‘You’re right.’ He grinned at Flo. ‘It will be too much for the three of us, especially at our age, eh?’
‘I didn’t say that!’ she protested.
‘Of course you didn’t. You’re far too well brought up.’
She punched his arm, laughing, and then slipped into the London accent. ‘The way I was brought up ain’t got nuffin’ to do with it, mate. I’d ’ave told you straight you’re too old for this lark.’
‘Ouch!’ Harry raised his eyes to the roof of the carriage and grimaced. ‘Have you been taking lessons from Dave?’
‘Vicki, mostly. She can slip back into her old accent when she wants to tease us.’
‘Thank heavens for Bill,’ Harry muttered with feeling, watching a broad smile of mischief cross Vicki’s face. ‘I’ve got to shake that man’s hand one day.’
The atmosphere in the carriage turned serious, and Flo asked, ‘Are you absolutely certain the man in that photograph is the one you met, Vicki? That was a traumatic time for you, and you might be mistaken.’
Vicki pursed her lips. ‘I know what you are saying, but when I saw that picture the recognition was instant. I didn’t have to look and wonder; I knew it was him. I did tell myself I could be making a mistake when everyone kept telling me he had died in the war, but that didn’t last long.’
‘Well, there’s only one way to find out for sure, isn’t there?’
Vicki nodded. ‘I’m hoping Charles and his army connection
s can help. All we can do is wait and see if they turn up anything useful. So, what are you going to do about more teachers, Harry?’ she asked, changing the subject.
‘I know one who might be persuaded to join us. His name is John Steadman, and he’s an excellent teacher with experience of working in some of the most difficult schools in London. He’s just the kind we need, and you’ll be pleased to know that he’s only in his early thirties. I’ll see him as soon as we get back to London.’
‘You’ll also need help packing the things you want to take with you,’ Flo pointed out. ‘We’ll all pitch in with that. When did Charles say he was sending the van?’
‘The day after tomorrow. It will be mostly clothes; anything else can wait until we know what is needed.’
‘Even so,’ Bob exclaimed, ‘we’ll have to get a move on. Charles isn’t wasting any time again.’
‘Now, why doesn’t that surprise us?’ Flo remarked drily.
By the time the van arrived, they had all the essentials ready. It was loaded and Harry locked up the house, leaving a key with Bob so he and Flo could keep an eye on the place for him.
‘It’s going to be quieter without Harry and the boys around,’ Bob said as the van drove away. ‘I will miss them around the shop. However, it was too good an offer for Harry to turn down, and the boys will be happy down there.’
‘Especially Alfie,’ Vicki said as they walked back home. ‘He’ll feel safe away from London, and once the school is ready we can visit. I’ve asked Harry to write and let us know how things are going. I hope he does.’
‘I expect Charles will let us know. His work brings him to London regularly.’
Vicki had been spending every spare moment at Harry’s since Dave and Alfie had moved in, and she missed them. It was now nearly two weeks, and, apart from a brief note from Harry saying that they were all well, they had no idea how the work was progressing.
‘I know they will be very busy and probably don’t want visitors yet, but I’m tempted to go down there tomorrow,’ Vicki told Flo as they shut the shop.
‘Give it another week and then we’ll all go,’ Bob told them. ‘They should be nearly finished by then.’
She nodded agreement just as Sid strolled into the salon with a huge smile on his face.
‘Get your glad rags on, Vicki. You’re coming dancing with me tonight. And it’s no good you protesting. I am not taking no for an answer.’
‘Sid! I’ve told you time and time again that I can’t dance.’
‘Then it’s time you learnt. Come on, Vicki, there’s a big dance at the town hall tonight. You’ll enjoy it.’
She gave him a suspicious look. ‘What about the crowd you usually go with? What’s happened to them?’
‘They are still going. You’ll like them, too.’
‘I can’t come. I haven’t got the right kind of frock.’
‘Yes, you have,’ Flo told her. ‘Do you remember that lovely frock you wouldn’t let me buy for you? Well, I went back the next day and bought it anyway. It’s been in my wardrobe just waiting for an occasion like this.’
‘Aha!’ Sid grinned. ‘You can’t possibly refuse now. Can she, Flo?’
‘I can’t think of one reason.’
Vicki sighed, knowing she was trapped. The three people smiling at her cared, and she knew that her isolation from any kind of social life troubled them. She owed them so much, and if going to a dance with Sid would make them happy, then it would have to be endured.
‘All right, but just this once.’
‘Get the frock out, Flo.’ Sid spun Vicki round and round. ‘I’ll go home and get changed, then come back for you at seven o’clock.’
The dance hall was crowded and so noisy that Vicki wanted to turn around and go back to her lovely peaceful room. She couldn’t do that after all the trouble they had gone to. Her hair had been washed and styled, the frock pressed while she’d had a bath, and Bob and Flo had been so pleased.
‘It’s all right, Vicki.’ Sid took her arm as she hesitated. ‘I know you’ve never been to anything like this before, so I’ll stay with you all the time. You look beautiful – I’ll have to fight off the men trying to get to you.’
That thought horrified her. ‘I do hope you’re joking, Sid!’
He glanced at her shocked expression. ‘Ah, sorry, that was the wrong thing to say. Most girls would take that as a compliment.’
‘I’m not like most girls.’
‘I know that what you have been through has made you cautious, but you can trust me.’ He smiled and patted her hand. ‘I won’t let anything unpleasant happen to you. Bob and Flo would never have allowed me to bring you if they had any doubts, would they?’
She shook her head.
‘Right, then, put a smile on your face and let’s enjoy the evening. They are playing a waltz, and that’s an easy dance for you to start with.’
Sid was very patient as he taught her the steps, and she concentrated very hard, not wanting to make a fool of herself in front of this huge crowd. They all seemed so good, and so was Sid. He led her quite expertly into the steps.
She began to relax as much as she could, although it made her nervous to be surrounded by so many people. Once or twice during the dance, a sense of panic tried to overwhelm her, but she fought it off. From a young age, she had been left to look after herself and, not making friends easily, she had led a rather solitary life. The isolation and loneliness had been even worse when her dad had thrown her out of the house. The time spent in that awful warehouse had been purgatory. Her life had changed dramatically when the Howards had given her a home and their love, but the scars remained. Perhaps she was like Alfie in some ways. He had stopped talking; she had shut herself off from people, except the few she had come to love and trust. Why had she never realized that before?
The dance came to an end, and she managed to smile at Sid. ‘I didn’t step on your toes too much, did I?’
‘Not once! You’re as light as a feather on your feet. Come and meet my friends.’
There were eight of them, and the names were just a blur to her, but two of the girls were customers at the shop, so she did know them.
During the evening, although she was asked to dance by quite a few young men, she would only dance with Sid, and for most of the evening she was content to sit and watch the antics of the dancers in bemusement. They all appeared to be having fun, but all that jumping around was not for her. She did, however, quite enjoy the slow ballroom dances with Sid, and by the end of the evening was fairly competent at them.
Bob and Flo were waiting up when Sid returned her home, wanting to hear all about the evening.
‘Vicki will become a good dancer when she’s had more practice,’ Sid told them. ‘She has a lovely sense of rhythm and timing. Next time, I’ll get her doing the Charleston.’
Oh no, you won’t, she thought while keeping a smile on her face. There wouldn’t be a next time if she could avoid it.
Nineteen
Much to Vicki’s relief, there was no question about going dancing again because Harry arrived on Saturday afternoon.
‘How are things going?’ she asked, eager for news.
‘Very well.’ His grin was infectious. ‘The school is ready and we moved in there two days ago. The boys are happy and thriving in the country air. And they’ve got some company now because we’ve been sent two more youngsters. Charles has certainly moved quickly.’
‘That’s wonderful!’ Bob told him. ‘When can we see it? We’re having a job to keep Vicki from jumping on a train to visit you, and I must admit we are all missing you and the boys.’
‘You can come back with me tomorrow if you like. I’ve definitely got another teacher – John Steadman – and he’s coming at the end of next week. Once I’ve collected a few things from the house, we can catch an early train. If you closed the shop on Monday, you could stay the night.’
‘Don’t see why not – Monday is always a slow day. What about you, Flo?’
‘We’ve only got two bookings for a trim, and they are regular customers. We’ll pop round and ask if they mind changing their appointments. I don’t see any problem there.’
‘I don’t think they will mind,’ Vicki said, checking the appointment book. ‘It would be lovely to stay overnight. How is Alfie now he’s away from London?’
‘There is a huge improvement in him. He knows he’s miles away from the people who treated him so cruelly, and he feels safe at last. Dave asked me to bring you back with me. They both want to see you.’
‘I do miss them as well, but I’m relieved to hear they are happy.’
‘We all are.’ He grinned again. ‘This is a dream come true. Now I must see John and tell him he can come as early as he likes because everything is ready with the staff accommodation. We are going to need him because it looks as if Charles is determined to scour the countryside for children needing our help.’
The sound of children shouting and laughing could be heard as they approached the house, and the cause of the noise was a boisterous game of football going on. Edward was having a rough time in goal as the youngsters were determined to get the ball in the back of the net by fair means or foul.
‘That’s cheating!’ Bob laughed as two of the boys jumped on Edward and held him down while another boy kicked the ball in the net. ‘Don’t they know the rules, Harry?’
‘Where they come from, it’s every man for himself, and we encourage them to let off steam out here. It helps to get rid of a bit of aggression, which is something many of them suffer from at the moment.’ Harry put a whistle to his lips and blew hard.
The assault on Edward stopped and the boys spun round and stared for a moment, then there was a shriek as Dave and Alfie hurtled towards them. The other boys, laughing, helped Edward to his feet.
Vicki was nearly knocked over in the excited rush.
‘You’ve come!’ Dave was spinning from one person to the next in an effort to greet them all at once. ‘We’ve got such a lot to show you!’
‘Introduce everyone to your friends first,’ Harry told them, ‘and then we can all have a cup of tea together. Vicki and Mr and Mrs Howard are staying overnight, so there will be plenty of time to show them around.’
Two Strangers Page 15
