‘Would you like a cup of tea?’ she asked.
‘That would be nice,’ said Hazel, ‘but I shall make it. I know my way around your kitchen. You have a chat with Val.’
Claire nodded. ‘OK, then.’
She smiled nervously at Val when they were alone, then looked down at the floor for a moment before she looked at Val again.
‘I’m sorry,’ she began. ‘Really sorry about what I did. I don’t know what came over me.’ She shook her head in bewilderment. ‘Well, I suppose I do know really. I saw this lovely little girl; she was just waking up, and I wanted her so badly that I hardly thought about what I was doing. I just got hold of the pram and wheeled it away. Nobody took any notice of me. I knew, though – I knew all the time that I couldn’t keep her. I was waiting for them to find her. And now I’m really, really sorry. I don’t know how you can be so nice about it.’
‘Because I’ve been in the same position myself,’ said Val. ‘No …’ She shook her head. ‘I don’t mean that I took a baby, but I was desperate for a child, as I know you have been.’
‘I still am,’ said Claire, ‘but I’m feeling a lot calmer now, more resigned to it all. The pills are helping. You say you wanted a child? But you have two now?’
‘Yes; I realize now that I was getting too anxious about it. We’d been married for only two years – no time at all, really – and that’s what Sam, my husband, kept telling me, but I’d convinced myself it would never happen. I’d had one or two false alarms, then I had a miscarriage at six months. I was devastated, I can tell you. Then we had the opportunity to adopt Russell when he was seven months old. And I realized soon afterwards that I really was pregnant. It seemed like a miracle. Lucy was born when Russell was not quite two years old. So, Claire, you must not give up hope. Nature has a way of knowing when it’s the right time.’
‘I hope so,’ said Claire. ‘We’ve been married more than three years and I’ve had two miscarriages. The last one was at six months, like yours. It was just before Christmas, and I suppose I never got over it. Thank you for telling me your story. The doctors say there’s nothing wrong with me, but then I’m rather older than you, aren’t I? I’m thirty-one, and I feel that time is running out …’
‘But it isn’t,’ said Val. ‘My mum was thirty-four when I was born. I can’t tell you not to worry or get depressed, because I know how I felt myself. But I went back to work after I’d lost the baby. I work in the office at Walker’s mill; it’s my husband’s family firm. And that helped me a lot, stopped me from dwelling on my problems all the time. Then, as I said, we adopted Russell.’
‘Which you might not have done if you’d known you’d soon have a baby of your own?’
Val smiled. ‘That’s impossible to answer because we can’t see into the future. Who knows? Maybe it was fate; maybe it was what we had to do. I know that we wouldn’t want to be without Russell now. He’s part of our family, just as Lucy is.’
Val was realizing more and more that this was true. She had – almost – forgotten the times when she had wondered whether they had made a mistake in taking Russell into their family, the times when she had despaired of his bad behaviour. She knew now that she could not bear to be without him.
‘I think that caring for Russell may have intensified my maternal feelings,’ she said, ‘and perhaps that’s why I got pregnant with Lucy so soon. I can’t be sure, of course, but Sam and I are very thankful that it happened. And I do hope, so very much, Claire, that it will happen for you.’
‘Thank you,’ said Claire. ‘You’ve helped me a lot. You were talking about going back to work and Greg has been trying to persuade me to do that when I’m feeling strong enough. I was a shorthand typist; I worked for a solicitor but I gave my job up when I was pregnant. It shouldn’t be difficult to find something, though, even if it’s only a temporary post.’
Hazel had returned while they were talking and was handing round mugs of tea. ‘And I’ve found some shortbread biscuits in a tin,’ she said. ‘Hope you don’t mind me making myself at home!’
Claire smiled. ‘You’re very welcome; it’s so nice to have some company.’ She was looking much more cheerful and relaxed. ‘Actually, I can’t go back to work just yet,’ she said, ‘because we’re going away on holiday. You know that my husband drives for a travel firm? Well, they are allowed to take their wives, now and again, if there’s room on the coach. So I’m going with Greg on his next trip. It’s to Austria and Germany. I’ve never been to either place, and Greg has told me how beautiful it is around there, all the mountains and lakes and lovely towns and villages.’
‘That will do you a world of good,’ said Hazel. ‘You are already looking a good deal better than the last time I saw you.’
‘And I’m so glad you came, both of you,’ said Claire. ‘Yes, I am feeling much better now about everything. I was still feeling terribly guilty about what I’d done. I know it was a dreadful thing to do and you’ve been so understanding.’
‘Don’t worry any more about Lucy,’ said Val. ‘She’s fine, and we’ve all settled down happily again. In fact, Russell’s much kinder to his little sister now. I know he missed her and couldn’t understand why she wasn’t there. He could be a little demon at times, you know, and now … well, it’s hard to believe he’s so much better. I’m not saying it will last, but it’s more peaceful at the moment.’
They finished their tea, then Hazel nodded to Val, signalling that she thought it was time to go. Val gave Claire a hug as they said goodbye. ‘Now, remember what I said. Don’t worry any more. I hope you have a lovely holiday.’
‘I think you made the right decision,’ said Hazel as they drove away. ‘She looked scared stiff at first, but you were so nice with her.’
‘I hope she gets what she wants,’ said Val. ‘I think she might, eventually. Look at me! I got far more than I bargained for, but it’s turned out for the best.’
‘I’m glad that Val and Sam are OK again,’ Janice remarked to Phil. Her friend had phoned to say that all was well, and that they were looking forward to visiting Harrogate before too long.
‘Val says that Russell is behaving well but she’s keeping her fingers crossed, wondering how long it will last … Do you think we should include children, Phil, when we have our opening ceremony? Well, not exactly a ceremony, but you know what I mean.’
‘A “bit of a do”, said Phil. ‘That’s perhaps the best way to describe it. Maybe it should be just adults if we put on a three-course meal. Let’s cross that bridge when we come to it, eh? We can’t fix a date yet, until we see how things go.’
The work was progressing well upstairs, the workmen trying to make as little disruption as possible to the family as they constructed the extra bedrooms. The noise of banging and hammering was taking place in what had been the upstairs of the florist’s shop, so it was not disturbing the customers at Grundy’s overmuch. And for the evening diners there was no disturbance at all.
Phil had given a good deal of thought to the details of their new venture, and Janice had left the planning mainly to him as he would be the one largely responsible for the restaurant meals in the evening, while she would be in charge of the daytime sessions. When the wall between the two shops was eventually knocked down there would be a much larger dining area.
They decided they would continue as they were doing now during the daytime, serving morning coffee, midday snacks and afternoon tea. Three-course meals would be served in the evenings; these would not need to be pre-booked as they were at present, although bookings would be taken if required.
‘Very ambitious, Phil,’ said his father. ‘Don’t bite off more than you can chew, lad.’
Ralph Grundy and his wife, Patience, ran a successful country pub and restaurant, the Coach and Horses, near to Ilkley, which was where Phil had worked as an assistant chef before starting out on his own.
‘I know that, Dad,’ said Phil, ‘but nothing ventured, nothing gained. I like to think we’ve built up a goo
d reputation and we’ll take on extra staff if necessary.’
The business was known just as Grundy’s but they intended in future to have two different names for the daytime and evening sessions. During the daytime it would be known as the Coffee Pot and in the evening as Changing Seasons.
Phil planned to change the menu along with the different seasons. They would concentrate on salads, light grilled meals and a variety of fish dishes for the spring and summer, with many kinds of fruit served as a starter or dessert, and a selection of gateaux and meringue dishes and ice cream for puddings. The traditional roasts, casseroles and steak or chicken pies and hearty soups would be the main items on the autumn and winter menus, with specials for such times as Christmas, Halloween or Bonfire Night.
This meant that the menu would not be too extensive, and therefore easier to cope with, rather than serving a vast variety of dishes all year round.
When Grundy’s had opened three years before, Janice had wanted a light-hearted, summery feel which had been evident in the floral curtains, displays of seasonal flowers and the floral cups, saucers and plates. As they had been watching the cost at the start, they had bought oddments of china from market stalls and second-hand shops, in many different floral patterns. It had not mattered that the cup and saucer might not match as it all added to the gaiety of the place. For the lunchtime and evening sessions they had used more traditional plain crockery.
On the walls there were pictures of summery and springtime scenes from all parts of the country, taken from calendars and mounted in plain wooden frames.
By now some of the oddments of floral china had been broken, so they decided that maybe it was time for a complete change.
‘We can’t go mad, though,’ said Janice. ‘We can’t afford Shelley or Rockingham but I think we should stick to china, rather than earthenware, for the mornings and teatimes.’
‘All the same design, though, this time?’ suggested Phil. ‘A floral design, but maybe something more abstract, one that would be suitable for all times of the year. That’s your province, though, so you must decide what you want.’
‘And we’ll need new plates and dishes for Changing Seasons, won’t we?’ said Janice. ‘That should be your choice.’
‘Yes … Something traditional but not plain white. Perhaps a rich cream shade. We’ll ask my dad about the wholesaler he deals with. We were highly satisfied last time and he’s not too expensive. We’ll need to watch the pennies!’
They were feeling excited but also a little apprehensive as the weeks went by. They still planned to open at the end of May if all went according to plan.
‘What about the first Monday in June?’ said Phil. ‘The Coffee Pot will be the same as before, just a new name. But I want Changing Seasons to be a really new venture.’
‘And what about our own private party?’ said Janice. ‘Shall we have that on the Saturday, the third of June? Just for family and friends. They’re all eager to see what we’re doing. And, like I mentioned before, shall we invite the children … or not?’
‘I rather think not, this time,’ said Phil. ‘Changing Seasons is an evening venue, so I suggest we put on a typical evening meal just for the adults. Some of them could stay with us – we’ll have four bedrooms by then – and there are plenty of hotels nearby, although I dare say our friends from Halifax would drive back the same evening; it’s not all that far. I don’t suppose they’ll have any problems getting babysitters.’
‘What about our parents?’ said Janice. ‘I mean … your parents, and my dad and Norma?’
‘My mum and dad will drive back the same evening,’ said Phil. ‘They’ll be able to leave the inn for a few hours; they have very good staff. Your dad and Norma will have to stay overnight. And do you think Ian will be able to come?’
‘I don’t see why not. He’s not at college on Saturday or Sunday unless there’s something special going on. We’ll ring up and ask them.’
To their surprise, Ian asked if he could bring Alison as well. Alec said they would love to stay overnight. He and Norma were longing to see the new premises.
‘That’s a turn up for the book!’ said Phil. ‘Ian must still be seeing Alison. Do you think they will want to share a room?’
Janice looked at him in amazement. ‘Don’t be ridiculous, Phil! Of course not! They’re only seventeen. And certainly not when Dad and Norma are there. You know how naive Ian is, or used to be. There was all that to-do when he overheard my dad and Norma having sex.’
‘Well, he’s probably grown up a lot by now. I see what you mean, though. There’ll be plenty of room, and Ian won’t mind kipping on the sofa if necessary.’
‘It will be nice for Ian to be waited on for a change,’ said Janice, ‘and not have to help with the cooking and clearing up. I wonder if he’ll come and work for us in the summer again?’
‘I hope so,’ said Phil. ‘He’s shaping up very well and we’d be glad of his help. But I suppose it all depends on … well … a few things, really. Sophie might want a holiday job and it could be awkward if Ian was here. On the other hand, maybe not. They’ve both got new partners; well, new … friends, or whatever. And there’ll probably be several more, for both of them, before they settle down.’
‘Yes … maybe,’ said Janice. She was thinking, though, that Phil had been her first real boyfriend and she had known very soon that he was the one she wanted. She knew there could never be anyone else.
FOURTEEN
‘It’ll be great to have a night on our own, won’t it?’ said Cissie to Walter. ‘It’s real good of your mam to say she’ll have the children. And Val’s mam is going to look after Russell and Lucy.’
The four of them – Val and Sam, Cissie and Walter – were going to Harrogate for the opening of Changing Seasons on the third of June. They would be travelling in Sam’s car as it was more spacious than Walter’s, and Sam had booked rooms at a hotel overlooking the Stray, not far from Phil and Janice’s place.
Cissie was still enjoying her job at the cafe in the market, and had managed to juggle her hours so that she would be free on Saturday afternoon.
Val, also, was looking forward to the short break. She had felt, since Lucy’s return, that she hardly dared to let her out of her sight, but she knew it would be a pleasant change for her and Sam, and that the children would be well looked after by their grandparents.
It was Lucy’s first birthday on the first of June. She was not yet old enough to understand what was happening, so they had just a simple tea party for the four of them to mark the occasion. Val made a cake, more for Russell, really, as he said he would blow the candle out for his little sister. He did not understand about making a wish at the same time, so Val made a wish for all the family: that they would continue to live peacefully and happily together, with no more traumas.
She had been rather worried, though, about Sam. She knew that something was troubling him, and had thought at first that Lucy’s disappearance was still affecting him, even after her safe return.
It was the evening before their trip to Harrogate, when both children were in bed and asleep, that he told her the reason for his preoccupation and his bouts of silence, which were not like him at all. They were not getting the orders at the mill that they had depended on for so long. It seemed as though, very soon, workers might have to be laid off. This was something that his father, Joshua, was trying to avoid at all costs; he had always been a fair and responsible boss.
‘One thing is certain, though,’ Sam told his wife now. ‘There isn’t room any more for three bosses. And it seems to me that I am the one who will have to go.’
Val stared at him in astonishment, almost horror. ‘You mean … your father wants you to leave?’
‘No.’ He shook his head. ‘That’s not what I meant at all. This is my idea. Father hasn’t suggested it; he may not even have thought of it. But I feel it’s time that I made a break. I’m the younger son and, as I said, I don’t think there’s room for three of us now.
’
‘But surely … your father is near retiring age, isn’t he? He’ll have to let go of the reins sometime.’
‘He’s only in his early sixties, and as far as I can see he has no intention of giving up just yet. Can you imagine him, honestly, wanting to retire and live a life of ease? It would drive him mad, and probably drive Mother mad as well, having him there all the time. He’s never really had many interests outside of the mill, only the things he does in the evening, like his Rotary Club and the Masons.’
Val looked worried. ‘How serious is it, then, the situation at the mill?’ she asked. ‘And what about Walter? He isn’t in danger of losing his job, is he?’
‘No, Walter’s in charge of pretty much all the working side of things now, and the three of us, Father and Jonathan and I, see to the administration. But it doesn’t need all three of us. You know the root problem, of course. It’s the way all these new synthetic fibres are taking over. There isn’t the same demand for wool any more. It’s the same in Lancashire with the cotton industry – they’re starting to feel the pinch with all the longer-lasting fibres, the nylons and terylenes and crimplenes.’
‘Couldn’t you change over? Adapt some of the looms to make the new fabrics?’
Sam smiled wryly. ‘No, it would be a colossal task; it’s not possible at all. Nothing is going to happen overnight, though. I’m sure there’ll always be a demand for wool but not as much as there has been in the past. There is no substitute for wool in the long run. I feel sure of that, but we have to look ahead. At the moment, it means that we don’t employ anyone else if someone retires or leaves. Women are leaving all the time, as you know. And some of the women have asked if they can do part time, so that has eased the situation a little.’
‘Have you said anything to your father about leaving?’
‘No, I’m just mulling it over … with Colin, actually.’
‘Colin? What does he have to do with it?’
‘Well, he’s ready for a change, just as I am. He’s been in the same job with the insurance firm since he left school. He’s had a promotion, of course, but it’s not the most exciting of jobs. He and I have been wondering – it’s only an idea at the moment – if we could start up in business together.’
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