When the Music Stopped

by Matthews, Beryl

  ‘Are you going to stand out there all day?’

  He laughed and strode forward to hug his mother, but the laughter died when he saw her expression. ‘What’s the matter?’

  ‘Nothing.’ She smiled and led him into the sitting room. ‘I miss both of you so much, that’s all. How long can you stay?’

  ‘Three days. It would have been longer, but I went to see Lillia before coming home.’

  ‘Oh, I’m pleased you did. How is she?’

  He waited while the maid wheeled in a trolley with refreshments, then sat down and began to tell her about the trip he and James had made. ‘We wouldn’t have been able to do that without Brigadier Stansfield’s help.’

  Sara nodded. ‘He’s a good man.’

  ‘Yes, he is. I understand you are both writing to him.’

  ‘He asked if we would the last time he came here, and we are happy to do so. Letters bring comfort and a sense of normality to those away from home.’

  ‘That is certainly true. Will you mind if I spend some time with the professor? It will be the last chance I’ll get for a while. When I go back we will be joining a squadron.’

  ‘Of course I don’t mind, my dear. It will be wonderful to hear music in this house again. It is so quiet with you both away.’

  ‘I don’t suppose Father thinks it is,’ he joked.

  ‘He won’t know. He isn’t here.’

  Lester stopped with a sandwich halfway to his mouth. ‘Has he finally returned to the army?’

  ‘No, he’s disappeared. We haven’t seen him for over two weeks. His clothes are gone and anything of value he could easily carry.’

  ‘Why didn’t you contact me?’

  ‘There wasn’t anything you could do.’ She gave a grim smile. ‘You know he never tells us where he’s going or what he’s doing, but if he intended to stay away for this long, then he should have mentioned it.’

  ‘Have you reported him missing to the police?’ He was astonished by this news. ‘Didn’t he even leave a note to say where he was going?’

  ‘No, he just packed up and left without anyone knowing. I am not surprised, really, because he has been acting strangely ever since Alex said the army would like to see him.’

  ‘You think he’s run away because of that?’

  She nodded. ‘That’s what it looks like.’

  ‘But that doesn’t make sense. Even if the army were looking for him, he had only to refuse to serve again and that would have been the end of it.’ He gave his mother a concerned look. ‘Why would he disappear like this?’

  ‘I really don’t know, and you mustn’t let it spoil your leave. He will probably turn up as soon as he runs out of money. He always does.’ She poured them both another cup of tea and said brightly, ‘I am looking forward to hearing you play again, and the professor will be delighted to have his favourite pupil for a few days.’

  The puzzling subject of his father had been dismissed, and he knew his mother well enough to know she would not talk about it again.

  At his mother’s insistence he spent the next two hours at his own piano, and the sheer joy he felt made him realise just how much he had missed it. He enjoyed flying, but this was where his heart was, seated at the piano. If it hadn’t been for the war he would now be back here with his sister. However, dwelling on what might have been would only bring heartache. They were at war, and until that was over it needed everyone’s full commitment. For the next few days, though, he could indulge in his passion. Tomorrow he would see the professor and spend some time with him.

  Closing the lid of the piano he stood up, feeling relaxed and at peace, then he joined his mother for a drink before dinner.

  After an enjoyable meal they were in the sitting room when Adams came in. ‘There are two gentlemen asking to see you, madam.’

  Sara frowned. She wasn’t expecting visitors, and if it was someone they knew then Adams would have announced them. ‘Who are they?’

  ‘Policemen.’

  Lester was immediately on his feet, concerned at how pale his mother had become. ‘Did they say what it was about?’

  ‘I asked, but they would not say.’

  Sara had regained her composure. ‘Send them in and let us see what this is about.’

  ‘Thank you for seeing us,’ the senior man said the moment they entered the room. Then he looked at Lester, still in his RFC uniform and nodded approval. ‘And sir,’ he added.

  ‘What can we do for you, Sergeant?’ he asked, noting the man’s rank.

  ‘We are enquiring about a man we would like to talk to, and one of his associates gave us this address. His name is Barber – Gilbert Barber.’

  ‘No one by that name lives here,’ Sara informed them. ‘My husband’s name is Gilbert, but he is General Gilbert Holdsworth. It appears that you have the wrong address.’

  ‘Do you have a likeness of your husband? This would only be to eliminate him from our enquiries.’

  ‘I’m sorry, I haven’t.’ She gave a bright smile. ‘I never could get my husband to sit still long enough for a picture of any kind.’

  ‘Is he away on active service?’

  ‘He is retired, but not here at the moment.’

  Lester listened to the questioning with growing concern. Their father had never told them what his business actually was, and who he dealt with in his everyday life. ‘Do you have a description of the man you are looking for?’

  ‘Yes, sir.’ The constable removed a small notebook from his top pocket, flipped a few pages, and then read out, ‘Around five feet eight, stocky with slightly greying hair, a moustache and short beard.’

  ‘That could fit half the population of London. Do you have anything else?’

  ‘No, sir,’ the sergeant replied this time. ‘We would know if we saw him, though.’

  ‘Can you tell us what you want him for?’

  ‘We can’t do that, sir.’

  ‘I’m sorry we can’t be of more help,’ Sara told them.

  ‘Well, thank you for answering our questions, and our apologies for disturbing you.’ The sergeant smiled at Lester before leaving. ‘Good luck to you, sir.’

  ‘Thank you, Sergeant.’

  ‘That was very strange,’ he said the moment the policemen had left. ‘Why would someone give this address for the man they are looking for?’

  ‘I have no idea. It must be a mistake.’

  He studied his mother and couldn’t detect any sign of concern on her face, but he was puzzled by how little they knew about his father.

  ‘It must have been distressing to marry a man you knew nothing about.’

  ‘I had no choice, dear. My parents insisted, and arranged marriages were quite common when I was a young girl.’

  ‘Even so, it is hard to understand how they could have done that to their child. I can see now why Father tried to do the same to Lillia.’

  ‘Ah, but she could fight back – I couldn’t.’

  ‘Why?’

  ‘Because of something I had done they disapproved of. It was either marry Gilbert or be disowned.’

  Lester was finding this hard to understand, and sad that his mother had been treated so cruelly. ‘What could be so terrible that they would disown their daughter?’

  ‘In their eyes it was unforgivable, and the only way to avoid a scandal was to do as they said. Within a week of being introduced to Gilbert, we were married.’

  ‘Did you even like him?’

  ‘No, my dear. He had the title of general but I saw at once that he was no gentleman. He has gained a touch of polish over the years, but there is still a rough edge to him – as you well know.’

  ‘We visited our grandparents many times before they died, and I remember them as happy times.’

  ‘They adored you both, and in the end they did apologise for what they had done. I understood and did not bear them any ill will.’

  ‘Will you tell me what you did to make them treat you so harshly?’

  ‘I fell in love wit
h the wrong man.’ She smiled at her son. ‘And I do not regret that for a moment.’

  ‘Was he of working class, then?’

  ‘No, he was a cultured man of good breeding.’

  Lester shook his head, confused. ‘Then what was the objection?’

  ‘He was betrothed to another, and my parents would not permit our association to continue. He wanted to break off from the other girl, but that would have caused a scandal that would discredit both of our families.’

  ‘Did you ever see him again?’

  ‘No, but he did send the piano as a gift. I have never seen or heard from him again.’

  ‘My beautiful piano was a gift from the man you once loved?’ Lester could hardly believe what he was hearing. ‘Why did he do that?’

  ‘It was his way of apologising for the trouble and pain he had caused me.’

  ‘I would like to thank him one day, so will you tell me his name?’

  She smiled sadly and shook her head. ‘It was such a long time ago and I have already said more than I intended. I will tell you the whole story, but not until you are both here. It wouldn’t be right to tell one before the other.’

  ‘I understand, but thank you for talking so frankly with me about a very painful episode from your past.’

  ‘You are grown-up now and easy to talk to. A sympathetic ear has been sadly missing from my life, but there has always been a kind of inner quietness about you. Even as a young child it was there; Lillia was the more volatile and emotional one. Many times I have seen you reach out and touch her, and she calmed immediately, the bright smile back on her face.’

  ‘She has steadied a lot since she’s been nursing. I saw that the other day at the hospital.’

  ‘I do believe that is true, thank goodness. I never worried about you. I knew you would cope with whatever you had to face, but after you were parted I had many sleepless nights about Lillia.’

  ‘You didn’t need to.’ Lester grinned. ‘She didn’t let Father push her into a disastrous marriage.’

  ‘She was determined not to allow that.’ Sara laughed. ‘And I do believe she began to have more confidence in herself after that, and I am so pleased she made friends with Ruth. She is a good influence on her.’

  ‘She’s a fine girl and they get on well together. James and his family are good people.’

  ‘They are, indeed.’ She gave her son a studied look. ‘Does Ruth know how you feel about her?’

  ‘No, and I won’t tell her yet. We don’t know what the future will hold.’

  ‘I pray the future holds the realisation of your dreams for musical careers.’

  ‘Amen to that,’ Lester said with feeling. ‘And talking of music, I must go and see the professor.’

  ‘Adams will send someone with a message for him. You must make the most of the few days you have here.’

  A cloud of sorrow briefly crossed Lester’s face, and he nodded. ‘I don’t think there will be much time to play once I join my squadron.’

  Sara’s insides clenched with anxiety, but she said nothing.

  Chapter Eighteen

  ‘Did you enjoy your leave?’ Alex asked when he saw Lester.

  ‘Yes, sir. It was lovely to see my sister and mother again. Thank you for allowing us to do that trip to Lincolnshire.’

  ‘It was my pleasure. And how was your mother?’

  ‘I think she’s lonely with both of us away, and our father hasn’t been home for a while. He isn’t much company for her, I’m afraid.’

  ‘Oh?’ That remark caught his attention. ‘Is he away on business?’

  ‘We really don’t know.’ Lester shrugged. ‘He never tells us what he’s doing. It was a shame he wasn’t there because he could have answered the policemen’s questions and shown them he wasn’t the man they were looking for.’

  ‘Policemen called at your house?’

  ‘It was obviously a mistake. They were looking for a man by the name of Barber and had been given our address as his residence. The description was vague and could have been attributed to half the men in London. They apologised and left.’

  ‘Did the enquiries upset your mother?’

  ‘Good heavens, no.’ Lester laughed. ‘They were polite and it was obvious they had the wrong information.’

  Alex pursed his lips in thought. ‘I will be visiting Joshua tomorrow and I’ll call in and see your mother.’

  ‘She would be pleased to see you. I am concerned that she is alone so much now.’

  ‘It’s on my way.’ Alex noted that the boy seemed unconcerned about the strange episode, but he wasn’t. He had always felt there was something not right about this man, and had an uneasy feeling for the family he had become far too attached to. He pushed this aside for the moment. ‘I see you and James are ready and packed.’

  ‘Yes, sir. We leave at dawn tomorrow by ship, and James isn’t looking forward to the journey.’

  ‘I don’t suppose he is.’ Alex chuckled. ‘He only has to look at a boat and he’s sick. How about you?’

  ‘No idea, sir. I’ve never been on the sea before so I’ll soon find out.’

  ‘You’ll be too busy looking after James to succumb yourself. If I don’t see you in the morning, have a smooth trip and a safe stay in France. Keep in touch and let me know how you are getting on.’

  ‘We’ll do that,’ James declared, bouncing into the room. ‘Do you know what it’s like over there?’

  ‘I’m not going to gloss over conditions,’ he told them seriously. ‘It’s rough, and you will need all your skill and luck to stay alive. You are excellent pilots, though, and that will increase your chances. I will expect you both back here in good health once the war is over. Is that understood?’

  ‘Yes, sir,’ they answered smartly.

  ‘You take care of yourself as well,’ James told him. ‘Watch those trainee pilots and don’t let them crash with you in the plane.’

  They all laughed, remembering some of the dicey landings they had all made in training.

  ‘If I survived you two, I can manage anything.’ Alex shook their hands instead of saluting. ‘Good luck, boys.’

  The next day Alex went to see his friend Captain Bob Andrews, who was still at Aldershot.

  ‘Good to see you and you’re just in time for lunch. What brings you here?’

  ‘I have news about the elusive General Holdsworth. It might mean nothing, but I can’t get the uneasy feeling out of my head. I’m pleased your deployment has been delayed because I need to talk this over with you. It might help to clear my mind.’

  ‘I’m intrigued. Come on, you can talk while we eat.’

  Over lunch, Alex told him about the police visit to Sara’s house, and his friend listened with great interest.

  ‘I agree that it is strange, but it might just be a mistake, as young Holdsworth said. The police can receive a lot of false information and they do have to check on everything, however unlikely, before eliminating it.’

  ‘I know that only too well from my father who is still in the police force. That’s why I came to you with this. Is there any way you can find out about this Barber fellow?’

  ‘Well, I could try.’ Bob studied his friend with concern. ‘Are you sure you want to pursue this? It could unearth things it would be better to leave buried.’

  ‘It could also prove to be a mistake, but whatever happens, I like this family and I’m worried about them. I must know.’

  ‘Excuse me for saying this but aren’t you getting too close to them?’

  ‘I am, but it’s too late to walk away now. See if you can find out anything, please.’

  Bob nodded. ‘I’m not making any promises, but I’ll try.’

  ‘Once again I must apologise for calling unexpectedly,’ Alex said when he was shown in to the sitting room, ‘but I am on my way to see Joshua and thought I’d come here first.’

  ‘You are always welcome.’ Sara greeted him with real pleasure. ‘I was sitting here brooding about my children, but
your visit has brightened my evening. Are you dining with the professor?’

  ‘Yes. I see him as often as I can. I’ve known him all my life and he was my very first, and only, music teacher. By the age of ten he told me that I would only ever be competent as I didn’t have the soul of a great musician. After listening to your son I now know what he meant.’

  ‘Yes, he can be very forthright in his criticism.’ Sara laughed.

  ‘Would you like a drink before your dinner with Joshua?’

  ‘No, thank you. As you know, Lester and James should have arrived in France by now. I watched them leave this morning and they were in good spirits.’

  ‘Looking forward to the adventure, I expect.’ She smiled sadly, fearing for her son’s safety.

  ‘I have no doubt they are excited, but they are also aware of the seriousness of what they are about to do. They are both excellent pilots; you can be confident on that point.’

  ‘They have had the best training, and I am grateful for your care of my boy.’

  ‘He’s grown into a fine man.’ He paused before changing the subject and asking, ‘Is there any chance of meeting your husband?’

  Concern crossed her expression briefly before answering. ‘I am sorry, he is not here, and hasn’t been for some time. I expect business is keeping him away.’