by Cathy Sharp
‘How do you know what happened?’ Alice stared at her.
‘I saw the early evening paper on my way here,’ Michelle told her. ‘The police have arrested Butcher Lee, Big Harry and a couple of others. The whole gang is behind bars this evening, bar Jack Shaw – and if he’s still in the country they’ll get him too – and it’s all down to you. The paper doesn’t name you; it actually says a brave woman and her husband helped them to bring the criminals to justice, but it doesn’t take a professor to work out it was you and Bob. At any rate, I put two and two together because I saw Constable Sallis when he came to tell Sister. I didn’t hear much, but her voice was raised when I went to her office, and he came out looking like a scalded cat!’
Alice smiled slightly at the picture this conjured up. ‘Bob said he didn’t want me to do it, but I thought I ought – and he insisted on being there to protect me. I wish I hadn’t agreed now. I was a fool!’
‘Yes, perhaps it was foolish, but it was also very brave,’ Michelle said. ‘Bob won’t blame you, why should he?’
Alice didn’t answer. She knew that her husband had been proud of his work, proud of what he’d achieved – and now he was going to lose it all, thanks to her. He hadn’t wanted her to do what the police asked, and she should have listened to him instead of thinking she knew better. She bitterly regretted her decision and wished she could undo it, but that was impossible. You could never turn back the clock.
Susie had begun to grizzle. Michelle bent down to rock the cot.
‘I think she’s hungry,’ she said. ‘Give me your key, Alice. I’ll take her home, feed her a bottle and put her to bed. I’m going to stay with you tonight.’
‘Thanks,’ Alice said. ‘You’re a good friend. I shall come home on the bus when they tell me I’ve got to leave. There’s food in the larder, make yourself a meal.’
‘I’ll look after Susie and have a cup of tea. We’ll eat when you get back, Alice.’ Michelle kissed her cheek. ‘Stop worrying about what you can’t change, love. Bob is alive – that’s all that really matters, isn’t it?’ Michelle picked up Susie’s carrycot and walked off, leaving Alice to wait alone.
‘Yes …’ Alice looked after her gratefully. Michelle was right: it was the only thing that truly mattered. She still had Bob and that made her lucky – luckier than Sally, who had lost the man she loved. Bob might be angry with her because he’d warned her against doing what the police asked, but he wouldn’t hate her. Please God he wouldn’t hate her for what had happened to him!
‘Mrs Manning, you can visit your husband now.’
Alice stood up and went with the nurse. She was shaking inside, but she kept her head high. The nurse was telling her that Bob was still under the anaesthetic and wouldn’t wake for a while.
‘You can see him for a few minutes and then you have to leave. Your husband is being cared for, Mrs Manning. Tomorrow afternoon you can visit and I’m sure he will be much better then …’
‘He looked so pale and fragile,’ Alice said with a sob in her voice when she sat over her Spam and chips with mushy peas, and a cup of strong sweet tea. ‘Much younger; it almost wrenched my heart out, Michelle. I honestly didn’t realise how much I loved him until I saw him lying there like that.’
‘You’re very lucky,’ Michelle said and reached out to touch her hand. ‘You weren’t in love with him when you married, were you?’
‘No. I was fond of him; I liked him and I knew he loved me – and he was there when I needed him – but I wasn’t in love with him. I think that happened on our holiday. I’d known for a while that I cared for him, and I’d decided I never wanted to see Jack Shaw again – but I still didn’t know for sure. Bob was lovely in bed …’ Alice’s cheeks were pink and she felt shy. ‘Jack dazzled me with his talk, Michelle. He was good at kissing and teasing, but making love … well, it was more a case of taking what he wanted. Bob was careful to give me pleasure. I didn’t know it could be like that – and he’s so lovely with Susie. He says he’s her father and I don’t think he could love her more if he was her real dad.’
‘You’ve been luckier than you know,’ Michelle said slowly. ‘Eric wants to marry me. I’ve been talking to him on the phone, and I think he wants to adopt Matty – that child adores him. As important as my nursing is to me, I want a family one day. Eric understands that and I’m sure he would be good to me – the way Bob is to you.’
‘But there’s someone else?’
‘I thought there was, but now … No, there isn’t,’ Michelle shook her head decisively; she’d decided that Richard Kent was not for her. He hadn’t bothered to get in touch since that trip to the museum, even though she knew he’d been to St Saviour’s to see Sister Beatrice. But the deciding factor had been his evident boredom in the café when he was supposed to help look after the kids. That was when she’d realised that he wasn’t the kind of man she wished to spend the rest of her life with. Michelle wanted children and she didn’t think Richard was interested, which meant he wasn’t the one for her, even if he was very attractive. Eric on the other hand would be a wonderful dad and a devoted husband. ‘I think Eric may be the one – the one I can trust … but how do I know for sure?’
‘You should be certain,’ Alice said. ‘I didn’t have much choice. Bob offered me all the things Jack didn’t and I took them, but I didn’t expect to be happy – and I have been … I shall be, if Bob comes through this …’ her voice trembled and she had to blink hard to keep back the tears.
‘He will,’ Michelle assured her. ‘The doctors told you he’ll pull through. He might not be quite as strong as he was though.’
‘I’ll always be there for him, whatever happens,’ Alice said and looked at her friend. ‘Be certain what you want, Michelle. I’ve been lucky, but you owe it to yourself to be sure of how you feel. You shouldn’t marry for Matty’s sake alone …’
‘Yes, I know you’re right,’ Michelle said. ‘Now, I think we should get some sleep.’
‘You must go into work tomorrow,’ Alice said. ‘I’m glad you’re here now, but I’ll be all right tomorrow.’
‘What about Susie, when you go to the hospital?’
‘Nan told me I could take her to St Saviour’s whenever I need to. I’m going back to work soon – only for a few hours at a time – and Susie’s coming with me so that I can feed her. Nancy will keep an eye on her while I’m working.’
Michelle nodded. ‘You’re lucky, Alice. I don’t think Sister would have agreed to that a few months ago, but she seems to have eased her restrictions a bit. Perhaps her illness has softened her up.’
‘Nan says I’m a good worker and they need girls like me. Some of the new ones haven’t worked out.’
Michelle nodded. ‘Yes, you were one of the best. It hasn’t seemed the same without you and Sally. Tilly means well and she’s trying hard, but she needs more experience.’
‘I haven’t met her yet, but she sounds all right,’ Alice said. ‘I might not be able to start back for a while – it all depends how Bob is when he comes out of hospital.’
‘Your husband comes first,’ Michelle agreed. ‘Stop worrying, love. People are more resilient than you think. Bob is a decent man; he’ll come out of this and find his way, you’ll see.’
Alice sighed with relief as she saw Bob sitting up against the pillows. He had a hospital pyjama jacket on over the thick bandages she’d seen the previous evening and was in the end bed of a ward with ten patients instead of the small room she’d sat in. All the wires that had been attached to his body had gone, and he was awake, looking eagerly towards the door as she entered.
‘Bob, love!’ she said and gave him the newspaper and a small bunch of grapes. ‘I wasn’t sure what to bring. I thought you might still be asleep.’
‘I’m a lot better this morning,’ Bob said. ‘Don’t look so worried, Alice. I shan’t die on you just yet.’
‘Oh, Bob, don’t be so daft,’ she said, giving a giggle of relief. ‘I thought you might last night.’
Bob’s smile vanished. ‘Are you all right – and Susie?’
‘We’re fine. Nan is looking after her this afternoon. She has a few hours off and she’s taking her out in the pram. She says she wants to be Susie’s nanna and I think she means it.’
‘Good. My mother died years ago, and your mother isn’t interested. It will be good for Susie to have Mrs Burrows as her nanna …’ Bob hesitated, then, ‘The doctor came to see me earlier, Alice. It seems that the knife blade went in at an angle and one of my lungs was slightly damaged – and that means the army probably won’t want me. I’ll be invalided out on a small pension.’
‘I’m so sorry, Bob,’ Alice said, her throat tight. ‘I know how you felt about that job – and it’s my fault you’ve been hurt.’
‘Don’t talk rubbish, love. I knew what I was doing and I should have been more careful. I could have broken his arm immediately, but I hesitated and that was my mistake – they tell us to act decisively, but you were there and I was more concerned about …’ he broke off, then, ‘It comes down to this: if I can’t continue in the Army I’ll have to go back to what I was before I joined. I’m a fully trained mechanic, like Eric. I’ve got a bit saved up, and I don’t want to work for a boss, so I’m going to get me own small garage and do repairs. There are more cars about now, or there will be once the factories really get going. I’ve got enough to set up, but that won’t leave us much over so I’ll probably ask Eric if he wants to come in with me as a partner.’
‘You can trust Eric, but I’m not sure he wants to leave the Army.’
‘He can’t until the end of next year, but I think he will then, especially if Michelle says she’ll marry him and they go ahead and adopt that boy.’
‘What if he doesn’t want to come in with you? I can go back to work – Nan says they’ll look after Susie for me, so I’ll be able to feed the baby and do a few hours’ cleaning and caring – but it won’t be enough to pay our rent and food.’
‘I’ll find a way,’ Bob said. ‘If this had happened in the line of duty I’d have got compensation, but it was in my own time so I’ll only get a few shillings’ pension. But we’ll manage somehow, Alice.’
Alice nodded, knowing that he was putting a brave face on it for her sake. ‘I know we shall, love,’ she said. ‘I wish I’d said no now, but—’
Bob shook his head. ‘We don’t look back, Alice, and we don’t feel sorry for ourselves – there’s a lot worse off than us. We’ll manage. I shall be able to work, but I’d prefer to have my own business …’
Alice reached for his hand. ‘You’ll get it one day, love. Perhaps Eric will come in with you, but if not we’ll have to wait a bit, that’s all.’
‘What really matters to me is you, Alice. Have I got you?’
Tears choked her and she couldn’t stop them falling as she bent down to kiss him softly on the lips. ‘I love you very much. I didn’t know how much until I realised that I might lose you, Bob, but now I know. And there won’t ever be anyone else for me, I promise you that.’
‘Then nothing else matters,’ Bob said and squeezed her hand. ‘Get off home and look after our Susie. Before you know it, I’ll be home again.’
Walking back from the hospital, Alice noticed that some of the shops had hung coloured lights up and there were festive displays in their windows. Christmas was only a couple of weeks away. During the long war they’d all endured, the shops had struggled to come up with a Christmas display that made people want to stop and look, but gradually things were getting back to the way they’d been pre-war. Some things were still in short supply, but there were more goods in the shops and more food. Alice had ordered a nice chicken from her regular butcher for their Christmas dinner, but she wondered now if Bob would be home in time to share it.. If he had to stay in, it would be nice if the hospital would let her spend the day with Bob, but knowing how strict they were about visiting hours, she didn’t think that would happen. She would visit him after lunch and stay until the nurses threw her out. It was Susie’s first Christmas and she ought to have her daddy with her. Tears filled Alice’s eyes as she blamed herself once more, because no matter how much Bob denied it, it was her fault that he was injured and she couldn’t forgive herself.
FORTY
Looking at the children’s drawings had given Angela a marvellous idea for the Christmas campaign. If she took photographs of the best and had them printed on cardboard with a greeting from the children, Sister Beatrice and the other staff, they would make lovely greetings cards. They could send them to their supporters and friends – and, if they had some made with blank insides or a seasonal greeting, they could sell them at the fair she’d decided to hold that weekend. She could even design a calendar and have fifty or so printed up to sell. She knew someone who would do a small job like that quickly for her.
Angela felt like clapping her hands and shouting for sheer joy. She’d been struggling to come up with an original idea and there it was, staring her in the face. If the cards and calendar were a success she might be able to find a firm that would be interested in turning some of the pictures into wooden jigsaw puzzles, with a share of the profits going to St Saviour’s.
‘Nancy,’ she said, calling the girl to her with a smile. ‘Do you think you could get the children to draw some Christmas pictures for me, please?’
‘Of course, Mrs Morton,’ Nancy said. ‘In fact I’ve got some here, if you would like to look at them now.’
‘Please. I have an idea, and the sooner I get it started the better.’ Angela went through the pictures, taking some out of the pile and setting them to one side. ‘Perfect! Please take these ones I’ve picked out, and write the name of the child that drew each one on the back. The pictures I choose for my project will earn several stars for the children who drew them and their teams – and if they do any more, I’d like to see them.’
‘They will love that,’ Nancy said and smiled. ‘Drawing is a favourite with them all, and I know they will love the idea of doing some pictures of Christmassy things.’
‘Good, I’m really pleased,’ Angela said and left her to get on. She had one more call to make this morning and then she could leave to do some last-minute shopping for Christmas presents.
Angela frowned as she wondered about a gift for her mother. She couldn’t leave her out, even though she was angry with her. No, she would buy something that would go through the post easily, and a card. Since leaving the clinic, Angela’s mother had written to her only once. The letter had been full of her own plans for the future, including her divorce, with not one word of remorse or concern for the pain she’d caused her husband – though she had apologised if Angela was upset. In anger, Angela had thrown it into the fire without more than a cursory glance at the apology, but she knew she had to contact her mother. She couldn’t let things slide … especially if she married Mark quite soon.
Mark had spoken of marriage more than once when he rang her but as yet they hadn’t got round to discussing details. She thought that he might be saving that for Christmas, when they should be able to spend some time together at last. A smile touched her mouth at the prospect of seeing Mark this evening – she had some good news to convey. But in the meantime there was work to do.
Kelly was peeling potatoes when Angela entered the scullery. She looked up and smiled at her, wiping her hands on a towel.
‘Is there something I can do for you, Mrs Morton?’
‘I wanted to tell you my good news.’ Angela laughed as she saw the girl’s look of apprehension. ‘I did say good news, Kelly. Your family has been awarded one of the charity’s houses, and you can all view it this Saturday. I’ve written down the details for you to take home.’
‘Oh, Mrs Morton!’ Kelly said, her face lighting up. ‘I can’t believe it – how did you manage it?’
‘The committee decided that your case was the most deserving. I did no more than put your name on the list, I assure you,’ Angela told her. ‘We have twelve houses for
renovation, but yours was one of the first to be completed by the charity. I hope you’ll be happy there, all of you.’
‘I don’t know how to thank you. It’s so wonderful!’
‘You have already thanked me.’ Angela nodded. ‘I’ve got some more news for you, Kelly. I’ve spoken to Sister Beatrice and to Nan, and they have agreed that you can become a carer. Nan will explain your duties and show you what she needs from you. You’ll be working nights, but you will have to wait a week until you can start your new duties. We’ve hired a girl to replace you here in the kitchen, but she can’t start immediately.’
‘Oh, Miss Angela,’ Kelly said and rushed to hug her, planting a kiss on her cheek. ‘You’re an angel. I knew you were sent by God so I did!’
‘Well, we shall expect you to be on time and do your job properly, but I’m sure you will.’
‘I’ll never let you down,’ Kelly vowed. ‘I shan’t forget this, miss. It’s the best Christmas present my family ever had!’
‘It will be a help to us if we have someone who doesn’t mind being on nights most of the time, though you will work the day shift now and then. If you’re happy with that arrangement, then it’s settled.’
‘I am, Mrs Morton – very happy,’ Kelly said shyly. ‘I can’t thank you enough – and Mammy will be in heaven!’
‘Angela …’ Mark said as she opened the door to him that evening. He put the bottle of French wine he was carrying on the small table in the hall and took her into his arms; she went willingly and he kissed her, feeling her response and closing his eyes as the longing he’d kept in check for so long rose up in him like a great tide. ‘My darling girl, I’ve been looking forward to this all day, being alone with you …’
‘Not as much as I have,’ Angela said. ‘It’s been a good day – but a long one.’
‘Are you tired, would you rather stay in this evening?’
‘I think I might – but I don’t want to spoil the evening for you, Mark. I know you’ve booked a table, but I do have some food in the fridge, I could rustle something up …’
