Christmas for the Halfpenny Orphans

by Cathy Sharp

  ‘I’ll tell Bob when I visit next.’ She gave a sigh. ‘I still feel bad about him losing the job he loves on account of what happened, but it means he’ll be here all the time, and that’s what I want, Michelle. I think things will work out all right, him and Eric together – and us as best friends. We’ll be able to mind each other’s children as they grow up and swap clothes they’ve grown out of …’

  ‘Hang on a bit; we’re not married yet!’

  ‘You will be soon,’ Alice said. ‘Look, why don’t we take Susie and go round the hospital? I can go up and tell Bob the good news while you look after Susie for me.’

  Michelle glanced at her watch. ‘Have we got time?’

  ‘Visiting is from six until eight – we’ll be all right if we go by bus – and I think this deserves the fare, don’t you?’

  Michelle agreed, and Alice scurried round, collecting her jacket and the baby. The girls looked at each other in excitement as they left the house and ran for the bus.

  ‘They’ve got those bad men,’ Billy said to Mary Ellen as they sat in their usual place on the back stairs. He offered her his bag of liquorice cuttings and told her to take a handful. ‘Constable Sallis told me this morning. I reckon he got an earful from Sister, but he said he wanted me to know that the men who paid to have that factory set on fire were going down for a long time. I think they might hang that Big Harry, though I bet his boss gets away with it.’

  ‘Why should he?’ Mary Ellen said, sucking on the liquorice, her mouth and tongue black with the stain. ‘He’s as guilty as the rest of them, isn’t he?’

  ‘Yeah, I reckon he’s guiltier, but men like him usually get away with it – unless they’ve got good evidence to convict him.’

  ‘I think it was our Alice and her husband that helped the police get them,’ Mary Ellen said. ‘She’s very brave – do you remember the way she stood over Arthur with a rolling pin when he tried to steal our Christmas food?’

  Billy shouted with laughter and chewed loudly. ‘Yeah, that was so funny. I almost wished Arthur would wake up so that she could whack him! I miss Alice and Sally, don’t you?’

  ‘Yes, it’s different now. Tilly is all right though.’ Mary Ellen sighed. ‘Rose talks to Sally Rush sometimes at the London, and she likes her. I asked Rose when she was going to get us a house of our own, but she said she can’t work and look after me. I reckon I’m stuck here for good.’

  ‘It ain’t so bad,’ Billy said. ‘We’ve got a lot of mates now: Marion, Jimmy and Nipper, and Tim – and young Ernie an’ all; we got ter look after them, Mary Ellen. I don’t reckon they’d manage without us, ’specially Tim. He’s beginning to walk better, but it’s goin’ to be ages before he gets rid of that rotten iron on his leg. I’ll have him watching the football this winter, and he loves the athletics, even though all he could do was sit in his wheelchair and watch. He was there when I won all my medals for runnin’.’

  ‘Yes …’ Mary Ellen smiled. ‘I was with Rose that day so I couldn’t come and watch. I asked her to bring me to the Athletics club, but she dragged me up West to buy some shoes and a winter coat for best. I didn’t want to go but there was a sale on at Peter Robinson’s and she said if we didn’t get them now they would cost a lot more after the sale.’

  ‘Sisters!’ Billy scowled. ‘Who needs them? Your Rose only thinks about her nursing and what she wants. You stick with me and our mates, Mary Ellen. One day we’ll have a home of our own – and it won’t be in no rotten slum, believe me. I’m going to work hard and I’ll make decent money and look after you.’ He put his hand in his pocket and brought out a handful of pennies and a couple of sixpences. ‘Constable Sallis gave me five bob. He’s getting a promotion over them arrests and he reckons I did him a favour tipping them the wink about seein’ Jack Shaw at the zoo. It means I can put more towards the presents for Jim and Nipper. You’ll see, Mary Ellen, I’ll be earnin’ enough to take you on holiday before you know it and then we’ll get married.’

  ‘Don’t forget I’m going to college to be a teacher,’ Mary Ellen said. ‘Nan says I’ll be good at it, and I like looking after the tiny tots.’ She smiled at him. ‘Rose promised we can go to Lyons for our tea, Billy – and she says I can take you and one other friend, so I’ll ask Marion to come with us, shall I? I suppose Rose tries to make up for what she can’t give me – and I’d rather be here than live in that awful house that made my mum ill.’

  ‘Yeah, we’re all right here,’ Billy agreed. ‘I’m running in two more races next month, and Artie Martin is goin’ in for the high jump. You want to go in for the long jump, Mary Ellen. I’ve seen the girls jumping in the sand pit and I reckon you could do better than any of those sissies.’

  ‘Billy, you shouldn’t call them that,’ Mary Ellen reproved. ‘I’m looking forward to Christmas now, aren’t you?’

  ‘I still reckon me and you would’ve been a better Mary and Joseph, but Marion was chuffed that they chose her, and Jimmy’s a bit sweet on her so I reckon he’ll be all right as Joseph, don’t you?’

  ‘Yeah, he’ll be OK, and Nipper is one of the shepherds, so is Ernie. They asked me to be the second angel, but the costume was too small so they gave it to one of the infants instead. I don’t mind; it will be fun with the carols and the tree again. Tilly and Jean were dressing it with Wendy before we went to the concert. Shall we go and have a look?’

  ‘Yeah, let’s,’ Billy agreed.

  ‘I love Christmas!’ Mary Ellen said and started humming a carol under her breath. It was her second Christmas at St Saviour’s and she wondered how long it would be before she had a home of her own. Still, at least here, she was with Billy and the others. If Rose got them a house she wouldn’t want all Mary Ellen’s friends round there when she got home. So maybe she was better off where she was. ‘Yeah, what do you think we ought to get for Nipper then, Billy?’

  FORTY-THREE

  ‘Those cards and the calendar were an inspiration,’ Sister Beatrice said, spotting a pile of them on Angela’s desk that afternoon. ‘Have you sent them to all our sponsors?’

  ‘Yes, I felt they deserve something to thank them for all they do for us,’ Angela replied. ‘We charged for the concert tickets this year, which brought in quite a nice sum. I’ve also raised some money from selling the cards – more than I anticipated. And those envelopes with pictures of the orphans, taken off-focus, so that you can’t recognise any child in particular, have brought in a great many small donations. We’ve only managed to distribute them in London thus far, but I’m hoping to send them out further afield next year.’

  ‘You work hard for us,’ Sister Beatrice said. ‘I wouldn’t have any idea what to do to raise money for the charity.’ She frowned then, ‘I am glad we were on the same side regarding the new home in the country.’

  ‘Naturally, I’m on your side, Sister. I know you care for these children, as I do.’

  ‘Yes, you do,’ Sister Beatrice smiled. ‘I had my doubts when you first came to us, Angela, but you’ve done a good job – and I have to thank you for taking care of everything while I was ill.’

  ‘I did my best, but this is a two-woman job, Sister. It needs both of us.’

  ‘It certainly does,’ Beatrice said and nodded decisively. ‘I’ve been visiting Timmy this morning. He seems to be settling in well and is a great pal of Billy Baggins. It appears that Billy has been taking him out in his chair and looking after him very well.’

  ‘Yes, Billy decided to take Timmy under his wing from the first, and everyone follows his lead so all the children have made him welcome.’

  ‘I believe I seriously misjudged Billy when he first came to us.’

  ‘Oh no, Sister, he was a complete tearaway, but between us, we’ve performed a tiny miracle. I’m amazed when I see the difference in him these days.’

  ‘It shows us what patience and a bit of discipline can do.’ Beatrice nodded her satisfaction. ‘I believe the children are excited about the tree and presents … and the Christmas
play went down very well yesterday at the church hall.’

  ‘One of the angels looked rather an imp, but Joseph and Mary did very well.’ Angela laughed. ‘We’ve all put small gifts on the tree, but Mark has filled a huge sack with presents. He wraps them all himself, you know. I think he is almost as excited about Christmas as the children are!’

  ‘Yes, well, that brings me to the reason I came to see you, Angela. You haven’t said much to anyone, and I know you’ve been having a collection for Staff Nurse Michelle’s wedding gift, but somehow everyone knows that you will be getting married in the New Year – and the children and staff have some small gifts for you. There will be a bottle of sherry and a sponge cake in the dining room this evening – so please let us raise a glass to you and Mark.’

  ‘That’s so kind. We didn’t expect …’ Angela was surprised; they hadn’t told anyone about the wedding and she’d thought it was a secret. ‘I’ll ring Mark, shall I?’

  ‘I think you’ll discover that he knows,’ Beatrice said, and looked pleased with herself. ‘Well, I shan’t keep you – I am sure you have a great deal to do.’

  Angela stared as the door closed behind the nun. It must have been she who had told the staff and instigated the party and the gifts; Sister Beatrice was the only one Mark had told and Angela hadn’t said a word to anyone at St Saviour’s yet. Her father and Sister Beatrice were the only two that knew, although she was in the process of sending out wedding invitations to a few close friends. Sally Rush would be busy with her nursing exams, but Angela was going to invite her and Michelle, as well as a handful of friends from home – but they’d planned on a small celebration party at Angela’s apartment after their return for their London friends.

  How surprising that the woman who seldom cared for parties of any kind had chosen to take the time and trouble to arrange this for her. Angela felt warmed and pleased by the gesture. It made her feel that the future looked bright for them all at St Saviour’s and she felt a surge of excitement at the coming festivities.

  However, it was time she got down to work. She still had several more cards to write for people at home who had supported her campaign for ‘Angela’s orphans’, as people spoke of them in the village, and with each one went a letter of gratitude for past support and a few lines explaining her future plans for fundraising.

  Angela set to with a will and she was finishing her last letter when the door opened and Kelly Mason walked in. She was smiling and looking happy and she placed an envelope on the desk.

  ‘This is from my family, Mrs Morton,’ she said. ‘We’ve moved into our new house in time for Christmas, and even though I’ll be working extra shifts on the day, Dad has wangled us a big goose as well as a joint of pork, with all the trimmings and a tree. He said we’ll celebrate as usual on the day, and we’ll have the cold pork on Boxing Day, but I’ve been invited to a friend’s house for tea.’ Kelly blushed. ‘I’ve got a new friend – he’s like me, got a big family to help out, so he understands I can’t always go out, but he doesn’t mind.’

  ‘That’s lovely for you, Kelly.’ Angela opened the very pretty card and thanked the girl. ‘I’m so glad the charity approved your family for the new house,’ she said. ‘I only had a small say in the matter, Kelly, but if it helped I am so pleased.’

  ‘My dad said I was to thank you ‘specially, Mrs Morton; he says until you brought that doctor round we didn’t stand a chance of being moved. We know how lucky we’ve been.’

  Angela smiled and nodded and Kelly left her, humming a Christmas carol to herself as she went off to get ready for the evening shift. Covering her typewriter for the evening, Angela was about to leave her office when the door opened again and Mark walked in.

  ‘Perfect timing,’ he said, giving her one of his special smiles that made her heart leap. ‘I suppose you know about the surprise party by now? Sister Beatrice said she was going to warn you.’

  ‘How did they know? I haven’t told anyone.’

  ‘You can’t keep a secret in a place like this,’ Mark teased. ‘Perhaps you’ve been walking around with a soppy smile on your face?’

  ‘Yes, perhaps I have,’ Angela said as he picked up her suit jacket and held it for her. ‘It was lovely of Sister Beatrice to arrange this for us, wasn’t it?’

  ‘She isn’t a bad old stick, if you keep on the right side of her,’ Mark said, that wicked look in his eyes. ‘If we’re being toasted for our engagement, I suppose I’d better give you this. I was planning on saving it until Christmas Eve when we left for the country, but … give me your hand, darling.’

  Angela held out her left hand as she saw that Mark had produced a dark blue leather ring box. He took out a square-cut emerald, which was surrounded by beautiful white diamonds, and slipped it on to her third finger. It was a perfect fit and took Angela’s breath away.

  ‘It’s gorgeous, Mark! How did you know that I love emeralds?’

  ‘It was a guess. Besides, I didn’t want to give you a sapphire.’

  John’s ring had been a sapphire and diamond cluster. For a moment Angela’s throat tightened, but she dismissed the memory. Memories were best tucked away, out of harm. She had a whole new wonderful life to look forward to and she felt a surge of pleasure as she looked into the eyes of the man she loved.

  ‘Thank you, darling,’ she said and reached up to kiss him softly. Mark’s arms went round her, pulling her closer, deepening the kiss until she was breathless and melting in his arms. ‘Oh, Mark, I feel so lucky …’

  ‘I’m the lucky one,’ he murmured huskily. ‘Now, my love, we’d better go and meet these good people. I for one cannot wait to see what the children have made for us.’

  FORTY-FOUR

  Tilly joined Nan and the others who were toasting Angela and Mark Adderbury. She stopped long enough to admire Angela’s ring, sip her glass of wine and nibble a chocolate biscuit, then decided she’d better head off. She would have liked to stay to the end of the party, but she was needed at home. As she turned to leave, Muriel touched her arm.

  ‘Pop into the kitchen on your way out. I’ve got something in my pantry for you, Tilly.’

  ‘I’m not sure what you mean,’ Tilly said. ‘I’m working most of Christmas, Cook – and Sister said I could tell my brother and sister to have their tea with us and listen to the carols on Christmas Eve. So they’ll have a few treats here …’

  ‘Well, I might have a few bits for your family as well,’ Muriel said, ‘but this isn’t from me. That new butcher from the corner shop brought in a parcel of meat for you – lamb chops and some sausage meat, and a pork pie, I think he said. He said it was to say sorry for knocking you over. I reckon he was disappointed not to see you, but you were on an errand for Nan.’

  ‘Oh!’ Tilly was surprised. A gift of extra meat would be useful for her family, especially with her being the only breadwinner now. She couldn’t afford a goose or a joint of pork, so chops and sausages would be a quick and easy meal, and her mother wasn’t likely to bother herself with preparing anything special for Christmas, even though Tilly had sorted her out a bit and she’d promised to stop her drinking. It probably wouldn’t last, but Tilly would manage somehow. Even if Ma was sober, Tilly knew she’d be the one cooking dinner at Christmas and every night. If she didn’t do it, all they would get was a bit of bread and dripping. ‘I’ve got some stewing meat for a pie for Christmas day, if my brother puts it in the oven for them; if not we’ll have it when I get home, but the chops will be lovely for Boxing Day. I wonder what made him bring them?’

  ‘I think he felt bad about knocking you over, Tilly,’ Muriel said. ‘Thought he’d make it up with a few bits from under the counter – you know what these butchers are; they always have a bit extra for their favourite customers.’

  Tilly laughed and agreed, but she was thoughtful as she went to fetch her coat. The accident had been her fault, not the butcher’s. It was nice of him to send her some meat for Christmas – and she didn’t even know his name.


  Perhaps she’d drop in the shop on her way home and say thank you. Tilly had been shocked and upset when the accident happened, but now she thought about it the young man on the bike had had a nice smile … and he’d cared enough to bring round that meat for her. Tilly’s life had been pretty awful for a long time, but things were looking better now her stepfather had been locked up and wouldn’t be around to cause trouble. There was nothing to stop her going out now and then, or having a friend.

  Tilly smiled as she turned in the direction of the butcher’s shop. It was only right to say thank you; he couldn’t think she was being forward after he’d been round to see how she was. The shop window was blazing with light and a few turkeys were still hanging there. She wondered what the butcher did with them when he closed the shop for Christmas, but as she lingered outside, deciding whether she dare ask if any of them were going cheap, the door opened and the young man came out, minus the bike.

  He stopped in surprise as he saw her. ‘You didn’t mind me bringing that meat round?’ he asked, looking tentative.

  ‘Nah, ’course not,’ Tilly said. ‘I came to say thank you. You needn’t have done that … sorry, I don’t know your name?’

  ‘It’s Terry – Terry Bates,’ he said. ‘They told me your name was Tilly Tegg – is that right?’

  ‘Yeah, it is,’ she replied and laughed. ‘I was in a right state when you knocked me over. I thought if I was late for work I’d be in trouble. I’ve been warned a few times and I can’t afford to lose my job.’

  ‘Do you help your family out?’ Terry fell into step beside her as they walked to the nearest bus stop. ‘I was thinking you might like to go out one night?’

  ‘I might,’ Tilly said. ‘I’d have to get the kids’ tea first – there’s my sister Mags and brother Roddy, and they rely on me to look after things when me ma ain’t right …’ She hesitated and then fixed him with a straight look. ‘You may as well know for a start – me stepfather is in prison for assaulting a young girl and me ma drinks sometimes.’