The Long Way Home: A moving saga of lost family

by Whitmee, Jeanne

  Chapter 26

  The little church nestled in the heart of the woods. It was reached by an ivy-covered lychgate leading to a long drive bordered by ancient yews. Inside the pews were filling fast and already the organ was playing softly, its sound drifting out through the open door to mingle with the singing of the birds.

  Sally got out of the car with Mavis and Ken. Between them trotted her small son, James. At three and a half, he was a sturdy, fair-haired little boy, perhaps a little solemn for his years. Mavis and Ken adored him. They had not regretted moving to Dorset and were happy in their new home. Ken had even joined the local gardening club through which they had quickly made a new circle of friends. It was almost as though they had lived here all their lives.

  For Sally it had been a fortunate move. Two years ago, after running her floristry business from ‘The Ocean’ for a year, she had taken her courage in both hands and gone to the bank for a loan. Now she had her own premises from which she provided floral decor for many of the local hotels, as well as being in demand for wedding bouquets and flowers for all kinds of festive occasions. The little white van with Ocean Blooms in bright colours on its sides was a familiar sight and her business was growing daily.

  She had spent most of the previous day in St Mark’s doing the flowers; even this morning she had driven round to the church before breakfast to freshen her arrangements with a fine mist of water and to put the finishing touches to her work before going home to change.

  As they reached the church porch the mixed scents of rose, lilac and jasmine drifted out on the spring afternoon air. Mavis turned to her.

  ‘Dad and I will go in, shall we?’

  Sally nodded. ‘Save a seat for Jason. He shouldn’t be long parking the car.’

  ‘I want to wait for Jason too, Mummy.’ Sally looked down as her small son slipped his hand into hers.

  ‘All right. We’ll wait for him together, shall we?’

  It was just a year ago that she had met Jason again. At first he had come to Dorset with Aunt Jean, driving his mother down to spend a week’s holiday with Mavis and Ken. He and Sally had renewed their acquaintance a little warily at first, but Sally’s small son had no such inhibitions. It had been James, toddling on fat little legs, who had made them laugh together and captured Jason’s heart. Soon, Sally found that she too could relax in his company. She confided in him about her plans for the future and asked his advice; took him to ‘The Ocean’ and introduced him to Leah.

  After that first visit he asked if he might come again. The occasional visits had become monthly, then fortnightly, till now everyone seemed to have accepted them as a couple. Sally found this a little irksome at first, but now even she had accepted the situation, slipping easily into the relationship. She felt comfortable and contented with Jason. Almost without realising it, she found herself looking forward eagerly to his visits.

  From the first he had been frank about his broken engagement to Paula.

  ‘We weren’t right for each other,’ he told her. ‘We were drifting. Our relationship had become a habit. Because everyone accepted that we’d get married, we just sort of went along with it.’ He smiled wryly. ‘For months before it ended I had the feeling she was trying to think of a way of letting me down lightly. Neither of us wanted to see the other hurt, you see, so it came as a relief to us both when I finally grasped the nettle and called it off.’ He looked at Sally. ‘But it had to be done. Marriage is for ever. At least, that’s how I see it.’

  ‘I agree,’ Sally said. ‘Which is why I made up my mind after James was born that I wouldn’t marry. I’ll never have another child, you see. It wouldn’t be fair.’

  ‘Surely that depends on the man.’ Sally had been aware of his eyes on her but she had refused to meet them. He would want a child of his own one day whatever he might think now. Quickly she changed the subject and Jason let the moment pass. I can wait, he told himself patiently.

  ‘Here’s Jason.’ James pointed excitedly. When she saw him walking towards her, tall and upright in his dark grey suit and sober tie, her heart lifted. He joined them, lifting James on to his shoulder with a smile.

  ‘Do you think you can be quiet for a whole half hour, ragamuffin?’ he asked teasingly.

  The little boy squealed with delight as Jason took a bag of jelly babies out of his pocket.

  ‘Maybe these will help,’ he said.

  ‘You spoil him,’ Sally chided him. She looked at her watch. ‘Mum and Dad are saving you a seat. I think you’d better go in now. It’s almost time.’

  He bent to brush his lips softly across her cheek. ‘Anyone tell you how beautiful you look this morning?’ he whispered.

  *

  Leah took a last look round the poolside lounge. She had hoped so much for a fine warm day so that they could hold the reception out of doors beside the new swimming pool, and although it was still early May her wish had come true. The sky was a clear azure blue and the sun was as warm as July. Marcus’s sumptuous buffet, crowned by the superb cake, was laid out in the new lounge with its glass doors overlooking the pool. Sparkling glasses were waiting on their trays near the door and the champagne was on ice. Everything was ready. At last it was time to go to the church. Suddenly Leah was aware of a pang of nervousness.

  ‘Almost time we were going.’

  She looked up to see Terry standing in the doorway looking at his watch. She went across to him and slid her arms around his waist, hugging him tightly. He laughed gently.

  ‘Hey — what did I do to deserve this?’ he asked, looking down into her misty eyes.

  ‘It’s nothing, I’m nervous, that’s all. Oh, Tel, it will be all right, won’t it?’

  He kissed her. ‘Of course it’ll be all right.’

  ‘You’re sure she’ll be able to make it?’

  Terry laughed and kissed her. ‘I’ve never seen anyone as determined as Marie. I’d put my last pound on it.’

  Reassured, she smiled at him. ‘Right. I’ll go up and get her then, shall I?’

  He nodded. ‘If you need me just ring down. I’ll be waiting in Reception.’

  As she went up to the flat in the lift Leah thought back over the past three years. This was the day none of them had thought they would ever see, and now, miraculously, it was here.

  She remembered the terrible morning when the police had arrived to tell her about Marie’s involvement in the Waterloo bombing. Looking back now it seemed unreal, like a bad dream.

  They had already heard about the explosion on the early morning news, but as far as any of them knew Marie had been at home in her own flat that night. The news that she had been injured in the explosion that had caused two deaths and many more injuries had been hard to take in.

  Later, at the hospital, she and Sally had been shocked to learn the extent of Marie’s injuries. Her legs had been so badly shattered that at first it had been feared that the surgeons might not be able to save them. Even when the first of the operations had proved successful it was thought that she might never walk again. Many months of painful surgery and treatment had followed. And the shock and trauma of what had led up to it took its toll on her health too.

  As soon as she was well enough to make a statement she had told the police about Ralph’s reappearance; his demands for money and the nightmare drive he had forced her to make to London that night. The rest only Leah knew. It was when she was sitting at her bedside one evening, about a month after the bombing. Thinking Marie was asleep she had picked up a book and begun to read. The sound of Marie’s voice coming suddenly out of the silence had startled her.

  ‘It was him, Leah — Liam, the man who was your father. He did it to save me. I realise that now.’

  She put down her book and took Marie’s hand.

  She’d been delirious at times and at first Leah thought she was rambling again. ‘Don’t try to talk. You must rest.’

  ‘But it’s true. I wanted you to know.’ Marie turned her head on the pillow and Leah saw that she wa
s fully awake and in command of her senses. ‘Ralph had planned it all. He did it to punish me — for not telling him about you and Sarah. He must have arranged it all with his associates — over there.’ An expression of pain clouded her eyes. ‘Seeing him again, suddenly like that, face to face — I can’t tell you what it was like. We never spoke — just looked at each other. Then all at once Liam picked up the case and ran. I believe that in that moment he too guessed what Ralph had done. He did it to save my life.’

  Leah pressed the frail hand. ‘Surely even Ralph wouldn’t plan something so — so sick?’

  Marie shook her head. ‘You never knew him. It was typical — his own special twisted kind of joke — just the kind of irony he enjoyed. The bomb was meant to go off in the buffet. To take us both. Liam knew it too. I saw the realisation dawn in his eyes in that moment when we looked at each other. What he did was for me, Leah; to save me, to wipe out that other time.’

  ‘If the man really was Liam, why didn’t you tell the police?’ Leah asked. ‘Don’t you see, Marie, you could have cleared your name — proved that you were innocent all those years ago?’

  ‘What good would it do now? Marie turned her head from side to side on the pillow, tears trickling down her cheeks. ‘Nothing could give me back the years I lost — make up for all I went through.’ She looked at Leah, her eyes glazed with the memory. ‘I’ll never forget that morning, Leah. Ralph had his back turned. He never even saw Liam coming. Then …’

  She shuddered. ‘It was so sudden — so violent. They were both …’

  ‘Don’t!’ Leah urged, pressing her hand. ‘Please, Marie. Try not to think about it. It’s all over. No one can hurt you any more. You must concentrate on getting well again.’

  ‘Yes,’ Marie murmured. ‘Yes, I must, because if I don’t it will all have been for nothing, won’t it?’

  Leah watched her fall into an uneasy sleep again. No one would ever know whether her interpretation of Liam’s action was the true one. But if it brought her comfort …

  All through Marie’s long illness Philip had been a tower of strength. As soon as she was fit enough he had had her transferred to a hospital closer to home where he could keep a special eye on her. When she first came out of hospital Marie had been confined to a wheelchair. Philip had engaged a nurse and a housekeeper and cared for her himself at his cottage in the New Forest. Then, just as she was making good progress, David had died suddenly. He’d been staying at the cottage too and had seemed to cope well with all that had happened, but the past months had been too much for his frail heart. He died peacefully in his sleep early one morning the following October. His loss set Marie back. She seemed to blame herself and for months she was listless and depressed.

  From the first Philip had persistently begged Marie to marry him, but she had been adamant. She would not agree to marry until she could walk normally again. And as the doctors held out little hope of that, marriage seemed unlikely. Nevertheless, Philip insisted that he would propose regularly at least once a month until he wore down her resistance and they could reach some kind of compromise.

  Leah and Terry were married the following spring.

  Terry had been appointed editor of a regional daily newspaper. Sally moved out to make room for the newly-weds and into the flat over her own premises. ‘The Ocean’ was flourishing and life was changing. Leah tried hard to involve Marie in the improvements she was planning. Her efforts paid off; being given carte blanche on the furnishing and decorating of the new extension seemed to arouse some of the old enthusiasm in Marie. Slowly she began to take an interest in life again.

  With a new task to occupy her, encouragement from Philip and daily physiotherapy her legs grew stronger daily, and when he proposed again for the hundredth time she surprised him by hesitating, a smile making her eyes dance in a way he had thought he would never see again.

  ‘When I can walk down the aisle,’ she said quietly, ‘when I can make it on my own, then I’ll marry you, Philip.’

  He looked at her in astonishment. ‘Would you mind saying that again, please?’

  She reached out to put her arms around his neck. ‘Darling Philip. You’ve been so patient and so good to me. When I can walk down the aisle — walk normally mind, not stumble — I’ll marry you. I love you so much. You deserve better than a useless invalid for a wife and I intend to see that you get it.’

  That had been eight months ago and since then Marie had worked hard. With Leah’s help, she swam daily in the new pool at ‘The Ocean’ and worked with the physiotherapist to strengthen her legs. Each day she walked a few more steps — at first with the help of crutches, then sticks, then at last unaided, until finally the day came when she was sufficiently satisfied with her own progress to agree to set a date for the wedding.

  *

  Leah got out of the lift and went into the bedroom where Hannah was helping Marie to dress.

  ‘Well, it’s time. Are you ready?' She stopped in the doorway, catching her breath. Marie stood in the middle of the room. In the long dress of palest primrose she looked only half her forty years. Her blonde hair was cut short in a halo of soft curls and the simple dress with its full skirt flattered her slender figure. When she turned to look at Leah her smile was one of radiant happiness.

  ‘Yes. I’m ready,’ she said. ‘And you look lovely too. That shade of apricot is wonderful for you.’

  Hannah carefully placed the wide-brimmed picture hat with its single white rose on Marie’s head and handed her the bouquet of white and yellow roses. ‘There,’ she said, standing back. ‘You look quite beautiful.’

  *

  In the church porch Sally was waiting as the car drew up outside the lychgate. Terry got out and helped Marie out of the back. As Hannah carefully arranged the folds of her dress Terry whispered: ‘The folding wheelchair is in the boot if you want it. It’s a long walk from here to the church.’

  Marie smiled and shook her head. ‘I’ll be fine,’ she said, taking his arm firmly. ‘No walk could be as long or as hard as the one I’ve made to be here. I’m so lucky. Two lovely daughters as matrons of honour and a handsome son-in-law to give me away. What more could I ask?’ She smiled up at him. ‘The best man in the world is waiting for me in there this morning and I’m going to him on my own two feet.’

  Together they set out towards the church. Marie faltered slightly at first then became steadier as she held her head high and took her first proud steps into the future.

  If you enjoyed The Long Way Home, check out Endeavour Press’s other books here: Endeavour Press - the UK’s leading independent publisher of digital books.

  For weekly updates on our free and discounted eBooks sign up to our newsletter.

  Follow us on Twitter and Goodreads.