by Sam Michaels
Georgina gazed up at David. In the dim light, his scars were hardly noticeable and his eyes still held their mischievous twinkle. Stop it, she told herself. ‘I suppose you’re expecting me to be grateful now?’ she snapped.
‘Well, it wouldn’t hurt to say thank you. Especially as two of my men have been shot.’
‘Thank you,’ she said begrudgingly. ‘But nothing has changed,’ she added and stamped off towards the back door to deal with Temi Zammit.
‘Wait,’ David called.
Georgina stopped walking and stood still but kept her back to David. She could feel him coming closer. Part of her wanted to turn around and run into his arms. He’d saved her life but could she ever forgive him for making her believe that he was dead?
David was standing so closely behind her now, she could smell the scent of his cologne. He still wore the same one he always had. The smell of him rekindled exciting memories. And when he touched her arm and stroked his hand down, over her wrist and to her little finger, her body tingled. Georgina gasped, thrilled at his touch.
‘Marry me?’ David husked in her ear.
His proposal came as a shock and though she tried to fight her feelings, she knew she was losing. Georgina slowly turned around to face him. She searched his eyes and saw the love she’d craved from him for years. She’d lost him once and knew she didn’t want to lose him again.
‘Yes,’ she answered. ‘I’ll marry you. But I’m still really bloody angry with you!’
David threw his arms around her and kissed her with fervent ardour. As she melted into his firm embrace, her anger ebbed away.
David’s men began clapping and cheering.
‘Congratulations, miss,’ Ned shouted joyfully.
Georgina reluctantly pulled away from David’s arms. ‘There’s still some business to sort out. I need to see to Temi,’ she whispered, somewhat breathless from David’s passionate kiss.
‘There’s no need for you to deal with men like him anymore. You can leave all that to me.’
‘Oh no, David, that’s not how things are going to be. If you think I’m going to be that sort of wife, then you can think again.’
‘All right, that’s fine with me, Mrs Maynard. Whatever you say. You are the boss.’
Georgina had never believed in fairy tales. She thought they were unrealistic and life wasn’t like that. But once this damn war was over and her children were back at home, she hoped that maybe, just maybe, her story would end with ‘and they all lived happily ever after.’
31
16 months later.
Tuesday 8 May 1945.
Georgina could hear a terrific commotion through the open window of her grand lounge where she’d once gunned down Slugs. People were cheering and high-spirited music filled the air outside. Car horns tooted and she could hear what sounded like saucepan lids clanging excitedly. She peered out of the window, perplexed, and saw a family who lived further along the street had dragged a piano from their house and there were men, women and children dancing around it.
The lounge door burst open and David came hurtling in, his huge smile indicating to Georgina that he had good news.
‘What’s going on?’ she asked her husband.
‘It’s over, Georgina. We’ve won the bloody war!’
Georgina staggered away from the window and dropped onto the sumptuous sofa. ‘Really? It’s really over?’ she asked, hardly daring to believe it.
‘Yes, Germany has surrendered. Victory is ours.’
A smile began to creep across her face. ‘You know what this means, don’t you?’
‘Yes, I do. Alfie and Selina will finally be coming home. You’ve waited so long for this day to happen.’
‘Oh, David,’ Georgina exclaimed. She leapt to her feet to throw her arms around her husband’s neck. ‘At last.’
‘Do you have to do that in the middle of the day?’ Charlotte asked.
Georgina pulled her arms from David and saw that Charlotte had come into the room.
‘Dina let me in,’ Charlotte said as she removed her hat and threw it onto the drinks cabinet.
‘You’ve heard?’ Georgina asked. ‘The war is over!’
‘Yeah, of course I’ve heard. You can hardly fail not to. I was on my way over when pandemonium broke loose. There’s bonfires and parties everywhere,’ Charlotte said solemnly. ‘But it’s not over for Tim, is it? He’s still out in Burma fighting the Japs, so God only knows when he’ll be home.’
‘I’m sorry, love, but I’m sure it won’t be much longer. And the moment he is demobbed, we’ll get my dressmaker to make a start on your wedding dress. That’s something to look forward to, eh?’
‘Yes, I can’t wait for him to get home and make me his wife. But I’m not jinxing anything. Your dressmaker ain’t allowed to cut the material or anything until I know that Tim is home safe and sound. I’m not tempting fate and bringing bad luck.’
‘It’s fine, I understand.’
David cleared his throat. ‘Erm, excuse me, Charlotte, would you like a drink?’
‘Yes, why not. I suppose we should celebrate. Tim or no Tim, the blinkin’ war in Europe is still over. Champagne?’
‘Sounds like a good idea to me,’ David replied.
As he popped the cork, Johnny Dymond flew into the room. ‘It’s over!’ he declared.
‘Yes, Johnny, we were just about to have a glass of champagne. Care to join us?’ David asked.
‘Yes, please, boss.’
‘Don’t call me that, not in front of the real boss,’ David said jokingly and indicated towards Georgina.
‘Actually, I think now would be a good time to announce my resignation,’ Georgina said as David handed her a champagne flute. She held the glass aloft. ‘A toast, to victory in Europe and to me stepping down from the business.’
‘What do you mean?’ David asked, frowning.
‘My children are coming home. I’ve a lot of time to make up for. From now on, they will be my sole focus and you, my dear husband, can take over running everything without me.’
‘That’s definitely worth toasting,’ David said and chuckled. ‘I’ll finally get my own way.’
‘You’ll still keep me on as your driver though?’ Johnny asked Georgina.
‘Of course.’ Georgina felt that Johnny had to stay on as her driver whether she needed him or not. She’d come to realise how reckless he could be without her guidance and felt compelled to keep an eye on the silly sod. ‘Do me a favour, go and give Dina a shout. She should be celebrating with us.’
Johnny slipped out of the room and returned moments later with Dina. She refused a glass of champagne and her face barely cracked into a smile.
‘The children shall be returning soon, Dina. I’d like you to prepare their beds.’
‘Vil you be collecting zem or are ze gypsies bringing zem here?’
‘I should imagine that we will be collecting them.’
‘May I come wis you?’
‘If you like. Any reason why?’
‘I think I leave wis zem. I travel across Europe wis zem. Zey take me to Russia, yes?’
‘You want Lash’s family to take you to Russia?’
‘Yes.’
‘I see. Well, they did say that once the war was over and my children back home, they would move east for a while. I’m sure they’d be happy to offer you safe passage with them.’
‘Thank you, Miss Garrett.’
‘Dina, it’s Mrs Maynard now, remember?’
‘Yes, Miss Garrett, I remember.’
Georgina rolled her eyes. Dina had never addressed her as Mrs Maynard even though she’d married David more than six months ago. Neither had Dina ever spoken to David.
‘If you’re going to be needing a new housekeeper, Gerty would be interested,’ Charlotte suggested.
‘Dirty Gerty?’ Johnny asked.
‘Yeah. She came round the other day and asked about any jobs going. She’s had enough of whoring now. She said life as a prossy
ain’t the same without the Zammits’ protection.’
‘Tell her to come and see me,’ Georgina said. ‘I shall need someone. My kids are going to be keeping me busy. I shan’t have time to look after this big house an’ all. I’ll miss you, Dina. What will you do in Russia?’
‘Find my papa.’
‘You’ll need money. David will see to that. You’ve been very loyal to me and you’ll always be welcome back.’
‘I vil not be back. I go home and I stay.’
‘You must write to me and let me know how you get on.’
Dina said nothing and merely stared at Georgina blankly, just as she always did. Life had not been kind to Dina. The woman appeared to be without feelings or thought, machine-like in her ways. Georgina hoped that Dina would find some happiness and comfort in Russia, though from what she had read in the newspapers, the Soviet Union occupied much of eastern Europe under a communist dictatorship. It seemed a grim prospect for Dina to be venturing in to.
‘Who fancies coming up town with me for a party? Everyone’s flocking up there,’ Johnny said and then he knocked back the champagne in his glass. ‘That’s if you don’t mind, Mrs Maynard?’
‘No, you go, Johnny. Take Charlotte with you, and Dina if she wants. I’m going to celebrate here with my husband and maybe we can call in to The Penthouse later. My new manager will have the champagne corks popping, I’m sure,’ Georgina answered and walked over to David who draped his arm over her shoulder and pulled her close.
‘Ladies… do you want to party?’ Johnny asked.
‘Not really,’ Charlotte answered sullenly, ‘but I’ll keep you company if only to keep you out of trouble. Are you joining us, Dina?’
Dina pushed her nose haughtily into the air and turned before walking out of the room.
‘She’s never going to forgive me, is she?’ Charlotte mumbled.
‘I doubt it but don’t lose any sleep over it. She won’t be here for much longer,’ Georgina answered.
A loud explosion outside startled Georgina. ‘Fireworks,’ she said, holding her hand on her racing heart. Holloway Prison and nightly bombing raids, even the V2 bombs, they were all behind her now, yet a loud and sudden noise still made her pulse quicken. There had been many nights when she’d woken in a cold sweat after a nightmare about being back behind bars in that awful place. She thought of Ester and her daughter, Paula, the Jewish refugees who’d been in Holloway before being shipped to the Isle of Man. She wondered what had become of them and if they would now return to Germany.
‘See ya,’ Johnny chirped. ‘I’ll be back tomorrow.’
‘No, I want you, Ned and the Barkers outside Holloway Prison tomorrow. Elsie Flowers is due for release. See to it that she doesn’t enjoy any of her freedom,’ Georgina ordered. ‘And don’t forget, you and me were nearly killed because of her. Don’t you dare go soft on her and fall for her sweet and innocent act again.’
‘I won’t, I’ll never forgive the bitch for setting the Zammits against us. Do you want her freedom gone for good? I’ll happily put a bullet in her.’
‘No need. Just drop her at the police station. I’ve lined up another charge against her. She’ll be back inside Holloway for a very long time.’
‘Good,’ Charlotte snapped. ‘She won’t be getting any fancy dresses in there!’
‘Indeed.’
‘What’s she gonna be charged with?’ Johnny asked.
‘Murdering her husband. I found out where Temi’s men disposed of Jacob’s body. The police have sufficient evidence to charge her with his death, including witness testimonials and an incriminating piece of evidence that places her there.’
‘What evidence?’
‘An earring that she must have accidently lost when she buried him and that several witnesses have identified as hers. And Lora Zammit has agreed to take the stand to say that her husband and Elsie were having an affair. She will state that Temi told her that Elsie killed Jacob and begged him for help to get rid of the corpse. Lora might be incriminating herself but she needs the money and I’m paying a good price for her statement. David is going to speak to his friend on the force to protect Lora from prosecution.’
‘Elsie will hang,’ Johnny said without remorse.
‘Possibly. But it’s no more than she deserves.’
‘Once again, I take me hat off to you, boss. It’s genius!’
‘Thank you. Anyway, off you go and make sure that Charlotte gets back to Alexandra Avenue safely tonight.’
Once alone, David poured Georgina another glass of champagne. ‘I hope I don’t frighten the kids,’ he said, handing her the drink.
‘Frighten them… why would you frighten them?’ But as Georgina asked the question, it dawned on her what he meant. She saw past his disfigurement. In fact, she hardly noticed it. But David’s scars clearly played on his mind. ‘I love you and so will my children,’ she said firmly.
‘I won’t try and be their father and I won’t mind if you talk to them about Lash. He should be remembered. I’ve gotta say, I can’t wait to meet them.’
‘I’m scared, David. They won’t know me.’
‘It won’t take them long to adjust. They’ll have nice big bedrooms instead of a cramped caravan and the park is right next door. I can’t see any reason why they won’t love living here.’
‘Because they’ll be living with strangers,’ Georgina answered sadly.
‘Strangers who will love them and spoil them rotten,’ David assured. He tilted her head back and gently kissed her. Then told her, ‘So stop worrying.’
‘We’ll see.’
They were interrupted by the trill of the telephone. ‘That’ll be Molly,’ Georgina said.
‘You speak to Molly and I’ll organise getting word sent to the Hearns. The sooner we get your children home, the better.’
Georgina went to the telephone, grateful for David’s love and warmed by the way he cared for her. She was so close to the perfect life that she’d always wanted. She had a kind and loving husband and she’d soon have her children home. And now she had financial security to offer them. There was only one blot on her landscape: The business. It had risks. Dangers came with it and though Georgina mostly felt confident that they ran a tight ship and had few enemies, there was always that niggling doubt in the back of her mind. One day, someone might challenge David. He could be killed. All of this could be taken away from her. Her world could come crashing down around her. It felt that now with her children returning, her priorities had changed. It was her duty to keep Alfie and Selina safe.
‘Hello, Molly… I take it you’ve heard then?’
‘Yes! Oh, Georgina, isn’t it wonderful!’
‘Yes, it really is. David is organising for Alfie and Selina to come home. In the meantime, Johnny has taken Charlotte up to town to celebrate. It’s mayhem here, you should hear it. They’re partying in the streets. There’s music, singing, fireworks and everything. It’s all very jolly. I ain’t ever seen anything like it!’
‘I can imagine. I can’t stop crying, I’m so happy.’
Georgina lowered her voice, hoping that David couldn’t hear. ‘I want you to do me a favour. But keep it between us for now.’
‘Go on.’
‘Have a look around, see if there’s any business opportunities for me in Kent.’
‘Like what? There’s nothing down here worth robbing,’ Molly said with a chuckle.
‘No, I mean, a business investment. Something that I could buy that would earn me and David a good living.’
There was a short pause and then Molly excitedly asked, ‘Are you thinking of selling up and moving to Kent?’
‘I don’t know. Maybe. It’s about time me and David had a change of direction with the business. You know what I mean… get into something more stable and less dangerous. But, shush, don’t say anything. I haven’t spoken to David about it yet.’
When Georgina replaced the telephone receiver, David asked, ‘Spoken to me about what.’
‘Yes. What are you and Molly concocting now?’
‘Nothing. I just wanted to put out some feelers before I came to you.’
David looked at her, expecting more.
Georgina sighed. ‘Don’t be angry with me but I was thinking that maybe you and I should think about packing this all in and doing something legit. Like farming.’
David threw his head back and roared with laughter. ‘Farming… me and you as farmers? You can’t be serious?’
‘Yes, I am, deadly. Or if not farming, something else. I don’t know, don’t mock me. I just want a long life with you, David. I can’t stand the thought of it being cut short. And I have to ensure the safety of Alfie and Selina.’
David pulled her into his arms. ‘I understand. I know what you’re saying. I’m not sure that a country life with my pipe and slippers is for me, but let me think about it for a while.’
Georgina rested her head on his shoulder. At least he hadn’t instantly dismissed the idea of a new life in the country. But he was right, farming probably wasn’t for them. But there had to be something that they could be successful at… something other than being the heads of one of London’s most feared criminal gang.
‘I love you,’ she whispered.
‘I love you more.’
Georgina closed her eyes and pictured Molly’s big fireplace in the cosy stone farmhouse, surrounded by green fields and fresh air. It was the idyllic place to raise children. The more she thought about it, the more she wanted it. She just had to convince David that it was the right move for them. But she was sure that David would come round to her way of thinking eventually. After all, Georgina always got her own way in the end.
Acknowledgements
Special thanks to my hubby, Simon, for getting on with the boring stuff so that I can spend time writing.
To my wonderful mum, Kitty Neale, for always encouraging me and for reading my manuscripts and telling me how brilliant they are!
