When Wishes Come True

by Jonker, Joan

  ‘It is, my darling, and I hope you will spend many happy hours here with me and your grandmother. And I can tell you that this is going to be a shock to her, so we must be very careful now.’

  Oscar opened the car door for them. ‘I’ll come in with you, Cyril. It might take the edge off the shock, don’t you think?’

  A maid in a black dress and white starched apron opened the door, and smiled when she saw the trio standing there. ‘You’re early, Mr Cyril, Madam will be surprised to see you. And you, Mr Oscar, shall I take your coat?’ She looked at Milly with curiosity. ‘Shall I take your coat, miss?’

  Milly moved closer to her grandfather. ‘This is my best coat, and my mother wouldn’t like it if someone took it from me.’

  Cyril and Oscar managed to hide their smiles. ‘I wouldn’t blame your mother for being annoyed if someone took it from you, my dear, but Maisie only wants to hang it up until you are ready to leave. Then she will give it back to you.’

  ‘Oh, that’s all right then.’ Milly slipped off her coat and handed it to the maid who was having difficulty keeping the smile from her face. Then Milly remembered her manners, and said, ‘Thank you very much.’ But she still wasn’t happy when she saw the maid walking away with the three coats over her arm. ‘Will you hang it up by the tab, please, ’cos if you just hang it on a hook, it will put the coat out of shape.’

  ‘Yes, miss,’ the maid said, ‘I will take really good care of it for you.’

  The hall was massive, with a beautiful wide curved staircase. There were highly polished tables, gilt-framed pictures on the walls, several vases of flowers, and the most beautiful chandelier hanging down from the ceiling, its drops sending out flashes of colour. Milly’s eyes were everywhere, she had never seen anything like it. But it was all so strange, she felt shy. ‘Granddad, you won’t let go of my hand, will you?’

  ‘Of course I won’t, my dear, and you have no need to be afraid or shy, for this is the house your father was born in. I’ll show you his room later, but first I want to surprise your grandmother. She will be in the drawing room at this time of day, and I am not going to tell her who you are at first. Oscar will come in with us, and I want to see if your grandmother can tell who you are by looking at you.’

  Milly had been looking forward to seeing her grandmother, but this house was so big it frightened her a little. ‘You won’t leave me, will you?’ She looked up at Oscar. ‘You’ll stay with me, won’t you, Uncle Oscar?’

  ‘Your granddad and I will never be more than a yard from you, darling. In fact I will hold your hand all the time, I promise.’ Oscar raised his brows and asked, ‘Is that all right with you, Cyril?’

  Milly didn’t want to leave her granddad out though, ’cos he might be sad if he thought she didn’t want him. She looked from one to the other. ‘You can hold a hand each, then I’ll have two men to protect me if there are any dragons hiding in cupboards.’

  So it was a laughing trio who entered the drawing room. Matilda looked at them in surprise, it was far too early for her husband to be home. ‘We’ve brought a visitor to see you.’ Cyril let Milly’s hand drop, and Oscar looked at him with a frown. But Cyril nodded as if to say, You go ahead, I want to see my wife’s reaction from here. And Oscar understood. It was going to be a very emotional scene.

  Matilda smiled at Oscar when he stood before her, Milly’s hand in his. ‘I didn’t know you had a daughter, Oscar,’ she said, eyeing Milly with curiosity. ‘I thought your children were boys.’

  ‘Oh, Milly is not my daughter. You’re right, Matilda, my children are both boys and much younger. No, Milly is a friend of mine I thought you might like to meet.’

  She looked at Milly and smiled. ‘I am very happy to meet you, my dear. If you are a friend of Oscar’s then you are a friend of mine.’ She leaned forward when Milly smiled, and there was a strange expression on her face. ‘You are a very pretty girl. You remind me of someone, but I can’t think who.’

  Standing in the background, Cyril could feel a lump forming in his throat. He wanted to tell his wife it was her granddaughter she was looking at, but he had lost the power of speech. He would have to leave it to Oscar to break the news, he himself was feeling far too emotional.

  However, neither man was given the chance. Milly, young as she was, knew this was a very important moment in her life. And she felt sorry for her grandmother. Taking her hand from Oscar’s, she moved to stand closer to the woman who was staring at her as though she was a ghost. ‘Can’t you think who I remind you of, Grandmother?’

  It was when his wife fell back in her chair that Cyril was galvanised into action. He was by her side in seconds, his arm around her shoulders. ‘Be brave, my darling, this is a wonderful day for both of us. This is Amelia, or Milly as she likes to be called, and she is Charles’ daughter.’ He was expecting her to faint, or ring for the smelling salts, but instead she pushed him aside and leaned forward to draw Milly towards her. And as Oscar was to tell his wife that evening, it was the most wonderful, yet sad scene he had ever witnessed. For Matilda was crushing the girl to her as though she’d never let go. The tears were running down her cheeks, and she began to rock Milly from side to side. She couldn’t bring herself to speak, but her mind was reminding her that this girl was born from the seed of her beloved son, and while she lived, so did Charles.

  It took Milly to break the tension. ‘Grandmother, don’t cry, ’cos you’re making me feel sad. I thought you would be happy to see me?’

  ‘Oh, I am, my darling, more happy than words can say. But where have you been all these years?’

  ‘Granddad will tell you that, he’s better at saying things than I am. But can you stop crying now, Grandmother, ’cos you’re making my dress wet, and it’s my very best one.’

  Matilda sniffed and let her arms drop. ‘I’m sorry, darling, but I am so happy I can’t help crying. Now you are here, you won’t ever leave us again, will you?’

  Milly looked bewildered, so Cyril came to her aid. ‘She has to leave us now, darling, for Evelyn is waiting for her in my office. I have so much to tell you, but I don’t have the time to tell you now for I need go back to the office with Milly. Oscar was kind enough to bring us here, and he has promised to run Evelyn and Milly home. But you will see your granddaughter again very soon, I promise you. However, no more news for now, all will be revealed tonight.’

  Matilda wiped a tear away and Milly reassured her, ‘I do love you, Grandmother, and you’ll see me loads of times, I promise. But now I want to ask you and Grandfather a favour. All the girls in school, and my friends, they call their grandparents Granda and Grandma. It sounds much nicer, doesn’t it? So, please, can I call you the same?’ When Matilda nodded, Milly gave her a big hug and kiss. ‘I am a very lucky girl having a grandma and granda, and an Uncle Oscar and Auntie Gwen. And my friends in the street where I live, I love them too!’

  Then something happened that Cyril had never seen before. His wife walked to the front door holding on tight to Milly’s hand. She waved the maid aside. ‘I’ll see my granddaughter to the door, thank you, you may go.’ She even walked to the car, waited on the path until it moved down to the double gates, then stood waving a handkerchief as Milly knelt on the back seat and waved back.

  Cyril tapped Oscar on the back and chortled, ‘Who was it said that miracles never happen? I think a certain little person is going to give my wife a new lease of life.’

  Back at the office, Evelyn was on edge. ‘My neighbour will worry herself sick if Milly isn’t there when she gets home from work. I do hope they’re not much longer.’

  ‘The neighbour you are talking about, is it Bessie? The one I said I would like to meet?’

  Evelyn nodded. ‘And you will meet her, I promise. But everything can’t happen in a day, it may take a few weeks.’

  Just then they heard laughter in the corridor outside, and Evelyn let out a sigh of relief. ‘Thank goodness, we’ll make it home in time.’

  The door opened and Milly
ran towards her mother. ‘You should see the size of the house Granda lives in, Mother. It’s nearly as big as a castle.’

  ‘Yes, I know, dear, I have been there. Was your grandmother pleased to see you?’

  ‘Oh, yes, she gave me loads of kisses, and wanted me to stay there.’

  Cyril thought this a good time to broach the matter that had been on his mind for a while. ‘Have you and Philip made any plans?’

  Philip nodded. ‘I’m going to see my parents tonight, I think they should be told the news before they hear it from a stranger. Then tomorrow Evelyn and I will set a date for our wedding in the very near future. We will have to live in the apartment for a while until we find a suitable home, and that is the only drawback. There is only one bedroom.’

  ‘Then Milly can come and live with us,’ Cyril told them, ‘we certainly have plenty of room and would love to have her.’

  ‘I’ll live with Auntie Bessie,’ Milly said, surprising everyone but Evelyn. ‘She has a room there for me.’

  ‘But you can live with us, my dear,’ Cyril protested. ‘Your grandma and I would love to have you, and we have rooms to spare.’

  Milly’s face was set. ‘No, I want to live with my Auntie Bessie. She is my very bestest friend and she’d be sad if she couldn’t see me. And I wouldn’t be able to see Jack, either.’

  Evelyn shrugged her shoulders at Cyril. ‘Shall we leave it for now and talk about it another day? I’m sure Milly will change her mind when she’s had time to think about it.’

  ‘I won’t change my mind,’ she said with a nod of her head for emphasis. ‘I want to live with Auntie Bessie.’

  When Evelyn tutted, Cyril held his hand up to silence her. He didn’t want his granddaughter to be forced into living with him against her will. ‘This Bessie must be a very fine person if you love her so much, Milly.’

  ‘Oh, she is, Granda, she’s lovely. And she is very funny when she talks to the door and the grate, she makes me laugh all the time.’

  ‘She talks to the door and the grate, does she?’ Cyril would have laughed if it hadn’t been for Milly’s expression, which said she didn’t see anything wrong in talking to them. ‘Do they answer her back?’

  ‘Oh, yes, and she tells them off then for being cheeky.’

  ‘Do you know, I would like to meet this Auntie Bessie of yours, I’m sure I’d like her. You see, I talk to my desk sometimes, and my paper basket if it trips me up.’ He nodded. ‘Yes, I’m sure I’d get on with her.’

  ‘You are not the only one who wants to meet Bessie,’ Philip informed him. ‘Evelyn has told me a lot about her and I’m waiting to meet the lady I’m told is so kind and caring.’

  Milly was delighted, for anyone who liked Auntie Bessie was a friend of hers. ‘I’ll ask her tonight when she can come to see you, Granda, shall I?’

  Events were moving too fast for Evelyn. ‘Miss Maudsley goes to work every day, Milly, don’t forget. We’ll have words with her tonight, and see when it would be suitable for her.’

  Milly wasn’t going to be put off so easily, though. ‘She doesn’t work on a Sunday, Granda, would you like to see her then?’

  Cyril could see by Evelyn’s face she didn’t like the way the conversation was going, and guessed she was worried in case her daughter invited them all to her house. He knew from Milly that it was a two-up-two-down, and while that didn’t bother him, it might bother Evelyn. So he found a solution which he thought would suit everyone. ‘Why don’t you all come to my home on Sunday for dinner? A sort of celebration. Evelyn, you could bring Milly and Bessie. And Philip is invited, of course, and Oscar and Gwen. You could make your peace with Matilda, who would love to welcome you back into the family. What do you say?’

  Milly clapped her hands with glee. ‘Oh, yes, Granda, that would be lovely.’ She turned to Evelyn. ‘Ooh, I can’t wait until Sunday, Mother, we’ll all have a wonderful time.’

  Chapter Thirty-One

  Evelyn lay in bed on the Sunday morning going over the whirlwind events of the last three days. So much had happened she hadn’t been able to take it all in, but now, in the still of an early Sunday morning, with Milly fast asleep in the next room, her mind was able to catch up on events. Philip had taken her to meet his parents and they had welcomed her with warmth and friendliness, instantly putting her at ease. She hadn’t been asked difficult questions or made to feel awkward, for Philip had already told them everything from start to finish. They discussed the wedding, and both his parents were pleased that at last their son was to settle down. They instantly got involved in planning things, when it should be, where it should take place, and where to hold the reception. And they were sincere in the pleasure they showed at their son’s choice of wife. It was Mrs Astbury who first brought Milly into the conversation, by saying she must be looking forward to being a bridesmaid. Even though Evelyn wouldn’t be wearing white, Philip’s parents still wanted their son to have a wedding he would remember for the rest of his life.

  Evelyn sighed, but it was a sigh of relief and happiness. All her fears about facing Cyril had been groundless. The meeting had gone so smoothly, with not a word of reproach from him. As for Oscar and Gwen, it was lovely to see them again and renew their friendship. She had such a lot to be thankful for, and no one realised that more than herself. But the fears and apprehension she’d suffered before meeting all these people had taken their toll, with a constant headache and tummy taut with tension. And although she’d had a smile fixed on her face most of the time, the first real, genuine belly laugh had come last night, and Bessie was the cause of it. Evelyn stretched her legs and relived the scene in her head.

  ‘Ay, Evelyn, let’s be serious for a minute while I get something off me chest.’ Bessie was sitting on the couch with Milly beside her, while Evelyn sat in the fireside chair. ‘Milly tells me that her granda’s house is nearly as big as a palace, and filled with beautiful things. And he’s got a maid, a housekeeper, a cleaner and a gardener. Now is she pulling me leg or is she telling the truth?’

  ‘She’s telling the truth, Bessie, I did tell you that the Lister-Sinclairs were very wealthy. They have a beautiful home. Why?’

  ‘Why! Because I can’t go to a place like that, I’d make a holy show of meself, and you into the bargain. I’d be frightened to open me mouth in case I put me ruddy foot in it.’ She leaned forward to poke the fire. ‘No, you two go and enjoy yerselves, I won’t bother. I don’t know why I was asked in the first place, I’d be well out of me depth.’

  ‘Oh, you’ve got to come, Auntie Bessie, ’cos Granda and Uncle Philip are dying to meet you. I told them you were my bestest friend, and they want to be your friend as well. You’ve got to come or I’ll cry and I won’t go either.’

  Bessie returned the poker back to the companion set then leaned back on the couch. ‘Listen to me, sweetheart, I don’t speak posh so I’d be frightened to open my mouth, and I don’t have fancy clothes so I’d feel uncomfortable.’

  ‘They’re not snobs, Bessie,’ Evelyn told her. ‘I used to be a snob, as you well know, but I was only pretending to be something I wasn’t, which is what snobs do. People who really have money aren’t a bit like that. You would be made very welcome, I can assure you, and wouldn’t feel uncomfortable at all.’

  Bessie snorted. ‘Oh, no, in me home-made dress and me Marcel-waved hair, I’d be the belle of the ruddy ball! And I can’t afford to go out and pay a fortune for another dress, even if the shops were open, which they’re not.’

  Milly was pouting, very near to tears. ‘I’m going in the dress you made me, Auntie Bessie, so that’s a home-made dress, and I love it. And I’ll tell everyone that you made it for me, so they’ll all think you are very clever. I bet none of them could make a dress.’

  ‘That’s different, sweetheart, ’cos you’re family. If you turned up in a sack, they’d still love yer. But I’m not family, yer see.’

  Milly folded her arms, her face set. ‘If you don’t go, then I won’t go either, so there!
’

  ‘Don’t start behaving like a baby, Milly,’ Evelyn said. ‘You can’t always have your own way. If Miss Maudsley doesn’t want to come, we can’t make her. I’ll be very disappointed, though, because I’ve told Cyril and Philip so much about her they really do want to meet her.’ She suddenly had a brain wave. ‘It’s a pity, Bessie, because you said you would like to thank the man who gave the donation at Christmas, and if you don’t come with us tomorrow night, you’ll miss the chance of meeting him.’

  Bessie chuckled. ‘Nice try, Evelyn, but it won’t work.’

  Milly had shuffled to the edge of the couch. ‘Which man is that, Mother, do I know him?’

  ‘Yes, dear, it’s Uncle Philip, the man I am going to marry.’

  Bessie’s eyes narrowed. ‘Are you having me on, Evelyn, ’cos if yer are, I’ll set the poker on yer. In fact, I won’t bother with the poker, I’ll have a word with the front door and tell it not to let yer in any more.’

  Evelyn let her head drop back and laughter filled the room. ‘Oh, if you don’t come, Bessie, you’ll miss out on a lot. Milly’s granddad is like you, he talks to his desk, and the waste-paper basket. You would have so much in common.’

  Bessie viewed her through narrowed lids. ‘Is this another try, Evelyn? If it is, yer must be getting desperate, sweetheart, ’cos I could do better meself.’

  ‘Mother isn’t telling fibs, Auntie Bessie,’ Milly said. ‘She is going to marry Uncle Philip, and Granda does talk to his desk and the waste-paper basket, he told us.’

  Bessie stroked her cheek. ‘It’s no use, sweetheart, I’m sure they are the nicest people in the world, but it doesn’t alter the fact I’m not in the same class as them, and I really would be embarrassed. My clothes wouldn’t fit, me accent would go down like a lead balloon, and I’d be dead miserable. You and yer mother go, and have a nice time. You can tell me all about it after. It’ll be a New Year then, nineteen hundred and twenty-six.’