The Girls in Blue

by Lily Baxter

  ‘So it’s history repeating itself,’ Annie said, putting the glass to her lips and sipping the brandy. ‘Only this time, with luck, there’ll be a happy ending.’

  ‘Happy endings,’ Maggie said, tossing back the drink in one mouthful. ‘Now, Miranda, what are we going to do about you and your young man?’

  It had been one of those moments in the middle of the night when it was impossible to sleep. Miranda had got out of bed and gone upstairs to Jack’s room where she opened the window and went out onto the widow’s walk. A silver path of moonlight rippled on the surface of the sea and it was hard to believe that just a few hours previously the sky had been filled with men and machines locked in deadly combat. She wrapped her woollen dressing gown a little tighter around her body and took deep breaths of the cool night air. She had always found it easier to think up here close to the stars and Gil’s description of flying as kissing the clouds came forcibly to mind, making her smile. If she closed her eyes she could summon up a vision of him when he was clowning around in the bar. He had been so full of life then, and he had been the first person to understand that it was shyness fuelling her outward show of reserve. He had seemed to know her better than she knew herself, and she simply could not bear to think of him lying helpless in a hospital bed. Even though she had doubted his sincerity at the beginning, she had a sneaking suspicion that they had been on the brink of something momentous. She knew exactly what she was going to do.

  It was not difficult to find Maddern and Son, Auctioneers. Miranda had taken the train to Southampton and a taxi from the station which dropped her off outside the auction house. She paid the cabby and stood on the pavement for a moment, getting her bearings. The name of the firm was emblazoned above the doorway in gold lettering on a midnight blue background, and as luck would have it she had arrived on the viewing day before the next sale. She followed an elderly couple inside and found several people intent on examining the items set out in the barn of a room. There was an eclectic mixture of furniture from different decades, paintings, china and silver with a few piles of books giving off their peculiarly musty smell. There were a couple of porters on duty, and Miranda was just about to ask one of them where she might find Mrs Maddern or her daughter when a young woman emerged from the office. She was wearing the uniform of an ARP warden but Miranda was struck by her resemblance to Gil, and she was in no doubt that this must be one of his sisters. She caught up with her as she was about to leave the building and tapped her on the shoulder. ‘Excuse me, but are you Miss Maddern?’

  ‘Yes, I’m Felicity Maddern. How can I help you?’

  ‘Could you spare a minute or two?’ Miranda said urgently. ‘It’s rather personal.’

  Felicity glanced at her watch. ‘Okay. I’m not on duty for another ten minutes. Come into the office.’ She retraced her footsteps and showed Miranda into a room furnished with two antique desks, a breakfront bookcase and a pair of Edwardian desk chairs. ‘Do take a seat, Miss er …’

  ‘Miranda Beddoes. I’m a friend of Gil’s.’

  ‘Really? I don’t think he’s ever mentioned you.’

  ‘We haven’t known each other for long. I’m stationed at Henlow Priory. That’s where we met. I found out yesterday that he’d been rescued and that he’s in hospital. I simply had to find out how he is.’

  ‘That’s right. He was taken to hospital in Yarmouth, but we don’t know the exact extent of his injuries.’

  ‘But they’re not life threatening?’

  ‘No, thank God, although they’re bad enough.’ Felicity met Miranda’s anxious gaze with a puzzled frown. ‘Tell me, were you close to Gil? Forgive me for asking, but I can’t understand why he’s never mentioned you.’

  ‘We were just getting to know each other.’ Miranda stared down at her hands clasped tightly in her lap. This was not going to be easy. ‘I’m afraid I wasn’t very nice to him when we first met. I was rather foolish and believed everything I heard about him instead of using my own judgement, but for some odd reason he gave me a second chance.’ She raised her eyes and was surprised to see that Felicity was smiling.

  ‘That’s sounds so like Gil. He’s never been one to go by the rules.’ She glanced at her watch for a second time. ‘Look, I really have to go, but if you could hang around until four we can have a proper chat.’

  ‘I can get a later train home, but I was hoping I might be able to go on to Yarmouth and see Gil.’

  ‘Mother went there as soon as she got the news. She’s trying to get him transferred to a local hospital, but I don’t think he’s in a fit state to see anyone other than close family.’

  ‘I’ve been so worried about him.’

  ‘We all have, but I really must fly. I don’t want to get into trouble with my supervisor. He’s a bit sniffy about me doing two jobs anyway, but joining ARP was the only way I could stay here and help run the business.’

  ‘Shall I meet you back here later?’ Miranda rose to her feet.

  ‘I don’t suppose you know the town well.’ Felicity opened her handbag and pulled out a set of keys. ‘Why don’t you wait for me at our place?’ She unhooked one and pressed it into Miranda’s hand. ‘You can’t miss the house. It’s called The Gables and it’s just round the corner, about a hundred yards down the road. There’s an Anderson shelter in the garden should there be an air raid. Just make yourself at home.’

  Miranda stared at her in amazement. ‘You’re very trusting. I could be a burglar.’

  ‘You have an honest face and I’m sure Gil would never forgive me if I left you to wander the streets on your own. Must go now.’ She hurried from the office.

  Miranda stared at the key lying in the palm of her hand and she smiled, thinking that the impulsive streak must run in the Maddern family. Felicity and Gil obviously lived life with their hearts firmly stitched to their sleeves. They were so alike that, apart from the fact that Gil was the younger by a couple of years, they could have been twins. She picked up her things and left the office to make her way to the Madderns’ home, which as Felicity had said was just around the corner in a wide treelined avenue of detached houses set in large gardens.

  She let herself into the house, which to her surprise was furnished in the ultra modern art deco style. Somehow she had imagined that it would be filled with expensive antiques but the design was simple, verging on stark, with black and cream dominating the colour scheme downstairs. Feeling like an intruder, she went to the kitchen and was greeted by an elderly spaniel. He staggered from his wicker basket to nuzzle her hand and then went back to bed. She looked round and felt reassured by the mess that Felicity had left in her wake that morning. The sink was piled high with dishes and there was evidence of a hurried breakfast. The table was covered in breadcrumbs and a spoon had been left in the marmalade pot. Whatever Felicity had attempted to cook for her supper the previous night had ended up stuck to the bottom of a saucepan and was blackened beyond recognition.

  Miranda took off her cap and jacket, rolled up her sleeves and set about clearing up the mess. It took her the best part of an hour to make the kitchen sparkle, and she rewarded herself with a slice of toast. She did not like to take any of the Madderns’ butter ration, so she spread it with a little of the marmalade and hoped that no one would mind. The smell of food enticed the dog from his bed and he sat at her feet, looking up at her with adoring eyes until she fed him a bit of the crust. She made herself a cup of tea and when she had tidied everything away she could not resist the temptation to explore the house. She knew it was a frightful cheek, but curiosity had got the better of her and she had to fill in the afternoon somehow.

  Upstairs she peeped into the master bedroom, which as she had expected given the fact that Mrs Maddern had been widowed for many years was very feminine, elegant and decorated in pastel colours. There were three other bedrooms, one of which predictably was a chaotic jumble of discarded clothes, shoes and a dressing table littered with makeup. The spare room was chintzy and inviting, and the fourth room,
which was the one that most interested her, was obviously a shrine to a much-loved son.

  Sporting trophies adorned the mantelpiece and framed photos of school sporting events hung on the walls, but the photograph that caught Miranda’s attention was placed on the bedside cabinet. She picked it up and found herself looking at a much younger Gil holding a spaniel puppy in his arms. He looked so proud and happy that it brought tears to her eyes. That teenage boy could have had no idea of what the future held for him and for so many of his generation. She put it back where she had found it, feeling suddenly guilty for intruding into his private space. She stood for a moment gazing round the room, which could not have changed much since his student days, and she noticed a well-worn and obviously much-loved teddy bear sitting on top of the wardrobe. It looked back at her with its one remaining glass eye, the other one having been replaced by a coat button. She smiled in spite of everything and left the room comforted by the fact that she had learned something of Gil’s past and a little more about his character. She knew also that she had a lot to make up for.

  Felicity arrived soon after four o’clock, bursting into the kitchen like a uniformed whirlwind. She stopped and looked round with obvious delight. ‘Miranda, you’ve worked wonders, but you really shouldn’t have.’

  Miranda had been sitting at the kitchen table reading a magazine that she had found in the sitting room. She closed it and stood up. ‘I had to do something to fill in the time, and I’m afraid I made myself some lunch – just tea and toast – I hope you don’t mind.’

  ‘Of course not. I should have told you to help yourself to anything you could find, although there’s not much in the larder. I’m a rotten housekeeper, but then I’ve never had to do much for myself.’ She took off her hat and jacket, tossing them on the nearest chair. ‘If you don’t mind I’ll go up and change out of this ghastly outfit and then we’ll have a cup of tea and a chat. Won’t be long.’ She rushed out of the room leaving Miranda to wonder whether Felicity Maddern did anything at less than top speed. She did not have long to wait as her hostess reappeared minutes later dressed more casually in a sweater and slacks. ‘I hate that blessed uniform,’ she said, holding the door open. ‘Come into the other room, Miranda. I’ve put a match to the fire and we can chat in comfort.’

  ‘I really can’t stay long,’ Miranda said, following her into the elegant sitting room that was such a contrast to the cluttered but much cosier rooms at Highcliffe. ‘I have a train to catch.’

  Felicity threw herself down on a cream leather sofa, kicking her shoes off. ‘My feet are killing me. Anyway, that’s not your problem. Could you stay tonight, Miranda? I’d love the company and I can tell you everything you ever wanted to know about my younger brother. Living with three sisters he was spoiled and bullied. It’s a wonder he grew up to be such a love.’

  ‘I suppose I could stay,’ Miranda said doubtfully. ‘But I’d have to ring home and tell Granny.’

  ‘Feel free.’ Felicity waved her hand in the direction of a new style telephone with a handset and a dial, modelled in tasteful cream Bakelite. ‘You could wait until Mummy gets home tomorrow. She’s going to take the sale so she promised she’d get here first thing. She’ll be able to tell us more about Gil’s injuries.’

  ‘What exactly are they? Was he badly burned? I know it happens.’

  ‘I don’t think so. Apparently he’s broken both legs and his right arm, and hurt his back. I’m scared that he might be paralysed; that would be absolutely awful.’

  ‘Do you think he might be?’

  ‘I honestly don’t know. Mummy mentioned something about his condition being due to spinal shock, whatever that is. I’m frightfully ignorant about medical matters. I suppose I should speak to my sister Mary, she’s married to a doctor, but Mummy said I wasn’t to say anything until we know more. She didn’t want the others to worry.’ Felicity leaned over to throw a log on the fire. ‘I’m the one who has to shoulder the burden alone.’ She looked up and grinned. ‘But now I’ve got you. We can worry together, and we’ll be terribly lazy and have fish and chips for supper, and eat it out of the newspaper with lots of vinegar, salt and pepper. Telephone home, Miranda. We’ll have a lovely girly evening, just the two of us. I think there’s a bottle of wine in the drinks cabinet. We’ll drink to Gil’s speedy recovery and thank God that he’s survived, and I hope that they ground him for the rest of this beastly war.’

  Next morning Miranda awakened with a bit of a headache, and for a moment she could not remember how she came to be in a strange bed, but then she remembered that she had shared a bottle of Chablis with Felicity and they had chatted into the early hours of the morning. The sound of a car stopping outside the house with its engine running made her leap from her bed and run to the window. She drew back the curtain and saw a taxi pulling away from the kerb. A tall, blonde woman carrying a small overnight bag was walking down the garden path towards the house. It could only be Gil’s mother returning with news of his condition.

  With her heart racing, Miranda put on her clothes, brushed her hair and hurried downstairs. Felicity and her mother were in the kitchen talking in hushed tones. Fearing the worst, Miranda hesitated in the doorway. She cleared her throat to alert them to her presence. ‘Good morning.’

  Felicity turned to her with a beaming smile. ‘Come in, Miranda. I was just telling Mummy about you.’

  ‘I hope you don’t mind me being here, Mrs Maddern,’ Miranda said, fending off the attentions of the spaniel as he greeted her like a long lost friend.

  ‘Down, Mike.’ Daphne Maddern frowned at the dog and he bounced over to her wagging his tail.

  ‘One word from you, Mummy, and he does what he likes.’ Felicity dragged the eager animal away by his collar and knelt on the floor to make a fuss of him. ‘Tell Miranda what you just told me.’

  ‘Gilbert is as well as can be expected,’ Daphne said with a weary smile. ‘But he was in remarkably good spirits considering his injuries. I hope to get him transferred to the Royal Victoria hospital so that we can visit him more often.’

  ‘Was he badly hurt?’ The words spilled from Miranda’s lips before she could stop herself. She could see that Mrs Maddern was exhausted and emotionally drained, but she simply had to know.

  ‘He broke an arm and both legs – there’s a possibility that he might be left paralysed from the waist down.’ Daphne Maddern spoke slowly, as if each word caused her physical pain. ‘He’ll have to spend a long time in traction, possibly months, but at least he’s alive. For that I’ll be eternally grateful.’ Her voice broke and she turned away. ‘I’m sorry.’

  Felicity gave the spaniel a last loving pat. Rising to her feet she guided her mother to a chair. ‘Sit down, Mummy. I’ll make some tea and you must try to eat something. You look exhausted. I’ll take the sale today. You really should rest.’

  Daphne shook her head. ‘No, Fliss. Thank you anyway, but I’ll take the sale as planned. I snatched a few hours’ sleep at the Charing Cross hotel last night, and then I caught the six o’clock train from Waterloo, so I’ll be fine.’

  ‘Perhaps I could make the tea, if that would help,’ Miranda said, wishing there was something she could say or do to ease the family’s pain. For her own part she was so relieved that Gil had survived that she could have danced a jig.

  ‘Thank you, girls, but I’ll be fine when I’ve had a cup of tea and a nice hot bath. I seem to have been travelling almost non-stop for two days.’ She pushed the dog away as he attempted to climb onto her lap. ‘Fliss, darling. Take him out into the garden and let him wear off some of his high spirits.’

  ‘Yes, of course. When he’s excited he forgets that he’s an old man.’ Felicity went to the back door and opened it. ‘Walkies, Mike.’ The old dog ambled obediently into the garden and she closed the door. ‘I’ll take him for a proper walk later, but right now I’ll go and run the bath for you, Mummy. Miranda will make the tea.’ She hurried from the room.

  Daphne sat back in her chair watchin
g Miranda as she filled the kettle and put it on the gas stove. ‘Gilbert mentioned your name. He was anxious that you should know he’d survived, but obviously he need not have worried on that score.’

  ‘One of my friends at Henlow telephoned with the good news.’

  ‘And you travelled all this way to find us. You must be quite fond of him.’

  ‘I like him a lot. We were just getting to know each other.’

  ‘But you’re not in love with him.’

  ‘I think that’s my business, Mrs Maddern. I don’t want to be rude, but as I said, Gil and I were just getting better acquainted.’ Miranda took what was left of the loaf from the bread bin. ‘Toast?’

  ‘Yes, that would be nice.’ Daphne sat in silence for a moment while Miranda sliced the bread and put it under the grill. ‘I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to pry. It’s just that Gil seems to have fallen for you and I don’t want him to get hurt.’

  ‘What are you saying?’

  ‘Just this, Miranda. I think you’re a very pretty and perfectly nice young woman, but in the circumstances it might be better all round if you stayed away from my son.’

  ‘But why? He’s my friend, and I care about him.’

  Daphne rose to her feet. ‘It’s possible that Gil might spend the rest of his life in a wheelchair. Whatever happens he’s going to have a long convalescence and you’ll be stationed miles away. I know it’s not your fault, but you won’t be around to give him the support and encouragement he needs.’

  ‘I’ll stand by Gil. I won’t let him down.’

  ‘You’re very young, Miranda. You might meet someone else and fall madly in love. What would that do to Gil?’

  ‘No one knows what the future holds, but I can’t abandon him now.’

  Daphne shook her head. ‘I’m being realistic, my dear. You barely know my son, and he’s going to need someone who’ll be there for him no matter what. Could you promise me that that person would be you?’

  ‘No, of course not, but I’d always be his friend.’