A Nest of Singing Birds

by A Nest of Singing Birds (retail) (epub)

  As soon as the meal was over Tony said he would go for Sarah. ‘No point in her staying away to be tactful and give us time with Terry now this fellow’s here,’ he said to Helen.

  He set off after arranging with the girls that Terry would be sent off to meet them, alone, and Frank prevented from accompanying him.

  Tony called at the Redmond house and as Sarah was ready they left almost immediately. ‘I’m afraid this fellow he’s brought home with him, Frank, hasn’t left Terry alone for a minute,’ Tony said ruefully. ‘He’s so thick-skinned, I don’t know how Terry can stand him.’

  ‘How is he?’ Sarah asked.

  ‘He looks better than we expected – Frank says that’s all due to him - and he’s quite tanned. They’ve been working on farms, it seems.’ They walked in silence for a moment then Tony said quietly, ‘You may find Terry changed, Sar. Older, of course, and more grown up is the only way I can describe it.’ He squeezed her arm affectionately. ‘Of course you’re not the quiet little girl you were, are you?’

  Sarah smiled and as they drew near the house Terry approached them. Tony released her arm, clapping Terry on the shoulder as he passed him and Terry and Sarah moved self-consciously towards each other.

  Chapter Twenty-Nine

  Terry took off his cap and bent to kiss Sarah, and she hugged him, but their embrace was brief. They drew away and he crooked his arm for her to slip her hand through it. They walked along, both silent for a moment then both speaking at once.

  They laughed and Terry said gallantly, ‘After you, Sarah.’

  ‘I was only going to ask if you saw many changes – if everything seems very strange to you?’

  ‘It does really,’ he admitted. ‘I didn’t expect everything to be the same but the house seems smaller and shabbier. And Dad – he looks so old. And Mum…’

  ‘I know, Terry,’ Sarah said gently. ‘It must be hard for you, but she was suffering so much pain. It was better for her.’

  ‘I know. Maureen told me. She hasn’t changed much and neither have you, Sar. Our Eileen is the one who’s changed most, I think. Anne seems the same although she’s married and got a kid, too.’

  ‘Yes, he’s a lovely child. But poor Eileen, she’s had a bad time,’ Sarah said. ‘What was it like in the camp?’

  ‘Could’ve been worse,’ he said cheerfully. ‘We went out to work on a farm and some of the Jerrys were okay. It was just the years going past. We got browned off sometimes, but Frank and I managed to stick together. He’s at home now. We’d better get back in case he’s a bit shy with the family.’

  They walked back quickly and Maureen opened the door to them. She managed to detain Sarah and to whisper, ‘Well?’

  ‘All right,’ Sarah whispered but only shook her head as Maureen asked, ‘Have you talked?’

  ‘He was worried about Frank,’ Sarah said and Maureen grimaced expressively.

  Sarah was a favourite with Moira and the child ran to her as soon as she sat down on the sofa with Terry beside her. Sarah lifted her on to her knee and Terry leaned over and touched one of Moira’s ringlets. ‘That’s a nice sausage,’ he said.

  ‘Ith’s not a thauthage, ith’s my hair,’ she said indignantly and as all the family laughed Helen firmly lifted the child from Sarah’s knee and took her into the kitchen, promising to let her help to make sandwiches.

  Frank was introduced to Sarah and again monopolised the conversation, making comments on letters that she had sent to Terry and telling about his clever deals with the guards and other prisoners.

  Anne watched with amazement. Her first impression of Terry was that he had scarcely changed at all, although she was sure that she would see a difference in him as time passed. For the moment he had slotted back into the family as though he had never been away, but Anne was astounded at the behaviour of Terry and Sarah.

  She had been surprised when they appeared so soon after Tony and now they were sitting there, joining in the general conversation, and not even holding hands! She knew that Sarah was shy but surely on an occasion like this she should have been unable to resist hugging and kissing Terry, no matter who was with them?

  And Terry too, Anne thought. He seemed to be treating Sarah as though she was another sister rather than the girl he loved and had been separated from for so many years. Gosh, if it was me and John, she mused. For a start we wouldn’t have followed Tony in for hours while we walked round catching up on the time we’d lost and when we came in we’d have been sitting there with our arms round each other, taking no notice of anyone else.

  Suddenly Anne realised that Frank was saying loudly to Sarah, ‘What do you think about Canada then?’ Terry had turned away from her and was making signals to him.

  Tony said hastily, ‘What do you think of Liverpool, Frank? Do you see many changes?’

  ‘Yeah, what a mess. Even from the bit we saw coming here it all looks shabby and dirty and the people are a miserable-looking bunch,’ he said. ‘The Jerrys look more cheerful and they’ve lost the war.’

  ‘That’s not true,’ Helen said angrily. ‘The people are not miserable, even though many lost relatives and their homes in the bombing. They’re just shabby and tired and not very well fed and the city’s been knocked about.’

  She was flushed and breathless with anger and Tony put his arm round her shoulders. ‘We’ll soon get things right now the war’s over,’ he said and Terry said soothingly, ‘It’s just that we remember Liverpool as such a lively place.’

  Fortunately, at that moment Maureen wheeled in the tea trolley bearing plates of cakes and sandwiches and the teapot and teacups.

  ‘I’ve put yours and Sarah’s in Dad’s den,’ Maureen said quietly to Terry and he and Sarah went into the little room behind the parlour.

  Gerry had fallen asleep on Anne’s knee and she carried him into the kitchen to put him on the sofa to sleep. Helen followed her with a blanket, and as they arranged it round the sleeping baby, Anne said quietly, ‘What do you make of Terry and Sarah? Not very loving, are they, Helen?’

  ‘Sarah’s very reserved,’ said Helen. ‘And they must feel strange meeting again after all this time. It’s over five years, Anne.’

  ‘But Terry doesn’t seem to feel strange with us, does he? – or with Sarah really. Just not very loverlike.’

  ‘Everyone’s different,’ Helen said gently and Anne laughed. ‘They sure are!’ she said. ‘It’s ten weeks yet to John’s leave and already I’m more excited than Sarah is now with Terry here.’

  They settled the baby comfortably and wedged a chair in front of the sofa in case he woke and rolled off, then went back to the parlour. Anne sat down beside her father. ‘Happy now, Dad?’ she asked. ‘We’ll soon have all the lads home.’

  ‘Aye, Terry looks well, doesn’t he?’ Pat said. ‘A bit thinner in the face maybe. Another wedding soon, eh?’ He turned to Maureen who was sitting nearby. ‘Sarah’s a good little girl. We’ll have to see she has a good send-off, the years she’s waited.’

  Maureen blushed but only said quietly, ‘Let’s wait and see, Dad.’ Frank jumped to his feet and dashed off to the den before anyone could stop him, but he returned a few minutes later.

  ‘I wanted to know what they’d arranged,’ he said. ‘But they’re still talking. I think Terry and I should go first to Canada and Sarah can follow us and get married there. Terry thinks he should marry her here, and the three of us go out together.’

  For a moment everyone was silent with shock then Pat said, ‘Canada? You’re talking of our Terry going to Canada?’

  ‘Yes, Mr Fitz,’ Frank said breezily. ‘God’s own country. We’ll do well there.’

  Before anyone else could speak Terry and Sarah reappeared. His arm was around Sarah’s shoulders and they were both smiling broadly. ‘Wedding bells?’ Helen asked, and they both said in unison, ‘No.’

  ‘It was all a mistake but we couldn’t do anything about it until the war was over,’ Terry explained. ‘Sarah’s just sorted us out.’ He laug
hed and looked at her. ‘She’s not the timid little girl she used to be.’

  ‘Terry nobly offered to marry me but I know he has other plans and so have I,’ Sarah said, smiling at him. ‘It was just unfortunate that he was taken prisoner before we sorted ourselves out.’

  ‘So we’ll be able to go to Canada by ourselves then, Terry?’ Frank said jubilantly.

  ‘So you’ll still go to Canada, Terry?’ Pat said, looking bemused.

  ‘Big mouth,’ Terry said to Frank and Maureen stood up.

  ‘Right. That’s settled. How about a drink for everyone, Dad? You’re not usually slow in that department.’

  But Pat only sat shaking his head looking bewildered and Tony said, ‘I’ll see to it.’

  Terry went to sit beside his father and talk quietly to him, and Anne looked at Sarah’s glowing face. That’s how she should have looked when Terry came home, she thought.

  She went into the kitchen to check on the sleeping baby and Sarah followed her. ‘Oh, Sarah, I don’t know what to say!’ Anne exclaimed. ‘You’re sure you’re not upset?’

  ‘Do I look upset?’ she said, laughing. ‘I’m so glad to have it all sorted out, Anne. I was afraid Terry would come home full of plans for a wedding, but thank God he didn’t. Although he said he wanted to marry me because I’d waited so long, until I told him how the land lay, then he admitted he was trying to fit me in with his plans.’

  ‘To go to Canada?’ Anne said. ‘And with that twerp Frank! I can’t believe it.’ She looked doubtfully at Sarah.

  ‘You certainly look happy enough, both of you.’

  ‘Oh I am, I am,’ Sarah said, grabbing Anne round the waist and waltzing her round the kitchen. ‘It’s such a weight off my mind.’ She stood still then with her arms round Anne and said quietly, ‘Joe and I have been in love for years but we couldn’t say anything while Terry was still a prisoner. We thought the war would never end.’

  ‘You and Joe?’ Anne gasped. She plumped down on to a chair. ‘God, I can’t take all this in. You and Joe! Does Terry know?’

  Sarah nodded, her eyes sparkling. ‘He thinks we’re well matched.’

  ‘You are. You are, Sar, the more I think about it,’ said Anne. ‘How long—?’

  ‘Ages,’ she said. ‘You see, it was half a joke with Terry that I was his girl. You remember how he picked up my photo in our house on the way to the station?’

  ‘Vaguely,’ Anne said. ‘I know he was always acting soft pretending to be smitten with you before the war but then I thought you got serious.’

  ‘Not really. It was just circumstances. Misunderstandings really with me and Joe. Then I thought I’d see how things went with Terry, because we weren’t engaged or anything. But he was taken prisoner and what could we do even when Joe and I admitted how we felt about each other? I couldn’t write and tell Terry, could I?’

  ‘Oh, Sarah, what a rotten war you’ve had,’ Anne exclaimed, flinging her arms round her impulsively. ‘So what happens now?’

  ‘I’ll write to Joe and tell him,’ she said happily. ‘We’ll be able to see each other openly now. We have been courting, y’know, Anne, but keeping it quiet for Terry’s sake.’

  ‘Well, you certainly kept it quiet from me,’ Anne said. ‘Did Maureen know?’

  Sarah nodded and Anne said ruefully, ‘I must be thick.’

  ‘No, you’re not,’ Sarah said. ‘We were just very careful, but your mum guessed.’

  ‘Mum!’ Anne exclaimed.

  ‘Yes. It was such a shock, Anne, because Joe and I thought no one suspected.’

  ‘Mum loved us all so much,’ Anne said, her eyes filling with tears. ‘That’s why she always understood everything about us.’

  ‘I know,’ Sarah said. ‘She was lovely.’ She gave a sudden sob and for a moment the two girls clung together, thinking of Julia, then they drew apart and dried their eyes.

  ‘That’s how Maureen knows,’ Sarah said, ‘because she was here.’

  Anne was silent for a moment then she said thoughtfully, ‘So this is what Mo was talking about. She told me about her and Chris and said you’d known since my wedding day, but she got upset when I began to ask questions. Said something about the war going on too long.’

  ‘Your Mum said Maureen and I could help each other,’ Sarah said. ‘I suppose she meant we were both keeping quiet about being in love but we could talk to each other.’

  ‘All these mysteries,’ Anne said, smiling. ‘I must seem very dull. My life’s just an open book.’

  ‘Not to me,’ Sarah said. ‘I used to wonder why you and John weren’t courting when I could see how you felt about each other.’

  ‘Oh, John had this idea that because he was blacklisted he didn’t want me to be linked with him,’ Anne said lightly. ‘Not until he was accepted for the forces, anyway.’

  ‘Typical!’ Sarah said. ‘Another of his barmy ideas.’ She stopped and put her hand over her mouth but Anne only laughed.

  ‘Don’t worry. I’ll cure him,’ she said. She took a napkin from the fireguard and picked up the baby and Sarah smiled at her and went back to the parlour.

  ‘I mean it,’ Anne said to the baby, ‘I’ll cure your dad’s barmy ideas and he’d better not try his sergeant talk here either.’ The baby chuckled as Anne laid him down and took off his wet napkin, and she bent over him, whispering, ‘Only a few more weeks, Gerry,’ and kissing him.

  Sarah said goodnight to the family and Terry went with her to escort her home and see the Redmonds but he told his father that he would soon be back.

  Maureen came to the door with them and Sarah said quietly, ‘We didn’t say anything about Joe to your dad, Mo. We thought it might be too much all at once.’

  ‘Yes, he’s a bit overthrown with this Canada idea,’ she said. ‘He’ll be pleased we’ll still have you in the family, Sarah, when we do tell him.’

  As Terry and Sarah walked along he said, laughing, ‘It’s like the old melodramas where the girls says: “Let me be a sister to you” as she turns the fellow down, isn’t it? Except I’m very glad you’ll be my sister. I’m very fond of you, Sar.’

  ‘And I am of you,’ she said, stretching up to kiss his cheek. ‘No hard feelings, Terry?’

  ‘None,’ he said, suddenly lifting her up and swinging her round. ‘Oh, Sarah, it’s great to be home.’

  ‘Hey, be careful. The lights are on now. People can see us,’ she said, laughing as he set her down, then her smile faded.

  ‘You won’t be going to Canada right away, will you?’ she asked. ‘You’ll be able to spend some time with your dad and the family?’

  ‘I’d like to,’ Terry said, ‘but Frank is keen to go. He has contacts there and thinks we should strike while the iron is hot.’

  ‘Then you’ll have to spend as much time as you possibly can with your dad,’ Sarah said firmly and he sketched a mock salute. ‘Yes, ma’am,’ he said, laughing. ‘By heck, you’ve changed, Sarah. You couldn’t say boo to a goose when I went away.’

  They were both laughing when they reached the Redmond house and Sarah’s family greeted Terry warmly. He was introduced to Gene Romero, Kate’s American fiancé, and Sarah’s father asked about the prisoner of war camp and the conditions there.

  Kate and Gene went out and shortly afterwards Terry stood up.

  ‘I’d better get back to my dad,’ he said and Sarah handed him his greatcoat and cap.

  ‘Yes, Frank will be even more like a hen on a griddle,’ she said, laughing, then accompanied him to the door after he had said goodbye to her family.

  ‘You’re not going back with Terry?’ her mother said when Sarah returned.

  ‘Who’s Frank?’ her father said at the same moment.

  Sarah quickly explained the situation and only her mother was surprised. Her father knew already about her love for Joe, and her grandmother had guessed, but Cathy Redmond’s concern was for the Fitzgerald family.

  ‘I can see you’re happy, love, and so is Terry, but what about his dad a
nd the rest of the family? Will they mind?’

  ‘No, Mum,’ Sarah said. ‘I think really so much is happening with everyone that it doesn’t seem as important as I thought it would be.’

  ‘And this has gone on since Dunkirk?’ Cathy said. ‘It must have been very hard for you and Joe but you behaved very honourably.’

  ‘So did Terry,’ Sarah said. ‘He was insisting he wanted to marry me because he thought I’d waited so long, until he realised that I didn’t want to marry him. The idea was that either Terry and Frank would go to Canada and I would follow them and get married there – that was Frank’s favourite – or we’d get married here and all go to Canada together.’

  ‘You mean they wanted you to live in Canada?’ Cathy exclaimed, horrified.

  ‘Yes. I don’t know what Frank would have done if I’d said I’d marry Terry and we’d stay here. He’d probably have bumped me off.’ Sarah laughed. ‘He’s made up about me and Joe.’

  Cathy looked from her mother to her husband. ‘Did you know about this?’ she asked.

  Her mother said calmly, ‘I didn’t know but I guessed. I had more chances to see them together than you did but I didn’t say anything in case I was wrong. I’m very glad I was right.’

  ‘So am I,’ Cathy said. ‘I think Terry’s a nice lad, Sarah, but I think the world of Joe. I’ll be made up to have him as a son-in-law.’

  ‘Yes, and I’m sure you and Joe will be very happy together, Sarah,’ her father said, smiling at her.

  When Terry and Sarah had left for the Redmonds’, the Fitzgeralds felt free to voice their amazement.

  ‘What a shock!’ Helen said. ‘I couldn’t believe my ears and yet they both look very happy, don’t they?’

  ‘I’m worried about that little girl,’ Pat said, with a frown and Maureen sat down beside him. ‘Don’t be, Dad,’ she said gently. ‘Sarah and Joe have been in love for a long time but they couldn’t do anything about it until Terry came home and they saw how the land lay.’