Daughters of the Mersey

by Anne Baker

  ‘You’ve found Amy! Thank goodness for that. And Nick too!’ They were both trying to hug and kiss Amy at the same time. Milo was the last to come running up and he swung her off her feet in the way he always did. Leonie was drawn into the kitchen surrounded by her friends and family all laughing and talking at once.

  Elaine put on the kettle for tea and they all helped to make toast. The scent filled the kitchen. ‘I’m hungry,’ Amy said. ‘I had no tea and no supper last night.’

  They all fussed round her, wanting to hear about her journey. Elaine boiled an egg for her and Leonie cut soldiers to go with it. Tom brought out the honey jar with just the last inch remaining and set it in front of her. Milo had to rush to get ready for work. Tom went to pack a few things and ring his sister to tell her he’d collect the twins this morning.

  Nick said, ‘You’ve got a key to my place, haven’t you? Eat the fish for lunch while it’s still fresh.’

  ‘Before I go to work I need to go home to let the hens out,’ Milo said.

  ‘I should have thought of that while I was down there,’ Amy spoke with her mouth full.

  ‘You go to work,’ Tom said. ‘There’s no hurry for that. I’ll pop down to do that when I’m leaving for Chester.’

  Elaine said, ‘I’ll open the shop for you first, Leonie, you’ll want to see to Amy. Tom, can you stop and collect me on the way?’

  ‘Yes, all right, I’ll only be an hour at the most.’

  ‘Ida should be there by ten.’

  The house emptied and the stampede subsided. Nick couldn’t take his eyes off Leonie and Amy and was delighted to be left with them. He’d spent a lot of time in this house and felt at home here. He settled down with another cup of tea and began to daydream of what might be possible if Leonie wanted it too.

  It was Leonie who said, ‘I must send a telegram to Auntie Bessie to tell her you’re safe and thank her for letting us know so promptly. It was very wrong of you to leave like that, Amy.’

  Nick came to the support of his daughter. ‘She was afraid you and Milo had been hurt – or even worse.’ He was rewarded with a nod of agreement from her.

  Leonie went on, ‘You’ve caused a great deal of trouble for a lot of people. Do you realise Uncle Jack called out the Welsh police to help find you?’

  ‘And now we have to get you back to Wales,’ Nick said.

  ‘Do I have to go?’ she wheedled, comfortable in her mother’s arms.

  ‘Yes,’ he and her mother chorused. Leonie laughed and reminded her, ‘Next Thursday you are sitting your scholarship exam. We want you to do well so you need to be settled back there as soon as possible.’

  ‘You went there to get away from the air raids,’ Nick explained. ‘You didn’t like being in one last night, did you?’

  Amy shivered. ‘That noise they make to warn you the bombers are coming, I didn’t like that. It was scary.’

  ‘Last night the bombers weren’t aiming their bombs on us,’ her mother said. ‘We had the alert and we heard them go over but it sounded as though they were over Bootle way, so for us it was a good night. We want to get you back to Wales before they come here again.’

  Nick looked from one to the other and knew he wanted to stay close to them. He felt a frisson of excitement run through him. If Leonie wanted that, there was no reason now why they couldn’t.

  ‘I don’t have enough petrol coupons to drive there and back,’ he lamented. ‘It’ll have to be the train. I’ll see if I can find out what time they run.’ He went to the phone. Everywhere posters were plastered asking, Is Your Journey Really Necessary? And trains were notorious for being late since the heavy raids had started.

  ‘Amy, you look as though you need a bath and a hair wash. Elaine’s put the immersion on so we’ll do that next, but we’ve no clean clothes for you here.’ Leonie took her up and started the bath running. ‘I’ll help you wash your hair and then you can bath yourself. Elaine’s left out some of Dulcie’s knickers and socks, which she fears will be too small, and a pair of her own which will probably be too big. You’ll have to choose between them or put on your dirty ones.’

  Nick followed them up to the bathroom door and listened to the sounds of family life within. He didn’t feel he could go in, Amy mightn’t like it. He called, ‘Leonie, it is possible to get there and back by train today if we catch one leaving Woodside at ten o’clock. Well, according to the timetable it is. I’ll take Amy back for you.’

  ‘I could do that.’ Leonie sounded at a loss.

  ‘I can go by myself,’ Amy piped up indignantly. ‘I got here without any help, didn’t I?’

  ‘You certainly did,’ Nick said, ‘but you won’t be going back on your own. No, absolutely not. We all need to know that you’ve got there safely. I will take you.’

  ‘I’d like to come too,’ Leonie said.

  ‘Yes please, Mum.’

  ‘We’d both like you to come,’ Nick said, ‘but it will be a long day for your mother, Amy, and she already looks exhausted. Besides, she has still got a lot of straightening out to do in the shop before she can live there and she must order a Morrison shelter today if she can.’

  ‘Yes,’ she said. ‘I’ve got to do that. Nick, it’s very kind of you to offer. I have to be sensible, Amy love, and let him do it.’

  Nick was already running down to the phone, to dictate a telegram to Auntie Bessie telling her Amy was safe and he was bringing her back this afternoon. Then he rang his chief clerk and told him that he didn’t intend to come in today and asked him to help Miss Beggs cancel all his appointments and reschedule them for next week.

  They were about to go when Nick said, ‘I’m going to drive to the station and leave my car there. If you’re ready, why don’t you come with us and I’ll drop you off at your shop?’

  ‘Yes please. I don’t have to get ready, all my things are there so I needn’t hold you up.’

  ‘I wish my mum could come with us.’

  ‘In this world Amy, we all wish for a lot of things we can’t have, especially now there’s a war on. Your mum can’t do everything though she tries. She’s had a lot of extra work and worry with the house being bombed, and she said she couldn’t sleep at all last night when she knew you were missing. So I’m afraid you’ll have to put up with me escorting you back.’

  She sniffed hard. ‘I know I shouldn’t have come.’

  ‘No, but you did well. You had to keep your wits about you to find your way home and you were brave. But please don’t try it again, there’s a good girl.’

  As Nick stopped his car outside the shop and Leonie kissed Amy goodbye, he said, ‘Elaine and Tom can settle into my house without me. I’ll come back here to see you, shall I?’

  CHAPTER THIRTY-FIVE

  LEONIE STOOD ON THE pavement waving goodbye to Amy as Nick’s car pulled away. The utter relief she’d felt at finding Amy unharmed and the shock of seeing Nick after eleven years had left her spinning with pleasure. She’d been dead dog weary when she’d walked down to Mersey Reach before dawn, but she no longer felt tired. She was filled with zest to face the day.

  Ida was machining hard in the shop window. She’d heard from Elaine that Amy had turned up unharmed and Leonie stopped for a moment to share some of her joy about that. Then she went upstairs to the phone in the sitting room to enquire if it was possible to get a Morrison shelter. It seemed that it was. ‘But we won’t be able to deliver it today,’ she was told. ‘It’ll be Monday at the earliest.’ Pleased with that, Leonie ran back downstairs to size up the room behind the shop where their customers were measured and fitted. Elaine was just finishing with a customer and showing her out.

  ‘This is the only possible place to have the shelter installed,’ she said to Ida who had finished the garment she’d been working on. ‘But it will make things tight.’

  ‘We’ll be able to use it as another cutting-out table.’

  Elaine came rushing back. ‘Tom’s outside, I’ll have to go. Will you come with Nick when he gets b
ack?’

  ‘I don’t know. I don’t know what Nick intends to do. In fact I don’t know whether I’m on my head or my heels, but I’m so happy everything has come right.’

  ‘So am I.’

  ‘I’ve even managed to order a Morrison shelter though they aren’t sure when they can deliver it.’

  ‘You must both stay at my place until you’ve got it erected. I’ll see you when I do then.’ Leonie followed her through the shop. ‘Sorry I can’t stay to help you organise things here, it’s a real mess upstairs. Goodbye.’ The shop doorbell rang as she opened it.

  ‘Goodbye,’ Leonie said. Nothing could dent her happiness this morning.

  Ida said, ‘I heard that, you won’t be able to put your mind to sewing until your flat is straight. The sewing is well in hand at the moment. Let me help you to make up those beds for a start. It’s an easier job if there are two.’

  When they’d made up the beds, Leonie set about trying to organise her clothes and belongings to make it possible to sleep in the smaller bedroom in reasonable comfort. Ida dusted and Hoovered. Leonie had far too much stuff for the one wardrobe and small space. She and Ida packed the rest into boxes and bags and put them up in the loft out of the way.

  She almost danced to the tiny kitchen and did the same there. It was harder because many more things had been salvaged from Mersey Reach. When it came to the sitting room it was quite impossible, they had an enormous number of ornaments. She gave a mantel clock to Ida and put some Dresden china shepherdesses on one side to give to Elaine. ‘At least I’ve got the loft to store the surplus,’ she said as they put that up too.

  ‘You’re very brave,’ Ida said. ‘You lost the house you’ve lived in for years and you’re still cheerful.’

  ‘None of my children have been hurt,’ she said, ‘and everybody has been so generous with their help. I’ve salvaged a lot of my things and I’ll be able to claim compensation for the house from the government. I’ve a lot to be thankful for.’ She mused that she had much more to make her happy than that.

  Together they started to tidy up the living room and remove the dust and grime from all over the flat brought in with her salvaged belongings.

  Nick had been equally relieved to find Amy. She’d seen deep concern for the child on his face. She didn’t need to be told that Nick loved her and felt responsibility for her as her father. There was still more, she’d come face to face with Nick and found the pull of attraction to him was as strong as ever. It was over a decade since she’d sent him away and of course he’d changed. There was silver in the dark hair over his temples, the laughter lines round his eyes were deeper and he’d put on a little weight. But she would have aged too. She glanced in the mirror and decided she looked a complete mess, tired, dirty, unkempt and definitely older. She’d never had a bath in this flat but it was time to start.

  She went to the bathroom and ran water into the small bath to rinse it out. There was an ancient gas appliance to heat the water that looked positively dangerous but thankfully a stained and dusty leaflet of advice on how to light it was tucked behind the pipework. She found a box of matches and set about following the instructions.

  Nick had known she had more work to do than she was likely to accomplish today. Yes, she would have liked to take Amy back to Wales but she’d always found the journey very tiring. Nick wanted to get to know Amy and what better than a long journey in which to do it. And he’d said he’d come back and see her. She mustn’t bank on him staying with her, though she hoped he would. They hadn’t had time to discuss anything.

  ‘You’ve nothing much to eat here and you’ll need a meal tonight,’ Ida said. ‘Shall I go out to see if I can find something that isn’t rationed, sausages or offal for something?’

  ‘Yes please.’ Leonie handed over her pages of ration points with some money. ‘Bring some biscuits if you see any.’

  ‘Shall I bring some fish and chips back with me? I’m getting hungry.’

  Milo rang. ‘Have you been able to make any progress with the flat?’

  ‘Yes,’ she said. ‘It’s all cleaned up and your bed is ready. I had no trouble ordering an air-raid shelter but it won’t be delivered for a day or two.’

  He laughed. ‘A bit ambitious, wasn’t it, to think it could be by tonight? Are you going to spend the night there?’

  ‘I’m not sure. Nick’s taken Amy to Wales and he’ll be coming back here.’

  ‘If there’s a raid tonight, it’s my turn to fire-watch. I’ve left my sleeping bag in Elaine’s shelter and it would be nearer for me to go there.’

  ‘That’s fine. She said we must all feel free to use it if we wanted to. If you want to get into the house, Elaine’s keys are under the flower pot by the back door.’

  ‘She told me. Mum, Alison is going to meet me from work with a picnic lunch and we’re going to take the bus to Eastham and have a walk through the woods. She says the bluebells are out now. Then she’s invited me to eat at her place tonight.’

  ‘Well, I won’t be seeing much of you today. Be sure to lock Elaine’s house up if you go in.’

  ‘Yes. Goodnight, Mum, see you tomorrow.’

  At one o’clock, Leonie closed the shop and had a bath and washed her hair. She was in her dressing gown when Ida returned with packages that smelled delicious. ‘I’ve got us a pennyworth of chips each,’ she said. ‘I couldn’t get fish or fishcakes, they’d all gone, but these will keep us going, won’t they?’

  She’d also brought two lamb’s hearts and a packet of stuffing mix, together with potatoes and a loaf. ‘Sorry, I queued for biscuits but they’d sold out before I reached the counter.’

  ‘Doesn’t matter.’ They ate their chips together and drank tea before Ida went home. ‘Thanks for everything,’ Leonie said. ‘You’ve worked overtime today.’

  Leonie went to get dressed. The clothes she’d had in her wardrobe and her chest of drawers had not been harmed. She took out her newest white blouse and grey skirt, wanting to look her best when Nick returned. She was filled with hopeful anticipation but also apprehension. Would Nick see her just as Amy’s mother? He might not want to take up with her again. Why should he when she’d sent him away all those years ago? She was afraid he might not want what she wanted.

  The afternoon seemed to drag. She’d expected him back before four o’clock but that time came and went. She prepared the lamb’s hearts for the oven. Ida had intended the second one for Milo and she was glad he wouldn’t need it tonight. She’d do roast potatoes and there were good cabbages in the garden at Mersey Reach but she couldn’t face going down to fetch one now. She’d salvaged a few tins from the kitchen there, one of which contained peas. That would have to do.

  Five o’clock and still no sign of Nick. She ought to finish off a dress Elaine had designed and make it ready for a valued customer to have a fitting on Monday morning, but her energy had gone, she was tired and her mind was still on Nick. Suddenly, the heart-stopping wail of an air-raid warning blared out, making her jump. She thought it would never stop. It was the last thing they needed now.

  So far, few bombs had been dropped in daylight hours, but all the same it increased her tension. She listened anxiously. There was hardly anybody about and little traffic on the main road outside. She decided she’d shelter under the stairs if she heard enemy aircraft overhead and pulled the bedding intended for furnishing the Morrison shelter into what she hoped was the safest position. She tried to do a bit of sewing but she was too tired now to do anything more.

  When Nick finally came, Leonie leapt to her feet to greet him. ‘Let me take your coat. How did you get on?’

  ‘All right, except I almost dozed off on the train and nearly missed one of the connections.’

  He looked round a little self-consciously.

  ‘There’s nobody else here,’ she said.

  ‘Auntie Bessie seems fond of Amy and she’s a very kind person.’

  ‘She is.’ She’d been looking forward to having his company all
day and now she was stiff and awkward with him.

  ‘I take it Elaine and Tom went to my place for the weekend?’

  ‘Yes.’ She made herself ask, ‘Will you stay here with me?’

  He smiled and nodded. ‘I was afraid you wouldn’t want me to.’

  ‘I do, of course I do.’

  ‘Let’s go upstairs. I want to hear how you got on.’

  Seated on the opposite end of the sofa, he seemed more relaxed. ‘I’m glad you let me take Amy back. It gave me a chance to talk to her, to get to know her, and I wanted to see where she was living. I can picture her now in the coming weeks.’

  ‘The countryside there is beautiful.’

  ‘Yes, Amy was fascinated by the lambs. There were lots of them running about in the fields as we went along. We collected her bike from the lost property office at the station and she rode it round to the garage to order the taxi and they strapped it on the back.’

  ‘She wasn’t upset because I didn’t take her?’

  ‘She soon got over that. She knew she shouldn’t have come. I asked the taxi driver to wait half an hour for me so I could catch the next train back.’

  Leonie nodded, how sensible he was.

  ‘Auntie Bessie wanted to make me a cup of tea and when I said I hadn’t time, she gave me a glass of milk and wrapped up a couple of slices of cake for me to take away with me.’

  ‘Were there refreshment carriages on the train?’

  ‘No, not on any of the trains we travelled on so I was glad to have it. I was still hungry and managed to buy a bun in the station at Oswestry.’

  ‘Then you’ll be starving by now. I’ll start supper. I’ve done all the preparation, it’s just a matter of cooking it.’

  He followed her into the kitchen and stood watching her light the gas. She felt his arms go round her. He turned her round and kissed her full on the mouth. ‘I’ve been aching to do that since the moment I set eyes on you last night,’ he whispered. ‘I want us to be married.’

  ‘So do I,’ Leonie said shyly.