Sunshine and Showers

by June Francis

  She went inside the kitchen with Rex trotting at her heels and picked up the letter from the table. It was from Tilly, congratulating her on the birth of Robert but also informing her that she and Don had had the pleasure of entertaining David Tanner.

  What a pleasant man he is and he speaks highly of you. We had a very interesting and extensive talk about the battlefields in France. He and Don really got their heads together with them both having been there during the war. He and little Ronnie also took to each other. He would make a good father but made no mention of the death of his wife and baby, so we did not do so either. Instead we talked about you and Robert. He was pleased to hear your news and I’m sure will send you his congratulations himself. He has had some luck with tracing Brendan O‘Hara’s sister and I’m sure he’ll tell you about that, too, and that he’ll be heading west to Utah.

  Joy’s spirits lifted. She looked forward to hearing from David Tanner. Maybe she would receive a letter any day now. She began to slice vegetables for a nourishing soup, humming as she did so. She was still thinking of David when she was roused from her reverie by a knock on the kitchen door. A voice she recognised asked if she could come in.

  Immediately Joy rushed over to the door. ‘Patsy! I was wondering when I would see you. How are things in the new job?’

  ‘I’m coping!’ Patsy beamed at her. ‘What a time I’ve had getting here. It’s panto week and the students are out in force collecting money for the hospitals and up to all kinds of stunts.’

  ‘I did hear that they had kidnapped someone from the Adelphi Hotel and were holding him to ransom,’ said Joy.

  ‘I suppose it’s all for a good cause.’ Patsy paused. ‘You do look well. Thinner but it suits you. I hope that gorgeous little boy outside isn’t running you into the ground? I had a peek at him. What lovely eyelashes! He’s going to slay all the girls when he grows up.’

  Joy smiled. ‘I don’t want to even think that far ahead. I want to enjoy every moment of his development.’ She seized Patsy by the shoulders. ‘You look well, too, love. It must be all the sea breezes in Seaforth.’

  ‘At this time of year they might bring colour to my cheeks but they also freeze your socks off.’

  ‘Sit over here by the fire,’ said Joy, ushering her to a chair. ‘I’ve just received a letter from Tilly and she mentions Mr Tanner.’

  ‘Is he OK?’ asked Patsy. ‘We haven’t heard from him. I admit I do have a soft spot for Mr Tanner and worry that he’s lonely.’

  ‘He’s fine, according to Tilly. He and Don had a long chat about the battlefields in France.’

  Patsy sighed. ‘I would love to see Tilly again. I suppose I’ll just have to carry on making do with her letters and hearing about her when Mr Tanner comes home. Did he say whether he would be home soon?’

  ‘No, he’s not coming home yet but heading west.’

  Patsy looked thoughtful. ‘I wonder if he’s searching for Rodney Smith.’

  ‘I don’t know about that but I do know he’s on a mission for me,’ said Joy, smiling. ‘I’m looking forward to hearing about his adventures when he returns to Liverpool.’

  Patsy gave her a keen look but kept quiet. They brought each other up to date with their latest news and Patsy asked Joy had she heard anything from her family in Chester about Kathleen.

  ‘Nothing for you to worry about. She seems to be getting on OK over there, although I don’t think it’s news to you that she and Flora rub each other up the wrong way.’

  Patsy grimaced. ‘I hope our Kathy isn’t getting too cocky. She can be, you know. She might forget that she’s the hired help. I don’t want her getting slung out on her ear.’

  ‘I can’t see that happening,’ said Joy seriously. ‘I think Alice would miss her if she was to leave. Kathy is the assistant that she wanted.’

  ‘Anyone mentioned anything about her and fellas?’

  ‘I doubt your sister has much time for flirting,’ said Joy tactfully, deciding not to mention what Flora had ranted about last summer.

  ‘Good,’ said Patsy, relieved. ‘When the weather gets better I’ll see if I can take the kids to Chester for a day out.’ She reached for her bag. ‘I bought something for the baby. I hope it fits.’ She handed the package over.

  Joy opened it to reveal a baby outfit in primrose and white with several baby bunnies embroidered on the yoke. ‘Now, that is nice and clean-looking and he should grow into by Easter and still get plenty of wear out of it during the summer.’ She smiled across at Patsy. ‘You really shouldn’t be spending the little money you get on presents but I do appreciate it.’

  Patsy flushed with pleasure. ‘I enjoyed buying something for the baby.’ She paused. ‘I’ve heard from our Mick, so he hasn’t forgotten me. I hope he thought on and sent postcards to the others, too.’

  Joy smiled. ‘Perhaps you’d like me to visit the orphanage and check on Jimmy and the twins this Saturday and ask if they’ve heard from Mick. It’s easy enough for me to do so being so close.’

  Patsy thanked her. ‘I’d like to have seen them now, but what with it being a weekday, I wouldn’t be allowed.’

  ‘Don’t worry. I’ll do it.’

  Patsy thanked her and soon after she had to leave to get to Seaforth in time for the children coming home from school.

  That evening Joy was having supper with Wendy and Grant and she told them about Patsy’s visit and their conversation. Wendy immediately said something that sent a chill through Joy.

  ‘You haven’t been reading the newspaper, have you? You’re best staying away from the orphanage and people in general for that matter. There’s a lot of flu around and the Echo says that Liverpool has the highest rate of five-year-old children being affected. The death rate is rising. You can’t risk catching it yourself and passing it on to Robert. The young and the elderly are the most vulnerable but anyone can catch it.’

  ‘Oh my goodness! I’m glad you told me,’ said Joy, sick with fright. ‘What can I do to protect Robert?’

  ‘Whatever you do don’t let anyone breathe over him and definitely no kissing, even from us,’ said Wendy. ‘The flu can spread like wildfire. I just hope that Patsy hasn’t brought it here from those two children in her charge.’

  Joy went deathly pale. ‘Don’t say that.’

  ‘Did she nurse him?’

  ‘No. He was in his pram. She did have a peek at him.’

  ‘Did she seem all right?’

  ‘As fit as a fiddle.’

  Wendy relaxed. ‘Then there’s probably no need to worry. Just you keep him away from people. Best if you both stay in. Any shopping you need I can deal with it.’

  ‘What about you catching it?’ asked Joy. ‘And what about old Miss Parker next door? I was going to check up on her.’

  ‘I’ll do that,’ said Wendy. ‘And I’ll keep my distance from both you and Robert just in case she should be carrying anything. Although, she seldom goes out, does she?’

  ‘No.’ Joy was thoughtful. ‘Perhaps you should make sure that your mouth and nose are covered by a scarf, so you don’t catch anything.’

  Wendy thought that was a good idea and decided to do exactly that and not to get too close to people. She did call on Miss Parker but did not get an answer. Even when she went round the back and tried the kitchen door she found it locked. She returned to the house, wearing a worried expression. ‘I don’t know whether she’s just not answering or too ill to get to the door,’ she said to Grant and Joy.

  He suggested that she should try again tomorrow.

  But when tomorrow came, Wendy forgot all about Miss Parker because word came via her sister that their mother had gone down with the flu. ‘I could do with your help in the shop,’ said Minnie. ‘Either that or you can nurse Mam.’

  Wendy looked at Grant. ‘I’m not sure which is the better of two evils. I could catch it from Mam and bring it back here or catch it from someone in the shop.’

  Grant’s expression was dour. ‘If you work in the shop you’
ll be mixing with all sorts as you’ve done in the past.’

  ‘But I never even caught the common cold then,’ said Wendy. ‘Perhaps I’m one of those people who just don’t succumb to infections.’

  ‘You can’t take chances,’ said Grant. ‘If you decide to nurse your mother, then you’re going to have to wear a mask of sorts. The way these diseases spread must have something to do with people coughing and sneezing all over the place. It must fly through the air right up our noses or into our mouths. If you can stop that, then hopefully you’ll be OK and Joy will allow you back into the house. I want you home at night but we’d have to make sure you didn’t bump into Joy and Robert.’

  Wendy’s eyes flew wide. ‘What about Elspeth? She’s friendly with Mam. One of us is going to have to warn Joy.’

  ‘Leave it to me,’ said Grant.

  Joy took the news that the flu might have already crept sneakily into her home as to be expected. She panicked. ‘What am I going to do?’

  ‘Joy, you’re normally a sensible woman so stay calm,’ ordered Grant.

  ‘But I’m not sensible where Robert is concerned,’ she wailed.

  ‘You’re not going to help him if you start acting hysterical. Keep him away from any risk and that’s all you can do,’ said Grant.

  Joy nodded and resisted reminding him about how many people had died of influenza just after the war. She must heed Grant’s words and hope and pray that they would not succumb to this terrible disease.

  It came as quite a shock when Rita died. Elspeth was the most distraught of them all. Their friendship had been an unlikely one but they had become friends since Wendy and Grant’s wedding.

  ‘I never thought Mam would succumb to it,’ said Wendy in a shaky voice to Joy. ‘She always seemed the sort to survive.’

  ‘I know what you mean,’ said Joy, wanting to hug her but scared she just might be infectious. ‘Her manner could frighten people off, so we all thought that she could do that with the flu.’

  A funeral was arranged, but before it could take place, a white-faced Wendy surprised Joy by arriving in the kitchen and placing a brown envelope on the table. ‘You’ll never guess what’s in that,’ she said.

  ‘What?’ asked Joy.

  ‘Uncle Robbie’s shares. Mam must have found it when she was rooting in your sideboard the day he died.’ Wendy looked stricken. ‘I don’t want to believe she could do this. She knew how important these shares were to you and must have been aware of Uncle Robbie investing in the mine before we were. It has to be pure spite that she did this to you.’

  Joy opened the envelope and gazed at the sheets of paper. ‘I thought she’d forgiven me when Robert was born. Maybe she just forgot about it.’

  ‘How can you make excuses for her?’ asked Wendy in a trembling voice.

  ‘I don’t want to be angry with her. What’s the point? She’s dead now,’ murmured Joy.

  Tears glistened in Wendy’s eyes but she blinked them back. ‘You’re nicer than I am. What will you do? Will you inform Mr Tanner?’

  ‘I can inform Tilly. She might know where he is,’ said Joy, thinking how disappointed she was that she had not heard from him.

  There was a typewritten letter enclosed with the certificate and she put both back in the envelope and placed it on the dresser. ‘I’ll have a proper look at those later. There’s more important things to think about right now.’

  ‘The funeral,’ said Wendy. ‘It’s probably best if you stay at home. You can’t risk catching the flu from someone else.’

  That evening, after Joy had put Robert to bed, she opened the brown envelope and discovered that the silver mine was definitely in Utah. Joy decided to waste no time in writing to Tilly, informing her and hoping that David Tanner would get in touch with her.

  * * *

  It was to be well into March before the numbers of those who had died from the flu began to fall. At its height, a hundred and thirty-three people a week died in Liverpool alone. The fact that it was getting close to the anniversary of Robbie’s death made it all the more difficult for the family to cope with that period in their lives but at least they could be thankful that little Robert did not catch the flu.

  Elspeth did succumb to what appeared at first to be that dreaded disease but her symptoms were not so severe that she needed to take to her bed. But she was depressed during the month that followed Rita’s death and made the decision to leave Liverpool. Her cousins in Scotland were willing to have her live with them for an indefinite period.

  Joy decided that, once the first anniversary of Robbie’s death was passed, then she would put all the ills and misery of winter behind her and look forward to the spring.

  It was when she was cutting daffodils in the garden for the house that she told herself that she must remember to check up on Miss Parker again that week. She had looked pale and drawn last time she had seen her but had not allowed Joy into the house. She wasted no time in going round and knocking next door. Receiving no answer she went round to the back of the house. The door was locked and she came to the decision that she would watch out for the bobby on the beat and tell him that she was a bit worried about Miss Parker.

  When he hovered into view, Joy hurried out to speak to him. He listened attentively and then went with her to the back of the house and forced an entry. Joy waited outside. It was not long before he emerged from the house and she could tell from his face that it was as she had feared. The old woman was dead. He used Joy’s telephone to send for an ambulance and then left to wait next door until it arrived.

  Joy wondered what would happen to the house. No doubt they would discover that in the months to come. In the meantime she determined to enjoy spring and summer now that her fears for her son’s safety had abated. There was also the comfort of knowing the share certificate had been found.

  In the days that followed she hoped each morning to discover a letter from David Tanner on her doormat but she heard only from Tilly, expressing her relief that the share certificate had been found and saying that she’d had no news from David Tanner.

  Joy did not know what to do about it all and in the end knew the best thing to do would be to put it out of her mind and concentrate on something else. She decided that with Elspeth gone she would advertise for a couple more lodgers and broached the subject with Wendy.

  ‘It’s your house, Aunt Joy,’ she said. ‘You must do what you think is best.’

  With that assurance, Joy went ahead with her plan and placed an advertisement in the Liverpool Echo.

  Chapter Twenty-Seven

  Joy was amazed by the swift response her advertisement brought during the week that followed. Fortunately her would-be lodgers did not all arrive at the same time. Showing the first woman around proved a waste of time because she was not prepared to share the bathroom and lavatory when she heard that there was a man living in the house. This despite Joy explaining that he had a wife and was perfectly respectable.

  Her next visitor was an elderly man, newly widowed and wanting three meals a day included in the price she was asking for the room. She turned him down. The second woman, a Mrs Sanderson, was a widow in her thirties with a boy of ten. She had two jobs, one cleaning a couple of offices during the evenings and also as a part-time waitress from eleven till two during the day. Joy took an immediate liking to her because she told her frankly that the reason they’d had to leave their last lodgings was because her son had inherited his father’s fiddle and needed to practise to get a decent tune out of it. Joy offered her not only a large bedroom overlooking the garden but also the use of the outhouse where the boy could play his music in peace. She felt that Robbie would have approved of her actions.

  It was not until the Friday that another man called at the house. He appeared to be in his late forties and told her that his name was William Donavan. One of his eyelids twitched and instantly Joy diagnosed nerve trouble as a result of the war. She could only offer him the smallest bedroom at the top of the house but he expressed
his gratitude. She wondered if his situation was desperate but at least could reassure him that, although the room might be small, it did receive some sun all the year round.

  She asked for a month’s rent in advance and both Mrs Sanderson and Mr Donavan handed over the sum without hesitation. As they were not to have the use of the kitchen, she seriously considered cooking breakfast for them. It was what her mother had done when she had taken in lodgers, and that was in addition to offering Sunday lunch for a little extra money, but she decided to wait and see how they all got on.

  ‘So what do you know about your new lodgers?’ asked Wendy shortly after she arrived home on the day Mr Donavan moved in.

  ‘Not a lot,’ replied Joy. ‘I gave in to my gut feelings.’

  Grant shook his head when he heard what Joy had done and said she should have checked their credentials but she stuck by her decision. ‘I remember Mother telling me that my grandmother took in my father when he was newly arrived from Scotland and she was a widow with a daughter.’

  ‘So your father married the daughter of the house,’ said Wendy.

  ‘Yes. Mother was a few years older than Dah and a strong-minded woman. Poor Mr Donavan has obviously suffered from shell shock in my opinion because his eyelid twitches.’

  ‘Poor man,’ said Wendy. ‘I wonder what his occupation is.’

  ‘He was able to pay a month’s rent in advance and his clothes are serviceable, if not the best quality, so he obviously isn’t on his uppers.’

  ‘At least if he goes out every morning and doesn’t come in until evening that’ll go some way to proving he has a regular job,’ said Grant.

  ‘At least I don’t need to be a detective to work out that Mr Donavan does have Irish blood with a name like his,’ said Joy. ‘I’m just relieved to be having some extra money coming in, although it’s not easy living with strangers, and truthfully, if I didn’t need to, then I wouldn’t have let out the rooms. Fingers crossed it all works out.’