‘I suppose not.’ She was confused as he looked up and she saw what she thought was pain in his eyes but then her pride kicked in and she slowly rose.
‘Goodbye then, Will. Have a good life. I shall t’ink of you often.’ And with that she walked out of the tea shop without once looking back so she didn’t see the tears on his cheeks as the door closed behind her.
Chapter Thirty-Four
As Colleen entered the kitchen shortly afterwards she found Bai and Jia Li sitting together at the kitchen table with their hands clasped, deep in conversation. They were so absorbed in each other that they didn’t even notice her entrance as they jabbered away in their own language. Colleen smiled ruefully as she hurried on tiptoe towards the stairs. It seemed ironic that Jia Li’s future was about to improve while her own dreams had just fallen apart, but she was happy for her all the same. After the hell she’d been put through over the last few months, no one deserved happiness more than Jai Li.
‘Why, whatever is wrong, dear?’ Hattie asked when Colleen entered the little upstairs sitting room a short time later. The girl’s eyes were red and she looked as if she had the weight of the world on her shoulders.
Colleen sniffed and shook her head. ‘Let’s just say I forced Will’s hand to see what his intentions towards me were and it didn’t work out as I hoped, so I’ve finished it.’
Flora frowned. She knew how much Colleen thought of Will and realised that she must be hurting.
‘I’m so sorry,’ she said inadequately, but what more could she say?
‘You come an’ sit by the fire an’ get warm while I go an’ make you a nice cuppa, dear. Everythin’ always looks better when you have a hot drink inside of you.’ Hattie patted the seat beside her and went downstairs, leaving Colleen to stare miserably into the fire.
‘So what will you do now?’ Flora asked and the girl shrugged. She couldn’t really think coherently of anything apart from the heartache she was suffering at the moment.
‘I dare say I’ll go back to Ireland to help me mammy on the smallholdin’, but not until Jia Li is properly better, o’ course,’ she added quickly. ‘Once she is, now you have Hattie I’ve no doubt you’ll all rub along together a treat.’
Flora felt tears well in her own eyes. The three of them had become as close as sisters in the last months and she knew that she would miss her.
‘But is there no chance that you and Will might patch things up?’ she queried hopefully. ‘Things seemed to be going so well between you. What went wrong?’
‘I told him that I was t’inking o’ going home to Ireland and more or less said that he’d be welcome to come w’it me, but he never even answered me. He just sat there starin’ down at the table as if the cat had got his tongue.’
‘Aw, I’m so sorry.’ Flora quickly joined her on the settee and gave her a loving cuddle. ‘I know how much you thought of him.’
Colleen shrugged. ‘That’s life, ain’t it? But there’s plenty more fish in the sea.’
Despite her brave words, Flora could read her like a book and knew how much she was hurting, but sadly she had no idea how she could make things better so she wisely remained silent. Soon after Hattie puffed her way up the stairs with the loaded tea tray.
‘At least those two down there seem to be back on the right track,’ she said, placing the tray down on the table. ‘But now what are we going to do about you and your young man, eh, miss?’ She raised an eyebrow at Colleen, who sniffed.
‘There’s not’ing to be done so let’s not talk about it anymore, eh?’
‘If you say so, dearie.’ Hattie exchanged a glance with Flora and for the next little while they all studiously avoiding mentioning Will as they drank their tea and spoke of other things. After a while Hattie took the newspaper she had fetched from home and started reading while Flora sat sewing some pillowcases for the new house, giving Colleen a good excuse to escape to the bedroom.
‘Poor love,’ Hattie sighed when she’d gone. ‘We’d best go gently with her for the next few days. I think she’s taken this really badly an’ she’s just puttin’ a brave face on things.’
Flora nodded in agreement but just then something in the paper caught Hattie’s eye and she drew it closer, peering at it through the little steel-rimmed spectacles perched on the end of her nose.
‘Well, I’ll be … Looks like that terror of a boy’s got engaged.’
Flora looked at her questioningly. ‘What boy?’
‘Oh, years ago I worked in the kitchens for a rich family, the Johnsons, when the boys were little and times was hard. Their boy, Tobias, was always causin’ trouble to the mistress and playin’ tricks on us as worked there. Needed a good hidin’, I always thought. Anyway, says here he’s got engaged. I heard on the grapevine that young Toby hadn’t improved with age, what with gambling and what not. Still, I dare say the love of a good woman will put him back on track.’
Flora swallowed painfully. Was this a coincidence or was Hattie speaking of the Toby she had met aboard the Titanic?
‘So who has he got engaged to?’ she asked innocently as Hattie continued to read.
‘Hmm, she’s a Miss Margaret Ward, the daughter of Mr Magnus and Mrs Alexandra Ward of Manhattan.’
Flora was so shocked that she almost dropped her sewing, although she managed to remain outwardly calm. Margaret and Toby! They were the most mismatched couple that Flora could ever have dreamed of and she knew for sure that Margaret was nothing like the women Toby favoured. She could only imagine that he was marrying Margaret for her money. It was just the sort of thing he would do as he had no morals whatsoever. She could almost have felt sorry for Margaret in that moment but as she thought of the despicable way the young woman had treated her and Alex, she felt a little spiteful thrill. Toby and Margaret deserved each other, so let them get on with it. It was hardly going to be a marriage made in heaven that was for sure!
Hattie went down to the kitchen soon after, saying she wanted to prepare some stew for the following day, but Flora sat on alone. Seeing Jai Li reunited with her Bai made her wonder what might happen if she ever saw Jamie again. Would he be as happy to see her as Bai had been to see Jai Li? What would he be doing now? she wondered, and a wave of homesickness swept over her. She almost envied Colleen who would soon be returning to the fold of her own family and suddenly the future stretched ahead of her cold and empty. Stop feeling so sorry for yourself! she scolded herself and then tried to concentrate on her sewing again but it was useless. Her concentration was gone so she did what she always did when she was feeling stressed, and sat down to write another letter to Jamie. It would probably never be posted but it made her feel a little closer to him.
Dear Jamie,
Once again my life is about to change as Colleen has just informed me that she will now be going home to her family in Ireland. I am pleased for her but I will miss her so much, we have grown close during the time we have lived and worked together. Sadly her young man has just let her down and I think that is why she has reached the decision to go.
On a happier note, Bai is back in Jai Li’s life and I hope it will stay that way, they clearly love each other very much and she is due some happiness after the heartbreak of losing the baby. Hattie, our new employee, has turned out to be a godsend and we wonder what we would do without her now. She came into our lives at a time when we really needed her and so that was a blessing.
I am feeling very lonely at the moment, Jamie. It’s funny, isn’t it, how you can be surrounded by people but if the person you really want most is not amongst them you still feel alone. I wonder what you are doing now? Do you ever think of me? Whatever you do and wherever you are, I pray that you are safe and well,
With my love always
Flora xxx
With a sigh she rose and hid the letter beneath a plant pot on the shelf. She couldn’t go into the bedroom yet because she didn’t want to disturb Colleen who obviously needed some time to herself, and she couldn’t go down to the kitchen
because she didn’t want to play gooseberry to Jia Li and Bai, so she sat on in the glow of the fire as the shadows in the room lengthened and the afternoon turned to early evening, and she thought of her family and Jamie so very far away.
It was Jia Li gently shaking her arm some time later that brought Flora’s eyes blinking open. She yawned and stretched her arms above her head before saying, ‘Sorry, I must have dozed off.’ Then she looked at her friend and smiled. The girl’s eyes were shining like stars and the haunted look that had been in them since Huan had attacked her was finally gone.
‘Me and Bai, we going to get married,’ Jia Li shyly informed her and Flora couldn’t have been more thrilled at the news. The way she saw it, it was long overdue. Jia Li had gone through so much over the last months but now hopefully things were starting to go right for her.
‘Why, that’s wonderful news!’ She beamed. ‘How lucky it was that Colleen bumped into him like that! It was obviously meant to be.’
Jia Li nodded enthusiastically. ‘This time I be very honest with him about what happened with baby,’ she told Flora solemnly. ‘And Bai say I bad for not telling him the truth before … but he forgive me. So now we save and when we have enough money for somewhere to live we get married.’
An idea occurred to Flora and she grinned. ‘Why don’t you and Bai have these two rooms? Me and Colleen will be moving in next door any day now and these will be standing empty. Think about it, it would save you having to rent somewhere and if three of us have managed up here I’m sure you two could.’
Jia Li looked around the room with new eyes as she tried to imagine living there with Bai then she nodded enthusiastically. ‘You right, we be very happy here and you and Colleen only be next door.’
‘Hmm, well we will be for a short time.’ Flora told her about what had happened with Will.
‘Ah, my poor friend. That very bad,’ she said regretfully. ‘I think she love him very much. He a fool. But we miss her so much when she go back to Ireland – yes?’
‘Yes, we will,’ Flora agreed. ‘But I can understand her wanting to go. She misses her family and the place she was born. I do too.’
Seeing the faraway look in Flora’s eyes, Jia Li was shocked. Flora was usually so determined and strong, it was rarely she saw this vulnerable side of her.
‘You miss young man back home too, yes?’
Flora nodded. ‘Yes, but that’s all in the past. He probably has another girl now. Hopefully one who appreciates him and deserves him. I certainly didn’t and I didn’t even think about how unreasonable I was being when I decided to come to New York. I just expected him to wait for me without question. How vain is that, eh? Serves me right that he dropped me like a hot potato.’
Jia Li stared at her curiously for a moment before suggesting, ‘But you could go back and find him. Even if he not want you anymore, at least you try.’
‘We’ll see. For now, I’m just going to concentrate on moving into next door and then by the sounds of it we have a wedding to plan.’ Flora hoisted herself out of the chair and grinned. There was no point wallowing in self-pity. ‘Wait till we tell Hattie your good news! She’ll be tickled pink.’ And arm in arm they went back down to the kitchen together.
Hattie was indeed delighted when Jia Li told her about the forthcoming wedding and instantly went into a tizzy. ‘We shall have to get you a new dress … and of course some flowers. Oh, and we could perhaps have a little party here for you afterwards, what do you think, girls?’
‘I think that fine idea but there not be many guests. I mean apart from you, Ernie, Jimmy and Sam,’ Jia Li pointed out.
‘It doesn’t mean to say we can’t make a bit of an occasion of it,’ Hattie insisted but Jia Li shook her head.
‘We just want very quiet wedding at town hall. We no want any fuss.’
‘Whether you want it or not, my girl, I intend to make the day special,’ Hattie told her with determination. ‘And we’ll start by going and getting some material and looking at patterns for your dress.’
‘I shall have blue dress,’ Jia Li said thoughtfully. ‘Blue the colour of the sea, but not too much money.’
‘And I shall make it. As you know I’m quite a dab hand with a needle and cotton,’ Hattie told her.
Colleen, who had come downstairs at the sound of Hattie’s loud excitement, smiled. Even though her own heart felt as if it was breaking in two she was so pleased that Jia Li and Bai had finally come together, it was clear they were made for each other.
Over the following days, Bai called into the café each day and they had all taken to him, especially as he had told them that he would still have married Jia Li even if the baby had lived. He endeared himself even further when they realised that, thanks to his days working as a chef, he was a dab hand at cooking too, and now each night he was happy to help Jia Li prepare the food for the next day, so all in all things were working out beautifully.
Chapter Thirty-Five
Not bad, even if I do say so myself, Flora thought the following Sunday as she stared around the living room in the new house. Jimmy, Sam and Ernie had been carrying the furniture from the rooms above the café into the new abode all day and now that everything was in place it was beginning to look like home. The curtains that Hattie had stitched were hanging at the gleaming little windows and a cosy fire was burning in the grate after one of Sam’s friends had kindly come round to sweep the chimneys for them. A brightly coloured rag rug lay in front of the hearth and the brass fire irons gleamed in the glow from the flames. The second-hand sideboard had been polished till Flora could see her face in it and upstairs, Colleen and Jia Li were busily making the beds up. They would have a bedroom each now, luxury indeed after being used to being crammed into one room. Hattie and Bai were there too sorting out the kitchen as Flora plumped up the cushions on the sofa. At last everything was done and all their things were put away so Hattie pottered off to the kitchen to make them all a nice hot drink and some sandwiches as they hadn’t had time to cook that day.
‘I don’t know how I shall ever be able to thank you,’ Flora told Ernie, Jimmy and Sam sincerely. ‘You’ve all worked so hard. We could never have done this without you.’
‘Hey, no problem, we’ve had a blast. Just give us a free meal whenever we come by and we’ll be happy,’ Ernie told her with a grin. In actual fact he’d quite enjoyed transforming the little house. It now sported a newly painted red front door that boasted a shiny brass knocker and all the window frames had been painted white, giving the house a whole new appearance.
‘That goes without saying,’ Flora promised him and wondered why she wasn’t feeling more thrilled. After all, she owned her own house now, albeit a very cheap one, and she ran a very successful café, yet as Christmas approached the yearning to see her family again grew stronger by the day.
‘So why don’t you just go home for a visit?’ Hattie had suggested a few days before when Flora had admitted to her that she was feeling homesick. ‘Me an’ the others are more than capable of keepin’ the café going.’
As tempting as the thought was, Flora shook her head, although she didn’t tell Hattie why. How could I ever go home now after what I’ve done? she asked herself daily and the answer was always the same. You can’t! You’ve let everyone down and there could be repercussions even now. And then, of course, going home would involve a sea voyage and she wasn’t sure she’d ever be able to set foot aboard another ship as long as she lived. Every moment of that terrible night on the Titanic was etched into her memory and she still had recurring nightmares about it.
Hattie appeared from the kitchen then carrying a huge tray and everyone found a seat, some of them on the floor because there weren’t enough chairs.
‘I reckon you’ll be really comfy in here,’ Hattie said as she glanced around at all their hard work. ‘I could quite happily live here meself now, though I’d never have said that when you first bought the place. I was worried that you’d bought a pig in a poke but everythi
ng’s turned out fine and dandy.’
Jia Li and Bai didn’t even hear her. They were sitting in the corner jabbering away to each other, oblivious of everyone else in the room, which was just as Hattie thought it should be.
Colleen was sitting with her legs curled under her in one of the old wing chairs, staring off into space, and as Hattie glanced at her the smile slid from her face. Poor girl, she was clearly still heartbroken over her Will, and Hattie just wished she could get her hands on him for two minutes. She’d show him what for, all right, for breaking the poor girl’s heart. And then there was Flora. Oh, she always put a brave face on, and almost worked herself into the ground on a daily basis. But why? Hattie wondered. What was it she was hiding or running away from that made her push herself to the limits? She actually knew very little about how Flora had ended up in New York, but she hoped that one day Flora would trust her enough to confide in her. There was obviously something niggling away at her. Meantime Jia Li’s wedding was drawing dangerously close so, looking towards the girl, she said, ‘I hate to interrupt you lovebirds but I was thinking that now we’ve got you all safely moved into here we should be going into town tomorrow, Jia Li, to get the material for your wedding dress. We’ve less than two weeks to go to the wedding so if you want me to make it we have to get our skates on.’
Jia Li blushed prettily as Bai took some money from his trouser pocket and pressed it into her hand. ‘Buy what you need,’ he urged but Jia Li shook her head.
‘You not need give me money. Flora pay me wage each week and I have my own.’
‘No matter, we use what money we have between us to furnish rooms above the café,’ Bai insisted kindly so the girl reluctantly slid the little wad of dollars into her pocket.
‘How about we slip off after the dinnertime rush?’ Hattie suggested.
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