During the time Jamie had been away, Flora had grown very close to Sunday and Tom, and sometimes she wondered how she would have coped without them. Sunday was a regular visitor to the cottage and she never came without some sort of treat or sweeties for Connie, who she adored. Her love was returned and the child lovingly referred to her as Nanny Sunshine.
Leaning over to the small table beside her, Flora picked up the latest letter from Colleen in Ireland. It had come just a few days before and was already much read, as was the one that had arrived shortly before hers from Jia Li in New York. Both families were still thriving and doing well and Colleen and Ben were now the proud parents of two-year-old twin boys and two girls who were three and five. Jia Li and Bai also had a boy and a girl and in her latest letter, Jia Li told Flora that Hilda had now moved into the rooms above the café with Hattie and the two women were as thick as thieves. Happily, Ernie and Tilly were also awaiting the arrival of their first baby. She glanced impatiently at the clock again only to have her thoughts interrupted by a whoop of glee from Connie outside who had spotted her granny and her daddy walking along the lane.
‘They’re here, Mammy,’ the child called and with a wide smile on her face Flora hauled herself out of the chair and waddled to the door.
‘Why, just look at you! You’re the size of a house.’ Emily grinned as Flora swayed down the garden path towards her. ‘That’s got to be a boy or I’ll eat my hat.’ A shadow temporarily flitted across Flora’s face as she experienced another sharp twinge, they’d been coming on and off all day, but then they were in each other’s arms as Connie and the dog danced around them.
Eventually they all went inside and Emily glanced around the little cottage appreciatively.
‘Well, you’ve got this nice, love,’ she commented as she drew off her gloves and took the pin from her hat. The dresser that stood against one wall was full of Flora’s best china and the table that took up the centre of the room had been scrubbed until it was almost white. Gay floral curtains hung at the windows and on the floor in front of the hearth was a large, colourful peg rug that had taken Flora many months to make out of any scraps of material that she could find. A small horsehair sofa adorned with comfy cushions stood to one side of the fire and on the other was Jamie’s favourite wing chair with another identical one positioned in the window where they could sit and admire the garden.
‘We like it,’ Flora answered modestly as she placed the kettle on the hob to make some tea, although she could have said she actually loved it and had no idea how she would ever be able to thank Sunday and Tom enough for providing them with such a grand little home.
‘But now tell me about everyone at home,’ Flora urged and so for the next hour as they relaxed with a large pot of tea and a jam sponge that Flora had made especially for the occasion, Emily did just that. Eventually the afternoon darkened and Emily bathed Connie in the tin bath before the fire and slipped her into her nightdress before giving her springy damp curls a good rub with the towel.
‘Will you tell me a story, Granny Ems?’ Connie pleaded. ‘The one you told me the last time you came about the princess and the pea?’
Emily smiled indulgently. ‘I think I could manage that but let’s get this hair dry first, miss. We don’t want you going to bed with it wet, now, do we?’
Flora and Jamie exchanged an amused glance. Connie had clearly got her granny wrapped around her little finger but then that was no bad thing as far as they were concerned. She didn’t see quite as much of Granny Ems as she did of Nanny Sunshine because of her living so far away in London, but when they did get together they certainly made up for lost time.
‘Are you looking forward to the service tomorrow, pet?’ Jamie asked Flora affectionately when Emily had gone off to tuck Connie into bed.
‘I certainly am.’ The Mother’s Day service at the church was one of Flora’s favourites and she never missed it, but this year it would be extra special with a new little life about to make an appearance.
Later that night as she lay in their soft, feather bed with Jamie snoring softly beside her and an owl hooting in the tree outside the bedroom window, Flora sighed with contentment as she considered how lucky she was. And then, as the child inside her became still, she took advantage of the fact and quickly fell asleep.
A niggling pain in the small of her back woke Flora in the small hours of the morning and not wanting to disturb Jamie she inched towards the edge of the bed and quietly pulled her dressing robe on before making her way downstairs as quietly as she could.
Jamie had damped the fire down with tea leaves the night before but now she quickly gave the dying embers a rake and threw some logs on it before beginning to pace up and down the room.
It’ll probably go off in a minute and just be a false alarm, she tried to reassure herself but the pain persisted, in fact, if anything, it was getting slightly worse. Still, Flora was determined not to disturb anyone. She had been in labour for hours and hours with Connie so she wasn’t panicking as yet. At last she saw the first fingers of dawn touch the sky and soon it began to get lighter.
It was Emily who found her still pacing the kitchen when she came down shortly before seven o’clock in the morning.
‘You’re an early bird,’ she said brightly, smothering a yawn. ‘I thought I’d be the first up and about. I wanted to treat you and Jamie to breakfast in bed an’ give meself plenty o’ time to get ready for the Mother’s Day service …’ She stopped abruptly as she saw the way Flora was holding her back and asked, ‘Is it the baby coming?’
Flora nodded. ‘I think it might be, Ma. I was having pains all day yesterday on and off but they got worse in the night.’ Even as she spoke she felt a warm gush between her legs and she glanced down to see a small puddle on the flagstones.
‘It’s coming all right,’ Emily chuckled. ‘Come on now, sit yourself down and have a cuppa while you can then I’ll get Jamie up to go an’ fetch the midwife. I’ve a feelin’ we won’t be goin’ to church this mornin’.’
‘Oh, but you must go,’ Flora protested. ‘Sunday is picking us up in the carriage.’
Emily grinned. ‘I doubt she’ll be goin’ anywhere either when she knows her next gran’child is about to make an appearance.’ All the time she was talking she was bustling about, preparing the cups and the teapot and soon they were sitting with steaming drinks in front of them. Flora’s pain had moved around to the front by then and had grown much stronger.
Jamie found them sitting there soon after and when he realised what was happening he flew into a panic.
‘Shall I run for the midwife?’
‘No, not yet awhile, pet,’ Emily said calmingly. ‘Just sit yourself down and get this inside you. I’ll tell you when it’s time to go for the nurse.’
Jamie obediently did as he was told although he never once took his eyes off his wife and was as nervy as a cat on hot bricks. Amazingly little Connie was still sleeping like a top, so at least he didn’t have to worry about her as well.
Just before ten o’clock, Emily told him, ‘I reckon it’s time to fetch her now, pet. This little ’un seems to be very keen to put in an appearance.’
Jamie was off like a shot, his face as white as chalk. While he was gone, Emily helped Flora into bed while she huffed and puffed through yet another contraction.
‘I … I feel like I want to push,’ Flora croaked as they heard a coach pull up outside.
Sunday’s voice floated up the stairs soon afterwards. ‘Hello, are you in?’
‘We’re up here, come on up,’ Emily shouted and the next minute Sunday appeared in the bedroom door looking very elegant and sophisticated in an ankle-length two-piece costume and a matching hat.
‘Y-you’d best go on without us,’ Flora grunted through her pains. ‘I, er … seem to be otherwise engaged.’
‘What? Go and miss this, not on your nelly!’ Sunday said and pulling her hat off she sent it sailing across the room before hurrying towards the bed.
‘I … I do need to push,’ Flora yelped then as she went red in the face and Sunday caught her hand and gripped it as Emily yanked the bed clothes back to have a look what was happening.
‘Good Lord … I can see the baby’s head,’ she said in amazement as she hastily rolled her sleeves up. ‘That’s it, pet. Now … on the next pain push as hard as ever you can … That’s it … good girl … and again!’
Unbidden Flora’s mind flew back to the birth of her little boy the previous year and she began to panic. What if that happened again? It had been her biggest fear throughout this pregnancy, although she had never admitted it to anyone.
She squirmed on the bed. ‘I … I can’t do it,’ she whimpered through gritted teeth. ‘Where’s the midwife?’
‘Never mind about her for now, you’ve got me,’ her mother told her calmly. ‘An’ you of all people should know how many babies I’ve helped into the world. Now come on, girl! Push for all you’re worth, we’re almost there!’
And so Flora dropped her chin to her chest and strained with all her might and suddenly, with one last push, a newborn baby’s wail echoed around the room and it was surely the most beautiful sound she had ever heard.
‘Wh-what is it? Is it all right?’ she asked weakly as she dropped back onto the pillows.
Sunday was crying tears of joy as Emily hastily cut the cord and wrapped the baby in a towel she had laid ready before handing the babe to its mother just as Jamie and the midwife burst into the room.
‘I’m afraid you’re a bit late,’ Emily told them with a broad smile. ‘Jamie, come and say hello to your brand-new little son. He’s a whopper and a little beauty into the bargain.’
Jamie stopped dead in his tracks as he looked towards the bed where Flora was cradling her new son with a look of pure delight on her face.
‘Oh, Jamie, he looks just like you,’ she breathed as he approached the bed. ‘I thought we could call him James Thomas?’
Too full of emotion to speak, Jamie nodded his happy approval and at that moment little Connie appeared in the doorway knuckling the sleep from her eyes and demanded, ‘Where’s my breakfast? I’m hungry.’ Then seeing what her mother held in her arms she moved to the bed and slipped her tiny hand into her father’s.
‘Has the stork brought our new baby, Daddy?’ she asked innocently and tears of pure joy sprang to Jamie’s eyes as he nodded.
‘Yes, sweetheart. The stork brought you a brand-new baby brother to love.’
‘Shall we go an’ leave this little family to get acquainted, ladies?’ Emily asked. ‘I don’t know about you but I could murder a cup o’ tea. Me mouth’s as dry as the bottom of a bird cage!’
Sunday and Emily edged towards the door with the midwife close behind. Downstairs, Emily was pouring the tea when Sunday began to giggle. ‘Well, I have to say the present she’s given us for Mother’s Day this year is going to take some beating, isn’t it? It’s isn’t every Mother’s Day you get presented with a lovely little grandson, is it?’
Emily nodded in agreement and they all smiled and raised their mugs in a toast to the beautiful new member of the family.
‘To our new little beauty, James Thomas Branning,’ Sunday said and they clinked their mugs together as they thought of the new little soul they had been blessed with, nestling safe and sound in his mother’s arms upstairs. It would certainly be a Mother’s Day none of them would ever forget.
Acknowledgements
Once again I would like to say a very big thank you to my brilliant team at Bonnier Zaffre, to Eli, Sarah, Kate, James and Nico, and each and every one of you who works so hard to make the books I write the best they can be. Special thanks too to my brilliant copy editor, Gillian Holmes, who helps me to give the books their final ‘polish’. Never forgetting my wonderful agent Sheila Crowley at Curtis Brown and her lovely assistant Abbie, who are always there if I need them. I am so lucky to work with such a great team of people.
Finally, of course, a massive thank you to my readers, who make my day when they get in touch on social media to tell me how much they have enjoyed my efforts. You all make every hour I spend locked away in my office with my imaginary characters worthwhile!
Welcome to the world of Rosie Goodwin!
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Dear Readers,
Well here we are yet again with another Christmas behind us! It feels like ages ago now, doesn’t it? But at least we have the spring to look forward to and hopefully some sunshine when we can all get out into the garden!
In this, book five of the series, A Maiden’s Voyage, you’re going to meet Flora. According to the rhyme, ‘Thursday’s child has far to go’. As it happens, I’m a Thursday’s child myself, and the rhyme got me thinking – where should I take her? And then it came to me in a flash: let’s go a little further afield and visit New York. Better still, let’s have a voyage on the Titanic.
When our children were young, a very dear friend of mine and I used to joke and say that when they were older we would go off to New York on our own. Some years ago she was diagnosed with cancer and it broke my heart that we hadn’t got to go. It was then our husbands suggested, ‘go now while she’s well enough’. Sure enough, the very next week saw us on a flight to New York.
What a wonderful break that was. We did lots of sight-seeing, including trips to Battery Park, The Statue of Liberty, The Empire State Building and Central Park, to name but a few – although I admit we also spent an awful lot of time in Macy’s. Wow! The shoe department in there is every woman’s heaven.
I’m very happy to report that my friend is still with us. She has put up a valiant fight against this horrible disease and is a real inspiration.
From the second the idea for this book occurred to me, it was plain sailing all the way – excuse the pun. As always, I’ve put poor Flora through the mill, and this book just seemed to flow along as if it was writing itself. I must admit that whilst doing the research on the sinking of the Titanic I found myself in tears. It’s impossible to imagine how awful and terrifying it must have been for all aboard, but I loved writing it and bringing all the characters to life. I hope that you will all love reading it too.
This book is my Mother’s Day offering for this year and you’ll all see why when you’ve read it. As always, I shall be eagerly waiting to hear what you think about it. Your messages always make my day and I love hearing from my readers.
And so all that remains for now is to wish you all a very happy Mother’s Day. I hope you all enjoy it. For me it’s back to work on the next one!
Take care and much love to you all,
Rosie
xx
Jai Li’s Chinese Curry
This delicious dish, inspired by Jai Li’s famous curry which amazed Colleen and Flora, not only tastes incredible but will also bring the aromatic scents of Chinatown to your kitchen.
You will need:
2 tbsp coconut oil
1 medium onion, diced
1 garlic clove, crushed
2 tsp curry powder
1 tsp turmeric
½ tsp ground ginger
1 red chilli, sliced (optional – if you like it hot!)
Pinch of sugar
400ml chicken stock
1 tsp soy sauce
4 chicken breasts, cut into chunks
2 tsp cornflour
Handful frozen peas
Juice of 1 lemon
Rice to serve
Method:
Heat coconut oil over a medium heat in a large pan. Add the onion and cook for 5 minutes until lightly browned and softened.
Add garlic, sugar, spices
, and chilli if using, and cook for another minute.
Add stock and soy sauce. Bring to simmer for 15–20 minutes.
Jai Li would have kept her curry chunky, but if you prefer a smoother sauce you could now blend.
Toss the chicken pieces in cornflour until lightly coated. Wipe out the pan and fry the chicken in the remaining oil until brown and cooked through.
Tip the sauce back in and bring the whole dish to a simmer. Stir in the frozen peas and cook for 5 minutes. Squeeze over the juice of a lemon.
Serve with fluffy boiled rice and enjoy!
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First published in Great Britain in 2019 by Zaffre
This ebook edition published in 2019 by
ZAFFRE
80-81 Wimpole St, London, W1G 9RE
www.zaffrebooks.co.uk
Copyright © Rosie Goodwin, 2019
Cover design by Nick Stearn
Cover photographs © Gordon Crabb
All other photographs Shutterstock.com
A Maiden's Voyage Page 35
