‘Come on,’ he urged above the wail of the dropping bombs. The ack-ack guns didn’t seem to be having much success. ‘We ’ave to find us somewhere safer to ’ide.’
Bricks were scattered all across the road and within minutes he had slipped so many times his hands and knees were skinned but still he kept doggedly on, praying that the train station hadn’t been hit. If the trains were still running at least then there was a chance that he could slip onto one and get himself and Skippy away from the city. As he ran, he briefly thought that this must be the hell his Sunday school teacher had told him about. Fire and deafening noise all around him.
Soon he was surprised to see Petticoat Lane to the left of him, or rather what was left of it. There were no stalls or stallholders shouting their wares today. Like the rest of the city it had been bombed and as he stared at the smouldering ruins it was hard to remember it as it had been, but at least now he could get his bearings again.
‘Come on,’ he urged the dog, who was beginning to flag a little. ‘The train station is this way.’ Suddenly he had an overpowering urge to see Edith. Admittedly he had been wary of her when he had first arrived at Treetops, but her patience and kindness had won him over and now he wanted nothing more than to just fall into her arms and sob his heart out.
Soon the station appeared in the distance and Bobby allowed himself to lean against a wall for a moment to ease the stitch in his side. He bent to stroke the dog reassuringly and as he straightened, he became aware of a deafening whistling sound. Glancing up he saw a bomb hurtling down straight towards him and seconds later it crashed into the road only yards away from him. As he felt the bricks in the wall behind him begin to collapse, he just had time to throw himself down over Skippy and he thought briefly, I hope our Peggy’ll be aw’ight, and then, as the wall began to cave in on top of him, there was only darkness and he knew no more.
Chapter Thirty-Five
‘No … nooooo … Dad, don’t!’
‘Shush now, pet.’
Peggy started awake from a terrible nightmare as Edith clicked her bedroom light on and hurried towards her to gather her into her arms.
The child was wet through with sweat and was in a tangle of damp sheets. ‘It’s all right now. You were just having a nasty dream but it’s all over now.’
Edith rocked her to and fro and very slowly the child’s cries subsided into hiccupping sobs that tore at her heart. ‘That’s better. Now, what was so bad to make you dream like that?’ she asked softly. It wasn’t the first time Peggy had had nightmares, but she had been worse since Bobby had gone.
For a moment Peggy remained silent and Edith thought she would clam up as she usually did when this happened. The child seemed to be considering whether to say anything or not but then haltingly she told her, ‘It … it were me dad … He did bad things to me an’ he ’urt me.’
‘With his belt you mean?’ Edith questioned softly but Peggy shook her head.
‘No … ’e did bad things to me down ’ere.’
Edith’s heart sank as the child pointed to her most private parts and inside she was crying, No, no! Surely no father would do that to such a young child? Yet deep down she knew that they would, she had always suspected it and now Peggy was finally telling her rather than leaving her to surmise it. Fighting to hide the wave of sickness that had risen in her, Edith held on tight to the child and managed to keep her voice light.
‘That was very bad of him, pet,’ she said with a slight wobble in her tone. ‘Why ever didn’t you tell your mother?’
‘Dad said the devil would come an’ get me in the dark if I told anyone,’ the child said with a hitch in her voice. ‘An’ he only done it when Bobby an’ Ma were out. I think Bobby knew, though, an’ that’s why he started to sleep in my bed back at ’ome so’s he could try an’ keep me safe.’
‘Oh, my poor darling,’ Edith muttered and now she could stop the tears from falling no longer and they rained down her face as she thought what the poor child must have gone through.
‘I … it were my fault,’ Peggy said. ‘Dad said I made him do it … Will the devil come nows I’ve told you?’
‘No, he will not! There is no such thing,’ Edith retorted as her anger rose. ‘And it wasn’t your fault, pet. What your dad did was very wrong. Things like this should never happen to little girls … ever!’
At that moment John appeared in the open doorway in his dressing gown and, wiping the sleep from his eyes, he asked, ‘Is everything all right in here?’
Peggy instantly shrank into Edith’s side as she stared at him fearfully and now at last Edith understood why the child was so nervous around men.
‘Everything is fine,’ she told him. ‘We’ve just had a little accident, that’s all, so you go and put the kettle on and when we’ve changed the bed and got Peggy into clean pyjamas I’ll come down to the kitchen and join you for a drink.’
She knew there would be no point in going back to bed; she’d hardly slept a wink since Bobby had disappeared and she had come to a decision. She was tired of waiting for the police to bring news of him and had decided that the very next day she would go to London to look for him herself. But for now, she concentrated on making Peggy comfortable and once the bed was changed and the child was tucked in again, she planted a gentle kiss on her forehead. ‘There now,’ she said softly. ‘You snuggle down and get some sleep. And don’t get worrying. I promise you that I’m going to see to it that your dad never hurts you again.’
Peggy nodded trustingly as Edith passed her the teddy bear she had bought for her and seconds later the little girl’s eyelids were closing. Satisfied that she could do no more for now, Edith crept from the room.
John was waiting for her in the kitchen with a pot of tea on the table ready when she got downstairs and he asked, ‘So what’s all the fuss about then? Is she worrying about Bobby?’
Slumping onto a chair Edith passed a hand across her weary eyes and slowly told him what Peggy had said. By the time she had finished there were tears in John’s eyes and he looked devastated.
‘It makes me ashamed of my sex,’ he muttered. ‘I can’t believe that a father could do that to his own child!’
‘Oh, but some do, I assure you,’ Edith said regretfully. She herself had been beaten as a child, which was why she had left home and married at the earliest opportunity. Not that she had ever admitted it to a living soul, not even her own late husband. The shame had gone too deep, but it meant that now she knew exactly what Peggy had been through.
‘So, what do you think we should do about it?’ he asked as anger replaced the shock.
‘We could report it, I suppose, but the problem is it would be Peggy’s word against his,’ Edith said flatly. ‘And nine times out of ten the police don’t have time for things like this, particularly when there’s a war on.’
‘Well, one thing is for sure, she won’t be going back to that brute!’ John stated.
Edith gave him a sad smile. ‘I really hope not. But right now, I’m worried about Bobby. I was thinking of going to London to try to find him myself tomorrow. We know the address where he lived so there’s a fair chance someone will have seen him, if he managed to get there. I can’t just sit around waiting for the police to bring word of him, it’s driving me mad.’
Seeing the strain on her face he patted her hand affectionately. She was a good woman, was Edith. ‘I think you’ve rather taken to these children, haven’t you?’
‘I love them like me own,’ she admitted. ‘And I don’t mind telling you I’ve been dreading them going home, especially now we know what’s been going on with little Peggy.’
‘Somehow, we’ll sort it,’ he promised, for he too was more than a little fond of the young waifs they had taken in. ‘And you don’t need to go to London; I will. I don’t want to have to be worrying about you too. Plus, Peggy needs you here. The trouble is I just heard on the radio that all the lines into Euston are closed at the minute because of the bombing so I’m afraid we�
�re going to have to be patient until they’re up and running again.’
Frustrated, Edith nodded as she poured the tea and then they sat in silence, each trying to take in what poor little Peggy had confided. It was just too horrible to imagine what the child must have gone through. It also explained why Bobby was so protective of her. But now they were both determined that somehow they would ensure it never happened again.
Early the next morning, Sunday decided to give David and Kathy some time alone with the twins and called in to Treetops, where she found Edith bleary-eyed and tearful. George had taken Peggy to school as Edith felt that routine would be better for her than staying at home, and when Edith told her what Peggy had said the night before Sunday was just as horrified as she had been.
‘Poor little mite,’ she said. ‘The man should be put up against a wall and shot. Even animals will protect their own. But never you fear; her dad will get his comeuppance.’ Little could she know that he already had.
It was mid-morning when the phone rang, and Edith instantly flew into a panic as John hurried from his study to answer it.
Edith hovered, watching his expression closely and by the look on his face, she was sure it was news about Bobby and her heart began to thud painfully.
‘Yes, yes of course,’ he said eventually. ‘I shall be there as soon as I possibly can. Good day and thank you.’
Slowly he replaced the receiver and turned to Edith and Sunday, his expression grave.
‘That was the police in London,’ he said solemnly. ‘It appears that Bobby and Peggy’s parents were killed when their house was bombed some nights ago.’
‘Eeh!’ Edith placed a hand against her wildly thumping heart. ‘Oh, those poor children! Although I can’t say as I’m sorry to hear that bastard of a dad of theirs has copped it. For an awful moment there I thought you were going to say the call was about Bobby.’
He stared back at her and for a moment the words he was about to say froze on his tongue. But then, realising that he must tell her the dreadful news he licked his lips and said quietly, ‘I’m afraid it was, Edith. The police managed to speak to one of the children’s neighbours, a Mrs Cotton, who was most helpful by all accounts, and she informed them that Bobby had been there. She felt obliged to tell him what had happened to his parents and when she did, he was so distraught that he ran off with his little dog, Skippy.’
‘So where is he now then?’
John looked away from the hope in her eyes. ‘Soon after he left, London suffered yet more bombing and last night rescuers retrieved the body of a boy matching Bobby’s description with a small dog beside him near Euston Station. They have the body in a hospital morgue, and they have asked if I will go and identify it.’
‘But it might not have been him,’ Edith gasped, clutching at straws as Sunday placed a comforting arm about her.
John sighed. ‘It appears he was wearing the name tag you always insisted the children should wear about his neck and the name on it was Bobby Walker … I’m so sorry, Edith, but it sounds like it was Bobby they found.’
‘No!’ Great, fat tears welled in Edith’s eyes and she sagged against Sunday as her legs turned to jelly. John helped her into the kitchen, while Sunday ran to fetch the smelling salts, which they wafted beneath the distraught woman’s nose. Slowly she began to get a grip of herself, although the tears continued to fall.
‘I think I knew deep down that he wasn’t going to come home,’ she said brokenly. ‘I just had this horrible feeling in here.’ She thumped her chest close to her heart. ‘But what will happen now if it is Bobby?’
‘I shall go and bring him home and he’ll have a decent burial,’ John promised with a catch in his voice.
As something else occurred to Edith she broke out in a cold sweat. ‘And what about Peggy? If their parents are dead, she’s an orphan now. What will become of her? Will they push her into some horrible orphanage?’
‘Let’s cross each bridge as we come to it,’ John urged, and they all fell silent with grief as they thought of the mischievous little boy who had come to mean so much to them.
Chapter Thirty-Six
Two days later John left for London. Edith had wanted to go with him but knowing how distressing what he had to do would be he had persuaded her to stay at home to look after Peggy, who was broken-hearted at the death of the big brother she had idolised.
‘What’ll ’appen to me now?’ she had asked piteously when John and Edith had broken the news to her as gently as they could.
‘Nothing for now,’ Edith had assured her. ‘You’re quite safe here with us for the time being.’ But already she knew what she was planning to do, and she just prayed that her employer would go along with the idea. But first they must know without doubt that the child who had been killed was indeed their Bobby.
At the lodge, David and Kathy were getting along famously. He had already stayed far longer than he had intended but somehow, now that he was there, it was very hard to leave. He was the closest thing to a father figure the twins had ever had and they clearly adored him.
‘I really should be thinking of setting off for Yorkshire tomorrow,’ he told them all as they sat enjoying their lunch after yet another morning of playing out in the snow on their sledges with him.
He saw the way Kathy’s eyes suddenly narrowed and his heart did a little skip. He had loved her ever since the day he had first set eyes on her. Even the fact that she had become pregnant by another man had not been able to dim that love and now he wondered if finally she might be feeling something more than friendship for him. He could only pray that she might, and meantime he intended to enjoy every moment spent with her and the children.
‘No,’ Daisy said petulantly, flinging her chubby arms about his neck and planting a sticky kiss on his cheek. ‘Me an’ Thomas loves you an’ we wants you to stay here with us!’
‘Oh, all right then, perhaps I could manage just another couple of days,’ David answered. He was easily persuaded and heartened to see that Kathy looked happy with the idea. ‘So, what do you want to do this afternoon?’
‘We could go skatin’ on the duck pond, it’s frozen over,’ Thomas suggested hopefully, and David chuckled and agreed.
In Lincolnshire, it was Livvy’s day off and she had agreed to take Giles into Lincoln that evening – if they could get a lift there, that was. Thankfully they found a jeep that was already taking some of the others into the city and they crammed inside it.
‘Blimey, this must be what it feels like to be in a tin of sardines,’ Giles laughed as yet another pilot piled in beside him, squashing him yet further along the seat
Livvy was very aware of the warmth of his body through their uniforms as they sat pressed together and she felt herself blushing. Daft oaf, she scolded herself. He’s not coming because of you, he just has nothing better to do. And yet suddenly she was painfully aware of how handsome he looked in his smart uniform.
There was much laughter and chatting as the jeep bounded along the rough country lanes and more than once Livvy would have ended up on the floor had it not been for Giles placing a steadying arm across her. But then at last they were there, and the jeep stopped to let them out as the driver promised to pick them all up later that evening. Most of the people shot off, leaving Livvy and Giles to trail behind.
‘So where do you suggest?’ he asked. ‘Don’t forget this place is new to me.’
‘We usually wind up in the Lion and Snake in the High Street,’ she answered. ‘There’s often a bit of a sing-song and a knees-up going on in there. The High Street’s quite close to the cathedral.’
‘Then the Lion and Snake it is.’ He grinned and gallantly crooked his arm with a theatrical little bow and after a moment’s hesitation she slid her hand through it, and they walked on. It was quite dark as all the streetlamps were out and the windows of the houses they passed were covered in blackout curtains, but thankfully Livvy knew her way about quite well by then and soon the sound of people having a good ti
me in the pub reached them.
‘So, what will it be then?’ Giles asked as they pushed their way to the bar. There were a lot of RAF personnel in there and they called greetings.
‘I’ll have a gin and tonic please. And while you get those I’ll go and see if I can find us a table. But I’ll get the next round in, mind.’
He shook his head and grinned as she pushed her way back through the crowd, noting the way her hair shone gold in the dim lights. He had thought her pretty when they had both been at Treetops but since then she had grown into a very beautiful young woman. She didn’t seem quite so cutting either, which was something to be grateful for. Perhaps she was finally forgiving him for living in her former home?
Minutes later he shuffled back, balancing their drinks precariously.
‘That hits the spot,’ he said approvingly as he lit a cigarette and took a long swig of his beer. ‘I was ready for that, but now tell me, have you had any leave lately?’
‘Not for some time but I’m due a forty-eight-hour pass next month. What about you?’
‘Same here.’ His face became serious. ‘We’ve lost four of our pilots over the last month and, until some more join us, there’s not much chance of getting any time off at all. Still, remember me to my grandad and everyone there when you go.’
‘Of course.’ They started to chat and before they knew it people were standing to leave.
‘It can’t be that time already, surely,’ Livvy remarked as she glanced around. ‘It feels like we only just got here.’
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