by Ellie Dean
The knowledge that she would have to be back, dressed and ready to open the bar at eleven, didn’t excite her. If she ever needed a proper day off, this was it. The bar would no doubt become crowded with people escaping their families after being closeted with them all the previous day, or with others who were drinking the ‘hair of the dog’ after having had too much the night before. Then there were the servicemen and women and factory workers who hadn’t had Christmas day off and those who were simply bored with their own company.
She gave a deep sigh as she fastened the lead to Monty’s collar. ‘Come on, little man,’ she said fondly. ‘Let’s see if some fresh air and exercise will blow the nasty old cobwebs away.’
It was bright and sunny, the breeze quite crisp, and as she went up the hill and took the short cut through the twitten that ran between the terraced houses, she looked to see if Peggy or Ron were about. But there was no sign of anyone and all she could hear was Daisy yelling at the top of her lungs. Poor Peggy. There was little chance of a lie-in with that racket going on.
Dragging Monty away from the gate, she contin-ued to tramp along the twitten until she came to the steep slope that would take her up onto the great, sweeping headland that protected Cliffehaven from the sea. Judging she’d gone far enough for Monty not to race back to Beach View in search of Harvey, she let him off the lead.
Freed at last, Monty shot off with the speed and grace of a young greyhound, bounding up the steep incline and disappearing into the trees.
Rose followed at a slower pace, her calf muscles tightening rather painfully as she ploughed on up the hill. This was where Ron took him and Harvey most mornings, and on rare occasions she joined them. She didn’t usually come up here on her own, or even do this sort of walking, for she soon got out of breath and unpleasantly hot – but today she was content with her own company, for the tranquillity of the silent hills was a balm to her troubled thoughts.
She reached the brow and watched Monty dashing back and forth with his nose to the ground in search of who knew what, and then turned to look out to sea. It looked lovely beneath the clear blue sky, the sun-diamonds twinkling on the silky ripples as the terns and gulls glided and swooped.
She breathed in the scent of salt and damp earth, of lush grass and the musk of decaying foliage. Despite the gun emplacements that had been erected in a ragged line along the cliff-top, it was difficult to believe there was a war on up here, for the ravaged town was out of sight and all was peaceful.
Monty came to sit beside her, his tongue lolling as he panted like a steam train. Rosie stroked his head, glad of his quiet companionship. She hadn’t wanted a dog, for they could be a terrible tie, and with the pub to run, there were few opportunities to give him the exercise he needed. And yet she’d fallen in love with him the moment Ron had carried him into the pub, and now couldn’t imagine life without him.
How uncomplicated animals are, she thought as she threw a stick for Monty to chase and resumed her walk. They need only love, food and shelter and give so much loyalty and affection in return. Whereas humans – like her brother – were unreliable and capable of betrayal, their loyalties dependent on what they could gain from their relationships. She knew this wasn’t totally fair, for there were others like Peg and Ron whose love and loyalty had never been in doubt – but then, thankfully, not everyone was like Tommy.
Having walked as far as the ruined farmhouse, Rosie sat for a while as Monty continued his endless hunt for things in the grass. Finally, aware that time was getting short, she reluctantly began the long walk back, Monty now firmly restrained by his leash as he was inclined to do a disappearing act, and no amount of calling would bring him back until he was good and ready.
There was still no sign of movement at Beach View and Daisy was still yelling fit to bust, which must be giving Peggy a terrible headache by now. Rosie would have called in to offer a hand, but as she’d stayed out too long already, she was in danger of being late to open up the pub, so she carried on walking.
She had almost reached the Anchor when she saw something that made her steps falter. Mrs Flynn was on her doorstep, arms folded, talking to Tommy. A chill of foreboding swept away her sense of well-being and she had to square her shoulders and steel herself to approach them. ‘Good morning again, Mrs Flynn,’ she said with a tight smile.
‘I was just telling your brother that he should have rolled up his sleeves and helped you clear the garden.’ Mrs Flynn’s rat-like features looked sharper than ever as she eyed him disdainfully. ‘It’s man’s work, and while you’re at it, those trees need pruning. They’re scraping at my roof tiles.’
‘If I’d known my sister was in the mood for gardening, of course I would have only been too glad to help, Mrs Flynn,’ said Tommy with his most charming of smiles. ‘Now, if you’ll excuse us, we have to get ready to open the bar.’
‘You need to keep the noise down,’ she shouted after them. ‘My Derek can’t sleep at night for all the racket, what with the piano and such and all that singing.’
‘There’s a war on, Mrs F.,’ said Tommy over his shoulder. ‘And it’s better to hear singing and music than it is to hear bombs dropping.’ He pushed open the side door. ‘And may one drop on you, you nosy, interfering old witch,’ he muttered.
Despite her anxiety, Rosie couldn’t help but smile. ‘Tommy, that’s unkind.’
‘Well, she asked for it.’ He unwound his scarf and took off his overcoat. ‘And what’s all this about you tidying up the garden first thing this morning? You’ve neglected it for years, so why start now?’
Rosie’s pulse was racing and the pleasantly warm glow she’d acquired from her walk became an icy chill as she turned away to unclip Monty’s leash and slip off her shoes and coat. ‘I woke early and went out there for some fresh air, saw the state of it and decided to make a start on clearing it up,’ she said before she ran up the stairs.
He gave a chuckle as he followed her into the kitchen. ‘Are you sure you haven’t been burying a body out there?’ he joked. ‘Ron proved a bit of a nuisance at last, has he?’
Her heart seemed to miss a beat, but she managed to keep her hands steady enough as she put the kettle on the hob and hunted out clean cups. ‘Don’t be daft,’ she said lightly. ‘Now, do you want tea or coffee?’
‘Coffee, please. I’ve got a bit of a hangover.’
This was much safer ground and Rosie was able to relax a little. ‘So, where did you get to yesterday?’
‘I went to the party the Yanks put on in the big hall that’s now used as a cinema. It was quite a do, and I met a lovely lady who very kindly gave me a bed for the night.’
‘Spare me the details,’ she said with a shudder. She made the coffee and handed it over, at last daring to look him in the eye. ‘Don’t forget you have to be on fire-watch tonight.’
He heaved a sigh. ‘You never stop nagging me, do you?’
‘It’s important, Tommy,’ she said firmly.
‘Well, I’ve got things to do this afternoon, so I’ll have to leave before we close at two.’ He shot her a smile that she noticed didn’t quite reach his eyes. ‘I’m sure the ever-loyal Ron will be on hand to help in my absence.’
‘What things?’ she asked sharply.
‘None of your business,’ he snapped as he put down the cup so hard it spilled the untouched coffee everywhere. Turning on his heel, he headed down the hall. ‘I need a bath and shave and to get changed. Hopefully, by that time you’ll be too busy to carry on giving me the third degree.’
Rosie flinched as he slammed the bathroom door. ‘Oh, God,’ she whispered tremulously to a whining Monty. ‘I can’t stand much more of this.’
Peggy wasn’t feeling quite the ticket this morning, and Daisy wasn’t helping because she’d woken in a foul temper and had screamed and shrieked her way through her morning bath and most of breakfast.
Sarah and Rita had made an early escape to work, but Jane and Fran were still trying to catch up on their sleep upstairs, an
d Peggy doubted they were having much success.
‘Oh dear,’ said Cordelia as she finished her toast and home-made jam. ‘Isn’t there anything you can do to stop her making that noise?’
Peggy tried spooning another helping of porridge into her daughter’s open mouth, but Daisy spat it straight out and went stiff with fury. ‘She’s overtired after her late night,’ Peggy shouted over the racket. ‘I’m sorry, Cordelia, but you’d find it far more comfortable if you turned off your hearing aid.’
‘It’s already off,’ she replied with a grim expression. ‘Goodness me, I think I’ll take my cup of tea and book into the other room.’
Peggy gave a deep sigh and tried once again to coax some porridge into Daisy, but the spoon was swept away by her small fist and the porridge ended up splattered all over Peggy’s clean apron. ‘Right, that’s it,’ she said in defeat. ‘You can jolly well go without.’
She left the table and started on the washing-up, trying her best to ignore Daisy’s constant, ear-splitting yelling. But she was clumsy this morning and a plate slipped through her soapy fingers, caught the edge of the draining board and smashed to smithereens on the floor. It was the final straw.
Drying her hands, she wrestled to get the furious Daisy out of her high chair and carry her into the hall. Strapping her firmly in her pram, she almost threw the covers over her before wheeling it into the dining room.
Cordelia looked up from her book in horror. ‘What are you doing? I’ve come in here for some peace and quiet.’
‘I’m going to shut the door on her in here, so you’d better come back to the kitchen. I can’t stand this any longer, and a bit of solitude might calm her down and bring her to her senses.’
Cordelia didn’t look totally convinced, but she regarded the screaming baby, rolled her eyes and made her way out of the room. ‘I can’t think what’s got into her today,’ she muttered. ‘She’s usually such a good little thing.’
‘She’s overtired – just as we all are,’ Peggy replied as she dumped the bottle of juice in the pram along with some toys, and closed the door firmly behind her. She wouldn’t leave her for long, but she and Cordelia would go mad if they had to listen to that all morning – and it wouldn’t hurt Daisy to learn that such behaviour would not be tolerated.
She returned to the kitchen to find Cordelia already happily ensconced in her favourite chair by the fire, with Harvey lying sprawled at her feet whilst Ron slurped his tea at the table. ‘Are you going to help Rosie in the pub this lunchtime?’
‘Aye, I’ll be doing that, so I will. So you can put your list of things to do back in that apron pocket.’ He drank some tea and clattered the cup in the saucer. ‘I’m on Home Guard duty this morning, by the way. We’ve got some new recruits that are barely out of school and still too young to enlist. It’s down to me to teach them how to shoot straight and lay mines without blowing themselves up.’
‘Isn’t that rather dangerous?’
‘It is if they don’t do it properly,’ he rumbled. ‘But it’s not live ammo, so they’ll survive.’
Peggy lit a well-earned cigarette and sat down at the table. She could still hear Daisy yelling, but it was much fainter now, and not quite so furious. ‘Was Tommy at home when you took Rosie back last night?’ she asked casually.
Ron shook his head and then waggled his eyebrows. ‘To be sure, he was nowhere to be seen, so Rosie and I had a bit of time to ourselves for a change.’
‘That’s good,’ she said distractedly.
He eyed her sharply. ‘Has Rosie said something to you that I should know about?’
Peggy thought about the cigarettes and tobacco hidden in her bedroom and quickly busied herself by stirring her tea. ‘Of course she hasn’t,’ she fibbed. ‘Although I think she’s getting tired of having Tommy hanging about all the time. By all accounts, he’s not the easiest or tidiest person to live with.’ She shot him an affectionate smile. ‘A bit like you really.’
‘I’m not in the least like that weasel,’ he protested, his eyebrows drawing fiercely together. ‘And if she’s sick of him being there, she only has to give me the nod and he’ll be out on his ear quicker than you can blink.’
‘She doesn’t want any trouble, Ron. Just let things be, if only for her sake. He knows what will happen if he blots his copybook.’
‘Aye.’ Ron finished his tea and began to fill his pipe with tobacco, his expression grim. ‘And he’d better keep looking over his shoulder, because I’m watching his every move.’
Tommy had disappeared out of the door the moment Ron had arrived fresh from his Home Guard duties, so Rosie had felt instantly more at ease and was able to serve her customers with genuine smiles and cheerful banter.
It was busy, as she’d suspected it would be, and with the two barmaids off for the day, it could have been quite stressful. Yet she and Ron were used to working together and as they got into the rhythm of dealing with the clamour of customers, time passed quickly and rather pleasantly.
It was half an hour before closing when she looked up from pulling a pint to see Mary and her young man come into the bar. They were immediately surrounded by people asking her to play the piano, but she firmly refused all requests and determinedly led Jack to the counter.
‘Hello, love,’ Rosie said in delight. ‘I didn’t expect to see you in here today.’
‘We’ve been walking round the town for most of the morning and got a bit cold out there.’ Mary took off the scarf Peggy had given her for Christmas and stuffed it into her coat pocket.
Rosie poured a pint for Jack and a lemonade for Mary. ‘No, keep your money,’ she said as Jack fished out his wallet. ‘This one’s on me.’ She checked no one else needed serving and leaned on the bar. ‘I’d have thought you two would have found somewhere cosy to spend your last few hours together, rather than come into this noisy old place.’
‘Well, we did have coffee and a scone at the tea rooms,’ said Jack, once he’d sipped the pint and nodded his approval. ‘But there’s only so long you can sit in there before you start getting dirty looks from the waitress.’
Rosie regarded him with some puzzlement. ‘But what about Doris’s place? Surely she wouldn’t mind if you used her sitting room for the day?’
She saw the youngsters exchange glances and felt a stab of pity. ‘Oh, I see. Well, that’s too bad of her.’ She stood back from the bar and folded her arms, determined not to show how furious she was with Doris. ‘Why don’t you take those drinks upstairs? There’s only Monty and Harvey up there to keep you company, so you won’t be disturbed until Ron and I’ve finished here.’
‘What about your brother?’ asked Mary.
Rosie heard the nervousness in the girl’s voice and caught the young man’s sudden frown of concern as he looked questioningly at Mary. ‘He’s out,’ she said quickly, ‘and not due back until much later tonight.’
Mary visibly relaxed her tense shoulders. ‘Then that would be lovely, Rosie. Are you sure you don’t mind?’
Rosie laughed. ‘Of course I don’t mind. Good heavens, I’d be a pretty poor friend if I made you walk round the town all day when I have a lovely cosy room upstairs. There’s some chicken left over from yesterday, so make yourselves a bit of lunch while you’re at it. I expect you’re hungry now after being out in the cold for so long.’
Mary shot her a shy smile. ‘Thank you, Rosie. We were wondering where we could go, and neither of us felt right about descending on Peggy after she gave that marvellous party last night.’
‘It was fun, wasn’t it?’ She noticed that there were three people waiting to be served and that Ron was busy at the other end of the bar. ‘Now get yourselves upstairs, and don’t mind the mess. I just haven’t had the time to clear up today.’
‘Is it wise to let them loose up there on their own?’ muttered Ron as they stood side by side drawing pints.
‘About as wise as letting you stay until two in the morning,’ she countered fondly. ‘Don’t worry about it, Ron.
They’re young and in love and have so little time together – it’s the least I can do.’
‘You really like Mary, don’t you?’
Rosie smiled as she realised just how protective she’d become towards the girl. ‘Yes, she’s a lovely, sweet girl – the sort that any mother would be proud of. I suppose, having heard some of her story from Peg, I want to make things all right for her.’
Ron grinned back at her. ‘You and Peggy are a couple of old softies. You know that, don’t you?’
‘There’s nothing wrong with a bit of love and warmth when it’s needed, Ronan Reilly,’ she retorted with a cheeky wink. ‘Now get on with serving that beer before it goes flat.’
‘Rosie is lovely, isn’t she?’ Mary took off her coat and patted the two dogs, who were delighted to see them after being shut in the upstairs rooms since opening time.
‘It’s really kind of her to let us stay, but why were you so hesitant about her brother?’
Mary knew he’d ask, and had prepared herself. ‘He’s all right, really,’ she fibbed. ‘But he’s a bit old to be playing gooseberry and it would have been embarrassing, that’s all.’
He seemed to accept this, and sat down beside her on the sagging couch. He looked round the room which was cosy with comfortable, chintz-covered chairs and thick rugs. The two dogs were now sprawled in front of the hearth despite the fact no fire had been lit. ‘It’s nice up here, isn’t it? I’ve always had a bit of a hankering to have my own pub.’
She looked at him in amazement. ‘You never said anything before about this secret hankering – and from what I’ve seen these past few weeks, it isn’t an easy life. Poor Rosie never gets much time to herself, and she’s always worn out.’
He grinned as he put his arm round her shoulders and pulled her close. ‘It’s a dream most men have, but I am aware of the realities. Now come here and let me kiss you.’
