The Dover Cafe Under Fire, page 34
‘Well now, that is good news,’ Jasper said. ‘So Clive’ll be released soon?’
Bill shrugged. ‘I hope so. But what’s been happening here?’
Nellie started to explain about Peter Holmes’s visit, but she was interrupted by the sound of yet more footsteps on the stairs.
‘Well, I’m relieved to see you haven’t been arrested.’ It was Bert. Behind him, Alfie’s figure could be seen racing upstairs to the top floor.
‘Oh, a visit from my son. How lovely.’
‘And Rod’s here too. Met him at the door.’
‘For God’s sake, Mum, can’t we go more than a few months without this family being at the centre of some scandal or other.’ Rodney walked in looking harassed.
‘Hey,’ Jasper said. ‘This ain’t your mum’s fault.’
‘Not her fault? Do you know how I got to see this article?’ He waved the newspaper around dramatically. ‘The admiral, Mum! Yes, him. He’d been shown it by the bloody MPs! And you shoulda seen the look they all gave me when I was called in!’
Jasper stood up and put his arm around Rodney’s shoulder. ‘Rod, please. It’s been a bad day for all of us. Calm down and listen.’
Rodney swallowed and ripped off his cap, running his hand through his hair. ‘Sorry, sorry. It’s just after what happened at the garage with Mr Pearson being arrested and now this? When’s it all going to end? And why is it always this family that has to be involved? Why can’t we just be quiet and normal like . . . like the Perkins or something. You don’t see the fish shop being picketed by an angry mob, or the Turners being accused of harbouring a traitor!’
‘You should have just brought the MPs with you and have us all arrested,’ Edie said snidely. ‘Then all your troubles would be over and you’d never have to see us again.’
‘I was right about that, though, wasn’t I? Mr Pearson was up to something, otherwise why would they have arrested him?’
‘Hang on a minute! My uncle’s done nothing wrong!’ Bill only just managed to restrain himself from hitting Rodney.
‘If you want someone to blame, Rod, then look no further than your sister!’ Nellie pointed at Edie. ‘If it weren’t for her that woman would never have known this family even existed, let alone tried to ruin us!’
Edie was shocked by her mother’s attack – it was no more than what she’d been thinking herself, but to hear her mother say it was devastating. ‘Is that what you really think?’ she asked tremulously.
‘No, she doesn’t!’ Jasper interjected. ‘Nellie, shut up. Rodney, sit down. Bill, we know your uncle’s not to blame. Edie, take no notice. And, Bert, go and get the sherry and some glasses. I think we could all do with a drink.’
‘It’s not my fault,’ Edie said tearfully.
‘Funny how it all comes back to you, though, ain’t it?’ Nellie responded harshly. ‘You brought Hester here. You were at the garage when it caught fire. And you are the one what had an affair with a married man, putting us in that sour-faced bitch’s firing line.’
‘WHAT DID I SAY, NELLIE!’ Jasper roared.
The room descended into sudden silence as everyone stared at him in astonishment. They’d never heard him shout like that before.
‘Right, sit down and shut up. And once Bert’s got us all a drink, Nellie can read Hester’s letter. Then maybe you can all stop blaming each other. For God’s sake, as long as I’ve known you, you lot have always stuck together. Are you really going to let that woman change that?’ He sat down with a huff, exhausted from the effort of keeping them in check. But he knew from experience that if you didn’t rein the Castles in at the first sign of trouble, then it might be weeks before they sorted themselves out.
Bert came in with a tray of glasses and the bottle, and after pouring some sherry for each of them, he handed the glasses round.
Nellie drank her glass down in one, then picked up the envelope, pulling out two sheets of paper scrawled with large round letters.
‘Go on then, Mum,’ Bert urged.
Nellie sighed and started to read.
Dear Nellie,
Mr Holmes has promised to give this letter to you, and I hope he does. Cos I owe you an apology. I want you to know that none of this is your fault. I thought I were helping to end the war. Please believe me when I say I didn’t mean to hurt no one.
All I ever wanted, was for it all to stop. And when my Tommy went missing, I had nothing left to lose. That was when Walter upped and left and went to work at Mrs F’s. Turns out he’s a bad ’un – there’s no fool like an old fool, eh? Cos I believed him when he came back. Told me he were sorry and that he loved me. It were him that gave me the radio, said I could listen out for news of Tommy. Said that he and some others were working to end the war and to make a better world. He said to let him know if I wanted to join the movement. I’d seen his scars from the last war and I knew how he’d suffered, so I believed him. I thought it were a noble cause. And when I listened to all the talk of a fairer world on the wireless, it made sense to me.
But it don’t anymore, not when it puts my mates at risk, kills even more young men. I never realised that woman were usin’ me to get revenge on you; if she’d had her way, you’d be sittin’ in the cell next to me. So I’m glad I got caught. Cos that woman and Walter need to be locked up, so I’ve told them everything. It’s the only way to make up for the trouble I’ve caused all of you and poor old Clive Pearson. Cos that were my fault too.
I got the bus late when I come over from Folkestone an’ it dropped me up near the castle cos the road was damaged. I didn’t want to come to the café so late, so I found Mr Pearson’s shelter and stayed there. But the next mornin’ I left the sticky-backs Walter had given me under the bed. I woulda gone back, but Walter and that woman were hovering around watching to make sure I went to the café like I’d said I would. I thought I’d just get ’em later, but I never got the chance. But I never thought Mr Pearson would get in trouble. I swear, though, that fire had nothing to do with me. If you ask me, that were all Walter. So maybe I did everyone a favour leaving those things there if it meant he didn’t get his hands on the garage like he planned.
Mr Holmes told me I could get the death sentence for what I done, and I don’t care, because my life ended the day my Tommy was taken. I’m just sorry that you and your family got dragged into it. I’ll never forget how kind you’ve been. Ask Gladys to pray for me. I know she’d love to hear that I’m a repentant sinner.
Love, Hester
Nellie’s voice trembled as she read the last couple of paragraphs, her eyes blurred with tears. She set the letter down and looked around. Jim had crept in while she’d been reading, and was standing beside Bert, his hair wet and clinging to his face. All her children under one roof – well, apart from Lily, but she’d be home soon. Just the thought of one being missing made her want to curl up and die. But poor Hester had had her only child taken from her . . . How could she blame the woman for her actions when she’d clearly been driven mad by grief?
‘Is it true about the death sentence?’ Bert asked.
Rodney nodded. ‘Afraid so. But I doubt they’ll do that. Especially as she’s confessed and is testifying against the others. It’ll probably be a few years’ hard labour.’
‘She deserves it,’ Edie said fiercely. ‘How could she be so stupid? I mean, I thought something was going on but not this! She says she didn’t want to hurt anyone, and yet I bet it was her standing outside the Hippodrome shining a torch into the sky. And what about her so-called friend, Bunny Whittaker. She knew he were driving that train and she nearly got him killed!’
‘But no one did die, did they?’ Nellie responded. ‘And didn’t you hear a word of what she said? You have no idea what the loss of a child can do to you.’
Edie winced inwardly at that. She would soon, she hoped. And she certainly wouldn’t grieve when it happened. ‘Neither do you,’ she snapped.
‘But I can imagine. And the life she led . . . She gave up everything for that boy. She could have just left him at the workhouse. But she didn’t. She cherished him.’ Nellie started to weep. ‘Every child is a gift,’ she gasped.
Jasper put an arm around her. ‘All right, Nellie. No need to upset yourself.’
Nellie pulled a handkerchief from her sleeve and blew her nose. ‘I hate this war!’ she cried. ‘I hate it, I hate it, I hate it! How soon before I lose one of you?’
‘Mum.’ Rodney knelt down in front of her and took her hands. ‘I’m not going to pretend that might not happen, but you are the strongest woman I know. You’ll cope. And cos there are so many of us, you’re never gonna run out of kids.’
She laughed through her tears and cupped his cheek. ‘I never did know when to stop,’ she said.
‘Nellie.’ Alfie stood in the doorway looking pale and shaken. ‘Where’s the doctor? Marianne’s bleeding!’
Edie leapt up from the sofa, her hand to her mouth. ‘Is it the baby?’ she whispered.
‘I don’t know,’ Alfie said, wringing his hands. ‘I just need someone to make it stop.’ He rushed back upstairs to sit with his stricken wife.
Nellie stood up, all emotion set aside in the face of this new crisis. ‘Edie, get the kettle on. Rodney, go get all the clean towels from the linen cupboard. Jim, go get the brandy from the pantry. Bert, go stand by the back door and when Donny gets back, take him out for fish and chips or something. Anything. Just don’t let him come upstairs.’
‘Can I help?’ Bill asked.
‘You and Jasper stay down here in case we need anyone to go out for anything.’
‘I need to see Marianne first,’ Edie said through trembling lips.
‘No. She don’t need no one except Alfie, her mum and the doctor right now. Hopefully it’s nothing. I had the same with at least a couple of you lot.’
But Edie wasn’t listening. Her mind was full of the image of the nearly empty bottle. She knew she hadn’t drunk that much . . . Stomach swirling with fear, she brushed past her mother and took the stairs two at a time. This was her fault. She knew it as surely as if she’d fed the stuff to Marianne herself. Why hadn’t she hidden the bottles more carefully? There wasn’t a nook or cranny in that bedroom that her sisters didn’t know about.
Thrusting the door open she rushed to the bed where Marianne was curled into a ball, groaning, her face paper white. Alfie was sitting beside her looking helpless as he stroked her damp hair back from her face.
‘Alfie,’ Marianne gasped. ‘Please don’t let anything happen to Daisy.’
‘I won’t, love,’ he said soothingly. ‘The doctor will be here soon and you’re both going to be just fine.’ But when he looked up at Edie, his eyes were bleak.
Edie knelt beside the bed. ‘Marianne,’ she whispered. ‘It’s going to be all right. Just hang on, love. The doctor will sort you out.’ But she had no idea if he could. She bent lower. ‘Marianne, how much of that stuff did you drink?’
‘What?’ Marianne moaned.
‘Those bottles, how much did you drink?’
For a moment, Marianne’s eyes opened and focused on her sister. ‘Is that why this is happening?’ she gasped. ‘Is it my fault?’
‘No! No, this isn’t your fault.’ Alfie threw Edie a furious glance. ‘How could it be?’
‘I drank it. I shouldn’t have but I did. Hester told me I shouldn’t . . . She said it today . . .’
‘What did you drink?’
‘It was nothing, love. Honest. Just herbs, like you thought. Nothing that could harm you.’
‘Do you promise?’ she whispered.
Edie swallowed and nodded. ‘I promise.’
‘What is she talking about?’ Alfie hissed at Edie.
‘I don’t know.’
‘You’re lying. But I don’t have time to deal with this now. I think you should leave.’
Edie had never seen Alfie angry before. Had never guessed that he was capable of looking at anyone with such fury. Feeling even worse, she did as she was told and went downstairs to put the kettle on.
The doctor arrived and went straight upstairs, but before Donny could follow him, Bert sprang into action. ‘Donny! My favourite nephew. Why don’t you and me go get a spot of fish and chips?’
Donny regarded him suspiciously. ‘I want to see how Mum is.’
‘No need for that. Alfie and the doctor’ll look after her. Come on, mate, how about we make it into a boys’ outing with all your uncles, plus Bill and Jasper?’
Donny grinned. ‘Can Freddie come?’ he asked.
‘Of course he can. The more the merrier.’
As Edie watched the six of them troop out, she wished with all her heart that she could join them. But she needed to stay and make sure her sister was safe. And if anything happened to the baby, she would never ever forgive herself.
Chapter 62
Lily pushed open the door of the staff cloakroom, her hand in the pocket of her apron, fingering the envelope that rested there. Her very first letter from Charlie. She smiled in anticipation. When she’d found it in her pigeonhole, she’d been so tempted to read it there and then, but she’d resisted. There was no way she could wait until she got home to open it, though.
Hurrying into one of the toilet cubicles, she slit the envelope open.
But as she started to read, the smile died on her lips.
My Lily,
Here, as promised is my first letter. The first of many. Possibly thousands. I know I’ve said it in the telegrams, but I hope you understand how much I love you. How I can’t wait for us to be married, maybe even working together at a hospital. Dr and Dr Alexander! That has a ring, don’t you think?
But first, I need to tell you something. Because if you find out from someone else you might hate me and if I lost you, I don’t think I could carry on. Before I start I want to promise you that you are my first and last love. I have never even slightly loved anyone before I met you. You are the first and last person I will ever propose to. The first and last person I will ever marry. The only woman in the world for me . . .
My parents’ butcher’s shop is next door to a hardware store. Not that that matters, but still. The people who run it, Mr and Mrs Blake, have a daughter called Susan. She’s a bit older than you. Maybe Edie’s age. Anyway, I think she’s in Dover. And I think she’s telling people that she is engaged to me. I swear to you that she is not! Never has been, never will be. But she sort of latched on to me. And maybe I was too nice to her, but I felt sorry for her. So I did nothing to discourage her. I should add that I did nothing to encourage her either.
Since then she’s been writing to me. But I never reply. So many bloody letters. I’ve stopped opening them. I just throw them away now.
Lily put the letter down and rubbed her eyes. What the hell was he talking about? And how did he know this Susan was in Dover unless he’d seen her? She thought back to the night when she’d finally accepted his proposal; had he come from seeing her? Or did he visit her after he left? Her stomach felt hollow, but she steeled herself to read on.
Lily, it’s you I love. I have never even asked this woman out. The most I’ve done is speak to her when her family came for lunch every so often. When the invitation was returned, I would always make an excuse not to be there. Please believe me, sweetheart. I feel helpless being so far away, not being able to see your beautiful face, or kiss away the tears I know will be falling. God, Lily, if I could, I would jump on a train and risk getting court-martialled just to reassure you. But I can’t. I can’t say where I’m going, but put it this way, I have had to post this hastily before boarding a ship.
Write to me, my darling. Please write. Tell me that you don’t believe her. That you still love me. That this woman won’t rip us apart.
Please, put me out of my misery as soon as you can.
All my love (and I mean ALL of it)
Charlie xxxx
Wiping away her tears, Lily put the letter down. Was he telling the truth? Or had she just been taken in by the best liar she’d ever met?
No. This was Charlie, for goodness’ sake. Just five minutes ago, she’d have sworn she trusted him with her life, so she shouldn’t stop that now, surely. She pictured him staring down at her on the last night they’d spent together. His eyes had been full of love. She refused to believe he would do something like this to her – or any woman.
Suddenly a thought occurred to her. Bert had been kissing someone called Susan at New Year and Alfie had asked whether that was the woman he’d hit somebody over . . . she thought hard, trying to remember the conversation. Alfie had said ‘Ch—’ before Bert had interrupted him . . . had he been going to say Charlie? And that girl in the café with Hester, Edie’s friend Susan!
She put her hand over her mouth. She’d said it many time before, but this time she absolutely meant it. She would kill them! They’d known and hadn’t said anything? How dare they keep something like this from her? She wasn’t a child!
In a rush, she stood up and slammed open the cubicle door, startling Vi, who was putting on her cloak.
‘Everything all right, Lily?’
‘No, it bloody well isn’t!’ she shouted, stuffing the letter in her pocket and putting on her cloak before rushing out the door.
Chapter 63
Edie sat hunched on the sofa biting her nails, listening out for any sound from upstairs. But all she could hear was the loud ticking of the clock on the mantelpiece. By the fire, Nellie sat with her eyes closed, her fingers clasped on the arms of the chair, knuckles white. Alfie paced the room, hands in pockets, head down. Every so often, he’d light a cigarette, take a few puffs, then put it out, too tense even to smoke.
They all jumped when the back door downstairs slammed. Loud footsteps thumped up the stairs and Lily burst in, her cheeks red from the cold, her hair dishevelled and falling out of its pins and her eyes sparkling with rage.
