Hers to Have and to Hold, page 30
Dilys couldn’t apologise enough when they arrived home and told their story. She would have rushed to the Royal Infirmary to see Donny if Angus had not already gone to the hospital intending to bring him home, having told her that she was not to come round to see him as soon as he was back, as he would need rest and quiet after spending so many hours in a cold damp place in pain. She would be informed when he was fit to see her. Dilys was put out by his words, but nobody was prepared to listen to her moaning, as she was in the doghouse still. Besides, the children needed warming up, feeding, and being comforted.
It was to be sometime before Eliza had a chance to talk to Jack about phoning Mairi and Glyn, but she need not have worried, as Jack had already thought about it and been in touch with them, but they could not come and collect Gwen, so it was decided that something would be sorted out tomorrow.
In the meantime, Dilys made a jug of cocoa and jam butties, which the children wolfed down. Angus gave Eliza a sedative, as she was still shaking, and advised her not to breastfeed the baby but to give her a bottle of National milk until the effects of the sedative wore off.
‘I’ll see to that,’ said Amelia.
Eliza thanked her and was glad when Jack ushered her and the children upstairs and helped them into bed. They snuggled together and were soon asleep.
A short while later there was a knocking on the front door and Jack went to see who was there, to find Milly and Mary standing on the doorstep. ‘Can we come in?’ asked Milly.
Jack hesitated. ‘What is it you want? Eliza and the children are in bed.’
‘I’ve something to tell her and Mary wanted to see the baby.’
Jack stared at her. ‘So, you’re not here because you’ve heard about the kidnapping?’
‘What kidnapping?’ Milly asked, a tremor in her voice.
‘You’d best come in. Alfie and Gwen are back but they’ve had a shock and so has Eliza, who found them, thanks to the help of Robin Hood and his merry men.’
‘You are joking?’ said Milly.
‘He’s not, Mam,’ said Mary. ‘He’s talking about Jeffrey and his gang who play at being Robin, Little John and the rest.’
‘You’re going to have to explain,’ said Milly.
‘Come back in the morning and Eliza can tell you the story,’ said Jack, ‘but not this evening. Angus has given her a sedative, as she’s still a bit shaky, and she is in bed. Alfie and Gwen are with her. Mary can see Beth, though. Amelia is giving her a bottle.’
So, they went into the lounge and were welcomed by Amelia, and Jack explained that Mary had wanted to see the baby.
‘Oh, she’s beautiful,’ said Mary.
‘And so small and dainty,’ said Milly.
‘She’s got lots of black hair and it’s curly,’ said Mary, reaching out and placing a finger in one of the curls. ‘I wonder if it will stay curly.’
‘We’ll have to wait and see,’ Jack said.
‘Her eyes are blue,’ said Mary.
‘Lots of babies are born with blue eyes,’ said Amelia. ‘But they don’t always stay blue.’
‘How odd,’ said Mary.
‘Was there anything else you want to say, Milly?’ asked Jack impatiently.
‘I just want to tell you one thing and then we’ll go.’ She paused. ‘Jimmy’s aunt phoned him and told us that Andrew, the journalist who lives next door to her, had told her that Ben’s brother has arrived in England with his son. His wife had to stay on the farm with her parents, but as soon as she can get someone to take her place for a while, she’ll come over.’
‘I’m sure Eliza will be interested,’ he said, thinking it had to be more than a year since he had told Eliza about Ben’s brother and to keep quiet about it, but there was no need for secrets now.
‘Oh, and by the way, Kyle’s back, and with his wife and two children, for good.’
‘I’ll tell her that, too,’ said Jack, ushering them out of the room and to the front door. He waved them off and then, taking the baby from Amelia with thanks, he went upstairs.
He placed Squirrel Nutkin on the bedside table and gazed down at his sleeping wife and the children, and his heart was filled with thankfulness.
He smiled and touched the dark tendril that curled on his daughter’s brow, and then he left, walking cautiously, and closed the door gently after placing Beth in her Moses basket.
The following morning Alfie woke up first and cried, ‘Mammy!’
Eliza heard the panic in his voice and struggled to rouse herself, but eventually managed to open her eyes and slowly the horrors of yesterday came back to her, and she reached out for her son and hugged him close. ‘You’re all right,’ she said huskily.
At that moment she saw Gwen stir and then her eyes opened. ‘I was having a horrible dream,’ she said.
‘It wasn’t a dream,’ said Eliza. ‘But you’re safe now and will be going home to Colwyn Bay soon.’
‘I remember Robin Hood helped to rescue us,’ she said. ‘He told me I could be Maid Marian and join his gang. He was coming to call for me this morning.’
‘You can see him when he comes but you have to tell him that you can’t play because you’re going home today,’ said Eliza.
Gwen looked disappointed. ‘Couldn’t I stay here for another day?’
‘Let’s think about it,’ replied Eliza. ‘Let me speak to your uncle Jack first.’
Gwen nodded. ‘I’m hungry,’ she said.
‘Me too,’ said Alfie, picking up the book he had noticed on the bedside table.
Gwen glanced across at it. ‘Squirrel Nutkin,’ she said. ‘I’ve seen that in the library when Mairi took me.’
Alfie glanced at the red squirrel on the cover and handed it to Eliza. ‘I like squirrels but…’
‘But you like bears better,’ she finished for him. ‘Daddy will buy the next one when it comes out, but in the meantime, I thought we’d give this lady’s books a try because she’s written a lot and they’re set in a real place that we could visit one day.’
‘Where’s that?’ he asked, cuddling up to her.
‘The Lake District.’ She opened the book and they gazed at the first picture, and she began to read, determined to concentrate and not to let her mind wander. Concentrate, Eliza.
‘Mammy, what do you think Squirrel Nutkin has in his sack?’ asked Alfie.
Eliza searched her mind for an answer. ‘Acorns, of course,’ she said.
‘I like his raft,’ said Alfie. ‘Can I have a raft with a pole, Mummy? Perhaps Daddy could make me one.’
‘We’ll see,’ said Eliza.
‘Beth wouldn’t be able to go on a raft,’ Alfie said. ‘She’s only a baby and a girl.’
‘Girls can do lots of things that boys do and the same when they grow up. Think of Gwen and how she helped when you went down that gap where Donny was trapped with a broken ankle.’
‘She was brave,’ said Alfie. ‘And so were you, Mammy.’
‘Let’s get back to the story,’ said Eliza.
She still had not finished the story when Jack returned with Beth.
They were eager to talk. Alfie got in first, with a request for Jack to make him a raft. Before Jack could reply, Eliza was asking what Beth had in her hair.
‘It’s a pink rosebud,’ he replied. ‘I couldn’t resist picking it for her. There are no thorns that could prick her on this bit of stem,’ he added reassuringly.
‘It looks very pretty but some pink ribbon could be tied round the stem, so it doesn’t fall out,’ said Eliza. ‘Now there’s something I want to ask you.’
‘I’ll buy some pink ribbon,’ he said.
‘That wasn’t the question,’ she said. ‘Amelia might enjoy buying the ribbon.’
‘All right,’ said Jack. ‘What is the question?’
She told him about Gwen and Robin Hood, and her asking if she could stay another day.
He told her about Milly calling, and what she’d said about Ben and his brother.
‘Could we visit Grace and Ben in a few days? If his brother is here from France, not only do I want to hear his story first-hand, but I also need to talk to Ben to thank him for being one of my rescuers.’
Jack raised his dark eyebrows. ‘Are you absolutely sure?’
‘As sure as I can be without speaking to him,’ she replied.
‘All right, as soon as you feel up to it,’ he said. ‘Now, is there anything you want? A cup of tea? Dilys has made a pot.’
She nodded but added, ‘I’m getting up. The three of us are hungry.’ She continued, ‘I suppose we have to forgive Dilys.’
‘It’s the creed we live by,’ he said. ‘Thinking of creeds, we have to think about Beth’s christening.’
‘Which will be when?’ she asked.
‘As soon as possible. A fortnight, if that’s all right with the vicar,’ he said.
At this point Alfie repeated his request for a raft. ‘Show me a picture and I’ll let you know,’ said Jack.
‘And you can finish reading the story of Squirrel Nutkin, Daddy, if Mammy is going to make breakfast,’ said Alfie.
Robin Hood called round at half-ten and by then the decision had been made that Gwen would stay another day. After Jack had spoken to the police superintendent to discuss further the kidnapping and what to do about Ada Jones’s body, it was decided that it would be best for her daughter Gwen to be back with her father and his wife when Ada’s mother and son arrived in Liverpool to arrange Ada’s funeral. Due to Glyn’s inability to drive, and since Mairi couldn’t leave him and their baby, Jack would drive the girl home. He and Eliza decided that she, Alfie and Beth would go with him. When told about this decision, Gwen asked if Robin could come with them, with his mother’s permission, as a reward for his help in their rescue.
After much thought, it was decided that he could go with them. His widowed mother, who worked as a cook in a school’s kitchen, agreed. He was to sit in the front passenger seat while Eliza sat in the back with the baby on her lap, and Gwen and Alfie either side of her.
Glyn and Mairi welcomed them with open arms. Mairi fussed over Beth after having heard the whole story of the kidnapping from Gwen, who was occasionally interrupted by Robin, and then she wanted a chat with Eliza. The women suggested the men took the children down to the beach.
It struck Eliza, as she and Mairi talked first about Ada and her funeral and then about rationing and shortages and money, that Glyn’s house could make a perfect B&B with a bit of altering and a good lick of paint to brighten the rooms up. They would need some staff, of course.
So it was that Jack, Eliza, their children, and Robin said their ta-ras and returned home to Liverpool, leaving Mairi to put ideas into Glyn’s head about their future. Mairi had told Robin that he and his mother could come and stay for a holiday at reduced rates next Easter.
CHAPTER FORTY
Ada’s funeral was a few days later and took place in the chapel of Anfield Cemetery. It was a brief service and sparsely attended. The atmosphere was charged with a strange air, as the police had managed to keep it quiet. Her mother and brother were there, and so were a pale-faced Glenys and a man who was a stranger to Eliza. The only hymn was ‘Guide Me, O Thou Great Redeemer’, which was sung lustily by the Welsh. Prayers were said, as was the 23rd Psalm.
Then the coffin was carried out, led by the priest, and followed by the family to the burial plot. Jack and Eliza remained behind, leaving the chapel only when all had gone. They left the cemetery as quickly as possible and drove straight home.
‘I wanted to say hello to Glenys,’ said Eliza, leaning back in her seat.
‘I know, but what could you say to her that would be appropriate?’ asked Jack.
‘I did wonder if Theo might have turned up,’ she said. ‘Dilys might have told him about the funeral.’
‘He’s in London. He wasn’t going to come all this way. He had no love for Ada.’
‘He did for Glenys,’ said Eliza.
‘She let him down.’ Jack sighed. ‘Let’s put it all behind us.’
‘I wonder who that strange man was,’ said Eliza.
‘I reckon he was Ada’s Irish chap,’ said Jack.
‘You could be right,’ said Eliza. ‘Glenys might have wanted to know how Gwen was getting on,’ said Eliza.
‘She’ll know she’s with Glyn and Mairi. As far as I know, Gwen has never asked about her aunt,’ said Jack. ‘Now shush and think of something nice.’
Our special place, she thought.
When they arrived home, they answered Amelia’s questions about the funeral, and then they had slices of game pie and salad with whisky, for Jack, and sherry for Eliza and Amelia. Dilys had gone to see a teacher friend.
A fortnight later and Eliza, after a conversation with Milly and then Grace on the telephone, was pushing the new Silver Cross high pram with Beth inside and Alfie walking beside it, holding on to the side of the handle, to Grace and Ben’s home.
The front door was not opened by Grace but by a dark-haired man with attractive weathered features and of strong build, who greeted her warmly with the words, ‘We meet at last, Eliza. I’m Ben and I believe you wish to talk to me and my brother Martin, but come in – shall I help lift the pram into the lobby?’
She thanked him and followed him inside with Alfie by the hand. Grace appeared with her son Peter in her arms; he had been born nine months after Grace had gone down to Oxford to meet Ben in the spring of 1944, so he was a few years younger than Alfie, but they played well together.
Grace gazed down at the sleeping baby and said, ‘She makes me feel broody.’
‘Now, none of that,’ said Ben. ‘We have our hands full as it is. Peter’s not even fully potty-trained yet. Besides, Simon and Barbara are getting married soon and I bet it won’t be long before they hear the patter of tiny feet and we’ll be asked to babysit.’
‘I suppose you have a point,’ sighed Grace. ‘Anyway, come and sit down, Eliza, and have your talk with Ben while I make some fresh coffee. Martin makes the best coffee – his wife showed him how, her being French and them drinking lots of coffee – so he’s told us how to make it the French way.’
‘Martin is having a rest in the best armchair in front of the fire, drinking a mug of coffee,’ said Ben. ‘So, we’ll have our talk first. What is it you want to ask me?’
‘I think you might have an idea as Grace might have mentioned it.’ She paused. ‘In May 1941, I could have died when the house I lived in in Norwood Grove was bombed and caught fire. I was on the ground floor, as I’d just entered the house and was partly buried. I received a head injury that led to temporary amnesia and for a long time I could not remember anything. I was also pregnant and went into labour. I came to in Oxford Street Maternity Hospital, where I gave birth to Alfie.’
Ben smiled. ‘So, what makes you think I could have been involved?’
‘When I first heard your name mentioned by Milly, something clicked in my brain, but then it went until mentioned again by Simon… Grace also mentioned you and Simon in connection with rescue work and what came back to me was a man calling Ben and talking about having found two dead bodies and a young woman who was still alive. He sounded quite desperate and needed your help.’
‘That was Jimmy, and he was on the verge of a breakdown: he had broken a bone and couldn’t get you out from under the rubble,’ said Ben.
She stared at him, aware of a mixture of emotions.
‘How was it he didn’t recognise me?’ she asked.
‘Your face was filthy with dust and ashes from the burning building. So was his and mine,’ said Ben.
She reached out and shook his hand. ‘I’ve been wanting to find you since I gave birth to Alfie to thank you. We wouldn’t be here now, and neither would Beth, if it weren’t for yours and Jimmy’s bravery. It’s been a long wait.’
‘Jimmy couldn’t talk about it. His nerve had completely gone. That’s why he wasn’t accepted for the Forces,’ said Ben. ‘Angus recommended that he get completely away from Liverpool.’
‘Coffee and cake,’ said Grace, interrupting them. ‘Then you and Martin can tell Eliza his and your story.’
‘We’ve talked our heads off all the way here after leaving the farm in France.’ He paused. ‘Besides, I’ve just remembered I promised I’d take him to visit Mam’s grave this afternoon. He’s bought flowers.’
Eliza said, ‘It’s sad he won’t be able to see where your mother is buried, Ben.’
‘Smell, touch and sound are what’s important to him,’ said Ben. ‘If he hadn’t lost his memory, I suppose he’d still hold a picture in his mind of the grave from when we buried Dad. Martin was made up when I told him Mam believed he was still alive, so she never gave in to despair.’
‘You were a comfort to her, though,’ said Grace.
‘You and Martin should have a chat, what with both of you losing your memory, Eliza,’ suggested Ben.
‘I wonder if his loss of memory and his loss of sight were caused by the same thing,’ Eliza said.
Ben stared at her and then blinked and said, ‘Now, there’s a thought. He never did see a doctor, what with wandering away from the battlefield. Maybe he has a bit of shrapnel inside his head that caused the damage that’s blinded him.’
‘It’s no use guessing,’ said Grace. ‘You must take him to see our doctor, explain the situation and have him arrange an appointment at St Paul’s Eye Hospital as soon as possible.’
‘Martin and I have already discussed him visiting St Paul’s,’ said Ben.
‘Don’t go wasting time,’ Grace said, agitated. ‘I wish he would see Angus. He’s had a lot to do with war wounds.’
