The Winter Rose, page 14
‘Makes no difference, either way,’ said Poppy.
‘Only that he’d have lied, if Daphne were speaking the truth,’ ventured Cadi.
‘Why would Jez do that?’ scoffed Poppy. ‘He is a brilliant mechanic. Ignore Daphne – she’s stirring up trouble, like she always does.’
‘That’s what I thought,’ said Cadi, but deep down she hadn’t been convinced that Daphne had been lying, purely because Daphne hadn’t tried to argue her point, instead shrugging it off as inconsequential.
Poppy cut across her thoughts. ‘How was Jez?’
‘Good – pleased to see me, obviously,’ she sighed. ‘He was very upbeat, but I think he was putting on a brave face for my sake.’
‘Typical Jez,’ agreed Poppy, ‘always putting others first.’
‘Talking of boyfriends, how’s the amazing Geoffrey?’
Poppy was practically purring. ‘He’s wonderful. I knew he was, the moment we met on the train, but spending time with him has only confirmed my thoughts.’
‘I must say, given all that’s going on, it’s nice to hear some good news for a change. I’m so pleased it’s working out for you.’
‘Me too. I did worry he might’ve had a change of heart, but as soon as he saw me, he came straight over to say hello and even asked me if I’d like to go on a date to the cinema.’
‘What about Izzy?’ asked Cadi hopefully. ‘Has she had any luck?’
‘Nope, Izzy’s sworn off men, in case she ends up with someone like her father.’
Cadi twiddled the phone wire between her fingers. ‘That’s a shame – we’ll have to see if we can find her the perfect feller.’ Glancing around the relatively empty NAAFI, she remembered she still had to phone Aled. ‘I’d best be saying TTFN whilst it’s still quiet,’ she said. ‘At least that way I can speak to Aled, set the record straight and find out what his thoughts are.’
‘Right you are,’ said Poppy. ‘Be sure to let me know how you get on.’
‘Will do. Ta-ra, Poppy.’
‘Ta-ra, Cadi.’
Cadi replaced the receiver momentarily before asking the operator to put her through to RAF Speke. As Aled had been expecting her call, it wasn’t long before he was on the other end of the line. She explained how she had bumped into Daphne down the docks, and everything that transpired as a result.
Aled was smiling, she could hear it in his voice. ‘I can’t pretend I wasn’t concerned,’ he admitted, ‘but only because I couldn’t imagine a scenario where the two of you would meet up.’
‘I couldn’t believe my eyes when I saw her, and I rather hoped she’d keep her distance, especially after Jez confronting her over the letter,’ confessed Cadi.
‘Did she mention me?’
‘She certainly did,’ said Cadi. ‘She told me how the two of you were an item, before begging me not to tell you about the letter, saying that she’d only sent it because she thought you liked me more than her.’
‘That’s no excuse.’
Noting that he had done nothing to deny Daphne’s claims, Cadi continued, ‘It is to Daphne.’ A half-smile twitched her lips. ‘What did you think we’d been talking about?’
Aled blew out his cheeks. ‘I couldn’t imagine, but I was pretty sure it wouldn’t be anything good.’
‘I’m surprised she didn’t call in to say hello,’ said Cadi. ‘I would’ve, if it were Jez.’
‘She probably daren’t, in case you saw the two of us together and decided to let the cat out of the bag,’ said Aled.
‘Maybe. Have you any thoughts as to what you’re going to do?’
He grimaced. ‘Not really. It would be a lot easier if I could mention names, but as I can’t, I’m going to have to box clever and come up with a plausible plan.’
‘Let me know if you need any help,’ said Cadi, adding as an afterthought, ‘We’re really grateful that you’re leaving our names out of this, by the way.’
‘It’s hardly your fault you inadvertently found out the truth,’ said Aled. ‘But I’m jolly glad you did, because had you not, I could have ended up married to a wrong ’un.’
‘Married?’
‘I hadn’t planned to ask her, but who knows?’ said Aled matter-of-factly. ‘What did Jez make of it all?’
‘I was already late, and I didn’t want to spend what time we did have talking about Daphne, so I’ve not told him yet.’ She pulled a rueful face. It wasn’t exactly the truth, but it sounded better than admitting she thought Jez would be upset, if he knew Cadi and Aled were still in contact.
Aled cut across her thoughts. ‘Cadi?’
‘Hmm?’
‘I was saying that Jez probably wouldn’t be surprised.’
Cadi spoke absent-mindedly. ‘No, possibly not.’
He frowned. ‘Are you all right?’
‘Just tired,’ said Cadi. ‘It’s a fair old way from Liverpool to Coningsby.’
‘Much quicker in a plane,’ remarked Aled, adding kindly, ‘I’ve kept you chatting long enough, and you’ve had a rare old time of it. I’ll give you a call when I know what I’m going to do, unless that causes problems for you and Jez, of course.’
Cadi was grateful that Aled was unable to see her cheeks, which were turning pink. ‘It’s important we know what’s going on, in case we bump into Daphne again. I don’t fancy being on the receiving end of her wrath, without fair warning.’
‘Fair dos,’ said Aled. ‘G’night, Cadi.’
‘Goodnight, Aled.’
Why does life have to be so awkward? pondered Cadi as she headed for her billet. It would be far better if everyone could simply tell the truth. A grim smile etched her cheeks. Quite often the truth could be hurtful, even if there was no malice behind it. She thanked her stars that Jez was as honest as the day was long. She turned her thoughts to what she should do when it came to telling Jez that she had been to see Aled. If you value him at all, you’ll tell him the truth. He might not like the idea that you’ve been to see Aled, but he’s bound to find out sooner or later, she told herself, because no matter how hard you try, the truth will always out, and it’s far better coming from you than it is from someone else – you should know that better than most, Cadi Williams. But when? Surely not whilst Jez was in Africa? That wouldn’t be doing anyone any favours, and he certainly wouldn’t appreciate hearing such news when he was so far from home. No. She would wait until he was back in Blighty before telling Jez everything.
Back at her own base, Daphne parked the cumbersome lorry before making her way to the cookhouse. Worrying about what Cadi might say to Aled, she automatically found herself turning to food as a source of comfort. She had forgotten all about the stupid letter until Jez brought it up. If anything were to drive a wedge between her and Aled, that would be it. With Jez out of the country, she needn’t worry about him spilling the beans, but could she say the same for Cadi? Up until now Cadi had obviously decided to keep it to herself, but would her encounter with Daphne give her pause for thought? She would have to hope not, and that her good deed in getting Cadi back to the base on time would encourage her to remain quiet.
Approaching the cook, Daphne watched as he placed a large slice of Spam on her plate. Pointing to the mashed potato, she turned her thoughts to Jez. Had she not seen him, then the matter of the letter would never have come up and she would have continued with her life as before. A frown furrowed her brow. Cadi seemed to think that Jez had been selected to go to Africa, but as far as Daphne knew, that wasn’t the case at all. She eyed the cook inquisitively. Having only arrived on base the previous evening meant that no one was aware that she and Jez had history.
‘The fellers that’ve gone to Africa?’ she queried.
He nodded. ‘What about them?’
‘Am I correct in thinking they were all volunteers or were some of them specially chosen.’
He shook his head. ‘All volunteers – why?’
She frowned. ‘I could’ve sworn one of them, I believe his name was Jess or …’
‘Jez,’ supplied the cook.
‘Ah, that’s right, Jez. Anyway, I got the impression he was one of those who’d been called upon.’
The cook shook his head. ‘Last I heard, he was one of the first to volunteer, on account of his nan dying when the Luftwaffe bombed the pub cellar she was sheltering in.’
Without thinking, Daphne’s head shot up. ‘The Greyhound?’
He eyed her sharply, a deep furrow wrinkling his brow. ‘You know him then?’
Daphne mumbled, ‘Not really,’ before taking a seat far away from the cook’s prying eyes. So that’s why Cadi had joined the WAAF. Daphne sliced the Spam into quarters, when a horrid thought rocketed to the forefront of her mind. The women who’d helped her break into the car, hadn’t they been trying to find a way to stop their friend’s fiancé from going to Africa? Abruptly losing her appetite, she pushed the tray away as she thought back fervently to their conversation. Had they named Cadi or Jez? She shook her head. No, or she’d have realised who they were straight off the bat. That was all right then.
Her heart skipped a beat as she remembered the conversation she had had with the girls. Had she mentioned Aled’s name, or where he came from? She racked her brains, and was thankful when the answer came back no. Her cheeks coloured. Had she told them who she was? No. She sagged with relief. They had been so busy trying to get into the car that they’d not introduced themselves; she certainly didn’t know who they were … She hesitated as an image of herself calling out ‘I’m Daphne by the way’, as she drove off, entered her mind. Thinking back, she realised the girls had mentioned their names, but she hadn’t heard them above the car engine, so it was highly likely the same could be said in return, especially as she had been accelerating away from them. And even if the girls had heard her, could they really have worked out who she was, just from her saying her name? Surely not. And besides, if they were friends of Cadi’s, then they’d have mentioned their encounter with Daphne. Cadi might have been willing to let sleeping dogs lie over the letter, but there was no way she’d keep quiet about the exam papers – far from it, she’d have jumped at the chance to tear a strip or two off Daphne, especially after the letter business.
Daphne shook her head. Whoever those girls were, they didn’t have a clue who she was – and a good job too!
Chapter Four
Several weeks had passed since Aled had learned the truth, and whilst he had far more important things on his mind, every time he closed the blast-chamber doors behind him, he couldn’t help but think that he should be in the pilot’s position and not in the rear end of a plane. He had considered going to the powers-that-be and telling them of his findings but he knew that if he did, Daphne and her cousin would find themselves in a lot of trouble; he corrected himself, an awful lot of trouble. He might be angry with Daphne, and there was no doubt she’d done the wrong thing, but did she really deserve whatever punishment awaited? Aled might be a lot of things, but he wasn’t heartless, and even though he knew she’d fiddled the results of his exam papers for her own selfish reasons, he also knew that Daphne hadn’t intended him to end up in the tail end of a plane.
Deciding there was no sense in crying over spilt milk, he had gone to ask if there was any chance of retraining as a pilot, only to be told that the RAF needed him where he was for the time being. He had wanted to protest, to object at the unfairness of their decision, but it was pointless. It took nerves of steel to be a successful rear-gunner and they needed people like Aled – who was damned good at his job – to keep their kites in the air. Keeping his eyes peeled on the skies around him, he found his thoughts turning to what he should say to Daphne, when the time came. She had telephoned his base a couple of times, and up till now he’d made excuses not to take her calls, but he knew he couldn’t avoid her forever. He would have to tell her the truth one day, but he had no clue how could he so without mentioning Cadi, Poppy or Kitty.
In his earpiece he heard the bomb-aimer liaising with those around him. He supposed he could tell Daphne that he was going to ask to see his old papers because he couldn’t fathom how he’d done so badly. Would she confess, rather than run the risk of him finding out and reporting her cousin? He nodded slowly. That might actually work, especially if Daphne was as remorseful as the girls thought her to be. Hearing the pilot report that they were cleared for take-off, Aled decided he would write to Daphne telling her that he intended to reapply for his wings, but wanted to see his old papers first, so that he could see where he had gone wrong. That way, Daphne would have time to think things through, and he very much hoped she would come to the right decision and confess all.
Not that it would make any difference to the outcome. Aled had no intention of lying with wolves. He had questioned whether he should simply end things with Daphne and move on with his life, without telling her what he knew, but he couldn’t. She had been getting away with murder, and someone needed to call her out.
Eric gave the three-whistle signal indicating the all-clear. In the distance he heard a low whistle in response to his. Turning his back to the men who were ferrying the goods off the ship, he kept a keen eye out for scuffers, mariners – or anyone who’d try to put a stop to their dealings. As his stomach rumbled, his thoughts turned to his supper. He was fed up to the back teeth with chip suppers, soup or cheese on toast.
An image of Izzy serving up a bowl of scouse entered his mind’s eye. She might have been fit for nothing else, but the girl could cook – just like her mam. He switched the image to Izzy and Jez on Christmas Day. It had been a while since his last encounter with his daughter, but the memory still haunted him. Izzy had been the last person he had expected to run into, and seeing her looking so like her mother had come as quite a shock; in fact at first he had thought he was looking at his wife, and it was only when Izzy spoke that he realised his mistake.
Eric knew that his wife’s affair had been the talk of the district, but he also knew something they didn’t; for had they known the truth, they’d not have been so quick to judge him. His wife had lied, of course she had – not only about the affair, but about everything else. He remembered how she had stood before him, pleading with him to see sense. He had spat at her feet; called her out as a slut, and a liar to boot. His jaw stiffened as he replayed the image of her standing with her clothes around her feet while she begged him to listen, promising that he would see for himself soon enough, but Eric wasn’t interested.
Once again the image of Izzy and Jez entered his mind. He remembered the time the boy had tried to befriend Izzy. Just like any decent father, Eric had been quick to put a stop to their friendship – or at least he thought he had. He hesitated. Had they become friends behind his back? He mulled this over for a moment or two, before dismissing it from his mind. If they had, then he’d have known about it, for Izzy had been too frightened of her father to lie to him. He turned his thoughts to the boy’s grandmother. He was almost positive she knew the truth, but had wisely decided to keep quiet. And quite right too. No one in their right mind provoked the wrath of Eric, and he knew it.
He took his tobacco pouch from his pocket and began rolling a cigarette. From what he’d heard, the old bat had died in the bombings. Could it be that Carrie had said something to the boy before she died? Again he quickly dismissed this thought. He had no idea why Izzy had come to see him that day, but he was certain that, had she known the truth, she would have wasted no time in running to the scuffers. As far as he was concerned, his wife had deserved everything she’d got. And whilst there was no doubt in his mind that she’d been having an affair with Colin, he supposed some might say that he’d overreacted. Even so, it was still her fault, for had she not lied in the first place, he wouldn’t have had to take such drastic action. His wife was the one with blood on her hands – not him.
Daphne warmed herself in front of the tortoise stove that stood in the middle of their hut. She had been trying to get hold of Aled for weeks, yet it seemed every time she phoned he was either on operations, sleeping or off base. She had written several letters, but until today she hadn’t received a response. She reread the letter in her hands:
Dear Daphne,
Sorry if you’ve been trying to get hold of me, but I’ve been frightfully busy of late. I think I should let you know that I’m considering reapplying for my wings, but after much deliberation I decided it would be best if I asked to see my old papers first – that way I can see where I went wrong the last time, so that I don’t repeat the same mistake. I know from a pal of mine that they retain previous papers, so it should be easy enough for them to dig them out. I’ve run the idea past my PO and he thinks it’s a good idea …
Folding the letter, Daphne placed it into the fire. Was Aled telling the truth – that he wanted to learn from past mistakes – or had someone, such as Cadi or her friends, tipped him off? It did seem a tad suspicious that she hadn’t been able to get hold of Aled since Cadi’s trip to Liverpool. But all of this was by the by. If Aled got his hands on the papers, he’d know something was up. She knew that her cousin, Lisa, had been against the idea of fixing them from the start, but Daphne had assured Lisa that the idea was watertight and she would take full responsibility, should anyone find out. She nibbled the inside of her bottom lip. Perhaps she should she warn Lisa, give her the heads-up, so that she could find Aled’s papers and destroy them? After all, no paper, no proof. Lisa would be furious, and quite rightly so, but at least she’d be in the clear, unless someone caught her in the act, of course.
Daphne’s stomach lurched unpleasantly. It didn’t bear thinking about. She heaved a sigh. This was a mess of her own making and she should be the one to sort it out. Only how? She could hardly tell Aled not to go searching, because he’d want to know why. If she told him the truth, then they would be over as a couple – and not only that, but he might end up reporting her. She moved from the fireside to her bed. How long had Aled been thinking of retrying for his wings? He’d not mentioned it before. She cast her mind back to see if there had been any clues or hints. It seemed to her that everything had been fine until recently – one minute Aled had been his usual self, warm, caring and attentive, and the next he’d been cold, elusive and distant. Was it coincidental that it had all happened around the time she’d seen Cadi and Jez?
