by Daisy Styles
He and Jack, her sweet twin boys, had rushed into the garden in their bare feet to see if Rudolph had eaten the carrot they had left out for him on Christmas Eve. When they saw all that remained of the carrot, their eyes had sparkled with excitement. It had unquestionably been one of the happiest days of her life: her boys small enough for her to watch over and protect, young enough to show their unconditional love, and innocent enough to believe in Father Christmas.
George’s loud scream when Teddy once more gripped his nose distracted Dora from her sad thoughts. Picking up a wailing George, she held him close to her heart. ‘What would I do without my babies to care for?’ she asked George, who immediately stopped crying at the sound of her soothing voice. ‘I don’t think I could have lived through these past few months without you, young man,’ she added, as she planted a kiss on the top of his silky dark curls. ‘Come on,’ she said, and walked into the little kitchen attached to the nursery. ‘Let’s warm up your bottle – then it’s nap time for you, young George.’
Gracie and Diana arranged their few presents under the tree alongside Zelda’s interesting packages, which were wrapped in brown paper and tied with pieces of old ribbon she had ironed and reused.
‘Whatever’s in there smells gorgeous,’ Gracie said as she sniffed a package with her name on it. ‘I can’t wait to open it.’
‘I haven’t got much for Zelda, or for anybody, in fact,’ Diana murmured guiltily. ‘I’ve given Zelda one of my silk scarfs – I thought she might use it to tie her hair back when she’s gardening – and I managed to find a little rattle for Constanza.’
‘I bought her some bath salts,’ Gracie giggled. ‘To ease her back ache after mixing her brews all day.’
‘It’s the thought that counts more than anything,’ Diana insisted. ‘When I think of the Christmases we celebrated at home before the war … always lots of guests for dinner, chilled champagne in front of the fire, while we unwrapped our presents and the food!’ she exclaimed. ‘I can’t believe we ate so much in those days.’
‘Roast turkey, sausages wrapped in bacon, stuffing and potatoes, Christmas pud, mince pies, creamy Lancashire cheese, port and bottles of ale,’ Gracie said dreamily. ‘How did we put all that lot away?’
‘It’s so different these days,’ Diana sighed. ‘But I’m sure Sister Mary Paul will work a miracle or two.’
Gracie gave a confidential wink. ‘I saw Frank Arkwright walking into the kitchen with a brace of pheasants the other day,’ she said.
Diana grinned. ‘He’s a changed man these days, isn’t he? I never imagined him to be a natural with babies.’
Gracie burst out laughing. ‘One particular baby,’ she pointed out. ‘Little Constanza, he’s besotted with her.’
‘For good reason: he did bring her into the world,’ Diana laughed.
‘Who would think big, gruff Frank, who could barely crack a smile, is more than happy to push a pram around the garden?’
Diana gave her a deep meaningful look. ‘Who would ever have imagined that shy, retiring Zelda would be the one to bring out the softer side of Frank?’
Gracie looked thoughtful too. ‘Do you think it might be serious? You know, like he’s falling for her?’
Diana didn’t hesitate for a moment. ‘I think it’s very serious,’ she answered honestly. ‘The only thing is,’ she added as her voice dropped to a whisper, ‘I don’t think either of them knows it yet.’
It grew dark early on Christmas Eve, but the chapel was lit with dozens of candles and fragrant with the perfume of blooms grown in the convent’s greenhouse. Sister Theresa had polished the pews until they glowed and she greeted the residents as they trooped in.
‘Welcome, welcome,’ she cried as she rushed to greet Zelda, Diana, Gracie, Ada and Dora. ‘Take a seat – the service will start soon.’
Grateful to take the weight off her feet, Gracie sat down in one of the narrow pews, which just about accommodated her tummy.
‘Are you comfortable?’ Ada enquired.
‘Just,’ Gracie grinned. ‘It’s nice that you managed to get here, Ada, and Dora too.’
‘We’ll take it in turns to nip back to the ward,’ Ada replied in a whisper. ‘It’s quiet at the moment – let’s hope it stays that way. I’ve never yet got through a carol service without having to rush away to deliver a baby.’
Everybody fell silent when the nuns, led by the Reverend Mother, walked into the chapel in solemn procession; with their long dark veils sweeping the aisle behind them, they took their places and the ceremony began. Ada could barely take her eyes off Sister Theresa, whose face glowed with joy as she approached the high altar. From her radiant expression, nobody could doubt that her days in the convent had transformed her: from a scrap of a girl Shirley had blossomed into a young woman with a true vocation.
After singing the opening carol, ‘Oh, Come All Ye Faithful’, the chorus of which the nuns sang in Latin, Father Ben began the Mass. During the service, as the congregation stood up, knelt down, then stood up again, Gracie began to feel hot and slightly sick. Maybe it was the heat of the candles combined with the smell of incense that filled the chapel, or maybe she had eaten too much of Sister Mary Paul’s delicious rabbit-and-leek pie? Whatever the reason, Gracie wasn’t quite able to keep up with all the bobbing up and down, so she stayed seated until communion, when she felt she ought to kneel. Struggling awkwardly, she manoeuvred her enormous tummy into position; then, just as Father Ben consecrated the host and the communion bell rang out, she felt an acute stabbing pain in the lower part of her back.
Hearing a suppressed gasp, Ada quickly turned towards Gracie, who was now sitting doubled over clutching her belly. Ada discreetly waited a few minutes until the consecration was over, then she took hold of Gracie by the elbow and gently helped her to her feet.
‘Can you walk?’ she whispered.
Gracie nodded. ‘Yes, but slowly, and not far,’ she said, as she bit back the pain that was gripping her tummy.
‘Hold on to me,’ Ada whispered as she gently ushered Gracie out of the chapel.
Wide-eyed, Zelda, Diana and Dora grinned at one another. ‘Perfect timing,’ Dora chuckled. ‘Gracie’s baby will have the same birthday as Jesus!’
30. Surprise
Young and strong, Gracie seemed to breeze through her labour. Experienced as she was, Ada marvelled at her patient’s stamina, even as the contractions ratcheted up. Coming more and more frequently and with greater ferocity, Gracie continued to breathe well through most of them. However, it wasn’t until nearly past midnight that she finally started bearing down. Dora, who had returned from the chapel to assist Ada, cautioned her patient. ‘Try and hold on so that you make the most of your pushes,’ she advised. ‘Ada and I will be watching baby’s progress from the other end – we’ll let you know when it’s time for the really big pushes.’
Even though she was officially off-duty, Ada stayed with Gracie, who finally gave birth well after midnight.
‘A girl!’ Dora announced as she held Gracie’s bouncing seven-and-a-half-pound daughter in her arms. ‘A fine healthy little girl.’
Ada always held her breath at this particular moment; even though Gracie had been clear all along that she was having her baby adopted, nothing ever prepared a new mother for the first sight of her new-born child. Gracie cradled her daughter and admired her, but she nevertheless remained detached.
‘She’s lovely,’ she said, as she stroked the little girl’s mop of dark hair very much like her own. ‘But I’m not going to change my mind. She’ll be better off with parents who really want her, not with the likes of me,’ she said with a realistic sigh.
Ada nodded. ‘Shall we let Dora clean up baby while I make you a cup of tea?’ she suggested. ‘If you don’t mind, once you’re comfortably settled, I’ll love you and leave you, dear. I’m dog-tired.’
Just after Ada had delivered a strong, hot cup of tea and a few slices of bread and butter to Gracie, the front doorbell rang out.
/> ‘Who on earth can that be calling so late?’ Ada thought, as she hurried to open the door.
Fearing it might perhaps be bad news for one of the residents, Ada peered into the darkness with an anxious expression on her tired face. In the gloom she made out the shape of a tall man standing on the doorstep, but when he stepped over the threshold and stood in the light Ada had to grasp the door for support.
‘JAMIE!’ she cried, and all but fell into his open arms.
‘Darling,’ he murmured, as he gathered her close and held her tightly to his chest. ‘My darling …’
His lips reached for hers, and for several minutes they clung on to each other, kissing long and hard, only stopping to gaze at each other before kissing again. James lifted Ada’s starched cap from her head so that he could run his hands through her rich, golden-red curls.
‘I’ve missed this,’ he said, as he smothered her hair with kisses. ‘And this,’ he said, kissing her nose. ‘And this,’ he said, kissing her chin. ‘But, more than anything, your lips,’ he declared, planting another kiss on her smiling mouth.
Ada drew him into the hallway so she could close the door. ‘Come and get warm,’ she urged, and led him into Sister Mary Paul’s immaculate kitchen, where the nun had left loaves of bread raising on top of the Aga. Unable to take her eyes off Jamie, she threw herself once more into his arms.
‘Why didn’t you tell me you were coming home?’
‘I didn’t even know myself till two days ago,’ he laughed. ‘Our commanding officer suddenly announced that a couple of us medics could go home for Christmas, and I was one of the lucky ones. I was out of that casualty hospital before you could blink.’ He stopped his excited explanation in order to hold her at arm’s length. ‘Sweetheart, you look exhausted.’
Ada grinned. ‘I was but I’m not any more,’ she declared. ‘Not when I’ve got you, my love,’ she whispered, as she nuzzled his warm neck and inhaled the rich smell of tobacco and antiseptic soap.
‘I’m astonished you’re still working,’ Jamie continued, as he stroked her silky skin. ‘I thought everybody would be in bed, but, when I saw the light on, I thought I’d risk Sister Mary Paul’s wrath and ring the bell. I need a bed for the night,’ he added. ‘I’ve come straight from London.’
‘We’ll find you a bed,’ Ada assured him. ‘You could even use the single one in your old office,’ she suggested.
‘Pity you won’t be lying in it with me,’ he teased.
Ada blushed. ‘I was thinking exactly the same thing,’ she said with a guilty giggle.
The kitchen door opening wide made them both jump apart. ‘Ada, there you are,’ Dora exclaimed. She stopped short when she saw Jamie. ‘Dr Reid! What a nice surprise.’
Seeing the lovers’ radiantly happy faces, Dora quickly excused herself.
‘I just needed to fetch some milk,’ she said, grabbing a bottle from the pantry. ‘Merry Christmas,’ she added as an afterthought, as she closed the door behind her.
Suddenly aware that Jamie had been travelling for several days, Ada said, ‘You must be starving?’
‘Yes, I’ve only had a couple of stale sandwiches all day.’
Ada cast her eyes around the kitchen. ‘I could make you an omelette?’
‘Three!’ he laughed. ‘And if you could find some strong drink, that would be all the better.’
Sitting at Sister Mary Paul’s vast scrubbed kitchen table, Ada watched Jamie wolf down everything she put in front of him: Lancashire cheese, omelette, a slice of bread-and-butter pudding left over from supper and autumn apples that had been overwintered in the cellar. After Jamie had satisfied his hunger, they sat side by side with their backs to the warm Aga. Holding little glasses of whisky, the couple toasted each other.
‘Happy Christmas, my darling,’ Jamie said, as he kissed Ada on the lips.
Leaning her head against his strong shoulder, Ada dreamily closed her eyes. ‘This is the happiest Christmas of my life,’ she sighed. ‘I’ve got everything I need right here beside me.’
When she turned to look at her beloved, she gave him a tender smile. Jamie, worn out by his long, arduous journey and their emotional reunion, was fast asleep. Unable to wake him, Ada made up a bed of coats that she arranged in front of the Aga; then she lay down and slept the night through beside him.
They both woke with a start when Sisters Mary Paul and Theresa, who had volunteered to help in the kitchen throughout Christmas Day, walked in just after seven o’clock.
‘Glory be to God!’ the old nun cried, when she saw what looked like a heap of clothes piled up on the floor.
Seeing Ada slumbering with her arms clasped around Jamie’s neck, Sister Theresa took charge of the situation.
‘Sister, you go and check who’s in the dining room, and maybe pop on to the ward to see if Dora needs anything.’
With her eyes still on the heap that was starting to stir, Sister Mary Paul bustled out of the room. The second the door closed behind her, Sister Theresa shook her friend awake.
‘Ada!’ she cried. ‘Get up!’
Completely bemused as to where she was and what time it was, Ada rubbed her eyes and straightened her long, dishevelled hair.
‘Shirley …’ she mumbled blearily.
‘It’s morning!’ Shirley cried. ‘Quickly, wake Dr Reid.’
Grabbing her uniform, which she held to her chest, Ada shook Jamie. ‘Darling, wake up,’ she urged.
In a daze Jamie staggered to his feet, then smiled joyfully at Ada, who stood with her hair falling around her face and shoulders. As he reached out to kiss her, Sister Theresa ushered the pair of them out of the back door.
‘No time for that now,’ she giggled. ‘Off you go.’
Ada left Jamie in his old office, where he instantly fell asleep again on the narrow hospital bed. Ada tidied herself up as best she could, then hurried on to the ward to relieve Dora.
‘You look like you’ve been dragged through a hedge backwards,’ cheeky Dora chuckled.
Ada gave her friend a guilty smile. ‘We fell asleep in front of the kitchen Aga.’
Dora chuckled even louder. ‘As long as that’s all you did,’ she teased.
Ada blushed. ‘It would have been mortifying if Sister Mary Paul had found me sleeping beside Jamie. Thank God, Shirley had her wits about her. She shooed us both out of the kitchen like naughty children.’
Seeing Dora smothering a yawn, Ada quickly added, ‘You head off now, dear, it’s been a long night.’
Before Dora departed, Ada enquired after the new mother.
‘Gracie slept the night through,’ Dora told her. ‘Her baby’s presently being fed in the nursery.’
‘I’ll check on Gracie just as soon as I’ve seen her baby – now off you go,’ Ada urged.
‘See you later,’ Dora said, as she reached for her bag, which she kept under the desk at the nurse’s station. ‘Me and Mr Saddleworth will be here in time for dinner; we’re looking forward to it too,’ she added sleepily.
Ada squeezed her arm. ‘Get some rest, dear, and come back in good time for a glass of sherry.’
Dora winked. ‘I could do with a couple right now, if I’m honest,’ she joked.
Though hospital and the Home were loud with cheery calls and happy laughter, Ada was far too busy to join the residents under the glittering Christmas tree in the hallway, but Zelda and Diana went along with their babies in their arms.
‘Can you manage those two big boys?’ Zelda anxiously asked as Diana tucked Teddy under one arm and George under the other.
‘I’m used to it,’ Diana answered with a happy smile. ‘Anyway, they’d make a fuss if they were separated,’ she added knowingly. Smiling, she lifted the boys up so they could get a better view of the tree, the tip of which almost swept the lofty hallway ceiling.
‘Look, darlings, look at the pretty tree.’
With their eyes wide open in wonder George and Teddy gazed at the glittering decorations that sparkled when the light caught t
hem.
Holding Constanza close to her chest, Zelda reached under the tree and drew out Diana’s gift, which she slipped into her friend’s cardigan pocket.
‘You might want to open it later when you’ve got a free hand,’ she suggested. ‘I’ll give Gracie her gift later too; after last night she might be glad of a bit of a lie-in.’
Diana smiled as she nodded at a brightly wrapped square package. ‘That’s from me to you, Zelda. Merry Christmas.’
When the boys in her arms started to wriggle and complain, Diana headed back to the nursery to feed them, leaving Zelda rocking Constanza under the Christmas tree. Gazing out at the sunny, bright garden, Zelda, on a whim, decided to take her daughter for a walk. After popping Constanza into her rather grand pram and covering her with warm blankets, Zelda slipped into her coat and headed for the front door. Passing the tree, she spotted Diana’s present, which she was now free to open. She gasped in delight when a bright, emerald-green silk scarf slipped from the wrapping paper along with a pretty little rattle for Constanza. Quickly knotting the scarf under her chin, Zelda checked her reflection in the hall mirror; delighted that the emerald-green fabric brought out the richness of her thick red curls and emphasized the honey darkness of her big brown eyes, Zelda set off with a skip in her step.
Gently rocking the pram, Zelda made her way along the garden path that wound its way past her garden shed; stopping at the back gate, she glanced from left to right, then took the left turn that led to Arkwright’s farm. It would be good to see her friends this morning and wish them both a very happy Christmas.
31. Mary Vale Farm
As news of Jamie’s surprise visit spread through the Home, Sister Ann insisted that Ada, who was scheduled to do the Christmas Day afternoon shift, should spend the rest of the day with her boyfriend.
‘He’ll be gone before you know it,’ Sister Ann said earnestly. ‘You must make the most of your time together.’
Ada, who could only think of her beloved, was in no mood to argue: the thought of spending time alone with Jamie made her giddy with happiness.