Christmas at the Foyles Bookshop (The Foyles Girls)

by Elaine Roberts

  ‘Just yer take care.’

  ‘And you, Albert, and you.’

  *

  The candles danced in the shadows of the basement, in the house in Percy Street.

  Daisy’s eyes widened and her mouth dropped open, as she stared at Victoria for what felt like an eternity, but in reality was only a few seconds. ‘So… so you’re saying we have an aunt, grandparents and a brother we didn’t know we had?’ The flame from the candle, on the small table between them, flickered as Daisy blew out her breath. She stared at Victoria for a moment, before her eyes darted left and right, searching for memories of this family. ‘I don’t understand how that can be, I have no memory of them; none at all.’

  Victoria paced around a small area of the basement. ‘I know, I have no memory of them either, but there must be a reason why Ma and Pa didn’t tell us.’

  Daisy clenched her skirt. ‘But you were sixteen when they died seven years ago.’ Daisy shook her head as disbelief ran across her face. ‘And all this time, we’ve struggled, you’ve struggled, while we’ve had a family we didn’t know existed.’

  Victoria slumped down in the small armchair, searching for words of wisdom, but none came. ‘I know it’s hard to understand, especially as we are so close.’

  Daisy lifted her head slightly. ‘They must have had an argument of some sort, because no one has been in touch since they died, have they?’

  Victoria shook her head. ‘No, I just keep telling myself they wouldn’t have kept it a secret to hurt us, but it does mean we’ve lost seven years that we’ll never get back again.’ Tears pricked at her eyes. ‘I can’t think about not talking to you for seven years, so you’d think it must be an argument, but that would be a hell of an argument.’

  Daisy nodded. She leant forward and squeezed Victoria’s hand. ‘Don’t worry, that would never happen, no matter what.’

  Victoria gave a watery smile, before opening her mouth to speak, but a rumbling noise above them stopped her. She looked at the clock. Eight o’clock. They had been down there since they’d had the police warning just over an hour ago; it would be dark outside. As the noise got louder, the girls both looked up to the ceiling, reaching out for each other. Victoria wrapped her arms around her sister. ‘Daisy, no matter what happens tonight, or in the future, know that you and Stephen are everything to me, and I’ve always tried to do my best for you both.’

  Daisy eyes shone in the dim light as she squeezed her sister.

  The floor shuddered and dust fell from the ceiling. The girls jerked as a noise, not unlike a huge thunderclap, vibrated against the walls of the house. The windows rattled. Something crashed to the floor.

  The girls gazed at each other, fear written on their faces.

  Victoria looked up at the ceiling again, just as the dust showered down on them. ‘If this is it—’

  ‘I love you,’ they both said in unison, clutching on to each other, their tears mingling with the dust that had settled on their faces, and in their hair.

  The rumbling from above gradually faded and they loosened their hold on each other.

  Victoria looked around the basement. The dust had settled everywhere. They would have to change the sheets, before they went to bed. Not even their glasses of water had escaped it.

  Daisy started to shake. ‘Do… do you think we still have a home upstairs, or are we buried in here?’

  Victoria shook her head, trying to hide the fear that was running down her spine. ‘No, we wouldn’t be trapped down here for long. Alice and Molly would have the search parties digging us out.’ She forced a smile, trying to reassure herself and Daisy. ‘As indeed, I expect, would Peter.’

  ‘Huh, I wouldn’t rely on Peter; he seems to have a roaming eye. One of the men told me he’d asked someone else out.’ Daisy stood up, wiping away the dust and tears that were now smeared across her face.

  ‘Really, well that’s his loss. Remember what you said to me,’ Victoria said. ‘Don’t settle for second best, because any man would be lucky to have you.’

  Daisy smiled. ‘Are you sure that was me? It sounds too wise to be something I would have said.’

  ‘Well, it probably isn’t exactly what you said, but the sentiment is the same. You are beautiful, inside and out, so just remember that.’

  Daisy nodded. She stood up and brushed down her skirt. ‘Shall we be brave and see if we can get out?’

  ‘All right.’ Victoria took a step forward and stopped again, grabbing Daisy’s arm. ‘That explosion sounded really close. If it didn’t get us, then it may have hit near Alice’s home, in Bloomsbury Street.’ She ran forward to the stairs. ‘Come on, they may need our help.’ In her haste, she tripped and fell up a couple of steps, grazing her shin. She sucked in her breath and held it tight for a few seconds.

  Daisy tried to pull her hand away. ‘Let me have a look.’

  Victoria shook her head. ‘No, we don’t have time for that. Alice is pregnant, and there’s little Arthur.’ Tears coursed down Victoria’s cheeks.

  ‘Don’t get upset, they’ll be all right.’ Daisy stepped past Victoria, to the basement door. ‘If I try to open this, are you ready?’

  ‘No, wait, we’ll do it together.’ Victoria stood to her feet and hobbled up the stairs, to her sister. ‘We’re in this together.’

  Daisy gave a wry smile as Victoria rested her hand on hers, to turn the doorknob. ‘All right, on the count of three.’

  Victoria bit down on her lip and nodded.

  ‘One…’ Daisy shouted out. ‘Two… three…’

  They both turned the knob and pushed hard, almost falling over each other as the door swung open.

  It took Victoria a minute to realise the hysterical laughter she could hear was her own and Daisy’s. They spontaneously wrapped their arms around each other. ‘Oh my goodness, we’re still here.’ Victoria squeezed her sister hard, looking for the confirmation. ‘We’re all right.’ The laughter and relief disappeared as quickly as it had arrived. ‘If it didn’t get us, who did it get?’

  Daisy and Victoria ran to the front door, swinging it wide open. Their neighbours were doing the same.

  A deep voice carried down the street. ‘Is everyone all right?’

  Victoria coughed as the smoke and dust hit the back of her throat, along with an acrid smell of burning.

  Daisy shouted back to the neighbour. ‘We’re safe, thank you.’

  Other neighbours followed suit.

  Victoria reached inside and grabbed a couple of scarves, to wrap around their mouths. She passed one to Daisy and wrapped the other around her neck, pulling part of it over her nose and mouth. ‘Come on. The bombs didn’t get us, but I need to know whether Alice and her family are safe.’ She pulled the front door shut.

  Daisy followed her sister’s actions and the pair of them half ran along Percy Street.

  By the time they were crossing Bedford Square, towards Bloomsbury Street, Victoria’s eyes were stinging, and she was gasping for breath under her scarf.

  A boy on a bicycle sped past them, shouting at the top of his voice. ‘It’s over. The Germans have gone.’

  Relief spread through Victoria when she saw the houses were still standing, but the smoke was thicker.

  Daisy pulled down her scarf. ‘They don’t look like they’ve been hit.’ She quickly looked around her, but couldn’t see anything in the darkness. It now had an eerie stillness about it, despite several front doors opening.

  Victoria nodded, her voice barely audible behind the scarf. ‘The stench of burning is stronger around here, so something close by has obviously been hit.’

  Daisy coughed, just the once at first, but then again.

  Victoria patted her on the back, but the hacking continued as Daisy gasped for breath. ‘Come, put the scarf in front of your mouth and let’s give Alice a knock. We’ll get you a drink of water.’

  Daisy pulled the scarf up, coughing into the thin material. This was quickly followed by a wheezing noise, coming from her chest. She
wiped her hands over her eyes.

  With one arm firmly fixed around her sister, Victoria lifted the door-knocker and let it drop again with a thud. ‘I hope Alice is all right and the shock hasn’t sent her into having her baby early.’

  Daisy made a little undistinguishable noise, behind the scarf. ‘I’m sure babies are stronger than we all think.’

  Victoria smiled. ‘Well, we are about to find out.’

  ‘Victoria.’

  Victoria and Daisy automatically turned away from Alice’s front door, to face the direction of the voice. Victoria yanked the scarf away from her mouth. ‘Molly, thank goodness.’

  Molly threw herself at Victoria, wrapping her arms around both her and Daisy. ‘Thank God you’re safe. We felt the ground vibrate at Carlisle Street. Pa said he hadn’t felt that since the munitions factory explosion, so I had to come to see if you and Alice were all right.’

  Victoria tried to steady her breathing. ‘Thank goodness your parents and gran are all right. Have you been home to check on Andrew?’

  Molly shook her head. ‘I don’t know about the house, but Andrew was with me. As soon as the policeman sounded the alarm, we almost ran from Bury Street to Ma’s.’ She gave a nervous laugh. ‘And I can tell you, I’m really not meant to be running. By the time we got there, I needed the hospital.’

  The girls chuckled, as they started to become calmer.

  Molly continued. ‘Anyway, I’ve left Andrew helping to get Gran up from the basement. It’s too much for Pa, these days.’

  The creaking of the lock caught their attention and they all turned, as the front door swung open.

  ‘Thank goodness, Mrs Headley. We’ve just come to see if everyone’s all right.’

  Daisy held the scarf tight to her mouth, as she cleared her throat.

  Victoria lowered her arm around her sister. ‘Is it possible to get some water for Daisy? Something seems to have caught in her throat.’

  The housekeeper smiled and stepped aside. ‘Of course, come in. Alice is fretting about you as well, so she’ll be very happy to see you all. It’s been all Mrs Taylor can do, to keep her daughter in the house. What with that, and worrying about her own parents in Russell Square, I’m sure you will be a happy diversion, for a few minutes at least.’

  Victoria’s relief was short lived. Her face paled as she stepped inside the house. ‘I forgot about Mr and Mrs Gettin; Alice and her mother must be worried sick.’

  ‘Victoria.’ Alice’s anxious voice travelled into the hallway. ‘Is that you I can hear?’

  Mrs Headley gave a faint smile. ‘Go through, before she comes running out to check.’

  Molly nodded. ‘Thank you, Mrs Headley. Alice is all right, isn’t she?’

  ‘She would be, if she could only stop worrying about everyone.’

  Molly frowned. ‘The noise must have frightened Arthur.’

  Mrs Headley chuckled. ‘Little Arthur slept through the whole thing, bless him. He’s such a joy.’

  ‘I thought it was you.’ Alice startled the four of them in the hall.

  Mrs Headley clicked the door shut. ‘I’ll put the kettle on and get a glass of water.’

  Alice nodded. ‘Thank you, Mrs Headley, come through to the sitting room. I’ve been worried sick about you all.’

  Daisy lowered her scarf. ‘Thank you, Mrs Headley.’

  The three of them followed Alice into the large sitting room. ‘Take a seat.’

  Victoria looked around the room. ‘Where is everyone?’

  ‘Freddie, Lily and my father have gone to Russell Square, to make sure our grandparents are safe.’ Alice wrung her hands in front of her. ‘I keep telling myself that last time this happened, Lily and I practically ran round there, only to find them sweeping glass and stones off the street, with their neighbours.’ She gave a faint humourless laugh. ‘I just wish I knew what was going on, though.’

  Molly stood next to a chair, gripping her hands. ‘Would you like me to run round there? I can come straight back, with a full report on what’s happening. Then you, Victoria and Daisy can stay and look after each other. You all look a little pale.’

  Victoria looked over her shoulder and studied Molly. ‘Actually, so do you. I expect it’s the shock and worry.’

  Alice perched on the edge of a chair. ‘Thank you, Molly. I do appreciate your offer, but I think we should just wait, as they’ll probably be back soon.’ She paused as Mrs Headley came into the room, carrying the tray of tea things and a glass of water. ‘Thank you, Mrs Headley; don’t worry, I’ll pour the tea.’

  ‘Yes, ma’am.’ Mrs Headley picked up the glass of water and gave it to Daisy.’

  ‘Thank you.’ Daisy sipped the water, thankful to clear the dust and smoke from her mouth.

  The housekeeper hovered for a moment. ‘Shall I take a cup of tea up to Mrs Taylor?’

  Alice nodded. ‘If you don’t mind, it would be good to check on her.’

  Mrs Headley nodded, before leaving the room.

  ‘Ma is having a lie down. Since Robert died, she has found the war increasingly difficult to deal with,’ Alice murmured.

  Victoria’s gaze became blurry. ‘Shall we go, so you can sit with her? The explosion sounded so near, but we didn’t know what direction it had come from, so I only wanted to know that you and your family were safe. Mrs Headley told us Arthur slept through it all, which is amazing in itself.’

  ‘Yes, there was me thinking we were about to meet our maker, and Arthur was totally unconcerned about it. I’m thankful it didn’t bother him though.’ Alice walked over to the tray of crockery and began putting cups on saucers, the teaspoons clattering, as she moved things around. ‘I know exactly what you mean. I had to promise them all I wouldn’t leave the house, otherwise they wouldn’t have gone to Russell Square, and Ma wouldn’t have had a lie down.’ She picked up the heavy china teapot and began pouring the hot brown liquid into the cups, momentarily looking at her friends. ‘I’m glad you’re all here.’ She sighed as she carried on pouring the tea. ‘Now I just have to wait for Freddie and Lily to return.’

  18

  ‘Morning Alice, you look as tired as I feel.’ Victoria forced a laugh, as she met her friend at the corner of Bedford Avenue. ‘Ready for another busy day at Foyles?’

  Alice groaned as she fell into line with her friend. ‘It was a long night.’ She pulled her collar up, to protect her neck from the chill of the early morning breeze. A couple of dogs barked in the distance, and another joined in their conversation.

  ‘I had trouble sleeping, when I got home from yours, but I’m so pleased we all stayed with you.’

  ‘Yes, I didn’t expect it to be nearly midnight when they got home, but at least they had good news. That’s two lucky escapes they’ve had.’

  Victoria nodded. ‘From what Freddie was saying last night, I think the owner of the Bedford Hotel feels he had a luckier one.’

  Alice raised her eyebrows. ‘I know. What did he say? The bomb created a crater, at least four-feet deep, right outside the hotel. You don’t get any closer than that, without it being your time.’

  Victoria gazed down at the pavement. ‘Mind you, it sounds like quite a few people died, and several were injured. It’s frightening, isn’t it?’ Victoria thrust her hands inside her coat pocket. ‘Wasn’t it Southampton Row that was bombed last time?’

  ‘Yes, and Bedford Place, there was glass and debris everywhere. That’s when Lily and I ran round to Russell Square, to check that everyone was all right.’

  Victoria sighed. ‘It makes you wonder when it will ever end.’

  They stopped dead in their tracks, as they noticed a crowd of people gathering at Oxford Circus. Cars spluttered, filling the air with exhaust fumes, while they were stuck in a queue behind the horses and carts, making their deliveries around London.

  ‘Looks like something’s going on here.’ Victoria craned her neck, one way, then another, but she couldn’t see past the crowd.

  A woman in the crowd spoke to
an older person, standing next to her. ‘That’s another one. I don’t know ’ow many bombs were dropped on us last night, but them Germans must really want to get us.’

  The older woman nodded. ‘I ’ear one went off outside Charing Cross ’ospital, yer know, the one in the Strand.’

  The woman shook her head. ‘Now that’s bad. Ain’t them poor people got enough to worry about?’

  Alice and Victoria stared, wide-eyed, at each other. ‘Good job you weren’t driving that ambulance last night, otherwise it could have been you.’

  Alice glanced back at the women chatting.

  ‘Another woman told me one went off by a tram, killing the driver and two of his passengers. It’s just not safe anymore.’

  The older woman nodded. ‘I was told by my neighbour that the safest place was to go down into an underground station, but my old legs can’t manage all them stairs. I’m too old for all that malarkey.’

  Victoria tucked her arm in Alice’s and guided her around the growing crowd of people. ‘Come on, we need to get to work. It’s going to be a long day, but at least we know the people we love are safe.’ Thoughts of Stephen immediately jumped into her head, but she shook them away and concentrated on looking after Alice. ‘You know, Constable Peter Albright apparently has a wandering eye.’ Victoria looked disdainfully at Alice. ‘He won’t find anyone as good as my Daisy.’

  Alice chuckled. ‘You sound like a real mother.’

  Anger spots appeared on Victoria’s cheeks. ‘Well, who does he think he is?’

  Stepping on to the road, Alice made room for an elderly man to pass her. His gnarled fingers pulled a cigarette from his thin lips, as he blew out a plume of smoke and nodded at her. Alice gave a faint smile, before turning back to Victoria. ‘Is Daisy broken-hearted?’

  Victoria shrugged. ‘I haven’t had a chance to talk to her about it, because she only told me last night, and then we were being bombed, so it all got forgotten. To be honest, I don’t believe they’ve been out much together, outside of work that is, but I think she still took a shine to him.’