Susan nodded.
Andrew smiled. ‘Would you like to share it with me.’
Susan glanced at her mother, before leaning in to whisper in Andrew’s ear. ‘My pa isn’t coming home from the war, so I want a new one, then my ma can stop crying at night.’
Andrew gasped and his eyes widened, as he looked towards Molly for a second. He took his attention back to Susan and spoke to her in low tones. ‘Your ma is a good woman and I’m sure you will get a new pa. It just won’t be in time for Christmas this year, but I’ll see what I can do for the ones to come.’
Susan glanced over at her mother, before beaming up at Andrew. ‘Thank you.’ She stretched, to kiss Andrew on the cheek. ‘It’s working already. Look, she’s smiling.’
Molly reached into the box of books and pulled out Appley Dappley’s Nursery Rhymes by Beatrix Potter, handing it to Susan.
The mother stepped forward and took her daughter’s hand, helping her to get down off Father Christmas’ lap.
Susan looked down at the cover. ‘Thank you; can I keep this?’
Andrew smiled. ‘Of course you can, little one. Enjoy it.’
Susan giggled. ‘Look, the mouse is carrying a plate of food.’ She held it up, to show her mother.
The mother smiled at Andrew and Molly. ‘Thank you. You don’t know what this means to us.’
Molly could feel the tears welling up. ‘Thank you, it means a lot to us here at Foyles, too.’ She watched them walk away, as the next child approached Father Christmas.
*
Victoria rushed up the stairs, as quickly as her tired legs would carry her. It was Christmas Eve. Everyone had a busy evening ahead of them, preparing for Christmas Day, but the policeman cycling along Charing Cross Road had put an end to closing Foyles Bookshop, and any thoughts of going home in ten minutes’ time. She gasped for breath, as she reached the top, peering into the children’s section, thankful that Molly was bringing Father Christmas’ job to an end, for another year. She rushed over to Molly. ‘We have to get into the basement and bring any customers that are still in the shop. They are expecting the Germans to ruin Christmas.’
Molly looked around. Andrew had finished with the last child, ten minutes earlier. Thankfully the dark, cold evenings had meant customers hadn’t wanted to wait around. ‘Right, I’ll have a quick look around.’ She bent down to pick up the fifth box they had emptied of children’s books.
Victoria shook her head. ‘No, leave all that. We’ll tidy up when we know it’s safe. I hope Daisy is inside, so she can take cover.’
‘Daisy’s a sensible girl, so I’m sure she won’t be hanging around outside.’ Molly dropped the box where she stood. ‘I’ll have a quick look around.’
Andrew stood up. ‘I’ll help.’
Victoria nodded. ‘Me too; there are so many nooks and crannies in this shop, it would be easy to lose someone.’
The three of them split up and checked every corner, aisle and staircase, ushering staff to the basement.
Molly shouted out, ‘I think everyone has either gone home or downstairs.’
Victoria nodded. ‘We’re lucky it’s so close to closing time. Imagine what we would have done with all those children. They would have been so scared.’
‘We would have had to entertain them.’ Molly forced a smile. ‘It’s been a tiring day, but what Foyles and Andrew did here was wonderful. Every child went away with a book.’
Andrew yawned and stretched his arms. ‘It certainly been a special day, but mostly it’s been heart-breaking. You know, none of the children asked for anything for themselves.’
Victoria shook her head. ‘Thank you for doing it, Andrew. It’s been a tough few years, especially for the children.’ She sighed. ‘What did the government say when all this started, “it should be over in four months”? Huh, it’s fast approaching four years.’
Molly put her arm around Victoria. ‘Don’t think about it, it doesn’t change any of it. Come on, let’s get down to the basement.’
Victoria bent down to pick up the gloves and scarves customers had dropped in their haste to take cover. She noticed the large wheels of a wheelchair sticking out by the payment booth. ‘I hope whoever was in that got down the stairs all right, I’m not sure Mr Leadbetter could have carried someone into the basement, and Albert certainly couldn’t.’
Molly glanced over to where Victoria was looking. ‘That’s true.’ She gave a cursory glance around the shop. ‘There’s no one left up here, except us, so you’d assume they worked it out between them.’
The three of them trundled down the stairs, shocked to see how many people had been left in the store and were now filling every corner of the room.
The door thudded shut, behind Victoria. She peered around. Albert was chatting away to a couple of members of staff. Her thoughts immediately went to Ted and Endell Street Hospital. She prayed the hospital wouldn’t be bombed.
‘Victoria.’
Victoria turned at the familiar voice. Alice was stood in front of her, carrying her newborn baby, almost invisible under all the blankets wrapped around him. Freddie and Arthur were looking at a couple of books that had been on the shelf. ‘Alice, how wonderful, I was hoping you’d be indoors and safe.’
Alice laughed. ‘Well, to be honest, I missed seeing you girls, so I thought I’d bring the new addition to the family to meet you both.’
Victoria moved the edge of the blanket. ‘Can I hold him?’
‘Of course you can.’ Alice carefully manoeuvred the little one into Victoria’s arms.
‘He’s so handsome.’ Victoria lifted him higher, to kiss his forehead. His powdery smell made her smile. Maybe, one day, she would have her own children, but she was happy to be holding this little bundle of joy. ‘So what are you calling him?’
‘We’re not sure yet; we have a number of names in mind, it’s just about making the final decision.’
Victoria stroked the soft skin of the baby’s hand; his fingers uncurled and wrapped themselves around her finger. She beamed down at him. ‘What are the favourites?’
Alice grinned as she watched Victoria. ‘We’re probably going to name him David Robert Leybourne.’
Victoria looked up at Alice. ‘That’s got a good ring to it, I take it Robert is after your brother?’
Alice nodded.
Molly sidled through the people sitting soberly, waiting to start their family Christmas celebrations. ‘I thought I recognised that voice.’
Alice turned and wrapped her arms around Molly. ‘I’m so pleased to see you both, and I want to hear what you have both been up to. It seems ages since we last chatted.’
Molly and Victoria both laughed.
Molly glanced at the small bundle in Victoria’s arms. ‘Now you can understand how I felt, working at the munitions factory. I felt lost, without you both by my side.’ She looked across at Alice. ‘Can I have a hold?’
Alice smiled at the girls. ‘If you can prise him away from Victoria.’
Victoria kissed his soft forehead and his thin layer of dark hair, before handing him over to Molly. ‘I’m sorry we haven’t been round; we were coming, but the time seems to have run away from us.’
Alice nodded. ‘Have you been to the hospital, to see Ted?’
Victoria kept her eyes fixed on the baby, as she wondered what she should tell Alice and Molly. Her mother’s voice was suddenly in her head. ‘The truth; honesty is always best, and that’s what you told Molly, when she was fighting her feelings for Andrew.’ She shook her head and caught sight of Daisy, walking towards her. ‘Daisy, what are you doing here?’
Daisy frowned. ‘We have a letter.’ She handed the brown envelope over to Victoria. ‘I haven’t opened it. I nearly did, but I thought we should be together when we read it.’
Victoria turned the envelope over and gasped. It was official.
Daisy put her arm around her sister. Alice came and stood the other side of Victoria. Molly stared at the envelope, wishing and praying fo
r good news.
‘It’s not a telegram.’ Victoria turned the envelope over a couple of times, before ripping it open. She pulled out the single sheet of paper. Tears ran down her cheeks.
Daisy looked over the edge of the paper. ‘What is it?’
The others stared on in silence.
Molly whispered to Alice. ‘It’s not a telegram, so it can’t be bad news, can it?’
Daisy felt her sister become a weight, next to her. She slowly lowered her into a nearby chair. ‘Is there any water down here?’
In minutes, Albert appeared next to her, carrying a small cup of water.
Daisy took it from him and put the cold liquid next to Victoria’s lips. Her eyelids fluttered, as she slowly came round.
Molly couldn’t hold her silence any longer. ‘Is it about Stephen? Is he all right?’
Daisy snatched the letter from her sister’s fingers. Her eyes scanned the page before a smile slowly lit up her face. ‘Stephen is on his way home, hopefully he’ll be here in time for Christmas.’
Everyone cheered and hugged each other.
Molly yelled above the noise of everyone talking at once. ‘That’s the best news ever, although he’ll have to be quick.’
Laughter filled the room.
Victoria murmured, ‘Thank goodness; I was beginning to think the worst.’
Daisy held the cup of water to her sister’s lips. ‘Here, sip this and sit still for a moment. It was a good job I didn’t leave you to read it on your own, or goodness knows what I would have come home to.’
‘Sorry, it must have got too much for me.’
Alice stroked Victoria’s arm. ‘Don’t worry; you’ve been through so much lately. It’s hardly surprising, really.’
Daisy gave her sister a nervous glance. ‘Well, while you’re sitting down, I have another surprise for you, or shock, depending on your point of view.’
Victoria’s eyes widened, as she looked around her. Everyone was here, except Ted. Had something happened to him? Fear trampled across her soft features.
Daisy beckoned someone forward, from behind Freddie and Arthur.
Victoria felt the little colour she had drain away. ‘Mabel, I’ve been looking for you in work. I thought John must have…’
‘No.’ Mabel stood aside.
Victoria gasped. ‘John, how…’ She wiped away the tears that were now falling down her cheeks. ‘I thought… I thought I’d never get to have a conversation with you.’ She stood up. ‘I can’t believe it.’ She ran forward and thrust her arms around him, squeezing him tight to her. Victoria felt his arms go around her, and they cried together for a few minutes. She pulled back to look at her brother, taking in his sallow complexion. ‘Here, sit down; I’ll get you a drink. Is that your wheelchair upstairs?’
John laughed. ‘Yes, but don’t worry, I’m feeling well. I might not tomorrow, but today is the best day of my life.’ He turned to Mabel, who was now standing next to his grandparents. ‘Thank you, thank you for bringing me here.’
Victoria lifted her hand, to cover her mouth for a few seconds. ‘Oh my goodness, I thought… it doesn’t matter what I thought. Thank you for bringing him here.’ Her eyes glistened with unshed tears. ‘We can all have Christmas together. I wish Stephen was here to meet you, but at least we know he’s coming home.’
A group in the far corner of the basement started to sing ‘O Come All Ye Faithful’,and people around them started to join in.
Herbert stepped forward. ‘I owe you an apology, not just for the other day but for everything. I should have given you a chance to speak, the first time we met.’ He looked down at the floor. ‘There’s a lot of things I should have done differently, but it’s too late for all that now.’
Victoria put her arms around her grandfather. ‘No, it isn’t.’
‘Does that mean you can find it in your heart to forgive me?’
‘Without a doubt.’ Victoria looked over his shoulder at her newfound family and gave a wry smile. ‘But it’s not my forgiveness you need, it’s your wife’s along with John and Mabel.’
Colour crept into Herbert’s cheeks. ‘After you left I’m afraid the flood gates opened, and I’ve been given some tough home truths.’ He paused as his brows knitted together. ‘I’m ashamed to say I had unwittingly turned into my father, but I’m working on that.’ His eyes welled up, he blinked quickly before reaching out for her hands, squeezing them tight. ‘It’s too late for my son’s forgiveness but hopefully not for the rest of my family.’
Tears rolled down Alice’s face as she watched Victoria and her newfound family. ‘You must all come to us for dinner tomorrow. Mrs Headley always cooks far too much so there’ll be more than enough to go round.’
Victoria nodded her thanks before turning back to her grandfather. ‘If we do that then you must behave because Alice’s grandfather was the man who gave your son, my father, his job as an architect.’
Herbert stared at Victoria for a moment before nodding and looking over at Alice. ‘It seems I owe your grandfather a great thanks, my son was very happy working for him.’
Mr Leadbetter called over to Albert. ‘Clear the table of books. It’s Christmas and who knows how long we’ll be stuck down here, so let’s start celebrating early.’
A voice came from down the other end of the basement. ‘I have a bag of shopping we can use; it’s not much, but there’s some bread and cold meats in there.’
Another voice called out. ‘I only came to sit on Father Christmas’ lap and now I’m down ’ere, but I’ve got a bag of goodies too.’
Albert looked up in the direction it came from. ‘I’d know that voice anywhere, what yer doing ’ere?’ He looked back at Victoria. ‘It’s me trouble and strife.’
Victoria smiled. ‘It’s nice to meet you…’
‘Rose,’ Albert and his wife answered in unison.
Albert crooked his finger at her. ‘Come ’ere and sit on this chair, rest yer bones a while. What yer doing ’ere?’
Rose giggled. ‘I came to meet yer from work but then when I got ’ere I fought I could sit on Father Christmas’s knee, yer know like the old days.’
Andrew chuckled and leant forward. ‘Come on then, Rose.’
Albert laughed. ‘Get out of ’ere. I’ll borrow the costume and she can sit on my knee.’
The room filled with laughter.
He leant forward and kissed Rose’s pink cheek.
Another member of staff shouted across the room. ‘I can’t think about this conversation Albert, but I do have a bag of groceries, near the door; we can use that too. Merry Christmas everyone.’
A young man edged his way towards the tables. He was dusty from the train journey home. He slowly moved nearer to Victoria and Daisy before whispering, ‘Merry Christmas.’
Startled Victoria spun on her heels. Her face lit up. ‘Stephen.’ All eyes turned to Victoria as she wrapped her arms around him and squeezed him tight.
Stephen beamed as he wrapped his arms around both his sisters. He turned to Alice. ‘Is there room for one more tomorrow?’
Alice nodded. She sniffed. ‘Without a doubt.’
Mr Leadbetter popped some corks from some wine bottles. ‘I knew there was a reason why I bought a bottle each week and stored them down here all year.’ He chuckled. ‘I was hoping for a momentous occasion, and they don’t get any bigger than a family reunited.’
Victoria smiled at her manager, before glancing across at her two friends. She held on to Stephen with one hand and grabbed Daisy’s hand with the other and squeezed it tight. ‘There might be something else to celebrate as well.’ She gave a nervous giggle. ‘Last night, I asked Ted to marry me.’
‘You did what?’ the girls yelled as one.
Victoria laughed. ‘It was Lily’s idea.’ She clapped her hands together and squealed. ‘Isn’t this the best Christmas ever?’
Acknowledgements
As always I owe a huge thank you to some very special people who have helped me finish thi
s novel with their support, understanding and encouragement.
It was just after I started writing this novel that my husband was diagnosed with Non-Hodgkins Lymphoma, which is a form of cancer. We weren’t concerned, and neither were the doctors because it had been caught early – it was actually discovered when he went to give blood. I took my laptop to the hospital when he was having chemotherapy and we tried to concentrate on my novel; it was a good distraction for us both. Suddenly, the chemotherapy stopped working, and on 9th April we were told he had a bleed on the brain and didn’t have long to live.
Dave and I had walked together, hand in hand, for twenty-seven years and thought we had many more years ahead of us. We were devastated, but he was concerned about us all looking after each other and that I wouldn’t stop writing. It was very hard for us as a family as it hadn’t occurred to us he wouldn’t survive. I never left his bedside and my husband quietly passed away on 19th April 2019 with dignity and surrounded by love. My undying gratitude must go to the doctors and nurses on Rosewood Ward at Darent Valley Hospital for all their love and support. You were beyond brilliant, thank you.
I owe a huge thank you to the team at Aria, for their understanding and support of how my life has been turned upside down. You have been fantastic and I couldn’t have asked for more from you. Thank you.
The biggest thanks must go to my family for dragging me through this nightmare we’re living in. James, my eldest son, took a week off work, attempting to step into my husband’s shoes, and guiding me through the editing process when all I wanted was to sit in the corner by myself. All five of our children have stood tall and supported each other and me in every way possible.
Dave and I were truly blessed and I can’t thank them enough. It is now common to hear ‘what would Dave do?’ or ‘what would Dave say?’ in our conversations. He lives on in our hearts and will be forever missed. Thank you Dave, for encouraging and supporting me to write. We started this journey together and I know you were so very proud of me. I will always love you.
About the Author
Christmas at the Foyles Bookshop (The Foyles Girls) Page 31