by Cathy Sharp
‘Yes, of course,’ Jinny said and smiled to see her friend in her element. Nellie’s manner and speech were professional and Jinny knew she was making an effort to look efficient on her first day in the new job, whilst being her normal friendly self. Elsa was actually singing as she worked in the scullery and Jinny felt happier than she had the whole time she’d worked in the kitchen.
Now that things had settled and Mrs Davies had gone it seemed as if the future really was bright for them all. Micky was taking her out that evening to a little dance, and they were going for a long ride out on Sunday – and she wanted to tell him how much she appreciated his spreading the word about St Saviour’s needing help. It wasn’t only the market traders who had come up trumps. A butcher had brought round a large chicken for them and told Jinny that he’d supplied St Saviour’s for years but hadn’t been willing to sell them substandard meat so his account had been closed.
‘I’ll be happy to supply you again, miss,’ he told her. ‘I shan’t overcharge you and you won’t get any dodgy stuff from me …’
Jinny thanked him. He’d refused payment for the chicken and so far she only had the few shillings left from the original six pounds. Sister Beatrice had promised more and she’d told Jinny she would be in charge of buying their food in future. She’d suggested that it should be Nellie but her friend shook her head.
‘I’ve no head for sums, lovey. I’ll leave that to you. We’ll decide what we need for the week ahead and send the menus to your Sister Beatrice to approve – and then you can buy what we need.’
Jinny nodded happily. She liked dealing with the friendly market traders and bought her own clothes from them. Adding up wasn’t a chore for her and she would rather enjoy being in charge of the food – and it had helped her to make up her mind that what she wanted to do with her life was to learn all she could and become a professional cook. She liked living and working here and it was all she wanted to do for the next few years. Micky was a good friend and she liked him, but she didn’t want to get married for ages yet …
CHAPTER 20
Rose met Rob when she was leaving St Saviour’s the following Monday evening. He had his van drawn up outside in the road and was loading it with ladders, tins of paints and all his other stuff. Stopping to chat in the mild evening sunshine, she was surprised, because although everything was looking good throughout the home, she hadn’t realised that he’d finished his work.
‘Are you leaving us now?’ she asked.
‘Yes, I finished the last door this afternoon. Sister Beatrice says she’s pleased and will recommend us to others …’
‘Well, it looks lovely, fresh and clean everywhere,’ Rose said. ‘We shall miss seeing you and Nick about …’
‘Oh, I’ll be back to visit,’ Rob said. ‘Nick has probably told you he’s giving another little party. I’m going to ask Nancy this time – and I’m sure Nick will be in touch with you if he hasn’t already. It’s on Saturday next week …’
‘No, Nick hasn’t rung for a while.’ Rose was thoughtful, because it must be nearly two weeks since she’d heard from him and she’d wondered why. ‘That sounds nice, I’ll look forward to it,’ she said and then suddenly remembered. ‘Oh, I forgot to tell Sister Beatrice something important. Please excuse me …’
She ran back up the stairs and saw Nancy hobbling painfully towards her down the landing. ‘Is that knee still sore?’ she asked, concerned. ‘Why don’t you let me look at it for you? It won’t take a moment and I don’t like to see you suffering. It may be inflamed …’
‘Oh no, it’s all right, just a bit sore and stiff,’ Nancy said. ‘Really, Rose, I’m all right. I just wanted to catch Rob before he left and I suppose I was trying to walk too fast …’
‘Well, he’s still loading stuff,’ Rose said. ‘He just invited me to a party at Nick’s house – and he’s going to ask you. I expect he’ll ask several of us again like he did last time.’ She hesitated, then, ‘I must speak to Sister Beatrice about one of the kids. If that knee is painful come and see me tomorrow …’ She hurried off without looking back and did not see the rather puzzled and hurt expression on Nancy’s face. She had reached the top of the stairs but hesitated, shook her head and then went back the way she had come.
The telephone in the nurses’ home rang at eight that evening. Rose answered it and Nick’s voice came over the line. She smiled because it was nice to hear from him again.
‘That is Rose, isn’t it?’ he inquired, his voice growing warmer as she acknowledged it. ‘Oh, good, I’m glad I caught you. I rang on Sunday but Jinny told me she thought you’d gone to the country with some friends?’
‘Yes, that’s true,’ Rose said. ‘There were quite a few of us – and we took some of the kids. We had a picnic and the men gave the lads driving lessons and then we all played rounders. It was a lot of fun and Stephen was terrific with the kids. He’s so professional when we call him out, but he was like a different person, full of life and fun …’
‘Sounds like you had a good time?’
‘Yes, I did,’ she agreed. ‘I think everyone did – it made such a change to get right away from London and the heat and the noise.’
‘Yes, it has been hot recently – that’s why I thought I’d have another party in the garden while the weather holds. It’s almost September now and the summer will soon be gone …’
‘I expect so. I’ve been too busy to think of it … Rob told me you were having another party …’
‘Yes. I wondered if you would like to come.’
‘Yes, very much,’ Rose replied. ‘I enjoyed the last one – and I always enjoy going out with you, Nick.’
‘Good, I wasn’t sure … I suppose I’m a bit old and set in my ways for you. Henderson is probably more your sort … being a doctor …’
Rose caught her breath. Was that a hint of jealousy in his voice? She wasn’t sure how he felt about her, because he didn’t always telephone when he said he would and she couldn’t be sure she wasn’t just one of a number of women he dated.
‘We’re just friends,’ Rose said, though she knew that might not be quite true as far as the doctor was concerned, because Stephen had kissed her goodnight when they parted on Sunday night; not passionately, but with warmth and the promise of more to come. ‘I like to see all my friends … as I’m sure you do …’
‘Yes, of course.’ Nick sounded hesitant. ‘I’ll look out for you at the party then …’ He put down the receiver sharply, making Rose draw back and look at it in surprise. Had she upset Nick by dating another man? It hadn’t been an intimate date like dining and dancing, just an outing with others. Surely Nick couldn’t be jealous? He’d taken her out three times since his party, but since then she’d heard nothing and she’d wondered if she’d upset him or perhaps he’d discovered he wasn’t that interested in dating her. She couldn’t recall him saying or doing anything that would give her the right to think he was serious.
No, of course he wasn’t! She must have imagined that note of chagrin in his voice when she’d told him she’d been out with Stephen.
Rose wasn’t sure how she did feel about Nick; she liked him a lot and she’d enjoyed her time with him very much, but their friendship hadn’t progressed, whereas her relationship with Stephen Henderson had changed overnight, from that of simply nurse and doctor to friends. She’d felt happy and carefree in his company that Sunday and it had been such a lovely day, almost like the happy times she’d known as a child with her sister, before all the pain and loneliness of her parents’ deaths and the long years of hard work when she’d struggled to become a nurse and escape the slums of her childhood.
She’d thought Nick just saw her as an attractive woman to take out occasionally – after all, he was still grieving for his wife, wasn’t he? How would she feel if Nick asked her to be more than just a friend?
Feeling rather mixed up, Rose decided to wash her hair and have an early night. After tomorrow she would be on nights for a while and would give
the situation some serious thought. The last thing she wanted was to hurt anyone, especially a man like Nick who had suffered so much – but she just didn’t know how she felt. In fact, she was torn between Nick and Stephen, liking them both but uncertain whether she felt more than liking for either of them …
‘I was looking for Nancy,’ Rob said when he met Rose just as she was leaving St Saviour’s two days later after being on night duty. ‘I rang the nurses’ home twice but I was told she isn’t there I thought I’d come over myself and see what has happened to her …’
‘Oh, didn’t she tell you?’ Rose said. ‘I gather it was a sudden decision the other evening – after you left. She spoke to Sister and asked for a week’s leave. Her leg is still too stiff for her to do much here and she’s decided to go down and visit her brother … even though they’ve asked her not to …’
‘Her brother?’ Rob looked at Rose oddly. ‘I didn’t realise she had one …’
‘She hasn’t told you?’ Rose frowned. ‘I’m surprised she didn’t tell you she was going away for a few days. Her brother is what some people would call retarded and he lives in a secure home in Cambridgeshire. He was in a fire as a small child and his father used to beat him, I think … it was a very sad case. Mr Adderbury had to have him sectioned after he became violent.’
‘I didn’t know. No one has ever mentioned it …’
‘Perhaps I shouldn’t have,’ Rose said. ‘Nancy may have wanted to keep it private – but she was coming to speak to you the other evening, when you were packing up. Did you not see her?’
‘No. She said earlier she would come down but she must have changed her mind. I looked for her but she wasn’t in St Saviour’s – she must have gone home instead …’ He looked hurt and puzzled and Rose felt uneasy because Nancy had been hurrying to see him – had she said something to make her change her mind? ‘I don’t know if I upset her. I told her you’d invited me to Nick’s party and were going to invite her and some of the others …’
Rob made a noise like a soft curse. ‘If you remember I didn’t invite you, Rose; I said that Nick would – and I didn’t intend to ask anyone else, unless you wanted to come with us as Nancy’s friend …’
‘Oh …’ Rose’s cheeks burned and she felt awful. ‘I’m sorry, Rob, I had no idea that Nancy was so special to you … if I’ve spoiled things … I’m so very sorry. I wouldn’t hurt Nancy for the world. She’s had too much to put up with in her life.’
‘Perhaps there’s more I should know?’ He arched his brows but Rose shook her head.
‘I’ve said too much already. I shouldn’t have mentioned Nancy’s brother – and as for the rest I’ll leave it to her to tell you when she’s ready …’
She walked away hurriedly, feeling dreadful because she must have upset Nancy without realising it, and she wasn’t the sort of woman who did catty things deliberately to hurt others. As soon as Nancy returned she would apologise and explain that she’d been invited to the party by Nick and not Rob … she just hoped she hadn’t put Nancy off him for good.
Nancy booked into the small hotel she’d stayed at before in Cambridge. She carried her suitcase upstairs and dumped it on the bed, wondering what had made her ask Sister for time off just like that. She’d refused it when it had first been offered, because she wasn’t sure it would be a good idea to visit Terry at the moment; she’d been told not to come for a while – and yet it was the only thing she could think of, the only place she could run to, to escape her distress. St Saviour’s had been her home for so many years, but now she felt alone and friendless, even though she knew it wasn’t so … but she had no one special, no one she could go to when she was hurting and know they would comfort and love her.
Yet even as she began to hang the few clothes she’d brought with her in the wardrobe, she knew she’d brought her troubles with her. Why did it hurt so much to discover that she was only one of several girls Rob was planning to invite to his brother’s party – and not even the first to receive the invitation?
All he’d done was look after her when she’d fallen and hurt her knee on that broken glass. Yes, he’d smiled at her, and yes, he’d been gentle and kind, very protective and strong as he’d carried her into the hospital and then insisted on seeing her home and into her room. Had she not insisted she was fine then he would probably have come inside and stayed with her until he was sure she was over the shock, but she’d asked him to go, promised she was all right, even though she’d wept after he’d left.
So why had she thought his smiles were special for her and why had she allowed herself to think that at long last she’d met someone she could trust? Now it seemed that he’d just been charming her and she was only one of many … that he was the same base creature that her father had been.
No, that wasn’t fair! Nancy knew it and admitted it. Just because Rob had other friends it didn’t mean he was a cruel beast and she was wrong to label him that way, very wrong. It was just that she’d started to think he cared for her and Rose’s careless words had destroyed that tenuous trust just like that … and Rose wasn’t the sort who would deliberately hurt anyone.
Had it been some of the other carers who had come and gone at St Saviour’s she would have suspected mischief, but Rose would never try to hurt her – she’d been hurt herself.
Tears slid down Nancy’s cheeks as she put on her jacket again and went out. She couldn’t sit here brooding all night. She would go to one of the many cinemas in Cambridge and treat herself, and then tomorrow she would arrange to visit her brother …’
CHAPTER 21
Ruby looked at her superior across Miss Sampson’s desk. She’d been called in to her office to make her report and was feeling uncomfortable. Was Ruth mortally offended because she’d sent one of her girls down to Halfpenny House without asking her and merely sent a memo to that effect? She’d been a little offhand with Ruby lately and she’d retaliated in kind.
‘Ah, Ruby,’ Miss Sampson said. ‘Please sit down. I wanted to congratulate you …’ She read through a small paragraph in Ruby’s report and nodded. ‘Yes, a definite improvement in the behaviour of your girls recently I’m glad to say …’
Ruby swallowed hard, because she felt a bit guilty about her methods of achieving the improvement. She’d bribed the girls with a sweet ration and eased a few of the strict rules, and the results had been good – and yet she knew that the girls had been sent to her to learn discipline and some people might think she’d gone soft. Perhaps she had, but they’d all been so keen to have tea with the orphans next door, and some of the girls had volunteered to help with reading to the little ones on a Saturday morning, and a couple of the older girls had volunteered to do some washing-up one morning, because the kitchen girls were rushed off their feet.
‘Yes, I sorted out a few problems and the troublemakers seem to have quietened down. I haven’t had a visit from the police for some weeks now.’
‘Well, we always get a few troublemakers and you can disperse them – send the worst to a remand home, as you did Betty Goodge …’ Ruth Sampson frowned. ‘That was an unfortunate case, of course, because she attempted suicide and they transferred her to a mental institution, where I understand she is undergoing intense therapy … so perhaps it will lead to a better life for her …’
‘Oh, that sounds hopeful,’ Ruby said and some of the shadows lifted. ‘I felt that I’d let her down …’
‘Yes, well, the fact that she attempted suicide almost immediately did put a black mark on your record, and I was reprimanded over that other business – but we all make mistakes.’ She paused and then smiled. ‘I wanted to make you aware of what is in the pipeline, Ruby. It seems certain that we shall be taking over St Saviour’s at the end of the year …’
‘Sister Beatrice won’t like that …’ Ruby said without thinking. ‘We’ve allowed the girls to mix with the kids next door for limited periods, but I don’t think she would agree to a permanent arrangement …’
‘She wil
l not be asked to,’ Miss Sampson said and a smile of satisfaction settled over her face. ‘This is still in the melting pot but I believe you will be in complete charge of the home next year. I have long felt that we have more need of those premises than Sister Beatrice’s children. Most of them could be dealt with by the hospital, or if fit and referred to us by the police, we can send them on to whatever homes we choose – wherever there is a vacancy … They would be with us only for a few hours at most. Any of our reception centres could deal with that …’
‘So we are actually closing the orphanage and taking the building for ourselves – is that what you’re saying?’
‘Yes, more or less … though we haven’t told the Board of St Saviour’s in so many words …’ Miss Sampson smiled smugly. ‘It is time that woman was retired. Her methods are outdated – besides, we need more space for our girls and probably boys. I’ve been told they want to send us boys as well in the future. They need a home like this as there is nothing similar for young male offenders. At the moment they are either sent to borstal or prison and some cases are borderline; they are too risky to send to an orphanage, because they disrupt the others, but prison or borstal is too harsh … I think you’ve shown that it is possible to make unruly girls behave – so I imagine you can do it with boys too. No doubt you’ll be given a male member of staff to help in case of violence …’
‘What about sick and homeless kids, like those Sister Beatrice takes in? I thought we were going to have a reception centre for them too?’