Bridget was standing at her bedroom window looking down on to the trees in the broad roadway. There were more people about than usual, likely because it was warm and a Saturday afternoon. She glanced down at her watch for almost the twentieth time in the last hour. It was a quarter past three. Daniel had said he would phone around half-past two. He must have been held up. She heard someone coming upstairs, and then her mother’s voice from outside the bedroom door, saying, ‘Bridget?’
When she went to open it, Catherine, her face tired-looking and sad, said, ‘I’ve just had a message from Mrs Pope. She wants to know if I’ll do a few hours this evening because two of them have gone down sick. Would you mind staying in? It will only be from six until eight or half-past.’
Bridget didn’t answer for a moment, she just stared at Catherine. On Wednesday Daniel and she had planned to go up to the house today as usual, but last night he had phoned to say that things were a bit uncertain and that he might not be able to get down on time, but he would ring her and she had to stay put until she heard from him. What if he were to ring any minute and say he was waiting there for her? But here was her mother asking her to do this simple thing. ‘All right,’ she said, ‘go ahead. But…but I’ll ask Daniel to come here when he phones.’
Catherine said nothing to this, she just turned blankly away, and as Bridget went to close the door the phone rang, and she had to stop herself from running across the landing and down the stairs; but when she picked up the phone she was gasping a little as if she had been running. ‘Hello,’ she said.
‘Bridget?’
‘Yes.’
The conversation from her end was always terse.
‘Listen, darling, I’ll be at the top of the road somewhere around seven. I can’t make it before. All right?’
‘Daniel, I’ve got to stay in until half-past eight or nine; Mother’s got to go out. Can you come here?’
There was a pause before he said, ‘Yes; yes, of course. But, Bridget, listen. I…I want you to come back to the house tonight, to spend the night there.’
‘At the house?’ She was screwing her face up at the phone.
‘Yes. I can’t explain it here, you understand? But, you see, I’m due to be moved. Monday, I should say. I thought we would have the weekend there. I can bring plenty to eat.’
‘Yes, yes, Daniel.’
‘You’ll do that?’
‘Yes, yes, of course.’ Her voice sounded ordinary, formal, but at the back of her mind she was picturing telling her mother that she was going to spend the weekend with Daniel in the empty house.
‘Daniel.’
‘Yes, darling.’
‘You don’t know where, do you—where you’re being sent?’
‘I’ll explain when we meet. But don’t worry; it isn’t all that far away. No water, you understand?’
She drew in a long breath before she said, ‘Yes, Daniel. Yes, I understand.’ And she was smiling a little now. ‘Daniel.’
‘Yes, my love.’
Her voice dropped to a low whisper. ‘I’ve got news for you too. What we were talking about on Wednesday, you remember?’
There was a long silence and she said, ‘Daniel, are you there?’
‘Yes, I’m here. Oh, Bridget, my Bridget.’
‘I’ve got to go now.’
‘Darling. Darling. I can’t wait to see you. I’ll be there as soon after seven as possible. Till then…my Bridget.’
‘Goodbye, Daniel.’
She turned from the phone and put her fingers across her mouth. She was going to spend the night with Daniel, all night. They could lie in each other’s arms and not have to say ‘We’d better be going now.’
Now she did run upstairs. She had the silly notion that she must pack some clothes; but there was no need to pack anything, not a thing.
Catherine left the house at six o’clock. She just said, ‘I’m going now,’ and Bridget answered, ‘All right, Mother.’ She hadn’t told her she’d be staying out all night; that was better said at the last minute so there’d be no time for argument, persuasion, or recrimination. But the recrimination, no doubt, would come later.
She went into the drawing room and seated herself near the window. Katie had her eyes closed, and Bridget didn’t know whether she was asleep or not until, after a while, she spoke, saying quietly, ‘Catherine.’
‘It’s me, Aunt Katie.’
‘Oh, Bridget!’ Katie opened her eyes. ‘Where’s Catherine? I want to see her for a minute.’
‘She’s had to go out for a while—to the post, you know. They’re short-handed. She told you.’
‘Did she? Yes, perhaps; I’ve likely forgotten. I’ve been sleepy all afternoon, I wish I didn’t want to sleep so much. You know, I’ve had a very nice dream, Bridget.’
‘Have you, Aunt Katie.’
‘It was about a sailing ship. I was on it, and yet I wasn’t on it. Yet I could see its name as plain as plain. It was called the Mercur. Do you remember the Mercur, Bridget?’
‘No, Aunt Katie, I don’t remember it.’
‘Oh, you must have seen a picture of it in the Gazette. You remember I cut it out. It said it was sailing to Norway with coke. Don’t you remember? And that isn’t so very long ago either. Andy used always to speak of the Mercur; that’s how I know her so well. She was a Danish ship, you know, Bridget.’
‘Was she, Aunt Katie?’
‘I like to dream about ships. Andy was always dreaming about ships.’
Katie went on talking, mostly to herself now, her words unintelligible, and Bridget sat looking out of the window, counting the minutes to when Daniel would come.
Towards seven o’clock she went quietly out of the room and into the kitchen, and having heated some milk and put it on a tray, together with some biscuits, she went back into the drawing room, and said softly, ‘Are you awake, Aunt Katie? Would you like your milk now?’
‘Yes, yes, I’m awake, Bridget. Yes, dear. Thank you, I feel like a hot drink…Do you think there’ll be a raid tonight?’
‘Oh no, I don’t suppose so. We haven’t had anything for some time now; there won’t be any raid tonight.’
‘I had a funny feeling a little while ago. I thought I heard the warning, but I must have been dreaming, mustn’t I, Bridget?’
‘Yes, Aunt Katie. There hasn’t been any warning, and it’s such a nice evening there won’t be anything tonight.’
‘I hope not, I hope not. I get a little frightened when the warning goes; and that’s silly, because it doesn’t matter, does it?’
‘Drink your milk up, Aunt Katie.’
‘Yes, dear. Yes, dear.’ With a hand that was remarkably steady Katie held the saucer on which stood the glass of milk, and slowly she sipped it; and after a while, when Bridget was seated near the window again, she said quickly, ‘Peter should soon be home, shouldn’t he, Bridget?’
There was a short pause before Bridget answered, ‘It’s very uncertain when he will be here, Aunt Katie.’
There was nothing further said, and after a while Bridget rose and took the tray from off the bedside table and went out of the room. As she did so the bell rang and, putting the tray down, she hurried to the door. And there stood Daniel.
When she had closed the door behind him they enfolded each other tightly, and they stood like this for some seconds. Then, their faces apart, he looked down at her and said, ‘It’s true then?’
‘Yes, darling. Yes…Ssh!’ She stilled his exclamation and, taking his hand, led him towards the dining room; but once inside, their arms about each other again, he said, ‘Oh, Bridget! Bridget! This is the happiest moment of my life…Are you happy?’
‘So happy I feel drunk. I do, I do. Oh, Daniel! If you only knew how I’ve longed and longed for this to happen over the years.’
‘You were waiting for me. Oh, my dear. My dear.’
He was pressing her head into his neck and running his fingers through her hair, when, suddenly jerking her body back from him, she said, ‘What is this
about moving? I’d forgotten for the moment.’ Her face was straight and full of concern.
‘Oh, it’s not as bad as it might be. I’m being sent to a place called Creydon Hill in Herefordshire.’
‘Herefordshire? Oh, that’s miles away.’
‘Yes, it is, but it’s still in England. I had the jitters yesterday when I was sent for; I thought I was going to be packed off home.’
‘Oh no, Daniel! That would have been awful.’
‘I’ll say. But look; you…you can come down there. I understand it’s all countryside and there are cottages and farmsteads where you could be put up. I was talking to one of the fellows in the office this morning. He’s an English fellow. He used to be at Madley; that’s an RAF station not far off. He said it would be a piece of cake getting digs. He had his wife staying there for nearly two years.’
‘Oh, Daniel!’ She released herself and moved just the slightest way back from him. ‘I couldn’t come right away.’
‘Why not?’
‘Well…well, there is my teaching. If I don’t do it they could drop me into something else. I could always ask for a transfer, but it might take time. And then, Daniel, I’ll…I’ll have to face Peter before I come. It’ll have to be a clean cut.’
‘Yes, yes, I know, dear. I know.’ He drooped his head slowly. ‘But…but as soon as he gets in you’ll tell him; you won’t put it off, will you?’
‘As soon as ever he comes in I’ll tell him. I promise you, Daniel.’
He brought the palm of her hand up to his mouth and whispered against it, ‘You won’t let them talk you round? I mean because of…Aunt Katie. I can hear Catherine saying, “Wait until she goes”.’
‘She’s already said that, dear, and she’s had her answer. The only one I’m waiting for is Peter. When that’s over, I’ll be ready to leave the house, and the town, if it’s all right with the school, as I said.’
‘Oh, we’ll fix that in some way.’ He tossed his head now as if that was a minor issue and pulled her towards the couch, and when they were seated he put his hand into his inside pocket and brought out a long envelope. Then, placing it in her hand, he put his over the top of it, saying, ‘This is for you. I had the idea of doing it eight years ago. It’s late in coming, but there it is, all signed and sealed. And what better day to give it to you than on the day on which Daniel the Fourth is announced; because he will be a Daniel, I feel it in here.’ He dug his thumb into his chest. Then, smiling tenderly at her, he said, ‘Well, aren’t you going to open it or even ask what it is?’
The envelope wasn’t sealed and she extracted from it a thick folded document, and when she opened it her eyes flicked over the closely written legal terms, then came back to the top and read, ‘The freehold property known as Greenwall Manor, situated in the outskirts of Jarrow in the County of Durham. The property stands in thirty acres of land. It is built of quarried stone and has twenty main rooms comprising…’ She lifted her eyes and glanced up at Daniel; his expression was slightly amused—pleased, but slightly amused. ‘Turn over the page,’ he said. ‘Better still, turn to the last page.’
Slowly she did as he had bade her, and there she read, ‘I hereby make as deed of gift to Bridget Conway the house known as Greenwall Manor in the County of Durham, together with all furniture and effects therein…’
She lifted her face again to his. Her mouth wide, her eyes stretched, she gaped at him, then whispered, ‘But why? Why, Daniel?’
‘Why! Because I wanted you to have it. Yours. Somehow I’ve always wanted you to have it. It’s a strange feeling, but there it is. That day when you first entered the house—you remember? I said to myself, “One day I’ll give her this”.’
‘Oh, Daniel! Daniel, I can’t.’
‘You can’t what?’
‘Well, I mean, a manor house—take a manor house.’
His face was solemn now as he said, ‘If I were your husband, Bridget, you would take a gift from me. I look upon you as my wife. I have done from that evening back in the house. I always shall. It’s a gift from a husband to a wife. What should surprise you about that?’
She drooped her head and held her brow for a moment, saying, ‘It’s so colossal, Daniel.’ Then, with a cry, she fell against him, her arms about him, hugging him to the limit of her strength, whispering the while, ‘Oh, Daniel! Daniel.’
When he looked at her again the tears were running from her eyes and she said brokenly on a laugh, ‘What if I threw you out?’
‘You just try it, madam.’ Again they were close, and after a while she said, ‘I…I just can’t take it in.’
‘Well, you’d better try, because that’s where our boy is going to be brought up. Likely with dozens of other squalling brats…Oh, oh, not yours, ma’am!’ They fell against each other, laughing now somewhat unrestrainedly, until Bridget, coming to herself, put her hand over her mouth and glanced towards the door. Then, gazing up at Daniel she said softly, ‘I wouldn’t mind having dozens of your children, Mr Rosier.’
‘Thank you, Bridget Mulholland…I think of you by that name, you know.’ There was a pause while their glances held the love in each other’s eyes, then in a mock stern voice he stated, ‘Eleven, that’s all I’m going to give you. Not another one over eleven.’ Again they were leaning against each other, their bodies shaking, and after a moment he said, ‘It’s all right about tonight?’
She nodded at him and he squeezed her chin in his hands. ‘I’ve left a parcel of foodstuff at a little shop on the main road. You know, near where we branch off. I said I’d collect it later; I didn’t want to lug it all this way.’
‘How will we make a fire?’ she asked.
‘There’s plenty of wood; we’ll play Boy Scouts in the kitchen.’
‘Oh, Daniel!’ She rubbed her cheek against his, then said, ‘It’s getting dusk; I’d better put the blackouts up.’ As she rose from the couch he put his arm around her waist and pressed his face into her breasts. ‘Don’t be long,’ he said.
In the drawing room, Katie, her eyes wide, greeted her with, ‘Who was that called, Bridget?’
‘Someone from the school, Aunt Katie.’ She switched on the shaded bedside light before going towards the window and pulling down the dark blind; then she drew the curtains.
‘Have they gone now?’
‘No, not yet, Aunt Katie.’
‘Is it Ivy, Bridget?’
‘No, you wouldn’t know them, Aunt Katie.’ She went out of the room without looking towards the bed again.
She had just finished completing all the blackouts when the menacing wail of the siren blew over the town and brought her head snapping back on to her shoulders as she looked upwards. ‘Oh no! Not tonight.’
As she reached the dining-room door Daniel was there, and they looked at each other, and after a moment he said, ‘It may not be for long; it may just be a hit-and-run.’
She nodded at him, then said, ‘Aunt Katie’s always nervous of the raids, I think I’d better look in.’
‘Yes, all right…Look, about this. You’d better put it in a safe place.’ He handed her the envelope. ‘I must take you up to Barretts in Newcastle and introduce you. I should have done it before. They handle my business.’
‘Yes, darling. Yes, I’ll put it into a safe place.’ She reached up swiftly and kissed him, and as she did so a thin voice came from the drawing room, calling, ‘Catherine! Catherine!’ and Bridget started and said, ‘I’ll have to go in with her. She’ll get agitated.’
She glanced down at the envelope in her hand, then towards the stairs, then back to Daniel, and, thrusting it into his hand, said, ‘Keep it for me for a minute.’ And she turned and hurried towards the drawing room.
As she opened the door Katie was again calling, ‘Catherine! Catherine!’ and she said quickly, ‘It’s all right, Aunt Katie. Don’t worry.’
‘Where’s your mother?’
‘She’s still at the post, Aunt Katie; but it’s all right, she won’t be long. She should be back a
ny minute.’
‘The warning’s gone, Bridget.’
‘Yes, I know, Aunt Katie, but it may be nothing. They’re likely miles out to sea.’
‘I wish Catherine was back.’
‘Now don’t worry.’ Bridget was bending over the bed.
‘I can’t help worrying. She should be in the shelter. You go down to the shelter.’
‘I’ll do no such thing.’
‘Do this to please me, Bridget. Go down to the shelter. I don’t mind being left alone.’
‘Don’t tell fibs, Aunt Katie.’
‘I don’t want you to get hurt, Bridget.’
‘There’s no-one going to get hurt, Aunt Katie. Now don’t worry. I’m going to sit here.’ Her voice was cut off by the sound of the phone ringing, and she ended, ‘I’ll just go and answer the phone. Now don’t worry.’
As she went across the hall she looked towards the dining-room door where Daniel was still standing, then she lifted the phone and said, ‘Hello.’
‘Is that you, Mrs Conway?’
‘Yes. Who’s speaking?’
‘It’s Mrs Faulks. I’m at the post. Your mother has had a bad turn. She fainted right away, but she’s come round now. I’m rather worried; there’s no-one to see her home. There’s only Mrs Bailey and me in the post, and we can’t leave. She says…your mother says she’ll be quite all right, but I don’t think she should go back on her own. It’s no use trying to contact your father; he’ll be around the dock and will have to stay there until the all-clear. Do you think you could slip along?’
Bridget looked over her shoulder and beckoned Daniel towards her, then said, ‘Yes, Mrs Faulks, I’ll be along as soon as I can. It’ll take me about ten minutes to get there. Keep her there until I come, anyway.’
‘Yes, I’ll do that, Mrs Conway. Goodbye.’
‘Goodbye.’
Bridget turned and looked up at Daniel, saying, flatly, ‘The fates seem against us. Mother’s unwell. They’ve phoned through for me to bring her home.’
‘Where is she?’
‘At a post near the Chichester. It won’t take me long to get there. I can do it in ten minutes if I hurry, and I’ll try to get some kind of a lift back.’ She paused for a moment and, putting her hand up to his face, said, ‘But if she’s not well I won’t be able to leave her until father comes, and that could be any time with the warning on. I’m sorry, Daniel.’
Katie Mulholland Page 58