Archie's War

by Margi McAllister

  “So s-sorry,” he said, stammering through trembling lips. He frowned as if something troubled him. “Do you work here?”

  “Yes, sir, I’m Archie from the gardens.”

  “Archie?” He smiled the smile that would always be a little crooked now. “Is that your dog?”

  “No, Master Ted, he’s yours.”

  “My name’s Ted. Ted. Just Ted. Call me Ted. What’s the dog called?”

  “Star, sir.” At the sound of his name Star stood up hopefully.

  “Star, stay,” said Archie. Ted, as he supposed he must call him, was still in a terrible state and he’d already thrown the water jug.

  “I think I just behaved very badly,” said Master Ted. “So sorry. Mother – nurse – what’s your name again?”

  “Archie.”

  “Archie. So sorry. Simply shocking headache. Not that that’s any excuse.”

  “It’s all right, Ted,” said Lady Hazelgrove gently, sitting on the bed. “We understand.”

  “Pardon me, my lady, but we don’t,” said Archie. “We don’t understand, do we, Ted?”

  Ted shook his head miserably.

  “So we need you to explain, sir,” said Archie. “We need you to tell us about it, then we’ll understand a bit more.”

  “Excuse me!” snapped the nurse. There was a crackle, which Archie supposed must be the starch in her uniform, as she stood up. “My patient must not be distressed! He must not even think about his memories, let alone discuss them! He’s been to the Front, he doesn’t have to bring it home with him!”

  “Nurse, may I have a word?” said Lady Hazelgrove, and the two of them left the room. Presently Lady Hazelgrove came back alone. The room was stuffy and there was a thundery heat in the air so Archie opened a window.

  “They should have left me there,” muttered Ted. “Why didn’t they? Why did they have to save me?”

  “Because you were worth saving,” said Lady Hazelgrove. “What would I do without you?” She seemed to have forgotten Archie, but then Star scampered to the door and sat beside it looking hopeful. “Archie, the dog wants to be out, would you take him, please? And on your way out, would you ask them to bring tea up here for Master Ted and myself? And Archie…”

  “Yes, my lady?”

  “I closed that window for a reason. The sound of guns, you know. Loud noises upset him.”

  “Yes, my lady,” said Archie. “Come on then, Star.”

  He didn’t have to tell Star twice. Star trotted beside him, staying close and looking up at him as if he needed Archie to tell him everything was all right.

  “Little Keld Wood then, Star?” he said. “That’s our place.”

  By the time they reached the wood, Star seemed to have forgotten what had happened. All he wanted to do was fetch sticks.

  “It’s like it used to be, Star, you and me going out in’t wood,” he said. “Poor old Mas—I mean, Ted. He’s like the men at Fivewells. I’ve seen more than Her Ladyship has, I could help him. But they’re the Carrs of Ashlings and I’m the gardener’s son, and that’s that and all to do about it.”

  He threw a stick. “We’re all the same to you, aren’t we?” he said. Star didn’t care if you were a lord or a lad, so long as you looked after him. It should be the same for Ted, too.

  There was still some creamy white meadowsweet and pale yellow honeysuckle in the wood, and Archie cut some to take to the Hall when he took Star back.

  “Are those for Master Ted’s room?” asked Mr Grant. “I shall take the dog upstairs and the flowers, too.”

  “But Mr Grant, can’t I go up myself?”

  “He needs quiet,” said Mr Grant. “I’m sure you have things to do.”

  Star followed Grant up the stairs, but at the top he turned and looked down at Archie. There was nothing Archie could do but walk away with his eyes prickling.

  That night, the thunder broke. Jenn and Archie stood at the window watching as rain hammered and bounced from the ground and swept in sheets across the window. Water sluiced down the paths.

  “Dad’ll be right cross,” said Archie. “It’ll bruise the soft fruit.”

  “It’ll spoil the roses an’ all,” said Jenn. “Look, Archie! There’s somebody out!”

  Sam the Boots was running across the lawn, wrapped in a coat much too big for him that flapped round his ankles. Water sprayed up around his feet.

  “He’s coming here!” said Archie, and ran down to open the door. Sam arrived out of breath with water dripping from his hair.

  “For pity’s sake, Sam, get in and shut the door,” said Ma. “And get your wet boots off before you catch your death.”

  “Her Ladyship sent for Archie,” said Sam. “She wants you at the Hall, now. Master Ted’s…” he glanced at Ma, “having a bit of a turn.”

  “Archie, get your coat,” ordered Ma. “If you can do anything for Master Ted you’d better get going. Sam, give me those socks and put some of Archie’s on, you’re staying here until this rain stops.”

  Ted was curled up under the bed, shivering, his arm over his head. Lady Hazelgrove knelt beside him and Star lay cowering in his basket with his ears down. At the sight of Archie, he ran to his side.

  There was another crash of thunder. Ted convulsed and cried out.

  “Get down!” he screamed. “Get down!”

  “Lord Hazelgrove can’t bear to watch this,” said Lady Hazelgrove. “The nurse was only making it worse. She’s used to old people and invalids, but I don’t think she knows anything about soldiers. He won’t let me touch him. I’ve tried talking to him, but I don’t think he can hear me.”

  “I don’t know what else to do, my lady,” he said, sitting down on the floor beside them. “I suppose it’s best to keep talking to him, all t’same. Better than not hearing anything except thunder, my lady. I’d best give him a pillow and his blankets.”

  With a lot of crawling about under the bed, Archie managed to make a sort of nest for Ted. Lady Hazelgrove hunted through the bookshelf.

  “The Just So Stories,” she said. “He loved this book when he was a boy. The one about the elephant was his favourite. He liked Treasure Island, too. I wonder if they would help?”

  So as the thunderstorm and rain battered the house, Lady Hazelgrove and Archie sat on the floor taking turns to read to Ted until at last – it seemed like Archie to hours – he seemed to remember where he was, and came out, and allowed them to put him to bed. The rain had stopped. Finally, Archie turned to Star.

  “It’s all right,” he said gently. “Good dog. He’s just not himself.” He looked up at Lady Hazelgrove. “Shall I take him out once more before Mr Grant locks up, my lady?”

  He took Star round the grounds, then back to the staff hall to dry his wet paws. Back in Ted’s room he ordered Star to his basket, but Star watched him all the time. When Archie said goodbye to Lady Hazelgrove and was about to go home, Star tried to follow him and Archie’s heart hurt for him.

  “You have to stay, Star,” he said gently, smoothing Star’s ears. He lifted the dog and sat him on the bed at Ted’s feet. “Look after him. Goodnight, Master Ted, I mean Ted. Goodnight, my lady.”

  “Archie?”

  “Yes, my lady?”

  “Kindly come back in the morning.”

  “Yes, my lady.”

  Star settled down on the bed and laid his head on his paws. He understood. He must take care of Ted, who seemed to have stopped throwing things.

  The next day Lady Hazelgrove reorganized everybody. Will was not to go back to Lady Dunkeld. He was to stay and help Dad so that Archie would be free to help her look after Ted, who might still have difficulty in walking for some time. She had “spoken”, she said, to the nurse, who left at the end of the week.

  Often a sudden loud noise would send Ted diving under the bed again, so Archie or Lady Hazelgrove w
ould talk to him or read. They worked their way through all Ted’s boyhood favourites – The Jungle Book, Treasure Island, and something called Fifty Adventure Tales for Boys which was full of stories of young men riding horses, climbing mountains, and fighting with swords. Then just when Archie thought he’d lose his voice if he read any more, Ted began to talk. At first he didn’t say much, but in time he talked about trenches, mud and shelling, limbs blown off and thundering guns, fire and light in the sky and the screams of men and horses. Star would lie across Ted’s feet to comfort him but his eyes would be on Archie. Ted talked about long thirsty marches and falling asleep on his feet, the men he helped and the men he couldn’t help, and the constant mud, cold and shelling. There were the sudden rages when he would throw things or kick the furniture.

  “And the guns never stopped,” he said, shaking. “Not for a moment. I still hear them in my head.”

  “But when you hear a bang now, it’s nothing,” said Archie. “Just somebody dropping a tray or His Lordship doing a bit of shooting. If you go outside you’ll get more used to it. You’re cooped up in here day after day, sir, and it’s not good for you.”

  On a sunny day, more than a month after coming home, Ted made the long journey down the stairs. Slowly, struggling, Archie and Ted made their way along the landing to the top of the stairs with Ted walking close to the handrail but refusing to hold it. Archie kept in step with him. Star couldn’t quite understand about walking so slowly, so he trotted ahead and sat down to wait for them. So long as Archie was there, he felt safe.

  A lifetime ago, when war was declared, Archie had stood in the Great Hall gazing up at this staircase. Now he spent more time at the Hall than he did at home. But from the top with Ted beside him, the grand staircase looked more forbidding than it ever had from the bottom.

  “I think you’d better hold on to the banister, Ted,” he said. Lord Hazelgrove hurried up the stairs to help.

  “I’ll hang on to you, shall I, Ted old chap?” he suggested, and put an arm round Ted’s waist. “Archie, you go on in front of us. If he does fall he’ll have something to land on.”

  Archie didn’t see Ted’s first steps downstairs. He only heard a sharp gasp of pain and a little muttered swearing, then the sound of feet on the stairs behind him. Lord Hazelgrove was saying things like “steady, now” and “well done”. Star, who couldn’t do stairs slowly, bounced down and sat at the bottom waiting for them. Lady Hazelgrove watched with Connel at her side. And as Archie walked down with awkward slowness he noticed that more and more people appeared in the hall. Mrs Satterthwaite the housekeeper and one of the maids paused in what they were doing. Mr Grant was there, and footmen appeared from somewhere. Soon most of the household seemed to be in the hall, all standing absolutely still. Star wagged his tail. Archie took the last step, and turned.

  Ted’s face grew white with effort and his lips were pressed closely together, but at last he stood at the bottom of the grand staircase, and everyone, including Archie, was applauding. Star wagged his tail and led the way to the door.

  “Good dog, Star,” said Archie. “You can sit outside in the sunshine, Ted.”

  Mr Grant brought a chair. Ted sat down and squinted into the sun.

  “What’s over there?” he asked. “Where does that path go? I should know these things, shouldn’t I?”

  “You’ve forgotten it all, dear,” said Lady Hazelgrove. “It’ll come back to you. That’s the drive, and the path goes to where the new garden will be.” Presently Grant came and whispered to Lord and Lady Hazelgrove, who went back inside.

  “Why’s the dog doing that?” Star had found a stick and was bringing it back to Archie, who threw it. Ted watched with interest. When the sound of a thwack! came from the grounds Ted didn’t tremble, stare, or hide, but he put his head on one side to listen.

  “What was that?” he asked.

  “Somebody’s playing cricket, sir,” said Archie. “That was a bat on a ball.”

  “Cricket?” Ted frowned, and Archie could see he was searching his memories. “Did I play that?”

  “You did, sir,” said Archie. “You were the best for miles. And you’ll play again.”

  “Don’t talk such nonsense,” said Ted firmly. “I’m tired. Help me up the stairs.”

  Archie took him to the foot of the staircase, but he was pretty sure he’d need somebody else to help him climb them. He placed Ted’s hand on the banister.

  “Hold on, sir,” he said. “I’ll get somebody to help.”

  He left Ted there and went to the green baize door which led to the staff hall. When he returned with a footman, Lord and Lady Hazelgrove were coming out from the study.

  “Ted mustn’t know,” Lady Hazelgrove was saying, then saw Ted and stopped.

  “Ted mustn’t know what?” demanded Ted harshly. “Tell me!”

  “My dear,” said Lady Hazelgrove, “I’m afraid it’s about one of your friends.”

  Ted’s face had already hardened with bitterness. “Who is it this time?” he demanded.

  “I’m afraid it’s your friend Bettany,” she said. “He died at the battle of—”

  Ted cursed harshly. His hand on the banister was as tense as a claw.

  “Archie, get me up the stairs,” he ordered.

  It was hard, slow going. Star ran past them and waited at the top of the stairs, but his ears drooped. He followed them to the bedroom with his head and tail down.

  “Go,” said Master Ted and pushed the door shut so hard that Archie had to snatch Star out of the way. He stood outside the door with Star in his arms.

  It might be good for Ted to have Star for company. But Archie couldn’t leave the dog with him, not with Ted in this rage.

  He sat down on the landing. All that work, all the sunny days spent in that room, and finally one great afternoon – and now it was ruined because of one more stupid awful death in one more stupid battle in this stupid, stupid war. It seemed that they’d never get Ted back, Master Ted, our Master Ted. For the first time, Archie wondered if it might have been better if Ted had died in a field hospital far away.

  With a jolt, he realized that Lady Hazelgrove was beside him. She looked old and tired.

  “Leave the dog with me and go home, Archie,” she said. “Come back in the morning and we’ll see how he is.”

  “Yes, my lady.” He let go of Star and walked away, his head down. When he realized that Star was following him, he turned.

  “Star, seek Her Ladyship,” he said.

  Star wondered what he’d done wrong and where he was meant to be now. He followed Lady Hazelgrove miserably.

  Late that evening at the cottage, Archie cleared some space on the table. He wanted to spread out the plans for the sunken garden. Gardening would be good for Ted.

  “He can learn,” said Archie. “He won’t be able to do everything, but he has to learn to do loads of stuff by himself. We can all teach him.”

  Dad gave a wry smile. “Just what I need,” he said. “Another apprentice.”

  That remark reminded Archie of the shortage of staff in the gardens. In turn, that made him think about Bertenshaw.

  “Dad,” he began – and he told Dad and Ma what he’d heard about the letter. Dad nodded slowly.

  “You did right, son,” he said. “There’s not much left of him now.”

  “It’s Master Ted you need to think about, not that Bertenshaw,” said Ma. “How’s he getting on?”

  “I think we’re back to the beginning,” he said. “And sometimes Star wants to be with me, like he did just now, and I have to leave him.” His eyes prickled. “I gave him back, Ma, and it were hard, were that. But even that’s not enough. I have to keep giving him back, all the time. It’s right hard, Ma.”

  Her hand was on his shoulder.

  “Keep going, our Archie,” she said. “You’re doing a grand job there. J
ust you keep going.”

  By the next day Ted wasn’t angry, but he wasn’t anything much. Archie found him sitting at the table in his room looking at a book that he wasn’t really reading. His breakfast lay untouched on the tray. Archie put a hand against the teapot. It was still full and barely warm.

  There was a pattering of paws and Star ran in. He jumped up at Archie first, then at Ted, and sniffed upwards at the table.

  “Aren’t you going to eat that, sir?” asked Archie. There was no response.

  “It’s a shame to waste it. If you don’t want it, we’ll eat it.”

  “Help yourself,” said Ted without looking up. Archie shared cold sausages with Star, then took the Just So Stories down from the shelf. He read until Ted suddenly said, “Shut up, Archie”, then he took Star out. After they had run each other exhausted and Star had annoyed a few gardeners, they came back breathless, with windswept hair and fur.

  “I don’t know how you can stay cooped up in here, sir,” said Archie. “Star and I have had a right good run. It’s a grand day, and the summer won’t last for ever. You need to get out while you can.”

  Master Ted ignored him. The next day, he greeted Archie with, “What are you doing here? Why aren’t you working in the garden?”

  “Because Lady Hazelgrove likes me to be with you, sir,” said Archie. “And Star wants you to take him for a walk.”

  Star heard the word “walk” and his tail began to wag.

  “You take him,” said Ted.

  Archie would have loved to take Star for a run in the gardens, but that wasn’t the idea. “He’s your dog, sir,” he said.

  Star whimpered.

  “That’s what I told him, Star,” said Archie. Ted made a bit of a face and got stiffly to his feet.

  “Oh, come on, the pair of you, if it’ll keep you quiet,” he muttered.

  It was another long slow struggle down the stairs, and as soon as they were outside Star tore around the grounds finding scents that needed to be examined and trees that needed watering. He hunted down the best stick in the garden and dropped it in front of Archie, who folded his arms.