The Liberty Girls

by Fiona Ford

  Glancing back down at Arthur she thought for a second. His gummy smile was almost tempting her to stay behind, and if she was honest with herself there was nothing else she would rather do, but there had to be another way. Hearing the sounds of Joy moving about upstairs, Alice had a brainwave. She set Arthur down in his makeshift cot in the kitchen then fled up the stairs and rapped on her sister’s door.

  ‘What time are you working today, Joy?’ she called.

  ‘I’m not,’ came the reply. ‘I’ve got a day off.’

  A surge of relief flooded through Alice. ‘I need you to watch Arthur for me for a couple of hours.’

  Alice heard Joy stalking across the floor. ‘I’m sorry, what?’ she replied in surprise.

  Alice did her best to look contrite. She hated asking Joy for anything, always sure it would cost her far more than the original favour in the long run, but this morning she had no choice, and besides, Joy had been behaving herself of late. Perhaps she was up to the challenge. ‘Could you watch Arthur for me this morning?’ she said in a begging tone. ‘There’s been a mix-up at work.’

  Joy slipped her a curious glance before nodding. ‘All right,’ she said, doing up the belt of her dressing gown tightly around her waist. ‘But I’ve got to be off by two.’

  ‘I thought you said you had the day off?’

  ‘I do, but I’m taking Rose out for the afternoon. She’s got a half-day,’ Joy replied matter-of-factly.

  Narrowing her eyes, Alice looked at her sister in disbelief. ‘What do you mean you’re going out with Rose?’

  ‘I mean we fixed it up last week. We’re going shopping up west.’

  ‘But you’re not friends with Rose,’ Alice spluttered.

  ‘Who says?’ Joy shrugged. ‘Rose is great fun. I told you, you just have to see beyond the blindness. She’s still your friend, Alice, only now she’s mine too.’

  For the first time in a long time Alice was speechless. There were so many questions whirling around in her head, she didn’t know where to start. But hearing the clock in the hallway chime eight, she knew there was no time to carry on the conversation now either. ‘We’ll talk about it later. So can you take care of Arthur until lunchtime?’

  ‘Of course. It will be my pleasure.’

  ‘And will you be here tonight for tea?’

  Joy clapped her hands together in delight. ‘Ah yes, your new friend’s coming round. I’ll be here. I can’t wait to meet him.’

  The way Joy used the term ‘new friend’ as though it was something sordid made Alice swell with fury but, instead of tearing into Joy as she usually would, she smiled sweetly. ‘Good,’ she said through gritted teeth. ‘I’m looking forward to it.’

  With that, she ran down the stairs, closely followed by Joy. As her sister picked Arthur up, Alice issued a list of instructions that she knew Joy wouldn’t pay any heed to. Eventually, all but shoved out of the door, Alice left for work, wondering how on earth she was going to tell Beatrice Claremont she had caught her out.

  As it turned out she didn’t have to. When Alice arrived on the shop floor she discovered that Mrs Claremont was in meetings all day.

  ‘I thought you’d have been in earlier,’ Mary mused as she finished balancing her sales book from her position by the cash register.

  Alice wrinkled her nose in confusion. ‘Why?’

  ‘Well, with you being in charge today?’

  ‘What?’ Alice gasped.

  ‘Yes. Mrs C. told us last night you would be taking charge for the day as she’s up against it,’ Mary sighed. ‘I was hoping that meant you would be promoted permanently so you would have been in a bit sooner.’

  Alice shook her head in shock. She couldn’t believe what she was hearing – this apparent mistake had gone from bad to worse. On the way in Alice had wondered if she was being ridiculous thinking Mrs Claremont had created this situation on purpose. But what if she was right? Was there a way to find out just what Mrs Claremont had been up to?

  ‘Mrs Claremont told Dot I had the day off and asked her to work today leaving me without anyone to care for Arthur,’ Alice said cautiously.

  Mary’s mouth fell open in surprise. ‘Are you quite sure?’

  ‘As sure as you are that Mrs Claremont said I would be in charge,’ Alice continued. ‘Did she mention anything about Dot coming in today?’

  As Mary shook her head, Alice felt a fresh wave of uncertainty flood through her. ‘Mary, do you think that Mrs Claremont deliberately told Dot to come in so I’d have to stay at home?’

  ‘Surely you can’t believe that?’ Mary gasped incredulously.

  Alice shrugged. ‘I’m not sure. On the surface it makes no sense at all but Mrs Claremont is meticulous with her organisation; she wouldn’t make a mistake like this. I’ve had to leave Arthur with Joy and that’s only for the morning as she’s dashing off at lunchtime to take Rose out.’

  ‘Sorry, what did you just say? I’m not sure which of those two statements surprises me more: the fact you’ve been forced to leave Arthur with your sister or the fact your sister is taking Rose out – since when did they become so close?’

  A deep sigh escaped from Alice’s lips. This morning had started off so positively and yet within the space of a few hours her world had been upended again. ‘I can’t think about any of that now. I need to go and speak with the girls from Jolly’s, check they’re happy with everything.’

  Mary smiled sympathetically. ‘Have you spoken to them since the funeral?’

  Alice nodded. ‘They seem fine. It was a beautiful service apparently – well, as beautiful as a service can be under the circumstances.’

  Even now, three weeks after the bombings, Alice still found the events of the raid hard to come to terms with. Mrs Downing’s body had been identified a few days after the Saturday night raid, and buried in a communal grave with another 246 others on May 1st.

  As Mary opened her mouth to offer some words of comfort, Alice saw Mrs Claremont walk across the floor. If she was surprised to see Alice she didn’t show it.

  ‘Glad to see you’re here on time,’ she remarked drily.

  ‘No reason for me not to be is there, Mrs Claremont?’ Alice simpered. ‘I’m afraid I do need to be away by lunchtime though, as we discussed last week.’

  Mrs Claremont’s face clouded over with confusion. ‘“Discussed last week”? I’m sorry, my dear, I have no idea what you’re referring to. However, if the simple fact of the matter is that you cannot organise your working life because of personal considerations then I’m afraid I shall have no choice but to let Mr Button know.’

  Alice raised an eyebrow. Clearly Dot hadn’t got to Mr Button yet, but she wasn’t about to let the opportunity to put her superior right slide. ‘Oh but, Mrs Claremont,’ she replied in an innocent tone, ‘I rather think we discussed it at the same time as you and I talked about me looking after things here while you would be in meetings. I said that unfortunately I wouldn’t be able to stay all day, what with Dot coming in as well. I’m sure you remember?’

  As Mrs Claremont shifted on the spot, clearly uncomfortable, Alice knew that her instincts had been proved right: this was no mistake; for some reason she couldn’t quite fathom, this had been deliberately planned.

  ‘Yes of course, Mrs Milwood, it’s all coming back to me now,’ she said eventually.

  ‘I’m so pleased.’ Alice smiled, feeling a glow of satisfaction. ‘I would hate to cause you any trouble.’

  Chapter Seventeen

  By the time Jack knocked on the door of the Bell Street terrace, Alice was exhausted, overwrought and anxious. Not only had she spent most of the morning trying to avoid a row with Mrs Claremont but she only got home just in time before Rose and Joy put on their hats and coats and scarpered, without so much as a hello between them.

  After they had disappeared through the front door like a pair of whirling dervishes, Alice had checked on her son, who thankfully was sleeping soundly in his cot. She had half wondered about joining him
, until she remembered that she had to feed the proverbial five thousand that night and so she had sprung into action and busied herself making Woolton Pie.

  When she heard the rap at the door, she was just in the middle of applying the last of the rouge she had managed to eke out since before the outbreak of war. Startled, she raced down the stairs only to find Dot welcoming Jack inside with open arms.

  ‘I can’t tell you, Mr Capewell, how nice it is to finally have a real live GI in our home,’ Alice heard Dot say in a strangely polite tone.

  ‘Not at all, ma’am, it’s a real pleasure to be here,’ Jack replied in his usual easy manner. ‘And please do accept these chocolates as a thank you for inviting me.’

  ‘Oh my days,’ Dot said loudly, almost falling out of character. ‘Mr Capewell, you shouldn’t have. I can’t remember the last time we had chocolates this fine.’

  Or at all, Alice thought drily. It was high time she rescued Jack.

  ‘There you are,’ she called in greeting from the foot of the stairs, ‘Sorry, I was just getting ready but I see Dot’s been making you welcome.’

  ‘She certainly has,’ Jack said graciously, giving Alice a half-bow, half-smile.

  Alice glanced at her landlady in surprise. She could see that despite Dot’s misgivings about welcoming a GI into her home, she was quite taken with Jack already.

  She was just about to show Jack into the kitchen and suggest a glass of beer that she had managed to get from under the counter when she had picked up her week’s butter rations, when another rap at the door prevented her.

  ‘You get that,’ Dot said, all but shooing her away. ‘I’ll take care of Mr Capewell.’

  ‘Really, ma’am, it’s just Jack.’

  As Dot threw her head back with a high-pitched, tinkly laugh, Alice didn’t know whether to laugh or cry at her landlady’s behaviour. Deciding that Jack was a big enough boy who could look after himself, she answered the front door and smiled as she saw Flo and Mary either side of Mr Button and Aggie.

  ‘Welcome, welcome,’ she smiled, relief flooding through her that everyone had arrived. ‘Dot,’ she called loudly, ‘Mr Button is here, along with Mary, Flo and Aggie too.’

  As Alice took her guests’ coats, and Mr Button ventured through to the kitchen, Flo shot her an awkward glance while Mary wasted no time in her candour. ‘Why are you being so bally strange?’

  ‘Jack’s here,’ Alice whispered, ‘and Dot’s quite taken with him.’

  At the explanation the girls broke into guffaws of laughter while Alice did her best to shush them. ‘You know these GIs. They’re charming British women left, right and centre.’

  ‘Well, let’s just hope Mr Button can keep her on course,’ Mary remarked. ‘Or we’ll all be in trouble.’

  Shaking her head with mirth, Alice followed the group into the kitchen and was delighted to see Jack introducing himself to everyone.

  ‘Have you had a good day?’ she asked him.

  ‘Can’t complain. We’ve been busy working on exercises – or drills as you might call them over here.’

  ‘Definitely drills,’ Mary chimed in.

  ‘Mary used to be in the ATS,’ Flo clarified. ‘She’s our army expert.’

  At the praise, Mary coloured. ‘Hardly,’ she snorted.

  Jack looked at her with admiration in his eyes. ‘Mary, no – if I may call you that. My God, to have served your country in the way you have is incredible.’

  At the defence, Mary smiled. ‘That’s very kind of you, Mr Capewell, but I’m certain that when I was in the ATS we never encountered anything like the danger you magnificent boys encounter on a daily basis.’

  Jack held his hands up. ‘Can I just ask what’s with all this Mr Capewell business? It’s Jack. Please can you all call me that? I feel as if I’m meeting my bank manager any time I hear the term “Mr”.’

  At that the group laughed and, seeing how relaxed everyone was, Alice got to work pouring drinks for everyone. Only, reaching for the glasses, she realised that there were still two who were missing.

  ‘Anyone seen Rose and Joy?’ she quizzed.

  Dot frowned. ‘Rose promised me she would be here well before Jack was due.’

  ‘So did Joy,’ Alice fumed.

  ‘I’m sure they won’t be long,’ Flo said consolingly. ‘It’s nice they’ve become friends.’

  ‘Yes, you can’t have too many friends during wartime,’ Aggie simpered, turning to Jack. ‘Wouldn’t you agree, Mr Capewell— Oh, I’m sorry, Jack.’

  As she let out a delicate laugh Flo and Alice exchanged looks. It seemed Dot wasn’t the only one taken with the GI.

  ‘You’re quite right.’ Jack smiled politely at Aggie. ‘Friends are very important.’

  ‘Even if the relationship is thoroughly unexpected,’ Mary added, raising an eyebrow.

  Alice wasn’t sure if she meant Jack and Aggie, Jack and Dot, Jack and her or Rose and Joy.

  ‘I thought that,’ Flo said, taking the glass of beer Alice poured for her. ‘How on earth have they become so friendly?’

  Alice shrugged. ‘I don’t know and to be honest I don’t want to know, just as long as Joy’s not leading Rose astray.’

  ‘She wouldn’t be doing that, would she?’ Flo asked. ‘Joy’s turned over a new leaf since she’s been living with you.’

  ‘Perhaps we’ll get to the bottom of it over afternoon tea on Sunday,’ Mary offered.

  ‘That’s right.’ Dot grinned. ‘I’d forgotten we were going to her fancy hotel.’

  Jack smiled back at her. ‘That sounds nice.’

  ‘Yes, I’m rather jealous myself.’ Mr Button was keen to join in. ‘I wonder if there’s a spare seat for me.’

  Dot patted his hand. ‘There isn’t, love. Some things we have to keep separate.’

  Alice didn’t miss the pointed barb, and glancing at Mr Button and the way he returned to his drink she had a feeling he understood just what Dot meant as well.

  Alice said nothing, instead she pulled the Woolton Pie from the oven and chuckled at the way her friends oohed and ahhed as she set it down.

  She was just about to start slicing it up when the sound of screaming made her jump. Peering into the front room, she could see that the noise was coming from her son, and she rushed to his side.

  Looking down into his face, she couldn’t miss the look of anguish in Arthur’s eyes or the way one of his cheeks was bright red. It was obvious he had another tooth coming through, and, scooping him into her arms, she did her best to soothe him, while peering over her shoulder into the doorway to apologise to her guests. ‘I’m so sorry: he’s teething. I’ll just take him upstairs.’

  ‘Poor little bugger.’ Dot raised her voice over the noise. ‘He’s had a hard few days. That tooth’s been coming through for a while.’

  ‘I know,’ said Alice. ‘I won’t be long, I’ll just see if I can settle him.’

  ‘Want me to do anything?’ Dot called to Alice’s retreating back.

  ‘No thanks, I’ll be fine.’

  Reaching the bedroom she shared with her son, she perched on the narrow single bed and rocked her baby to sleep.

  ‘I know, darlin’,’ she said in a soothing tone, offering him her finger to nibble on, ‘it won’t be forever.’

  As Arthur clamped down hard on her finger, Alice resisted the urge to swear in agony in front of her son.

  ‘Hi,’ came a voice.

  Swinging around she saw Jack leaning in the doorway.

  ‘Sorry, I didn’t mean to interrupt, I just wondered if there was something I could do.’

  ‘That’s kind of you. I don’t think there’s anything any of us can do; poor little boy’s just got to sit it out like we all had to.’

  Jack crossed the floor towards her and peered over her shoulder to get a better look at Arthur. ‘Well, hey there, little man. You’re not going to chew your mama’s fingers to pieces now, are ya?’

  ‘I’ve a feeling he’s going to do just that,’ Alice moaned
as her son bit painfully down on her finger once more.

  ‘Here, mind if I try something?’ Jack offered, reaching down to take Arthur from Alice’s arms.

  ‘No, course not,’ she replied, feeling doubtful.

  Watching her new friend take her son in his arms, she felt a pang of worry. Just how much did Jack know about children?

  As he smiled down at her son she was relieved to see Arthur didn’t start crying immediately and so she stood up, ready to see what Jack would try next.

  ‘Now this is a little trick I used on my boy when he was Arthur’s age,’ he murmured, reaching into his pocket for a crust of bread.

  ‘What on earth are you going to do with that?’ Alice gasped, looking in horror at the rather tough-looking crust.

  ‘Trust me, works every time, and it will save your fingers.’ He gently pushed the crust into Arthur’s mouth.

  To her surprise Arthur didn’t scream or cry at the offering of stale bread; instead he gnawed quite happily with relief instantly flooding across his chubby face.

  ‘However did you learn to do that?’ she demanded in a loud whisper.

  Jack smiled as he continued to gently rock the baby in his arms. ‘I told you: I used to do that for my boy. My mama taught me – old family remedy, you might say.’

  ‘I could have done with this a week ago. You could have saved me from bruised fingers and several sleepless nights!’

  ‘All part of the service, ma’am,’ Jack chuckled as Arthur chewed on the bread.

  ‘You’re a natural with kids,’ Alice found herself saying. ‘You must really miss your boy.’

  ‘Every single day.’

  Alice nodded and looked back at her son. She hated being away from Arthur. The thought of it was too much to bear, yet Jack had to live with that pain constantly.

  Glancing up at him and seeing the joy in his face as he held her son in his arms, she knew she couldn’t do anything to take away the agony of being apart from his child. However, it was possible that she and Arthur could help make his time away from his own family at least a little easier to bear.