The Secret Orphan

by Glynis Peters

Throughout the rest of the day she and Titch danced around each other on the farm. Elenor did not want to have Titch removed without finding out what she knew but was nervous of the outcome of the conversation. Susie kept Rose entertained and by mid-afternoon, Elenor decided to try and visit Ron and rode over to White Cross.

  Armed with a story about needing more help on the farm, Elenor was granted permission to speak with him. They stood inside the barrack grounds and Elenor could see POWs tending their own vegetable gardens.

  ‘We keep them busy, even here,’ said Ron.

  ‘I don’t want to hold you up, but Titch has hinted she knows something about Fritz. I’m sure it’s what she meant.’ Elenor said and relayed Titch’s words to him.

  ‘Sounds like it. But how would she know?’

  ‘I’ve a feeling someone from the wedding stayed overnight with her in Tom’s place.’

  ‘Bloomin’ ’eck. One of my lot you mean? It will be one of two. I’ll check it out. How’s the wife?’ he said with a grin.

  ‘She’s fine. I’ll look after her, don’t worry. Thanks for checking, Ron. Titch is trouble and spiteful, I don’t trust her. If she can make trouble for us all, she will.’

  ‘She’s probably just messin’ to get ’erself out of bother. A sly bitch, that’s what I think.’

  ‘True enough. See you soon, Ron. Take care.’

  The evening finished and once Rose had settled down to a bedtime story, Susie sat knitting a baby cardigan, and Elenor settled down to a basket of darning. ‘How does that girl wear so many holes in her socks?’ Elenor sighed.

  ‘Titch was quiet tonight. Couldn’t wait to get out. Can’t say I’m fussed,’ said Susie.

  Titch had left the farm the moment her meal was finished, and Elenor was grateful she didn’t have to sit in her company for too long.

  ‘It’s calmer without her around,’ Elenor said.

  A noise outside the door disturbed Seth, and he gave a low growl.

  ‘The fox is back,’ Elenor said and jumped to her feet. She knocked a tin of darning needles to the floor. ‘Drat.’

  ‘I’ll pick them up, you see to the fox. Or it might just be Titch fooling around. You know how silly she gets at times,’ Susie said, and scrabbled around on the floor picking up the needles.

  Seth sniffed under the back door, his heckles raised and his teeth bared.

  ‘He knows Titch and wouldn’t show his teeth. What on earth has upset you boy? What’s going on?’ Elenor shoved her feet into her boots as she held his collar. Seth scratched at the door to be let out. ‘Wait. What on earth’s got into you?’

  ‘I’ll come with you,’ said Susie, and she pulled on her jacket.

  Outside they held onto each other and felt their way across to the hen house. Seth headed off across the fields.

  ‘Strange, he’s not interested in the coop. They are very quiet inside, so I don’t think there are problems there. It’s so dark, there’s no moon, and it doesn’t make life easy without a lamp.’

  A rustle in the trees made Susie jump, and she gripped onto Elenor’s arm.

  ‘Owl,’ Elenor said just as the white outline scooted from one tree to another.

  It gave a hoot and settled down. Silence hit the farm once more.

  When they reached the coop, one or two chickens objected to their presence, but there was no sign of the fox, or an attempt to get inside.

  ‘That darn dog is a pest. He hears something and tricks us all into believing him it’s worth investigating,’ Elenor said as she checked the outer door. ‘You head back inside and I’ll check the barn. Seth can come with me and I’ll leave him out in case our veggie thief is back. Best get back to Rose.’

  When she reached the barn, Elenor took a quick look inside and once satisfied all was well, she headed back to the house. She checked on the chickens, and as she left the coop Elenor thought she heard a cough, a deep rasp smothered by a muffled one. The same cough she’d heard in the cottage.

  ‘Ron?’ She called out. ‘Tom?’

  Her stomach flipped. She’d been caught out before.

  ‘Jackson?’ His name came as a whisper.

  ‘Jackson, is that you?’

  Nothing. Silence. An owl hoot. Then nothing. Elenor stood straining to hear a sound, the hint of another human.

  ‘Elenor. Elenor. Are you out there?’ Susie’s voice interrupted the silence and Elenor tutted. Straight away she told herself off for her impatience with her caring friend.

  ‘I’m fine, Susie,’ she said and walked back to the house.

  ‘I think our vegetable thief is still loitering. I’ve left Seth outside for the night. Is Rose asleep?’

  ‘Yes, she snuggled down with no argument.’

  ‘Right, well we’d best get some sleep. Tomorrow I want to barbwire the plots. I’ll not have folk sneaking around here in the dark. I like to know who my visitors are.’

  As she slid inside her bedclothes, Elenor heard Titch come home. She banged around inside the house with no consideration for others. A few minutes later she heard a man’s voice. As she thought about going downstairs and telling Titch off for breaking house rules, she heard whispers and the back door click shut. A few seconds later she heard Titch climb the stairs.

  Chapter 51

  Rose’s eighth birthday came and went with rationing limiting the celebratory tea. A card arrived with only Coventry written inside, and Elenor put it with the London note. She had a feeling Fritz was still able to communicate his threat. Unsure what to do, she set them aside and kept quiet. They were a reminder of their vulnerability.

  November slipped away and December brought cold frosts lasting most of the day, and the ground hardened, making life difficult. Elenor and her workers had pulled the last of the crops for storage and selling. They laboured hard, layering fertilizer and straw from the barns across the soil in readiness for the start of spring.

  ‘With the wire and the manure, our thief will not get a pleasant surprise in the night,’ Elenor said.

  ‘If a bomb dropped and destroyed them I’d be annoyed, but to have someone steal them makes me angrier,’ Susie said.

  Titch blew on her fingers. ‘Too bleedin’ cold to be doing outside work.’

  Elenor and Susie looked at each other and shook their heads.

  They walked from the plots to the barn to fetch down storage crates from the rafters.

  ‘Oh look, we have visitors,’ Susie said with excitement and ran towards Ron and Jackson striding across the yard.

  ‘Hello you two. Heard Susie baked scones earlier, did you?’ Elenor teased, but neither man smiled.

  Titch kicked at a stone. ‘Well, that’s me on me tod for the night then.’

  ‘Not at all, Titch. Stay with us and eat. You keep slipping off alone and you really don’t have to, this is your home.’

  ‘Ruddy prison if you ask me,’ Titch said and stomped off indoors.

  Elenor ignored her and turned her attention to the two men.

  ‘You both look exhausted. Go inside with Susie, I’ll be in just as soon as I’ve fetch a few more of these.’ Elenor said and pointed to the crates. She gave Jackson a smile but noticed his was not forthcoming.

  ‘Right you two. What’s going on? You’ve both got faces which carry bad news,’ she said and nudged Jackson’s arm. ‘Inside, this can wait.’

  Neither man objected – or spoke. Poker-faced, Ron looked from his wife to Elenor.

  ‘We’re the bearers of bad news I’m afraid, Elenor,’ he said.

  Jackson went to her and took her hands.

  ‘Where’s Rose?’ he asked.

  ‘At school. She’s another hour. Why, what’s wrong Jackson? You are worrying me, both of you. What’s the bad news?’

  Ron looked to Jackson and came to what appeared to be a silent agreement that Jackson would do the talking.

  ‘It’s Fritz. He’s escaped from the camp.’ Jackson held up his hands as if in surrender. ‘I know, I own up, I thought he’d never be able to get away
. White Cross were informed in case he returned to assist a breakout here. Ron got the news and contacted me straight away. I’m here to warn you and then I have to get back to my unit.’

  ‘The POW who threatened you, Elenor? Ron told me about what he did,’ Susie said.

  Ron stood, nodding his head with a scowl on his face.

  ‘Ron, take Susie for a walk. I’ll fill Elenor in with what we know, and what she needs to do,’ Jackson said and opened the back door. Ron wasted no time.

  ‘Come on, we’ll patrol the woods,’ he said and gave Susie a wink.

  ‘Be’ave, my lover,’ Susie said, exaggerating her accent, and gave him a playful tap on the shoulder and pulled on her coat.

  ‘Escaped POW? Now there’s a worry for ya,’ Titch’s voice interrupted their conversation. Elenor bit her lip, she’d forgotten Titch was upstairs.

  ‘Yes. He attacked Elenor, so we must be careful. You be careful, all that wandering around at night alone,’ Susie said.

  Titch threw up her hands in a sarcastic swoop and waved them around.

  ‘Cor blimey, married for five minutes and she’s treatin’ me like ’er kid. If it’s all right with you, Ma, I’m goin’ for a gander to the village. Bit cramped here for me.’

  Jackson waited for the three of them to leave before he spoke again.

  ‘Fritz told anyone who’d listen about Rose. It appears he boasted about working with spies, and he knows of their child, a German hidden by an English woman,’ Jackson took a deep breath. ‘Most told him he was a fool, a dreamer, but a couple of guards started to ask questions.’

  Elenor gasped and allowed Jackson to take her in his arms.

  ‘It won’t be long before they start taking things seriously. Oh Jackson, what shall I do? They can’t take her from me, they can’t. And Fritz, do you think he’s here? I wonder if he’s the one we think is our thief. Someone was here last night. I think Titch has something to do with it as well.’ Elenor started to pace around the floor. ‘I must think. Maybe get away, take Rose somewhere else. Back to Coventry? No, no, there’s nothing there for us. Maybe Mrs Green, perhaps I could …’

  ‘Stop. Slow down, Elenor. We don’t know who believes him, and now he’s on the run they’ll probably brush what he said aside. Keep calm. I’ll find out what I can and get back to you with news. Ron felt you should know, I wasn’t sure at first, but honey, we must keep the secret to protect Rose, so stay strong for her. Titch is all hot air. Trust me.’

  ‘Oh, I do Jackson, with my life,’ Elenor said and kissed his lips with such fierceness, he pulled back. ‘But someone has sent notes, only with London and Coventry written on them, but I’m sure they are from Fritz.’

  ‘I’ll look into it but I have to go, Elenor. Remain calm and give this to Rose for Christmas. It’s my version of a totem pole. Tell her about them, this is my story. It has a rose and a heart, along with a maple leaf. She’s my English Rose, the leaf is native to my country, and you are my heart, you are all part of my story Elenor. We will get through this together. ‘

  ‘I’m afraid I’ll lose you,’ Elenor said with throaty emotion. Her tears flowed freely, and an overwhelming darkness gripped her thoughts.

  With a gentle easing of her fingers from his arm, Jackson released her hold and Elenor stepped to one side. Jackson walked to the door but stopped and took a step back to her. He pulled her turban scarf away from her head and raked his fingers through her hair. It tugged but Elenor never complained, she felt his love in the way he held her. He cupped her face in his hands and kissed her again. His final gesture was a gentle stroke of his thumb across her cheek. Neither spoke as he walked away. Elenor heard him call for Ron, and the click of their boots as they walked across the yard. She listened for the gate to click shut, and for Susie to come back indoors.

  Christmas and New Year held no excitement for her, but she had to pretend for the sake of the others. She was grateful to Jackson for telling her about the German, but she wondered if she’d been better off not knowing he now wandered the English countryside posing a threat to all she held dear. Word in the village was that a brother and sister in their late sixties were reporting people for minor rule-breaking acts. Elenor often shivered when she walked past their home knowing they would relish the opportunity to be the ones ousting out protectors of the enemy. If ever they heard of Rose’s bloodline they would waste little time telling all who came into contact with them.

  Susie banged around the kitchen, in an obviously lovesick mood. With Rose due home from school the atmosphere in the home needed lifting.

  ‘Well, at least we can assume we know who is sneaking around at night. He’ll get more than he bargained for soon. I’ve a new bull arriving and am going to convert the top field into his grazing ground. Let’s see old Fritz get by the master of the farm when he arrives.’ Elenor gave a forced laugh.

  Chapter 52

  Rose came home from school and announced she was to be an angel in the school Christmas play. Everyone was astounded when Titch arrived home with a contribution, but no one dared ask how she’d come by them. Rose’s joy on seeing the parachute material with white feathers from an old feather boa brought smiles to everyone in the room. Tom and Dottie were dragged from the pasture to see her model it on the kitchen table, and Elenor insisted Tom stir the Christmas pudding and make a wish.

  ‘The wishes must all be the same in puddings around the country – the world, now,’ he said.

  ‘He’s right. I bet our wishes are all similar to each other’s,’ Susie said through a mouthful of pins.

  December had nudged its way into the end of the year with America mourning the attack on Pearl Harbour.

  ‘This will mean the Americans will be at war with them, then,’ Susie said when it was first announced.

  ‘No doubt. I wonder if it will affect us in any way,’ Elenor said. Her words were more of a statement than a question. ‘Thank goodness for our Commonwealth companions’.

  ‘You would say that, bein’ in love with a Canadian. I ’ope to see a bit of action when the boys from the USA arrive. ‘Eard they’re loaded,’ Titch said as she stitched feathers onto wire wings.

  Although wary of Titch’s sudden interest in Rose’s outfit and the way she was now working harder than ever, Elenor was grateful for her help and tried to be friendly.

  ‘What will your man say if you run off with one? You can’t leave him heartbroken, Titch.’

  ‘’Ere she goes, lookin’ at life through rosy specs,’ Titch said and gave a laugh.

  ‘I’ll shut up. You find your rich American, and the world will be perfect,’ Elenor said with jovial banter. She had no reason to believe Titch wouldn’t get her rich American, she appeared to have the knack of getting her own way.

  Jackson’s birthday came and went, only marked by Hitler taking command of his army, and a few days later the postman delivered the Christmas mail.

  Elenor held the small pile of post in her hands and placed them into orderly piles. Official letters and Christmas cards addressed to her and Rose, and cards for the others.

  One official envelope was from her solicitor. He informed her Rose was now registered as an orphan with no traceable immediate family. A second paper declared Elenor as the official guardian of Rose Sherbourne, parents deceased. If all went their way it would be formal by the summer. Elenor was confident the only barrier was Fritz. The summer could not come soon enough. Once the papers were signed and Rose was her child, he would have no grounds for spreading rumours or creating problems.

  She tore open more letters from various ministries and then made a start on a few Christmas cards.

  ‘Rose, your turn, open these,’ Elenor said and handed an excited Rose a small pile of cards.

  ‘Ooh, this is a pretty one. Look, a robin in the snow.’

  ‘Very pretty. It’s from Mrs Green. See if you can read the next one yourself,’ said Elenor.

  ‘Ah, a pretty angel, look Elenor. Oh, there’s just three words inside. Music, L
ondon, Coventry. How silly.’

  ‘Silly. A joke from someone. Could you fetch my cardigan please?’

  Once Rose was out of the room, Elenor pulled Susie to one side.

  ‘I think it is from Fritz.’

  Susie stared at her. ‘Why on earth would you think that? How could he send a card?’

  Elenor gave a small smile. ‘You’re right, of course. I’m letting my mind run away with me.’

  ‘I’ve found it.’ Rose sang out as she rushed back into the room.

  ‘Thank you. I think the card is from Sally’s dad. You keep opening them while I write to Jackson.’

  Elenor walked to the parlour and hid the card on the desk.

  She pulled out a sheet of writing paper and penned a letter to Jackson.

  Dearest J,

  I hope this letter finds you well. Rose is counting days until we see you again.

  All went well with the solicitor and I intend to speak with Rose once Christmas is over. It has occurred to me she might not want to be my daughter. She’s had parents and may feel it disrespectful to their memory. I have so much to consider about our future together. I also spoke with Tom and Dottie, and they have agreed to become her guardians if anything should happen to me. If it does Jackson, know I love you and please watch over my girl.

  She is to be an angel in the school nativity play on Christmas Eve. Even Titch has got involved with making the outfit. She gave us the material. Very cooperative nowadays but I don’t trust her.

  So far, and I am touching wood, there has been no sighting of our friend, Fred. I can only assume he no longer needs vegetables. He did send us a Christmas card though.

  Stay safe my darling. I miss you so very much.

  E x

  Sealing the envelope with a kiss, she went through into the kitchen.

  ‘All done. Now I’ve brawn to prepare, and tongue to press for Christmas.’

  ‘I’m off out. I ain’t ’angin’ around to watch that, got betta things to do. Catcha later,’ Titch said and pulled on her outside clothing.

  ‘Be careful, remember,’ Elenor said as the door clicked shut.