Pulling the blackout curtains together she thought of home. Of the dirty roofs and smoking chimney pots, the sounds of the river that she always took for granted. The hoots and horns and whistles and the smells of the oil and tar and wood, and the flotsam that washed up with the tide and dried out on the mossy stone wharfs. And as always she thought of Jim and their little love nest. When would it be their own again? Would they ever be free of Ricky?
The sound of the back door opening made her jump. She rushed into the kitchen and saw her mother.
‘Hello, love,’ Amy said tiredly. ‘Sorry we’re late. Your dad had his bike and we walked back from the hospital.’
‘How’s Ruby?’ Pearl asked as Syd came in.
‘They think the baby’s all right. Ruby could be short of iron and will have to stay in hospital for a while. She don’t like it much, but it’s for the best.’
‘They’ll look after her,’ said her father, hanging their coats up in the porch cupboard outside the door.
‘It was a fright this morning,’ said Amy fretfully as they all sat by the fire. ‘The doctor said she won’t be fit to travel for some while so your dad phoned Ricky from the hospital. Ruby gave us the telephone number of the Disabled Servicemen’s Centre.’
Her father’s expression gave nothing away. ‘He’ll be here tomorrow.’
Pearl felt quite sick. Ricky was coming here. It was the worst thing that could happen.
‘We’ll put him up for a few days,’ said her mother cheerfully. ‘I’ll have a nice roast in the oven. Your dad brought home a chicken from the farm and some veg from the allotment. And although I wish Ruby was with us, it will be lovely to see our son-in-law at last.’
Pearl stood up and went quickly to the kitchen to make the tea. She couldn’t let her parents see how distressed she was. She couldn’t escape Ricky and had no choice but to face him.
That night Pearl lay awake, staring at Ruby’s bed. The sound of Cynthia’s breathing was a comfort, but the thought of seeing Ricky made Pearl feel distraught.
She hadn’t drawn the blackout as the moon was a round silver ball shining in the sky. It reminded her of her honeymoon in Margate. If only she had listened to Jim. If only she hadn’t agreed to go to Brawton Manor.
So many ‘if onlys’ . . .
Pearl wondered what would happen tomorrow. Were Ricky’s feelings towards Ruby and the baby still the same?
She closed her eyes and said a prayer. She knew she was being selfish when she prayed that Ricky wouldn’t come.
But she knew he would. And she dreaded tomorrow.
Chapter 22
Amy washed the last dinner plate and carefully set it on the draining board. She had used her best china, hoping to impress their son-in-law, along with the roast chicken that had turned out a real treat.
The soft hum of voices came from the front room as she turned to meet her elder daughter’s gaze. ‘You all right, ducks?’
‘Yes, thanks.’
‘Why don’t you go in and join the men?’
‘No, I’ll help you.’
Amy paused, her frown deepening. ‘I hope you’re not sickening for something.’
‘No, I’m fine.’
‘You haven’t said boo to a goose all morning. Why don’t you go and get ready to visit your sister?’
Amy was concerned. She would have thought Pearl, being so close to Ruby, would be pleased that Ricky had finally come to visit. Not under the best circumstances perhaps, but now that he was here, perhaps they could all get closer after a difficult start. Pearl, however, was very quiet. She hadn’t said much to Ricky at all, although it may be that she was worried about her sister. From little girls they’d been inseparable. They’d shared everything and, unlike many others, had rarely argued. The bond between them was special, as both she and Syd knew, sometimes to their cost. They’d always back each other up, like two peas in a pod they were. She smiled as she remembered two little girls, blonde and green-eyed, playing dressing-up in the back yard at Roper’s Way, amongst all Syd’s clutter. Unlike a lot of the neighbourhood kids, they’d been content with each other’s company. She’d never had a minute’s trouble from either of them, but it was true, Pearl looked out for Ruby like an old mother hen.
‘Yes, all right,’ nodded Pearl in an absent-minded way. ‘I’ll put me slacks on and a warm jumper.’
‘I’m going to doll up a bit,’ Amy grinned. ‘Can’t let the side down, can I?’
‘You always look nice, Mum.’
‘Yes, but I’m making a special effort. Ricky is a very nice young man, don’t you think?’
‘Ruby thinks so.’
Amy took her hands from the water and dried them. ‘Abingley is perfect for a young family. And if Ricky doesn’t fancy the market job, he could get work at the aerodrome, if Syd put a word in for him.’
‘Have you and Dad talked it over?’
‘Yes, and he’s more than willing to vouch for Ricky if he should get an interview. Once he’s got the offer of a job, it speeds the application they would make to the council for housing. Frances told me.’
‘Has Dad talked to Ricky about this?’
‘No, but he will.’
Amy frowned as she saw her daughter’s expression. ‘We’re not interfering, you know. But I know what Ruby needs. Your father, God bless him, is the best husband in the world but he’s spoiled Ruby in the past and now she has to grow up. You’ve always been so independent, love, whilst Ruby is a daydreamer. Perhaps that’s why me and your dad took it so hard when they did what they did. I had high hopes of a good start for Ruby, just like we did for you.’ She sighed gently as she looked into her daughter’s face. ‘Life’s funny sometimes. Things just didn’t work out the way you thought. Take Roper’s Way – whoever would have thought we’d leave it, or should I say, that it would leave us? Whoever would have thought your dad would leave his job as a boilermaker and start work at an aerodrome? I mean, we’ve done very nicely thank you, as a result, but at the bottom of our hearts we’ve been wondering if we left Ruby too early – not that she didn’t have you, but she does need that extra bit of guidance.’
Pearl made no reply and Amy couldn’t understand why. Ruby was a wife now, and soon-to-be mother. But it didn’t stop her from being, in their eyes, their baby. Was Pearl feeling left out?
‘That’s not to say we don’t think a lot of you and Jim. Of course we do. And I do wish you’d put on a bit of weight. You’re skinny, my girl, not like you used to be, well rounded. Are you worried about something?’
‘No.’
Amy tried again. ‘You must be missing Jim.’
‘Yes, I am.’
‘He’ll soon be home safe and sound,’ Amy smiled, patting her daughter’s hand. ‘Now we must get ready for the hospital. The nurse said they don’t like everyone round the bed at the same time. So we can go in in twos. Me and your dad and you and Ricky. You youngsters don’t want old duffers around anyway.’
‘Mum, perhaps I shouldn’t go.’
‘Don’t be daft.’
‘She’ll want to see only Ricky.’
Amy shook her head. ‘What’s come over you? Where’s that lovely smile? Now cheer up and ask the men if they’d like a cup of tea.’
Amy watched her daughter reluctantly leave the kitchen. It must be Ruby’s condition that was putting Pearl out. She certainly wasn’t the same light-hearted and easy-going girl as she used to be. And her weight loss was dramatic. But Jim had been away for such a long time. He’d been lucky to get through the desert campaign, luckier still not to be wounded. But if the war ended soon, then they could start life over again.
Amy washed down the drainer, squeezing the cloth and draping it round the tap. She had her family around her at last. Not that she wished Ruby in hospital, but it had brought Ricky into the fold. He would see what a decent place Abingley was. A perfect setting for his future. From the bus, she could show him the market and shops. Then there were the new houses behind the pub. She’d me
ntion them casually and they were sure to catch his eye. Perhaps if Ruby and Ricky did evacuate, then Jim and Pearl would be tempted to follow . . .
Amy looked in the small square mirror nailed to the pantry door and tidied her hair. Removing her apron, she tucked her new blouse into her skirt and turned down the collar. Taking out her lipstick from the purse on the larder shelf, she smoothed on a fresh coat of red. Then, after applying a liberal dusting of powder to her nose, she felt ready for the men. Though she wasn’t one to put on airs and graces, she wanted to be at her best. After all, their son-in-law had served his country bravely. Would his hands be permanently covered by those ugly gloves, she wondered as she turned to put on the kettle. Had the burns on his body healed properly? It was understandable that they had wanted a low-key wedding service. Perhaps she would have done the same in Ruby’s position.
Pearl returned as Amy was closing the larder door. She was looking paler and more tense than ever.
‘Dad said they’ll give tea a miss.’
‘Yes, we don’t want to be late. The bus goes in half an hour.’ She turned off the kettle.
‘I’ll get changed.’
‘You can borrow my best coat if you like?’
‘Mum, we’re not going to the Ritz.’
Amy shook her head in concern. Pearl was definitely out of sorts. But then she reminded herself these were no ordinary times. Her girls had lived through the Blitz of London and were now in fear of the V2s. They had been forced to look after themselves without their men. Little Cynth had grown up without a father. And Ricky, a disabled veteran, was just becoming one. No, these were not ordinary times at all.
Pearl sat in the waiting room outside Ruby’s ward. They had taken turns in seeing Ruby, and now Ricky was in with her. Pearl was listening to her mother, who hadn’t stopped talking since they’d sat down.
‘It was lovely to find Ruby looking so well. And did you see her face when Ricky walked in? Oh, Syd, they make a lovely couple.’
Her father nodded and Pearl wondered what had been said between the two men earlier that day.
‘So, we’ll sleep Ricky and Syd in your room, Pearl, and you and I can share the double, and Cynth can go beside us. Now, when we get home there’s cold chicken for supper and I can fry up some bubble and squeak—’
‘Amy,’ Syd stopped her, shifting his position uneasily on the hard hospital chair, ‘it might be best to give the lad a bit of a breather. I’ll walk him across the green to the Badgers for a pint.’
‘Just remember you’ve got work tomorrow.’
‘I said a pint, love, not a skinful.’
‘Yes, a man-to-man chat might be a good idea,’ agreed Amy thoughtfully, ‘whilst me and Pearl get the beds ready.’ She tapped her husband’s arm. ‘You can take your time, love, and show him them nice houses at the back of the pub. That little estate by the fields.’
‘Showing him the inside of the Badgers will be as far as I get this evening, Amy. Me feet are killing me in these shoes. I should have left me boots on.’
‘You’re getting old before your time,’ sighed Amy. ‘Getting you to dress up is like prizing a winkle out of its shell.’
Pearl glanced across at her father and he gave her a wink. At least Ricky would be occupied for the best part of the evening. But what was going to happen next week? How long was he going to stay? Nothing had yet been said.
When the bell rang for the end of visiting, Ricky walked out.
‘All right, lad?’ said Syd.
Ricky nodded abruptly as he did up the buttons on his jacket.
‘We’re just in time for the bus,’ said Amy, urging them all along the corridor. ‘It leaves in ten minutes.’
Outside the last of the sun was shining over the green hedges and through the tall, leafless chestnut trees. The leaves that were left in the gutters were crumpled and orange, the only reminder of summer.
Pearl was careful to keep beside her mother as the two men walked ahead. She had managed to avoid Ricky’s gaze, but she was living on her nerves.
That evening, after Cynthia was asleep and supper was over, Ricky, who had said very little, turned to Amy. ‘Thank you, Mrs Jenkins, it was a most enjoyable meal.’
‘Well, you need building up,’ said Amy, patting his arm but taking care to keep well away from his gloved hand. ‘You must have missed Ruby’s cooking. She can turn out a very nice dish.’
Ricky nodded. ‘Yes. Both your daughters can cook very well.’
‘What, our Pearl, an’ all?’ said Amy, surprised.
‘Yes, indeed.’ Ricky looked at Pearl, his gaze dark and enquiring. She turned quickly away.
‘Jim will be pleased with that verdict,’ said Amy with a chuckle.
‘Ah, talking of Jim . . .’ Ricky stood up, ‘I have a letter for you, Pearl.’ He left the table and went out to the hall where the coats were hung. ‘I’m sorry, I should have given it to you when I arrived,’ he said when he returned, passing her an envelope. ‘I’m afraid that with all that went with Ruby, it slipped my mind.’
When she read her name, written in Jim’s sprawling handwriting on the front of the Blue Triangle air-mail letter, her heart gave a leap.
‘We’ll give Pearl a minute or two on her own,’ said her father, signalling to Ricky. ‘I fancy a smoke outside. You coming, son?’
Ricky accompanied her father outside and Pearl opened the letter.
‘I’ll get on with the washing-up,’ said Amy, collecting the plates and leaving her alone.
In the silence she began to read Jim’s words. The tears were very close as they always were when she heard from him. But this evening, his words felt even more special.
Syd wasn’t a man to be judgemental, but he was in two minds about his son-in-law. Not that he’d share his concerns with his wife, because he could see that Amy had been well and truly won over. She’d forgotten just how upset she’d been when they’d received Ruby’s letter in April, telling them she’d be married by the time they received it. Ruby had said it was Ricky who’d been her first concern, that because of his disfigurement he didn’t want any photos taken. She’d also admitted that it was she who’d taken the decision to marry in hospital. But to Syd’s mind, it was marrying in haste for no reason. The lad would have recovered sooner or later, and if it was later, then Ruby should have had the good sense to wait. But that was Ruby all over. She’d act before she thought, and Syd knew the real reason she’d not asked them was because she knew he would have talked her out of it.
Enjoying the quiet evening, Syd looked up at the sky as he smoked. He’d asked Ricky if he could roll one for him, but was refused. He was certainly a different kettle of fish from his other son-in-law, Jim. Were the two men now friends? After that little shindig at the wedding, neither Pearl nor Jim had elaborated. But Syd liked Jim. He was a solid sort. And a man who wouldn’t take umbrage without good reason.
* * *
Syd stamped his chilled feet into life. It was a cold November night and the weather turning to frost. What sort of things was this young man interested in? What aspirations did he have? And those gloves of his, did he really have to wear them?
‘So, did you lose your ship, son?’ Syd asked as his breath curled whitely into the air.
‘Yes, twice, I’m sorry to say.’
‘How do you account for that?’ Syd asked curiously.
‘We have radar-equipped aircraft now. They attack the U-boats on the surface and it was bad luck that we were holed, just when things were getting better.’
Syd didn’t miss the passion of this reply. ‘Read a bit about the Atlantic campaigns; bloody cold and dangerous waters those. About time we sent that Dönitz packing.’
‘Indeed. But as a commander, Dönitz is a hero to his submariners. It’s widely known that if the Führer had listened to him earlier and made more U-boats, our navy would have been in dire trouble.’
Once again Syd was struck by such enthusiasm. ‘You miss the navy, do you?’
‘I
t is – was – my life.’
So that was it, Syd thought with a glimmer of understanding. He was missing life on the waves. Some men would be glad to be out of it, but not this one. ‘Any chance of a desk job along those lines?’ he asked matter-of-factly.
‘If there was, half of those now demobbed would want it.’
‘So what is it you’re after?’
The tall silhouette turned slowly. ‘To be honest, I don’t quite know.’
It was a fair enough reply and Syd didn’t press the point. Just as he was about to bring the job at the aerodrome into the conversation, Amy opened the back door. ‘Put out the light, love!’ shouted Syd, dropping his roll-up and squashing it firmly under his slipper.
‘Syd! Come in! Quick!’
Turning, he hurried after her. The first thing he saw was Pearl’s wide, frightened eyes as she held the letter in her hand. ‘What’s up? What’s wrong, love?’
‘Jim’s been wounded.’
‘Christ.’ Syd went to his daughter and took her arm. ‘Come and sit down.’ He led her to the couch. ‘Now, is it bad? Where is he?’
She handed him the letter. Syd found his glasses and, taking a seat on the couch, read aloud: ‘“Not much to write home about this time, Pearl, as I’ve got meself a leg wound. I’m writing from the field hospital, can’t say where and nothing else neither, but I can tell you, I’m kitted out to move tomorrow and am likely to be shipped home very soon.”’
‘Blimey, he’s on his way,’ Syd breathed heavily.
‘Dad, a leg wound,’ said his daughter. ‘Why don’t he say more about it?’
‘The censor is tough in instances like this,’ interrupted Ricky. ‘I was unable to let Ruby know before Brawton.’
‘Jim says he’s being shipped out,’ Syd nodded. ‘That means they’ll bring him across the Channel. Well, ducks, looks like you’ll have your old man back quicker than a shake of the dog’s tail.’
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