‘And do you think she’ll keep her mouth shut?’ Tom asked.
Lily shook her head. ‘She can’t keep a secret.’
‘That’s it then!’ Tom put Lily’s spoon in her hand. ‘Eat up, and then we’ll talk over what we should do next.’
Much to Dora’s relief, Lily finished every bit of her stew, and the colour had returned to her cheeks.
‘Right, let’s get this lot cleared up.’ Tom began to scoop up the plates. ‘Dora, you wash, I’ll dry, and Lily can put everything away.’
As soon as the last dish was stacked, they sat around the table again.
‘What do you think we should do, Dora?’ Tom asked.
‘Now someone knows besides Mr Crawford it changes things.’ Dora squeezed Lily’s hand reassuringly. ‘I doubt we could have kept Mum’s disappearance a secret for very long anyway, so I suggest we bring it out into the open.’
‘Tell the police, you mean?’ Tom looked doubtfully at Lily. ‘I don’t like that idea, Dora. It could cause us a lot of trouble … you know …’
Dora knew what her brother feared – that as soon as it was known that they were living here on their own, the authorities might come in and try to interfere. There was no way they would allow Lily to be taken from them, even for a short time. ‘I’ll be eighteen soon, and I’ll fight if someone tries to come in and tell us what to do. I’m sure Mr Crawford will help us deal with the authorities, if need be.’
There was silence around the table. Dora said, ‘That’s my opinion. Your turn next, Tom.’
‘I can see that it might be for the best, or else rumours could start to fly, and that would cause even more trouble. Stan’s a nice bloke, but he’s hurt bad and might not be able to manage the running around needed. You told us when we got home that he hadn’t been able to find out anything today. We don’t know where Mum went every night. It might be a district covered by another station, and Stan can’t go to all the police stations asking questions.’ Tom lifted his hands in a gesture of surrender. ‘I don’t see we have much choice.’
Dora turned to Lily. ‘And what do you think, sweetie?’
‘Dunno. What will Mr Crawford say?’ Lily fixed her eyes on the floor. ‘We ought to tell him what I’ve done.’
Dora smiled reassuringly at her distressed sister. ‘I think we ought to as well. We’ll go and talk to him now, shall we?’
Lily nodded, not looking up. ‘Will he be angry with me?’
‘No! Of course not.’ Tom lifted her chin and smiled. ‘You haven’t done anything bad. He’ll understand, and it’ll probably make things easier for him now he doesn’t have to keep it a secret. He wanted us to tell the police anyway, so I expect he’ll be pleased. Come on, let’s go and see him.’
As they walked up to Stan’s front door, Tom said, ‘Neighbours are going to start wondering why we keep coming here all of a sudden.’
‘Let them wonder.’ Dora dismissed the thought. She had enough to worry about at the moment.
After knocking they waited, expecting Stan to take time reaching the door, but it was opened quickly.
The woman standing there took Dora aback. ‘Er … we’d like to see Mr Crawford, please. If it isn’t convenient we’ll come back another time.’
‘No need for that. I’m his sister, Winnie Tanner.’ She smiled. ‘Please come in.’
Winnie didn’t give them a chance to turn away, but took hold of Lily’s hand and ushered them inside.
When Stan saw them he began to get to his feet. Dora held up her hand. ‘Please stay where you are. We’re sorry to bother you, but we need your advice.’
Winnie was smiling down at Lily. ‘Hello, Lily. Do you remember me? I’ve seen you at the school, and June’s told me all about you.’
‘We’re friends,’ Lily whispered, glancing anxiously at her brother and sister for support.
‘June likes you very much.’ Winnie stooped down in front of Lily. ‘She told me your mother hasn’t come home.’
‘Oh …’ Tears filled Lily’s eyes as she rushed to Dora.
‘It’s all right, sweetie,’ Dora told her. ‘Don’t get upset again. Everything’s going to be all right.’
‘Ah.’ Stan stood up. ‘I see what the problem is. Put the kettle on, Win. We’ll all have a strong cup of tea while we talk this over.’
They trooped into the kitchen and sat around the table while Winnie and Dora saw to the tea.
‘It’s no good you looking at me like that, Stan,’ Winnie said, ignoring her brother’s pointed glances from her to the door. ‘I’m staying.’
He sighed as the cups were handed round. ‘Is that all right?’ Stan asked. ‘She already knows, and you can trust my sister.’
Dora noted the firm line of Mrs Tanner’s mouth and decided that it would be daft to argue. Brother and sister were very alike. Both determined people. She nodded.
‘Right.’ Stan took a gulp of tea. ‘Tell me what you want to do about this.’
Dora told him about their discussion, and how they’d decided that it might be best to bring it out into the open. When she finished there was silence. ‘We wanted to talk to you before we did anything.’
‘Hmm.’ Stan stood up and propped himself against the sink, deep in thought.
Lily became agitated again as the silence stretched. ‘I didn’t mean to tell. It just came out. I’m frightened. Where’s my mum? Why hasn’t she come home? What’s going to happen to us? Where is she? I want my mum!’
Winnie was the quickest to react, gathering the distressed child into her arms and rocking her gently. ‘There, there, my dear. Nothing bad’s going to happen to you. We’re all here to look after you.’
Seeing that Lily was clinging desperately to Mrs Tanner, Dora went and stood in front of Stan. She was shaking so badly she could hardly stop her teeth from chattering. ‘We’ve got to ask the police to look for Mum. We can’t go on like this. It’s too much for Lily.’
‘It’s too much for all of you.’ Stan held Dora’s shaking hands in a firm clasp, his large hands swamping hers.
She looked down at his long fingers curled around her delicate hands, felt the strength coming from him, and was comforted. This was an absolute nightmare, but they weren’t alone.
Tom had joined them, looking as pale as Dora felt. ‘We were daft to think we could keep this a secret, weren’t we?’
Lily’s wails became louder and all attention focused on her.
Dora spun away from Stan and went to comfort her sister. ‘Ah, sweetie, don’t take on so. We’ll tell the police and get a big search going for her.’
‘Suppose they can’t find her?’ Lily gasped between her sobs.
‘We’ll find her, little one.’ Stan swept Lily away from Winnie and the little girl nestled her head on his shoulder. ‘We’re all here for you. You’re quite safe.’
‘She was quite calm at first.’ Tom was struggling to hide his distress.
Winnie nodded. ‘The realisation that her mother’s missing has probably just hit her.’
Like Tom, Dora fought with her emotions. They both hated to see their sister upset, but this was a terrible crisis, and it was understandable that she was so distressed. Lily was allowing herself to be passed from one person to another, grasping at comfort wherever she could find it.
The awful sobs were fading now and Dora swept a hand over her own eyes to clear her vision. Lily was in Stan’s arms, her face tucked into his neck, holding on as tightly as she could. Dora couldn’t help being struck by the strength of the man comforting her sister. Lily was no lightweight, but he was holding her with ease. He was able to do this by leaning on the sink and taking the entire burden on his good leg. Her heart went out to him in sympathy. Before being injured in the war he must have been a man to be reckoned with, and a good policeman. How frustrated he must be with the restrictions he now faced. And she must face this nightmare with the same courage he was showing.
Winnie turned Lily’s head until she could see her face. ‘Listen,
my dear, until your mother is found you can come and stay with me, if you like.’
Lily shook her head. ‘Dora and Tom look after me.’
‘Of course they do.’ Winnie smiled at Dora. ‘The offer will always be there, and you must promise to come to me if you need any kind of help. I live in the next road, number fourteen.’
‘Thank you, Mrs Tanner.’ Dora accepted gratefully. Stan and his sister were almost strangers – their mother had never mixed with neighbours, or encouraged them to do so – and yet they were willing to help. It was so very kind of them.
After putting Lily down, Stan sat at the table again, and Dora didn’t miss the flash of pain in his eyes as he moved to the chair. She was beginning to watch him with concern. ‘Can’t they do something about Stan’s leg?’ she whispered to Winnie, as they collected up the cups.
‘Only cut it off, and he won’t let them do that.’ There was sadness in her voice when she spoke. ‘I lost one brother in that blasted war, and the other came home with his body and life shattered. But by asking Stan for help you’ve given him a purpose and made him feel useful and needed again. If I can ever help you in any way, Dora, then you must come and let me know.’
‘I’ll do that, Mrs Tanner.’ Anger raced through Dora, as it always did when she thought about the blighted lives the war had caused. Young men like Stan would have to live with the consequences of that madness for the rest of their lives. ‘I’m sorry about your other brother.’
Winnie nodded. ‘Harry was the eldest, and we miss him so much. But you know all about loss, don’t you? Stan told me your father was killed in France – and now your mother has disappeared. How terrible for you, my dear.’
‘Not knowing what’s happened is just awful.’
Stan put a stop to their quiet conversation by turning his head and looking at them. ‘Stop whispering back there and put the kettle on again, Win, and find a drink of milk for Lily, while we sort this out.’
They settled once again, all eyes fixed on Stan, waiting.
‘It should make things easier now we don’t need to keep this a secret any longer. Though I understood your reasons for doing so. Your mother’s been missing long enough for the police to take her disappearance seriously. We need to widen the search, and we can’t do that without help.’
All heads nodded in agreement.
‘What I suggest is that I report this as a concerned friend. I’ll talk it over with my brother-in-law first. He’s Winnie’s husband and a policeman at the local station. If I can get Reg involved then we might be able to keep this low-key for the time being. He’ll want to talk to you, but I’ll be there when he does.’ Stan glanced around at the white-faced youngsters and asked gently, ‘Is that all right with you? If not we’ll try to think of another way.’
Dora looked at her brother and sister for approval, but in all truth, they didn’t have any choice in the matter now. When they nodded, she said, ‘We agree. And thank you very much for your help and understanding. We’re feeling so lost and confused that it’s hard to think straight.’
‘That isn’t surprising,’ Winnie told them. ‘You can safely leave everything with Stan. You go home and try to get some rest. Lily’s almost asleep.’
When they’d gone, Stan and Winnie watched them walk back to their house.
‘Do you think Mrs Bentley’s done a runner, Stan?’
‘That was my first thought when they came to see me, but now I know more, I believe that’s unlikely. She’s a good mother and the children love her. She’s always worked hard to give them a better life, she even taught them herself at weekends to make sure they had a good standard of education. It’s inconceivable she would leave them like this.’
‘She’s well educated then?’
‘Seems like it. Those youngsters are well spoken, and they’re no fools.’
‘How long have they lived here?’
‘About two years.’ Stan turned from the window and lurched for a chair, falling into it with a grimace. ‘But we don’t know anything about Mrs Bentley, do we?’
‘No, she kept to herself, and she never spoke when she picked up Lily from school – except to say good afternoon politely. But this is the first time I’ve ever met Dora and Tom.’
Stan nodded. ‘Odd, isn’t it? But Mrs Bentley obviously had secrets, that’s why she kept aloof from everyone. And that’s what’s worrying me. Once this investigation gets under way, what the hell are we going to uncover?’
‘You call on me, Stan. Those poor children are going to need all the support they can get. What do you think the chances are of their mother still being alive?’
‘Slim. Very slim.’
Chapter Five
‘Did you get much sleep?’ Tom sat at the table bleary-eyed.
‘Not much. I was worried about Lily.’ Dora buttered toast for her brother. ‘She was exhausted though, poor thing, and slept right through the night. How about you?’
‘Not a wink. What are we going to do, Dora? I know we found that few pounds, but it won’t last long, will it?’
‘Oh, don’t worry. I’ve got my job, and if we’re careful we’ll manage for a while.’
‘But what if Mum never comes back? What will we do then, Dora?’
It was obvious that Tom had been turning everything over in his mind during the night.
‘We’ll look for a cheaper place to rent, for a start.’ Dora felt sick with worry, but tried not to let it show. Tom was grey, and Lily’s outburst yesterday had shaken them both. ‘We’ll stay here for as long as we can though, and hope everything works out in the end. Mum could still come back.’
Tom shook his head. ‘If Mum could get back she’d have been here by now. We must prepare ourselves for the worst. The uncertainty is the awful thing.’
‘Yes, it is, but we’ve got to hang on, Tom, for Lily’s sake. And we’re not on our own. Stan and his sister are helping us.’
Tom nodded. ‘That was a good idea of Lily’s about going to see Stan. I wonder what Mrs Tanner’s husband is like.’
‘We’ll soon find out.’ Dora placed a hand over her heart as if the action would stop it racing. ‘He’ll be round as soon as Stan’s told him.’
‘No doubt.’ Tom glanced at the clock. ‘You’d better hurry, Dora, or you’ll be late. I’ll get Lily up and take her to school. Can I have some money to get something for tea?’
Dora counted out two shillings. ‘Get some bread and perhaps a few biscuits as a treat for Lily.’
‘I’ll get the broken ones. They’re cheaper, and Lily won’t mind.’ Tom pocketed the money.
‘If you both want to stay at home today, I’ll write notes for you and drop them in on my way to work.’
‘No!’ Tom was emphatic. ‘It’s better if we carry on as usual. I don’t want to miss any lessons. You know how important Mum said our schooling was. So off you go.’
‘Oh Tom, you’re so sensible in a crisis.’ Dora could have hugged her brother, but he’d never been one to show his feelings – except with Lily. ‘I don’t know what I’d do without you.’
He shrugged. ‘We’ve got to help each other as much as we can. I can’t let you take on the whole burden. Mum lied to us, Dora, and she was the one who always told us to be honest. I just don’t understand it. Goodness knows what’s going to come to light. But whatever happens, we’ve got to look after each other.’
Dora agreed with every word Tom said, and felt so ill she wondered how she was going to get through the day. What she wanted to do was go with Stan, but that was out of the question. They were relying on her money now, so she must just grit her teeth and get on with it.
When Dora arrived at the house she found everyone in a high state of excitement. Trunks, cases and boxes were being dragged up from the cellar, and every member of the staff was rushing around.
‘What’s going on, Cook?’ Dora asked.
‘We’re moving to Scotland.’
‘How long for?’
‘For good. The master
’s inherited a place up there. A castle, I’m told.’ With a disapproving snort, the cook carried on rolling out pastry for the meat pie she was making for lunch. ‘Bound to be cold with terrible draughts – and what’s the rush, I ask?’
Dora was so stunned by the news that her feet wouldn’t move. The nightmare she was living had just got worse.
‘Good, you’re here.’ Mrs Marsden, the housekeeper, bustled into the kitchen. ‘You’ve heard the news, Dora?’
She nodded, speechless.
‘You’re a good, reliable worker,’ the housekeeper continued, ‘and the mistress said there’s a permanent place on the staff for you at the new residence. This house will be closed in a week’s time.’
The room swayed and Dora held on to the table for support. Oh, dear God, she prayed silently, not this as well. Her world was collapsing around her and turning to dust.
‘What is your answer?’ Mrs Marsden was obviously irritated when Dora didn’t speak.
After taking a deep breath to clear her head, Dora struggled to maintain her dignity. Another thing their mother had always impressed upon them was that they must never make a scene in public. ‘That’s very kind of the mistress, but I won’t be able to leave my family.’
‘That’s a great pity. I shall be sorry to lose you, but you’ll be given an excellent reference.’
‘Thank you,’ was all Dora could manage to say. Memories of the many interviews she’d had to go through before she had been given this job were still vivid in her mind. Most households wanted a maid who lived in, and that was something she couldn’t do.
The rest of the day was a blur of activity. It was no small task to move such a large house, and by the time Dora reached home she was exhausted. But even worse, there was a feeling of hopelessness. What were they going to do if she couldn’t get another job quickly?
‘You look like you’ve had a rough day,’ Tom remarked, studying his big sister with concern.
Dora hugged Lily. ‘How are you, sweetie?’
‘All right,’ Lily said with a quiver of her lip. ‘I was hoping Mum would be here when we got home, but she wasn’t. Do you think she’s lost and can’t find her way back? Perhaps she’s lost her memory.’
Diamonds in the Dust Page 4