She found Maisie sitting on a seat close to the door that led to the staff area with Betty kneeling by her side. ‘Maisie, what on earth . . .’ she started to say until her friend groaned in pain. ‘How long have you been feeling like this?’ she asked, nodding to a colleague to move the inquisitive shoppers away.
‘Most of the night, but I was being bumped about in an army lorry.’ She tried to laugh. ‘Don’t look at me like that, Sarah, I wanted ter be with me friends and if you weren’t coming ter me, I decided to come home ter you all.’
Sarah felt ashamed that she’d let her friend down by not visiting her, and even the telephone calls hadn’t happened as often as they’d been promised, but Betty interrupted before she could open her mouth to apologize. ‘Maisie, you can blame me for your friends not being with you when you needed them. I took time off work at the busiest time of the year and for that I’m sincerely sorry. Please don’t fall out with your friends over this.’
Maisie shrugged as another pain ripped through her body. ‘Ouch . . . I ain’t one to bear a grudge but p’raps we should talk about it later or this’ll be the first time a kid’s been born in Woolies.’
‘We need to fetch a doctor,’ Betty suggested.
‘No, we need to get Maisie to the Hainault maternity home. It’s not far from here, but we have to find transport and pretty quickly,’ Sarah said, looking around her for inspiration. Through the glass front of the Woolworths store she could see a horse and cart pulling up outside. It was Pat’s husband, John, delivering vegetables, and Pat was sitting by his side. ‘Aunty Pat!’ Sarah called as she ran through the doors and out into the street. ‘Aunty Pat, we need your help.’
Pat jumped down and hurried over to her niece and gave her a hug. ‘It’s lovely to see you, Sarah. What’s the problem?’
Sarah quickly explained and before too long the women had helped Maisie onto the back of the cart with Sarah climbing on beside her.
‘I’ll track down David and let him know what has happened,’ Betty called after them.
It was only as the horse trotted off up Pier Road towards the maternity home that Sarah realized that Betty was now wearing a shiny new gold wedding ring on her left hand.
Ruby gazed around her small kitchen. There was hardly any space to work, what with the hessian sack of potatoes delivered by Pat’s husband at the crack of dawn, along with a wooden crate containing all kinds of vegetables taking up space on the draining board. ‘I need to get myself organized,’ she muttered.
Rolling up her sleeves, she checked a saucepan half filled with peeled Brussel sprouts and tried to calculate how many people she’d be feeding the next day. She was used to having many people around her table, but it would take considerably more sprouts to feed this lot. ‘This’ll take a month of Sundays, Nelson,’ she said aloud before realizing her faithful companion was not with her. She felt tears prick her eyes. ‘Stop it, you silly mare,’ she scolded herself. ‘It’s only a blooming dog.’
‘Cooee, Mum! Are you home?’ a voice called out as the front door opened.
Ruby wiped her eyes and called back, ‘I’m in the kitchen, Pat.’ She hoped her daughter wasn’t here to cause a ruction about having to return home from Cornwall to her husband. She’d had enough upset these past couple of days and would tell her so as well.
‘Blimey, Mum, what’s all this?’ Pat asked as she spied her mum at the kitchen sink. ‘Are you feeding the five thousand?’
‘It feels like it,’ Ruby said. ‘How are you?’
‘I’m all right, Mum. I was going to come round and talk to you, but with what happened just now I thought I’d pop in with the news sooner rather than later.’
‘News? You’re not going back down to Cornwall, are you?’ Ruby asked, throwing her knife into the sink in annoyance.
‘No, you can rest assured that I’m home for good. I shouldn’t have got so hot under the collar over our George speaking to Jago like he did. He was right. The children were living like wild animals and the boys should not have been up to no good so late at night,’ she sighed.
‘From what I hear it was hardly “no good” as they was doing men’s work in a way, helping people to escape the enemy.’
‘Bob told you?’
‘I insisted Bob and George spill the beans after your letter arrived. I’m none too pleased with Bob for not telling me at the time, but there again I’d probably have interfered too much,’ she said, checking to see if the pile of sprouts had grown any bigger. It hadn’t.
‘Anyway, I’m home now and you should forgive Bob. He did what was right at the time.’
‘I’ll let him stew for a while longer,’ Ruby grinned. ‘It doesn’t hurt a man to think he’s in the dog house from time to time.’ Her heart lurched as she said the word ‘dog’, making her think of Nelson lying at the vet’s all on his own. ‘Now, what else do you have to tell me? You burst in here like the house was on fire.’
‘It’s Maisie. She’s back and she’s in labour up at the Hainault. John and me gave her a lift on the cart. I left our Sarah with her until David arrives. Not that they’ll let him in until she’s had the kiddie.’
‘Blimey! I thought she was safe and living the life of luxury with David’s family. I wonder what has happened?’
‘I’ve no idea, but I reckon the way she’s going Maisie will be a mum by the end of today.’
‘A Christmas Eve baby. That’ll be nice,’ Ruby smiled. ‘That’ll be something worth celebrating. Now, who the hell is that?’ she said as someone banged on the door.
‘I’ll get it. Why don’t you put the kettle on then have a rest? I’ll make the tea when I’ve seen who is at the door.’
Vera staggered in with a heavy basket on her arm. ‘Happy Christmas,’ she called out. ‘I’ve got a few things here for tomorrow. My granddaughter can’t join me for Christmas dinner, so I thought I’d bring these to you so we can have them with our meal.’ She pulled out a bottle of sherry, a large plum pudding and a chicken complete with its feathers. ‘They were given to her by her boss. He appreciates what she does for him, you know,’ she said smugly.
Ruby winked at her daughter before eyeing the vegetables waiting to be peeled. ‘Roll up your sleeves, ladies, or we’ll still be preparing dinner on Boxing Day and I for one would like to go to midnight mass this evening.’
‘Now, mind your step. The edge of the pavement’s along here somewhere. Whatever you do, don’t let go of my arm or I’ll lose the lot of you,’ Bob said as he tapped ahead of him with a walking stick. ‘Thank goodness I held on to this after that time Mike broke his ankle.’
‘Never get rid of a thing, that’s my motto. You never know when it’ll come in handy,’ Ruby said, gripping onto Bob’s arm as if her life depended on it. ‘Are you all right there, Maureen, Sarah?’ she asked, looking over her shoulder to where her granddaughter and the girl’s mother-in-law were following close behind. ‘I’ve never known fog be so thick.’
‘I’m right here, Nan. It was a good idea of yours to tie our coat belts together. At least if we get lost, we’ll still be together. I thought we’d never get to church this evening with the weather so bad.’
‘Although we might end up at the bottom of the Thames if we take a wrong turn,’ Vera muttered.
‘Blimey, you’re a ray of sunshine,’ Bob called out.
‘Vera? I didn’t know you were with us,’ Ruby said, thanking God she hadn’t been having a moan about her neighbour. The woman could be a fool to herself sometimes but at least they were talking again. Ruby didn’t like a bad atmosphere, although at times it couldn’t be avoided when Vera was leading off about something.
‘I tagged on behind Maureen. I’m hanging on to her sleeve.’
‘Well, mind your step or we’ll all come a cropper.’
‘Blimey,’ Bob muttered, ‘I feel like a tugboat pulling along a load of cackling women.’
‘Mind what you say or you’ll find yourself floundering alone with your stick when we cast you adrif
t,’ Ruby told him with a laugh. ‘Where do you think we are now? I hope we aren’t by the river. The ships sound close letting off their foghorns like they are. It’s really mournful.’
‘I feel as though we’ve walked all the way to London my feet are aching so much,’ Vera moaned out.
‘It’s kind of romantic and reminds me of that song about the fog and London,’ Sarah said wistfully.
‘Now that is a romantic song,’ Maureen said.
‘A foggy day, in London town . . .’ a male voice crooned from somewhere behind them.
‘What the . . . ? Who is that?’ Ruby called out as the rich male voice continued to sing.
‘Alan! Oh my God, it’s Alan,’ Sarah shrieked, reaching out to find her husband in the swirling fog.
Alan picked up his wife and swung her around as Maureen detached her from the chain of people who’d tied themselves together. There were times, even in a thick fog, that couples needed to be alone. She reached in her pocket and found her new door key and slipped it into her son’s hand.
‘We’re nearly home. I take it you’ll be staying with us tonight under the circumstances,’ Ruby said to Maureen as Bob opened the gate to number thirteen.
‘If that is all right with you, Ruby? It was good of Freda to look after the youngsters rather than come to church with us.’
‘If truth be known, she’s still exhausted after the accident and she insisted on going into work today, even though she’s only got the one hand in use at the moment. Young Lenny and his mate are sitting with her as Mike went on duty after visiting Gwyneth this evening. But she wasn’t too tired to put on a little lipstick and her best blouse after she met that friend of her brother’s. Our Freda will be all right in time. One day she’ll meet the right lad and settle down. It may take a few years but it will happen. Why, look at how things have turned out for Gwyneth and Mike.’
‘That’s a love story in the making,’ Maureen said as she sighed, thinking of what Mike had explained to them all about Gwyneth’s past. ‘And now young Myfi has started to talk.’
‘And she’s making up for lost time. I swear she’s not stopped chatting since the accident, as if nothing in her past had happened . . . Who’s that waiting on my doorstep?’
‘It’s me, Mrs C. I have news. I’m a father. Maisie gave birth to a little girl just before midnight.’ David Carlisle held up a bottle of champagne. ‘I thought we’d wet the head of Miss Ruby Freda Carlisle. That’s if it’s not too late?’
‘It’s never too late to welcome a new baby into the world,’ Ruby declared with a lump in her throat.
‘We have another guest for dinner, Mum,’ George called out from the hallway.
‘Whoever can it be?’ Ruby muttered to herself as she left the steamy confines of her kitchen, wiping her hands on her crossover pinny as she went through to the hall to welcome the new guest, whoever it might be. ‘We have the world and his neighbour already sitting down to dine. The two chickens will just have to stretch a little further and I’ll boil a few more spuds. Who have I forgotten? I’d best borrow a few chairs from Vera,’ she muttered to herself.
‘Here’s a hungry lad,’ George laughed as he staggered towards his mum with a happy Nelson in his arms.
‘We couldn’t let him stay at the vet’s on Christmas Day,’ Bob said as he closed the front door and helped George place Nelson on the floor.
‘Oh my!’ Ruby declared as she knelt to give this special dog a big hug. ‘Thank you both so much,’ she said, looking up at her son and also at the man who meant such a lot to her. Nelson gave a loud bark and limped off to the kitchen in search of food. ‘Don’t you touch those chickens or I’ll ring your bloody neck,’ she called out as she hurried after him.
‘That’s Mum’s Christmas complete,’ George said to Bob. ‘Best not tell her the vet begged us to take him home as he was howling the place down. I’ve got some bottles of brown ale in the front room. Fancy one? You look as though you could do with it. Was it that hard helping me carry the dog down the road?’
‘Thanks, that’ll hit the spot,’ Bob said as he followed him into Ruby’s best room. ‘No, I’ve just got something to do and I’m not sure how it’ll turn out.’
‘If it’s what I think it is, you have my blessing,’ George said as he reached for a bottle opener.
‘The King!’ they all echoed, raising their glasses as George made the official toast.
‘I’d like to make a second toast if I may?’ George added and started to speak after murmurs of agreement faded. ‘We’ve faced another year of war and for this family, and our dear friends, life hasn’t always been easy, but we’ve confronted our challenges with fortitude. We welcome new friends to the fold and are thinking of those who cannot be here with us around this table. Please raise your glasses to family, friendship and a brighter 1943, whatever it may bring.’
‘Friends and family!’
‘Hello there, happy Christmas!’ Betty called as she entered the front door, after letting herself in using the key tied to the letter box. ‘Are we too early?’
‘Come on in, Betty,’ Ruby called back, ‘we’re just clearing the table. Dinner went on longer than we expected.’
The popular Woolworths manager entered the room followed by Douglas holding a pile of brightly wrapped presents. Behind him stood his two daughters shyly hanging on to his overcoat.
‘Come on in, girls,’ Freda said and she rushed forward to hug the two children. She’d got to know them well while staying with Betty. ‘Let me introduce you to Myfi and Georgina and this is Nelson.’
‘He saved my life,’ Myfi said quietly.
Freda knelt on the colourful rag rug made by Maisie and told the children how Nelson had been such a brave dog. They were soon stroking him and giving him kisses on his black nose. Nelson lapped up the attention.
‘Do you have something to tell us?’ Ruby asked, giving Betty’s hand a glance.
‘Nan, you don’t miss a thing,’ Sarah scolded, although she too was dying to know what had happened.
Douglas put his arm around Betty’s shoulders and announced, ‘I’m proud to say that Miss Betty Billington did me the honour of becoming my wife yesterday. She is now Mrs Betty Billington.’
Amongst the cheers, hugs and jokes about Betty changing her name, Betty asked, ‘Is there news of Maisie?’
There were more tears of joy as the visitors were told of the safe arrival of Miss Ruby Freda Carlisle.
‘I don’t think there can be a happier household in the whole world,’ Ruby declared. ‘Why, there can’t be anything left to celebrate apart from the end of this bloody war.’
George smiled to himself and gave a sideways glance towards Bob, who seemed to be miles away.
Ruby stood looking up at the early evening sky. Already she could see stars appearing beyond the barrage balloons bobbing above the river. Thank goodness the fog had lifted, at least for today. Families had been able to visit loved ones and Christmas Day had taken on a little more cheer. She reached down to where Nelson was snuffling around her leg and patted his head. After enjoying a lunch as good as anyone else had enjoyed that day, he snored his head off in his basket with the youngsters by his side. The little girl was convinced that Nelson had saved her life when he broke her fall in the accident.
Friends and family had arrived at number thirteen to celebrate the special day, with Pat, John and their family popping by during the afternoon. The house had been full to bursting. Just the way Ruby liked it. The icing on the cake had been Betty turning up with Douglas and his two delightful children, and what wonderful news, she thought. Fancy her going off and getting married without telling anyone, Ruby thought with a smile. It takes all sorts to make this world go round!
‘Ruby, whatever are you doing out here, love?’ Bob said as he joined her in the garden. ‘We’re getting ready to head to Maureen’s for the evening. It’s going to be a right old ding-dong with so much to celebrate.’
‘Our friends and family have be
en lucky this past year. Life could have been so much worse. No one knows where this war will take us,’ she replied, taking his hand. ‘Bob, I want to apologize for giving you such a hard time over that business with our Pat. You’re a good man and I shouldn’t have gone on so. My Eddie would have given me a right earful if I’d let off at him as much as I did with you. There was you threatened with a gun and all I could do was tear you off a strip. I’m fortunate to have you as a friend, even though I don’t deserve you.’
Bob gave a big sigh. ‘I’ve been putting this off for a while now, Ruby, but it’s got to be said.’
‘What’s that, Bob? You’re not moving back to Margate, are you? Because I’d have something to say about that.’
‘Let me finish what I’m trying to say, woman,’ he grumbled.
‘Get on with it then. We haven’t got all night. I don’t want Nelson catching his death in this cold night air.’
Bob reached into the pocket of his jacket and pulled out a small ring box. ‘Now, before you speak another word let me say my piece. I know I’ve brought the subject up before and it wasn’t the right time. I feel that now it is, so before you open your mouth and I lose my nerve again, I’m asking if you’ll marry me, Ruby Caselton?’
Ruby was lost for words as she looked at the gold band with a ruby stone in the centre. ‘It’s like . . .’
‘Yes, it’s like the one your Eddie gave to you when you were first courting that you gave to young Freda for her twenty-first birthday,’ Bob said as he placed the ring on her finger. ‘This one has a real stone. I thought it would remind us that we’ve loved others in the past and they are still very much in our hearts. We rub along very well together you and I, and I do feel we have a future together. Please say yes, Ruby.’
Ruby took another look at the ring on her finger. It was as if it was meant to be there. She knew that without Bob in her life she would be miserable and in her own way she loved the man. It wasn’t the heart-aching kind of love of youth, but a tender, caring love that would last until the end of their days. ‘Yes, Bob, I’d be honoured to be your wife,’ she smiled as she kissed him on the lips.
Christmas at Woolworths Page 32