Two Strangers

by Beryl Matthews

  Bill surged to his feet and shook Harry’s hand. ‘Thank you for giving me the chance. I won’t let you down, sir.’

  ‘I know you won’t, and the name is Harry. Do you know where we are?’

  ‘Yes, I have heard you are at the old house on Sir Charles Denton’s estate. I can find it.’

  ‘We have had signs put up now, so you won’t have any difficulty. Oh, and I forgot to mention. We need our staff to live at the school. We have good accommodation, and if that is all right with you, you can move in at once. We have an old bus if you need to move your things.’

  ‘I have very little. I will move in tomorrow, if I may?’

  ‘Of course.’ Harry stood up. ‘We will be delighted to welcome you to our special school.’

  ‘Was it him?’ Edward asked, pulling the door of the bus open the moment it stopped. ‘You’ve been a long time.’

  Harry climbed out. ‘Bring Pearl out here. I don’t want the children to hear any of this.’

  Without saying another word, Edward walked smartly to the house, reappearing almost at once with his wife.

  ‘Don’t keep us in suspense,’ Pearl demanded. ‘What happened? Is it Vicki’s Bill?’

  ‘Yes, it is, and we guessed correctly. He suffered a nasty head injury and has lost his memory.’

  ‘Oh, the poor man. Did you tell him who he was?’

  ‘No, Pearl, that would have been the wrong thing to do at this point and you know that well enough. We can’t rush in and overload him with what we know. This has got to be done slowly, gently, as we did with Alfie.’

  ‘That might be difficult once Vicki hears that you’ve found him. She’ll be down here at once, with Peter right behind her.’

  ‘That’s why I’m not going to tell them just yet, Edward.’ Harry then explained about his meeting with Bill, and the promise he’d made him. ‘I’m breaking that promise by telling you, but you have to know.’

  Pearl nodded. ‘Do you think he’ll come tomorrow?’

  ‘I’m sure he will. The temporary teaching job he has finishes at the end of the week, and I believe he wants this job very badly. And what is just as important is that we need him. I was impressed.’

  ‘In what way?’ Edward asked.

  ‘It’s hard to put it into words, so wait until you meet him; then you will understand. The enthusiastic teacher is still there, despite his loss of memory. I’m convinced he will be a great asset here.’

  ‘Your judgement is usually sound, Harry. But have you spent all this time with him?’

  A broad smile lit up his face as he told them about the new matron and the doctor.

  ‘That’s wonderful news!’ Edward declared. ‘And we also have some news for you. Jim Baker brought us a man who would like the job as night manager. He’s an ex-soldier who has lost an arm, but he’s eager, and we believe he will suit us very nicely.’

  ‘Wonderful. Did you employ him?’

  ‘We did, and he starts next week. We asked him if he would like to live in or stay at his parents’ home in the village. He jumped at the chance to have a room here.’ Pearl gave Harry an enquiring look, her mouth turning up slightly at the corners. ‘With all the new boys and extra staff moving in, could we manage to employ a girl to help with the housekeeping? George has a young sister who’s looking for work.’

  ‘Who on earth is George?’

  ‘The night manager.’

  ‘Oh, you didn’t mention his name. Go ahead, Pearl, and, while you’re at it, you also need more kitchen staff.’ Harry’s eyes glinted with amusement. ‘Has George by any chance got a brother who is good at accounts? I’m beginning to do more administration work than teaching.’

  They laughed, and Edward said, ‘I’m sure he would know someone. Are you serious?’

  ‘No, that’s enough for today, but if we continue to expand at this rate, it will be something to consider in the near future. Come on, Pearl, put the kettle on – I’m gasping. And remember, not a word to anyone about Bill’s condition. Let’s get him here; as we come to know him, we can decide how best to help.’

  ‘After all this time it is unlikely he will ever regain his full memory,’ Edward said as they walked back to the school. ‘We can’t keep his family away from him for long.’

  ‘I know that is going to be a problem, but solving problems is what we do best, isn’t it?’

  ‘Right,’ Edward agreed. ‘And we are getting plenty now. One of the new boys is belligerent, and two more have just withdrawn into themselves. They all react differently to the troubled lives they’ve had.’

  Harry nodded. ‘Poor little devils. But that’s why they are here, and thank heavens they are. We can give them a chance in life – if they are willing to take it, of course.’

  That evening, Elsie and the doctor arrived. After she had given them a tour of the school, Pearl took the new matron to view her rooms. They had set aside a bedroom with an adjoining room she could use as a private sitting room.

  ‘Will the rooms be all right for you?’ Harry asked Elsie when they returned.

  ‘They will be perfect.’ She sat down, her expression serious. ‘Would it be possible to have another room down here that I could use as a surgery? A small one would do. I could then encourage the boys to come and talk to me if they have any problems.’

  ‘An excellent idea. When you move in, we will decide on the best place, and you can tell us what you need in there.’

  ‘Thank you, Harry.’ She relaxed then, smiling. ‘I can’t wait to move in and meet the children.’

  ‘We intended to get here before the boys went to bed,’ Dr Saunders told them, ‘but I was delayed with an emergency. I would like to come during the day to see them. If they do need a doctor, it will be less stressful for them if they already know me.’

  ‘Come any time you are free,’ Harry told him. ‘Walk around and talk to the children. The more they see you, the better.’

  ‘I’ll do that.’ The doctor stood up. ‘Thank you for showing me around. It has been an interesting visit.’

  ‘Do you need help moving?’ Edward asked Elsie. ‘I could bring the bus for your belongings and any furniture you’d like for your rooms.’

  ‘That is kind of you. I would appreciate the help. Would tomorrow afternoon be all right?’

  ‘Two o’clock?’

  ‘I’ll be ready.’

  When their visitors had driven away, Harry turned to his friends. ‘What did you think?’

  ‘Perfect.’ Pearl put the kettle on to make a fresh pot of tea. ‘All we’ve got to do is get the matron and night porter settled in, and that leaves Bill. I do hope he turns up tomorrow.’

  Twenty-Five

  The next day was very busy. First George arrived, and it was bedlam for a while as three of his family came to help him move in. They had just left when Edward arrived with Elsie and her belongings. She had brought quite a few pieces of furniture with her and needed help to get them up the stairs.

  ‘Phew! What a day.’ Pearl joined Harry and her husband as they watched the children playing football with John to work off excess energy after their lessons.

  ‘Look!’ Edward brought their attention to someone approaching on a bicycle. ‘Is that Bill, Harry?’

  ‘That’s him.’ He sighed in relief. ‘Thank goodness he’s come.’

  ‘Good-looking man,’ Pearl remarked.

  ‘Eyes off, and remember you’re a married woman,’ her husband teased. ‘Besides, he’s too young for you.’

  ‘I know, but I can still look.’

  Harry stepped forward as soon as Bill got off the bicycle. He shook hands, smiling warmly. ‘Good to see you again, Bill. Let me introduce you to my friends and partners in this school of ours, Edward and Pearl.’

  When they had shaken hands, Harry said, ‘I’ll introduce you to other members of the staff, and then you can have a look round before you decide if this will be for you.’

  ‘I’m sure it will be.’ Bill gave a slow smile and pointed to th
e package tied on the back of the bicycle. ‘I’ve brought my things ready to move in right now, if I may?’

  ‘You weren’t joking when you said you didn’t have much. Your room is ready for you, so if you have no doubts about working here, we are delighted to welcome you to the school.’

  ‘And I’m more than delighted to be here.’ Bill studied the building and the children playing in the field, then nodded. ‘Yes, I’m sure I will like it here. Would you mind if I go and talk to some of the children? Who is the man they are playing with?’

  ‘That’s John. Please go ahead, but remember they are disturbed children and very wary of strangers.’

  ‘I won’t upset them.’

  As Bill strode across the field, Edward murmured, ‘Do you think that’s a good idea, Harry? Shouldn’t one of us introduce him to them first?’

  ‘We’ll wait and see what happens and step in if necessary.’

  They watched him approach the boys, talking to them and clearly getting answers that made him laugh out loud.

  ‘Wonder what he’s saying?’ Pearl said.

  ‘Whatever it is, they don’t seem frightened of him, which is surprising because he’s a big man.’

  One of the boys kicked the ball towards Bill, and suddenly he was running around the field with them, amidst howls of protest and laughter when he kept kicking the ball in the net.

  ‘Well,’ Harry chuckled, ‘I don’t think there’s going to be a problem there, do you?’

  Edward was doubled over with laughter. ‘Those youngsters can get as rough as they like with him and it won’t matter. He’s already helping them to get rid of some of their aggression.’

  The boisterous game came to an end and Bill stayed for a while talking to the boys. Then, with a wave, he began to walk back.

  Dave was sprinting towards them, skidding to a halt in front of them, out of breath. ‘Who is he? Is he staying?’

  ‘He’s going to be your new teacher,’ Harry told him.

  ‘Wow!’

  Bill reached them, Alfie trotting beside him. ‘Lively bunch you’ve got here, Harry.’

  Dave was gazing at him in awe. ‘You’re a size. How tall are you?’

  ‘About six feet three inches.’ Bill turned his head slowly to look at the small boy lurking behind him. He turned and hunkered down. ‘What’s your name, young man?’

  ‘Alfie,’ he said after a pause, edging slightly away.

  ‘I’m pleased to meet you, Alfie. ‘That’s a lovely cane you have stuck in your belt. May I have a look at it?’

  This time there was an even longer pause as the little boy tried to decide.

  Bill waited, not moving from his position, until eventually Alfie slid the cane out of his belt and handed it over.

  Taking it gently, Bill examined it. ‘It’s beautiful. Do you know what the dog is?’

  ‘Bulldog.’ Alfie edged closer. ‘It’s got green eyes like Sir’s big cane. Made it for me.’

  ‘That was very kind of him.’

  Alfie nodded and, with a look of relief, took the cane when Bill handed it back to him.

  Pearl was delighted by the way Bill had handled the little boy, and smiled with pleasure. ‘Bill, this is Dave and his brother, Alfie. They came with us from London, and we are their guardians. Would you like to see your room now? Then you can join us and the rest of the staff for a meal.’

  ‘Thank you.’ Bill untied the parcel from the bicycle and smiled at Dave and Alfie. ‘Want to come with us, and you can tell me all about the school?’

  After a nod from Harry, the boys hurried off with Bill and Pearl. When they were out of hearing range, Edward whistled through his teeth. ‘No wonder Vicki’s been so insistent on finding him. He isn’t someone you could easily forget – or that deep soft voice.’

  ‘Vicki once told me that although he was a big man she found him non-threatening. I know what she means now.’

  ‘What are you going to do about Vicki, Peter and the Mantons, Harry?’

  ‘I want to give him time to settle in, but know I won’t be able to leave it more than a week. I’ll ask Vicki to meet him first, but she must only talk about the time at the warehouse and what has happened to her since. I’ll try to persuade Peter and Bill’s parents to let him have a little more time. They can come here and see him, but that is all. I don’t want him faced with loads of information from people he doesn’t remember. That could do him more harm than good.’

  ‘I understand your concerns, Harry, but you are going to be asking a lot of them.’

  ‘I know.’ Harry started to walk back to the school with Edward. ‘The important thing is we’ve got him here, but there’s no telling how he is going to react when he’s told who these people are. We could lose him, Edward, and that is the last thing I want to happen. The school needs him – we need him. We must have people around us who will be willing to take over the running of the school when we are no longer able to.’

  Edward nodded in agreement. ‘You’re thinking John and Bill might be just the men to take over the reins.’

  ‘Exactly. We’ve done all we can at the moment, so let’s eat.’

  When Dave and Alfie had been the only pupils, they had taken all their meals with Pearl and the men, but now they joined the other boys in the school dining room. Elsie had insisted that she oversee the mealtimes, starting immediately, so she left them after she had been introduced to Bill. Relieved of that task, John Steadman joined them for dinner that evening and told Bill tales of the pupils’ exploits. There was a relaxed atmosphere, which pleased Harry.

  George, the new night manager, also started work that night, leaving Edward and Harry free for the first time since the arrival of new pupils.

  It was nearly midnight and everyone was in bed, but Harry couldn’t sleep, so he wandered down to the kitchen. With a steaming mug of cocoa in front of him, he stared at blank sheets of paper.

  ‘Dinner went well tonight.’ Edward joined him.

  ‘Can’t you sleep, either?’ Harry asked him.

  ‘My mind is reeling all over the place.’ Edward looked at the paper in front of his friend. ‘Trying to write letters?’

  ‘I can’t leave the Mantons in suspense, and I want to ask them to treat Bill like a stranger when they see him, but I can’t do it. He’s their son, for heaven’s sake! The son they thought was dead.’

  ‘I know you want to take this slowly, and I agree it would be the correct thing to do, but we can’t dictate to his family and friends what they should do. The only one who will do as you ask is Vicki. She understands and wants only what is best for this man. You’ve got to stand back and let them all meet, and just hope all goes well. There’s a good chance Bill will handle it calmly; you never know, he might be grateful to know who he really is.’

  ‘You’re right, of course, but I was so hoping we could give him a few weeks to settle in.’

  ‘Not possible.’ Edward shook his head. ‘Get Vicki down here to meet him before anyone else. She isn’t anything to do with the life he can’t remember, and she’s a sensible girl.’

  Sighing deeply, Harry ran a hand through his hair. ‘I’ll write a brief note asking her to come on Sunday. I’ll also write to the Mantons and Peter, explaining the situation and asking them to wait until after Sunday.’

  Harry picked up the pen. ‘I’ll get Vicki to talk to Peter before he sees Bill.’

  Edward laughed softly. ‘Coward.’

  ‘Absolutely.’ He began writing and then looked up at his friend. ‘Are you thinking of making some more cocoa? This could take some time.’

  ‘It will send you to sleep and you’ll never get those letters written.’

  ‘I’ve decided to ask Vicki to come the Sunday after next.’

  By the time the letter was finished, there was another cup of cocoa in front of him. He pushed the note towards Edward. ‘What do you think?’

  ‘I think she’ll give you a piece of her mind when she gets here.’

  Harry grinned.
‘I’ll have to risk that. I’m not telling her any more until she arrives.’

  ‘Can I come to the station with you to collect her?’

  ‘No.’

  ‘Spoilsport.’

  Both men drank their cocoa with broad grins on their faces.

  Bill finished his temporary job on the Friday and started work at the school on Monday. He was an excellent teacher, and, although he was softly spoken, the more difficult boys soon discovered that they couldn’t misbehave with him. It only took a couple of days for him to gain their respect, and by the end of the week he had them studying willingly.

  Harry and Edward were delighted and earnestly hoping they would be able to keep him. With what was about to happen, however, they were by no means certain of that. It all depended on how he reacted to the news he was soon to be given. He would either run or stay, and they hoped it would be the latter.

  Vicki read the letter again for the hundredth time and fumed. ‘Just wait until I see Harry! How can he send me a letter like this? It’s no more than a paragraph asking me to come and bring the book with me, and to wait until this Sunday. He knows how anxious I am to know if the man at that junior school is Bill, and there isn’t one piece of information in this. Has he found Bill?’

  ‘Stop pacing.’ Flo took the crumpled letter out of Vicki’s hands and folded it carefully. ‘Our train leaves in half an hour and we’ll miss it if you don’t get ready.’

  ‘Sorry. I am ready.’ She sighed. ‘He should have at least told me if he’d found him or not.’

  ‘You’ll soon know why he’s being so mysterious. You know Harry never does anything without a very good reason.’ Bob ushered her out of the door.

  ‘Whatever he’s found out, he’s frightened to tell me,’ Vicki declared as they hurried to the station. ‘It is bad news, I just know it; otherwise, he would have told me if it was Bill.’

  Twenty-Six

  The moment they reached their destination, Vicki hurried out of the station and up to Harry who was waiting by the old bus. ‘I want to know what’s going on, Harry! Why did you send that short note? Couldn’t you have put some explanation in it? I’ve had a week of worry. Have you found Bill, or not?’