Lily’s War

by June Francis

  So he really was thinking that he might be staying put, thought Lily, not sure whether she was pleased or not. It didn’t somehow match up to her dream but it might make her family happier. Hand in hand they strolled up the street, oblivious of the movement of net curtains in front windows as they passed.

  They left the 23 tram at Boots corner in Stanley Road and walked up little Strand Road. Lily wondered how Matt was feeling, seeing the only living member of his family. She tried to imagine what it must be like not to have any kith or kin, and could not.

  The gasworks were in the near distance to the left and as they went over the road bridge that crossed the Leeds-Liverpool canal, they could see a tall blackened chimney with the words williams emblazoned on it. They paused to watch a barge being towed by a horse on the tow path and Lily was reminded that this canal went all the way to the county of her ancestors. ‘I wonder how your aunt will feel?’ she murmured.

  ‘Pleased, I hope.’ He squeezed her hand and his grey eyes were shadowed. ‘Dad sent for her to come out to Australia but she must never have got the letters. It could have made a difference.’

  She wondered in what way but did not like to ask. They began to walk again and talked about the canal and how long the life of the bargee would last. They turned into a street of small terraced houses and Lily wondered if his aunt had lost money in the Wall Street crash. Some lads were doing something with a set of pram wheels, a rope and a plank of wood, and they had to detour round them. They stopped in front of a green-painted door, but before Matt could knock, the door was opened by a woman.

  She was tall and angular with a bony face which wore a welcoming expression. Her hair must once have been a rich auburn because there were still traces of colour in the thick greying single plait that hung over one shoulder. She wore a spotless flowered pinafore and there were slippers on her feet.

  ‘I didn’t believe her!’ she cried, stretching out a hand and clutching the front of Matt’s coat. ‘I mean, the tales she tells you wouldn’t believe half of them. But you’re the dead spit of our Davy so it wasn’t one of her stories! And besides, her next door told me as well,’ she said with an air that was almost confidential. ‘Come in, lad! Come in and tell me all there is to know about our Davy and Australia.’

  Matt’s expression was one of relief and warmth as he hugged her to him and it was several seconds before he held her off and said, ‘I’m sorry, Aunt Jane, but Dad died a few years back. I’ve written several times but my letters were never passed on.’

  Her smile faded. ‘Oh dear, that is sad. I always hoped he might come back one day. He was good to me … so much older but he treated me like a little pet, God rest his soul.’ There was a pause while she dabbed at her eyes. Then she smiled brightly and looked at Lily. ‘Is this your young lady?’

  ‘Yes. This is Lily,’ he said with a hint of pride in his voice.

  ‘How do you do, Lily?’ Jane’s head bobbed in her direction. ‘You’ll come in and have a cup of tea?’

  They followed her inside.

  ‘I won’t take you into Amelia,’ she said, bypassing a door. ‘She’s crippled with rheumatism but can talk the hind leg off a donkey and I want you all to myself.’ She ushered them into the kitchen and ordered Matt into the easy chair in front of a glowing fire before placing an upright chair alongside it and telling Lily to sit herself down. They could see she was excited as she placed a kettle on the fire and turned back to Matt. ‘I’m glad to see you, lad, but what made you come all this way from the other side of the world?’

  He was silent a moment, watching her carefully as he murmured, ‘Dad’s fortune.’

  A bark of laughter escaped her. ‘You’re having me on! Our Davy never had two ha’pennies to rub together.’

  Matt glanced briefly at Lily and instantly she wondered what he was about. Could it be true his father had had no money when he left Liverpool? It would explain a few things.

  ‘You’ve heard of the Boxer Rising?’ said Matt. Both women nodded, all ears. ‘After it was over the ordinary British tommies were allowed to loot the Summer Palace in Peking. Dad told me the empress wasn’t a nice lady, being suspected of having poisoned a few people to get where she was. Anyway, he took some blue-coloured beads …’ He paused.

  Both women, who were hanging on to his words, chorused, ‘Go on!’

  ‘They turned out to be sapphires.’

  There was a hush. Then Jane laughed and laughed, rocking herself back and forth, slapping her knee. ‘Well, who’d have believed it! Just like Aladdin finding the magic lamp in a cave.’

  ‘It was stealing really,’ murmured Matt, his eyes bright.

  ‘Spoils of war! And I’m not grieving for that empress!’ Jane clapped her hands in delight. ‘I bet the money did more good in our Davy’s pocket than it would have in hers.’

  ‘It could get you out of here if you wanted, Aunt Jane,’ said Matt seriously, leaning towards her.

  She looked at him in astonishment. ‘I wouldn’t move from here! I’ve made a niche for meself.’ She made a movement with her head. ‘And her in there needs me. But if you could spare a bob or two, it would be nice to have a bit put by for me old age.’

  Matt’s face creased into a smile. ‘A bob or two it is then, with interest … and you can buy yourself a new frock for the wedding. Lily and I are going to be married.’

  Jane’s face lit up. ‘I love a wedding. When’s it to be?’

  Matt exchanged a rueful glance with Lily, who had not got as far as thinking of a when or a where. She did not know what to reply. She thought of brides and honeymoons, of moons in June. ‘June?’ she croaked.

  Jane laced her hands together and pressed them against her thin chest, her expression radiant. ‘I’ll have something to look forward to after the Coronation. Who’d have believed when I woke up this morning it would turn out to be such a lovely day?’

  Matt and Lily were silent as they left the house and it was not until they were nearing the bridge that Lily, who had been busy thinking, said, ‘Was all that true about your father finding the sapphires?’

  Matt scrutinised her face, his expression amused. ‘You can’t believe I’d lie about such things?’

  ‘You might,’ she said, adding hastily as his eyebrows shot up, ‘from the best of motives! Your aunt might not have been prepared to take money from you otherwise, and you probably want to help her.’

  ‘And where do you think I’d find the money to help her if it wasn’t true?’

  ‘You’d eat less or something. You’re the self-sacrificial type.’ She smiled. ‘It just seems so fantastic!’

  ‘It’s true!’ He smiled. ‘I don’t lie, Lily, and don’t make me out a saint. I’m not. My father sold the sapphires in Sydney. Then he met my mother and married her. I think he would have settled down for good then but she died and he couldn’t rest. For years I had no idea he had so much money, and I know the difference having some can make,’ he said drily. ‘Look at those men over there all trying to get rich quick.’

  Lily’s gaze followed his to the pub set back from the road on the opposite side. There was a crowd of cloth-capped men gathered in a muttering circle, then there was a shout and a cap flew up into the air. ‘Don’t tell me,’ she murmured. ‘They play pigeon toss in Australia, too.

  ‘Sure they do.’ His eyes narrowed. ‘Gambling, drinking … it’s what a lot of men do when there’s no women around to stop them.’

  ‘If a scuffer catches them, they’ll be for it,’ said Lily, frowning. ‘I wonder where their lookout is … that must be him leaning against—’

  ‘What is it?’ Matt’s voice was sharp.

  Lily made no answer but fled across the road in a fury. ‘Dad! What on earth are you doing here?’

  Albert lifted his head. ‘Lily! It’s our Lily!’ The words were slurred. ‘What are you doing here, girl? Spying on me, are yer?’

  ‘You flatter yourself that I’d be bothered,’ she snapped. ‘You’re a fool, Dad. The drink’ll
kill you one of these days, and it’ll be all your own fault.’

  ‘I’m not drunk.’ He rubbed a sleeve across a dripping nose. ‘Got a cold and the drink’s pure-ly me-medic-medicinal.’

  ‘I don’t believe it!’ Her eyes glinted frostily. ‘But if it’s true you can come home with us.’ She seized hold of his arm as Matt drew near.

  Albert shook off her hand, and noticing Matt, eyed him balefully. ‘That’s that preacher bloke. What are you doing here with him?’

  ‘My aunt lives around here,’ said Matt, giving him a nod. ‘Great to see you again, Mr Thorpe.’

  ‘An’ I bet!’ Albert sniffed. ‘What are you doing with my daughter? She don’t need no religion and should be home looking after the kids.’

  Lily felt like screaming. ‘That’s all you think I’m here for, isn’t it, Dad? To look after your kids while you go to the devil as quickly as you can! Well, I’m going to marry this preacher bloke and you’d better get used to the idea!’

  Albert’s face turned the colour of putty. ‘You wouldn’t do that, girl?’ he gasped. ‘We won’t be good enough for the likes of him. He’ll make you cut us off.’

  ‘Matt’s not like that!’ She looked at him scornfully. ‘As for you, you’re a disgrace to the family and if you don’t buck up your ideas you won’t be giving me away.’

  Some of the colour came back into Albert’s face and he bristled. ‘Don’t want to give you away to him! You’re my daughter and we need you.’

  Matt said coolly, ‘You’ve other daughters.’

  ‘Not like Lily.’ He looked miserable. ‘She was happy till you came along.’

  Lily felt a familiar pity. ‘I wasn’t unhappy.’ Her tone held a little more warmth. ‘I love all of you but there’s been times when I’ve wanted to do something different.’

  Albert shook his head dolefully. ‘It hurts me to hear you say that. If I’d known we were all such a burden to you, I’d have finished meself off years ago.’

  ‘Oh shut up, Dad! Stop feeling sorry for yourself and think of me for a change,’ she said, exasperated once again. ‘I’ve spent years thinking of you lot.’

  ‘It’s your duty! But I suppose whatever I say you’ll marry him?’

  ‘Yes! Yes! Yes!’ she cried, irritated by that word ‘duty’.

  He glared at her, then his expression changed and he sniffed. ‘I suppose there’s nothing I can say then, and at least with him working at the church you won’t be far away.’

  Lily glanced at Matt, half-opened her mouth but he shook his head. ‘Who told you that?’ she demanded.

  ‘One of the gossiping old biddies from the church.’ He looked aggrieved. ‘Told me it’d do me good to go, but don’t you be thinking you’ll get me to church, the pair of you.’

  ‘Perish the thought,’ murmured Lily and exchanged a smile with Matt. Telling her father she was marrying him could have been a lot worse.

  Lily called at the farm a couple of days later, knowing that Ben had already broken the news to her uncle and aunt.

  ‘We’ll come to the wedding, lass,’ said William, his expression dour. ‘But I won’t say we’re pleased about it. I can’t see Daisy doing half what you do or staying at home for long. She’ll be off, and little May’s too young to cope with housework.’

  ‘They could all come and live here,’ said Lily boldly.

  ‘Our Dora wouldn’t have it.’ He hesitated. ‘I’ll give you a lump sum when you get married as it’s likely you’ll be needing it. I wasn’t going to but Ben says your man’s staying put at the moment and helping out at the church you go to.’

  Lily thought, how do I break it to him that I could be going to Australia? She hesitated further before saying, ‘We mightn’t be staying in Liverpool, Uncle William.’

  He stared at her hard. ‘A church in Lancashire then? I’m sure he can swing it, lass, so you don’t have to go too far. I’ll miss you dropping in regular-like, but if you can come now and again it won’t be so bad. I understand a woman has to go where her man’s work takes him.’

  Lily murmured agreement, deciding to say no more until she knew for certain what Matt’s plans were.

  ‘Don’t forget to remind our Albert and Ben it’s National day on Friday. We’ll have a day off and I’ll take them to Aintree so we can watch the race,’ said William, smiling and rubbing his hands. ‘I’ll pick them up earlier tell them.’

  Lily promised that she would. Although no gambler, she took an interest in the Grand National herself and always had a flutter. She’d won a few times and there was this dream of a wedding dress in Owen Owens …

  Uncle William arrived early and she asked him to put a bet on for her. He smiled good-humouredly. ‘What have you in mind, lass?’

  ‘Royal Mail,’ she said, having scanned the list of runners in the Daily Post already.

  ‘It’s a good horse,’ said Albert, happy for once. ‘Welsh-owned. Be a good little runner. You must have inherited your taste in horseflesh from me, girl.’

  Perhaps she had? thought Lily, and handed over the pound of change she had taken from her cocoa tin before caution took over and she changed her mind.

  It was a nailbiting few hours but to Lily’s delight Royal Mail passed the winning post first at a 100-6.

  ‘We’ll go shopping tomorrow,’ she said to May, turning down the volume on Jessie Matthews who was singing songs from the films. ‘I’ll buy you new shoes for the wedding.’

  ‘Can we go and see the King and Queen, as well?’ asked May, who had taken the news of her sister’s forthcoming nuptials with aplomb, only wanting to know whether she would be a bridesmaid and have a new dress. ‘We can wave them off at Lime Street.’

  ‘OK!’ said Lily, thinking if she and Matt did go to Australia it could be the last chance she would get of seeing royalty.

  Early Saturday morning Lily and May purchased a couple of Union Jacks and managed to squeeze on to the Plateau at St George’s Hall right opposite the grand North Western Hotel decorated with flags and bunting. The crowd was in a good mood; most professed admiration and liking for the former Duke and Duchess of York, and more than a couple had a few malicious things to say about Mrs Simpson, whose divorce action against Mr Simpson on the grounds of his adultery had gone to court the day before. There came a groundswell of noise and cheering which grew louder and louder as a shiny limousine came into sight. The royal couple alighted from the car, pausing for a moment outside the entrance of the hotel.

  Lily and May cheered like mad, caught up in the mood of the moment as Queen Elizabeth waved shyly at the crowd before vanishing inside the hotel.

  Exhilarated by the moment, and with May’s hand clasped firmly in hers, Lily forced her way out of the crowd. Any doubts she might still have about marrying a man she had known less than a month were put aside. It was fun and exciting buying her trousseau. She had never spent so much money on herself. First they went to Blackler’s where Lily purchased rayon satin underwear, stockings and a full-length silk nightdress. Then to Lewis’s for a couple of floral silk crépe-de-chîne gowns at ten shillings and sixpence each. The necklines were finished with a jabot effect and the bodice and sleeves had pleated frills. For her going away outfit she bought a box jacket and a blouse with puffed sleeves, as well as a sailor hat of pale blue straw with a wreath of pink flowers round its brim. Then they hurried to Clayton Square and into Owen Owens. She bought shoes, calf and glacé ones with a full Spanish heel for herself, and strapped ones for May, before dashing to the floor where the wedding dresses were displayed.

  Lily stared at the gown which had caught her eye. It was made of lustrous white satin with rows of piping on the bodice and a large circular train. As she tried it on she glanced at her sister for approval.

  ‘You look like a princess,’ breathed May, her eyes shining. ‘I can’t wait for mine to be made.’

  Lily smiled. ‘I’ll get Daisy to make you two dresses. One for the wedding and one for Coronation Day, and you’ll look just like a princess too
.’

  It seemed to Lily looking back on that spring it was a happy time, spoilt only by her father having a few drams with William in the stables where his brother was showing off the new black stallion he had bought. He ended up falling in the garden where he crushed an old and much revered rosemary bush. Instantly Dora boxed his ears and banished him from the house again.

  The month of May heralded in Coronation fever. Decorations began to appear in shops, on buildings and across streets. The sisters made crepe paper roses in red, white and blue and decorated the dairy window. There were to be parties in the streets, trees planted, fireworks and a flotilla of illuminated ships on the River Mersey. There was even to be a King’s Champion ceremony outside the cathedral.

  It was Ben who pointed out from an article in the local paper that there was a Liverpool in Australia. A bishop who had been ordained in their Liverpool, and had spent time being an army chaplain in the other one, had recently died. ‘Perhaps Matt knows of him?’ he said.

  Matt did. The much smaller Australian Liverpool was not really that far from the centre of Sydney.

  Matt was busy during this time. A new incumbent had been found for the church but would not be arriving until after the Coronation. Lily wished she could see more of Matt. When they were together she wanted no more out of life than to be with him, but when they were apart sometimes the odd doubt would creep into her mind. Was she fitted for his kind of life and how would her family cope without her?

  The newspapers were filled with news of personages heading for London. There was a united service of thanksgiving in the Great Synagogue in London where the chief rabbi spoke of Britain and its daughter nations being the strongest hope against the moral barbarism in the world. It made Lily proud to be British, but it made it harder to forget Hitler’s claim that France and Britain’s seizure of certain colonies after the Great War was robbery and they should be returned to Germany.

  ‘There’s going to be trouble,’ said Albert grimly. ‘You can take my word for it, girl. The Lord Mayor of Liverpool’s right in preparing people for the possibility of air raids as they’ve had in Spain. And God help us if they come! Gas attacks … I’ll never forget the way they scared the hell out of us.’ His hands shook as he pulled on fingerless gloves.