Christmas for the Halfpenny Orphans

by Cathy Sharp

  ‘I’m sure the other nurses will be willing to do extra hours while you’re away. Besides, Sister Beatrice is back now and she’s always ready to step in.’

  ‘In that case I’ll tell Samantha that I can go with her and Sarah,’ Wendy said. ‘I think their aunt truly wants and loves them, but I should feel easier if I could see them settled.’

  ‘Then I suggest we get everything in order so you can go.’

  ‘If we leave on Monday, I should be back for Christmas.’

  ‘Yes, well, that would be nice, but first you must be sure in your own mind that the twins are safe and happy.’

  ‘Absolutely,’ Wendy said. ‘I feel as if a cloud has lifted, Angela – and it will be quite an experience for me.’

  ‘I’m sure it will – and we can all be easier in our minds.’

  Angela left the ward and made her way back down to the kitchens. That was one worry off her mind, and now she could really start to make arrangements for a good Christmas for them all. And afterwards … well, perhaps she would have even more to make her happy in the New Year …

  THIRTY-SEVEN

  ‘That was such a lovely holiday,’ Alice said as she dumped all her parcels and the bags they hadn’t been able to get into the cases on the kitchen table. ‘I’ve never had so much fun or enjoyed myself so much, Bob.’

  Bob smiled at her. He’d taken the suitcases into the bedroom, and left Alice to bring the small bits. Susie was in her carrycot in the kitchen and Alice bent down to take her out as she started to grizzle.

  ‘She’s wet and tired, Alice love. I’ll change her nappy and put her in her cot …’ He placed a white envelope on the kitchen table. ‘That came for you while we were away. I picked it up in the hall.’

  Alice stared at the envelope and recognised Jack’s hand. ‘No,’ she said without thinking. ‘Throw it away, Bob. I don’t want it. I’m not going to open it.’

  Bob looked at her curiously, but took Susie through into the bedroom and gently deposited her in her cot. She’d stopped grizzling as soon as she was dry and clean, settling down in the coolness of familiar surroundings, and he returned to the kitchen. Alice had filled the kettle and placed a couple of plates on the table.

  ‘What do you fancy?’ she asked as she took knives and forks from the drawer. ‘Poached egg on toast? They look lovely, those eggs we bought from that farm on the way home. Or would you rather have some chips and Spam?’

  ‘We’ll have the eggs, but not yet,’ Bob said. ‘Sit down and have a cup of tea first and tell me why don’t you want to open that letter.’

  ‘I know who it’s from and I don’t want to see what it says.’

  Bob frowned, picked up the letter and tore it open, ignoring Alice’s gasp of protest. He read it and then handed it to her but Alice shook her head, refusing to accept it. ‘It’s from that bloody Jack Shaw. What does he mean about the key he gave you and your promise to take him what was inside the locker?’

  Alice trembled inside; she’d never known Bob to be angry with her, but he was now. ‘I didn’t know where Jack was until he sent me a key to a locker at Euston Station. He wanted me to fetch the stuff inside and take it to him. When I didn’t do as he asked, he came here,’ she said. ‘He turned up at the back door because Lee’s men were watching the front.’ Alice raised her head and looked at her husband. ‘He wanted me to go away to America with him.’

  ‘And now he’s angry with you for not keeping your word. He says he’s leaving for America tomorrow and if you don’t meet him with the stuff he’s going alone.’

  ‘Good,’ Alice said defiantly. ‘I don’t want stolen stuff – and I don’t want Jack Shaw. I’m finished with him. I told him I’d take him the stuff to get rid of him, but I never intended to do it.’

  ‘Is that the truth?’

  Alice nodded. ‘I gave the key to the police.’

  ‘You did what?’ Bob stared at her. ‘Blimey, Alice, that’s torn it! You may be called to give evidence – you could even be accused of being involved with criminals if that stuff was stolen.’

  ‘I gave it to Constable Sallis. He said I was in the clear, but his boss might want to speak to me …’ Alice’s hands trembled. ‘I didn’t know what else to do, Bob. Butcher Lee’s men follow me sometimes. I daren’t fetch that stuff – if I did, they would take it from me. Jack said I should ask Michelle, but I wasn’t going to get her into trouble.’

  ‘Why didn’t you tell me?’

  ‘I thought you would be angry that Jack came here – you are angry, aren’t you?’

  ‘Yes,’ Bob looked at her coldly. ‘You shouldn’t have let him in, Alice, and you shouldn’t have taken the key. You didn’t go to him, so I believe you when you say it’s over, but I’m going to the police. I want to know what’s happening – if you’re in any trouble.’

  ‘Oh, Bob,’ Alice’s eyes filled with tears. ‘Please don’t be angry with me. We’ve been so happy …’

  ‘I have to know I can trust you while I’m away. What kind of a marriage do we have if you have other men here – make them promises?’

  ‘I swear, nothing happened between us. I don’t want him – you can trust me, it’s over.’

  ‘I hope so,’ he said and reached for the jacket he’d taken off earlier.

  ‘Where are you going?’ Alice caught at his arm in fright. ‘Please don’t go – stay and have your tea.’

  ‘This has to be sorted,’ Bob said, his mouth set in a grim line.

  ‘You’re not leaving me?’

  Bob looked at her for a moment, but he didn’t smile. ‘No, I shan’t leave you, Alice, but I wish you’d told me. If you’d trusted me, you would’ve told me – and there’s no love without trust.’

  Bob walked out of the door, leaving Alice to stare after him. She felt shattered. If Bob turned against her, it would all be spoiled. When she’d married him, she hadn’t realised what a good man she’d got, but she did now and she loved him. She’d discovered how much on holiday and believed she’d managed to put the past behind her, but Jack’s letter had ruined all that – and now she wasn’t sure what the future held …

  ‘May I have a word, Mrs Manning?’

  Alice stared at the police constable standing outside her door the next morning and moved back as her heart began to race, allowing him to enter without speaking a word. Her husband came into the hall and saw who it was; he hesitated and then said, ‘Ask him through to the kitchen, Alice. I’ll put the kettle on – unless this is an official visit?’

  ‘Well, sort of, but no one here is in trouble,’ Constable Sallis said, taking off his helmet as he followed Alice into the warm kitchen, with its yellow and white flowery curtains and the scrubbed pine table, which was covered with signs of baking. ‘Something smells good. Rock cakes I think?’

  Alice laughed. ‘Coconut buns and a lemon drizzle cake,’ she said. ‘Sit down and Bob will make a cup of tea – you can try the cake or the buns, but the cake is an experiment. I’ve never made it before.’

  ‘Take no notice of Alice,’ Bob said as he set the kettle on the gas ring and lit it. ‘She’s a real good cook. What is it then, Constable?’

  ‘I had a word with my boss after we spoke last night. I’ve been told to ask Alice if she’ll do something to help us bring them villains to book,’ Constable Sallis said and cleared his throat. ‘It’s not something I like to ask – it might be dangerous. But it would be helpful if she agreed.’

  Bob frowned at him. ‘I don’t want my wife in any danger.’

  ‘Listen to him, Bob. I’m not afraid of that lot, even though they are rogues.’

  ‘It’s like this,’ Constable Sallis said. ‘We opened that locker, Mrs Manning, and we’ve found a lot of evidence as well as stolen goods. I reckon whoever put that stuff there was using it as insurance against the rogues who were after him.’

  ‘You mean Jack Shaw?’

  ‘Yes, though there’s no evidence it was him, mind – but there’s a lot of stuff that will put his frie
nds inside for a few years. The thing is, my boss wants to catch them red-handed. He says the things we’ve got — photos, papers – are all right, but he wants something concrete afore he goes ahead with the arrests. We’ll only get the one chance at these villains and we’ve nothing to connect them to the pinched stuff in that locker. It could make all the difference …’

  ‘Spit it out then, man,’ Bob said. ‘What do you want Alice to do?’

  Constable Sallis placed the key on the kitchen table. ‘We want Alice to fetch that stuff from the locker. The evidence has been taken out, but the jewels are still there. We want to catch the villains with that stuff in their possession.’

  Bob glared at him. ‘You want Alice to be the bait so they snatch the stuff and then you nab them – is that right?’

  ‘Not quite. We think they’ll grab it away from Alice and take it back to Mr Lee, and then we’ll pounce. We’ll have men in plain clothes in the club and uniformed men nearby. As soon as they take the stuff to Lee, we’ve got him.’

  ‘No,’ Bob said firmly. ‘They might hurt Alice when they grab it. I’m not risking it. I’ll fetch the stuff.’

  ‘That wouldn’t work. They would know you’d make a fight of it and probably just follow you to see where you took it – besides, it’s Alice they suspect. She’s the only one that can make it work. But I don’t blame you. I told my boss you wouldn’t agree.’

  ‘I’ll do it,’ Alice said quickly, then, as Bob protested, ‘They’ll never leave us alone, Bob. Even when we went to the pub the other week, they followed us. The only way is to see them put away – you know it is.’

  ‘Alice will be safe – we’ll be following you. If at any time you seem in danger, one of my men will step in.’

  ‘No, leave that to me,’ Bob said, looking at Alice. ‘I’ll make sure she’s all right but I shan’t attempt to stop them getting away – if it’s a copper they’ll smell a rat, but if it’s Alice’s husband they won’t suspect anything.’

  ‘Bob, I don’t want you to get hurt!’

  ‘I’m not happy about you placing yourself in danger, Alice, but you’re right. These people are evil and it’s time they were stopped. If you want to go through with it, I’ll follow and watch out for you – the cops can keep under cover until they spring their surprise. That’s my terms, otherwise you’re not doing it.’

  ‘I agree with your husband, Alice,’ Constable Sallis told her. ‘I wouldn’t want my sister or wife running the risk, but if your husband knows what he’s doing, then we’re all right – but make sure you let go when they grab the bag from you. Don’t fight it or they might hurt you.’

  ‘All right, I’ll remember,’ Alice said. ‘When do you want me to do it?’

  ‘Tomorrow morning at ten o’clock, please. Leave your baby with a neighbour you can trust; we don’t want any slip-ups.’

  ‘I’ll take her to St Saviour’s and leave her with Nan for a while.’

  ‘Yes, the child will be safe there,’ Constable Sallis agreed, and stood up. ‘I’ll tell my boss you’ve consented, Mrs Manning. I know he will be grateful – and, whatever happens, your name will be kept out of it.’

  ‘Thank you, I’ll see you out …’ Bob went to the door with him and Alice heard them talking in low tones. She frowned as she heard the baby whimpering and went through to her, picking her up and taking her back to the kitchen. Susie was ready for her bottle.

  ‘It’s all arranged,’ Bob said when he returned. ‘I hope you know what you’ve agreed to, Alice. These men are dangerous and they may be armed with knives or even a gun.’

  ‘Oh, Bob,’ Alice shivered as she looked at him. ‘I know all they will want from me is the bag – but if you get involved, they might hurt you. Please don’t do anything unless you have to, for my sake.’

  ‘I’m not a coward and I can take care of myself,’ Bob growled. ‘It’s you I’m anxious about, Alice. I don’t want you getting hurt.’

  ‘And I care about you,’ she said, going to him and putting her arms about his waist. ‘Believe me, Bob, I do care. I should hate it if anything happened to you.’

  ‘It won’t,’ he said, and he was looking at her in the old way, with care and concern. ‘ Remember what the constable said and let them take the bag.’

  ‘I will,’ she said and looked up at him. ‘You’re not angry with me now, are you?’

  ‘No, I’m not angry. I love you, Alice. But I want you to trust me. Whatever happens in future, tell me.’

  ‘I promise,’ she said. ‘But Jack won’t come back again. His letter said he was leaving for America. All I meant to him was someone he could use. He seduced me with pretty words and a few drinks – and then he thought he could use me to fetch that stuff, but I refused. I’ve finished with him, and I’m only doing this so that they can put those evil men away and give us some peace.’

  Bob closed his arms about her, holding her tight. ‘I never want to lose you, Alice love. You and Susie mean too much to me …’

  ‘You won’t lose me,’ she promised. ‘I didn’t know what a good man I’d got, but I do now. Michelle told me I should grab you quick and marry you. She was right, but then, Michelle usually is!’

  THIRTY-EIGHT

  ‘Nearly finished?’ Mark asked, entering Angela’s office as she took a sheet of paper from her typewriter. ‘I’m taking you out for a meal this evening – but first we’re going to talk about us.’ He took out a small leather diary from his pocket and opened it. Now, I’ve provisionally booked a flight for the seventh of January – that will give us ten days in France at a skiing resort in the Alps.’

  ‘Oh, Mark …’ Angela said, hesitating as she pulled her diary out. ‘I’ve got an appointment on the eighth of January with one of our sponsors.’

  ‘If we postpone again, we could wait for ever. Do you want to spend some time with me?’

  ‘Yes, very much.’ Angela saw the quizzical look in his eyes and laughed. ‘You know I do. Very well, I will postpone that appointment. Just after Christmas is as good a time as any to take a holiday. I’m sure I can square it with Sister Beatrice.’

  ‘Excellent.’ Mark bent to take the book from her hand. He pulled her to her feet and into his arms. ‘I’ve been fretting at the bit to get back to you, Angela. You do know that I adore you?’

  ‘Yes, I know.’ Angela covered her typewriter. ‘Where are we going this evening?’

  ‘Somewhere special. It’s a surprise. I want to spoil you, my love.’

  ‘Yes, I’d like to be spoiled,’ Angela said, and then as they left her office and walked to the lift: ‘I’ve been working on my Christmas Orphans’ campaign, Mark – and I’ve come up with something that might be a big—’

  Mark pressed his fingers to her lips. ‘Not tonight, my darling. We’ve got the rest of our lives to plan this splendid campaign of yours. For this evening at least, I want you all to myself …’

  Sister Beatrice saw them getting into the lift and smiled. They looked happy together and that was a good thing. She was aware of Mark’s plans to take Angela off on a skiing trip after Christmas, and of his hopes for the future, because he’d called in to have a talk to her earlier. He’d known how disturbed she’d been by that wretched board meeting when it looked as if a move to the country had been contemplated.

  ‘I do not think I could consider taking on the position of Warden at such a place,’ she’d told him frankly. ‘I am London born and I understand the children here and their needs. I lived in the same streets when I was a child, and though my family wasn’t as poor as some, I was familiar with poverty. My usefulness is here, Mr Adderbury.’

  ‘Yes, I do understand that.’ Mark had smiled with the easy charm that won him so many friends. ‘It was never my intention to ask you to move, Sister. I think we always envisaged that St Saviour’s would stay where it is in Halfpenny Street – but many of the bigger homes are moving out into the country, where I think the children have the chance of a better life – do you not agree? I believe that we m
ay build in the future, when the time is right for such a move.’

  ‘Some children will benefit from it, no doubt. Yet there are others who will rebel and even run away. If you study the statistics given in various reports, you will know that the percentage of children running away from their orphanage has been increasing. Some of that may be down to bad management and even ill-treatment, but I think some is undoubtedly because they do not want to be torn from the world they know.’

  ‘Yes, you may well be right,’ Mark said. ‘We all of us want to do the best for our children, but too often they are not consulted. It may be best to let them choose in as far as that is practical.’

  ‘Well, that will be for you and others …’

  ‘No doubt,’ Mark said. ‘But if I am ever able to raise the funds for the kind of complex I envisage, it will be a vast step forward. Think of the children you have here enjoying access to sports facilities on site as well as an indoor pool …’

  Beatrice smiled inwardly. She thought his dream impractical and unlikely ever to be more than that, because it would surely cost too much to build. Mark Adderbury was a man of vision, but this time she believed he would discover he was hoping for too much – a swimming pool indeed!

  As she approached the sick ward the door opened and Nan came out, looking pleased with something. She saw Beatrice and smiled, moving towards her.

  ‘I was on my way to see you,’ she said. ‘Have you time for a quick chat? There’s something I need to talk over with you.’

  ‘Something wrong?’

  ‘A few doubts I have, concerning one of my carers …’

  Beatrice frowned. Nan didn’t often come to her with her troubles, so it must be something unpleasant. ‘It’s Tilly again,’ Nan said, looking over her shoulder to make sure none of the other staff were passing and could overhear. ‘She seemed more cheerful when Angela moved her into the Nurses’ Home, but recently she’s been looking very unhappy. I suspect something is upsetting her but she won’t tell me anything. I wondered if she might talk to you.’