by Rosie Harris
They stopped at a country pub for a light lunch and then took a stroll around the picturesque village to stretch their legs before continuing on their way. Jenny felt both relaxed and happy and she was sure that Tom felt the same.
They reached their hotel shortly after four o’clock and before they were shown to their respective rooms they agreed to meet again at six o’clock.
‘I’ll telephone Karen and let her know that we’ll drive to the school and collect her and Bill and take them out to dinner,’ Jenny promised Tom as they went their separate ways.
Karen insisted that they came early so that they could see over the house before they went out for a meal and, because she seemed to be so excited about her seeing it, Jenny agreed.
It was a small house but delightful, almost like a doll’s house when compared to the spacious home she and Karen had once shared. As Karen showed them the guest bedroom Jenny smiled inwardly, very pleased that she had declined Karen’s invitation to stay with them. It was so small that there was only space for one bed.
When Tom and Jenny finally took their leave on the Sunday afternoon, they had enjoyed themselves so much that they readily accepted Karen and Bill’s invitation to join them for Christmas.
‘Bill’s a really charming man isn’t he,’ Jenny said contentedly as they drove away.
‘Very nice chap indeed,’ Tom agreed. ‘I’m so glad that things have worked out so well for Karen; it must be a load off your mind.’
‘It certainly is. I really was despairing of her but let’s hope all that is in the past. Bill has had such a steadying effect on her; she’s like the girl I used to know,’ she added with a relaxed smile.
‘So now that she is safe and settled perhaps you can give some thought to your own future and to my proposal,’ Tom said quietly.
‘Oh, Tom!’ Jenny laid a hand on his knee. ‘I have treated you badly, haven’t I.’
‘You have, but I understand your reasons. Even I can see that Karen is a reformed character and I realize how upsetting her escapades must have been for you. As you say, that’s all in the past, so now it’s time to get on with your own life.’
‘You’re quite right and I fully intend to do that,’ Jenny agreed in a serious voice.
‘So what is your answer?’
Jenny was silent for several minutes before saying in a quiet but firm voice, ‘I accept, Tom.’
Tom swerved to the side of the road and jammed on the car brakes. Before Jenny could ask what was wrong he had grabbed hold of her and kissed her long and hard on the mouth.
‘I was beginning to think that I was never going to hear you say those wonderful words,’ he breathed. ‘You’ve no idea how happy you’ve made me.’
‘I think we should keep the news to ourselves for the moment,’ Jenny murmured cautiously.
‘You mean until we have had time to talk about it at length and planned things in a sensible way?’
‘Exactly!’
‘Are you ready to name the day?’ he asked eagerly. ‘What about making it a Christmas wedding?’
‘That’s less than two months away.’
‘How long do you need? I’d marry you tomorrow if it was at all possible.’
‘Impetuous, aren’t you,’ Jenny said in a teasing voice.
‘Well, at our age we haven’t all that much time left to enjoy being together,’ Tom reminded her.
‘True, but I was thinking of the spring being a rather nice time for a wedding.’
‘Next year!’ Tom exclaimed in a shocked voice. ‘I can’t keep it secret for that length of time, not unless you move in with me until then.’
‘We wouldn’t be able to keep it secret for very long if I did that,’ Jenny replied, laughing.
They talked about it for the rest of the journey home but failed to reach a decision and decided to sleep on it.
‘The date is the most important,’ Tom reminded Jenny as they reached Merseyside Mansions. ‘Everything else will automatically fall into place.’
‘You mean which flat we decide to live in or whether we should sell both of them and buy a small house?’
‘Yes, even about that. The choice is very much up to you. I will do almost anything to meet your wishes,’ Tom told her seriously.
‘I’m sure we can compromise,’ Jenny murmured.
‘Whatever you want; your happiness is what is most important to me,’ Tom assured her as he took her in his arms and held her close before kissing her goodnight.
As she relaxed into the comforting sensation of being pressed close to his big strong body, Jenny sighed contentedly. Now that she knew that Karen was so happily settled she felt as if all her worries were over and she revelled in the thought that at long last she would be able to concentrate on enjoying a life of her own. What was most important was that she wanted Tom to be part of that life and she marvelled at how fortunate she had been to meet him.
‘Sleep on it and we’ll sort all the details out in the morning,’ he repeated as he released her and she went into her flat.
Although they met for coffee the next morning and went for a walk together in the afternoon, it was several days before they managed to finalize a programme of events.
They decided that they would be married on the Saturday before Christmas and in the evening hold a celebration party in the community lounge at Merseyside Mansions and invite all the residents.
They would ask Karen and Bill to be their witnesses and then ask them to stay on over Christmas. By then they should have started the Christmas school holidays so there would be no problem about them doing that.
They decided not to do anything about selling the flats or buying a house until the spring.
‘Over Christmas Karen and Bill can stay in your flat and we can use mine, or the other way round,’ Tom told her. ‘It will also help us to make up our mind whether we want to stay here or move out to somewhere else.’
‘Before we mention any of this to Karen and Bill we had better make sure that we can be married that Saturday,’ Jenny murmured thoughtfully.
‘Why do you say that? What do you mean?’ Tom asked sharply with a worried frown. ‘You’re not having second thoughts about getting married?’
‘Of course I’m not, nothing is further from my mind. The register office may be fully booked or they may not be working at all because it is so near to Christmas,’ Jenny told him with a warm smile. ‘You have no idea how much I am looking forward to it.’
‘Then why wait? Why don’t you move in with me right away. No one else need know.’
Jenny shook her head. ‘Let’s wait. It’s not all that far away and we have the rest of our lives to be together. I will feel happier if it is all legal and above board before I start living with you.’
‘Absolute nonsense, but I love you all the more for it,’ Tom said with a dry chuckle.
‘We’ve plenty of planning to do to fill in our time,’ Jenny said rather primly.
‘Yes, I know,’ Tom agreed. ‘To start with, when are we going to tell the people here?’
‘As soon as we know for certain that we can be married on the Saturday before Christmas and we’re certain that Bill and Karen can be here for that date. Anyway,’ she added with a rueful smile, ‘they’ll probably find out whether we tell them or not.’
‘True, but I would prefer that we make a public announcement so that it is out in the open and stop any silly rumours spreading,’ Tom stated firmly.
They made a list of the tasks that lay ahead and as they managed to tick them off one by one Jenny began to feel as excited as any bride approaching her wedding.
It was more than thirty-five years since William had died so she felt in no way disloyal to his memory in marrying again. Eddy had also been dead for over seven years so she really did feel that she was embarking on a new life.
She was also supremely confident that her new life as Tom’s wife was going to be a very happy and contented one. Tom had been a tower of strength ever since she had fi
rst met him and the feeling of being loved and protected by this strong, wonderful man had increased with each passing day.
She was also looking forward to no longer having to make important decisions about property and money matters on her own any more. The many years of doing so since William died had become a tremendous burden and she felt quietly relieved that in future she would be able to share them with Tom or even leave him to deal with them.
That wasn’t her only reason for marrying Tom, she told herself with an inward chuckle. His sense of humour, the charisma and warmth of his character and, above all, the constant love and affection he showed towards her were something she rated highly because she had been starved of them for so long.
It was wonderful, she reflected, how everything was suddenly falling into place. Karen was happily married and settled in her new home and she was as free as a bird to enjoy whatever happiness her own future brought.
Thirty-Two
The fire broke out in Merseyside Mansions on the Thursday night, two days before Tom and Jenny were due to be married.
They had been in Jenny’s flat going over all their arrangements when the fire alarm went off with a deafening screech that made conversing almost impossible.
‘It’s probably only a false alarm, it has happened before,’ Tom said sanguinely as he took another sip of the brandy and soda Jenny had poured out for him.
‘According to the fire drill we’re supposed to assemble in the car park,’ Jenny reminded him.
‘You go out there if you want to but I’m staying here where it’s warm and comfortable; it’s freezing outside.’
‘Yes, you’re probably right,’ Jenny agreed as they heard the loud clanging of a bell as the fire-engine drew up outside.
Almost at once there was a noisy hammering on the door of Jenny’s flat and when she went to answer it a fireman was there demanding to know if she had been cooking that evening and asking to be allowed in to check the kitchen.
‘You’re clear,’ he told them. ‘The fire must be up on the next floor.’
‘You haven’t left anything cooking on the stove, Tom, have you?’ Jenny asked.
‘Not a thing,’ he said quickly.
‘Nevertheless, we’d like to check out your flat, sir,’ the fireman told him.
‘OK. I’ll come up with you,’ Tom said obligingly. ‘I’ll be right back, Jenny,’ he added as he stood up and accompanied the fireman out of the room.
Twenty minutes later when Tom had still not returned Jenny went out into the passageway to find out what was happening. She found it full of people, all chattering excitedly.
‘What’s happened? Have they found out where the fire is?’ she asked.
‘On the next floor.’
‘It’s in old Mrs Parsons’s flat and what’s more it seems she’s still in there.’
‘You can hear her screaming.’
‘Poor old soul; she’s probably frightened to death.’
‘How did the fire start in there?’ Jenny asked.
‘No one is sure, but apparently she was frying sausages.’
‘She probably set fire to a newspaper left too near the cooker or to her own clothes while she was cooking.’
‘It seems that her door is double locked and that she can’t get to it to open it so they can’t get in to her.’
‘The fire brigade are going to put up a ladder outside and break in through the window.’
‘They’re too late,’ Sandra Roberts interrupted. ‘Her flat is next to mine and she has already been rescued. Someone has sent for an ambulance so that they can take her to hospital and have her checked over. She’s in a right state.’
‘Who was it that rescued her?’ Dan and Mavis Grey asked in unison.
‘Tom Fieldman. When he heard her screaming he put his shoulder to the door and burst the lock open and then he dashed in, grabbed Mrs Parsons up in his arms and brought her out on to the landing well away from her burning flat. He’s still up there.’
‘Let me pass, I must go to him,’ Jenny said, pushing her way towards the stairs.
‘I’m afraid not, ma’am.’ A fireman stood at the foot of the staircase. ‘No one can go up there, the fire is spreading.’
‘I must; my friend Tom Fieldman has just this minute gone up there. And …’
‘You mean the man who’s rescued the old lady?’
‘That’s right.’
‘Well, I’m sorry but you can’t go up. Wait here and you might manage to have a quick word with him before they take him off to hospital.’
‘Hospital? Why does he have to go to hospital?’ Jenny asked, her voice shaking.
‘His hands and arms are pretty badly burned,’ he explained. ‘He most certainly needs hospital attention.’
‘Then I’ll go with him,’ Jenny stated. ‘I’ll go and collect my coat. I’ll be back in a minute or two.’
‘I’m not sure they will let you go in the ambulance,’ the fireman warned, but Jenny wasn’t listening. She was trembling and her knees felt like water as she rushed back to her flat, slipped on her coat and picked up a warm scarf and her handbag.
She locked the door to her flat and was back in reception just as two paramedics were passing through the reception area with a stretcher on which old Mrs Parsons lay huddled under a blanket. She was breathing noisily and with some difficulty as they made their way out to one of the ambulances parked outside.
Almost immediately two other paramedics brought Tom down the stairs and into the reception area. He was strapped into a chair and people moved aside to let them through.
Jenny’s heart drummed in her chest as she saw how ashen his face was and noticed how very carefully the ambulance men carried him towards the door. Both his arms were covered by protective green cloth.
‘No, you must let me come with you,’ Jenny protested as one of the paramedics firmly moved her to one side. ‘He needs me to be there with him.’
‘Are you his wife?’
‘Not yet, but I will be in two days’ time,’ she told them.
He hesitated, looking at his colleague for confirmation that it would be in order, and then telling her she could come with them when the other man nodded in agreement.
As they drove through the darkness to Liverpool Infirmary Jenny longed to be able to hold Tom’s hand, but they were far too red and sore for her to do that. Enormous blisters had already formed on them and in between trying to speak to her he was making full use of the gas and air that the paramedic had offered him to help ease the pain.
The hospital was very busy and there were rows of people waiting to be attended to, but they were seen almost immediately. Tom was wheeled away by a porter and Jenny was left to give the man on the reception desk as much information as she could. When he had finished taking down Tom’s name, address, age and as many other personal details as Jenny could provide, he told her where to sit and wait.
She felt sick with worry as she sat on the hard metal chair. The air was full of the smell of antiseptic. Her head was in a whirl because she had no idea how long it would be before she would be able to take Tom home.
She wasn’t even sure how badly hurt he was because she hadn’t really had an opportunity to talk to him since it happened, but she remembered the pain she’d been in only a short time ago when she’d scalded her hands.
Twice she went up to the desk and asked the middle-aged man sitting there booking in new arrivals if there was any news concerning Mr Fieldman.
‘No, I’m afraid there isn’t. Why don’t you go and get yourself a cup of coffee, you look as though you need it.’
‘I’m afraid to leave here in case he is discharged or there is a message from him for me.’
‘Don’t worry about that. I’ll be here until six in the morning and I know where you are going so I’ll send a porter to fetch you if there is any message for you or if you are needed.’
The coffee and a round of hot toast did much to restore Jenny’s equilibrium. She realized
that it was useless to worry; far better to plan how they were going to manage over the next couple of days. She wondered if Tom would be fit enough to go through with the wedding or whether they would have to cancel it.
Karen and Bill were due to arrive the following evening; at least she would have them there to support her, she thought thankfully. She’d do nothing about changing any of the wedding arrangements until she’d had a chance to talk things over with them both.
It was well after midnight when a nurse came to tell Jenny that Tom had been sedated, his burns dressed and that he was in a side ward.
‘Can I see him?’
‘He may not be fully conscious. As I told you, he had to be sedated so that his burns could be dressed. Why don’t you go home and get some rest and come back tomorrow afternoon.’
‘I‘d like to see him now, before I go home,’ Jenny persisted stubbornly.
The nurse frowned and peered at her fob watch. ‘Only for a couple of minutes, and if he is asleep, then you must not waken him,’ she said grudgingly.
‘I promise,’ Jenny told her.
Tom was in a small room in a single iron bed and was propped up into a half-sitting position with a mound of pillows. Both his arms and hands were encased in gauze and bandages right down to his fingertips. There were also blisters on his face and forehead and the front of his hair was singed.
He opened his eyes drowsily as she approached the bed and stared almost unseeingly.
‘Oh, Tom, my darling, what have you done to yourself,’ she whispered. ‘You were so brave.’
His eyelids fluttered but it was as if they were too heavy for him to open them.
Remembering the nurse’s instructions about not waking him she simply whispered his name again.
He managed a lopsided smile then drifted back into a deep sleep.
She wanted to kiss him before she left but was afraid to do so for fear of hurting him; she wanted to hold his hand but she could see that that was also impossible.