‘Uncle Jack said to keep it secret a bit. Just till Coco was strong again, then he’d talk to Mrs Hewitt.’ Aggie sniffed. ‘I thought she wouldn’t never send Coco away if Uncle Jack asked her.’
‘Why do you say that, sweetheart?’
‘She looks at him funny. Like grown-ups look when they’re married, but pleased about being married, you know?’ Aggie blinked innocent eyes at her. ‘You know that way, like when they love each other?’
From the mouths of babes …
‘She’s angry right now,’ Edie said, sitting down on Aggie’s bed and putting an arm around her. ‘You’d be angry too, wouldn’t you, if you found out people you cared about had been lying to you?’
‘She don’t care about us,’ Aggie muttered. ‘All she ever says is don’t do this, don’t do that, speak proper, act ladylike and all that boring stuff.’
Jimmy finished his meal and came to sit by them, his mouth covered in milk. Edie took out her handkerchief to mop it for him.
‘Mrs Hewitt says those things because she cares,’ Edie told Aggie. ‘She wants to teach you proper manners to help you in life.’
‘If she cared about us she wouldn’t send Coco away,’ Aggie said fiercely.
‘She promised to find him a good home. He’d be very happy on a farm, with all that space to run around.’
‘But I don’t want him to live on a farm.’ The child’s chin wobbled. ‘I want him to stay with me. He’s my dog, Miss.’
‘I know,’ Edie said, kissing the top of her head. ‘Let Mrs Hewitt calm down a little, and perhaps by the morning she might reconsider.’
A low, droning sound came from outside and Edie frowned.
‘That must be one of the planes from the airbase. It’s flying low.’
Jimmy leaned over to whisper to his sister, and her eyes went wide.
‘Miss,’ she said in a low voice. ‘That ain’t one of ours.’
‘What? But it has to –’
Suddenly there was a series of bangs, accompanied by bright flashes like lightning, and then, chillingly, an ear-piercing scream. The bangs were outside, but the scream … Edie drew the children against her, and they hid their faces in her arms.
They all knew what those sounds meant. A bombing raid! Here!
‘They said the bombs couldn’t get us here,’ Aggie said in a voice shaking with fear.
Edie could feel Jimmy trembling and squeezed him tight. What should she do? What the hell should she do? There were no dugouts here, no Underground stations: nowhere they could hide if a stray bomber had decided to make them a target.
She heard feet running down the hall, then, piercing the air like a ghastly human siren, another shrill scream.
‘What is that?’ Aggie whispered. ‘A ghost?’
‘It’s … it’s Uncle Jack,’ Edie told her, trying to keep her voice calm and even, although she was sure the children must be able to feel the pounding of her heart. ‘He sometimes has nightmares, about the last war. The bombs must have made him think he was back in the trenches.’
Aggie had looked frightened when she’d heard the bombs. Now, discovering there was something ghoulish actually in the house with them, she looked absolutely terrified.
‘Uncle Jack wouldn’t hurt us, would he?’ she asked, looking up at Edie.
‘No.’ Edie forced a smile. ‘Of course not, you know he wouldn’t. He’ll be better just as soon as he wakes up properly.’
There were sounds in the distance – more bombs, followed by a volley of rapid machine gun fire. Edie held the children tight against her until it had subsided, then stood up. ‘I’d better find out if there’s shelter anywhere.’
‘No!’ Aggie clutched at her arm. ‘Don’t leave us on our own. Please don’t.’
‘I need to find somewhere to keep us safe, sweetheart.’ She held out her hands to the two of them. ‘Come on then. We’ll all go.’
When she opened the door, she found Prue outside about to enter.
‘Oh, thank God, you’re safe,’ she said, pulling Edie into a hug. ‘Children, are you all right?’
‘They’re very frightened,’ Edie said in a low voice. ‘Where can we go, Prue? Is there a shelter anywhere?’
‘No, we never had need of one. We’re so far from the cities here, we’ve never been in the line of fire before.’
‘What about a cellar?’
‘Not any more. Albert had them boarded up for damp years ago,’ Prue said. ‘The dining table is the best we have – it’s solid oak, and sturdy. Jack’s underneath it already. Take the children and join him there, I’ll go tell Matilda.’
‘Is Jack …’
‘He’s awake and lucid. Although I think it will be some time before he stops shaking, the poor man.’
‘All right, come on,’ Edie said to the children as Prue went to knock on Tilly’s door. She took their hands and the three of them hurried to the dining room, where Jack was on his knees under the table.
Prue was right, he was trembling all over, his face haggard and drawn. Although he was evidently now aware of where he was, his eyes still darted from side to side, as if he was under attack from invisible enemies.
‘Oh God, children.’ He pulled them to him for a tight hug. ‘Are you all right, my pets?’
‘They’re frightened but unharmed,’ Edie said. ‘Are you?’
‘I’ll be fine.’ But his unfixed gaze continued to stare into corners, and the two evacuees regarded Uncle Jack with a new fear in their eyes.
Prue returned a moment later and joined them under the table.
‘Where’s Tilly?’ Edie asked.
‘On her way.’ Prue shook her head. ‘Bombs, in Applefield! Whatever can it mean? Were they aiming for the aerodrome?’
‘I expect it’s a stray plane that decided to drop its load on the way home.’ Edie had heard about such things. ‘Or a damaged one jettisoning to gain altitude, possibly.’
Prue flinched as they heard the drone of the plane’s engine close by, then another volley of machine gun fire. Jack started, almost banging his head on the table.
Jimmy whispered something to Aggie, who nodded.
‘That’s a flying pencil, Jim says,’ she informed them. ‘He can tell any plane just from the noise it makes.’
‘It doesn’t seem to be in any hurry to leave,’ Prue muttered. ‘I hope no one is hurt in the village, or on the farms. What a terrible thing for the animals! So many lambs aborted.’
She seemed to notice Jack then, trembling at her side, and laid a hand on his arm.
‘Bearing up, old man?’ she said softly.
He summoned a shaky smile. ‘Well enough when I’ve you here to look after me.’
‘Except when I’m a silly fool who doesn’t appreciate how lucky she is to have you.’ She gave his arm a squeeze. ‘Forgive me, Jack. You know I didn’t mean a word of it.’
‘Already have, Cheg.’
There was another explosion outside, and Aggie looked up at Edie with wide, terrified eyes.
‘Coco!’ she whispered. ‘Miss, he’s out there! I have to get him before a bomb drops on him.’
‘Don’t be foolish, child. You can’t go out there,’ Prue said.
‘But, Mrs Hewitt, he’ll be so frightened! Please let him come in, just till the plane goes. I’ll die if anything happens to him.’
‘Aggie, it’s dangerous outside,’ Prue explained gently.
‘I’ll fetch him,’ Jack said, squaring his shoulders. ‘The dog’s my responsibility.’
‘Jack, don’t be ridiculous. You can’t go, the state you’re in.’ Prue crawled out from under the table. ‘I shall go.’
‘Cheggy, no!’ Jack said. ‘It’s not safe.’
‘We can’t leave the little thing to be frightened to death, can we?’ Refusing to listen to further protest, Prue went out.
She returned ten minutes later with Coco tucked under her arm, and Jack and Edie each breathed a sigh of relief. Coco leaped from Prue as soon as he caught sight of A
ggie and bounded towards her.
‘Coco!’ Aggie pulled the little dog to her, beaming. He was trembling but otherwise seemed in rude health, wagging his tail at finding himself back among people he trusted.
‘Poor thing was whimpering in a corner, scared out of his wits,’ Prue said as she crawled back under the table.
‘What did you see out there?’ Edie asked in a low voice.
‘Fires, down in the village. I couldn’t tell what was burning. There’s a lot of smoke and ash. I suppose we won’t know all the damage until morning.’
Edie bowed her head. She’d been through this so many times before, but she never expected to be going through it here.
‘I ought to be there,’ she murmured. ‘When the plane’s gone, I’ll cycle over and see what I can do to help.’
Jack shuffled closer to Prue as Aggie and Jimmy fussed over the puppy.
‘Good with him, isn’t she?’ he said in a low voice.
‘Yes, he really seems to bring out her motherly side. Something I would have sworn she didn’t have the day she came to us.’
‘She’s a good lass really. All she needed was a bit of love.’
‘Prue, won’t you consider letting Coco stay?’ Edie asked. ‘Jack’s right: it would do the children the world of good to have a pet.’
‘Hmm. A conspiracy, is it?’ But there was humour in Prue’s eyes.
‘Go on, Cheg,’ Jack said, his previous chummy demeanour back now they were friends again. ‘Let them keep the dog. I’ll help them look after him, and he’ll be a good little ratter for the gardens. You know the beggars had half our strawberries last year.’
‘I’ll think about it.’ She shook her head. ‘Where the devil is Matilda? She shouldn’t stay in her room when for all we know chunks of the roof are about to start falling in.’
‘I’ll go see what’s keeping her,’ Edie said. The children didn’t seem to need her quite so much now they had the dog to keep their attention. The comical chap was wobbling on his haunches like a furry Humpty Dumpty, making them laugh.
Edie headed to Tilly’s room, flinching at the sound of another explosion from outside.
‘Till?’ she said, knocking on the door. ‘You’d better come down. It’s not safe in here.’
There was no answer so she peeped in.
‘Oh my goodness,’ she murmured.
Tilly was stretched out on the bed, her face pale and drenched with sweat. Her breathing was ragged, and, as Edie entered, she let out a low moan.
‘I’m so sorry, Edie,’ she whispered, convulsing as birthing pains tore through her body. ‘I hate to be a bother, but I think the baby’s coming.’
Chapter 24
Edie stared for a moment, shock rendering her mute. But the pain etched on Tilly’s face forced her to recover herself. She came forward to take her friend’s hand.
‘Oh, Till,’ she whispered.
Tilly smiled feebly. ‘I pick my moments, don’t I?’
‘I’ll get Prue. She’ll know what to do.’
Tilly grasped her hand as she turned to leave.
‘Don’t tell the little ones,’ she whispered. ‘They must be frightened to death already.’
Edie nodded, then hurried back downstairs.
‘Mrs Hewitt, can you come upstairs for a moment?’ she said with a falsely bright smile.
Prue frowned. ‘Is there something wrong?’
‘I need to show you something on the second floor.’
‘The bombs didn’t –’
‘Just come, please,’ Edie said, not entirely managing to keep the panic out of her voice.
Prue took one look at her face and got to her feet.
‘Children, stay here with Coco and Uncle Jack,’ Prue told them. ‘Edie and I will be back shortly.’
Luckily Aggie and Jimmy were immersed in the all-consuming business of playing with their puppy, and they only nodded absently. Jack flashed her a worried look, but he didn’t say anything.
‘What is it?’ Prue murmured when they reached the privacy of the hall.
‘The baby’s coming,’ Edie whispered back.
‘What? But she isn’t due for six weeks!’
‘Perhaps it was the bombs. That can happen, can’t it? A sudden fright can bring it on early.’ Edie didn’t know where she’d heard that, but she was sure it was right.
‘Right,’ Prue said, recovering from her initial shock. ‘I’ll phone for Dr MacKenzie.’
There was a telephone in the hall. Prue consulted the little leather book beside it, then lifted the receiver and dialled.
She held it against her ear for a moment before hanging up, frowning.
‘It’s not ringing.’
‘Do you think anyone was hurt in the raid?’ Edie asked. ‘He might be needed elsewhere.’
‘It ought still to ring. I think it’s more likely the bombs have damaged some of the telephone lines.’
‘But what can we do?’ Edie was feeling dizzy, and gripped the banister to steady herself. ‘She’s in so much pain, and if the baby’s early they could both be in danger. Is there anyone else in the village who could help?’
‘We don’t even know what’s left of the village,’ Prue said in a low voice. ‘The bombs could have hit anywhere.’
The notion that Applefield might have been half-flattened by an explosion, as so many areas of London had been, froze Edie to the marrow.
Prue stood in silence for a moment, her face working with worry. Then she drew herself up, and Edie saw her assume the no-nonsense expression that at first she’d feared, and then grown to trust.
‘Let’s go to Matilda,’ Prue said.
Tilly was lying as Edie had left her, face white and drawn with pain.
‘I think … the pains are getting closer together,’ she panted. ‘Is …’ She paused to hiss through her teeth. ‘Prue, is the doctor coming?’
Prue took her hand.
‘Not yet,’ she said gently. ‘We can’t reach him by telephone.’ She cast a look at Edie. ‘I’ll have to walk into the village to fetch him.’
‘Prue, no!’ Edie whispered. ‘It isn’t safe.’
The bombs and machine gun fire had stopped now, and she was hopeful that the flying pencil, as Dornier Do 17s were nicknamed, was on its way back to the Fatherland. But there would be fires, falling rubble, perhaps unexploded bombs …
Tilly gripped Prue’s hand tightly, and turned pain-filled eyes up to her.
‘Luca,’ she managed to gasp.
‘Of course!’ Edie said. ‘Prue, Luca’s a doctor. He can help us.’
Prue turned to look at her. ‘But he’s a prisoner. I doubt he’ll be allowed to leave the farm at night.’
‘This is an emergency though. Who else is there? Even if you find the doctor, he might have his hands full with injured people.’
Tilly seemed to be in a mild delirium now, twisting in pain as she repeated ‘Luca, Luca’ in a faint whisper.
‘I’ll go for him,’ Edie said. ‘If I take my bike I can be there in ten minutes, and I’m sure Sam would lend us the truck to get back.’
Prue shook her head. ‘You mustn’t, Edie! You said yourself it wasn’t safe.’
‘It has to be me. Jack’s barely recovered from the shock of the attack, and I don’t think you can ride a bike, can you?’
‘Well, no, but …’
‘Then it’s settled. You take care of Tilly, I’ll go for Luca.’ She came forward to squeeze Tilly’s hand. ‘Hold on, sweetheart,’ she said gently. ‘I’ll be back before you know it.’
The bomber had definitely gone when Edie mounted her bicycle and headed in the direction of Larkstone Farm. She could hear shouts in the distance though, and a couple of big fires blazed on the horizon. It sounded as though the villagers were trying to organise a chain to extinguish them. Edie felt a twinge of guilt that she was heading in the opposite direction, until she reminded herself she was on her own errand of mercy.
She reached the farmhouse in record time a
nd was soon knocking, breathless, at Sam’s door.
He blinked in surprise when he opened it.
‘London! What the hell are you doing out in an air raid? Here, get inside.’
He tried to pull her into the comparative safety of the farmhouse, but she resisted.
‘No … time,’ she gasped. ‘Need … Luca. Baby’s coming.’
‘Baby … baby!’ His eyes widened. ‘Tilly’s baby is coming now?’
Your baby too, Edie found herself thinking, but this was no time for recriminations.
‘Yes. We can’t get through to the doctor – Prue thinks the phone lines are damaged. Please, Sam. She’s six weeks early and the baby could be in danger. We need a doctor – we need Luca.’
‘Right.’ Suddenly he was all efficiency. ‘He’s down in the cellar with Davy and Marco. Chuck your bike in the back of the truck and we’ll be there in a minute.’
‘There’s no need for you to come. I can drive it.’
‘You’ll need me if you get stopped by police or military, unless you fancy explaining where you think you’re driving to in the middle of the night with an Italian prisoner of war. Luca’s my responsibility.’
That was true. She nodded agreement and went to wait by the truck while he explained the situation to Luca.
Luca was quiet during the drive to the manor – in shock, perhaps, from the bombs. Of course, he had some traumatic memories of his own to match Jack Graham’s.
‘Sam, you’d better wait in the library,’ Edie said when she’d ushered the two men into Applefield Manor. ‘Luca, I’ll take you to Tilly.’
But Luca was already bounding up the stairs. Edie hurried to follow. He seemed to know where he was going, and she caught up with him just as he flung open the door to Tilly’s room.
‘Where is she?’ he demanded. ‘Where is my wife?’
His … Had she heard him correctly?
‘Luca,’ Tilly whispered, stretching out a weak hand to him. ‘Here, love.’
He knelt down beside her, took her hand and kissed the fingers feverishly.
‘My darling, does it hurt very much?’ he asked softly.
‘It hurts. My God, it hurts. But everything’s all right now you’re here.’
‘Did he say his wife?’ Edie whispered to Prue.
Edie's Home for Orphans Page 21