by Joan Jonker
‘We’re very lucky as a family, Mam, I’ll say that. There’s not one of us ever fallen out or even had sharp words. Oh, I know when we were kids we used to fight, me and the girls, but it was only ever in fun. We never kept an argument up or sulked. And I’ve never heard me nan or granda even raise their voices. Just one big happy, loving family. And Steve and Phil have fitted in as though they’ve always been part of that family. Same as my Rosie has – only she’s prettier than they are.’
‘I should hope so,’ Molly laughed. ‘If either of them heard yer saying they were pretty, they’d clock yer one. It’s handsome lads they are, both of them.’ She suddenly remembered something and twisted in her chair to face her mother. ‘Ay, Ma, did Tommy tell yer Lily and Archie are getting engaged? And that Phoebe and Paul have made it up?’
‘We knew about Lily and Archie, but Tommy hasn’t said anything about Phoebe and Paul.’
‘I’d have had a job to tell yer when I didn’t know meself,’ Tommy said. ‘Yer only told us about it when we were having our dinner!’
‘Yeah, well, it only happened last night. Nellie did think of waking me up at midnight to tell me, but I’m happy to say she resisted the urge.’ Molly’s eyes covered each of the faces. ‘I’ve been here nearly an hour and no one’s asked if they should put the kettle on. Me mouth is as dry as a bone.’
Rosie jumped to her feet. ‘Sorry, Auntie Molly, we’ll rectify that right away, so we will. Me dearly beloved intended will be delighted to give me a hand, won’t yer, Tommy? And he won’t have to worry about stealing a kiss or two, ’cos it’s meself that’s thinking there’ll be no springs in the kitchen floor.’
‘Lily, can me and Phoebe come into town with yer? I know you and Archie would probably rather be on yer own when ye’re choosing an engagement ring, but I promise we won’t get in yer way.’ Paul’s brown eyes were appealing. ‘It’s just that we’d like an idea of how much a ring will cost.’
‘Ah, ay, Paul, that’s a bit much, isn’t it? Taking me kid brother with me and me boyfriend to choose a ring? Archie would think I was crazy!’
‘Of course he wouldn’t think yer were crazy! And knowing Archie, he wouldn’t mind in the least!’ Nellie, her arms lost from view beneath her bosom, was taking sides with her son. After all, big as he was, he was still her baby. ‘They know better than to be nosy or get in the way. And there’s more than one window in every jeweller’s shop I’ve ever seen. They can be looking in one window while you and Archie have got yer noses pressed against another. It wouldn’t do yer no harm to let them go along with yer.’
Once her mother had taken up the cudgels on Paul’s behalf, Lily knew she was beaten. But she couldn’t give in without a fight because Archie mightn’t like the idea. ‘But they’re not getting engaged yet so why do they want to be looking at rings?’
‘As soon as I’ve saved up enough money, we will be getting engaged,’ Paul told her, ‘and I just want an idea of prices!’
‘How much have yer got saved, son?’
‘Only ten pound, Mam.’
George gasped. ‘ONLY ten pound! When me and yer mam were courting, we could have bought a wedding ring and an engagement ring for that. And got change into the bargain.’
Nellie rolled her eyes. ‘My God, listen to the voice of wisdom! Ye’re talking about twenty-five years ago, yer silly bugger! Things have shot up in price since then.’ After clicking her tongue on the roof of her mouth several times, she lowered her voice to speak slowly and coaxingly to her daughter. ‘How much is Archie forking out for your ring?’
George coughed, Paul grinned and Lily gasped. ‘Mam! Yer shouldn’t be asking things like that! Even if I knew, I wouldn’t tell yer. And if yer have the nerve to ask Archie, I’ll walk out of the front door in shame.’
‘I don’t know,’ Nellie said, as though she’d been insulted, ‘people get upset at the least thing these days.’
‘Yer were out of order, Nellie,’ George told her. ‘Yer have no right to ask a question like that, now or after they’ve bought the ring. It’s none of your business.’
A knock on the door brought the subject to a close. But not before George had wagged a warning finger at his wife. ‘Don’t you dare, Nellie.’
Archie came in smiling. ‘It’s a lovely day to go shopping for a ring, don’t yer think? And if me girlfriend is ready, we’ll be on our way. From what I’ve been told, a girl can take hours and hours before deciding on the one she wants.’
‘Archie, can I ask yer something?’ Nellie wasn’t to know that her words brought three hearts to a standstill. ‘If yer don’t like the idea just say so.’
‘Fire away, Mrs Mac, I’m all ears.’
‘Well, it’s like this, yer see, son. Our Paul and Phoebe will be getting engaged soon and they were wondering if yer would mind if they went into town with yer. Just to get an idea of prices, like, yer know.’
‘Of course I wouldn’t mind, they’re welcome to come along.’ Archie smiled at Lily. ‘We’ll be glad of their company, won’t we, love?’
Lily was so relieved her mother’s enquiry wasn’t to ask Archie how much money he had in his pocket, she readily agreed. ‘Yer’d better go and get Phoebe, otherwise the afternoon will be over before we get into town.’
Paul wasted no time, and within five minutes he was back with his girlfriend. Looking the picture of happiness, he asked, ‘Well, what are we waiting for? Let’s go!’
Brown’s the jeweller’s was a small but well-known shop in Liverpool’s London Road. They offered a wide selection of attractive engagement rings at prices which ranged from five pounds to five hundred. Lily’s eager eyes lit on a cluster which had an amethyst stone in the centre surrounded by six small diamonds. ‘That’s nice, Archie.’
‘Take yer time, love, ’cos it’s got to last yer. Why don’t we go inside and ask to see a selection? Yer’d have more idea if yer saw them at close quarters and could try them on. And if there’s nothing that takes yer fancy here, we can try another shop. There’s plenty of them in the city so yer’d be hard pressed not to find a ring yer like.’
Lily looked across to the other window where Paul and Phoebe were gazing wide-eyed at the vast selection. ‘We’re going in for a closer inspection, d’yer want to come?’
‘No, we’ll wait here so we won’t be in the way.’ Paul was thinking he could save up enough in a few weeks if they didn’t go out so much. Not that Phoebe was the one who wanted to go out, it was him. ‘If yer want us, though, give us a call.’ Then he put his arm across Phoebe’s shoulder. ‘Can yer see anything yer like?’
She pointed to one of the velvet pads which held about twenty rings. ‘The second row down, fourth on the left. I think that’s nice.’
Paul pursed his lips. ‘It’s not very big, is it?’
‘I always thought that when I got engaged I would like a solitaire diamond. I don’t want a big showy one, and I like the claw setting on that. And the diamond isn’t that small anyway, it’s just right. It doesn’t have a price on, though, so it probably costs the earth.’
‘None of them have prices on so that doesn’t mean a thing. We’ll wait for Lily and Archie to come out, then we’ll go in and ask how much it is. Yer might see something yer like better inside.’
‘We don’t have to wait for them to come out, there’s a woman standing behind the other counter, she can serve us.’
But when they got inside, Lily called them over. ‘Come and have a look, Phoebe, see what yer think. There’s so many it’s hard to choose, but three have taken my eye.’
The three rings were quite similar, all clusters with a different gemstone in the centre surrounded by small diamonds. ‘They’re all very pretty, Lily, it’s hard to say which is the nicest. It’s a question of taste, really. Try them on and that way yer might be able to make up yer mind.’
‘I’ve tried them, but I’d like you to put them on so I’ll get a better idea what they look like.’
With the two men becoming impatient an
d moving from one foot to the other, Phoebe was asked to show off each ring by putting a hand to her mouth, then on to her chest, and finally flat on the counter. ‘I think they all look nice.’
After further debate, Lily decided on the ring which had first taken her eye, the cluster with the amethyst nestled in the centre of six small diamonds. She moved away from the counter and put her hand on Archie’s. ‘I still like this one, but yer haven’t asked him the price of any of them. If it’s too dear, we’ll leave it and look in other shops.’
Archie turned to the man behind the counter, who was waiting and hoping for a sale. ‘How much is this ring?’
‘Twenty pounds, sir. But we do have a cheaper range if you’d care to see them?’
Archie shook his head. ‘Lily, are yer sure? And does it fit properly?’
She spread her hand out for him to see. ‘Look, it’s a perfect fit. And I really love it.’
‘Then you shall have it.’ Archie reached into a pocket for his wallet. ‘Ask the man to put it in a nice box for yer.’
Phoebe gave Paul a nudge. ‘Ask the woman how much the solitaire in the window is.’
The assistant brought the velvet pad from the window, and after Phoebe had pointed out the solitaire ring, she took it from its nesting place and handed it over. ‘A very pretty ring, if I may say so.’
Phoebe slipped it on to her finger. ‘It’s lovely. How much is it?’
‘Eighteen guineas, dear.’
Lily, the small red padded box containing her engagement ring safely in her bag, came to see what was going on. ‘That looks nice on yer, Phoebe.’
Paul, thinking the male assistant was probably senior to the woman, walked over to the counter where the unsold rings were being put back on display. ‘Excuse me. If I put ten pound deposit down on a ring, would you hold it for me until I came with the rest of the money? I don’t have enough on me right now.’
‘Of course, sir, that would be fine. Give the details to Miss Holdsworth and she’ll give you a receipt for your money.’
Paul turned to find himself confronted by Phoebe and Archie. ‘I’ve got money on me, Paul,’ Phoebe told him, ‘enough to pay for it outright.’
‘What! Let yer pay for yer own engagement ring! No chance, love, I’ll pay for it meself. It may take a couple of weeks, but we weren’t expecting to get a ring today, anyway.’
Then it was Archie’s turn. ‘Paul, I’ve got enough on me, I can lend yer the money.’
‘No, no, a thousand times no! This is one thing I want to do on me own. I asked Phoebe to get engaged and I’m the one that wants to, and should, pay for the ring.’
So when the foursome left the shop, there were smiles on all their faces. Lily had the ring she’d fallen for and which cemented her relationship with Archie. And Phoebe was delighted that the solitaire ring she’d always dreamed of would soon be hers and she could tell the world that she and Paul belonged to each other. As for Paul, he felt like jumping for joy. There’d be no going to dances or the pictures for two weeks, he was really going to pull his horns in. Of course he could have borrowed the money off Archie and Phoebe would have had her ring today, but knowing her, she wouldn’t have been happy in the knowledge it wasn’t paid for. It was far better to do it this way, both of them with their pride intact.
Chapter 26
Father Kelly looked surprised to see so many in his church for the christening. Usually it was just the parents of the baby and the godparents, but there were at least thirty people sitting in the pews today. More than he got at mass on most mornings. Since the war had finished, it appeared religion and attending mass were the last things on people’s minds. It was as though they blamed God for allowing the bombing and killing which had affected many families in Liverpool and surrounding areas. But it wasn’t God who’d brought such horror to so many, it was the greed and wickedness of men.
The font was at the front of the church near the side altar from which the statue of Our Lady looked down, so those sitting in the pews would be able to witness the christening. Doreen was standing swaying gently as most women do when holding a sleeping baby in their arms. Phil was as close to her as he could get, his cup of happiness overflowing.
As Father Kelly approached the font he beckoned the young couple closer. ‘You’re very lucky having so many friends.’
Doreen smiled. ‘Yes, Father, we do have a lot. But most of these people are members of my family or my husband’s.’
‘Who are standing as godparents?’
Doreen turned to where Jill and Steve were waiting beside Doreen’s best friend, Maureen, and her fiancé, and waved them over. Baby Bobby was to have two sets of godparents.
‘What name are you giving the child, Mrs Bradley?’ Father Kelly asked.
‘Robert James Bradley.’ That was the only blot on a perfect day for Phil. He’d been hoping to hear from the solicitor saying the change of name from Bradley to Mitchell had been finalised, but it wasn’t to be and his son was being christened a Bradley. Although the solicitor said the name could be changed on most things, like rent books and for voting purposes, a birth certificate could not be altered.
‘Will you remove the shawl, please?’ As the priest held out his arms for the sleeping baby, Doreen was feeling really pleased with her son. He’d been an angel, not a peep out of him. But she was congratulating herself too soon, because the cold water being poured on his head was not to his liking and he soon proved to everyone that he did indeed have a good set of lungs.
The Mitchell family had turned out in force and nearly everyone remarked on the likeness of Phil to his uncles. The younger members had never known their uncle who had died, but for the rest of the family it was an emotional time, bringing back many memories of a son and brother who had been dearly loved. But as Maggie had said to them, the first day Phil came into their lives, ‘My Bob will never be dead while Phil is alive.’
As Father Kelly said a prayer over the baby, all the men in the congregation had smiles on their faces while the women held hankies to their eyes. Corker whispered to Ellen, ‘You women like nothing better than to have something to cry over. This is supposed to be a joyous occasion, not sad.’
‘I know,’ she sniffed. ‘These are tears of joy.’
Molly, sitting next to Phil’s grandma, Maggie, was crying unashamedly. And Jack was biting on his lip to keep the tears at bay.
Doreen held out her arms to take the baby when the short ceremony was over. ‘Thank you, Father.’
‘I hope when Robert James is older you will set him a good example by bringing him to church every Sunday. If the parents fall away, very often the children will too. And that is not fair to the child because they haven’t been given the choice of believing in God or not believing. Don’t deny your child that choice, bring him up to be a good Catholic.’
Doreen felt guilty, remembering it was months since she’d been inside the church. But that was due to circumstances and she’d see it didn’t happen again. ‘I’ll do my best, Father.’
Jill was standing nearby, her face radiant with happiness for her sister, and eager to hold the baby. ‘Can I have a hold of my godson, please?’
‘Oh, aye, that’s favouritism, that is,’ said Maureen who had been a friend of Doreen’s since the day they’d started work in Johnson’s Dye Works at the age of fourteen. She’d been engaged to Sammy for eighteen months and they were to be married in September. ‘I’m a godmother, too, but I can’t get a look in!’
‘Let’s go outside, shall we? Father Kelly’s got another christening in a few minutes.’
Young Bobby’s cries had died down now, and as they walked out into the sunlight he was his usual placid self. The strange faces bending over him and the strange voices talking baby talk, seemed to amuse him. He gurgled away happily. Although he’d cried at the cold water being poured over him, he certainly hadn’t disgraced himself. And who wouldn’t cry if they were only two months old, in a deep sleep, and so rudely awakened? It was enough to
frighten anyone.
‘Can I have me cuddle now?’ Jill asked, her arms held wide. ‘And then I’ll pass him over to Maureen.’
Molly came up behind them. ‘Ay, just hang on a minute. It’s age before beauty and I think Mrs Mitchell should be first in line. Followed by yours truly.’
So while the ladies gathered around the baby, all making the sounds they think babies can understand, the men stood together in a group, most of them glad to be out in the fresh air to smoke a cigarette. Jim Mitchell, the eldest of Maggie’s children, took Phil to one side. ‘We didn’t buy anything for the baby because me mam said he had plenty of everything. But she said he had a Post Office savings book so we all chipped in to give yer this to put in it.’ He slipped a ten-pound note into Phil’s pocket. ‘It’ll come in handy if he needs anything.’
‘I can’t take that off yer, Uncle Jim, it’s far too much!’
‘It’s not just off me, it’s off me mam, our Wally and our Beth. It only works out a couple of pound each, and yer can’t buy much for that. Anyway, seeing what a difference there is in me mam since you came into her life, and then young Bobby, well, we want yer to know how much it means to us.’
‘I’m the one who’s gained most, Uncle Jim. A few years ago I was the boy with nothing and no one. Now look at me, I’ve got three families – the Bennetts, the Mitchells and the person who made all this possible, me Aunt Vicky. And on top of that, I’ve got me lovely wife and beautiful baby. The richest man on earth, I am.’ Phil grinned as he patted the pocket in which the ten-pound note lay. ‘Although the way things are going, me son is going to be richer than me before he’s much older.’
Molly was tutting as she walked towards the group. ‘Why do they say it’s women who talk too much? You lot take some beating. Anyway, it’s time to make our way home before young Bobby starts getting hungry.’
‘Me and our Wally and the wives are going straight home, Molly, and we’re taking the children with us. Beth and Noel are staying with me mam, but yer’d never get us all in the house, there’s far too many.’