The East End Girl in Blue

by Fenella J Miller

  Blimey! She’d better sort out the room that Violet had been using or he’d have nowhere to sleep. He’d been on the sofa for the last two nights before he’d left and that wasn’t right. The telephone rang several times but was answered by Jill. The receptionist seemed rather taken with Dr Jones and he was definitely interested in her.

  *

  There must be something in the air at this house for the four of them to be romantically inclined. Upstairs was spotless, the room ready for David, the soup was simmering on the hob for lunch, so she’d got a couple of hours free. More than enough time to dash back to the vicarage and write to Jane. Her friend probably knew nothing about the disaster unless Mrs Stanton had told her.

  Dear Jane,

  The most dreadful thing has happened here. Violet has disappeared. She’s not well and Dr Jones was going to have her committed. That’s why she ran off – although he reckons she’d been planning it for ages.

  I rang David just now and he’s coming back from London to try and sort things out. It wouldn’t be so bad if the dog wasn’t gone as well.

  I pray for my family not to be killed in the bombing and also for Oscar, you, Charlotte and David to keep safe. Who’d have thought it? Being in the choir and going to church every week has made God seem more real to me somehow.

  Charlotte came to see us a few weeks ago and I expect she’s written to tell you she’s going away to train to be an officer in the New Year. I expect you’ll do the same when they can spare you.

  I’m keeping tickety-boo as far as the baby’s concerned. Little blighter’s wriggling and kicking all the time now. I’ve made myself a couple of nice smocks as I couldn’t get into my clothes any more.

  I’ll let you know what happens.

  Love

  She carefully blotted the sheet and pushed it into the envelope. She’d run out of stamps but had enough time to nip into the post office on her way back to work.

  ‘Good morning, Mrs Smith. Any news of Mrs O’Brien?’ The postmistress, the worst of the village gossips, asked brightly.

  ‘Nothing, but we’ve not given up hope she’ll come back.’

  ‘Her kiddies will be missing her. I don’t understand how a mother can abandon her own children like that.’

  ‘Mrs O’Brien wasn’t thinking straight. She’s not been herself since she was bombed out just after her husband was killed at Dunkirk.’

  ‘How sad. Mind you, Iris Stanhope, from Little Chalfont, said she often walked over there and was friendly with…’

  ‘Why didn’t you say this before? For God’s sake – if we’d known she had friends somewhere else we could have started there with the search. What were you thinking?’ Nancy snatched up her stamps and rushed out knowing she’d offended the postmistress but didn’t care. They’d wasted valuable time, perhaps been worried unnecessarily, and Violet might still be there in this friend’s house.

  She pushed her letter into the post box and as she turned to walk to David’s house, she realised she hadn’t actually asked the name of the friend or the address. She hesitated. Should she go in and apologise and get this information?

  David would be back later and he could go instead of her. She blinked back tears. She was blubbing at the slightest thing nowadays and it was getting on her nerves.

  Little Chalfont was about three miles away and Violet could easily have walked that without too much trouble, even though it had been bitterly cold. The woman had been given a decent winter coat and should have been all right.

  Mary, Fred and the children ate first as Dr Jones didn’t finish surgery until one o’clock on some days. They were sitting at the kitchen table enjoying her soup with freshly baked bread and margarine. She indicated to Mary that she wished to speak to her in private and then walked into the hall to wait for her.

  ‘Doctor Denny’s going to be here later this afternoon. He’d got two days free and is going to try and find Mrs O’Brien.’

  ‘Good. A fresh pair of eyes might come up with something we’ve missed. The children will be pleased to see him. Do you mind if I tell them?’

  ‘Perhaps it might be better to wait until he actually arrives – even though he said he was on his way if there’s an emergency before he leaves then he’ll have to go to the hospital.’

  ‘There were no bombers over during the night or so far this morning.’

  ‘That’s why he can come. The only good thing about this horrible, cold weather is that it stops the bombers of both sides from flying.’

  15

  David arrived cold and hungry just after one o’clock. If he’d expected to be overwhelmed with greetings then he would have been disappointed as only Nancy was waiting for him in the kitchen. Her smile gave him hope that he hadn’t mistaken the matter. It felt wrong to be coming in and not have Polly gambolling about his feet trying to knock him over in her excitement at seeing him again.

  ‘I’m so sorry to call you back like this, but I can’t tell you how happy I am that you came. Here, you look ever so thin. You’ve been working too hard and not eating enough. I’ll have something ready by the time you’ve got yourself sorted. You’re in the back bedroom.’

  ‘Right, good idea as I feel decidedly grubby after my journey. It’s very quiet. Are the children asleep?’

  ‘No, Mary’s taken them for a quick walk. Fred’s somewhere out in the garden feeding something or other and Doctor Jones was called out on an emergency about ten minutes ago.’

  ‘You look very well, Nancy, positively blooming. Pregnancy obviously suits you.’

  ‘I feel a lot better now you’re here, that’s for sure.’ She turned away and began fiddling with the saucepan and he knew why she’d done so. Like him, she was nervous about revealing too much before she knew how things were between them.

  He dropped his overnight bag in the corner of his temporary accommodation and ran a sink full of hot water. She was right. He looked haggard and had black smuts on his forehead from the train. He didn’t give a damn about his appearance as long as he looked okay to Nancy. If her expression was an indication of how she felt to see him he wasn’t about to make a total arse of himself.

  On his return there was a bowl of vegetable soup on the table, plus two hefty sandwiches and several jam tarts. God knows where Nancy had got the ingredients for the pastry or the jam to make these. He demolished all of it in an embarrassingly short space of time.

  ‘Golly, you were hungry. There’s a delicious game pie, and fruit crumble for afters, tonight. I know you like a bit of crumble.’

  He smiled and held out his empty mug. ‘That was the most delicious meal I’ve had in a long time. Is there any more tea in the pot? I’m sorry I ate like a pig but I’d not realised just how hungry I was or how much I’ve missed you and your cooking.’

  ‘That’s all right, you’ll get plenty of what you like whilst you’re here.’ She poured two mugs and brought them to the table. ‘I’ll tell you what I learned this morning.’

  He listened and nodded. ‘I’ll ring the post office now. It bothers me that Violet took the dog deliberately. It doesn’t make sense.’

  ‘We think it was for protection just in case she was stopped by anybody.’

  ‘Could be right. I won’t be a tick.’ The postmistress gave him the information and he returned to the table with it. ‘There’s only one problem: it’s a three-mile walk and it’ll be dark before we get there. I don’t even have my bicycle as Simon’s using it.’

  ‘I was thinking that maybe you could ring the vicarage there. The vicar or his wife would be able to make enquiries for you.’

  ‘My brain’s not functioning as it should. I should have thought of that myself. I’ll do it now.’ This time she followed him and was standing so close it was all he could do not to reach out and take her hand. He breathed in deeply and to his delight she moved a few inches so she was leaning against him. He snatched up the telephone and asked the operator to connect him to the vicarage at Little Chalfont.

  ‘I�
��m so sorry, Doctor Denny, I do know of whom you speak. I saw Mrs O’Brien a few times in the village, but not recently, and wondered who she was. However, I can categorically say that she’s not here now. I wish I could be of more help.’

  He stood up slowly. His hands were trembling like a schoolboy’s before his first kiss. She didn’t move and he turned to face her. She swayed towards him, he opened his arms and she was right where she was meant to be.

  For a moment he just held her close, loving the way she fitted so snugly against him. Then her hands were around his neck and his hold tightened. She tilted her face and he kissed her. At first it was a gentle exchange, just lips pressing against each other.

  Then their passion ignited and a breathless few minutes later he regained control in the nick of time. He smoothed her hair back from her flushed cheeks. ‘That was close. Imagine Mary’s expression if she found us making love on the stairs.’

  ‘Making love? I don’t think so, Doctor Denny. Whatever gave you that idea?’

  For a horrible moment he thought he’d upset her but then she giggled. ‘I think you’d better take a quick walk around the garden before anyone sees the state you’re in.’ She glanced pointedly at his arousal and he shifted uncomfortably.

  ‘Come upstairs with me. I love you, Nancy, and I intend to marry you at the earliest possible opportunity.’

  Instead of being happy at his announcement she stepped away from him, eyes wide and her expression anything but excited. ‘Marry me? Are you daft? I’m a girl from the East End – not the sort of wife you want.’

  ‘You’re exactly the sort of wife I want. If these past weeks have taught me anything it’s that no one knows how long they’ve got on this earth. I loved Julia, but what I feel for you is quite different.’

  Their conversation was interrupted by the sound of Billy shouting. They both ran towards the kitchen door and a very muddy, overexcited dog erupted through the door. Polly jumped and, despite her considerable size, landed in his arms. He staggered backwards into the dresser and half a dozen plates cascaded from the shelves and smashed on the tiles.

  He hung on to the dog and managed to stagger away from the shards of broken crockery before putting her down. He crouched beside her. ‘Good dog; clever girl to find your way home.’ Whilst he was fussing her he realised the lead was still attached to her collar.

  Nancy was on her knees regardless of the mud spraying from the dog’s coat. ‘Where’s Violet then? Can you take us back to her?’

  Mary had picked up Betty and grabbed Billy’s hand to stop them crunching through the debris. ‘Come into the scullery, children, and we can take off our outdoor garments and put them away. Then you can speak to Doctor Denny and the dog.’

  ‘I’ll get her something to eat and drink. She looks as thin as you do.’ Nancy bounced to her feet, leaving him sitting with his back against the wall and the dog spreadeagled between his legs. She was whining and wagging her tail but apart from being filthy and a lot thinner she’d no other injuries. Even her pads were undamaged so it was unlikely she’d run home along tarmac.

  ‘Here you are, you brave girl. Some lovely rabbit and veggies and a bowl of water.’ Nancy waved both bowls in front of the dog and immediately her attention turned from licking him to scrambling up and almost knocking the bowls from Nancy’s hands.

  Hastily she put both down. The dog drank most of the water and then turned her attention to the food and that vanished equally fast. Then the animal licked both their hands and flopped down on her waiting blanket and with a sigh of contentment was fast asleep.

  Before he could get up both children fell into his lap. He hugged them both and was smothered with wet kisses for a second time.

  ‘Are you stopping home with us now?’ Billy said as he scrambled from his lap and went to stroke the sleeping dog. David wasn’t sure if he was referring to himself or Polly.

  ‘My doggy, my doggy back,’ Betty said and was about to launch herself onto the blanket but he restrained her.

  ‘No, sweetheart, let the doggy sleep. You can play with her when she wakes up.’

  Mary picked the little one up. ‘Shall we go into the sitting room, children? We’ve got a puzzle to finish haven’t we?’

  They went without protest and he pushed himself to his feet. He’d not been able to spring up as nimbly as Nancy and this bothered him. Was he really too old to think about a second marriage to someone as young and vibrant as her?

  ‘Do you think the dog would be able to lead us to wherever Violet is?’

  He shook his head. ‘She’ll not be able to go anywhere for twenty-four hours and we can’t leave it that long. I’m going to ring round and organise a search. Did they look in the barns and sheds between here and Little Chalfont?’

  Nancy thought for a moment. ‘I’m not sure. Everybody thought she’d gone towards Chelmsford to catch the train back to London. I don’t think folk around here thought she was in any danger but had just decided she didn’t want to be with her children any more.’

  ‘I feared as much. I’m going to ring the vicar and the post office and hopefully between us we can get up a search party. Then I’ll have an ambulance on alert to come as soon as needed.’

  She nodded, her expression sad. He didn’t need to tell her the likelihood of finding Violet alive was slim to non-existent.

  ‘I’ll make up a thermos of tea, put plenty of sugar in it. Then I’ll find some blankets.’ Her cheeks were wet but when he made a move towards her, she stepped back. ‘You get on with your phone calls, David, and I’ll get on with what I’ve got to do.’

  Half an hour after the return of the dog the search party was assembled. He’d got on his rubber boots and had changed into something more suitable for tramping about the countryside in freezing temperatures. He’d not taken his country clothes to London – they’d been put in the attic.

  Mary had said the dog had come home across the fields and that’s the way he led the men. Walking across a ploughed field would have been even worse if the ground had been wet. He was the youngest in the party – all the young men were already fighting for their country.

  Simon was walking beside him. ‘I just hope we don’t have to administer aid to any of the chaps with us. A couple of them look a bit ancient to be out here in this weather.’

  ‘They’ll be fine. They spend their life out of doors and this isn’t really bad weather according to them,’ David replied.

  ‘Are you expecting to find a cadaver or a patient?’

  ‘I’m trying not to think about it but on balance it’s far more likely she’s dead.’

  ‘Which brings me to another point – I know you’re a philanthropist, that you’re happy to fund our happy little household – but what’s going to happen to those children if you’re right?’

  ‘As far as I’m concerned things will carry on as they are. I suppose I’ll have to contact the WVS woman and update her about the changed circumstances.’

  ‘That’s all very well, old bean, but who’s actually responsible for them if you’re not living here? I certainly don’t want to be, Mary is their nanny and Mrs Smith is your housekeeper.’

  ‘For God’s sake, Simon, I’ve more important things to think about than that at the moment. Whatever happens the children will be fine – they’ll go to an orphanage over my dead body.’

  They searched every building and barn they came across and found nothing. It was beginning to get dark when they approached a small, ramshackle, abandoned cottage with half the roof missing and no glass in the windows.

  ‘This will have to be the last place we look,’ he told the others. ‘I don’t want you to be tramping about in the dark.’

  One of the old men shook his head. ‘If that girl’s out here then I ain’t going home until she’s found dead or alive.’

  There was a mutter of agreement around the group. ‘If you’re quite sure then we’ll keep going for another couple of hours. There’s not much else between here and Little Chalfont
anyway.’

  He called out her name, not expecting to get an answer. Simon reached the door first. It was hanging off its hinges and he stepped around it.

  ‘In here, we’ve found her.’

  David shoved open the door with his shoulder and dropped to his knees beside the shape huddled under a few sacks and not moving. Simon was checking for a pulse.

  ‘She’s alive, but barely.’

  Minutes later Violet was cocooned in several blankets and in his arms. He and Simon had volunteered to carry the girl who was ominously still. The search party walked on either side shining their torches ahead so he could see where he was going. After twenty minutes he handed the limp bundle to Simon and they continued.

  The sprightliest of the men had hurried ahead in order to have the ambulance waiting when they arrived. An hour after they’d found her she was in the back of a vehicle. Simon had volunteered to go with her and said he’d ring with any news as soon as there was some.

  David shook the hands of each of the men who’d helped and trudged round the back of his house to hook off his boots and remove his coat. He was knackered, but not cold after all the exertions.

  Nancy greeted him with a mug of tea and a question in her eyes. The children were eating boiled eggs and soldiers at the table in the kitchen. He nodded towards the hall and she followed him.

  ‘It doesn’t look good but I’m surprised she was alive after being so long in the cold. I think it better not to say anything to the children until we know one way or the other. I think this belongs to you.’ He handed her the notes and the ration book he’d found in Violet’s coat pocket.

  ‘It’s the housekeeping. I didn’t tell the bobby about it but I should have told you. It’s not my money – it’s yours, isn’t it?’

  ‘Semantics, Nancy. I’m going to change and then I’ll come down and spend some time with the children. Is Polly okay? I expected her to come and greet me.’