Sunshine Spirit

by Barbara Willis

  Will's tender body was quick to heal and he soon moved almost normally again; the pain was gone, he promised, and Jane could almost see his bruises fading. He didn't admit to Jane that the pain, although manageable, was still there and needing concealment. He was pleased that his muscles and bones would now allow him to find local work and he'd already been asking around. With so many young men absent, Will knew there shouldn't be too much difficulty finding someone in need of a strong pair of arms. Indeed, Jane had silently decided that she too would have more success looking for a position that had been vacated by a young man; there was currently no shortage of women in their traditional roles but of young men, or people able to do the work of one, there was.

  Mrs Cartlyn had not made any contact; before they left she had said she'd be in touch when it was 'appropriate' for them to return. Jane didn't even want to guess the implications of that word. It was Friday and, after eating, Jane and Will had spent the evening listening to the wireless and talking. Some time just before eleven, Will put the fire guard across the grate and they both left the warm sitting room for the cool hallway, where they climbed the stairs. As usual they kissed goodnight on the landing and retired to their rooms.

  Jane was woken some time later by a noise outside. She turned on her light and checked her watch - twenty past two. It was probably an animal, maybe a fox or badger, scouting for an easy meal. It sounded like it was in the front driveway. Jane swung her legs out of bed and padded across to the window. Nothing could be seen in the complete darkness of the countryside. Even the moon couldn't illuminate around corners to throw light into the shadows.

  Jane left her room for the landing. She immediately bumped into a tall body also on the landing in the darkness and let out a cry which was muffled by a hand that wasn't hers.

  'Sshh,' whispered the owner, 'it's me.' Jane relaxed under Will's hand as it moved to her shoulder, relieved to hear his voice in the dark.

  'I heard a noise,' she whispered back.

  'Me too, put out your light.' Jane hurried back into her room to do as he asked and realised he'd followed her. She could just about make out his silhouette near the window. 'Someone's out there.' Even the words made Jane shudder. Will turned towards the door. 'Stay here, I'm going down to check it out.'

  'Will,' she started, but his response stopped her in its firmness.

  'No Jane, stay here.'

  He left the room and could be heard heading slowly down the stairs in bare feet. Jane moved to the landing and peered down. It was difficult to see anything in the darkness, even though her eyes had now adjusted. She hesitated so he wouldn't know, then followed Will downstairs despite his instruction; she was surprised that he'd turned away from the front door and gone through the kitchen. Maybe he was hoping to gain an element of surprise by walking round the side of the house rather than straight through the front door to confront whoever or whatever skulked in the driveway. Jane followed suit. The kitchen door handle turned but the door didn't open and it took Jane a moment to realise that Will had locked the door behind him. He clearly knew her better than she knew him and she cursed him under her breath. Not knowing if or where there might be a second key, Jane returned to the front of the house to look for movement. Nothing could be seen from the window. She fumbled around the front door, but couldn't find that key either. More cursing followed. Seconds were ticking by and Jane needed to be outside.

  She pushed hard on the window catch and felt it slide across. With a good shove she pushed the dining room sash window up and, without pause, quickly climbed onto the sill. With a slide and a shimmy and a small bang on the head from the frame she dropped out onto a small flower bed. Not registering that she was still barefoot and inappropriately dressed, Jane looked around. Standing completely still now, she listened. She slowly moved forward still listening carefully and looking with eyes wider than ever in an effort to increase their vision in the night.

  Then noises hit her ears. Scuffling and skidding sounds, shoes crunching gravel not the scratching of animal feet. Jane hurried towards the sounds, to the side of the house. No discernible words could be heard but there were definitely the noises of human conflict. Heavy shoe-clad footfall could be heard and she knew that Will was barefoot. As Jane ran to the source of the noise, she knew she would find Will doing battle with whoever had been skulking around in the dark.

  She was frightened, picturing men with guns and Will being outnumbered and outfought. A cloud shifted in the sky and the moonlight now picked out fighting bodies. Jane could see there were only two people struggling to overpower each other. Anxiously looking around, she was satisfied that no-one else either lay in waiting or was poised to wade in. In a frantic bid to help, Jane's eyes darted round for a weapon. A terracotta flower pot volunteered itself and was soon in Jane's hands. In the flurry of movement and stumbling bodies Jane dodged back and forth several times, knowing even in the semi darkness which body was Will's. The men were clearly tiring and neither one used more than his own strength of fist in his bid to overpower the other. The two men rolled and struggled on the pathway. The unknown man seemed to get the better of Will for a moment with Will struggling beneath him.

  As soon as Jane got a clear shot of the second man's head she brought the pot crashing down on top of it.

  Even in her anger and very base instinct to protect Will from harm, she cringed as she felt the pot hit the hard but soft surface of the man's skull. It was a vile and foreign sensation. Instantaneously he dropped to the floor. Everything had happened so quickly; from climbing out of the window to murdering a man had taken Jane less than a minute. It seemed to happen all at once; the struggle, the lifting of the pot, and the dropping of the pot at the very moment that Will had shouted 'No!'

  Will pulled himself up from the ground and moved to touch the man's neck, checking for a pulse, as the stricken figure lay face down in the dirt and the dark. Jane was frozen in time, her hands still in the position they were in the moment the pot had left them. Stirred from her shock by Will's voice, Jane's eyes still didn't stray from the prone body on the floor.

  'He's breathing, but out cold.' At the words, Jane's relief was immediate and overwhelming.

  'He's not dead?' Will shook his head. 'Who is he? He's come after you hasn't he?' In the moonlight Jane couldn't make out the expression on Will's face, but she could hear in his voice his surprise at her question.

  'Jane, it's Hugh Callaghan.' Jane's questions changed and multiplied alarmingly, but were then halted temporarily as her natural human decency overpowered them. Will was still kneeling next to Hugh, trying to support his battered head as Jane knelt down too. 'Come on, we have to get him inside. It's freezing on the ground and we need to look at his head.' The head Jane had smashed a pot on. Will gently lifted Hugh, staggering a little as he stood up holding a man who was his equal in size. Jane tried to support his head as they walked. 'The keys are in my pocket.' Will tapped his right elbow against his side to indicate the whereabouts of the keys that had tried to imprison Jane. As they reached the front door Will saw the open window as a white net curtain billowed in and out.

  Will laid Hugh on a sofa in the living room and rushed to fetch blankets and a pillow from upstairs. When he returned the pair made Hugh comfortable and checked all his vital signs before Will turned his attention to Jane; he'd also collected a pair of his socks and a jumper from his room and he took Jane's hand to move her from where she knelt to tend Hugh. He motioned for her to sit in an armchair where he pulled the socks onto her cold and grubby feet and the jumper down over her head as she slid her arms into sleeves that were too long. 'You must be frozen,' he said, 'dancing around in flowerbeds barefoot and in your nightie. What will the neighbours think?' He kissed the top of her head. 'I'll get the fire going again,' he said as he stood up to take the matches from the mantelpiece.

  'Thank you,' Jane said and offered a sad smile. 'While you do that I'll get some water to clean him up.' She looked towards the prone man as she stood and move
d to the door. 'The cut looks worse than it is I think because of the blood in his hair, but I don't know what other damage I've done.' She was worried that she'd caused him some irreparable damage that they couldn't see. Turning back from the door she watched Will. 'Are you alright Will?'

  He didn't turn from his position in front of the fireplace as he lit a match and held it carefully to some fresh kindling.

  'Of course I am.'

  'But you haven't even recovered from the last beating that was Hugh's fault.' As the new flame breathed life once more into the grate, Will turned to face Jane.

  'This was just a scuffle Jane. There weren't really many blows exchanged. Well, except the last one.' He winked. 'Honestly, I'm fine. A little tender in places, that's all.'

  'I'm not convinced.'

  Finding no sincere way to reassure Jane, Will resorted once again to his cheeky humour. He stood and started to unbutton his shirt as he managed somehow to loosen his belt with the other hand. 'If you want to check me over, you're more than welcome.'

  Jane tutted her disapproval loudly and walked to the kitchen. Will couldn't see her smiling all the way.

  Jane and Will spent the rest of the night watching over Hugh, listening to him breathe and praying he wouldn't stop. He didn't stir until just after eight the next morning. Will had just returned from the kitchen with cups of tea, as Jane lay curled up asleep in a chair. She woke to find Will hovering next to Hugh who was sitting up slowly, his hand reaching to his head.

  'What did you hit me with, a hammer?' Hugh asked, half smiling.

  Jane's eyes lowered. 'A plant pot?' She shuddered as she said it.

  'How do you feel? Should we call a doctor? Given the circumstances we didn't get you seen last night; maybe we should have?' Will started to doubt the previous night's decision.

  'No, no, you did the right thing.' Hugh was being very magnanimous considering he'd been assaulted, Jane thought, but then he was sneaking about in the dead of night so he wasn't completely blameless. 'I've had worse than a bump on the head, believe me.' Jane was relieved that there didn't appear to be any lasting damage, but that relief was quickly turning to anger.

  'Why are you here Mr Callaghan? We left London because of you. Now you might have put Will in danger again. Did you know what you were asking him to do? Why would you risk his life?' Before Jane could throw any more questions at Hugh, Will touched her shoulder to stop her.

  'Jane, they were my decisions too. Please let the man rest.'

  'It's alright Will. Jane has a point. I'm sorry Jane,' he said, 'I know I have apologies to make. I understand how you feel. Let me assure you that I wasn't followed here. And it's Hugh, please.'

  'Hugh, how did you know where we were?' Will spoke again.

  'Please don't ask me that.'

  Will hesitated but then nodded in understanding; Jane wasn't so quick to acquiesce. 'Did Mrs Cartlyn tell you? Is she alright? Did you force her to tell you?'

  'Jane she's absolutely fine and, no, she hasn't breathed a word to me. Of all the people in the world, you can trust Esther Cartlyn with your life.'

  'If you won't tell us how, you can at least tell us why you're here.' Will was slightly more accepting of Hugh's need to keep certain secrets.

  'Yes, of course.' Hugh straightened and leaned forward towards the young couple, touching his head again as his change of position caused more throbbing in his bruised skull. Will was sitting on the arm of Jane's chair and took her hand as Hugh spoke. 'I won't beat around the bush, Will, I need you to do one last job for me.'

  Jane washed and dressed as quick as she could, fearful of making it downstairs after Will. She was scared of what they would discuss without her and whether the ever suave and persuasive Hugh could convince Will to do the one thing that she begged him not to.

  As soon as Hugh spoke the words she feared, Jane had stood up. She told him that she was sorry he'd had a wasted journey. She'd told him he could stay for lunch but then he should leave. She left the room before either man could see her cry.

  As she hurriedly dressed then sat on the bed to put shoes on, she heard a gentle tapping at her door. It was Will, stepping in and pulling the door behind him.

  'Jane, please, we need to find out more; I can't just say no. If it wasn't important, he wouldn't be here.' Jane didn't comment. 'Look, everyone has to do their bit; God knows Harry did his. What kind of man would I be if I didn't do my bit too? And I'm going to fight in this war anyway. I may as well do this first.' He stepped forward to take her hands. 'This might be just as important.' Jane's heart sank at the words and she knew then that his consent was inevitable. 'I don't want to overplay my part, but what if doing this really means something?'

  'I know you'll be part of the war, Will, but please not this way.' Now Jane almost begged. 'I accept that you'll join up or be called like all the other lads, but this is different. This is an unknown enemy, Will; faceless, anonymous. Hugh's inviting you into trouble, asking you to step into the line of fire.' Will pulled her to her feet.

  'I hear you and I understand, honestly. But let's just listen to what Hugh has to say, ok?' Jane couldn't answer. 'Sunshine?' He wrapped his arms around her.

  'Ok,' came the tiny defeated response.

  Nothing more was said on the subject all morning. Hugh had cleaned himself up and Will hovered about Jane as she prepared lunch. There was a limit to what she could do for three on rations for two but she'd learned to be a little creative in the kitchen, as had every other woman in the country, and was pleased that vegetables were still plentiful in the small market town. As the three sat down to Woolton Pie, Hugh spoke.

  'I do appreciate this, considering all I've put you both through. Not just this,' he indicated the food in front of him 'as lovely as it is, but letting me stay and hearing me out.' Jane went to speak, but Will touched her hand and she stopped.

  'It's the least we can do after assaulting you.' Will smiled and Hugh reciprocated, nodding. He rubbed his head theatrically but on seeing Jane's serious face, he stopped and withdrew his hand quickly.

  'I really am perfectly fine Jane. A plant pot is no match for a head made of rock.'

  Jane forced out a small smile, still feeling a wild mix of emotions about the previous night's melee in the garden. Always the one to do the conventional, behave and be a peace keeper, Jane had frightened herself.

  While Will had been fetching the bedding for Hugh the night before, Jane had watched over him in the living room. She started shaking uncontrollably as the shock finally tapped her on the shoulder. When faced with a threat to Will's safety, some deep survival instinct had taken hold of her; the pot had been on the floor, then in her hand and then brought down to break on Hugh's head within seconds or maybe not even seconds. No thought had been given, no plan made and no consequence considered. By the time Will returned laden with blankets Jane had already sunk her nails into her clenched palms, forced her breaths to come long and slow and found her composure.

  Now she looked at Hugh as they sat round the kitchen table, relieved that he was unharmed except for a bruise; in fact his scuffle with Will seemed to have caused little damage. Jane reminded herself that she hadn't known it was Hugh when she'd tried to stop him, or render him unconscious. Or kill him. But she knew deep down that she'd have done the same whether she'd known his identity or not.

  'Jane?' Will's voice broke into her thoughts.

  'Sorry, I was miles away,' she said to both men lightly.

  'Don't worry. I was just saying that I didn't mean to startle you last night.' Hugh sipped his glass of water before he continued. 'It was just the best time to come. I was just about to knock but I heard movement by the house so I headed round the side.' He looked to Will. 'You obviously had the same idea. It took me a while to realise it was you, and then I was…incapacitated.' A charming smile beamed towards Jane and she blushed a little. 'The thing is, as you know, I need to ask you this one last favour.' He looked at Will and Jane with a new expression. Gone was the smiling fli
rtation, now it was down to business.

  'Fire away then,' Will looked back at him with equal seriousness, using words he might later have regretted had he recalled them.

  'I need you to be me one last time Will; but more obviously so.' He paused to study the two other faces at the table; one open and listening, the other guarded and suspicious. 'I have to leave the country, but I can't be seen to. When I leave this time I don't believe I'll be back. No-one must know I've gone until I'm far away. You both know that there's more I can't tell you than I can. I wish I could put your minds at rest and say there's nothing to worry about, but I'd be lying and I won't do that. I will understand if you say no. But just let me say this; sometimes the future of many people relies on the actions of one. That person may never see the outcome or realise their importance, as they might be one of many cogs. But if just one cog doesn't turn…well, you know what I'm trying to get across. Analogies are dire, but they serve their purpose.' The room was silent. Jane's lips were pursed tightly in an effort not to speak. She watched Will's eyes move from Hugh, to the table, to the door, to his glass, anywhere but to Jane.

  'Hugh, maybe we can go for a walk and talk things over?'

  'Of course.' The men both stood at the same time. Jane followed suit but Will took her hands, an action which made her exclusion clear.

  'Jane, stay here sweetheart. I'll clear up this lot when I get back.' He indicated the table. 'Please don't worry Sunshine.' Jane's eyes gave him both a warning and a plea. He leaned down, kissed her and turned to the door.

  'Thank you Jane,' came Hugh's voice as the men left by the back door. Jane didn't know whether he was thanking her for the meal or for letting him lead the man she loved into greater danger.