‘Absolutely, you can stay for as long as you like,’ Sunday told him warmly, noting the way Kathy’s cheeks were glowing. Could it be that the old saying was true? Absence makes the heart grow fonder.
‘In that case I’d be delighted to,’ David answered gratefully. ‘To be honest I am a bit tired. All the train stations leading into Coventry are closed because the lines have been bombed and it was a bit of a mission to get here. I’ve been travelling since early yesterday morning. I’m sure I could sleep the clock round!’
‘That’s settled then. Now how about I get you something to eat?’ Kathy prattled on, feeling quite ridiculous. Her heart was thumping so loudly she was afraid they would hear it and it was all she could do to stop herself from throwing her arms about him. It had been almost a year since they had last seen each other, and she could hardly believe how he had changed in that time. He had lost so much weight that his clothes hung off him and his face looked haggard, but then she supposed that was to be expected with the terrible sights he had probably seen and the gruelling hours he had to work.
He had written to her every single week and although he had always tried to keep his letters light-hearted, she had glimpsed the heartache behind them. David was a very conscientious doctor and she could only imagine how terrible it must be for him to be presented time and time again with patients that he had no chance of saving.
In no time at all she had made him big doorstop cheese sandwiches, just to keep him going until dinner time, she explained, and after he had eaten them and drunk three cups of tea a tiny bit of colour began to creep back into his cheeks, although he still looked as if he was about to drop with exhaustion.
‘Right, it’s up to bed for you, young man,’ Kathy told him bossily as the twins giggled. ‘We’ll wake you up for your evening meal.’
‘Are you quite sure you don’t mind?’ David asked. The last thing he wanted was to be any trouble, but Kathy was determined.
‘Of course we don’t mind. I don’t want you falling asleep where you sit. Come on, I’ll show you which is Livvy’s room. The bed is all made up although it is quite cold up there. I’m afraid we can’t manage fires in the bedrooms now that coal is harder to get. But never mind, once you’re in bed I’ll bring you a hot-water bottle up and you’ll be snug as a bug in a rug.’
David gave everyone a weak smile and followed Kathy up the stairs as meekly as a lamb.
‘There,’ she said, opening the bedroom door with a flourish before hurrying across the room to close the curtains. ‘Hop in and get warm. You look worn out and you’ve come such a long way.’
‘I’ve come from hell,’ he said quietly, and his eyes were haunted as he thought of all the terrible things he had witnessed.
‘I’ve no doubt you have but try not to think about it for now and get some sleep. Things won’t look quite so bad when you’ve had a good rest.’ Kathy reached out to stroke his arm and was surprised as a little shock rippled through her fingers. She still couldn’t believe how thrilled she was to see him, and it struck her then, like a blow between the eyes, just how much she had missed him. She turned quickly and hurried away, her emotions all over the place. What’s wrong with me? she asked herself. I love Ben. I’ve always loved Ben and he’s the father of my children so why am I so pleased to see David? And yet, she was aware that it was becoming harder to picture Ben’s face now. With a shake of her head she went back downstairs to make David a hot-water bottle.
It was very dark when David woke and for a moment he was disorientated as his eyes adjusted to the gloom in the unfamiliar surroundings. But then, remembering where he was, he stretched luxuriously and narrowing his eyes he peered at the wristwatch on his wrist, shocked to see it was after seven o’clock at night. Hurriedly, he rose and got dressed. What must Kathy and her mother think of him? he fretted. He’d turned up out of the blue and then promptly slept the day away. However, he needn’t have worried. When he walked into the cosy kitchen-cum-sitting room the twins ran to him and Kathy gave him a dazzling smile.
‘Ah, here you are. We’ve kept your dinner warm for you on a pan of water on the stove. We didn’t want it to dry up in the oven.’
‘I’m so sorry, you should have woken me,’ he mumbled apologetically as she ushered him to the table.
‘You looked so comfortable I didn’t have the heart to.’
He noticed that the twins were in their pyjamas, washed and ready for bed and once she had fetched his meal they began to protest as she tried to get them upstairs.
‘No, Mammy, we want to stay with Uncle David,’ they protested loudly.
David grinned at her. ‘Can’t you just let them have another half an hour? They can tell me all they’ve been up to since I last saw them.’
‘We got lots to tell you,’ Daisy told him importantly as she scrambled up onto the chair next to him. ‘They came an’ took all the horses away ’cept two an’ Mammy an’ Uncle George cried!’
‘Yes, they did,’ Thomas agreed with a solemn nod of his head.
‘Well, let’s just hope they bring them all back safe and sound one day,’ David replied, although he knew there was very little chance of that happening. Although horses weren’t being used in battle nearly as much as they had been in the last war, they still worked desperately hard, pulling heavy equipment across difficult terrain. Many of them ended up dying of exhaustion. But how did you explain that to four-year-olds?
‘Mum’s gone over to Cissie’s for an hour,’ Kathy told him when she could manage to get a word in edgeways. ‘So, when these two are in bed we can have a good catch-up.’ Thankfully after a good sleep she noted that he looked slightly better although he was still terribly pale and there were dark circles beneath his eyes.
‘I’ll look forward to that.’
Again her heart did a little flip and deeply embarrassed she turned to wash the few pots that were soaking in the sink.
Chapter Thirty-Two
Livvy settled into her seat in the station next to the airfield and put her headphones on before looking at the list in front of her on her desk. There would be four Spitfires and three Hurricanes on stand by that evening and it was up to her to try to keep track of the pilots. Her friend, Monica, had told her that three new pilots had joined the team that afternoon but as Livvy had slept the day away she hadn’t yet met them. Now she flicked down the list of names and as her eyes rested on one particular one her heart missed a beat – Giles Willerby! Could it really be the same Giles Willerby of Treetops? Livvy couldn’t believe it.
Giles was here and tonight he would fly one of the Spitfires. She gulped as she tried to compose herself but then the alarm sounded and the familiar announcement of ‘Pilots to your planes’ rang through the loudspeakers, indicating that enemy aircraft had been spotted heading towards England, and suddenly the whole place was hustle and bustle.
Through the window of the viewing tower Livvy watched the pilots racing across the runway towards their crafts, although she could have no idea which one was Giles. They scrambled aboard still fastening their helmets and goggles, then one by one their noses turned and pointed down the runway and they were off, gathering speed before they rose gracefully into the sky in perfect formation to chase down the enemy bombers that were threatening their country.
‘Come in Tango Delta,’ Livvy shouted into her mouth-piece and instantly the voice of the pilot in the first plane answered.
‘Receiving loud and clear, approaching one hundred feet.’
One by one she made contact with the five planes, although because of the crackling on the receiver she had no idea which one was Giles, but soon they were swallowed up by the night sky and all she could do was listen with concern in case any of them reported they were in trouble. From the direction the bombers were taking it appeared that they were heading yet again for London and Livvy’s heart was in her mouth as she wondered how many poor, unsuspecting victims would lose their lives that night. It was a clear, moonlit night with stars twinkling high
in the heavens, making the towns and cities easy targets for the deadly planes, and Livvy began to silently pray.
In London, Susan and her friends would be hoisting Nellie, as they had christened the barrage balloon they flew, high into the sky and the ack-ack guns would be peppering the sky, but as they all knew to their cost, these were only partially successful deterrents against the deadly German bombers.
‘I say, have you seen the new pilots?’ Monica asked the next morning as she brushed her hair in the mirror above the sink in the washrooms before twisting it into a neat bun. ‘A couple of them are very dishy indeed.’
‘Are they?’ Livvy finished brushing her teeth, which were chattering with cold. Unfortunately, the washrooms were very primitive indeed.
‘Hm, I’m hoping we’ll get another glimpse of them at breakfast,’ Monica chuntered on as she straightened her tie in the mirror. ‘Although it’s unlikely, I suppose. They didn’t get back to the airfield till the early hours of the morning, did they, so they’ll probably still be sleeping. It was a very successful night, wasn’t it? All of our boys came back in one piece and they shot one of the Jerries’ planes down and it went into the River Thames in flames. Good riddance to bad rubbish, that’s what I say. I just wish we could shoot the lot of the murdering bastards!’
Livvy raised an eyebrow. ‘I dare say the Germans aren’t all bad,’ she pointed out as she began to brush her own hair, but her heart was hammering painfully. She’d had very little sleep the night before.
Monica snorted disdainfully. ‘Everything that comes out of Germany is rotten,’ she insisted. ‘But get a move on. You know what the chaps are like. All the decent bacon and sausages will be gone if you don’t hurry up.’
The canteen was teeming with people when they arrived and as they approached the counter Livvy quickly scanned the room and was surprised to feel slightly disappointed when there was no sign of Giles.
‘Yes,’ she heard one of the pilots in the queue ahead of her say. ‘The swines targeted the East End last night. God knows how many lives must have been lost. The way those bloody Dorniers were dropping the bombs those below wouldn’t have stood a chance.’
Livvy sighed and suddenly she didn’t feel quite so hungry as she wondered where it was all going to end.
Back at Treetops Bobby was sitting as close to the radio as he could get and as he listened to the report of the devastation that had been wreaked in his place of birth the night before, tears sprang to his eyes. Would his mam be all right?
Edith, who had tried to persuade him not to listen, suddenly reached across and firmly switched the wireless off.
‘Whaddya do that for?’ he shouted indignantly as colour crept up his neck.
Seeing how angry her big brother was, Peggy stuck her thumb in her mouth and began to suck it noisily. She hated it when Bobby was upset.
‘Because it’s not doing you any good at all to listen to that,’ Edith explained patiently. ‘Don’t forget there are Anderson shelters in almost every back garden in London now so there’s every chance your parents would have been in one of them and they will be just fine.’
‘But you can’t be sure o’ that can you?’ Bobby said with his hands curled into fists.
Edith sighed. ‘No, I can’t, luvvy. But worrying about it won’t make things any different, will it? If anything had happened to them someone would get word to us, so no news is good news. Now come on an’ finish your breakfast. You’ll be late for school at this rate.’
She was somewhat surprised when Bobby seemed to suddenly calm down and do as he was told and shortly after, clutching their lunch boxes and wrapped up warmly, she waved them off down the drive.
As the village school gates came into view Bobby stopped and turned to Peggy. ‘I want you to go on from ’ere on your own. OK?’
Peggy frowned. ‘But why, Bobby? Why ain’t you comin’ in? Miss Kitely’ll be angry.’
‘Just tell ’er I’ve ’ad to ’ave a day off cos I ain’t very well.’ Then seeing her confusion, he suddenly and quite uncharacteristically leaned forward and gave her a peck on the cheek. ‘Look, if you must know I’m goin’ back ’ome to check on Ma, all right?’
‘But ’ow will you get there?’ Peggy was frightened now.
‘Don’t you get worryin’ about that. Just be a good girl an’ do as I ask you, eh? I’ll be back afore you know it. An’ don’t tell Edith where I’ve gone neivver, all right?’
Peggy swiped a tear from her cheek with her mittened hand as Bobby turned and marched away into the snow, then she walked on and through the gates leading to the school.
After a time, Bobby stopped to stuff the food in his lunch box into his pockets then after discarding the box and his gas mask, which Edith insisted they should carry at all times, he resolutely moved on towards the railway station. It seemed to be a long, long walk, particularly in such bad weather conditions, but his steps never faltered and at last the station came into view. Once inside, he dropped to his knees and crawled past the ticket office so as not to be seen, only standing again when he reached the platform. It was quite deserted. The people who were waiting for the next train to Euston were all huddled around the fire in the waiting room. Bobby slunk into a corner and at last he heard the roar and hiss of a train as it approached the station.
When it came to a halt he watched as a guard went systematically along the rows of carriages opening doors to let folk off and on. Then, waiting until the man was at the very far end of the platform, he made a dash for the luggage carriage at the back of the train and slid inside to hide amongst the suitcases.
The journey seemed never-ending. The atrocious weather frequently slowed the train and even stopped it completely a few times as snow was cleared from the tracks. Bobby’s hands and feet were so cold that he had lost all feeling in them, although he was aware that he must have dozed off when the sound of the brakes made him start awake.
There were no windows in the luggage carriage, so he was unsure if they had reached their destination, until the engine became silent and the sounds of doors slamming reached him. Then suddenly the door was flung open and as a surprised porter caught sight of him, he shouted, ‘’Ere, nipper, wharra you doin’ in ’ere?’
Bobby was shocked to discover that it was already completely dark outside and the gloomy light that penetrated the luggage van made him blink but the next second, he was up on his feet, regardless of his frozen toes and he sprinted past the guard like a whippet and hared off across the platform. He didn’t pause for breath until he emerged into Euston Square where he came to an abrupt halt as he stared about, horrified. It seemed that the whole city lay in ruins. Once-fine buildings were now nothing more than smouldering ruins and gas pipes and water pipes jutted out of the ground like so many writhing snakes, as weary soldiers and civilians dug amongst the wreckage looking for survivors.
Bobby took a deep, shuddering breath then set off to find what had become of his parents and his home.
Chapter Thirty-Three
Peggy slunk into the kitchen late that afternoon with a guilty look on her face and as Edith, who was preparing some hot, buttered scones made with dried eggs and carrot, turned to her, the smile died on her face.
‘Where’s Bobby?’ She was staring over Peggy’s shoulder and for some reason her stomach had started to churn.
‘’E …’e’s gone to London to make sure our ma is all right,’ Peggy told her in a small voice with her eyes downcast.
‘He’s what!?’ Edith suddenly felt sick. Bobby was just a little boy. He had no money. How would he get there? Would he be safe? ‘When did he go?’ She was holding Peggy’s shoulders now and the little girl’s eyes filled with tears as she looked up.
‘’E went afore school this mornin’,’ she admitted as Edith sat down abruptly, her face bleached of colour.
That was hours ago, Edith thought despairingly. He could be anywhere by now. Then standing up abruptly she raced from the kitchen to inform John. He would know what to do
.
‘I don’t really see that there is much we can do,’ John said worriedly when she had breathlessly informed him of what had happened. ‘I’m going to report him missing to the police and then I’m afraid all we can do is wait. It would be like looking for a needle in a haystack to try and find him in the city. I’ll go and ring them right now.’ He got up to go to the study, leaving Edith wringing her hands in distress.
‘Do you really have to go today?’ Kathy asked glumly the next morning as David helped her to wash up the breakfast pots.
After tucking the twins into bed, the evening before they had sat up until the early hours chatting in front of the fire and now suddenly she couldn’t bear the thought of him leaving again.
‘Well … my parents don’t know I’m coming so I suppose I could stay a little longer if you’re sure I wouldn’t be imposing,’ he answered uncertainly.
‘Imposing!’ Kathy laughed. ‘Why you’d be doing me a favour. The twins seem to behave so much better for you than they do for me and I know they’d love to have you for a little longer.’
‘In that case I’d love to … providing you clear it with your mother first,’ he hastened to add.
‘Clear what with me?’ Sunday had just come down and she smiled at him.
‘I was asking David if he couldn’t stay for a while longer, but he seems to be worried that it would be a problem for you,’ Kathy explained.
‘Not at all,’ Sunday responded. ‘We’d love to have you. Stay as long as you like.’
The twins’ ears had pricked up and now they whooped delightedly. ‘You can take me out on our sledge,’ Thomas suggested hopefully. ‘Mammy says we can’t cos it’s too cold so perhaps just the boys could go?’ Which earned him a slap on the arm from his sister.
Time to Say Goodbye Page 19