by Ellie Dean
‘“We send kisses and hugs to you both, darling Mamma, dearest Rita. And hope we will hear from you very soon. Your loving Roberto and Tino.”’
‘We must make arrangements immediately,’ said Louise, snatching the letter and holding it close. ‘Peggy will sort out travel warrants, and we can be on our way to this Wales place by the end of the week.’
Rita had been afraid of this. ‘I can’t go to Wales, Mamma,’ she said calmly. ‘I have a job here and responsibilities.’
‘Aaach. That job means nothing – not when Tino and Roberto are waiting for us – longing for us to be with them again.’
‘My job means a great deal,’ said Rita, ‘and I doubt John Hicks will let me take time off to go all the way to Wales.’
‘But I can’t go alone!’ Louise’s voice rose several octaves. ‘You must give in your notice – tonight. He can always find someone else to drive his engines.’
‘I don’t want anyone else driving my engine,’ said Rita, her pulse beginning to thud. ‘And I absolutely refuse to give in my notice. If John—’
‘You selfish girl,’ yelled Louise as she lifted her hand to strike.
Rita grabbed her arm. ‘Don’t you dare,’ she snapped. ‘Hit me again and you’re on your own, Mamma.’
‘But I’ve waited so long to hear from them,’ Louise wailed. ‘How can you be so cruel, Rita? Why do you wish to hurt me this way?’
‘Mamma, be still and listen for a minute.’ Rita’s tone was commanding enough to snap Louise from her hysteria and get her attention. ‘I was going to say that if John agrees to me going off for two weeks, then I will travel with you.’
‘But you’ll stay with me in Wales? You and I can share a billet?’
‘No, Mamma. I’ll be coming back here.’
‘Why?’ Louise’s voice was rising again. ‘First you don’t want to be in Cliffehaven – you want to be on the airfield. Now you want to be in Cliffehaven, but not with me and Tino and Roberto. I don’t understand you, Rita. I really don’t.’
Peggy marched into the room unannounced. ‘What on earth is happening here? We can hear you all the way downstairs.’
Louise let out a torrent of passionate Italian accompanied by hysterical tears, and Peggy looked at Rita hopelessly. ‘You’d better tell me what all this is about,’ she said grimly.
Rita told her the gist of Roberto’s letter and Louise’s insistence that she travel with her to Wales. ‘I can’t just leave Mr Hicks in the lurch,’ she said finally. ‘He’s been very good to me, and I really don’t want to lose my job.’
Louise interrupted with another harangue of rapid-fire Italian, which was now accompanied by sharp little slaps on Rita’s arm.
‘Stop that at once, Louise,’ snapped Peggy. ‘You have no right to hit Rita, and I will not have behaviour like this in my home.’
Louise sniffed and sobbed and kept a wary eye on Peggy, but at least the hysterics had been firmly quelled.
‘Right,’ said Peggy. ‘Rita, you come down for your tea. You must be starving by now. Louise, go and wash your face. When you’ve pulled yourself together and can conduct a sensible and controlled conversation, I will see you in the kitchen.’
Rita felt her heart swell with love for Peggy as she followed her down the stairs. At last she had someone on her side who understood just how difficult it was to get Louise to see reason.
But as she tucked into the delicious plate of corned beef hash, she knew Louise would never be able to make such a journey alone, and began to fret once more over her own future. She would have to go with her, but how on earth could she persuade Mr Hicks to let her have so much time off when she’d only been in the job a week?
Chapter Twenty
PEGGY HAD BEEN feeling much more cheerful as she had at last got hold of Doreen on the telephone and been reassured that her sister was unharmed, but the argument between Rita and Louise had soured the evening. Now she was determined to restore order to her home and give Louise a piece of her mind.
As Fran and Suzy helped to clear the table before they went into town, Peggy left Rita to finish her meal in Cissy’s company and went into the kitchen. The girls had stacked the dirty dishes on the wooden drainer and Sylvia was already pulling on rubber gloves.
‘You don’t have to do that,’ said Peggy.
‘I actually quite enjoy it,’ Sylvia replied. ‘There’s something very satisfactory about having lovely clean china and a tidy kitchen.’
Peggy fetched a drying cloth and they happily worked together, their silence companionable as Mrs Finch snored peacefully by the range. Ron had left for his Home Guard duties, Jim had gone to the pub to see a man about something, and Anne had gone to bed straight after the meal. Martin was at the airbase most of the time now, so she and Cissy were sharing the room again, and she liked to be asleep before her younger sister came to bed.
With everything tidied away, Peggy made them a cup of tea. There was still no sign of Louise, and Peggy was hoping she hadn’t simply gone to bed in a huff. The woman needed talking to, and that was a fact. ‘I’m just going to make a telephone call,’ she said to Sylvia. ‘I won’t be long.’
She hurried into the hall and dialled a number she knew by heart. ‘Hello, Sally,’ she said warmly. They spoke for a few minutes, catching up on things, and then Peggy said, ‘I was wondering if you could help me with something.’
Peggy returned to the kitchen some minutes later, feeling much more confident that things could be sorted out for Rita. Sally Hicks had been her first evacuee – a sweet, lost and rather lonely girl, who’d been in sole charge of her little crippled brother, Ernie. She’d become one of the family, and Peggy knew she could rely on her to work on John Hicks and persuade him to help Rita through this latest drama.
‘It’s so lovely having the telephone working again, isn’t it?’ said Sylvia. ‘Which reminds me, I need to pay for my long call to James.’ She dug in her handbag and pulled out some notes which she placed on the kitchen table.
‘That’s far too much,’ said Peggy, her eyes widening.
‘If it is, then spend the rest on something special for yourself – but make sure it’s frivolous and fun and makes you smile. You deserve a treat.’
‘That’s very generous of you,’ Peggy murmured, tucking the notes into her handbag, her thoughts on the little dress shop in the High Street.
Sylvia lit a cigarette with her gold Dunhill lighter. ‘Actually, Peggy, while we’ve got a quiet moment, there’s something I have to tell you.’
Peggy looked at her, guessed what she was about to say, and was surprised at how sad she felt. ‘You’re planning to leave, aren’t you?’
Sylvia nodded. ‘The doctor has given Christopher the all-clear to travel at the end of the week, depending on the weather, of course. James has organised our travel passes to get through all the checkpoints I’ll have to drive through, and Jim managed to get me six cans of petrol, which are stored in the boot of the Rolls.’ She gave an impish grin. ‘I’ll probably get arrested for hoarding, but Jim reckons I can easily talk my way out of any trouble. He seems to think I have his gift of the blarney, though I’ve never set foot in Ireland.’
‘Jim got you the petrol?’ Peggy chuckled. ‘Trust him.’
‘Yes, I do, actually.’ She paused. ‘And if you don’t mind me saying so, you should too.’ She smiled. ‘I’ve seen the way you are together, and although he’s a silver-tongued rogue with an eye for a pretty woman, his heart is very firmly in your hands, Peggy.’
Peggy was about to deny her ever doubting Jim’s faithfulness and then realised Sylvia was far too astute. ‘I’ve always believed in keeping him on his toes,’ she replied instead. ‘He knows how far to go before I reel him back in.’
They giggled and Sylvia reached for Peggy’s hand. ‘We’ve only known each other a fortnight, but it seems as if we’ve been friends for ever,’ she said fondly. ‘I’m going to miss you and everyone at Beach View.’
‘We’ll miss you too,�
�� murmured Peggy.
Sylvia was about to say something else when Louise walked into the room. ‘I’ll leave you to it,’ she said quietly.
Louise had a sour expression that didn’t bode well. Peggy quelled her rising impatience with the woman and forced a smile. ‘I expect you’d like a cup of tea,’ she said pleasantly. ‘Sit by the fire and get warm.’
Having made the tea, Peggy perched on a nearby kitchen chair. She wouldn’t mention her telephone call to Sally, for nothing was settled. ‘Rita is a sweet girl,’ she began, ‘and has done her very best to help you through what must have been a very tough time for you both.’ She rushed on before Louise could interrupt. ‘But she is not your guardian or your mother – that is your job – or it was until you both moved in here, and I will not have you bullying her.’
‘A little slap now and then does her no harm,’ said Louise sullenly. ‘She knows how long I’ve been waiting to hear from Tino and Roberto, and now she’s refusing to come with me to be with them.’
‘You won’t be able to travel for a few days yet,’ said Peggy firmly. ‘There’s thick snow on the ground and the trains won’t be running.’
‘Then we’ll go on the bus,’ Louise said stubbornly.
‘Have you any idea of how far it is to Wales?’ Peggy rummaged in the dresser and yanked out one of Charlie’s old school atlases. Stabbing her finger on Wales, she dragged it across the map to Cliffehaven. ‘It could take days.’
Louise shrugged. ‘I don’t care how far it is. I need to be with my husband and son.’
Peggy closed the atlas. She was beginning to realise what a complicated maze Rita had had to negotiate these past months. ‘As the weather is the deciding factor at the moment, I suggest you write to them, perhaps send them a little parcel. Then, once the trains are running again, you can travel to Wales – but on your own.’
‘Rita must come with me,’ Louise said flatly. ‘I’ve never travelled outside Cliffehaven, and the thought of getting lost on such a long journey terrifies me.’
Peggy finally lost patience. ‘Rita has already sacrificed her place with the WAAFs for you. Do you expect her to give up this job too? Are you really that selfish, Louise?’
‘It’s her duty to look after me,’ Louise retorted. ‘She promised Tino.’
‘I don’t care what she promised. It’s time you acted your age and took responsibility for yourself. Good heavens, woman, you’re almost sixty, and yet you behave as if you’re a half-witted five-year-old.’
Louise stood, her face ashen, her expression grim. ‘You have no right to speak to me like that. Rita and I will be leaving first thing in the morning.’
Peggy stood to face her, sorely tempted to slap that obdurate expression off her face. She folded her arms tightly about her waist instead. ‘Leave if you want, but Rita stays here. This is her home now, and her father is happy she’s settled at last.’ Peggy could see the battle being waged in Louise’s mind and wanted to tell her to sling her hook and good riddance. But she waited, arms still folded, determined to say no more until Louise came to a decision.
‘We will stay until the weather improves,’ said Louise finally. ‘Rita will make up her own mind as to where her loyalties lie – and you’ll find it’s with me, not you, Peggy Reilly.’ She turned her back on Peggy and marched out of the room.
Peggy lit a cigarette, furiously blew smoke and plumped down in the chair. She had a fair idea of the emotional blackmail Louise would use to get her own way. ‘But you’ve got me to contend with now, Louise Minelli,’ she muttered crossly, ‘and I can tell you straight, you won’t know what hit you if you force Rita into anything again.’
The snow was still coming down thick and fast as Rita trudged through it the next morning to get to the fire station. Her argument with Louise still rankled, even though Peggy had assured her she was free to make up her own mind about whether she’d go to Wales or not. She had spent the night on the couch in the dining room, unwilling to return to her own bed and have Louise constantly nagging at her.
One of the fire engines was already out on a call to sort out a burst pipe, but the other two were being washed and polished. She looked up at the office and saw John Hicks talking on the telephone. She’d wait a while before she went to tell him she needed time off. It was an interview she dreaded, for she didn’t want to let him down after he’d been so kind, nor did she want to get the sack.
Tugging off her gloves and scarf, she greeted George Wickens who had his head buried amid the innards of an ancient truck. She was about to join him when John Hicks called down to her. ‘Rita, can you come up for a minute?’
Her heart began to pound, and she reluctantly trudged up the wooden stairs. She could put it off no longer.
‘Sit down, love,’ he said kindly. He twisted back and forth in his office chair, his hands folded at his waist. ‘I understand you need some time off to go to Wales,’ he said without preamble.
Rita knew then that Peggy had forestalled her, so she quickly told him the reason. ‘She can’t possibly go on her own, and I’m the only one who’s free to take her,’ she finished.
‘But you’re not free, are you, Rita? You have a job here and a responsibility to me and the rest of the fire crew.’
Rita couldn’t meet his steady gaze. ‘I was rather hoping you’d let me take two weeks off,’ she murmured.
‘Two weeks is a long time, and I can’t afford to lose one of my team at such short notice.’
‘I won’t be able to go until the snow stops, anyway,’ she said, ‘and that could be some time yet.’ Rita’s heart was thudding so hard she was certain he could hear it as the silence fell between them. ‘Perhaps I could do the trip in a week, or ten days,’ she said hopefully. ‘I’ll work really hard when I get back, I promise, and I won’t take any other time off at all to make up for it.’
John took a deep breath and let it out in a long sigh. ‘I’ve had Sally and Peggy at me since last night,’ he said wearily. ‘They both think I should let you go.’
Rita looked at him, silently begging him to agree.
‘But if I do that,’ he said, ‘I can’t guarantee you’ll have a job when you return.’
Rita’s pulse was racing. This was what she’d dreaded.
His dark blue eyes regarded her steadily. ‘If we have a series of bad raids while you’re away then I’ll have to take on another driver. And it wouldn’t be fair to have to dismiss them on your return.’
‘I understand. But if there weren’t any raids, do you think I might still have a job here?’ Rita looked up at him, blinking back the tears in a desperate bid to stay calm and not fall on her knees and beg him to reconsider.
He regarded her steadily for a long moment of silence. ‘You have a good chance of George getting you through your final mechanic’s exams,’ he said eventually, ‘and I think you’ve proved you can be a good member of my team.’
Hope rose and Rita held her breath.
‘I don’t want to lose you, Rita, but my hands are tied. Head Office will be down on me like a ton of bricks if I don’t fill my quota of personnel, and this is a big town, we’re a busy station.’
Rita’s hopes dwindled and her anxiety grew as John paused once more.
‘If you go, then it will be your annual leave and I’ll find a temporary replacement,’ he said, a smile tugging at his lips.
‘Thank you, oh, thank you.’ She leaped from the chair and threw her arms round him. ‘You won’t regret it, I promise, I promise, I promise.’
He gently disentangled himself and cleared his throat. ‘Don’t let me down, Rita. I’m relying on you to get back here within two weeks. Any longer and I’ll have to dismiss you.’
Rita was close to tears. ‘Thank you, Mr Hicks,’ she said, giving him a watery smile. ‘I’ll make sure I don’t lose this job.’
‘Good,’ he said, becoming businesslike and turning to the stack of papers on his desk. ‘Now get out of here and find something sensible to do.’
&nb
sp; Rita ran down the steps, her heart light with happiness at the thought that she could visit Papa and Roberto, appease Louise and still come back to the job she’d come to love. All was right with her world, and nothing and nobody could spoil it now.
Cliffehaven looked like a picture postcard in the snow. It smothered roofs and chimneys, lay in sparkling white drifts in the hollows on the hills and over the gardens. Glittering in the trees, it hid the rubble of the bombed-out buildings and muffled every sound.
But it was a damned nuisance, for it had brought almost everything to a grinding halt. The trains and buses weren’t moving, and the day-to-day business of getting about had become dangerous as the slush froze and turned pavements and roads into ice rinks. Shops began to run out of supplies because nothing was coming into Cliffehaven; coal, anthracite and paraffin were at an all-time low just as they were most needed; and there were constant calls to the fire station to deal with burst pipes, chimney fires, and damage to roofs already weakened by bomb blasts.
It was almost another week before the snow began to melt, but then the residents of Cliffehaven had to cope with enemy planes flying overhead, constant air-raid warnings, and the inconvenience of having to sit huddled in a freezing Anderson shelter for hours on end. To add to the misery, the government had decided to ration gas and electricity, and there were constant blackouts, sometimes lasting for half a day, which meant it was almost impossible to cook, clean or even bathe properly.
Peggy had had enough. She’d been down to the Town Hall to do her two-hour stint for the WVS and had bumped into Doris, who seemed determined to tell her every last detail of her current charity fundraising, and her burgeoning relationship with Lady Charlmondley. Doris had thrown broad hints about coming back with Peggy to see Sylvia, and Peggy had told her straight that Sylvia was due to leave today and didn’t have time to put up with her fawning all over her. Doris had taken umbrage and Peggy had happily left her to stew.