by Pam Howes
Bella linked his arm as they hurried to the churchyard. There was a jar of dead greenery standing in the middle of the plot and Earl emptied it into a nearby dustbin.
‘Is there a tap nearby where I can rinse and refill this?’
Bella pointed to a tap on a nearby wall. ‘Just over there.’
She unwrapped the flowers and when Earl brought back the jar, clean and full of fresh water, she arranged them neatly and placed it on the grave. ‘There, little Bets,’ she said softly.
Earl slipped his arm around her waist and she laid her head on his shoulder, tears running down her cheeks.
‘Man, I don’t know how you coped with losing her,’ Earl said softly, his voice husky with emotion. ‘To lose my sister would destroy me. I hope you found a perfect rainbow to rest on, little one,’ he directed at the headstone, where Betty’s name was engraved in gold leaf. He took a clean white handkerchief from his pocket and wiped Bella’s eyes. He dropped a kiss on top of her head and held her close. ‘Shall we go and check your house now, then we should make our way back into the city ready for my lift back to base.’
Bella nodded. ‘Thank you for being here. I’m not sure I could have done this on my own. I usually have Mam or Molly with me.’
‘Glad to be here for you. Thank you for sharing the moment with me. It means a lot that you felt you could.’ He took her hand and squeezed it tight and they made their way to the gates, Bella looking back over her shoulder and blowing a kiss.
Bella opened the front door of her home and invited Earl inside. She slid a bolt into place and smiled. ‘If any of the neighbours saw us coming inside they’ll be over and just walk in. It’s what they do around here. I just don’t feel in the mood for small talk right now.’
‘I understand,’ Earl said. ‘It’s the same in my neighbourhood back home.’
As they wandered into the back room Bella picked up a framed photo of herself, Molly and Betty and showed it to him. ‘Taken the last Christmas she was here,’ she told him.
‘Pretty girls,’ he said. ‘Molly is sure like you and Betty was real cute. And you say she was just five years old?’ He shook his head. For a moment there was a faraway look in his eyes and he turned away to put the photograph back on the mantelpiece.
Bella frowned, but by the time she’d wondered what he was thinking about the moment had passed and he pointed to another framed photo. ‘Wedding day. Your mom and dad?’
Bella nodded.
‘You all look like your dad,’ he said.
‘Everyone says that. I’ll just go and take a look in each room to make sure there’s no water leaks or anything. Have a seat, I won’t be a minute. Sorry it’s cold but there’s been no fire lit in here for ages now.’
Earl nodded and sat down in her dad’s old armchair. Bella checked in the kitchen and the front parlour and then ran up the stairs. Hers and Molly’s bedroom seemed fine. No marks on the ceiling to indicate a slate had slipped, causing leaks. The curtains were closed in all the rooms to keep everywhere dark during blackout time.
She pulled one back to take a look outside, down onto the yard below. It all looked the same. There was no one around, as most of the neighbours this side of Victory Street had gone to stay with family out of Liverpool. Mam had cancelled the window cleaner and the windows were filthy. God knows what state they’d be in once the war ended, but hopefully they’d still be intact.
She opened the door to her mam’s room. It had a musty smell about it, probably from being closed up for months. The bed was stripped of sheets, but a blanket and blue satin eiderdown covered the mattress to stop it getting dusty. As she walked over to the window to check the glass was still intact, from the corner of her eye Bella thought she saw something scoot under the bed.
Something brown, furry and with a tail. A mouse? Oh my God, what if it was a rat? She was terrified of rats and mice. She bent to peer under the bed and whatever it was looked at her, squeaked and ran towards the cast iron fireplace on the chimney breast. It vanished from sight, presumably up the chimney. She screamed at the top of her voice and jumped up onto the bed, shrieking for Earl. His feet pounded up the stairs and he shot into the room.
‘What is it?’ he asked, seeing her wobbling on the uneven mattress springs and trying to hold on to the wooden headboard while pointing at the fireplace and stuttering.
‘Mouse,’ she gasped. ‘It’s gone up the chimney.’
Earl scratched the top of his head and bent to look up the fireplace. ‘Honey, there’s nothing there,’ he said, trying hard not to laugh. ‘It’s probably more scared than you are. May be living up in the roof space and just ventured down to stretch his legs. I can’t see anything.’
‘He stared me right in the eye and squeaked,’ Bella said indignantly. ‘Stop laughing at me.’ As she saw the amused look in his eyes she started to giggle, seeing the funny side of the scenario. ‘Help me down, please.’ She put out her hand and as he took it, her heel got caught in the blanket and she wobbled backwards, pulling him with her. They bounced on the uneven springs, helpless with laughter.
Earl leaned up on one elbow and looked at her. ‘You sure look beautiful when you’re laughing,’ he said, pulling her closer and dropping a kiss on her lips. She responded to his kisses and caresses. Earl made her feel like she’d never felt before and she wondered if this was what falling in love felt like.
Fran had told her that she and Frankie couldn’t keep their hands off each other and right now, in Earl’s arms, she understood what she had meant. As he unbuttoned her coat, Bella reached out to unfasten his jacket. Although the room was cold, here snuggled up with Earl, removing one another’s clothes, she only felt the warmth from his body.
As they lay naked Earl whispered, ‘Are you sure this is what you want, honey? Because I sure do. I’ve wanted to from the moment I met you.’
She looked into his eyes and nodded. ‘More than anything,’ she whispered back. ‘I’ve never, before… well, you know.’
‘Don’t worry, I’ll take care of you. I love you, baby.’
Bella didn’t get the chance to reply as his lips came down hard on hers and she responded to his touch. Her body felt like it was on fire, like nothing she’d ever experienced before. Earl was a skilled lover and even though the thought passed quickly through her mind that he’d done this before, she was glad in a way as he taught her how to enjoy lovemaking for the first time and not be scared or embarrassed.
Afterward as they lay together, savouring the magical moment, Bella asked him, ‘Did you mean it when you said you loved me?’
He nodded. ‘With all my heart.’
She sighed. ‘I love you too.’
He squeezed her tight and sighed into her hair. ‘Bella, with this war raging I don’t know what the future holds for us, or where I’ll be sent with my squadron eventually, but I’ll come back for you, no matter how long it takes, I’ll be back for you. There’s a lot of mess to sort out, me being a Yank and you an English girl, but promise you’ll be my girl and wait for me.’
Bella felt tears welling in her eyes. This bloody war had a lot to answer for. ‘I promise.’
As they sat on the almost deserted tram going back into the city centre, Earl looked at his watch. ‘We’ll just about make it,’ he said. ‘Thank you for the best first date I’ve ever had in my life. I wasn’t expecting it, you know. That took me by surprise. You don’t regret it, do you?’
‘Not for one moment,’ Bella replied, squeezing his hand. ‘I hate having to say goodbye to you, not knowing when we’ll get a chance to see each other again. We’re at Burtonwood again in a few weeks’ time. Hopefully you’ll be there with your band and not out on manoeuvres. But I’ll write when I can, and you do the same. At some point we’ll get each other’s letters.’
At the Adelphi the bus was already waiting. Basil called out to Earl to hurry up and that all his stuff was on board. Earl waved his hand and pulled Bella into his arms for one last kiss. The driver hooted impatiently and
Earl climbed on to the bus platform, giving her one last wave. She blew him a kiss as the bus pulled away.
Fran and Edie were standing with Basil and beckoned her over. Basil moved away to talk to one of the other acts.
‘Where’ve you been?’ Edie said, smiling at her. ‘We’ve been looking all over for you.’
‘I’ve just been showing Earl some of the city, and er, we popped over to Wavertree to put some flowers on Betty’s grave and to check the house for Mam.’
‘Did you now?’ Fran said, looking closely at Bella’s flushed face.
‘You two in an empty house. Oh my God.’ She lowered her voice. ‘It’s written all over your face. You’ve done the deed.’
Bella felt her cheeks heating. ‘I love him,’ she whispered. ‘He loves me. It felt right. We don’t know what sort of future any of us have got. I might never see him again.’ Her voice broke and she hated thinking along those lines.
Fran rubbed her arm. ‘I know what you mean. We have to take happiness where we can. But seriously, Bella, how can it work? He’s a Yank, he’s black. You might get a lot of prejudice chucked at you. I wish you both the best of luck, but you’ll need to grow a tough skin, girl.’
Edie nodded. ‘But no matter what, Fran and I are here for you and we always will be. We love Earl. Not in the same way as you, obviously, but he’s a lovely man and so talented. I hope things work out for you both.’
‘Thank you. I appreciate that,’ Bella said and gave them both a hug.
23
Basil handed out the post he’d just collected from one of the points of pick-up on the way over to Yorkshire. They’d left Liverpool and had stayed at the digs in Didsbury for a two-day break and rehearsals in the church hall before leaving this morning. The troupe were to stay at Catterick camp for a few days, entertaining the soldiers, before moving on up to Scotland.
They’d stopped for a drink and a sandwich at a tea shop. Bella had two letters, one from Mam and the other from Molly. Mam’s had been sent before the one Bella had posted yesterday, telling her the house was fine and that she’d put flowers on Betty’s grave. It was most unusual for Mam to send extra letters as she usually waited for one to respond to. Bella tore the envelope open, hoping the letter wouldn’t say there was something wrong or she’d decided she wanted to come home. She had peace of mind while Mam was out of the city with Molly. It was much easier to cope with.
As she scanned the letter and saw the line ‘sorry I have to be the bearer of this very sad news’, her heart skipped a beat and her stomach turned over, thinking something had happened to her dad. As she read further her hand flew to her mouth. Bobby’s father had been killed and Bobby was seriously injured. She dropped the letter onto the table and burst into tears.
‘Bella, what is it? What’s happened?’ Fran said.
Bella pointed at the letter. ‘Read it,’ she sobbed.
Fran reached across the table and picked up the letter. ‘Oh my God,’ she said, showing it to Edie. ‘Oh that’s awful.’
Bella nodded. ‘Bobby could be dead now for all I know,’ she cried. ‘Mam’s written to his mother but is waiting for a reply. How can I find out if he’s all right?’
Seeing his girls so upset, Basil came over to the table. ‘What’s wrong?’
Fran read him the contents of Bella’s mam’s letter.
‘Oh lord, that is bad news. Poor lad.’ He paused for a moment. ‘We’re back at Brize Norton about July. When we get to Catterick I’ll make some calls. Try and find out how Bobby is doing. Such a shame about his father. I met him a while ago. He was a nice bloke. This bloody war. We’re losing some of our bravest and best.’ He patted Bella on the shoulder. ‘Try not to worry, love. I’ll do my best.’
Lying on her camp bed in the allocated Nissan hut, Bella couldn’t stop thinking about Bobby. Badly burned, Mam had said, and he’d lost a leg too. It broke her heart to think of him in such a horrific accident. He’d be in such a state about losing his father as they were very close, never mind his leg. She hoped it wasn’t his lovely face that was burnt. What if he dies before I can see him?
She had no idea how long ago the accident had happened as Mam said her news came via a letter from Ethel Hardy, who’d related it second-hand. If she could find out which hospital he was being treated in she would write to him. Alicia wouldn’t be able to get her hands on it before Bobby saw it then. Hopefully Basil would come up with something tomorrow when he could get to use the phone and talk to his contact at Brize Norton.
She realised that since getting Mam’s letter she hadn’t even given Earl a thought, and felt bad about it. That didn’t feel right as he was now her lover and sweetheart, she’d promised to wait for him, and her thoughts should be on him and him alone. Bobby had let her down, but if it hadn’t been for Alicia and her underhanded ways Bella would be Bobby’s fiancée by now, or even his wife.
She almost felt she’d been unfaithful to him and it was just silly to feel that way, but she couldn’t help it. She did still love Bobby, she knew that, he was her first love, her childhood sweetheart, but it was a different kind of love to the passionate and all-consuming afternoon she’d spent with Earl. She’d always thought Bobby would be the only one and she would have waited until their wedding day.
Bobby was the sort of boy who would have been happy to do that for her, even though he’d jumped the gun with Alicia – she’d bet her life he hadn’t been the instigator there. But on that afternoon with Earl, she’d wanted to as much as he did. It was almost as though she’d been driven to feel as though she belonged to him after being let down by Bobby. Why was everything such a muddle in her head?
She turned onto her side and closed her eyes. Fran and Edie had been flat out for ages after a good meal in the NAAFI and a couple of games of cards with some of the soldiers. She needed to sleep as they had a full day of rehearsals tomorrow and she had to be fresh and lively for that. Keeping up the troops’ morale was the most important thing for now.
Halfway through rehearsals in the NAAFI Basil took Bella to one side and handed her a slip of paper. Written on it were the details of Bobby’s ward and the address of a London hospital, including a phone number.
‘So he’s still alive then?’ she whispered, her voice trembling.
‘He is, love. The guy I spoke to is my contact for putting the shows on at Benson and Brize Norton. He was over at Brize when I got hold of him. The wing commander’s funeral is to be held in Liverpool soon. Mrs Harrison is in a bad way apparently. Bobby’s wife went with her to see him but has refused to go again. Can’t bear to see him in that state, so she says.’
Bella raised an eyebrow.
‘Well quite. She’s back working at the camp and my mate thinks there’s something going on with another airman. He’s seen her making eyes at him on a regular basis when she’s been handing out the post to the lads, and the making eyes is reciprocated.’ Bella looked furious and Basil rushed on before she could interrupt. ‘I suggest you drop Bobby a line, let him know we’re all thinking about him. Let’s try and keep his morale up, because he’ll be discharged from the RAF now. He might not be able to fly planes, but when he’s fit for working in the future, he can still sing with us, even in a wheelchair.’
‘Oh bless you Basil, I’ll do that.’
‘Give him some hope to hang on to, Bella. You and he made a good team. As soon as we’re near enough to London I’ll get someone to run you there to see him, that’s if they don’t transfer him nearer to home, and even then we’ll still get you a visit. I can always come with you if you feel you need me to.’ Basil patted her on the shoulder and went across to talk to someone who was calling his name.
Bella took a deep breath and slipped the paper into her pocket. She’d write a letter to Bobby later and get it sent off as soon as she could. What Basil said about Bobby joining them at a later date made sense and would help give him a sense of purpose. She strolled across to Fran and Edie, who were talking to a couple of soldiers, one blon
d, one dark-haired.
‘These two make a good cuppa,’ Fran announced as Bella sat down at the table. ‘They bake a nice cake as well.’
‘Would you like a brew, love?’ the blond lad asked. ‘And Danny here will get you a slice of his world-famous Victoria sponge.’
‘Oh please,’ Bella said.
‘We might not be outside fighting any battles, but you know what they say,’ Danny said. ‘An army marches on its stomach!’
‘Indeed it does.’ Bella smiled as they walked over to the counter for her snack. She showed Fran and Edie the paper Basil had given her and told her of his suggestion about giving Bobby support and how Alicia had only visited him once.
‘The rotten bitch,’ Fran retorted. ‘If she was at all worried about him, she’d be staying in a hotel nearby and visiting as often she could. Not back at work for the WAAF and bloody miles away. And she’s flirting with another bloke, Basil says? God Bella, I could scratch her eyes out. You and Bobby were so happy until she came on the scene. And now look, you’re involved with Earl as well and we all know that one will end up a disaster. What a bloody mix-up.’
‘Why will me and Earl end up a disaster? We get along fine and his latest letter is lovely. I’m very fond of Bobby, you all know that. And if we can help him look towards some sort of future in time then we will do. But he’s still married, no matter what. I’ll write to him and I will visit him when I can. But we’ll have to see what happens next. Meantime, I’m going to enjoy my tea and cake. Thank you, boys,’ she said to the two young cooks, who had brought a tray over and placed it in front of her. ‘Anyway, Earl’s my boyfriend now. We’ve committed to each other.’
Fran shook her head. ‘Sleeping with a bloke once does not make a commitment. Neither does a letter full of what might be lies.’
‘Fran,’ Edie said. ‘What’s wrong with you? Why are you saying that?’