by Ellie Dean
‘It’s never dull around here,’ said Cordelia as they reached the hall. ‘I just hope you’ll forgive our rather rude welcome.’
‘It was certainly different,’ laughed Sarah, ‘and Peggy seems very nice when she’s not being confronted by runaway ferrets and hurtling dogs.’
‘She’s an absolute treasure, and I’d be lost without her,’ Cordelia replied.
‘That’s exactly what she said about you,’ said Jane happily. She giggled as she heard Peggy telling Ron exactly what she would do to him if the ferrets got out again. ‘But I don’t think Peggy regards Ronan as a treasure at this very moment,’ she added with a twinkle in her eye.
‘They adore one another really,’ said Cordelia as she led the way across the hall to the dark and rather cluttered kitchen. ‘Ron and Peggy are the glue to this household now Jim’s been called up, and although there will be a lot of shouting and name-calling, it’s always followed with laughter.’
She paused in the doorway and looked up at them. ‘This is a house full of love, girls, and everyone who has made their home here would defend it to their last breath. I do so hope that in some small way it will compensate for the loss of your own home.’
Sarah simply nodded, for she could feel the tears gathering. Nothing could compensate for home and family and the assurance that her parents and Philip had survived the fall of Singapore. But this large house and the friendly people who lived here were doing their level best to make them welcome, and she would see to it that she and Jane fitted into this new and strange way of living.
Peggy was stomping up the cellar steps as they came into the kitchen. ‘Honestly, I don’t know what you must think of us,’ she said crossly as she placed the kettle firmly on the hob. ‘What with ferrets and dogs and daft old men traipsing their muddy boots about my house, I’m amazed I’ve managed to stay sane.’
‘Flora’s in her cage,’ said Ron as he tramped into the kitchen still wearing his wellingtons. ‘I’d better go and find Dora before there are more ructions.’ He grinned at Sarah and Jane. ‘To be sure, ’tis a house of chaos – but we’re pleased you managed to get here all in one piece.’
‘Dora’s in the girls’ bedroom,’ said Cordelia. ‘When you’ve caught her and put her away safely, you can put clean pillowcases on and find another bedspread.’ She waggled a finger at him and tried to look fierce. ‘And if I find one dropping or puddle anywhere, you’ll get a poke from my walking stick.’
‘Ach, to be sure,’ he sighed, his eyes downcast, ‘the divil must be laughing, for it seems I’m to be a martyr not only to me moving shrapnel, but to a house full of bossy women.’
‘Take those boots off before you go a step further, Ronan Reilly,’ warned Peggy, her mouth twitching with laughter at his woebegone face. ‘And you’ll clean every bit of mud from my floors before you get a drop of tea.’
Sarah slipped off her coat, hat and gloves and settled beside Jane on one of the hard chairs that surrounded the table. There was a strange sort of slippery cloth over it that felt rather rubbery under her fingers, and there seemed to be more of it in a different pattern on the floor. The kitchen was like nothing she’d ever seen before, with its dark, heavy dresser, the black range, stone sink and mismatched armchairs. But despite the clutter and the lack of any real light coming through the heavily taped window, there was a glow eminating from the range fire and a warmth of homeliness about it.
Sarah smiled at her sister. They would be all right here with Peggy and Great Aunt Cordelia until it was time to return home to Malaya.
Chapter Twenty
Peggy couldn’t face another night alone in that big bed even though she was bone weary, so she’d settled in front of the range and let Daisy sleep on in her pram in the corner of the kitchen.
Hearing Jim’s voice on the telephone had been wonderful but it had also depressed her, for it meant he was too far from home to be able to come back on any leave he might get, and that their enforced separation would continue. And yet she had to be thankful he and his brother wouldn’t be sent overseas, and could only pray that the Army didn’t change its mind for once. She’d heard of other husbands being sent off at a minute’s notice to the heart of some fly-infested battlefield, and didn’t want the same happening to Jim or Frank.
She gave a deep sigh, then took another sip of her tea. Lord only knew how Jim was getting on if he was being made to repair bridges and railway lines. He hadn’t done a stroke of labouring since the previous war and had grown soft after sitting in that projection room for years. At least Frank was hardier, but they would both find it tough having to obey orders again.
She leaned back against the cushions and stared into the glowing fire. Cordelia had gone to bed happier than she’d seen her in a long while, and the two girls had seemed to get along just fine with the others – especially with Suzy, who talked just as posh and appeared to be surprisingly knowledgeable about the Far East. During the course of the evening, Suzy had revealed that her grandfather had made his money out of the tea plantations he’d once owned in Ceylon, and that she’d actually been born there. Her mother’s delicate constitution had brought them back to England, but she could still remember the vividness of the green tea bushes, the colourful saris of the women pickers, and the way the clouds would hang over the nearby mountains of Kandy.
Peggy had noted she wasn’t the only one to be amazed at how little they knew about Suzy and her family. She’d always just been Suzy: a hard-working, cheerful young nurse who had become a stabilising influence for the more rambunctious Fran, and had never caused her a moment of worry. Peggy smiled. It just went to show how easy it was to take things at face value and not see beyond to the hidden depths of the people she’d thought she knew so well – and it made her wonder whether there was more to Fran.
She stared into the fire, enjoying these few moments to herself. Ron had taken Harvey out for a last run and everyone else was in their bedrooms, so the house was still but for the usual creaks and groans of old timbers and pipes. There had been a couple of warning pips earlier, but they’d come to nothing, so there had been no mad dash for the Anderson shelter and they’d had a peaceful evening.
Half an hour later the cellar door creaked open and Harvey came in panting. After slopping water all over the floor from his bowl, he flopped down at her feet in front of the fire. Ron kicked off his boots and padded over to pour himself a cup of tea before he checked Daisy, who was still asleep in her pram.
He sank into the second armchair and eyed her from beneath his shaggy brows. ‘You should be in bed, Peggy,’ he said gruffly as he blew on his tea. ‘You look worn out.’
‘It doesn’t help matters when ferrets are let loose and someone traipses mud all over the house,’ she said without rancour.
‘Aye, well, I’ve said I’m sorry,’ he muttered before slurping his tea. ‘It will not be happening again.’ He set the cup aside and reached into his pocket for his pipe. ‘Our new lodgers seem pleasant enough,’ he said as he packed the pipe with tobacco. ‘And Cordelia’s certainly perked up since their arrival. But they’re going to find it hard to settle in after coming from the other side of the world.’
Peggy smiled. ‘They certainly will,’ she agreed. ‘D’you know, Ron, they’ve never cooked a meal, or done laundry – or even had to buy groceries? They had servants to do everything – even drive them about. It’s not going to be easy for them with so much to learn.’
‘Sarah seems capable enough,’ he replied. ‘She told me she worked in her father’s plantation office, so she has some skills. But Jane … I get the feeling she’s a wee bit too young for her age.’
Peggy nodded. ‘I got the same impression, and Sarah certainly keeps a careful eye on her. I suppose it’s their posh upbringing and the life they led out there – but Sarah’s very sophisticated for nineteen and is already engaged. It’s all very strange.’
‘Things are different in the tropics,’ said Ron, who’d never travelled further than the trench
es in France and Belgium. ‘I expect it’s got something to do with all that heat.’
She smiled as she hunted out her packet of cigarettes. Heat probably had very little to do with it, and she suspected it was more to do with money and class and the fact they were white. There was an old lady she’d once known who’d lived in India for years, and she spoke as if she had a plum in her mouth too. Her tales of Colonial rule had painted a rather dubious picture of life in the tropics, and her snobbish attitude to the natives and those white settlers she deemed beneath her, had really turned Peggy against her.
At least Sarah and Jane didn’t seem to hold the same biased views, for they’d appeared to be genuinely upset when they’d talked about the death of their Burmese driver and having to leave their Amah behind. She couldn’t begin to imagine what they’d gone through to get here, or how they were coping with the worry over their parents.
She lit a cigarette. ‘I’ll have to take them into town tomorrow to register them officially as lodgers, and then go with them to the bank and the Labour Exchange, and introduce them to the local tradesmen. Sarah’s old enough to be called up, and Jane seemed keen to do something towards the war effort – though goodness knows what practical use she might be considering she’s never had to lift a finger before now.’
‘They’ll find their way,’ said Ron around the stem of his pipe. ‘But don’t try to rush things, Peg. They’ve got a lot to get used to, and not knowing what’s happened to their parents must be a terrible worry.’
‘Yes, it must be absolutely bewildering for the pair of them,’ she agreed. ‘We’ll just have to do our best to make sure they fit in. I want them to be happy here, Ron, for their own sake as well as Cordelia’s.’
The room was in total darkness due to the heavy blackout curtains which Peggy had insisted must be drawn before any light went on. But despite the exhaustion she felt after the long and confusing day, and the comforting warmth of the stone hot water bottle at her feet, Sarah lay awake long after Jane had fallen asleep.
The worry about getting here and finding Cordelia had drained her almost completely, and she’d thought she would be able to relax a while – but now she had other things to fret about. Jane might be slowly recovering, but would she be able to find her feet here, and how would she cope if she was called up? What sort of work could she possibly do? She was barely out of the schoolroom, had been pampered and spoiled by their parents and Amah, and protected from everything that might upset or harm her. She was ill-prepared for life in general, let alone some job in a factory or on a farm.
Sarah turned onto her side, her mind in a whirl with all the new sights, sounds and experiences she’d been bombarded with over the past months. Their arrival in Cliffehaven was only just the beginning of a whole new life, and she was daunted by the thought of how much there was to learn – and how Jane was going to cope with it all. Peggy would help, she was sure, for she’d proved to be a lovely little woman with a firm hand on the reins of the household, and a no-nonsense, practical approach to everything which was very reassuring. And then there was Ron, who she suspected had a sharp mind behind those twinkling, mischievous eyes, and would no doubt do what he could to help ease them into the way of life here.
Sarah rolled over onto her other side and snuggled beneath the lovely soft blanket. She’d forgotten how comfortable a real bed was after so many weeks of sleeping on a lumpy mattress in the bowels of a ship, and she revelled in the downy pillow and the reassuring weight of the eiderdown. Beach View Boarding House might be a bit run-down and shabby, and not at all what she was used to – but no one could deny that the atmosphere was homely.
Great Aunt Cordelia had been a revelation after encountering her sister Amelia, and it was obvious that she’d been overjoyed to see them. She was a sweet old dear, and Sarah could see that Jane had taken to her just as much as she had. It would be fun to have a grandmother-figure at last, for she’d never met Sybil’s parents, who lived in Western Australia, and had been born long after Jock’s mother had died. She closed her eyes and thought about their first day at Beach View.
Lunch had consisted of boiled egg sandwiches and plenty of tea, and once their hunger was sated, they’d been properly introduced to Flora and Dora. Jane had taken an instant liking to them, but Sarah wasn’t at all sure she trusted them not to bite. Having never had a dog before, they were both a bit wary of the over-excitable, bouncing Harvey. However, he seemed to like his tummy being rubbed and as long as he didn’t try to lick her face, Sarah rather took a shine to him, and to scruffy old Ron, who clearly adored his animals despite calling them ‘eejit, heathen beasts’. She smiled at the memory and let her thoughts wander to the rest of the day.
They had returned to the kitchen after meeting the ferrets, and had settled down with Cordelia to look through her box of treasures. It had been interesting to see the old photographs and hear about their grandfather’s family, even though Cordelia couldn’t really remember much about Charles – and she and Jane had been happy to fill in the blanks for her and talk about their life in Malaya. But the memories of home were still so raw that it had proved quite hard not to break down and cry – and Cordelia had seemed to understand this, for she’d swiftly changed the subject and asked them about their journey on the Monarch.
And then the other girls had come home and the mood had lightened considerably as Fran regaled them with stories of dances and parties, and Rita told them about her motorbike and what fun it was to drive a fire engine when she wasn’t involved in the dirt-track races she organised. Then Suzy had told them of the time they’d painted their legs with cold tea and drawn a pencil line down them so it looked as if they were wearing nylons.
There had been some teasing chatter over a delicious supper of stew and potatoes – mainly aimed at Suzy and her boyfriend Anthony, who was Peggy’s nephew. Fran had then treated them all to a hilarious parody of Anthony’s mother, with only a nod of apology to Peggy, who didn’t seem to mind at all that her sister was being made fun of.
Sarah smiled into the pillow. The three girls were all very different, but had certainly made Sarah and Jane welcome. If it had been Malaya there would have been whispers behind hands, watchful eyes and probing questions into their father’s profession and their mother’s pedigree before they were accepted – or rejected as ‘not quite the thing’. It was the one aspect of Malaya and Singapore that Sarah had found abhorrent. Not being the daughter of an Army bigwig or a wealthy, well-connected businessman or government official meant she’d never been accepted as one of the social elite. Not that she’d wanted to be. She couldn’t stand the cattiness and the snobbery of it all, and preferred to be amongst people who didn’t put on airs and graces.
These girls were friendly and jolly and seemed to accept them without reservation – and it was marvellous that Suzy had a similar background and could relate to so much of their lives in Malaya. She and Suzy had taken an instant liking to one another, and as they chatted and laughed together, Sarah had begun to feel a little easier about fitting in.
Her thoughts turned to home and Philip as she pressed her engagement ring to her lips and silently sent up a prayer for his and her parents’ safety. She was about to embark on a new life in a different sort of world, and she could only keep faith that they too had found some sort of sanctuary.
Breakfast was a noisy, bustling affair with Harvey trying to beg scraps as Ron slurped his tea, Daisy yelled for her breakfast, and the other girls raced about getting ready to go on duty. Sarah eyed them enviously, for they had a routine – somewhere to go and something important to do in the battle to win this awful war.
Peggy seemed to notice this and patted her hand. ‘We have a lot to do today,’ she said, ‘and you’ll be rushing about soon enough, so I’d take it easy while you can.’
‘But what sort of jobs can we do, Peggy?’ asked Jane as she scraped the merest hint of the horrid margarine on her brown toast. ‘Sarah will be all right – she can type and run an office
– but Mummy and Daddy said I was too young to give up my schooling just yet.’
Sarah looked at her sister in surprise, for it was clear she’d also been worrying about the part she would have to play in this new chapter of their lives.
‘I’m sure there are lots of things you can do,’ said Peggy. ‘What do you like best?’
‘Sums, figures, puzzles, that sort of thing,’ Jane said vaguely. ‘I used to be very good at riding and looking after horses, but Mummy and Daddy wouldn’t let me ride again after my accident. But my writing’s getting better, so perhaps I could learn to type or something.’
‘And what accident was that, Jane?’ asked Cordelia quietly from the other side of the table.
‘I fell off my horse and she kicked me in the head by mistake,’ said Jane matter-of-factly. ‘But I don’t have headaches any more and things are a lot clearer in my mind than before, so I think the doctors were wrong, and I’m getting better.’
‘You’ve certainly proved that over the past couple of months,’ said Sarah into the awkward silence. ‘I think it’s done you good to get out of the schoolroom and have a taste of real life for a change.’ She smiled at her sister. ‘I’m sure there are lots of things you could do, Jane. Don’t worry about it.’
Peggy had finished feeding Daisy and was now bathing her in the kitchen sink, where every kick and splash sent water flying as she gurgled in delight. ‘If you like doing sums and things, I’m sure someone will be only too delighted to take you on,’ she said as she wrestled Daisy out of the sink and wrapped her in a soft warm towel. ‘What with so many men being called up, banks, post offices, small business and accountancy firms must be crying out for help.’
Jane’s eyes widened in delight. ‘Do you really think so?’
‘I don’t see why not. I’m not much good at that sort of thing myself,’ Peggy admitted, ‘but my nephew Anthony could certainly give you a few tests to see what you can do. He taught maths and physics at the local private school for boys. He got a double first at Oxford, so we’re all very proud of him. If he agrees, he might write you a reference, which would help no end.’