The Dover Cafe On the Front Line, page 39
Nellie raised an eyebrow. ‘I bet they didn’t choose him at all. I bet he marched down to the Hippodrome and demanded to do it.’
‘Anyway, he asked if she’d like to come to Dover’s traditional Market Square Christmas party, and she said she’d love to! So you’ve got to stay!’
Nellie shook her head. ‘No, love. I’ll be better off with Jasper. But you can tell me all about it later.’
‘All right. Give him a hug from me, won’t you?’
Nellie nodded and, wrapping her coat tightly about herself, went up the stairs and out into the freezing afternoon. Where once Dover had been lit up with lights at Christmas, it now looked like a town full of ghosts, and Nellie was horribly aware of the ruins of the hotel standing stark against the darkening sky. She shivered, and moved quickly on. Further into town, many homes, shops and pubs had been damaged and now lay empty, and her heart broke for the shattered lives each empty building represented, and, for the first time, she started to doubt that things could ever go back to the way they were. Where once she had been determined to keep the community together, now, she realised, it would be enough to just keep them all alive and fed.
Chapter 53
Although Lily tried to keep her eye out for Charlie, it was difficult with fifty kids all clamouring for attention. She clapped her hands and shouted above the hubbub. ‘Right, children, who’s for the hokey-cokey?’ Her voice croaked as she said it, and the children ignored her.
Marge sauntered over, put two fingers in her mouth and gave another piercing wolf whistle, then grinned at Lily. ‘And that is how you restore order,’ she said, as the kids stopped to stare at her.
Edie raced forward with Dot and Vi and started to organise the children into a circle, then looked over and nodded at Alfie, who began to play. Soon, Lily forgot to look out for Charlie, as for the first time in a very long while, she realised she was enjoying herself.
‘Ohhhh the hokey-cokey,’ she yelled as the circle moved forward and she came face to face with Edie.
Edie yelled it back to her before being dragged away again, just as the little girl beside Lily broke ranks and jumped into the middle of the circle and, uncaring that it wasn’t time, sang, ‘Knees bent, arms stretched raa raa raa!’
The room broke into laughter and once again descended into pandemonium as Mavis yelled that it was time to eat.
While the children raced over to get a sandwich and a mince pie, Lily went upstairs to stand on the steps. She wasn’t looking out for Charlie, she told herself. She was just getting a bit of air. But it didn’t matter what she told herself. Since that night at Jasper’s forge, she and Charlie had spent every spare moment they could together, and Lily was uncomfortably aware that if not for him, she’d have found it difficult to get through these last months.
Edie came and stood beside her. ‘Looking out for Charlie, are you?’
Lily nodded.
‘Is he the one for you, then?’
‘I don’t know, Edie. Maybe. All I know is he’s the one for me right now.’
‘You love him.’ Edie phrased it as a statement, not a question.
‘Yes. I suppose I do.’
‘Be careful, Lil. Don’t make the same mistake me and Marianne made.’
‘You can’t compare Charlie to Henry!’ Lily exclaimed.
‘They’re both men, aren’t they?’
Lily tutted. ‘What about you and that Greg bloke? The pretty Canadian pilot?’
‘He’s coming tonight, as it happens. Difference being, I’m the one in control.’
‘You sure about that?’
‘Oh, yes. My heart is quite safe; I’m just not so sure about yours.’ She stroked her arm. ‘So take care, all right? I don’t want to see my baby sister get hurt.’
Lily tutted. ‘I’m all grown up now, Edie. I don’t need your advice.’
Edie looked sceptical. ‘If you say so. Anyway, it’s not advice. Just a friendly warning.’
Lily huffed in annoyance and turned to go back inside. Edie had always acted superior when they were growing up, just because she was a little bit older. She’d thought that was all behind them, especially considering what the family had been through recently. But clearly not.
Charlie arrived soon afterwards, and Lily’s heart leapt as she saw him bound down the stairs, Jimmy by his side. The minute he saw her, he pushed through the throngs of children. ‘Where’s the mistletoe?’ he said urgently.
Lily pointed towards the centre of the room, and he dragged her towards it and kissed her soundly.
A chorus of objection came from the children, and they pulled apart laughing, while Alfie started to play, ‘I’m Sending a Letter to Santa’ with Mrs Filbert doing her best to warble along.
This was Derek’s cue to make his appearance, and he hopped onto the stage with the dustbin, causing such a screeching to rise up from the children that the adults retreated to the back of the room, hands over their ears.
Lily spotted Jim, his arm around Reenie, standing by the bar watching the performance on the stage and dragged Charlie over to them. Since Daisy’s funeral, the only time she’d seen her brothers tended to be when they made their sporadic visits to the hospital to see Jasper, after which they would pop in to check on their mother. But Lily had been working such long hours that she was rarely home when they visited.
‘Derek’s good, but not as good as Jasper,’ Reenie said.
Lily nodded sadly as Marge and Rodney joined them. ‘Who is that delicious man your Edie’s flirting with?’ Marge asked with a little shiver.
‘Some Canadian pilot. But Edie says it’s not serious . . .’ She watched as the couple retreated to a corner and kissed stealthily. ‘But we’ll see.’
‘Well, if it’s not, and she’s finished with him, tell her to send him my way.’
A quick glance at Rodney’s put-out expression made Lily smile inwardly. Maybe it was finally beginning to dawn on him that he wouldn’t find a better woman for him than Marge. About time too.
She leant back in Charlie’s arms, feeling relaxed and content. Once the presents were given out, the children would be allowed out, while the adults stayed where they were. Lou Carter sidled up.
‘No Nellie today?’ she asked. ‘I suppose she don’t feel like celebratin’ what with Jasper havin’ all but turned up his toes. Shame. It don’t feel the same without them two.’ Then she grinned and held up a mince pie. ‘Grub’s not bad though.’
As she walked away, Lily shouted, ‘He’s not about to turn up his toes!’
But she doubted Lou heard her as once again Alfie began to play. She looked around the brightly decorated room and sighed. Lou was right, though. It wasn’t the same. Every year, the Christmas party was held around the square, with stalls and carols and people wrapped up against the cold. This just felt like a night at the pub.
As the children were ushered up the stairs and told to go and play, Alfie began to play ‘Santa Claus is Coming to Town’ and people started to dance.
‘You seen Bert?’ Edie shouted over to Lily as they twirled past each other.
Lily shook her head. It was odd he wasn’t here. He’d promised he would be.
An excited murmur went up just then, as Mrs Filbert stopped singing and stood staring with her mouth wide open. Another voice took over – this one a lot more melodious – and as one the crowd stopped and turned to stare. Coming down the stairs holding Bert’s arm, was a slim, glamorous woman wearing a fur coat, with a matching hat perched on her blonde hair.
‘It’s Vera Lynn!’ a voice shouted, and a cheer went up around the room as she walked onto the stage, nodded at Alfie, who she knew a little from their days on the band circuit, and continued the song, while Mrs Filbert huffed away and glowered sulkily from a corner.
*
At the hospital, Nellie sat by Jasper’s bed, holding his hand and trying to keep up a stream of cheerful chatter. ‘Derek’s being Father Christmas this year and, to be frank, he’ll not be a patch on you. Cos it don’t matter how much padding he puts around his middle, it won’t never match up to yours. Though, at the moment—’ she patted his stomach reflectively ‘—even skinny little Derek’s got more than you. When you wake up I’m going to stuff you so full of food you’ll have trouble fitting through the door.’
Jasper let out a strange gurgling sound, and Nellie sat up straight, staring at his face.
‘Jasper? Did you hear me, love? Jasper!’
His lips twitched and she watched his mouth in fascination.
‘Are you trying to say something?’
He coughed and his head turned towards her. ‘Water.’ He coughed again. ‘Water,’ he repeated piteously, his voice rough and croaky.
Nellie hurriedly picked up the glass by his bed and raised his head so she could bring it to his lips.
‘Jasper, you better not be havin’ me on right now. I’ve been waiting for months for you, old man, and if this is just a twitch, you’ll be getting a piece of my mind.’
Jasper choked as he tried to swallow. ‘Me throat,’ he moaned.
She stroked her hand over his neck. ‘I know, love. That’ll be the tubes.’
He sighed, his eyes still closed as he lay back, his hand flapping on the blanket as he sought hers. She took it hastily. ‘Oh, love. Are you really awake?’
‘Splittin’ headache,’ he murmured.
She laughed. ‘That’ll teach you to take your helmet off in the middle of a shell attack.’
He sighed and squeezed her hand, then seemed to fall back to sleep.
Nellie held her breath, watching every twitch of his face. Then she stroked his head. The hair had grown again, since his operation, and it sprung around his head in short, bushy tufts. All the blond was gone now, and it had turned a pure, silver white, making him look twenty years older, but she didn’t care. If only he was back with her, then maybe she’d be able to find some peace again.
She sat back, prepared to wait all night to hear his voice again if she had to.
*
At the Oak, more people had joined the party as Vera Lynn’s singing had drifted up the stairs and people stared in wonder at the woman whose voice had become so familiar to them from the radio. Finally, she paused for a moment and said, ‘Bert told me that this would be the best Christmas party I ever attended.’
She was greeted with cheers and Lily glanced over to Bert, who’d not moved from the side of the stage where he had been staring at Vera with a lovelorn look in his eye. At her words, he smiled and preened. Lily nudged Edie. ‘He reckons he’s got a chance with her. Can’t wait to see his face when he realises he doesn’t.’
‘And it’s wonderful to see so many of our brave boys and girls here.’ Another cheer went up.
‘But now, I want my lovely trumpeter Alfie, who, I’m told, has only recently been married, to get down there and take his girl in his arms. Because I know for many of you, this next song will mean a lot. Especially to the Fifth Buffs, who’ve been so welcoming to me.’ She winked at Bert, who blushed. ‘The new year will bring many challenges and separations. But we need to keep our hopes alive. Because you know that one day, one way or another—’ she handed some music to Mr Filbert, who smiled and nodded as he took it from her ‘—we will all meet again.’
The noise was deafening then as Mr Filbert played the opening bars of the song that had come to mean so much to everyone. Then Vera Lynn’s deep, husky voice started to sing.
Charlie took hold of Lily’s hand and nodded towards the stairs. ‘Will you come out with me for a moment, my Lily?’
She nodded and, as they walked up the stairs, she glanced at the people dancing. Alfie and Marianne were swaying together, oblivious to everyone, while Reenie and Jim seemed to be holding an intense conversation, before he bent and kissed her and they started to dance. Marge and Rodney were also dancing, Rodney a little stiff, until Marge said something, and he started to laugh. Edie and her blonde pilot were locked in each other’s arms, Edie smiling up at him. Lily wasn’t so sure whether her sister’s assertion that she was in control of this one was true. Bert, meanwhile, ignored all efforts to get him to dance and continued to stare up at Vera Lynn, stars in his eyes.
She felt a tug on her hand, as Charlie urged her on, and she followed him out of the door.
*
Somewhere a clock was ticking loudly as Nellie sat, counting each tick and watching Jasper’s chest rise and fall beneath the blanket. Soon it would be Christmas Day, she thought bleakly. It would be a Christmas Day like no other with just the family this year, and no Jasper. Suddenly, his hand twitched again and she sat up, staring into his face.
His eyes opened and stared around. ‘Nellie,’ he croaked.
‘I’m here, love.’
‘Where?’ His hand reached out and she caught hold of it, bringing it to her cheek.
‘Right beside you.’
His fingers stroked her skin. ‘You really are here. I thought I heard you,’ he whispered. ‘Turn the light on, love. So I can see your face.’
Nellie stared at him in bemusement. ‘It is on.’ She bent over and kissed his lips.
‘I can’t see you,’ he said, his voice rising in panic.
Nellie’s stomach swooped. ‘But I’m here. Right here, love.’
His hand found her cheek again and he stroked it clumsily. ‘I can’t see you,’ he said again. ‘Oh God, Nellie, I can’t see you. It’s all dark.’
Nellie’s face was wet with tears as she stared into the blank eyes of the man she loved, but though they seemed to be looking at her face, they didn’t meet her gaze as they usually would. ‘I can see you, though, Jasper,’ she whispered.
‘But I want to see your face.’ Jasper started to breathe fast in panic as his head started to thrash on the pillow.
Nellie grabbed his face and stilled him. ‘But I can see you, Jasper,’ she said again.
The curtain was suddenly pulled back and Sister Mackenzie stood there. ‘He’s awake?’ she said, her face wreathed in smiles.
‘He can’t see,’ Nellie wailed. ‘Why can’t he see?’
The sister’s face paled. ‘Dr Toland’s on duty. I’ll fetch her.’
Nellie sat holding Jasper’s hand tightly in hers as she waited for the doctor. ‘Everything’ll be all right, love,’ she whispered over and over again.
But Jasper wasn’t listening. He’d closed his eyes and was lying still, and if it wasn’t for the fact that her hand had gone numb from the tightness of his grip, Nellie would have thought he’d fallen back into unconsciousness.
Finally, as Dr Toland pulled the curtain back and walked in, Jasper opened his eyes and turned his head in her direction.
‘Hello, Mr Cane. How are you feeling?’
‘Can’t see,’ he croaked.
Dr Toland pulled a small torch from her pocked and shone it into his eyes. Jasper blinked.
‘Hmm.’ She stood back. ‘Try to rest now, Mr Cane. I just need to talk to Mrs Castle.’
She gestured for Nellie to follow her and led her to a small office.
‘Is he blind, doctor?’ Nellie asked frantically.
Dr Toland hesitated. ‘The truth is, I’m not sure. You saw his head turn as I came in – and he looked straight at me as if he could see me. And then he blinked at the torchlight. Both those signs give me hope that his condition might not be permanent.’
‘Oh, thank God,’ Nellie gasped. ‘When will his sight return?’
Dr Toland shook her head. ‘There’s no way for me to know. The brain is a fragile and complicated thing, and sometimes after a trauma it can behave in ways we just don’t understand. I’ve seen cases before of people who say they can’t see, and yet they look at objects or people as if they can. Sometimes their sight returns, and sometimes it doesn’t. I’m afraid, for now, all we can do is help him recover his strength and see what happens.’
Nellie stared at her, her mouth trembling. Then she raised her chin. ‘He’ll bloody see again if it’s got anything to do with me.’ She turned and left then, and Dr Toland sighed. If it was down to Nellie Castle’s determination and devotion, she had no doubt he would. But life was never that simple.
*
It was a cold, frosty evening, and the moon was full above the sea. Lily shivered and wrapped her arms around herself.
‘I wanted to tell you something,’ Charlie said.
His tone was so serious that Lily felt her stomach tighten. ‘What is it?’
Charlie didn’t say anything for a moment as he stared out over the water and Lily waited, her heart in her mouth.
Finally, he took her hand and looked down at her. ‘Lily, these past few months have been eventful, and for you, they’ve been especially hard. But I’ve fallen for you, sweetheart. Fallen deep and hard. And I wanted to know if you feel the same.’
Lily nodded, tears in her eyes. ‘I do, Charlie. I really do.’
Charlie let go of her hand and reached into his pocket, and Lily gasped slightly, knowing what he was about to do and not sure if she was ready to give him an answer. ‘You’re not going to propose, are you?’ she said with a wobbly smile, trying to lighten the mood.
Charlie laughed and looked sheepish. ‘I was, actually. You see, the thing is, I’m being posted soon. I don’t know where they’re sending me but now the threat of invasion has diminished, they want me elsewhere.’
Lily reached up and stroked his cheek, feeling tears rising up the back of her throat. ‘Oh no, Charlie.’
‘So, will you? Marry me?’
She shook her head then buried her face in his chest. ‘You’re going away and there’s not time to marry. And I’m not even sure I want to. I’m only eighteen. I’ve got things to do.’
He bent and kissed her hair. ‘But . . . you could just promise?’
She pulled away from him and put her hand on her chest. ‘You’re right here in my heart already. I think you always will be. Write to me. Come and see me when you’re here. But don’t ask me to marry you. Not yet.’
Charlie sighed. ‘I should have known you’d be too independent to be tied down.’
‘I didn’t say never, Charlie. Just not now. I love you, but you have to do your duty and so do I. I don’t want to hold you back.’
