A Rose and a Promise, page 5
She could hear the grin in his voice as he said, ‘We really are one big happy family, and I wouldn’t have it any other way. As far as I’m concerned, the more the merrier.’ He paused briefly as a thought entered his mind. ‘Have you checked with Maria? Only she might be fully booked.’
Cadi was confident. ‘Maria’s always said she’ll keep a couple of rooms spare in case we want to go back—’
He interrupted without apology. ‘I don’t want to bunk down with Mike and Geoffrey. I’d rather it was just the two of us.’
Cadi felt herself blushing. She had completely forgotten that she and Jez would be sharing the same bed. ‘Ah! Good point. I’ll telephone Maria, make sure she can hold back enough rooms.’
‘Tell her I’ll pay for ours too, seeing as we’ll be using up one of the guest rooms—’
The operator cut across, letting them know their time was up.
‘Will do. Ta-ra, Jez. I love you.’
She heard Jez replying that he loved her too, before clicking down his receiver. Cadi asked the operator to put her through to the Belmont, promising her fervently that there was no one waiting to use the telephone.
‘Maria? It’s me, Cadi.’
‘Hello, Cadi love. How’s tricks?’
‘Good, thanks. How’s everything at the Belmont?’
‘Not too bad. Mustn’t grumble,’ said Maria.
‘I’m phoning to ask you a favour …’ Cadi quickly went on to recap the phone calls between herself, Poppy and Jez. ‘So you see, if everyone can make it, you’re going to have a houseful. I hope that’s all right?’
It sounded as though Maria was beaming. ‘Just the way I like it, and as for Jez paying for your room, he can forget it. I’m not having family pay to stop over.’
‘This is a bit different, though,’ said Cadi reasonably, ‘because we’ll be taking up a paying guest’s room.’
But Maria was adamant. ‘I’ll be grateful to have my family around me. There’s not many that can say that nowadays, and I’ll not be accepting payment from any of you.’
Whilst none of them were strictly family, Cadi knew that Maria and Bill still counted them as such, and so she thanked Maria for her generous hospitality and hung up the receiver. As she walked across the base she turned her thoughts to the twenty-eighth. Poppy was correct: it was occasions like these that kept them all going, and Cadi couldn’t wait to be reunited with those she held dear.
Jez had been whistling the theme tune to Jitterbugs when the air raid siren split the air. Dropping his tools, he called Annie to follow him and started to run to the nearest shelter. His heart pounding in his chest he was about to dive into the entrance when he realised that Annie was no longer behind him, but heading for the safety of her kennel. Cursing beneath his breath, he veered away from the shelter, his feet pounding against the concrete as he chased after her. He knew that if Annie made it to her haven he didn’t stand a cat in hell’s chance of winkling her out, not with a dogfight now raging in the skies above them.
She had almost made it inside when Aled appeared out of nowhere. Grabbing her by the collar, he gathered the dog in his arms just as Jez skidded to a halt beside them. Seeing one of the Messerschmitts beginning to turn, the pair flung themselves against the side of one of the buildings while Aled adjusted his hold to stop Annie from struggling free.
‘Let’s get out of here before he comes back for round two,’ yelled Jez. Aled stuck his thumb up in response, and they fled towards the shelter with Annie clasped tightly in Aled’s arms. Jez grimaced as he heard the Messerschmitt behind them open fire, and they dived through the doorway just in time, tumbling across the floor as the bullets ripped and zinged into the sandbags. Both men lay panting, and Annie, who was whimpering with fear, tucked herself beneath the bench that skirted the walls of the shelter.
When he had regained his breath, Jez helped Aled to his feet, and the two men sank down on to the bench above Annie. Lowering his voice so that the others couldn’t hear, Jez spoke quietly. ‘Thanks for that, mate.’
‘Don’t worry about it, but you really should keep her on a leash; at least that way you wouldn’t have to go chasing after her.’
‘I’ve tried, but she clearly doesn’t like being tied up, because she’s chewed straight through them all,’ said Jez, glumly.
Aled kept his voice lowered. ‘Well, you’re goin’ to have to do summat, because if the wrong person gets wind of today’s performance, they’ll make you get rid of her.’
Jez shot Aled a sidelong glance. ‘You won’t say anything, will you?’
‘No, but I’d wager I wasn’t the only one who saw her.’ He tutted irritably. ‘You knew she was a flight risk when you got her. It’s a miracle she hasn’t done this before.’ Seeing the guilty look that crossed Jez’s face, he spoke slowly. ‘Jez?’
‘Not during an air raid,’ mumbled Jez, ‘but she’s legged it a few times over cars backfiring and stuff like that.’
Aled rolled his eyes. ‘You must’ve realised summat like this was bound to happen?’
Jez nodded miserably. ‘But air attacks are few and far between – thank God – so I thought …’
‘Only you didn’t, did you?’ said Aled, as kindly as he could manage. ‘Because if you had, you’d have done summat about it by now – both for her safety and for yours.’
Jez cursed himself inwardly. He knew he’d been lackadaisical regarding Annie’s being tethered, but he’d been hoping that she’d calm down over time. He turned to Aled. ‘I’ll make her a proper leash, one she can’t chew through. I know she won’t like it, but it’s better than the alternative.’
Aled clapped his hand on Jez’s shoulder. ‘Good man. You know it makes sense. I’d hate to think what could’ve happened had she made it to her kennel.’ His eyes turned to the roof of the shelter. ‘Can you hear anything?’
Jez shook his head. ‘Nothing. I reckon our boys have sent them packing.’
The men continued to ponder the dilemma as they waited for the all-clear. ‘What you need is a chain – nothing too heavy, but summat she can’t chew through,’ Aled said slowly.
‘I’ll go into town,’ said Jez, ‘see what I can find—’
The all-clear sounded, cutting Jez short. He took Annie by her collar, and as they left the shelter Aled caught his eye. He was glancing meaningfully in the direction of Annie’s kennel, which now lay in shreds.
Thanking his lucky stars that Aled had got to her before she’d made it to her kennel, Jez grimaced. ‘Bang goes that theory. There’s no way she can stay in there.’ He looked around. ‘I need summat to use for now, because I’ve got to get back to work.’
Aled held up a finger before disappearing towards the ablutions, calling out ‘Wait there’ to Jez over his shoulder.
Wondering what the other man was up to, Jez broke into a smile when Aled returned a few moments later brandishing the chain from one of the cisterns. He grinned back at Jez. ‘What can I say? It came off in my hand.’
Chuckling, Jez fixed the end of the chain to Annie’s collar. ‘Thanks, mate. I owe you one – more than one, in fact.’
Aled ruffled Annie’s ears. ‘Call it payback for the time you pulled me out of the car.’
Jez thanked Aled again before returning to his work, with Annie trotting at his heels.
Aled strode off, trying not to think of what could have happened had he not got to Annie in time. He knew that Jez was soft-hearted when it came to his four-legged friend, but if he wasn’t diligent his beloved hound might end up being the Luftwaffe’s next victim.
It was the twenty-eighth of March and Cadi was on the train with Poppy, Geoffrey, Kitty, Ronnie, Izzy and Mike.
Glancing across the overcrowded carriage to Izzy, who was sitting on Mike’s lap, Cadi reflected on how far her friend had come since running away from her father all those years ago.
Having entered the WAAF a skinny wretch, Izzy had filled out beautifully, and the scar that ran below her left eye – courtesy of her father – was barely visible. In fact, the more time went on, the fainter it got. Having a brute like Eric for a father, Izzy had understandably sworn off men, until Flying Officer Mike Grainger walked into her life. Cadi felt a small smile twitch the corner of her lips as she recalled the day her friends met for the first time.
Cadi and Poppy had been waiting for Izzy in the Horse and Groom when Mike had turned up unexpectedly. They had been chatting about Cadi’s recent promotion to corporal when Izzy arrived. The attraction between the two had been immediate and obvious, and it wasn’t long before they were seeing each other romantically.
She turned her attention to Geoffrey and Poppy. Poor old Poppy had been another of Eric’s victims, and she too had been reluctant to put her trust in the opposite sex, but after joining the WAAF her confidence had grown, and romance had blossomed when she met Geoffrey on the train to Liverpool. The gentle giant was a perfect beau for Poppy, and Cadi knew her friend felt safe with Geoffrey by her side.
Her gaze then fell on Ronnie, who had drawn a line under wartime romance after meeting too many war widows. Cadi would have argued that life was for the living had it not been for her own feelings about wartime weddings.
Lastly, she looked to Kitty. Kitty had been desperate for a boyfriend, and had often whined that she thought she’d never have one, until she found love in the form of one of her co-workers in the canteen of the officers’ mess. Cadi fell deep in thought as she tried to recall Kitty’s boyfriend’s name. Daniel, Derek … Dave. That was it. Kitty hadn’t been courting him for long, but she was already smitten; having said that, Poppy had pointed out that Kitty would be enamoured with Frankenstein if he asked her for a date.
Mike’s voice cut across her thoughts. ‘Penny for them?’
Cadi smiled. ‘I was reflecting on how much our lives have changed since the war broke out.’
‘Mostly thanks to you,’ said Izzy. Seeing her friend about to protest, she continued, striking her reasons off on her fingers as she did so: ‘It was you and Poppy who helped me to escape my father, but it was just you who found my mam, and you who introduced me to Mike.’
‘And if you hadn’t persuaded me to go to Liverpool I’d still be in Rhos,’ said Poppy, ‘because I’d never have had the guts to go on my own.’
Cadi felt her cheeks grow warm. ‘Maybe I’m the taper that lights the fire, but I couldn’t have done any of those things without the rest of you.’
‘Maybe not,’ conceded Izzy, ‘but you never gave up, even when I walked away.’
Cadi laughed. ‘My dad always used to say that I was like a dog with a bone when I got an idea into my head.’
‘You’re a doer,’ said Poppy; ‘always have been, always will be.’
‘And thank goodness you are,’ said Izzy, ‘cos I’d never have found my mam otherwise.’
Cadi leaned back in her seat. ‘Talking of your mam, do you know what time she’s getting to the Belmont?’
‘She should be there already, considering she’s based in Burtonwood.’
‘Jez reckons she’s sounding more American than British nowadays, what with all the Yanks stationed there,’ said Cadi.
Izzy glanced down at the nylons which graced her legs. ‘Mam got me these from one of the fellers, so you won’t find me complaining. She got me some chocolate too.’ She fished in the recesses of her handbag before pulling out a large Hershey bar. ‘Would anyone like a piece?’
Everyone wanted a share except Kitty, who was resolute that she was watching her figure. ‘I’m not like the rest of you. I only have to see a piece of chocolate and I instantly begin to pile on the pounds,’ she pouted. ‘It’s not fair.’
Cadi rolled her eyes. ‘You’re not overweight, and I don’t know why you think you are.’
‘It’s because I’m short,’ moaned Kitty. ‘I don’t need as much food as everyone else, but at the same time I don’t like to waste the portions they dish out.’ She paused thoughtfully before adding, ‘It’s not so bad when Dave’s with me, because he has my leftovers, but left to my own devices …’ she blew her cheeks out, making her face look round.
Izzy wagged a reproving finger. ‘It’s what’s on the inside that counts.’
‘You need a decent worm to hook a fish,’ retorted Kitty promptly, causing the others to laugh. ‘Well, you do!’ she said indignantly. ‘Dad always said you needed the right bait for the right fish.’
Ronnie smiled. ‘Only you’ve already hooked your fish, so why do you think you need to keep dieting?’
‘Cos I want to keep him,’ said Kitty stoically, ‘and there’s loads of thinner, more attractive Waafs out there.’
Ronnie shook her head chidingly. ‘And did Dave ask you out because you were a blonde bombshell with a tiny waist?’
‘Well no, but …’
‘But me no buts!’ said Ronnie, adding, ‘Dave’s with you because he likes you, so let’s hear no more of this dieting nonsense.’
Kitty looked hopefully at Izzy, who chuckled softly as she retrieved the chocolate bar from her handbag. She broke a piece off and handed it to Kitty. ‘Men like women with meat on their bones,’ she said. ‘Take it from one who knows.’
Kitty savoured the chocolate as it began to melt on her tongue. ‘I forgot you used to be a Skinny Minnie.’
‘I wouldn’t want to be with a man who was only with me for the way I looked, because looks don’t last for ever,’ Cadi put in. ‘Has Dave ever mentioned your weight?’
‘Only to say that I’m fine the way I am.’ She shrugged. ‘It’s me that has a problem with the way I look, not him.’
‘Then you need to stop being so hard on yourself, because you’re a lovely girl with a wonderful personality, and when all’s said and done, that’s the only thing that matters,’ said Ronnie. She paused before continuing. ‘Take the Finnegan brothers, for example; they’re both handsome, and immaculately turned out, but would you want one of them as your boyfriend?’
Kitty stared at her, aghast at this reminder of the pimps from whom they had rescued Izzy’s mother. ‘No, I jolly well wouldn’t.’
‘There you are then,’ finished Ronnie simply. ‘Looks aren’t everything.’
Cadi glanced out of the window as the train began to slow. ‘Are we in Leeds, do you think?’
Mike peered through the window to the platform they were approaching. ‘I’d say so.’ He counted the previous stops off on his fingers. ‘In fact, I’d put money on it.’
Kitty emitted a small squeal of excitement, as she spotted Jez and Annie on the platform. Cadi was waving frantically in order to gain his attention, and both girls beamed as Jez waved back.
With the train being standing room only, it took a while for the departing passengers to leave before the next set could get on. Breathless with anticipation, Cadi gave a small whoop of joy as Jez and Annie eventually entered the carriage, where Annie found herself engulfed by a sea of hands all eager to welcome her on board. With everyone fussing over the setter, Cadi and Jez enjoyed a quiet kiss hello. Leaning back from their embrace, Jez smiled round at his friends. ‘I wish I had a welcome like that wherever I went.’
‘Ah, but you’re not adorable like Annie,’ chuckled Poppy.
Settling into Cadi’s vacated seat, Jez motioned for her to sit on his lap. ‘Cadi thinks I’m adorable.’
Cadi laughed as she settled herself. ‘I certainly do, but I think Annie’s got the edge, especially when it comes to those big brown puppy-dog eyes.’
Hearing Cadi mention her name, Annie snuffled her way over for a fuss.
‘Will you look at that!’ Cadi exclaimed. ‘I think she remembers me.’
‘She’s a very intelligent dog,’ said Jez, his voice tinged with pride.
‘What about Phil? Is he any better?’
‘He telephoned me at the base to say that he was feeling better, but wouldn’t be returning to the pub,’ said Jez. ‘He also said that he’d be grateful if I could keep Annie on a permanent basis because he’s not fit enough to look after her himself. Phil’s not daft: he knows that things could’ve been a lot worse had you not turned up when you did, which is probably why he asked me to thank you for everything you did for him and Annie.’
A guilty look crossed Cadi’s face. ‘Does he know I reversed into her? Only I didn’t tell him on the day, to save him from further worry.’
Jez smiled kindly. ‘He does, but he agrees that Annie probably got hurt running off the way she did. Besides which, if you hadn’t hit her, he’d as likely as not be pushing up daisies by now.’
Cadi ran her fingers along Annie’s lead. ‘Is this new? It’s very snazzy.’
Jez chuckled softly. ‘It’s miles better than the one Aled got for her.’
Cadi arched an eyebrow. ‘Aled got her a lead?’
Jez explained Annie’s ability to chew through every lead she had, and the consequences. When the girls heard about Aled’s temporary solution to the problem they fell into fits of laughter, but after she had calmed down Cadi tutted beneath her breath. ‘Honestly, Jez, you’re lucky Aled came along when he did.’
‘I know. That’s why I got her this.’ Jez ran his finger across the links of her new lead. ‘You should’ve seen her kennel – or rather, what was left of it.’
‘I wonder how many lives dogs have?’ commented Poppy’s boyfriend, Geoffrey. ‘If it’s the same as cats then Annie’s used up two of her nine already.’
Cadi fingered the stainless steel chain with its leather strap. ‘I’m glad you got her this, I wouldn’t fancy walking her around Sefton Park on the end of a loo chain.’
Jez grinned. ‘I got her an identity tag too.’ He swivelled Annie’s collar round so that they could see the shiny disc. ‘It’s got her name on one side and the telephone number of the base on the other – just in case.’
Poppy stroked Annie’s ears. ‘She’s so lovely. I’m going to get a dog when all this is over.’
As the train crossed the open landscape, Cadi turned to Jez as the others fell into their own conversations about the joys of owning puppies.
‘Didn’t anyone notice that Annie was wearing a toilet chain?’
