The Women of Mulberry Lane, page 3
*
Rose looked at the young soldier walking up the street towards her and started to giggle. She saluted smartly.
‘As I live and breathe, it’s Captain Tom Barton…’ she teased.
‘Don’t be daft, Rose,’ Tom said and smiled good-naturedly, because this was what he’d always liked so much about her. ‘I’m only a private. I’ve finished the first part of my training and they will be posting me somewhere when I go back, but I haven’t had time to get promoted yet.’
‘You will,’ Rose replied, her eyes sparkling. ‘I fully expect to see a captain’s badge before long.’
‘You don’t change.’ Tom’s eyes went over her appreciatively and he asked the question he’d wanted to ask since he got back. ‘Are you married to Jimmy yet?’
‘He’s getting leave at Christmas,’ Rose said. ‘Peggy will put a little do on for us at the Pig & Whistle, but it will just be a civil service. Jimmy says it’s daft having a white wedding. We’ve been living together in your old house for the past few months whenever he got home.’
‘You deserve a lovely white wedding,’ Tom said and something in his eyes and his voice made her feel sad. Jimmy thought it was enough to put a ring on her finger. ‘If you’d chosen me, I’d have insisted on it…’
‘Maybe I should’ve done,’ Rose chirped back, but she knew it had always been Jimmy for her and she didn’t really believe that Tom was in love with her. He was a couple of years younger and, although he no longer seemed like the young boy she’d mocked in the grocery shop, she still couldn’t take him seriously. ‘Well, I’ve got to—’
She was interrupted as a young boy came running from the pub archway, clearly intent on escape. Maggie Ryan rushed after him and behind them was a harassed-looking Janet. She grabbed her daughter and Freddie threw himself at Rose’s legs giggling in excitement. She caught him up and held him above her head, her eyes filled with mischief as she looked up at him. He was clearly pleased with himself for escaping.
‘They had a fight with Fay,’ Janet said in an exasperated tone. ‘Maggie’s nursery school packed up early for Christmas and the three of them cannot agree for five minutes. Fay is a spiteful little thing and these two ganged up to punish her.’
‘Oh dear…’ Rose raised her brows at Tom. He reached out for Freddie, who was struggling to get away from her now. He lifted him up and, amazingly, Freddie quietened, his soft grey eyes filled with curiosity. His grubby little hands patted at Tom’s face as he attempted to say the word soldier. Rose grinned wickedly. ‘Salute Capn’ Tom, Freddie…’
Freddie giggled and put the back of his hand to his forehead. It was a game Rose played with him often. Now that Peggy’s husband was away in the isolation centre, Rose often went round to the pub in the evenings. Sometimes she helped in the bar for a while, but at other times she would pass the evening drinking cocoa or coffee, if they could get it, with Janet. When the twins woke, Rose went up to them and played games with them. She liked Freddie much better than his twin, though she never let anyone see, especially Fay, but the little boy had a sweet nature combined with an adventurous spirit, and she’d played soldiers with him often. He reminded Rose of the little brother she had lost, but in a good way, making her think of happier times, before her father had turned against them all and ended by murdering her mother.
‘Capn’ Tom…’ Freddie burbled in his own baby talk and Tom grinned. Now that Rose had labelled him capn’ he would never be anything else to Freddie.
‘Rose, you are a minx,’ he told her, but she could see he didn’t mind. ‘I think we’ll take you back home,’ Tom said to the little boy, who laughed and reached for his cap. ‘Nice to see you, Rose.’
‘Glad you’re back,’ Rose replied, waved and moved on. She liked Tom and always had. Maybe in another time or place… but she’d given her heart to Jimmy almost from the beginning, although she’d hidden her feelings, because Jimmy hadn’t wanted to commit at first. So many men were dying and he’d thought it was tempting fate to let himself love, but then, after some months of writing to each other, he’d suddenly asked her to marry him and Rose had said yes. She’d thought they would marry sooner, but Jimmy had been sent on various courses and in the end they’d put it off until Christmas. Now the register office was booked and they would be married two days before Christmas, with a short honeymoon after – and then Jimmy would receive his first posting overseas since his intensive training.
Rose had asked what was so different about what he’d learned, but Jimmy wasn’t allowed to tell her. He’d received two promotions and looked very handsome in his captain’s uniform. Sometimes, Rose woke in the night sweating with fear. She couldn’t get it out of her head that Jimmy’s new job was very dangerous and that was why it carried such a high rank. If asked, she would have said that she would have preferred him to remain a sergeant, but she knew that he took what he was doing very seriously. Jimmy had joined the army because he wanted to make a difference and she knew that whatever he was doing – and it was pretty hush-hush for the moment – he would be making that difference.
All Rose wanted was for the man she loved to come home and marry her and the war to be over. Some people said the end was in sight, but there were still V2 rockets falling on London and other cities with devastating effect and Rose feared that Hitler wasn’t beaten yet.
*
Captain Jimmy Morgan saluted his commanding officer and wondered why he’d been summoned to his office. He searched his mind, trying to think what he’d done wrong, but his training in explosives had been going really well and his instructor had promised him that he would be putting in a good report.
‘Ah, Morgan,’ Brigadier Cowdrey saluted him smartly. ‘Thank you for coming so promptly. I wanted to brief you on a little job we have for you – rather an important job actually…’
Jimmy felt the icy tingle at the nape of his neck. He’d been expecting something like this for weeks – for months really – since they’d realised that he was good at defusing bombs and quick-witted.
‘Whatever you ask, sir,’ he responded, though he was thinking of Rose and their imminent wedding, already regretting that it wasn’t going to happen, because he sensed what was coming next. He should never have promised Rose a wedding, because he’d known this day was coming, but she was lovely and when he was with her he would have promised her the moon.
‘You’ve seen the destruction those bloody V2 rockets are making?’ the brigadier said and Jimmy nodded grimly. ‘We’ve tried bombing their sites from the air, but it’s a bit hit and miss and we’ve found what we think is a secret site – may even be mark three of the wretched things. We need a small team – probably you and two other volunteers with similar training. You’ll go in by parachute under cover of darkness and blow the whole thing up – think you can do it?’
‘Since you’re asking I think you believe we can,’ Jimmy said, though the icy tingle at his nape had spread throughout his body. He was being sent on an impossible mission from which it was unlikely he would return and the bastard knew it. ‘I shall need to see details before I’ll know…’
‘That’s the spirit,’ the brigadier said jovially and Jimmy hated his smile, wanting to force it down his throat. ‘You’ll have intensive briefing before you leave – in two days’ time. And, of course, we’ll let you choose your team…’
Jimmy took a deep breath. ‘Thank you for your confidence, sir… May I ask one question?’ The brigadier nodded. ‘How were you thinking of getting us out?’
‘We can’t, I’m afraid,’ the officer said and the smile had left his face. ‘That’s why it’s a job for an unmarried man. You’ll have some distance to negotiate to the borders of Switzerland. If you can make it there and cross safely, then we’ll eventually get you home – but I’m being brutally honest… I doubt you’ll make it off site…’
‘So it’s a suicide mission?’ His voice carried a hint of bitterness.
For the first time the brigadier looked uncomfortable. ‘We asked for volunteers to train in explosives and stated they must be unmarried. The inference was that you might be asked to go on such missions – though you can of course refuse.’
Jimmy hesitated. He felt like all kinds of a fool for not realising why they’d specified unmarried men only, and suddenly he knew that his wedding was never going to happen.
‘No, sir, I couldn’t do that,’ he said. ‘People I care for are at risk while the Germans have these weapons. Someone has to do it – and I’m the best in my group.’ It was the truth and the reason he’d signed up was to beat the enemy, but it was still a bitter pill to know that he would probably never see Rose again.
‘Exactly,’ Brigadier Cowdrey offered his hand. ‘I had to give you the brutal truth, Morgan, but I believe in you. I think you will accomplish the task – and you may defy the odds and get out. My colleagues think it impossible and even I don’t give you much chance. I shall hope that you return to throw our cynicism in our faces.’ He saluted Jimmy smartly.
Jimmy left him after accepting his written orders. He had two hours to choose his team and present them at the meeting room and commence the briefing. In the meantime, he had to write to Rose. One letter he would post, telling her to postpone the wedding – and the other would be given to her if he didn’t return.
3
Janet looked round the large detached house in Hampstead. It was impressive from the outside, but the inside was beautiful. She’d never seen such lovely marble fireplaces and the tiles in the hall were gorgeous. The previous owners had taken most of their furniture, having moved out of London at the beginning of the war. Some large pieces were still under dust covers, because they’d been built for the house and would have had to be dismantled to get them out – in particular, a large carved bookcase and an old carved screen that must have weighed a ton. Upstairs, two rooms had fitted wardrobes, but there were no beds or sofas, tables or chairs.
‘Do we need a house this size?’ Janet asked, because the drawing room would take quite a bit of furniture to fill it, as would the dining room, though she loved the little sitting room at the back of the house. It would be her room if they moved here, she thought, though she didn’t say, because the view out to the garden was beautiful or could be. It was a tangled mass of shrubs and roses at the moment and needed lots of work, but she could see how it could look, and knew she would enjoy the work. ‘Where would we get all the furniture?’
‘I can find antiques to furnish it for now. When life gets back to normal you could choose your own…’ Ryan replied.
‘Antiques will be fine,’ Janet said. ‘I admired Rosemary’s when I stayed at her house down in Devon. Are you sure you can find what we need?’
‘Yes…’ Ryan smiled. ‘My grandfather left me his house in the country and it’s stuffed with rather lovely things. I’ve got a prospective buyer for the house and I could sell the furniture, but I’ll take you to see it first, Jan, and you can choose what you like.’
She smiled up at him, a little in awe. ‘You spoil me, Ryan. I never expected a house like this…’
‘You’re worth it, my darling. I know we just have our Maggie now, but I’m hoping we’ll have more children – and then it won’t seem so big. It has five bedrooms and ours has a bathroom and dressing room of its own, but if we have a couple of kids, the rooms will be full – and one day your mum may want to come to us…’
‘Mum will stay at the pub until she’s forced to give up – unless Able comes for her…’ Jan sighed. ‘It makes me sad every time she looks through the post and there’s nothing for her…’
‘She wasn’t sure where to write. Able might never get her letters – but he came back once, perhaps he will again when he can…’
‘Where do you think he is? I can’t help wondering if he truly loves her – I mean why just send her a card? Why not come himself?’ Janet frowned. ‘It was horrid of Dad to hide that letter telling Mum he was alive – but if Able had come when he left hospital…’ She shook her head over it.
‘He’s an American,’ Ryan said, looking thoughtful. ‘A lot depends on whether he’s able to fight – we don’t know what kind of injuries he had. They must have been severe at the time. If he was picked up from the sea half alive and taken to a hospital in Switzerland, hardly knowing who he was for months, he may be maimed or scarred…’
‘Mum wouldn’t care,’ Janet said promptly. ‘She loves him – and Freddie reminds her every time she looks into his eyes. Even I can see it.’
Ryan nodded sadly. ‘War is a beast, Jan. We’ve all suffered…’
‘I don’t forget your family, Ryan,’ Janet said, because she could never forget the night he’d come to her, broken and desperate after his wife and two young sons had been killed in a bomb blast. Janet had come close to betraying her husband that night, but she hadn’t. She still hadn’t slept with Ryan. They’d kissed passionately, but Ryan had insisted on giving her space and time to get over Mike’s tragic death.
‘I don’t want you on the rebound,’ he’d told her one night when they’d been dancing and she’d felt dreamy as he held her in his arms. She thought she would have gone to him willingly then had he asked, but he’d waited, because he loved her. ‘When the time is right, Jan – we’ll both know.’
Jan was almost sure she did know. She’d finally taken off Mike’s wedding ring and put it away in a drawer, but as yet she still hadn’t told Ryan that she wanted him to make love to her, though sometimes at night she wished he was lying next to her.
‘When shall we go down to your uncle’s house and look at the furniture?’
‘Sunday next week?’ Ryan suggested. ‘I can’t manage this Sunday, I’m on duty, but the following week will be just right. It’s after Christmas and I can get time off – if you can?’
‘Yes,’ Janet said firmly. ‘Anne will be around and she’ll help Mum – and Irene from the hairdresser comes round sometimes. We’ll go down next week. Rose is getting married on the Friday and then it’s Christmas. I’ll go to the wedding with Mum. Nellie is having the twins for the afternoon. Maureen may come if she can manage it – and I promised Rose…’
‘You can’t let your friend down…’ Ryan touched her cheek and then bent to kiss her. ‘Are you sure you like this house?’
‘It is beautiful,’ Janet said, smothering her apprehension. ‘Much as I love Mum and the twins, I don’t want to live too close. Once we’re married, I want us to have our own lives…’
Ryan nodded and his hand caressed the back of her neck. ‘I know it must be difficult living with your mother and the twins – Maggie is beginning to tolerate Freddie better, but she hates Fay. I talked to her and she told me Fay is bad. I suppose she had pinched her or something…’
Janet sighed. ‘Maggie was very jealous of me, Ryan. She doesn’t like sharing me or her toys, but she does take notice of you. I think she remembers you being around when she was very small. Mike wasn’t here for her and you were. She hardly remembers him at all…’
‘We mustn’t let her forget,’ Ryan said. ‘Mike was her father, even though she only had him a short time. He was a brave man and I honour him, Janet – as I honour all the brave men who have given their lives for us in this war.’
‘Oh Ryan…’ Tears were trickling down Jan’s cheeks as she threw herself into his arms. ‘I do love you. I think I always have – but there was Mike. I don’t know how to explain the way I feel…’
‘You have no need to explain, Jan. When we first met I thought my wife beautiful and I cared for her and my two sons. They were my life but…’ He shook his head. ‘I think it was the day that bomb took your cottage… I knew then that I loved you too much for my own good and I tried not to see you, but it wasn’t meant to be. I loved my wife, Jan, but I adore you.’
Jan understood what he meant. They had both loved and lost. It was a bond between them – a bond she would never have with anyone else. In that moment Janet knew that she’d done the right thing. It was meant that she should marry Ryan and move on with their lives. By giving him her heart, she would make a good life for all of them, Maggie – and the children to come.
‘Let’s go home and take Maggie out somewhere,’ she said. ‘I feel much better now, Ryan. I’m ready for the future…’
*
Rose read Jimmy’s letter in disbelief. He’d asked her to cancel the arrangements at the registry office and to tell Peggy they wouldn’t need a little party for their friends.
I’m so sorry, my dearest Rose. I’m being sent away on yet another tiresome course and may be gone some time. Forgive me for letting you down like this. If you throw me out when I do get back I’ll understand, but I’ll hope you won’t.
I love you more than I can say – more than I’ve ever told you.
Take care of my best girl,
Jimmy.
Rose stared at the letter, feeling her temper rise. How could Jimmy do this to her? He was making a fool of her! Surely, the army wouldn’t send him on another course just like that when he was about to marry her – and yet had he told them?
Knowing Jimmy, she thought that he might well have kept it to himself. He had never liked to tempt fate and perhaps he’d thought he could sneak off to the register office with her and the army and fate wouldn’t notice.
For a moment Rose smiled and then the tears and the anger swept back. Where were all the promises that he would make it up to her when he got back? His note seemed cool, almost detached, and it sent icy shivers down her spine. Was this just his way of ditching her? Rose had lived with him in Tom Barton’s family home as if they were married. Each time they’d spoken of their wedding, something had happened to put it off… Had Jimmy just been using her? Pretending he wanted to marry her, when all he really wanted was to get her into his bed? She hadn’t thought it of him, but now she felt rejected and abandoned.
Hot tears fell then and Rose felt the self-pity take over. She’d had rotten luck at home, the way her father and grandmother had treated her, because her mother had been too easy with men, and then Laurie Ashley had acted as though Rose was a whore – and she’d proved them all right! She’d given herself to Jimmy, believing he loved her as she loved him – and now this…
