The Women of Mulberry Lane, page 4
Screwing Jimmy’s note up, she thrust it into her coat pocket. Suddenly, the wind seemed colder and life in the lanes became drab and meaningless. The dirty neglected buildings that had seemed like home were hostile and lonely. She had to cancel her wedding, Peggy’s little do and the small holiday they’d planned to have – and it just wasn’t fair.
‘Rose…’ Maureen came out of her grocery shop and called to her, but Rose pretended she hadn’t heard and ran to the end of the lane to catch a bus. She’d better cancel the wedding first, because at the moment she just couldn’t face Peggy or any of her friends in the lane.
*
Maureen stared after Rose as she saw her jump on a bus at the end of the lane. She was certain she’d seen Rose crying. Had she had bad news?
Maureen felt a chill creep over her. Too many of the women in the lane had had sad news these past years. The Blitz had caused the loss of one house in Mulberry Lane and many broken windows, also holes in the road, which had been badly repaired, but compared to some parts of London they’d been lucky so far. Yet the women and children of the lanes had lost husbands, lovers, sons and fathers to the war. She just hoped that Rose hadn’t been given bad news.
As she went under the arch towards the back of the pub, Tom Barton came walking out, whistling. He looked cheerful and Maureen smiled because she was fond of the young man who had worked in her grocery shop until he was called up.
‘Have you finished all your training now?’ she asked.
‘Most of the boring stuff,’ Tom replied, looking pleased with himself and life. ‘The drill sergeant puts us new recruits through hell for a start and it’s all marching and exercises, until you’re dead on your feet – but the talk and the laughter and the thrill of what we learn is worth every minute of the rest.’
‘I knew you would love it. I’m so glad for you, Tom. When do you go back?’
‘Tomorrow…’ he said and grinned at her. ‘I’m going overseas, Maureen – so wish me luck…’
‘Of course I do,’ she said and then frowned. ‘I think Rose is upset over something – you haven’t seen her?’
‘No, not today.’ Tom looked concerned. ‘I hope Jimmy is all right. She’s getting married soon…’
‘Yes, on Friday…’ Maureen shook her head. ‘Perhaps it was just pre-wedding jitters.’
‘Yeah that will be it,’ Tom frowned. ‘I’m off to the market – want to get a couple of things. You need any shoppin’?’
‘No, thanks for askin’,’ Maureen said and looked at him. ‘You take care of yourself, Tom. Remember, there’s always another day – so keep your head down.’
Tom burst out laughing. ‘I joined up to fight, Maureen, and that’s what I’ll be doin’ if they let me…’
Maureen nodded, because she wouldn’t have expected anything else.
She entered Peggy’s kitchen to discover her taking a cake from the oven; the smell was delicious and made her hungry.
Peggy looked over her shoulder. ‘Thank goodness it’s you! I’m making the cake for Rose and Jimmy. I’ve managed to get some cream to fill it with jam and cream for them. It’s a little miracle and I want it to be a surprise…’
Maureen admired the way the sponge had risen. It was one of Peggy’s fatless creations and Maureen had no idea how she managed to make them look so good. It was her secret and she hadn’t asked in case Peggy was using black-market ingredients.
‘That will please her,’ she said, hesitating momentarily as she remembered seeing Rose looking upset but decided not to mention it, because perhaps Rose had just been in a mood. ‘Gordon says we can all come to the party for an hour or so, Peggy. Is there anything you would like me to make – or something I can contribute?’
‘I’ve been promised lots of apples,’ Peggy said. ‘Reg has a friend of a friend, if you know what I mean – if you could find some sugar, brown will do, it helps.’
‘I might have half a bag in my pantry,’ Maureen said and then produced two tins of golden syrup from her basket. ‘Look what I got from the wholesaler today. There were only six tins left and he let me have the lot – so here’s two for you. It’s my contribution to the party food, and I’ll get Shirley to run round with the sugar if I can find it…’
‘Oh, thank you.’ Peggy pounced on the tins with glee. ‘I use this in so many things these days, Maureen. They will make all the difference…’
Maureen nodded. Peggy had agreed to hold her normal Christmas party to help cheer up the residents of the lane and everyone had promised to bring something to help out with the rationing. It was the only way they could have a party these days.
She sighed as she sat down at Peggy’s table. Peggy poured her a cup of tea. ‘I’ll be glad when this is all—’
The explosion was so close that it shook the room and the two friends looked at each other in alarm as the cups clattered in their saucers.
‘Was that in our street?’ Peggy managed to say as she dashed out to the back yard to look and saw smoke coming from behind them – and then she saw that the disused bakery next door but one was on fire. ‘Oh, my God! I wonder if Kirk’s uncle is all right…’
Peggy rushed out of the kitchen and round through the arch. The cobblers next door to her had a hole in the roof where a piece of debris had fallen through, but the old bakery was blazing well. Bob had come out of his shop and stood looking up at the roof and at the fire next door.
‘It wasn’t a direct hit on the bakery,’ he said. ‘It must have been flying debris that set it off and damaged my roof…’
‘It’s a good thing that Anne and the baby aren’t back yet; they might have been up there…’ Peggy said, looking up at the bedroom directly below the open roof.
Bob nodded, because Anne had stored some of her things in his spare room, even though she and her husband Kirk were living at Peggy’s until they moved into a new home. They’d been to look at a place to rent in South London that day and Peggy thanked God for it. She was also thankful that she hadn’t invested her savings in doing up the bakery. Because of Laurie’s sickness she hadn’t decided to turn it into a cake shop and café, or to live there.
It was well ablaze by the time the fire engine arrived and started to play water on it. Bob had watched anxiously, but there was not enough wind to blow the flames his way, though the firemen doused his roof for good measure. He would need to patch it as best he could and clear up the mess inside, but his home and his shop had survived.
‘I was thinking we’d done better than most in the lanes,’ Maureen said and a cold shiver went down her spine as she and Peggy went back inside. ‘Thank goodness the bakery wasn’t occupied…’
‘But the property in the next lane was,’ Peggy reminded her. ‘There was an elderly Jewish tailor and a book binder in that building just behind the old bakery. I know, because I asked them some questions about who owned the yard between them – it’s not clearly defined – and the tailor said it was his but assured me I could share if I took the bakery over.’
‘Thank goodness you didn’t.’ Maureen picked up her basket and went to kiss her cheek just as she heard Fay’s wail from upstairs. ‘The twins are awake and frightened – and I’d best get home or my family will be anxious…’
Peggy embraced her, tears on her cheeks. ‘We’re alive, but how many have been killed? I wish someone would stop these wicked things!’
‘I think they’re doin’ their best,’ Maureen said. ‘I read in last night’s paper that they had shot three of the rockets down – and they say they’re bombing the sites in Germany. It’s time this war was done, Peggy. We don’t want all our friends killed by those evil monsters…’
‘I feel guilty because we’re bombing their towns and cities, because they have old people and children too,’ Peggy was crying as she let Maureen go. ‘But Hitler started it…’
Maureen left Peggy to comfort her children as she hurried home. The air was thick with smoke and the stink of whatever was in those wretched bombs, mixed with other unimaginable smells as sewers and gas mains burst.
A shudder ran down Maureen’s spine. How many more folk had to die before all this was over?
*
Janet saw the smoke hanging over the lane as Ryan stopped the car. They’d been to fetch Maggie from a friend’s home, where she’d been playing with other children of her own age, but Peggy, the twins and so many others lived in Mulberry Lane.
‘Oh, Ryan…’ Janet’s heart was in her mouth as she saw the smoke hovering. It was so very like the time when her home had been bombed and she feared for her mother and the others. ‘Mum and the twins…’
‘The smoke looks to be further down the lane and behind,’ Ryan said and looked at Maggie’s frightened face. ‘It’s all right, love. Your granny will be fine.’
Janet caught her breath. Ryan was so sensible. She wanted to jump out of the car and run into the lane, but the wardens had put up a barrier and he parked the car in the next lane.
‘Stop here with Maggie while I investigate,’ he told her and Janet took her daughter on her lap. Maggie looked pale and anxious and she realised that the little girl was now old enough to pick up on some of the terrible things that were happening. She’d sensed her mother’s fear but sat tense and still as the man she’d begun to call Daddy got out of the car and sprinted up to a warden who was standing by the barrier. He spoke to him for a couple of minutes and then returned to the car.
‘The old bakery has burned down and the shops immediately behind must have taken a direct hit. The warden says they’ve gone – but the pub and the other shops and houses in Mulberry Lane are virtually unharmed. Bob’s roof has a hole in it from falling debris, but he’s OK and so is his shop.’
‘Thank goodness!’ Janet felt the tears of relief on her cheeks. ‘Will they let us through the barrier?’
‘I have to leave the car here, but we can walk past…’
Janet gave him Maggie and the child clung to him, her arms about his neck. They walked past the warden’s men, who were clearing up some of the burned-out debris that had fallen into the lane. The stink of smoke was awful and there were worse smells drifting from somewhere beyond their lane, which she thought might be burnt flesh. Janet shuddered as she hurried into the back yard of the pub and then her mother’s kitchen.
Peggy was sitting at the kitchen table with Rose, a bottle of sherry and two glasses on the table and it was obvious that Rose had been crying.
‘Are you all right?’ Janet was immediately concerned. ‘Where are the twins?’
‘Upstairs, with Nellie. She took them out of the way when Rose came to tell me her news…’
‘The wedding is cancelled,’ Rose wailed. ‘The bloody army has sent Jimmy on another rotten course…’
Janet felt relief flood through her. She understood that Rose was upset, but the warden had told them of six casualties in the next street and the burning debris that had more or less destroyed the old bakery might have fallen on the Pig & Whistle, so Janet felt as if they’d all had a narrow escape.
‘That’s upsetting for you, Rose,’ Ryan said. ‘It is the way of the army all over. To them, your wedding isn’t important in the grand scheme of things. They don’t care how you feel, I’m afraid. I’m very sorry.’
‘It’s bad luck, love,’ Janet frowned at Ryan for being so brutal with the truth. ‘But he’ll come back and you can get married then…’
Rose sniffed and wiped her cheeks. ‘I know it doesn’t seem very much when you think of what has just happened,’ she said, ‘but I was really excited…’
‘Yes, of course you were,’ Janet said, realising that it must seem like the end of the world to Rose.
Ryan handed her a large white handkerchief. ‘At least if Jimmy is on another course his life isn’t in danger and he’ll be back and you’ll get married – perhaps in the spring,’ he said
‘Yes, I suppose so…’ Rose stood up, wiping her cheeks with the hanky. ‘I’ll get out of your way, Peggy. I had to let you know…’
‘Thank you,’ Peggy said sympathetically. ‘I’m sure Jimmy is as upset as you are, love. He will come home as soon as he can and then you can have the wedding as you planned.’
Rose nodded and went out of the back door, disappearing round the corner.
Janet looked at her mother.
‘That’s your efforts wasted, Mum.’
‘Not really, my customers will get to taste Rose’s wedding sponge at the party on Christmas Eve. I’ll be happy to put the food towards that instead of her reception. Perhaps things will be better by the time Jimmy gets home and I’ll be able to make them a proper fruit cake.’
‘I think I can hear Fay,’ Janet said and then Freddie came bounding into the kitchen. Nellie followed, looking a bit harassed and holding tightly to Fay’s hand.
‘Muma…’ Fay said and broke from Nellie to grab at Peggy’s skirts. Peggy bent to take her up on her lap and cuddle her. Freddie ran to join Maggie, who was clinging to her mother’s skirts, and the two put their heads together. Freddie was showing Maggie a mark on his neck and when Janet looked, she saw signs that small teeth had nipped him. Fay had clearly bitten her brother’s neck. She hadn’t broken the skin, but it showed what a little wildcat she was.
Nellie’s next words interrupted her thoughts, ‘I’m sorry, Peggy, but I heard Janet’s voice and I need to leave now. My daughter has an appointment at the clinic with her daughter this afternoon…’
‘Of course, Nellie, you get off,’ Peggy said and set Fay down on the floor. ‘Will you be in tomorrow and Christmas Eve?’
‘Of course I shall,’ Nellie said. ‘I’ll be here to help you get ready for the party – but that poor girl won’t get her wedding do…’
‘No, I was just sayin’ I’ll use the stuff I’d prepared for the wedding and hang on to the tins of fruit I’d been savin’ for the party. Jimmy might be back in a few weeks…’
‘Yes, I expect so. I’ll see you tomorrow,’ Nellie said and waved to them all as she left.
‘It seems a bit odd – cancelling the wedding two days before it happens,’ Janet observed. ‘I should have thought the course could wait until after his wedding…’
‘If he is going on a course,’ Ryan said, looking thoughtful.
‘You don’t think he has dumped her?’ Janet was shocked.
‘No – but it does seem unlikely that they would cancel wedding leave two days before unless there was a flap on…’ Ryan frowned. ‘I know none of you will speak of this, but I think Jimmy was involved in specialised explosives training…’ All eyes turned on him and he nodded grimly. ‘He didn’t say a word about it, but a couple of things he did say added up. If they were sending him on a course it could wait until after the wedding – but if he was needed for a particular mission, they would need him immediately…’
Silence followed his words and the two women looked at each other anxiously.
‘Poor Rose…’ Peggy said at last and then, ‘Damn! Look at the time. I’d better get the bar ready for this evening. I don’t know where the time goes to these days…’ She looked at Maggie and Freddie who were sitting on the floor together playing with brightly coloured wooden bricks that Peggy had bought from the wounded soldier who made toys for a living and sold them through Maureen’s shop. ‘I’ll take Fay into the bar with me – if you could keep an eye on Freddie, Janet.’
‘Yes, of course,’ Janet said. ‘Go on, Mum, and do what you need – I’m here now. Ryan has to go, don’t you, darling?’
‘Yes. I had the day off and now I have some evening appointments. I’ll see you on Christmas Eve – bring the “you know what over” …’ His eyes twinkled as he looked at Maggie and Freddie and she knew he meant their presents.
Ryan kissed Janet’s cheek and went out of the split door at the back of the kitchen into the pub yard. Peggy departed for the bar armed with cloths and a tray of clean glasses, Fay toddling behind.
Janet watched her daughter play happily with her cousin Freddie for a moment and then collected various cups, sherry glasses and plates to wash them. She wasn’t sure how her mother would manage when she moved to Hampstead. She really needed someone to live in, the way Nellie and then Rose had for a short time. Running the pub with just part-time helpers took all her mother’s time and ingenuity, but it also took her strength. Peggy couldn’t go on coping with both the pub and her twins without help forever.
Janet was aware of guilt as she realised that her wedding and subsequent move to her own home might cause a crisis for her mother. She would have to advertise for a full-time bar assistant or a nanny for the children. Several young girls had come and gone these past months and there had been an older man for a while, but he’d had a habit of drinking his employer’s profits when she was busy elsewhere and Peggy had had to dismiss him.
Janet sighed. Her mother had managed somehow and she would have to work it out for herself… unless Able came back.
4
They went in under cover of darkness, three of them, parachuted in only a few miles from their destination. Moving swiftly, their heavy packs on their backs, the saboteurs covered the few miles to their destination in quick time, their basic army training standing them in good stead.
Suddenly, there it was in front of them, a dark building with armed sentries in the guardhouse and lots of activity, men coming and going, vehicles being ushered through the heavy gates.
‘Bloody hell,’ one of the men with blacked faces hissed. ‘How in Hades are we supposed to get in there?’
‘We wait,’ Jimmy said. ‘Whatever caused this flurry of activity will die down. We need to get to the rear and get over the wall. We know there are dogs – that’s where you come in, Irish…’
There wasn’t a dog alive that wouldn’t respond to the man’s whistle. Jimmy had seen him do it a dozen times in training. Even if they were running full pelt, growling, he would have them down on their bellies and silent as the grave in seconds. Jimmy and his men had planned this down to the last, taking account of everything that might go wrong. If they could get in, set their fuses and leave undetected, they might have a chance. None of them expected to destroy this place, all they had to do was make as much mess as they could and hopefully get a blaze going. The RAF was waiting, hovering not far away, and once the ground explosion gave them the exact coordinates, they would come in heavy and finish the destruction. So the saboteurs had to be fast, in and out like a dose of salts, as Bob said coarsely.
