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Chapter Eighteen

‘You should’ve stopped home today,’ Alice said to Sarah Whitton. Gently she drew her sobbing friend into her arms to comfort her.

‘Ain’t stopping home with me mum, the wicked old cow,’ Sarah choked. ‘She laughed when Louisa told us about dad. Wicked old cow, she is,’ she repeated forcefully. ‘Ain’t surprised he ran off and left her when he did. Told her so ‘n’ all.’ She scrubbed a hand over her streaming eyes. ‘Rather be with the women at work than with her. At least they said nice things like sorry to hear about your dad, and so on.’

Alice had just discovered from her friend that this morning Sarah’s sister Louisa had called round to Campbell Road to break the awful news that their dad had been killed in the fighting. Despite her grief Sarah had gone to work as usual and come to meet Alice at one o’clock as they’d arranged, outside Alice’s workplace.

The two girls were stationed outside the gates to Turner’s engineering factory in Blackstock Road. Sarah now worked in Kemp’s biscuit factory despite her mum’s initial objection to her taking on full-time. The amount of broken biscuits that found their way home in Sarah’s bag had helped sweeten her attitude to her youngest daughter becoming independent.

‘Do you still want to go to the caff?’ Alice asked quietly. ‘We could just take a walk about instead if you don’t feel up to eating anything.’

Sarah gulped an agreement to a walk and, shoving an arm through one of Alice’s, they turned and began to proceed along the road.

Alice glanced at her friend’s bent head. Dread rolled in her stomach as she thought about her own dad, and the danger he was in. He’d been gone so long and just once had he had home leave so far. It had been so good to see him! But that visit had been months ago and they must wait many more months before he came home again.

Sometimes Alice wondered if she’d forget what her dad looked like, and she’d panic and grab from the top of the piano the photo of him in his uniform. She’d stare deep into his eyes as though he could see her too and she’d reassure herself he was smiling. She’d written him a letter two days ago. Would he ever read it? Had he been injured or killed?

A few little cards had arrived from him posted from France. On those he would always write that he was thinking of them all and hoping soon it would be over so he could come home for good. When he’d come back on leave, she knew he’d deliberately avoided truthfully answering probing questions about the peril all the troops were facing. There was no complaint; nothing at all that might have worried them about his safety. But Alice read the newspaper every day and scoured the columns for news of the war. She knew how dreadful were the conditions for infantry soldiers in the trenches. As a private in the Fusiliers her dad was no doubt right in the thick of things. She closed her eyes and a soundless prayer trembled over her lips. Please God, take care of Jack Keiver and soon bring him home safe.

Feeling a bit guilty at allowing horrible imaginings make her forget Sarah’s real distress Alice squeezed her friend’s arm in sympathy. ‘Does Connie know?’ she asked quietly. ‘Did Louisa go and see Connie too and tell her about your dad?’

‘Dunno,’ Sarah whimpered and cuffed her nose. ‘Since she broke up with the rozzer and moved out of his house nobody sees much of her. Don’t even know where she’s living now or what work she’s doing.’

Alice murmured a neutral response. She knew that Constable Franks had broken off the engagement to Connie because Sarah had told her at the time it’d happened. Nobody seemed to know why the engagement had come to an abrupt end. Alice had also heard quite recently – from Annie Foster who’d got it from her sweetheart, Tommy Greenfield – that Connie had been seen with a fellow who looked old enough to be her father, but who’d acted more like a sugar daddy. Had his hands all over her, he did, and she didn’t seem to mind, had been the way Annie had recounted it.

Alice hadn’t passed that on to Sarah. It was only gossip after all that Connie Whitton had been spotted acting like a pro.

‘Who’s that over there with Geoff?’

Alice immediately looked in the direction that Sarah had indicated. They’d just turned the corner and on the opposite side of the street was Geoff and with him was a petite blonde-haired girl.

As Alice watched them an odd, unpleasant sensation flipped her insides. Geoff was gazing intently at the girl and the two of them seemed to be standing very close together whilst talking.

‘D’you know who she is?’ Sarah asked with a frown. ‘Not seen her about before. She’s pretty, ain’t she?’

‘Might be a customer out of his shop,’ Alice mumbled unconvincingly and urged Sarah to walk on. If she was a customer it didn’t explain why the girl looked to be upset. Now they were closer Alice could see that the blonde was dabbing at her eyes as though she might have been crying. Immediately Alice was reminded of Sophy’s tears when Danny had got her in the family way and she turned cold. A moment later she was inwardly chiding herself for jumping to conclusions about them.

Geoff noticed Alice and Sarah and raised a hand in greeting but he kept on talking to the girl he was with and made no move to leave her side. In fact he moved a little closer to her, inclining his head as though listening intently.

‘Best be turning around in a minute,’ Alice said gruffly to Sarah. She felt piqued that Geoff hadn’t immediately rushed over to her. She also felt determined to discover who the girl was and why she seemed to have so much to say to Geoff, who was her … Alice’s thoughts petered off. Geoff was just her friend, she realised. She’d never let him be more than that. She knew he’d like to be. He hadn’t tried to kiss her again, nor had he so much as given another hint that they were sweethearts walking out. So if he found another girl he liked, why shouldn’t he get close to her and pay her attention? ‘Got to get back to work,’ Alice said huskily. ‘I’m only taking a short break today.’

They turned about and started walking back the way they’d come. A few minutes later Geoff caught up with them and fell into step.

‘On yer dinner breaks?’ Geoff asked airily and cast a curious look at Sarah’s red and blotchy face. ‘I am ‘n’ all.’

‘Just heard this morning that me dad’s got killed in the fighting.’ Sarah croaked an explanation for her appearance for she could sense Geoff’s unspoken question. She’d always had a soft spot for Geoff and she’d rather tell him why she looked a mess than have him ask.

‘Bloody hell … not another one!’ Geoff exhaled loudly in sympathy. ‘I was just talking to Peter Slater’s fiancée. She just told me that they heard a few days ago he’s got reported missing, presumed dead. In a right state, she is.’

‘Peter Slater’s fiancée?’ Alice sent him a sharp sideways glance. ‘Is that who she is?’

‘Yeah. You remember him, don’t you? Dan got his job training horses when Peter had a few too many bevvies one dinnertime and joined up. Poor sod. If he’d stayed out of the pub he’d probably still be alive and in Essex. He’d only just turned eighteen.’

A guilty sensation rolled in Alice’s stomach, making her feel quite sick. She’d felt annoyed on seeing Geoff talking to Peter’s fiancée and all the poor girl had done was to tell him she’d had bad news about her sweetheart.

They stopped at the corner and after a brief goodbye Sarah went off back to work at the biscuit factory.

Alice and Geoff continued on along the road towards Turner’s. Still Alice felt oddly unsettled. She slid Geoff a look. Having sensed her eyes on him, he turned his head. After a moment his quizzical expression altered and a glimmer of understanding replaced it. A corner of his mouth tilted in what could have been amusement or satisfaction.

Alice felt her face getting hot for she knew she’d betrayed her jealousy. She speeded up towards the gate of the factory. ‘See you later then?’ She swished past and kept walking towards the factory entrance. After a moment of silence she swung about to see if he’d rudely gone off without even bothering to reply to her mumbled farewell. He was standing watching her from behind the railings. For a moment they stood quite still, their eyes locked together.

‘Ain’t interested in her,’ Geoff said softly and planted a large hand on the iron bars.

‘Ain’t bothered if you are,’ Alice returned.

‘I reckon you are.’

‘You can reckon all you like, Geoff Lovat,’ Alice snapped. ‘We still ain’t walkin’ out.’

‘I reckon we are,’ he said and with a grin he pushed away from the railings and walked on.

‘Dad!’

The chorus of joyous shouts issued from Alice and Bethany. Simultaneously the two girls launched themselves forward and hugged their father in a tangle of limbs before he was properly through the door. They’d been up early that morning doing what they could to tidy the place whilst awaiting his arrival.

Jack dropped his kitbag. He struggled to free his arms from where his daughters had pinned them to his sides so he could grip them tightly to him. He swung his face planting his lips on two dark heads, then another fierce kiss was bestowed on both girls before he let them go.

‘Got a surprise for you, Dad,’ Alice said. ‘Close your eyes.’ Jack looked from Alice to Bethany but neither was giving anything away. He swiped his hat from his head and put it on the table.

‘Go on, close them,’ Beth said excitedly and cupped her palms over her father’s eyes until he moved up his hands to replace them.

The door to the back room opened and Sophy and Danny crept out.

‘Can open ’em now,’ Sophy said softly. As soon as her father’s fingers had dropped away from his face Sophy launched herself at him, hugging him tightly about the waist and burrowing her face into his neck. Danny watched the scene indulgently before he approached Jack to shake his hand.

‘So good to see you both,’ Jack croaked through the tears in his throat. ‘Lovely surprise … lovely …’ he mumbled.

‘I’ll be back later,’ Danny said tactfully as Jack withdrew a handkerchief. ‘I’ve gotta go next door and see them all. Me mum’ll be on the warpath else.’

Jack nodded in understanding but kept Sophy clasped against his side as he dropped a kiss on her hair. ‘You’re looking bonny, Sophy,’ he choked out. ‘They’ve been feeding you well, I see.’

Sophy blushed. She knew she was getting plump. But she didn’t care too much because she was content. And besides, Danny said he liked her better with a bit of meat on her.

Finally Jack walked further into the room and gave his wife, who’d been sitting on the piano stool watching the scene with a smile, a searing look. But he went to Lucy who had jumped from the bed, giggling, and had been patiently awaiting her father’s attention. ‘Are you the birthday girl who’s gonna be five tomorrow?’ Jack teased Lucy with a grin. ‘Your daddy’s got you a present.’ He put his youngest back down on the floor and Lucy bounced up and down excitedly, barefoot, on the boards while Jack dug in his bag and brought forth a floppy doll with yellow wool hair and a red dress. ‘Come all the way from France that did, Luce,’ he told her as he handed it over and ruffled her soft curls.

Lucy hugged her present to her and climbed back on the bed to examine it.

Finally he turned his attention to Tilly. ‘It didn’t cost much at all,’ he said easily. ‘Worked out at just a few coppers …’ He knew how hard things had been for his wife trying to cope alone. Kids’ toys were no bloody use to people with empty bellies.

Tilly shrugged and continued to feast her eyes on her husband. She’d sooner have had the cost of the doll – and she reckoned it was shillings, not pennies – jangling in the kitty but she was too pleased to see Jack to start a row today. Besides, Sophy had brought her some money from her wages and handed it over before she’d had to ask. Jack sat down beside her on the stool and put his arm around her. He waited till she’d cuffed the wetness from her eyes before he bent his head and gave her a kiss on the lips.

Alice watched them. Now she was older she understood why they sometimes liked to have a bit of time alone. Despite yearning to stay with her dad and question him immediately about how he was, and what he’d been doing since they’d last seen him, she announced cheerfully, ‘Me ‘n’ Beth ‘n’ Sophy are going to get a cake and some pop so’s we can have a birthday party for Lucy.’

Tilly gave her a startled look that begged to know where the money for that was coming from.

‘We’ve all been putting a bit by from our wages, even Beth’s chipped in,’ Alice explained and avoided her mother’s eye. If Tilly had known a few savings were around she’d have turned the place upside down looking for the little stash.

‘We’ve ordered a sponge cake from the baker’s in Hornsey Road as a surprise,’ Beth said with a beam. ‘We arranged to collect it this afternoon.’

Once the sound of their older daughters clattering down the stairs had died away Jack gave Tilly another kiss, then another that was hungry enough to take her head back against his arm.

‘D’you reckon Fran ’ud do us a turn and look after Lucy for a bit?’ The words had been whispered against Tilly’s thick, fiery hair. Jack touched the crisp collar on her best embroidered blouse and tenderness flowed through him. She’d tidied herself prettily for him and he knew taking that sort of trouble wasn’t easy for a woman in a place like this.

Jack knew that once Lucy’s birthday tea party was over there’d be entertainment for the adults in the Keiver household. The neighbours would come by and it would be like old times; a warm feeling bathed his insides as he remembered those good days. Life was never easy in The Bunk but compared to what he’d experienced on the Somme it seemed wonderfully carefree.

‘I’ll see if Fran’s in and will have Lucy in hers for half an hour,’ Tilly breathed against his cheek

‘Half an hour?’ Jack growled with a wolfish smile. ‘Better make it an hour, love, I’ve not seen you in a while.’

‘Wish Dad didn’t have to go back,’ Beth said as they walked along in the direction of Hornsey Road.

It had been exactly the phrase that had been rotating in Alice’s mind. She sighed and nodded. ‘Got to keep cheerful though and make it a nice break for him,’ she warned her younger sister.

‘Sounds like it’s dreadful over there, don’t it?’ Sophy said, biting her lower lip. ‘He looks really tired and much older, don’t he?’

Alice nodded and blinked her eyes. They’d been reading in the newspapers for months about the terrible carnage in France. Having their dad back, and looking whole and healthy, if a bit grizzled, was a huge relief. The dreadful battles on the Western Front had killed and wounded so many. Their dad’s leave was less than a week this time so Alice knew they must squeeze every last drop of enjoyment from his visit.

‘Let’s hurry up ‘n’ get the cake and pop and go home,’ Alice blurted, suddenly unwilling to waste a precious minute more than was necessary that could be spent with her father. Her sisters nodded and linking arms the three of them huddled together in affection before breaking apart and trotting on.

‘Want to go for a walk round and about?’

Alice raised her eyes to Geoff’s face. They were standing out in the street, getting a breath of fresh air. It was summer and still light and warm despite the lateness of the hour. The atmosphere upstairs in the Keivers’ front room was stifling due to the crush. Sophy and Danny were having a fine old time regaling pop-eyed people with the wonderful life they enjoyed in Essex.

‘I’ll get me coat,’ Alice said and darted back inside. A moment later she was back at Geoff’s side. ‘Little Lucy’s had the best day,’ she told him as they strolled. ‘Dad got her a present from France; a doll with yellow hair and a red dress. Pretty little thing, it is. Can’t imagine how she’s sleeping through all that din!’ She chuckled. ‘Out like a light she is with her dolly in her arms …’

‘Did she like her party?’

Alice nodded vigorously.

‘You were right about Sophy and Dan,’ Alice said.

Geoff gave her a quizzical look.

‘They’ve both turned into a right couple of fatsos,’ Alice said on an impish chuckle.

‘He’s got four chins,’ Geoff said with a guffaw. ‘Glad now I didn’t go,’ he said self-mockingly. ‘Sooner stop here ’n keep me figure.’

Alice gave him a playful punch. ‘Well, I’m glad you stopped here ’n all …’

Suddenly they both started to attention and chorused, ‘Oh, no!’

They’d hardly got to Blackstock Road when the air-raid siren had started, prompting Geoff to grab Alice’s hand and jerk her around. They began to run back towards Campbell Road.

Breathlessly they hared up the stairs and hollered over the racket, ‘Air raid!’

Music and singing died away and a score or more faces stared at them. Jack’s fingers had stilled on the piano keys; now he lifted them to hover just above, and everybody tensed and listened. The whine was audible, and so was the much fainter drone of engines.

‘Lights out,’ Jack bawled and quickly candles and lamps were extinguished. An unspoken consensus of opinion seemed to have been reached by all: stay put and hope for the best, for nobody moved.

By touch alone Jack started to play the piano in the dark and then he started to sing too. He broke off to bellow, ‘Well them Hun buggers can’t hear us, can they?’

Laughter rippled through the room, getting more raucous as Jack continued to play with great zeal. After a moment everybody had joined in singing ‘Pack Up Your Troubles’.

Alice was in front of Geoff and as she felt his arms come about her in the dark, she sensed the reverberation of his singing voice through her coat. She leaned back against him, closing her hands over his, clasped together on her waist. She felt suddenly warm and unafraid and glad that her dad and Sophy were here with them. If the worst happened, and a bomb was dropped on them, at least she’d be with the people she loved and they’d all go together. When the droning was at its loudest, so was the choir, rising in a defiant crescendo of sound that seemed to shake the house. When danger was past, and the lights were eventually relit, the company seemed rather subdued. Within half an hour the party had finished and the neighbours had dispersed.