A Moment to Remember (7 page)

Although Betty wanted to agree with her, she knew that wouldn’t do. She’d heard some of the things these so-called young ladies said when she’d gone into the room to take the tea trolley away.

 

The week before Easter, Richard came home. He was tall and had a mop of unruly thick fair hair and eyes the same colour as his sister’s.

Milly opened the door when he first arrived, and looking at her he enquired, ‘Who are you?’

Milly curtsied and he burst out laughing.

‘Richard, don’t be so horrid,’ said Jane, coming from the drawing room. ‘I’ll tell Mama that you laughed at Milly.’

‘I’m sorry. It’s just that nobody has ever curtsied to me before.’

‘They might do if you are going to be in Parliament, so perhaps you should start to get used to it.’

Milly stood almost open-mouthed.

‘Richard, this is Milly, my very best friend.’

‘And what park bench did she find you on?’

Whenever Milly was embarrassed she would look down at her feet.

Jane moved her wheelchair closer, almost as if she was going to run into him. ‘Now say you’re sorry.’

‘Sorry, Milly.’

‘That’s all right,’ she said softly.

‘Well?’ he asked.

‘If you must know, Milly ran away from home and I brought her here. She helps Betty and Elsie. Is there anything else you wish to know?’ Jane spoke with a very determined look on her face and the bow in her hair wobbled with every word.

‘No, that will do for now. Just as long as you are happy, little sis.’

She gave her brother one of her beaming smiles. ‘I am very happy.’

‘Good. We’ll talk later, Milly.’ With that he picked up his bag and went upstairs to his room.

‘Please don’t worry about Richard, he always thinks he knows best.’

‘That’s what brothers should do. Look after their little sisters.’

Jane held out her hand and took hold of Milly’s. ‘You are such a joy to have around.’ She smiled. ‘I think it is a little naughty of me, but in some ways I hope you never find your aunt. I want you to stay here for ever.’

‘And I would like to stay as well, but your mum might not want me around for long.’

‘As long as I’m happy, that is all that Mama worries about.’

 

Whenever Richard took Jane round the garden, Milly went with them. She was very shy in his company and she wasn’t sure if she liked him. He always seemed to be teasing her, asking her the names of flowers that he knew she had never seen before. One day, when Jane said she wanted to go to the park, Milly said she didn’t want to go with them.

‘Why not?’ asked Jane.

‘It’s too cold.’

‘Well go and get that scruffy coat of yours,’ said Richard. ‘Not that it will keep you very warm.’

Milly was on the verge of tears.

‘Richard, how could you be so horrid?’ yelled Jane.

Milly had tried to clean her coat up when she went outside with them, but she knew Richard looked down at her, and up till now they had never left the garden.

Mrs Green came to see what the trouble was.

‘It’s Richard, he’s being horrid to Milly. Mama, could you get my blue velvet coat for Milly?’

Milly stood with her mouth open. ‘No, no, I can’t wear that.’

‘Why not?’ asked Jane.

Mrs Green looked bewildered. ‘Will someone please tell me what is going on?’

Richard was beginning to look very sheepish.

‘Richard will keep teasing Milly. Tell him to stop it, Mama.’

‘What have you been saying?’

‘He was being very rude about Milly’s coat.’

‘Richard, how could you?’

‘I’m sorry, Milly.’

Milly only looked at her feet. She knew she didn’t fit in. He was like those rotten girls at Jane’s birthday party. ‘That’s all right,’ she said softly.

A
T LAST SPRING HAD arrived, and Milly marvelled at the garden, which was full of brightly coloured flowers. At Easter, Richard had laughed when she’d told him she’d never even seen some of them before, so she was determined to find out their names. Jane was willing to help her friend and went to great lengths to point out various flowers and tell her what they were called. She also gave her a dictionary, and between them they would sit and write the names down properly. The following morning after Jane had finished school, Milly would ask Miss Dance if she had got them right.

This particular afternoon they were on their usual wander round the garden when Jane asked, ‘Why do you write the names down?’

‘I want to remember them. Besides, Miss Dance said it’s always good to do some writing every day.’

‘Miss Dance is very pleased with the way you are so eager to learn, you know.’

Milly smiled. ‘I’ve got a lot of years to make up, and I enjoy trying to learn about things. I shall never be able to thank you enough for what you’ve done for me.’

‘And what about what you’ve done for me? My life was very boring stuck in this chair till you came along.’

Jane had told Milly that the reason she couldn’t walk was because when she was born, she was pulled from her mother by the legs. Nobody realised her bones had been damaged until she first tried to walk, but by then it was too late. She would be in a wheelchair for the rest of her life. Her mother and father had never forgiven themselves, and that was why they granted her every wish.

 

One afternoon in June, Milly was having tea with Mrs Green, Jane and Walton when Mrs Green said, ‘Milly, Jane and Miss Dance have asked me if I would mind you sharing lessons with my daughter.’

Milly almost dropped the plate she was holding.

Jane’s eyes were shining. ‘What do you say?’

‘I don’t know what to say.’

‘Please say yes,’ said Jane.

‘Yes. I would love to, but why?’

Mrs Green was smiling. ‘Well, Miss Dance thinks you are clever, and it would help Jane. We know you can read a little.’

‘Yes, me mum taught me.’ Milly was very proud of that fact.

‘We know that you pick things up very quickly, and Miss Dance is most impressed with the way you ask her questions. She also thinks it would be good for Jane to have some competition.’

‘But what about me,’ Milly quickly corrected herself, ‘my chores?’

‘As you know, the lessons are only for a few hours in the mornings, so you will be able to help Betty after that. And we do have Betty’s full permission.’

Jane clapped her hands. ‘It will be such fun.’

‘Now I don’t want you two playing about. I’ve told Miss Dance to keep me informed of your progress, and yours, young lady.’ She wagged her finger at her daughter.

Milly was so thrilled she wanted to dance round the room. She was going to get an education. She was living in this lovely house with wonderful people; could life get any better? Or would it all go wrong? She didn’t want to think about that.

When she took the tea trolley into the kitchen she said excitedly, ‘I’m gonna have lessons with Miss Jane.’

‘I know.’

Milly grabbed Betty and spun her round. ‘Thank you. Thank you. Thank you.’

‘Steady on. You’ll have me come all over funny. Besides, what have you got to thank me for? What have I done?’

‘If you’d said I couldn’t go cos you wanted me here with you, well, I would have been . . . what’s that long word that Miss Jane says? Devilstated!’

Betty laughed. ‘You mean devastated, and from the little you’ve told me about your life, you deserve a break. After all, you’re a good girl.’

Milly sat down at the table. ‘I promise I’ll do everything I can to help you.’

‘More to the point, you make sure you learn all you can. It will help you in years to come if you have a good education and can speak well.’

‘I’ll do me very best.’

‘That’s good. Now, let’s make a start on this washing-up.’

As Milly filled the sink with water, her heart was pounding. She couldn’t believe she was going to be taught to read and write and to speak properly just like Miss Jane. As Betty said, it would help her get somewhere in life. Not that she ever wanted to leave here, but you never know what might happen in the future.

 

Everybody except Milly was getting excited at Richard coming home for the long summer holiday. She was very wary of him and his ways.

‘Well you certainly seem to have grown,’ he said, looking her up and down when she opened the door for him.

She felt embarrassed, as she had recently developed breasts, and she was sure that was what he was looking at.

‘And as for your speech, you seem to have lost some of that dreadful twang.’

‘Thank you kindly,’ she said, taking his coat.

‘So the lessons are coming along well then?’

‘Yes thank you, sir.’

‘I’ll have to give you a test later. Now where’s that sister and mother of mine?’

‘They are in the drawing room.’

‘Thought they would have been at the door welcoming me.’

‘They wasn’t sure it was you. They’re expecting another visitor.’

‘Anyone I know?’

‘A Miss Robbins and her mother.’

‘Oh no.’

‘Don’t you like her?’

‘She’s quite nice, I suppose, but it’s not that.’ He laughed. ‘I think they’re trying to get me married off.’

Milly smiled. ‘I’m sure you would have something to say about that.’

‘Yes, I would. If and when I marry, it will be to the woman of my choice,’ he said over his shoulder as he disappeared into the drawing room.

As he closed the door, laughter and greetings erupted. Although Milly was cautious about Richard, he was obviously loved by his mother and sister, and it was nice to hear them all laughing together. She went up the stairs to put Richard’s coat and bag in his bedroom and thought about her own family, as she often did. They’d never laughed together like that.

Miss Robbins and her mother arrived half an hour later. Milly didn’t join them for tea when they had visitors. As she wheeled in the trolley, Richard was watching her and Miss Robbins was watching him. She was a very pretty young lady with dark hair and big blue eyes that followed his every move. Milly could see that she was really taken with him, and she smiled to herself as she left the room. Did she know what he thought of her?

‘That Miss Robbins is certainly a lovely young woman,’ she said to Betty when she got back into the kitchen.

‘Yes. I think the missus would like to see her and Richard married one day.’

‘But he’s what, only sixteen?’

‘The gentry like to make sure their lot marry into the right set. I can tell you, that would be some wedding’

‘Richard will have something to say about it.’

‘I’m sure he will.’

‘When does he finish school?’

‘Don’t rightly know. I think he’s going on to some university or something.’

‘Lucky him.’

‘You like your lessons, don’t you?’

Milly smiled and nodded. ‘There’s so much to learn. I shall always be grateful to Jane for finding me on that park bench.’

‘Not nearly as much as she is for finding you. I’ve never seen her look so happy. You’re like a real tonic for her.’

Later, when the bell went for Milly to return to the drawing room to take the tea things away, Miss Robbins and her mother were ready to leave.

‘Milly, could you bring the coats, please.’

Milly left the room and did as she was asked.

At the door, kisses were exchanged and Jane, who normally wheeled herself, said, ‘Milly, could you help me?’

Milly suppressed a smile as she pushed her friend back into the drawing room; she knew Jane wanted to talk to her.

Richard was standing looking out of the window. ‘So, Milly, what do you think of Catherine Robbins?’ he asked.

‘She is very pretty, and I loved those elegant clips she had in her hair.’

He laughed.

‘I wish you wouldn’t laugh at Milly,’ said Jane. ‘You’ll give her an inferiority complex.’

‘I don’t mean to be rude, but she’s always the very soul of discretion.’ He sat down. ‘Now tell me, do you know the meaning of those words?’

Milly looked at Richard unblinkingly. Although he could be very funny and laughed a lot, he could also be very hurtful. ‘Discretion means tact and inferiority complex means to make me feel small,’ she said, choosing her words carefully.

Jane clapped her hands. ‘Good for you.’

Richard jumped up and, to Milly’s surprise, kissed Milly’s cheek. ‘You certainly seem to have learned a lot in a very short while.’

‘Miss Dance is really amazed at how quick she is.’ Jane held out her hand for Milly. ‘You are the best thing that’s happened to me.’

Milly took Jane’s hand. ‘Would you like to go outside for a while?’

‘Why not? I love the warm sun.’

When they were in the garden, Jane said, ‘Don’t let Richard upset you. He can be very hurtful at times.’

‘Don’t forget, my father was hurtful with more than just words.’

‘I know.’

Milly had told Jane all about her family and how she would love to see her brothers again.

‘Perhaps you will one day,’ Jane had said.

 

‘Milly,’ said Richard when they were in the drawing room after they had returned from their walk. ‘I’m very sorry if I have offended you.’

‘That’s all right.’

Jane looked at them both and smiled.

‘Now you are so clever and almost part of the family, I will have to teach you to play cards,’ said Richard.

Milly knew that when the family were all together, they enjoyed their card games.

‘I wouldn’t if I was you,’ said Jane to her brother. ‘You know how quickly she can pick things up. She’ll have the shirt off your back before you go back to school.’

Richard laughed. ‘That’s something I will have to see.’