Brides of War (21 page)

It was now October and in Barton, winter was approaching. Now that young Robbie was five months old, Gracie placed him in day care four days a week to allow her to return to work at Milly’s shop. The two women had become firm friends and for Gracie it was a joy to spend time with her, both at work and socially.

Rick had moved into bigger premises and taken on a third mechanic to help with the ever-increasing business. He had bought a three-bedroomed house with a garden and Gracie had spent time furnishing it and making it habitable, but this time, Rick had paid a man to decorate the interior before they moved in.

‘You have enough to do, looking after the baby,’ he’d said. But he had left her to choose the colours. When it was all finished, she was delighted with the result, but wished that her parents could come and stay to see for themselves how well her husband was doing and, of course, their grandchild.

She had made new friends with some of the mothers she’d met and sometimes invited them over for morning
coffee where she served homemade scones and fruit cake for her friends. They now made the ‘English scones’ as they called them, from her recipe, so she felt she was helping with international relations. Sometimes she held tea parties with cucumber sandwiches and sponge cake, too. The American women thought the idea of tea in the afternoon was ‘real cute’, as they put it. But as she did this, she knew that deep down she was still feeling somewhat homesick and this went some way to alleviate the longing. But when she received a letter from her mother to say her father wasn’t well, she was beside herself with worry.

‘What does your mother say is wrong with him?’ Rick asked when she told him the news.

‘They’re not sure. He’s having blood tests and X-rays. Mum said she’d let me know the result.’

He tried to comfort her. ‘It may be nothing, Gracie honey. You know as people age, they begin to have various complaints; it’s the way it goes. Try not to worry until you hear the results.’

But two days later, Gracie received a cable saying that her father had been rushed into hospital after suffering a heart attack.

Gracie was in tears. ‘What if he dies?’ she cried. ‘He won’t ever have seen his grandson and I won’t be with him and Mum!’

Rick didn’t hesitate. He booked his wife and son on the
Queen Mary,
which was due to sail from New York four days later.

Those days passed in a haze for Gracie. Things were packed hurriedly. Valerie met her and Robbie in New York from
the train, and they stayed overnight with her and Max. They both took her and Robbie to the docks and saw them safely on board.

‘If’s there’s anything we can do …’ Valerie gazed at her friend and saw the fear in her eyes. ‘It may be better than you expect,’ she said. ‘Call me and let me know. Reverse the charges.’

The five-day crossing seemed an eternity to Gracie. Having to take care of Robbie was the one thing that saved her sanity, but when she left him in the nursery in the afternoons to have a nap, in the care of the nursery nurse to give herself a break, then her inner fears would surface. She would walk the decks in tears until one day a deck steward stopped her and asked what was the matter? When she told him, he led her to a deckchair and brought her a pot of tea and some cakes.

‘Now you sit there love and relax. You’ll be no good to your mam in this state. You come here every afternoon when your baby’s asleep. A cup of tea will do wonders, you mark my words!’

She could have kissed him.

At last the liner docked in Southampton and her mother was there to meet her. Never had Gracie been so pleased to see her.

‘How’s Dad?’ were her first words.

‘A bit frail,’ said Margaret Brown, ‘but he knows you’re coming to see him. That’s cheered him no end.’

After they’d collected the baggage, they found a taxi and drove straight to the hospital.

As she walked down the ward carrying Robbie, Gracie
thought her heart would leap out of her chest it was beating so hard, but she took a deep breath as they approached her father’s bed. She was shocked when she saw the pale drawn face staring back at her, as her father gave a wan smile as he recognised her.

‘Hello love,’ he said. She thought her heart would break. She smiled back and kissed him.

‘Hello, Dad. I’ve brought your grandson to meet you.’ She sat the baby on the bed.

Jim Brown took hold of the baby’s hand. ‘Hello son and how are you?’ He looked up at Gracie. ‘My, but he’s bonny!’

‘How are you feeling?’ Gracie asked.

‘Bit battered love, but I’ll be fine given time.’

But as she gazed at him, Gracie wondered just how long that would be. In her heart she felt it wouldn’t be that long and shortly after, she was able to have a word in private with the doctor who was caring for her father.

‘Mr Brown had a severe heart attack,’ he explained.

‘And the prognosis? Please be totally honest with me.’

‘Not good I’m afraid. We’ll keep him as comfortable as we can, but I’m afraid that’s all we can do.’

‘How long has he got?’

‘Difficult to say, but not long, a matter of weeks is all I can give you.’

She rose from her seat. ‘Thank you, Doctor, for your honesty. Does my mother know?’

‘Oh yes, she asked me the same questions as you did. I’m really sorry.’

Gracie stood in the corridor and wept quiet tears before returning to the ward.

Her mother took the baby outside to give Gracie and her
father some private time together. Her father took her hand.

‘Don’t be sad love. I’ve had a good life and now you must go and live yours. Your mother tells me that Rick is a good man. So you look after him.’

‘He is good, Dad. He’s doing really well in his business. He bought us a nice house with a garden for Robbie to play in as he grows. He loves us both and I love him.’

‘That’s how it should be. I have a life insurance so your mother will be looked after financially.’

‘Oh Dad, don’t talk like that.’ Tears welled in her eyes.

‘Listen love, you have to look life in the face and take what it sends you. It’s no good pretending, what’s the point? I’ve made a will so there should be no difficulty when I’ve gone to meet my maker. I just want to tell you how much I love you and how proud I am of you. It wasn’t easy to leave here and you did it twice. That took guts Gracie!’

‘I still get homesick Dad.’

‘That’s natural, but your life is in America with your husband. Mum says Rick told her he’d bring you home every other year, so think how fortunate you are.’

‘But if you’re not here …’

‘No one can live for ever Gracie, we all have to go sometime.’

At that moment Margaret returned with Robbie.

‘The baby’s tired, Gracie. I think we should take him home, feed him, give him a bath and put him to bed.’

‘Go on love, your mother’s right. I’ll see you tomorrow.’

Gracie kissed him goodbye and left the ward.

Jim Brown passed away in his sleep that night. They got the call just after midnight.

Gracie rang Rick to tell him what had happened.

‘I’m so sorry honey, but at least you were in time to see him and for him to see Robbie.’

‘Yes, that was a blessing. I have to stay and help Mum with the funeral. I don’t know how long I’ll be staying after. It all depends on how Mum is.’

‘That’s fine. Do what you have to do, just make sure you come back to me eventually, that’s all.’

That made her smile for the first time in days. ‘I won’t let you loose on your own Mr Rider! I’ll be back!’

She then rang Valerie as promised.

‘Oh Gracie, I am so sorry. When you do decide to come back let me know and we’ll meet the ship. You can stay overnight and we’ll put you on the train for home. We’ll be thinking of you.’

Two weeks later Gracie and her mother sat down to discuss the future. The funeral had been a quiet affair, with just family and close friends attending. They had been through Jim’s clothes and given them away to the Salvation Army. The will was waiting for probate and at last the two women could relax.

‘How are you going to manage, Mum?’ asked Gracie.

‘I’ll do what a million women did who lost their husbands in the war. I’ll get on with my life. I now have a widow’s pension and the insurance from your father, so I’ll manage. I might find a part-time job to fill my time and in the spring I’ll come and visit you. I can afford to do so now!’

‘That’ll be marvellous. The last time you came it was winter. Spring will be so much better.’

Margaret gazed across at her daughter. ‘I think you
should go to the Cunard office tomorrow and book your return passage.’ Seeing the consternation of Gracie’s face, she said firmly. ‘You have a husband to care for. It’s time for you to go home.’

‘Are you sure?’

‘Yes, Gracie. I will get used to being alone because I have to. You have to go home for the same reason. Anyway it isn’t long until the spring.’ Seeing the look of uncertainty on her daughter’s face she added, ‘Gracie love, we are both strong women and we rise from the ashes like the phoenix when we have to. You did it twice. I will now do the same. Life has to go on. I’ll be fine!’

‘You are an extraordinary woman,’ Gracie said.

‘And I brought my daughter up the same way. Now you do the same for my grandson.’

As Gracie lay in bed that night, she knew that her mother was right. Life had to go on and fortunately now her mother would be able to be a part of their lives with her visits to America, and soon she would be home with Rick. She smiled as she realised, at last, that she thought of America as home. It had taken some time, but it was all due to the man who loved her and she would be forever grateful for that.

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J
UNE
T
ATE
was born in Southampton and spent the early years of her childhood in the Cotswolds. After leaving school she became a hairdresser on cruise ships the
Queen Mary
and the
Mauritania
, meeting many Hollywood film stars and VIPs on her travels. After her marriage to an airline pilot, she lived in Sussex and Hampshire before moving to Estoril in Portugal. June, who has two adult daughters, now lives in Sussex.

www.junetate.info

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Brides of War