Full Circle (15 page)

“Get rid of him,” said Emma.

“Wait. He seems to really like you. So, he is a little old fashioned. That’s not always such a bad thing. He is just really into you. Why don’t you explain to him how you feel and give him another chance?” piped in Rachel.

“Yes. I think I will. I do like him and I enjoy being with him, so I will try to talk to him about it more seriously. I don’t think he has ever dated someone who is not Russian before and maybe Russian girls don’t mind all this “attention”. I’ll try to be clearer about him giving me space and eventually I will ask him about where the money comes from. It’s too soon to say anything about that now. It’s just suspicions.”

“Now, there is something else I want to talk to you guys about.”

“Are you serious?” asked Emma. “You actually want to do this?”

“Well, why not? It makes sense.”

“To you, maybe,” chimed in Rachel. “You realize, of course, that you might find absolutely nothing. The most you might walk away with is finding out when she died and if Nick ever came back.”

“Where is your spirit of adventure, guys? What’s happened to you? We used to pick up and go places on a moment’s notice and now you are all shocked that I want to take a vacation?” answered Becky defensively. “That’s what this is. A vacation. If I happen to wonder over to some places that Lily had visited or if I visit the London Archives, that would be purely coincidental,” she added with a grin with her crossed fingers behind her back. “I am due for some time off and I want to spend it in Merry Ol’ England.”

“You don’t just want to take a vacation. You want to go searching for your past, if that’s what you want to call it,” retorted Rachel.

“I can kill two birds with one stone. I can see England, which I have always wanted to do, and I can make some inquiries into the life of Lily McGuire. I’d like to know if she survived the war and if Nick ever came back. Besides, Madame Ruby said that souls did not come back randomly. There must be some connection and I intend to find it.”

“Why don’t you ask your parents? Maybe they know something,” suggested Rachel.

“What am I supposed to tell them? Mom and Dad I have been having nightly dreams of a mysterious red-headed woman in war-time London. I think I used to be her, know who she might be? They’ll have been in a shrink’s office so fast, my head will spin”.

“You’ve got a point there,” agreed Emma. “Better not to say anything to them.”

“I’ve always longed to see England,” said in Rachel with a gleam in her eyes. “Care for some company?” Rachel was not usually prone to hasty decisions. She mulled things over for quite some time until she finally weighted all the pros and cons, so Becky was shocked by her offer.

“Oh, Rach. That would be great. We could have a great time and you can help me do my detective work. Emma, what about you? Maybe we can all go. We would have so much fun.”

“Oh, what the hell! I can’t let you guys go off without me and have all the fun. I am in. When should we go? Are you planning to tell Lover Boy about this little trip?”

“Not at the moment. I have a feeling he might want to tag along. I’ll tell him that we had planned this before I met him and I can’t back out of it.”

“Great. Lying is always the way to deal with a dominating man,” said Emma sarcastically. “Why don’t you just tell him the truth? You want to go on vacation with your friends. You guys have only been dating for about a month. He doesn’t own you.”

“You are absolutely right, but I am not in the mood for a confrontation right now. I know he’ll be upset because he wants us to go on vacation together and he’ll feel like I am choosing you over him,” explained Rebecca.

“You are. And we love you for it!” exclaimed Emma and ran to the computer to go on Expedia and check prices for flights to London.

Becky felt her excitement mounting. She had always had a soft spot for England. Any movie taking place in England, especially in the 30’s and 40’s always appealed to her. She also loved English writers and had read her Jane Austen books until they fell apart. The idea of seeing all the places she read about was very appealing. She was already making a mental list of all the sights she wanted to visit.

The girls started making plans and after much calling back and forth and choosing mutually convenient dates, they finally booked their airline tickets and made hotel reservations. They chose an affordable hotel in Tavistock Square, appropriately named The Tavistock Hotel. It didn’t look too posh, but it was affordable and seemed to be in a central location. It included a continental breakfast, which was a good thing. One less expense to worry about. This trip was putting a hefty dent into all their savings.

“England, here we come!” thought Becky cheerfully.

Rebecca’s parents were glad that the three girls were going together. There was safety in numbers and they would have a better time together anyway. Traveling alone could be dangerous and lonely.

Coming back home was not nearly as comforting as Lily thought it would be. Her old room that had been such a haven to her when she was a girl, felt alien to her and her parents seemed remote. Granted, they had not known Ian, so his death couldn’t possibly be painful to them, but Lily found their constant pretense at normality grating and somewhat infuriating. They did not speak of what happened in London and kept acting as if she just came back home because she was tired of London and wanted to be in a safe place.

Her brother was getting to her as well. At fifteen, all Edward wanted was for the war to last long enough for him to be able to enlist. He thought that being a pilot was glamorous and kept asking Lily questions about what Nick did in the Air Force and what kind of planes he flew. He talked about the war as if it was a fun game that he couldn’t wait to play. Lily wanted to grab him and shake him and remind him that this was a game where innocent people died every single day and young pilots left for missions and never came back. The only break she got from his irritating questions was when he went off with Elizabeth, who according to him was not his girl but just a friend.

Lily found herself roaming the streets of Penzance just to get away from the house and have something to do that would tire her out enough to fall asleep at night. She frequently dreamed of the brothers. Her dreams were confused and fragmented. Some days she dreamed of being with Nick and others, she was with Ian, who would turn into Nick when she kissed him. She would feel guilty in the morning if she had dreamt of Ian. Her love for him seemed a betrayal of Nick, even in her dreams.

After seeing Lily mope around the house for weeks, her father finally decided that it was time to intervene. He invited her to go for a walk after Sunday lunch. As they walked along the boardwalk and listened to the sound of the screaming seagulls and crashing waves, he casually mentioned to her that ten children from London had taken up residence at the Rectory. They had been evacuated during the Blitz and by now some of their parents were surely dead. No one knew when the children would be returning to London and the rector’s wife had her hands full. Apparently, some of the children were fairly young and needed a lot of attention.

“Why don’t you pop over there one afternoon and see if they could use a hand? You’ve always loved children. I am sure the Rector and Mrs. Stone would be ever so grateful. I hear those kids are tearing the house to bits,” he added with a chuckle.

“I think I just might do that, Dad. I can’t imagine how frightening it must be to be away from everything you have always known and not knowing if your parents are alive or dead. Those children are awfully brave.”

“Well, that’s settled then. I will give ring Rector Stone and tell him you’ll be stopping by. Would next week be convenient?”

“He doesn’t waste any time,” thought Lily. “Yes, Dad. Next week would be fine. I am fairy certain I don’t have any pressing engagements.”

And so the following Tuesday found Lily walking up the path to the Rectory. The Rector and Mrs. Stone lived in an old Victorian house attached to the church. It was a rambling two story structure that was surrounded by an overgrown garden that had lots of lovely places to hide. Lily had been there many times in the past while playing with the Rector’s sons as a child. The Rector and his wife had two boys close to Lily’s age and Lily had practically grown up with Will and Roddy. They spent hours playing hide and seek in the garden and exploring the cliffs together. The brothers were both in the Navy now and Lily said a silent prayer for their safe return.

Lily almost laughed out loud when she heard sounds of crockery crashing to the floor coming from the vicinity of the kitchen and Mrs. Stone screaming in frustration as something went flying past the window. Lily thought it might have been the sugar bowl. She knocked on the door, but her knocking wasn’t heard above the ruckus. Lily decided that she would just go in, but wished she had some protective gear in case something was about to come hurling at her head.

“Mrs. Stone? It’s Lily,” she called out as she walked towards the kitchen. The screaming stopped and she saw two curious little faces peering at her from under the kitchen table.

“There you are, you heathens!” yelled Mrs. Stone and she dragged the two giggling children from their hiding place. “Go to your room this minute and stay there until I call you for lunch. If I see you in this kitchen again until then, you won’t be eating till suppertime!” With that she sent them running up the stairs and glanced heavenward in a silent plea for patience.

“Hello, Lily, dear. What a pleasure to see you. I had heard you were back. I am so sorry to hear about your husband and brother-in-law. It happens every day, but one can never get used to losing people so suddenly, can one?” she prattled on in what she thought was a comforting tone.

“Thank you, Mrs. Stone. I am doing my best to cope. Actually, that’s why I am here. I thought I might be of some help to you with the children. How many are there, exactly?”

“Oh, bless your soul, dear girl. I can use all the help I can get, as you might have noticed. I am sure the Good Lord has sent you to me in my hour of need,” she said with a little smile. “There are ten of them. The youngest ones are the little beasts who just smashed my best pitcher. They are twins from London and they are four. Their mother died in the blitz and their father is somewhere in the Middle East. Oh, I do hope he comes back for them when the war is over. The other eight, range from seven to twelve and they are a little easier to deal with. They are a bit more self contained, especially Molly and John. They are brother and sister and they are ten and twelve. They brood a lot, naturally, not knowing where their parents are, but they are trying to help me with the younger ones.”

“I thought I might stop by several times a week and maybe take them out for walks or read to them, or whatever else you might need me to do. I am at your disposal,” offered Lily. “May I go upstairs and meet the twins?”

“Certainly, dear. Just keep an eye out for flying objects,” chuckled Mrs. Stone as she set about setting the kitchen to rights.

Lily walked up the creaky stairs to the room at the top. The giggling behind the door stopped as the twins heard someone coming. She knocked on the door and walked in. The two little boys were sitting on the bed holding an old story book open between them. They both had glossy brown curls, big brown eyes and rosy cheeks that still had the roundness of babyhood. They looked up at her solemnly waiting for her to speak.

“Hello, there. May I come in?” They nodded in unison apparently deciding that the pretty lady wasn’t a threat.

“Are you reading a story?” Lily asked, belated realizing that at four they couldn’t read yet.

“We are looking at the pictures,” said the one on the right. “Will you read it to us?” He held out the book to Lily.

“I will gladly read you a story, but first, I think we must get properly introduced. My name is Lily McGuire. I am the daughter of Dr. Stratton, whom I believe you have already met. And what are your names?”

The one on the right spoke for both of them. “I am Andrew and this is my brother, Michael. We used to live in London, but they sent us here when Mum died. We are waiting for our Da. He is away fighting and killing Nazis,” he added proudly.

“Well, I am very pleased to meet you Andrew and Michael. Now, what story shall we read first?”