There'll Be Blue Skies (43 page)

He put his warm, rough hand over hers as it rested on the table. ‘Never mind, love, I’ve found you now, and I’ll never let you slip away again – either of you.’

‘Does your sister have children?’ asked Peggy.

‘Three daughters, but they’ve all married and left home.’ Harold carefully filled his pipe and passed the pouch to Ron. Soon, the sweet smell of good, rich tobacco drifted in the warm air. ‘Vi’s one of nature’s diamonds,’ he continued. ‘She was a nurse in the first war when she met her husband, and now, sadly, she’s a widow. But she runs that dairy farm as well as her husband ever did. There’s an elderly cowman still on the place, but she’s been allocated three land girls to help her now the young farm-workers have joined up. It’s a big place, with a rambling old farmhouse, and lots of barns and sheds. A perfect playground for three boys.’

‘Has she got chickens?’ piped up Charlie. ‘Will she let us feed them and collect the eggs?’

‘She’s got chickens, ducks and geese, and on the pond at the bottom of one of the paddocks, she’s even got a pair of swans and some moorhens.’ He smiled at Bob who was watching him thoughtfully. ‘There’s a wood, too, and behind the house there are hills just like the ones here. I suspect a big lad like you will soon find plenty to do. She might even let you learn to drive the tractor.’

Bob’s eyes lit up and he smiled. ‘That would be smashing,’ he breathed.

‘Can Harvey come too?’ Ernie was patting the dog’s shaggy head and attempting to keep his nose from the sausage on the table.

‘Harvey’s all right where he is,’ rumbled Ron. ‘He and I have been together so long, we’d neither of us feel comfortable apart.’

Harold eyed Harvey and grinned. ‘There’s always three or four dogs about the farm. I’m sure at least one of them would like to keep you company, Ernie.’

‘What do you think, Jim?’ Peggy’s eyes were bright with hope.

‘I’m thinking it’s the answer to our prayers, even though Miss Fforbes-Smythe will probably have us all shot at dawn for messing up her arrangements.’

They all laughed as Peggy did a wonderful impression of her and explained to Harold who she was. ‘When would you be leaving?’ Peggy was suddenly serious, her eyes once more revealing the heartbreak of having to send her children away.

‘I’ve managed to get train passes for tomorrow afternoon,’ he replied. ‘I thought it best to get them away from the coast as soon as possible now invasion has become a very real threat.’

Peggy swallowed and blew her nose rather fiercely. ‘Of course,’ she managed, her voice breaking. She took a deep breath. ‘Do you think I could telephone Vi? Only I’d like to make sure she’s quite happy about all this, and to thank her for her kindness.’

Harold looked at his watch. ‘She’ll be out in the fields at this time of day. I’ll ring her after dark when she’s sure to be indoors.’

The boys left the table and were soon engrossed in a game of marbles as the adults discussed their plans. Harold turned to Sally a while later, and took her hand. ‘Fancy showing your old man this countryside you wrote to me about?’

‘I can’t think of anything I’d like more,’ she replied warmly.

The sea was sparkling with sun-diamonds as they breached the hill and found a soft hummock of grass on which to settle. From their viewpoint, they could look down at the crescent-shaped bay and the little town that sprawled from the seafront and into the surrounding countryside. They were silent as they caught their breath and drank in the scenery, content and at peace in each other’s company.

Harold finally pulled a small package out of his pocket. ‘Happy birthday, love. I’m sorry I missed it, and there was no card this year.’

She untied the ribbon and opened the little box. There, nestled in a bed of cotton wool, was a heart-shaped locket on a matching gold chain. ‘Oh, Dad,’ she sighed. ‘It’s beautiful.’ She kissed his cheek. ‘Thank you. I’ll treasure it always.’

He fastened it round her neck and gave her a kiss. ‘Seventeen already, eh? My how time flies.’ He re-lit his pipe and, with a sigh of contentment, leant back on his elbows. ‘I’m glad Ernie doesn’t seem too upset by Florrie letting him down again,’ he said quietly.

‘How did you know she was here?’

‘Maisie from downstairs,’ he replied. ‘The minute we docked I went back to Bow and found half the street was missing. It didn’t take long to track Maisie down and discover where she’d gone. When I found out Solomon had relocated here as well …’ He was quiet for a moment. ‘Did she tell you about the divorce?’

Sally nodded. ‘The only thing worrying her was the thought of Solomon finding out she’d been carrying on with someone else.’ She gave a rueful smile. ‘Unfortunately, I suspect he did find out – which was why she left Cliffehaven in a hurry.’

Harold sighed deeply. ‘Yeah, I caught sight of her at the station, and have to confess I ducked out before she saw me. As for Solomon; he’s a fool – but even he doesn’t deserve to be saddled with Florrie.’

She stared at her father’s grim face. ‘Was it you who told him?’

‘I wanted to, but I didn’t in the end. I’m not a vindictive man, Sally, and although Florrie has had her own way for too long, and I was sick of being made to look a fool, I’d had enough of trouble.’

‘He must have seen her with that man she picked up at the station,’ she murmured.

Harold stared out at the view, the smoke drifting lazily from his pipe. ‘When Peggy told me what she did to you, I almost wished I had spiked her guns. It was unforgivable to steal from you and ignore Ernie the way she did – but that’s Florrie. Selfish to the end.’

‘What do you think she’ll do now?’

‘Probably get some other mug to look after her,’ he replied, brushing the grass from his sleeves as he sat up. ‘But don’t let’s talk about her. I want to hear what you’ve been doing over the past two years.’

Sally told him how much she loved Peggy and Ron; told him about Ernie’s need to be massaged regularly, the visits to the doctor, and the very real proof that decent food and a steady routine in fresh air was giving him the strength to fight the ongoing effects of the polio.

Harold was silent as she described the long walks with Ron up here in the hills, the work at the factory, her friendships, and the fact that her little home-dressmaking business was flourishing. ‘Of course I’ll have to put everything on hold until I can get back,’ she finished wistfully.

‘You don’t have to go to Vi’s you know,’ he said quietly, his dark gaze settling on her. ‘She’s quite capable of looking after him.’

‘When Mum left, I promised Ernie I would never leave him again,’ she replied. ‘I can’t break that promise.’

‘But if you could, would you choose to stay here?’

She nodded, shamed by the thought she could even consider breaking her promise. ‘I love it here,’ she said simply.

‘Peggy said you were planning to move in with your friend Pearl before it was decided to evacuate the boys. If you stayed, would you still do that?’

‘Her husband’s on the minesweepers, so he’s rarely home, and there was room for me and Ernie. We’d even planned to turn the front parlour into my sewing room so I could continue with my work. But then the bombing got so bad, there was no choice but to get Ernie to safety.’

‘You didn’t answer my question, Sally.’ He put his fingers beneath her chin and gently forced her to look him in the eye. ‘Would you move in with Pearl if you didn’t leave for Somerset?’

She couldn’t lie to him, couldn’t deny the yearning that tugged at her heart. ‘Yes,’ she said softly.

He chewed the stem of his pipe and gazed beyond the sea to the horizon. ‘And what about this young man of yours? John Hicks, isn’t it? You’ve not even mentioned him.’

She knew she was blushing as she eyed him. ‘You and Peggy certainly covered a lot of ground this morning, didn’t you?’

‘She simply told me what I wanted to know,’ he said evenly.

‘John made it perfectly clear last night that he wants nothing more to do with me,’ she blurted out. ‘So you can forget about him.’

His gaze sharpened. ‘So, you’ve seen him then?’ He regarded her for a moment. ‘But you didn’t tell Peggy, did you, Sal? Why?’

She blinked in the bright sunlight. ‘There was no point,’ she mumbled. ‘John made it absolutely plain he didn’t love me – had never really loved me, even before he went to Dunkirk and got injured.’ She sniffed, scrabbled for the handkerchief in her sleeve and blew her nose. ‘It was all a romantic dream of a silly young girl, and I feel embarrassed at having made such a fool of myself.’

He put his arm round her shoulders. ‘Falling in love is foolish,’ he agreed, ‘but we all do it. There’s nothing to be ashamed of.’ He waited until she was more composed. ‘How bad are his injuries?’

‘He’s lost half of one leg and the other one is held together with metal. He has to walk with crutches, and it’s very obvious he hates having to rely on other people, and loathes the fact that he’s not as fit and strong as he was before Dunkirk.’

Harold was thoughtful. ‘Tell me exactly what happened last night, Sally – word for word, and leave nothing out.’

Her voice faltered as she haltingly described the scene. ‘I thought at first everything would be all right,’ she said finally, ‘but then he suddenly turned cold and angry – not just with me, but with what had happened to him, and the world in general.’

‘What made you think he still loved you?’

‘It was the way he looked at me. His eyes … his eyes seemed to reach right to my heart – just like they had before … before …’ She angrily rubbed away the tears and hugged her knees. ‘I wanted him to look back when he walked away, but he just kept on going.’

‘You know, Sally, I never had you down as a quitter.’

‘I’m not,’ she retorted. ‘But even I know when I’m beaten.’

‘Do you love him, Sally?’

She nodded, furious that she couldn’t stop the tears rolling down her face.

‘Are you prepared to take him on, even though his needs will be greater than ever now he has those injuries?’

She nodded again.

‘Then I suggest you go and find him and tell him that. I think you’ll be surprised at how very wrong you’ve been.’

She eyed him sharply. ‘Wrong?’

Harold took a deep breath. ‘He’s very angry, Sally. Angry because he’s not fit and healthy and capable of doing what he used to do. He’s angry at the world – at the war – and at the way fate has changed everything he’s ever known. He’s trying to protect you, as well as himself, because he’s terrified you’ll go back to him out of pity. And the only way he knows to make certain that you don’t do that is to push you away.’

The great surge of hope that swept through her was swiftly dammed by the fear that it was false. ‘How do you know that? You’ve never met John.’

‘I know men like him,’ he said sadly. ‘Good shipmates who’ll never go to sea again. They all share the same fear, and they hide it in anger, using it to keep loved ones at a distance because they simply couldn’t bear to see pity in their eyes. But if the bond is strong, they soon discover it can never be broken, and that’s when they start to really heal.’

He paused and stared into the distance. ‘You see, it’s not just limbs that are shattered in this war, but hearts and minds – and they take longer to heal when it seems no-one else cares or understands.’

Sally digested her father’s wisdom. ‘I don’t know, Dad,’ she said eventually, the doubts and fears clouding her ability to think clearly.

‘Are you afraid you don’t love him enough to take on the demands of a man battling to overcome his disability?’ He took her hand. ‘You’re still very young, Sally, and I suspect this John is your first love – which is always a powerful emotion. But this is not a decision to take hastily. It’s a huge responsibility, and no-one would think the worse of you if you left things as they are.’

She shook her head. ‘I know all that – but no, I’m not afraid of the responsibility. I’m afraid he was telling me the truth, and that he never loved me at all.’

‘Well,’ he said, getting to his feet. ‘The only way you’re going to find that out is to ask him.’

Sally stood and gazed out at the horizon where the calm blue sea met an azure sky. ‘I’ll sleep on it,’ she said finally. ‘I’m exhausted from everything that’s happened over the past few days, and not thinking clearly at all.’

‘If I can persuade Ernie to go to Somerset without you, will you stay here?’

She touched the locket and nodded, unable to speak.

He pulled her into his arms. ‘My brave girl,’ he murmured. ‘You really have been through the mill, haven’t you?’

She felt the anguish melt away as she buried her face in his chest and heard the steady beat of his heart. Her dad was home, if only for a few hours; but she’d needed the solace of him, the wisdom and love he always gave so generously. And it was as if she’d been given new strength and new hope to face whatever may lie ahead.

He drew away from her finally and tucked her curls behind her ears, gently thumbing away the last of her tears. ‘You deserve to have your own life, Sal. With Ernie in Somerset, you can take all those responsibilities you’ve shouldered for so long and set them aside.’

He silenced her protest with a soft finger over her lips. ‘Vi will look after him as if he was her own, and it’s time you enjoyed being young and carefree – even if there is a war on. Walk into the future with pride, Sally Turner, and know that you’ve more than earned every step.’