Two Strangers (22 page)

Mrs Manton wiped tears from her eyes. ‘The letter said he was missing, presumed dead. If he came back from France, then why haven’t we seen or heard from him?’

‘It doesn’t make sense.’ Mr Manton paced the room, sat down again and took a large swig of the fiery liquid. ‘It’s too early in the day to be drinking this stuff, but, by God, I need it! I’m not calling you a liar, young lady, but I still think you are mistaken.’

‘She isn’t, dear,’ his wife said. ‘She described him perfectly, and he gave her an English grammar book to help her to improve her speech. That was the teacher in him, and he never did like the name Henry. His friends all called him Will.’

After draining his glass, Mr Manton closed his eyes for a moment, and then opened them again and looked straight at Harry. ‘If our son really is alive, do you have any idea why he would be wandering around the country and sleeping rough, instead of coming home?’

‘I can think of only one. I have spent my adult life teaching difficult children with a wide variety of problems, and we have in our care at the moment a young boy. He had been so cruelly treated that he stopped speaking and didn’t utter a word for a long time. When someone is traumatized, it can cause many different symptoms. One is loss of memory.’

Vicki gasped at that suggestion, and so did the Mantons. She took a sip of the drink she hadn’t touched before. ‘He didn’t seem like a man who didn’t know who he was.’

‘I’m only surmising, Vicki. Can you think of another reason why he hasn’t even contacted his parents?’

She shook her head. ‘He never spoke about himself to anyone, so I suppose it could be possible, but he appeared to be very self-confident. Not at all confused or lost.’

‘Nevertheless, it is the only answer that makes sense,’ Mr Manton said.

‘Oh, we must find him!’ Mrs Manton was having trouble keeping the tears of distress at bay. ‘What can we do?’

‘We will keep looking,’ Harry replied, ‘but it would be helpful if you contacted family and anyone who was close to him. If he is suffering from loss of memory, he might gravitate to a familiar place, even if he doesn’t know why.’

‘Is that possible if he doesn’t remember his past?’

‘I wouldn’t rule anything out, Mr Manton. The mind is a strange thing, and we really don’t know enough about it. He is using the name Bill, which is almost the same as the Will used by his friends, so there is obviously still something there. That’s if this is the reason he hasn’t contacted you,’ Harry warned. ‘I could be wrong.’

‘I think we’ll just have to work on the assumption that this is what has happened to him.’ Mr Manton held out a pad and pencil to Harry. ‘We will need a contact address. If we discover anything, we’ll let you know, and you will do the same, please.’

‘Of course.’ Harry wrote on the pad. ‘I’ll give you Vicki’s address as well as mine.’

‘Thank you.’ He took the pad from Harry and handed it to his wife. ‘Keep that safe, my dear.’

Mrs Manton was more composed when she turned to Vicki. ‘I’m so pleased to hear that our son was kind to you, and that you are taking the trouble to find him again. If you hadn’t, then we would never have known that he is alive, and although it is distressing to think he is wandering around, perhaps not knowing who he is, we are grateful you came to us. What will you do now?’

‘I honestly don’t know, Mrs Manton. We had hoped our search would end here.’

‘That’s right,’ Harry agreed. ‘This hasn’t given us the result we were hoping for, but it has answered a few questions. Everyone we’ve spoken to so far has told us that Vicki has made a mistake in insisting that your son is the man she met, but she has never wavered in her conviction. We won’t give up. The answer is out there somewhere and we will find him. We must find him.’

Twenty-Two

They stayed one more night in Harrogate and travelled to London early the next day. Harry was anxious to get back to the school, so he continued on, not even stopping for a cup of tea. It was a subdued and worried girl who arrived home.

Bob and Flo wanted to hear all about the trip, and Vicki spent some time telling them what had happened.

‘Do you think Harry is right?’ Bob asked when she had finished the account of their meeting with the Mantons.

‘I find it hard to believe. He didn’t strike me as a man who was troubled or confused. My impression was that he was a man who knew who he was and where he was going. The Mantons were very upset, so perhaps Harry came up with that suggestion to comfort them – to give a reason why he hadn’t come home.’ Vicki shrugged. ‘I really don’t know what to think.’

‘Where are you going to look now?’

Vicki raised her hands in a helpless gesture. ‘I haven’t any idea, and neither has Harry. We are hoping Bill’s parents can unearth some clue.’

‘Hmm.’ Bob looked thoughtful. ‘You seem to have a very clear memory of him, so go over your meeting and try to recall every detail, no matter how small. There might be something you’ve forgotten that could point you in the right direction.’

‘I’ll do that, and there is one good thing to come out of our search so far. I know a lot more about him.’ Vicki stood up and yawned. ‘I’ll turn in now. It has been a tiring few days.’

‘Good night, my dear, sleep well. And try not to worry. It will all turn out right in the end.’

Vicki laughed and kissed Flo’s cheek. ‘You sound just like Pearl. Goodnight.’

The next day, Vicki was back in the shop, talking and laughing with customers. She loved being a hairdresser and blessed the day she had walked into the barber’s looking for work. The Howards had taken her into their home and their hearts, giving her the kind of life she could only have dreamed of. They were her family now and she loved them dearly, making sure she showed them the affection and devotion they deserved. Her circle of friends was also expanding with Harry, Edward, Pearl and Charles. How she longed to add Bill to that list, but that was looking more and more unlikely. At last she knew who he was, but there was such a mystery surrounding him that he could be impossible to find. Especially if he didn’t want to be found.

They were just closing up for the day when Sid wandered in. ‘Hey, Vicki, want to come dancing tonight?’

‘But it isn’t Saturday.’

‘They have dances in the week as well. They’re very popular.’

‘Who wants to go dancing when they have to get up for work the next day?’

Sid raised his eyebrows. ‘Flo, do you keep this girl in a cage when she isn’t working? She doesn’t know she should be enjoying herself, and we can’t let that go on. You’ve got to come, Vicki. I’ll be back at seven for you. And I won’t listen to any excuses!’

He began to walk away and then stopped, looking over his shoulder and winking. ‘Pete asked me to bring you. I think he’s sweet on you.’

‘Then I’m definitely not coming, Sid.’ She practically growled in frustration.

‘Yes, you are. See you at seven.’ He disappeared before she could say anything else.

‘I swear I’ll clout him one day! He’s determined to find me a boyfriend.’ When she saw Bob standing in the doorway and laughing, she said, ‘Did you put him up to this?’

‘Me?’

‘Yes, and don’t look so innocent,’ she teased.

‘Nothing to do with me, Vicki. It’s all Sid’s idea.’ The broad grin was still on his face. ‘If I was younger, I’d come myself. It should be fun.’

‘Fun!’ She grimaced. ‘The place will be packed and the noise deafening.’

He laughed even more. ‘Don’t you let Sid hear you refer to his favourite music as noise?’

‘I wouldn’t dare!’ A smile of defeat touched her face, and she asked Flo, ‘What shall I wear for this evening of fun?’

‘Ah, good, you’re going.’

‘Of course I am. I wouldn’t want to disappoint Sid,’ she told them drily. ‘He’s determined to teach me how to enjoy myself.’

Bob and Flo roared with laughter at her expression of disgust.

It was as Vicki had feared. Although they were early, the place was already packed, and the noise level was so high they had to shout to make themselves heard. However, it didn’t worry her quite so much this time because she had known what it would be like and was prepared. In fact, she was much more relaxed, and after the upsetting trip to Harrogate this was just what was needed – music, noise and crowds of happy people. It amazed her to realize she was thinking that way.

‘Come on, Vicki.’ Sid pulled her on to the dance floor. ‘It’s a nice gentle waltz, and I thought I’d better grab the chance while Pete’s trying to pluck up the courage to ask you to dance.’

She thumped him on the arm. ‘Will you stop that?’

Laughing, he spun her into the dance, and after a while said, ‘You’ve remembered the steps. I knew you would be a good dancer. You have good timing, rhythm and a natural grace in the way you move. I still can’t believe you fooled us all into believing you were a boy.’

‘My life depended on it, Sid.’

He nodded and gently kissed her on the top of her head. ‘I know, and I’m proud to have you as my friend.’

The dance ended and he led her back to the rest of their group. Vicki remembered most of them from last time.

During the evening she danced with several of the boys, including Pete, who asked her if she would go to the pictures with him one evening. He was a nice boy and she didn’t want to hurt him, so she refused as gently as she could. She was glad at that moment that Sid claimed her for a dance – a quickstep this time.

‘Are you enjoying yourself?’ he asked as they spun around the dance floor.

‘I do believe I am.’

‘That’s good, and you’ve been doing the dances as if it’s something you have been used to for a long time.’

‘You’re a good teacher. I haven’t had to concentrate on the steps so much, and that makes it more enjoyable.’

‘That’s right. The music takes over and you don’t have to think about it. When something is familiar, you just follow automatically.’

Vicki felt as if she had been struck by a solid object and all the breath left her body. ‘Sid!’

‘What?’ He stopped dancing. ‘Are you all right?’

Taking a deep breath, she nodded. ‘You know we’ve been looking for Bill without success. Well, you’ve just given me an idea. I think I might know where he is!’

‘Where?’

‘I’m not saying until I’ve spoken to Harry. He’ll know if it’s possible, or if I’m completely wrong. I’ve got to see Harry!’

‘You can’t go tonight. It’s too late to catch a train.’

‘And we’re too busy at the salon for me to take time off. I’ll go on Sunday.’ She smiled up at him. ‘I’ve been going round and round in my mind, trying to imagine what he would have done, and you suddenly gave me an idea. Thanks, Sid.’

He shrugged. ‘I don’t know what I said, but if it has helped to make you smile like this, then I’m pleased. Come on, there isn’t anything you can do tonight, so let’s have another dance.’

Vicki glanced across at the group they were with and saw the pretty blonde watching them. ‘You’ll make Amy jealous if you spend too much time with me. Is she your girlfriend?’

‘I take her out now and again, but she knows our relationship will never come to anything permanent. I’ve made that quite clear.’

‘Are you still looking for the right girl, then?’

‘No, I’m like you. I don’t want to be tied down.’

She looked up in surprise. ‘I really don’t know much about you, apart from working together in the shop.’

‘Well, let me see. I went to work for Bob when I was fourteen. When the war started, I was too young, but I had to join up a year before it ended. I was shipped out to France, and that’s a part of my life I try to forget. When I came back, Bob had kept the job open for me and I picked up where I’d left off at the barber’s.’

‘I had no idea you had been in the army.’ His mouth was set in a grim line when she looked at him. Something she had never seen before. He was always laughing and joking, and she had assumed he didn’t have a care in the world. Was he so protective towards her because he had also experienced suffering?

The dance ended. They were walking back to the others when she stopped. ‘Why do you insist on bringing me dancing, Sid?’

‘When you came to the barber’s I watched your daily struggle to hide the fact that you were so weak you could hardly stand up. I was in awe of the courage and determination you showed. Now I can see that the horror you experienced has coloured your outlook on life, Vicki. You’ve come a long way since Flo and Bob took you in, but that time still haunts you. We can’t live in the past. The only moment we have is now, and we should make the most of it. You deserve to be happy.’

‘I am happy.’

‘To a degree, you are, but I don’t think you will be able to walk away from your past until you find your other stranger. I wish you would give up this search and move on with your life. We all do.’

She shook her head. ‘I can’t do that.’

‘I know you can’t, so hurry up and find him.’ He grinned at her then. ‘And I think that’s enough serious talk for tonight, don’t you?’

‘Definitely. There’s a good deal more to you than appears on the surface. You’re a good man, Sid.’

‘Oh, Lord,’ he laughed. ‘Don’t tell the others that or my reputation as a carefree joker will be ruined!’

Sunday arrived and Vicki couldn’t wait to talk to Harry. He might dismiss her idea as nonsense. If he did, she would be guided by him, but she couldn’t help feeling that this was a possibility. The more she had thought about it, the stronger that feeling became.

She had told Bob and Flo what Sid had said to spark this idea; although they hadn’t appeared convinced, they had agreed that it was worth investigating. They were coming with her so they could see the boys, and she was glad of the company during the journey.

When they reached their station, they were lucky enough to find a farmer with a large truck who was going past the estate, and he was happy to give them a lift. It was a bit of a squeeze, but they didn’t mind.

There were shouts of delight when the boys saw them, and they were almost knocked off their feet by the enthusiastic greeting. Vicki could hardly believe the change in them. They now had more flesh on their bones, colour in their cheeks, and eyes shining with happiness. And she was sure they had both grown a couple of inches. Alfie had lost that frightened look and was chattering away, just like his brother. The little boy still carried the replica stick Charles had given him, and it was stuck proudly through his belt.