Young May Moon (19 page)

C
ARMEN WAS READY
for the dance studio doors to open and the young ladies, as Evgenia called them, to step eagerly on to the sprung floor and greet each other with air-kisses and gossip, before the music began and she called them to order.

For the first time since she had last worked, in Spain, Carmen had managed to squeeze into her flamenco dress. The sight of her so dressed, with a flower in her hair, elicited gasps of admiration. She had their undivided attention. The young man who wound the gramophone and carefully positioned the needle on the records, looked on wistfully. He hoped eventually to partner one of the lofty girls, but alas, he had not finished growing yet, and was too short to be considered. Meanwhile, he memorized the sequence of steps.

Carmen was inspired this evening: the young ladies were in awe of her expertise. The interruption, when Evgenia appeared followed by a swarthy-looking man in an ill-fitting suit, made her stop in her tracks, hands on hips, eyes flashing.

‘I apologize, Carmen for disturbing your performance, but, as you will see, I have this gentleman with me, who says he is your husband, from Spain.’

‘My husband?’ Carmen spat out the words. ‘
No
! I am widowed, as I told you. I know him well, he was once my partner in my act. His name is Carlos Rivera.’

‘The class must continue – another record please, boy. You should talk in private with this … person, I think, and send him on his way, if he is unwelcome… You may talk in my office. I will watch the action here for you,’ Evegenia said.

The man said nothing, but waited for Carmen to lead him outside. Carmen sat behind Evgenia’s desk, facing Carlos. ‘Why are you here?’ she demanded, eyeing his dishevelled appearance. He had been so dapper in the days, when … She shook her head at the thought.

‘I heard you were in Barcelona, through a mutual contact. I was involved with the Republicans, fighting the Nationalists, but when we heard that Franco was about to return from exile and the Nationalists were promised support from Germany and Italy, many of my comrades were rounded up and imprisoned. I escaped and made my way to where I believed you to be. I thought you were my only hope, and would help me because of Isabella.’

‘Where is she? I heard nothing from her foster parents after I went to Barcelona to meet May. We had to leave there very shortly after—’

‘I know. The manager at the hotel gave me your daughter’s address in England. It is a long story, but here I am, humbly asking your help. All I have with me is my guitar. I sold all my possessions to enable me to travel.’

‘Isabella? You did not answer my question. Is she safe?’

‘Why should you worry, when you abandoned our child, just as you did your other daughters? I put myself at risk to bring her with me, to show her that one parent cared for her! She is safe. She waits outside in the taxi, for you to tell us where we can go.’

‘Taxi? I suppose you expect
me
to pay for that?’

‘I am penniless, as I said. I – we – throw ourselves on your mercy.’

Carmen stood up. ‘Wait here. I must tell my employer that I have to leave early. She will not like it, but I must do so. I will take you to my home, but this will be a temporary arrangement. You are, I think, a refugee, Carlos?’

In the taxi Carmen sat beside the silent child. Isabella, clutching her small bag of belongings, was seven years old. There had been no contact with her mother since she was a baby – when she was considered an encumbrance for her parents, in their performing days. The only family she knew was the elderly couple who had brought her up, despite the lack of regular payment These people, who claimed to be her parents were strangers to her.

Henry opened the door to them. Carmen had not changed her dress, just snatched up her handbag after a brief explanation to Evegenia. His eyes widened at the sight of her companions, a scruffy foreigner carrying a guitar case, and the little dark-haired child with an unmistakable likeness to May, who now joined him. She’d recently arrived home from work and was upstairs, when Carmen banged on the front door.

‘I told him, my dear Henry,’ Carmen said, without explaining who the strangers were, ‘You would give him and the child refuge here—’

‘
Carlos
?’ May interrupted, as she came into the room. ‘Is it you? And
who
is this?’

‘She is your half-sister: Isabella. She does not know us, we … gave her away, at a few weeks old. She does not speak to us.’

‘Perhaps she only speaks Spanish. Didn’t you think of that?’

May, now five months pregnant, bent with difficulty to address the forlorn child. She offered her hand. ‘Come with me, Isabella. I hope you can understand me; my Spanish is rusty.’ She gestured up the stairs at the bathroom. ‘When you have washed, we’ll have dinner. You’ll have to stay tonight for the child’s sake. Mum, you must deal with Carlos. You and Isabella can share my bedroom tonight, and he will have to use your room. Henry, I must apologize on their behalf for this intrusion.’

‘We will discuss this in detail in the morning,’ Henry said. ‘Don’t forget that Pomona will be arriving here for the vacation tomorrow. Meanwhile, I will make sure there is sufficient food for all.’

The child stood passively as May washed her face and hands for her and dried them with a soft, clean towel. She spoke at last. ‘
Muchas gracias
,’ she said, adding in halting English: ‘Bella, they call me Bella.’

May drew her close. ‘That means beautiful. I am May, your sister, and I am glad to meet you.’

‘
Yo amo mi abuelita
…’ Tears spilled from Bella’s eyes.

‘You love your little grandmother? I understand. You miss your family.’

May tried to suppress the anger she felt for Carmen – how could she give up her third daughter, just as she had May and Pomona? Why had she never mentioned Bella to them? But we had Jim and
Min, she thought, who loved us and brought us up, and this small girl only had someone she called Grandma. Still, it sounds as if her foster parents loved her.

Henry, kind as always, told Carlos, ‘I will try to get something sorted out with the authorities, who should know of your arrival in this country. Bella can remain here with her mother and her sisters. There should be no problem, because of the blood-ties between Carmen and May.’

‘I have had an idea,’ Carmen announced the following morning. ‘I might be able to procure Carlos some work with me, playing the guitar for my dancing class. Pomona will be here to look after the child during the long holiday.’ She did not thank Henry for his generosity, or offer to care personally for her child.

‘She has her studies,’ May put in. ‘I shall shortly be working
part-time
for Tatiana, mostly mornings. I can help with Bella.’ They were sitting at the table after breakfast, and the child reached for May’s hand under the overhang of the tablecloth. May squeezed the small hand reassuringly.

As Henry left the house for the bank, May having been given the day off by her considerate employer, he remarked to her: ‘Well, it’s quite a houseful for a confirmed bachelor, isn’t it?’

‘Dear Henry, you are the
perfect
host!’ She doubted that the new arrivals would be considerate guests.

If only I could be the perfect husband, he thought.

Pom and Bella took to each other immediately.

‘Fancy!’ Pomona exclaimed, ‘A sister arrives out of the blue, and May looks very pleased with herself. How about producing a boy for a change, May?’

‘I can’t promise, Pom, but I think of the baby as Jim, after Dad. Paddy doesn’t mind, but Cluny rather likes the idea of a sister.’

‘I guess Mum is as maternal as ever,’ Pomona said. ‘I shall do my bit by encouraging Bella to speak English before she goes to school in September.’

‘Mum will, no doubt, be planning to teach her the flamenco as her contribution,’ May said wryly.

Later, while they watched Bella bouncing a ball the back garden,
they caught up on family news. ‘Seen much of Terence?’ May asked.

‘When I can escape the cloisters.’ Pomona grinned. ‘He watched our team rowing, and when we had a boat out on the river ourselves he said I could take over the oars as I was better at that than he is. We still argue, you know.’

‘I guess you always will. You obviously both enjoy it.’

‘We’ve both left Henry out in the cold. But then, it wasn’t me whom he desired.’

‘Not very delicate to put it like that, Pom. Paddy and I, well….’

‘You couldn’t help yourselves, that’s obvious!’

‘Pom, you’ll understand one of these days, when you meet that special chap.’

‘D’you know, I already have. We just needed to grow up, that’s all. We’ve agreed not to, you know, be
rash
, before we can even think of marriage. Two more years before I graduate, and the same for him, with his apprenticeship.’

‘Is that how you think of Paddy and me – that we acted rashly?’

‘You have no regrets, that’s what matters. It was meant to be.’

Carlos had moved to a hostel but, unlike most of the other
inhabitants
, he had some work. Only part-time, but it was a definite advantage. He supplanted the boy who wound the gramophone in Carmen’s classes, but Stanley continued with his task for the other groups. Carlos actually offered to teach him to play the guitar when he learned of Stanley’s wish to be involved with the flamenco.

Relations with Carmen were cordial now that Evgenia had expressed her approval of his expertise.

One day, Carlos believed, he and Carmen would again top the bill, but somewhere more illustrious than the end of the pier at West Wick. Their young daughter had no place in such dreams.

The new King had planned a holiday at the end of July in the Riviera, in a secluded property with a private beach, but the
eruption
of civil war in Spain saw many refugees flooding over the border into France. The French government advised against the royal visit.

On the morning of 26 July, as commandant of the Royal Canadian Mounted Police, Edward went ahead with the
Anglo-French
ceremony at the Vimy Ridge to unveil the memorial to the 60,000 Canadians who had perished during the Great War. He was greeted by many of the survivors, who had fought for the
motherland
. He was popular with the Canadians because of a visit to North America when he was a young and dashing Prince of Wales.

This same day, Germany and Italy joined Franco’s struggle to fight with the Nationalists in Spain.

T
HE
K
ING’S
INVOLVEMENT
with Mrs Simpson, an American divorcee, was common knowledge, but since Edward’s
accession
to the throne the newspaper headlines had changed: the King’s official duties were chronicled, but his private life was now strictly out of bounds. However, the rumours continued. There was
important
news though regarding rearmament worldwide, and there was a drop in unemployment, as factories became busy once more, and new enterprises flourished. The recession was over at last, but the ugly spectre of World War Two was becoming all too real. Fascism, Communism; it seemed the Spanish Civil War had been the catalyst.

May had some exciting, unexpected news to share with Henry. She was worried that he’d seemed withdrawn in her company lately. She was aware that he didn’t approve of Carmen’s attitude towards her youngest daughter, or of her mother’s continued
presence
in his house. Pomona took the hint and after May left work to prepare for the birth of the baby, she decided to spend a couple of weeks of the summer break at Kettle Row, with the Wrights, who promptly invited Bella to accompany her. May wished she could go too, when she learned that Bea, Danny and Terence would also be enjoying a breath of country air with a visit to the rectory.

May decided to talk to Henry after their evening meal, while Carmen was at work. She sank down thankfully beside him on the settee, for now she was heavily pregnant. ‘I heard from Paddy today.’

He folded his paper and looked up. ‘All’s well, I hope?’

‘More than that! He has been offered a good job with a big marine aviation works! They have a new government contract to build many more bi- and seaplanes, which have wooden floats as well as propellers! Carpenters are still in great demand. It’s not like being in charge of his own business, he says, but the money is better!’

‘Is this in Southampton?’

‘Yes; there is accommodation available a few miles away, which won’t be a problem as Brendan has said Paddy can borrow his old car until he can afford his own motor, and – he wants
me
to join him there – to be married
now
, rather than later.’

‘That’s very good news, but what about his child?’

‘Cluny is happy to stay on with her grandparents, but we would, of course, have her to stay with us on a regular basis. Oh, Henry, I’m sorry to spring this on you so suddenly, but I’m aware that you have delayed plans of your own because of me and, now, my family. I’m so glad you are happy for me.’

‘I didn’t expect this,’ he said quietly. ‘However, I have felt all along that your place was with Paddy. Naturally, I will miss you, May. I can tell you now that I was offered training for the priesthood in September. As this would mean giving up the house and going to a northern college, I didn’t think it would be possible; I’d committed myself to caring for you until after November. Then there was the fact that Pomona thinks of this as her home, and Isabella is due to start school here next month. Let alone the problem of Carmen.’

‘I wish you had said! I’m so sorry to have been such a burden!’

‘You’ve never been that, May, believe me. It’s just that things seem to have escalated beyond my control.’

‘It’s not too late, is it, to accept the college offer?’

‘I have until the end of next week to make up my mind.’

‘Then do it! Go! With my blessing. Does the bank know?’

‘They actually offered to support me – they said they appreciated my loyalty and hard work over the last decade.’

‘Well, what are you waiting for? I’ll send a telegram to Paddy, talk to Mum, and
then
work out how to deal with the rest of it!’

When Pomona heard about the changes ahead, she spoke first to Terence, then confided in Emma and Osmund, while Bella was out of earshot.

Emma said immediately, ‘You must think of this as your home from home now, Pomona, just as Bea’s Danny does. You and Terence will eventually settle down together, then we’ll have another daughter, eh?’

‘I don’t know what to say …’ Pomona cleared her throat. ‘But – what about Bella?’

‘We’ll take her on, won’t we, Ossie?’ Emma said to her husband. ‘When she asked if she could call me Nana, I knew she wanted to stay. She’s a little country girl, after all, used to living with older people, but here, there’s a good mix, with Selina’s lot. Bella’s very attached to you, too, Pomona. She can go to school here in September.’

‘That’s
wonderful
! I hope Carmen will agree.’

‘I’ll write to her myself, and I’m sure she will!’ Emma said.

‘And I’ll phone her soon,’ Pomona decided.

May’s telegram to Paddy, bore just three words:
YES YES YES
. When she returned from the Worple Road post office, early the following morning, she busied herself while waiting for her mother to come downstairs at 11 a.m. with her imperious demand of: ‘Where is the coffee?’ At least, she thought wryly, Henry and I had breakfast in peace together.

Carmen had bathed, but appeared wearing her robe, with her black hair bundled on top of her head. However, she’d applied the usual scarlet lipstick. The sight made May wince, for the imprint those lips left on the cups was difficult to shift. As Carmen opened her mouth to repeat the irritating words, May indicated the steaming cup of coffee on the table and the plate of assorted biscuits. She sat down beside her mother and sipped her own lemon tea. This was a taste she’d acquired at Tatiana’s.

Carmen looked at her daughter. ‘Well, aren’t you trying to tell me something? I have something to say to you, too. You, first.’

‘Mum, you have to make other living arrangements. Henry is giving up the house, and I am joining Paddy. We will be married now, before the baby arrives.’

Carmen set down her cup in the saucer with a clatter. ‘You cast your mother out? Let me tell you, I am going, anyway. Since I became so successful teaching flamenco, and Carlos is returned as my partner with his music, my fame has spread. A father of one of the young ladies has booked us to perform at his daughter’s coming of age party. Evegenia agrees to let us go, as this has led to more such invitations. We will be able to afford to stay in hotels, as in the past, and soon, I think, we will be in cabaret; there are many clubs in London, and word spreads of our talent.’

‘You are back together then, you and Carlos, as a couple, as well as dance partners?’ May could hardly believe her ears.

‘He knows his place. Not yet in my bed. I have him under the finger—’

‘Under the thumb!’ May couldn’t resist the correction.

‘So you see, you tell me to go, but, no matter. I am a survivor.’

You are also my mother, May thought. Pomona and I have dealt with this problem most of our lives.
We
don’t need you now, but, ‘What about Bella?’ she asked.

‘Pomona telephoned me late last night, after you were in bed. The child wishes to stay with your friends at Kettle Row. She is not attached to me. Yes, I admit it is my fault, Carlos is guilty, too, but I cannot play the role of mother. I was unready for that when I married your father, and now I accept that I am too busy to deal with a child.’

‘You will, I hope, keep in touch with all of us,’ May said.

‘You must not expect too much—’

‘We don’t. But you are still our mother.’

‘You will shortly find out for yourself what that means. However, you are Jim’s daughter and you follow his ideals.’ Carmen rose. ‘I shall begin my packing.’

‘Mum, d’you remember the present you gave me, when you left West Wick?’

‘You still have it? My first flamenco dress?’

‘Yes. I wore it several times. Would you mind if I passed it on now to Bella?’

‘I would like that very much. It may not seem so, but I love you all, my daughters,’ Carmen said.

It was time to say goodbye to Tatiana. May was taken into the studio to see her friend’s latest work, and was presented with a cup, plate and bowl for the ‘baby’s bottom drawer’.

‘These are lovely!’ May exclaimed. ‘I didn’t expect you to paint Mr Punch. He looks benevolent, which is good.’

‘I don’t want to frighten your baby, just make him smile.’

‘Oh, you think it’s a boy, too! Actually we don’t mind if the baby is a girl.’

‘I will miss you, my dear May. I haven’t found the right young lady to replace you, yet. You will write to me, I hope?’

‘Of course I will.’

‘Now, I have another small gift for you. Please do not refuse.’ She handed May a sealed envelope. ‘Wait until you are home, to open.’

‘Will you stand there, in your doorway, while I take your
photograph
. It’s an old camera, but it still works.’

When developed, the snap was naturally in black and white, but when May looked at it, as she did often, she could picture it in colour, matching Tatiana’s lively personality. She would miss her friend, too.

One last shopping trip down the Worple Road; the car was loaded with provisions, and Henry was the only one to wave them off and wish them all the luck in the world. That merited another snapshot. With Henry about to leave the place himself, May thought, there will be no reason to return.

A few days later, Paddy and May were married in a register office in Southampton. It was a quiet wedding, with no family able to be present, and the witnesses were unknown to them: strangers passing by in the street. The bride and groom wore their best clothes, and each had a buttonhole flower. No music, no hymns, just the solemn vows and a kindly registrar, who shook their hands warmly and wished them luck.

They had opened Tatiana’s envelope and discovered ten
five-pound
notes. This would enable them to have a brief honeymoon, a
night in a hotel. Their new home was an upstairs apartment in a
red-brick
block of flats.

That evening they stood looking out over the harbour, at the lights blazing on the great liners. The steam tug
Calshot
was busy, carrying passengers to one of the liners. ‘Maybe movie stars,’ Paddy murmured. He hugged her close to his side, it was a cool evening. ‘You are
my
star. I’m the happiest man in the world tonight.’