Blood Brothers (37 page)

In a state of rage and utter confusion, he stormed off.

When Nancy called after him, he quickened his steps, and sought refuge in the barn.

Huddled on a hay bale in the corner, Tom’s gaze was drawn to the bird cage swinging in the rush of air that whistled through the cracks in the wall.

Images rushed through his mind; of his son Frank and the wickedness that was undoubtedly rooted in him. How did it happen, that a son of his should harbour such evil?

He watched a while longer, his painful thoughts creating
an avalanche of images, as the cage swung backwards and forwards, creaking a tune against the silence.

In his mind he saw Joe, trussed up in that hospital bed, damaged and broken, maybe for the rest of his young life.

He also remembered Alice, made almost unrecognisable by what Frank had done to her.

And the wild bird, kept safe in that bird cage, while being tenderly nursed back to its amazing beauty in Joe’s loving care.

The enormity of Frank’s badness was a terrifying thing. So much pain, so much hatred.

Try as he might, Tom could not take his eyes off the bird cage, swinging backwards and forwards, backwards and forwards; the rhythmic creaking seeming like the cries of a creature in agony.

‘What in God’s name possessed you, Frank?’ he murmured softly. ‘How could you hurt a helpless little bird like that?’

He heard Nancy’s voice in his head. ‘She’s just a girl, Tom…a frightened, haunted girl.’

Wasn’t it odd, he mused, how he could feel so warm and comfortable in this draughty old barn, especially when these very walls had witnessed such badness.

And especially as this very barn was the place where it all began.

A
LICE STOOD WITH
the back door open, watching as the snow fell in droves, just as it had done all day long.

Now, in the late evening, everything was covered in white. Along the back footpath some little creature had picked its way up to the back door and back down again, creating a perfectly formed ladder right down to the end of the footpath, where it disappeared into the undergrowth.

Tricia came rushing in from the front hallway. ‘Good grief, child!’ She hurried to Alice’s side. ‘Whatever are you doing, standing there in your nightgown? Come away, before you catch your death of cold!’

In no time, she had the door closed and was leading Alice back to the kitchen table. ‘Look at you!’ Pointing to Alice’s swollen stomach, she tutted. ‘Only weeks to go before you give birth and there you are standing at the open door on a freezing cold January evening, trying to get pneumonia!’

Placing Alice carefully but firmly into the chair, she said, ‘Sit there and do as you’re told, young lady!’ She then lost no time in making hot cocoa and frying up some crispy bacon, which she then put between two slices of bread and put in front of Alice. ‘You’ve eaten like a little bird all day long!’ she chided. ‘So tuck into that; I do not want to see a single crumb left on your plate.’

Alice was used to receiving lectures on what to eat and drink, and how not to sleep on your tummy, in case she squashed the babies.

But she didn’t mind. In fact it was comforting to have someone fuss over her.

In all these months she had not once heard from her sister or her mother, though her father had visited many times, always worried, always eager to know how things were going.

Alice was anxious. ‘I don’t like the idea of being cut open,’ she told Tricia now. ‘I’d rather give birth the natural way.’

‘I know you would, child.’ Tricia brought two mugs of hot cocoa, and slid one over to Alice.

‘The thing is, you know what the doctor told us. You’re small-built and you’re carrying two babies. It could be difficult for you to give birth naturally. They’ve already explained, they’re prepared to wait and see, and maybe when the time gets nearer, you might just prove them wrong.’

Alice worked it out. ‘Only three weeks and a day to go until the date they gave me.’

Tricia reminded her, ‘Ah, yes, but they couldn’t say exactly which date the babies might arrive. What they said was, it could be a few days either way.’

‘Well I don’t mind, Grandma. I just want to hold them in my arms.’

Whenever she thought of these precious babies, Alice got all emotional. ‘Wouldn’t it be wonderful if I knew which sex they were?’

‘Utter nonsense! I’ve never heard the like, and anyway, why would any mother want to know whether they were having a boy or a girl…it would spoil the surprise.’

Alice laughed. ‘I think having twins was enough of a surprise for me!’

‘Have you still not settled on names?’ Tricia was excited about her new great grandchildren.

Alice put her out of her misery. ‘I’ll tell you what. For the second names, I’ll keep Father and Grandfather’s, together with two of my own choices for first names. That’s the boys. Then I’ll do the same with the girls…your name and mine for second names. And two others for first names.’

‘Not your mother and sister’s then?’ Tricia was not surprised.

‘Nope.’

Tricia understood. She was well aware that neither Maureen nor Pauline had been anywhere near this house, or even bothered to ask after Alice’s well-being.

‘Right then.’ Tricia was anxious that Alice should eat well. ‘You’d best eat that sandwich before it goes cold. Unless of course you think it’s too disgusting to eat. Is that it? You don’t like my cooking?’

‘No, it’s not that at all,’ Alice promised. ‘It’s just that I’m not really hungry.’ The truth was, her grandmother was not used to cooking for herself these days. She had a wonderful little woman from the village who took care of all that; leaving her free to go off on her much-loved charity work.

Tricia tried another tack. ‘You may not be hungry, but what about your babies?’

‘I think they’ll be happy if I just drink my cocoa.’

‘Every last drop?’

‘Of course.’

Tricia smiled at her. ‘Very well then, but you really must try and eat more.’

‘I will.’

‘Promise?’

‘Yes, I promise.’

‘Right then. I’ll be off to my bed. And you had better be close behind me, or I’ll have to come down and fetch you.’

Alice returned her peck on the cheek. ‘Goodnight Grandma.’

‘Goodnight, child.’

Tricia made a confession. ‘I know you’ve not been sleeping
lately,’ she revealed. ‘I’ve lain awake in bed, listening to you, walking up and down before creeping down the stairs, then creeping back up again. It’s how I knew you were down here for so long. That’s why I came looking for you…only to find you gazing out the back door with nothing on but your nightgown.’

Her voice dropped to a kindly tone. ‘I know I’m an old nag, but I do worry for you, Alice. You need to take care of yourself,’ she said softly. ‘I know you’ve been through a terrible time, and I know you worry about Joe, but you have two little babies to think of now, and oh, you do look so tired all the time.’

Throwing her arms round Alice, she held her close for a moment. ‘I really do hurt for you, child,’ she said. ‘Your grandfather and I love you so much. You do know that, don’t you?’

Alice assured her that she did know that, and that she loved them back. ‘I honestly don’t know how I would have coped if it hadn’t been for you and Grandfather.’

Tricia smiled at that. ‘Oh, you would have coped,’ she promised. ‘You might be a little thing, but you have a big heart and a streak of stubborness, high as a mountain.’

She gave her another peck on the cheek, then she was gone, and Alice was all alone in the cavernous kitchen.

For a long time, Alice sat there, her mind alive with thoughts of these past months. ‘Darling Joe; I wish we could be together,’ she whispered. ‘But I know we can’t.’

She walked across to the window and looked out. The snow was still falling, now knee-deep in places. ‘I miss you so much, Joe. I think about you all the time, and oh, I do so much want these babies to be yours.’

Stroking her hand across her stomach, she suddenly thought about Frank, and the fear inside her was palpable.

Raising her eyes upwards to the vast, brooding skies, she
spoke in the smallest of whispers. ‘Don’t let them be
his
!’ she pleaded. ‘Please, Lord…I couldn’t bear the thought of Frank’s children growing inside me, but I can’t snuff out their lives.’

It was partly that fear that kept her awake at night. And the questions; always the questions. Where was he? Was he hiding low, planning his next move? Was he watching her, even now?

Instinctively, she backed away from the window.

But one pressing question remained.

Had she done the right thing in not ending the pregnancy? And the answer came back loud and clear. It was right and proper, to give these innocents little ones the chance of life. After all, what happened that night was not their fault.

It was her’s and Joe’s, and it was only right that she and Joe should be the ones punished.

Upstairs in her bed, Tricia lay awake, waiting for Alice to come upstairs.

Twice, Joshua had opened one eye to watch her stirring, and each time he had asked worriedly, ‘What’s wrong with you? Why can’t you sleep?’

‘I’m just a bit restless,’ she told him. ‘Now stop fussing, and get back to sleep. You’re keeping
me
awake now!’

All the same, she was anxious. Alice was deeply troubled, she knew that, but hopefully once the babies were born and she was able to hold them in her arms then life might seem more worth the living.

There was something else too.

Just now, when she was speaking with Alice, she noticed the pink flush on her face. It reminded her of the time when she herself was expecting.

Just prior to Alice’s father being born, she too had that same pink flush and felt uncomfortably warm and bothered. So much so that she could hardly bear to be inside the house.

Was Alice feeling like that? Was it why she had been standing
at the back door in her nightgown? Because she was hot and uncomfortable?

Tricia chided herself. ‘I’m imagining things,’ she muttered, ‘Alice still has over three weeks to go yet.’

‘What did you say?’ Joshua rolled over.

‘Nothing!’ Tricia shoved him back to his own side. ‘You get back to sleep!’

After a few minutes she heard Alice come up the stairs and then she heard her close the bedroom door. ‘Silly old fool that I am!’ she smiled. ‘Worrying about something and nothing, when there’s still plenty of time yet.’

With that thought in her mind and Alice now safely in her bedroom, Tricia soon dropped off to sleep.

Very soon, the house was quiet.

Alice however, was wide awake. She had climbed into bed and wanted to sleep, but she couldn’t. So after a while she got out of bed and threw open a window.

Now she was seated cross-legged on the window seat, watching the snow continue to fall, very quickly covering everything sparkly white.

As always when she was alone and quiet, her thoughts went to Joe. ‘The woman in the post office told Grandfather that you were beginning to take a few tentative steps on your own two feet. Oh, that’s so wonderful, Joe!’ she said to herself.

She closed her eyes for a moment and she could see his face, that familiar wonderful face with those handsome eyes and the mop of hair that seemed to have a mind of its own.

She wondered if he was looking up at the same sky right now, watching the snow tumbling down. ‘I know you don’t love me Joe, and after what’s happened, I can’t blame you for not wanting me.’

Kissing her finger tips she blew it to the breeze. ‘I’m sending my love to you anyway.’

She missed Joe so much. Since that day when he told her to leave, she had never gone back; though every minute of every day she had longed to see him again.

She had accepted his decision, because she had no real choice. Even so, nothing could stop her from loving him.

There was no other man she would ever need, not like she needed Joe.

With a heavy heart, she climbed back into bed, and within minutes had drifted into a shallow, restless sleep.

In the early hours of the morning, Tricia was woken by the sound of what seemed like a heavy thump. ‘Alice!’ Scrambling out of bed, she ran to Alice’s room. As she flung open the door, Alice fell into her arms. ‘I don’t know what’s wrong,’ she sobbed. ‘I think the babies are coming…’ When suddenly she grasped her lower abdomen and yelled out in pain, Tricia knew there was no time to waste. ‘It’s all right,’ she led Alice back to the bed. ‘Try to keep calm, Alice. We’ll get you to hospital. Don’t worry, child…’

Just then Joshua burst into the room. ‘What is it?’ He took one look at Alice bent double and groaning and his heart sank. ‘Oh, dear God, the babies are coming…’ Like all men he was lost as to what he should do next. ‘I’ll phone the ambulance, shall I?’

As he hurried out of the room, Tricia called after him, ‘Hurry, Josh. Tell them it’s urgent! Make sure they know she’s three weeks early!’

‘Oh, dear! Oh dearie me!’ Joshua almost fell headlong down the stairs in his hurry to get to the phone.

From upstairs he could be heard issuing instructions as to how the ambulance should get there, and then he was running back in a panic. ‘They say they might need to wait until the
snow has cleared. They’re not sure they can get along the lanes, but they’ll do their best, and keep in touch.’

He had an idea that might just save the day. ‘The Land Rover!’ He went running back down the stairs. ‘It’s not the most comfortable thing in the world, but that old Rover can get through anything!’

Before anyone could stop him, he was away, determined by one means or another to get Alice to hospital.

In the meantime, Tricia got Alice as comfortable as she could, rubbing her back and keeping her calm. All the while Alice clung to her, intermittently crying out as the pains grew stronger, and the time between got short and shorter.

Tricia was no expert, but she knew enough to realise that the babies were on their way; they were not waiting for anyone.

Going to the window, she saw Joshua opening the garage doors. Quickly now, she flung open the window and yelled down to him. ‘Joshua!’ When he seemed not to have heard, she yelled again, this time louder. ‘Joshua…Joshua, look up!’

This time Joshua turned and saw her. ‘There’s no time! You have to get Nancy!’ Tricia recalled how Nancy delivered a baby once when the girl in the butcher’s shop went into labour without warning. ‘Hurry, Joshua! Tell Nancy she’s needed…fast as you can!’

Joshua jumped into the car as quickly as he could, the big wheels leaving wide, flattened tracks of snow as he sped off. ‘Don’t let them die!’ he prayed, as his hands gripped the steering wheel tightly. ‘You look after my girl, and them little babies. Or I’ll never forgive you!’

Tom heard the roar of the engine as the Land Rover skidded and fought its way up to the cottage door. ‘What the devil…!’
Grabbing his trousers he threw them on and ran down the stairs. ‘Damned lunatic…what’s he think he’s playing at…’ When there came a hammering and banging enough to knock the door off its hinges, Tom put his back to it and yelled out, ‘You’d best get away from that door if you know what’s good for yer! I’ve got a shotgun and I know how to use it!’

When Nancy came running into the hallway, Tom shouted out, ‘Get away from here, Nancy. It’s them bloody gypsies! I’ve seen ‘em parked up in that bottom field. I knew they were trouble the minute I clapped eyes on ‘em!’

When there came another hard banging on the door, he shouted, ‘I’ve told you…clear orf! Unless you want a blast o’ shotgun pellet up yer arse!’

‘Tom! It’s me!’ Joshua tried to get himself heard above all the shouting and commotion. ‘Tom! It’s me…Joshua!’

Nancy heard. ‘Get outta the way, you silly old fool!’ With one mighty swipe she pushed him away from the door.