Connie’s Courage (47 page)

It's insurance money day,' one of the men told Connie, giving her an ugly leer.

‘But I don't have it yet. You told me tomorrow evening, Connie stammered shakily. ‘I was going to go to the bank in the morning.

‘Oh, yer was, was yer … Don't give us that, he derided her.

‘Stop wastin' our time, unless you're wantin' us to look for it ourselves.

‘No! I am telling the truth. I haven't got any money here, Connie protested. And it was the truth. On Gideon's insistence, she banked her takings as soon as her customers paid her, and never kept more than a few guineas in the house.

It had been her intention to withdraw the money she had to pay over to the men in the morning, never imagining that they would arrive a day earlier than they had said.

She could feel Bill Connolly looking at her, and she wanted to turn and run.

‘Get the money, and get it now, he told her curtly.

Just the sound of his voice made her shudder with loathing and dread. But it seemed that he had not recognised her! She supposed that she must look very different now, dressed as befitted a widow and a respectable businesswoman, to the girl he had last seen, with her hair hanging down and her face swollen with the tears she had cried.

She remembered that, whenever she had seen him when she had been with Kieron, he had always ignored her as a mark of his dislike and disapproval of her.

His menacing attitude though, was making her feel too anxious to be relieved that he had not recognised her. Christopher had come to stand next to her and Georgie, never the easiest of children, suddenly started to wail loudly.

Shut that brat up,' Bill Connolly snarled. Automatically, Connie bent down to pick Georgie up, keeping Christopher close to her as she did so.

Look Mrs Smith has just told you that she doesn't have the money. Why don't you come back tomorrow?'

Because we're here today, and we're here today because a little bird has told us as how you're planning to do the dirty on us,' Bill Connolly announced savagely. Is that true?' he demanded, crossing the floor and grabbing hold of Connie's arm in a painful grip.

Immediately she cried out in fear.

Let go of her!' she heard Harry demanding sharply, behind her.

In her spare arm, Georgie began to scream frantically, whilst Christopher kicked out at Bill Connolly's leg.

Giving a savage oath, he released her and made a grab for Christopher shaking him violently. Why you little varmint.'

Put him down. You're hurting him,' Connie demanded, her own fear forgotten as she tried to go to Christopher's aid.

The money now … Otherwise I'm going to give this brat something to really cry about.'

Connie went completely still, and she knew that Harry, who was standing next to her holding Lyddy, had done the same.

‘No, please. You mustn't hurt him,' Connie heard herself begging frantically. ‘I've got a few guineas, and I promise you if you come back tomorrow I'll have the money. Just, please, put him down!

‘The money, Bill Connolly repeated, as he deliberately bent Christopher's arm.

Christopher had started to scream; a thin, piercing, shocking sound.

There was a sound from the open doorway. A low, dangerous roar of almost inhuman fury, as suddenly out of nowhere, Davie appeared and flung himself against Bill Connolly's back. He wrapped his arms around Bill Connolly's neck, and wrenched at it, ignoring the attempts of Connolly's men to drag him off.

‘Connie, hold Lyddy.

Quickly Connie grabbed hold of her daughter as Harry handed her over, somehow managing to hold both her and Georgie.

With Harry standing between her and the men she couldn't see what was happening, but she could hear it!

‘Get him off me! she could hear Bill Connolly choking as he tried to break free from Davie.

She heard too the small thud as he dropped Christopher onto the floor before Harry quickly snatched him up.

Then she heard the grotesque, tearing, snapping
sound of Bill Connolly's neck being broken, as Davie refused to release his powerful hold, even though Bill Connolly's thugs were thumping Davie and trying to tear his fingers from Bill's flesh and drag him away.

Christopher, Davie's friend,' Davie was sobbing angrily, as he choked the last breath of life from Bill's lungs. You not hurt my friend …'

Connie could see the glint of light on the raised knife held in the hand of one of Davie's assailants.

Frantically she pushed past Harry, just in time to see Davie fall to the floor, the knife hilt deep in his back.

For a second there was total silence and then one of the thugs burst out to the other, It's too late for that, Bill's dead, and now you've killed him, an all. I'm gettin' out of here.'

The two men turned and fled through the still open door.

‘Oh Davie!' Quickly putting the children down, Connie ran over to him and sat down beside him, cradling his head in her arms.

‘Harry, go and get, Nora,' she begged, adding, ‘he's still alive, but there isn't much time … and … and take the little ones.'

Harry, who had been about to telephone the police, looked from her white, set face to the telephone, and then stepped away from it, heading for the stairs instead.

Left alone with Davie, Connie stroked his hair and whispered to him as though he were one of
her charges, which in many ways she felt as though he was.

‘Oh Davie, Davie, you were so brave … and he's hurt you so badly … but you saved poor little Christopher.

The pain-filled eyes gazed up into her own, and he tried to say something, but it was blood and not words that bubbled from his mouth.

Biting her lip, Connie wiped it away with the hem of her skirt.

In the few minutes it had taken Harry to bring Nora, Davie's life had started to ebb away.

Sobbing noisily, Nora sat down beside him as Connie was doing.

‘Hold his hand, Nora. And talk to him, Connie whispered to her. ‘He can hear you.

‘Oh Davie, Davie, Nora sobbed. ‘Oh, my poor little brother.

Davie opened his eyes and Connie could see a look of exultation in them.

‘Mam,' he whispered joyfully.

‘Nora, he's gone, Connie told her gently.

‘Oh, I can't believe it. What on earth happened? I'd gone up to have a nap, and he'd said he was coming up to see Christopher; something about showing him some stones he'd found in the garden. He just doted on that boy.

‘He saved Christopher's life, Nora, Connie told her emotionally, as Harry helped Nora to her feet, and then told Connie, ‘I've just telephoned Frank. The police will be here soon, but Frank is having
a word with someone he knows first. Why don't you and Nora go and get the children sorted out, Connie, and leave me down here to deal with Davie and all of this.'

Half in shock, she looked at him, But I'm the one who is the nurse.'

And I'm the one who is the man,' he pointed out. ‘Besides, Davie's won't be the first body I've sat a while with, and it will be best if I'm the one who speaks to the police.'

A look passed between them. Of strength and love on Harry's part, and gratitude and love on Connie's.

Unsteadily she got up, and then helped Nora to her feet.

‘Harry, I'm so afraid of what might happen,' Connie whispered.

‘Don't be, there's no need. Not now. Not any more!'

‘Eeh, Connie but you make a bonnie bride.

Connie smiled lovingly at Nora. It was just three hours since she and Harry had been married and the wedding breakfast was almost over. Soon she and Harry would be leaving for their honeymoon – children and all!

Gideon had loaned them the Lake District house, and Ellie had offered to have the children, but Connie had firmly refused. ‘We're a family now and where Harry and I go, so do our sons and daughter.

‘Connie, I know it's wrong of me to say this, him being me brother an all. But part of me can't help feeling glad that Davie has gone – not for me own sake, but for his, Nora amended quickly.

‘Nora, you don't have to explain that to me, Connie assured her. ‘And besides, whilst we live, a part of Davie will always live on. We will never forget what he did for Christopher.

As she spoke, Connie looked across to where Christopher was sitting with Georgie and Lyddy, all of them vying excitedly and happily for Harry s
attention, whilst Mavis looked on affectionately, her twins beside her. Thanks to Frank and his friends, the whole affair of Bill Connolly's and Davie's deaths had been dealt with quietly and discreetly.

The special, extra time Connie had convinced Harry to give to Christopher, had resulted in a much closer bond between the two of them, and had helped Christopher to recover from the terrible scenes he had endured.

She, too, had given him a special role to play, explaining to him that he was her eldest son, which meant that he had a very important part to play in their family life.

‘Connie, I have never seen you so happy.'

She turned to smile at her sister.

‘I never thought I would be so happy,' she admitted, as Nora went to join Harry and the children.

‘Sometimes I have to pinch myself to make sure all this is real, Ellie. Having loved him for so long … sometimes … I know I don't deserve to have so much!'

Connie, that is nonsense, and don't let me ever hear you say it again,' Ellie insisted firmly, taking hold of her and giving her a small, loving shake.

‘What are you two talking about?' Harry demanded, coming over to join them.

Connie's courage,' Ellie told him with a smile. ‘And how much she deserves to be happy and loved.'

‘Indeed she does. And I intend to make it my business to make sure that she always is.'

Annie Groves lives in the North-West and has done so all of her life. Like her first saga,
Ellie Pride, Connie's Courage
takes place in the tumultuous years leading up to, during, and after the First World War. Annie has drawn upon her own family's history, picked up from listening to her grandmother's stories when she was a child, for inspiration.

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