For Better For Worse (19 page)

‘As we were driving here, it occurred to me that you and the children could have the rooms at the top of the stairs,’ said Kaye, walking on. ‘They’re a bit sparse at the moment but we can soon fix that. There are two rooms together and it would be like having your own place.’ She stopped off at the airing cupboard and pulled out some sheets and pillowcases. Giving half to Lottie, they made their way towards the back stairs.

To Sarah’s surprise and delight, it really was like a small flat. Each of the two rooms had two beds and although it was sparsely furnished, it was clean and airy. A third door revealed a poky bathroom, but it had its own bath. Sarah was conscious that her chin had developed a constant wobble and her eyes brimmed with unshed tears.

‘As you can see,’ said Kaye matter-of-factly, ‘now that Mrs Pearce has walked out on me, you would be doing me a great favour if you could stay for a while.’

‘I don’t know how to thank you,’ said Sarah in a small voice.

‘Lottie, dear,’ said Kaye, dismissing Sarah’s gratitude with a wave of her hand, ‘do you think you could make up the beds while Sarah gets her children ready for bed?’

Sarah felt her face colour as she remembered her pram and all their belongings still sitting on the seafront, she supposed. ‘I have no clothes to put them in.’

‘Let me see what I can find,’ said Kaye. As soon as she’d gone, the two women decided to make up the beds together. Sarah kept glancing at Lottie. The woman seemed childlike rather than simple. She didn’t say much, but Lottie and Lu-Lu seemed to create a bond almost immediately. Every time Lottie shook out a sheet she would say ‘Boo!’ and Lu-Lu would laugh. Jenny was a little more reticent. ‘Is this our new home, Mummy?’ she whispered earnestly.

‘It is for a while,’ said Sarah. ‘Nice, isn’t it?’

Kaye reappeared with a vest and a chemise. She had tied a knot in each of the shoulder straps. ‘Will these do for now?’

Sarah took them gratefully. This woman’s generosity was unbelievable. How could she ever repay her?

‘You can give them a bath if you want to,’ she said. ‘There’s plenty of hot water, and when you’ve got them settled, come down to the kitchen and we’ll talk.’

She and Lottie left them to it, although a few minutes later Kaye sent Lottie back with soft, fluffy towels and scented soap. In the distance, Sarah heard the doorbell ring and for a second wondered if the welfare people had come to take her children, but she needn’t have worried. The children enjoyed their bath, and when they got back in the bedroom, two glasses of milk and some biscuits waited on the bedside locker. Sarah tucked them into bed, and although it wasn’t her habit, this night, because they were in a strange house and a strange bed, she sat with them until they fell asleep.

Downstairs in the kitchen, Kaye had some sandwiches waiting. Sarah was so full of emotion as she sat down that she could hardly speak. Lottie appeared in the doorway and announced that she was going to bed. She kissed Kaye on the cheek. ‘Can I play with the children in the morning?’ she asked Sarah as she left the room.

‘Of course you can,’ Sarah smiled.

‘She’s perfectly harmless,’ said Kaye as soon as she was sure Lottie was out of earshot. ‘It’s just that she wouldn’t be able to look after herself. All her life, people have told her what to do and she’s lost the ability to think for herself.’

As Sarah filled her growling stomach, Kaye explained about her trip to London the following week. ‘If you decide to stay,’ she said, lighting up a cigarette, ‘I could offer you say, £2/10/- a week?’

Sarah’s mouth dropped open.

‘You and your children will live-in of course,’ Kaye went on. ‘All found.’

‘Are you sure?’ Sarah said. ‘That’s very generous.’

‘I get the feeling that you won’t take advantage,’ Kaye smiled as she blew the smoke from her cigarette into the air above them.

‘Never,’ Sarah breathed. ‘So what are my duties?’

Kaye blew out her cheeks. ‘I need a housekeeper,’ she said. ‘Now that I’m having more demands made on me for my work, I really can’t concentrate on shopping and washing and stuff. And of course, there’s Lottie. As I explained, she’s been shut away from the world for so long. I want her to learn to be independent, but at the moment I don’t want her left on her own for long periods. You don’t have to mollycoddle her, she enjoys doing things, but you’ll have to be prepared that she might get under your feet.’

‘I understand,’ Sarah nodded.

‘She seems to love the children,’ said Kaye. ‘By the way, DC Harris brought back your pram. I’ve left it in the porch for now and your things are in the hall.’

‘I saw them as I came downstairs,’ said Sarah.

‘Take the rest of the weekend to settle in,’ said Kaye, ‘and start first thing Monday morning.’

Sarah was tempted to fling her arms around Kaye and kiss her, but instead she whispered a heartfelt thank you. Later on, as she lay on her bed, Sarah felt as if she had died and gone to heaven. Whatever happened, she would make sure Kaye never regretted her kindness, and for as long as she was able, she would make this a happy move for her children.

*

The Mother and Baby Home was ten miles from Worthing. It was in a leafy suburb of Bognor Regis and quite close to the sea. The Matron was surprisingly kind and understanding, but straight away, Annie knew she would find it difficult to feed the baby in secret because all the mothers were kept together in the same room.

‘Didn’t they stop your milk?’ Matron asked.

‘They tried,’ said Annie, rolling her eyes innocently, ‘but then I thought it would be easier to carry on. After all, they say breast milk is best, don’t they?’

Later, after feeding time was over, Annie was called to Matron’s office.

‘I know you want the best for your baby,’ said Matron, trying some emotional blackmail, ‘but you’re upsetting the other girls, dear.’

‘They were happy to let me feed him in the maternity hospital,’ Annie lied.’

‘You will find it a lot harder when you have to let him go,’ Matron cautioned.

‘I know,’ said Annie, ‘but I don’t mind that. It’s the least I can do for him.’

‘I don’t know what your father will say about this.’

‘Does he have to know?’

Matron pursed her lips and sighed. ‘I can see that you’re a very determined young lady,’ she said.

‘I’ve no wish to be disrespectful, Matron,’ said Annie, ‘but I’m not like the others. I genuinely thought I was married to my husband. It feels as if the baby and I are being punished for something beyond my control.’

‘The adoption society is coming to see him next week,’ said Matron. ‘They have a lovely couple lined up.’

‘That may not be necessary,’ said Annie, her heart thumping. ‘I have written to my godmother and she will give us a home for the time being.’

‘You are a well-educated young woman,’ Matron conceded, ‘but I think you’re deluding yourself. A baby is an enormous responsibility. Your godmother may not want a small child in her home. And besides, I don’t want to encourage petty jealousies in the nursery.’

‘Then send me to my room,’ Annie insisted. ‘Be angry with me in front of them if you like, but please let me do this one thing for my baby.’

Amazingly, Annie got her way, but even though she was the first in the hall every morning for the post, Auntie Phyllis didn’t reply.

*

Malcolm Mitchell strode towards the thirteenth hole. Although there was a distinct chill in the air, it was a pleasant morning. They had driven off reasonably well and he had played a fairly consistent game, but at four over par he was no match for his opponent. Keith Martin, a retired Major, was having a blinder of a game, mainly pars with a few birdies and bogeys – definitely the best bit of golf Malcolm had seen in a long time. It was beginning to gall him a bit. Normally he could rely on thrashing Keith.

Malcolm had missed his golf during the war years. There had always been too much to do. Too old to be called up, Malcolm had found other ways of helping the war effort, mainly by joining the Observer Corp and spending many a cold night on High Salvington identifying incoming planes and plotting their course. Judith had done her bit by joining the Knitted Comforts Fund and holding meetings in their house, where the members collated hundreds of knitted items for the troops abroad.

He teed up for his next shot. The ball flew into the air and Malcolm rocked on his heels as he watched it go at least 350 yards uphill. It hit a rough patch, bounced and rolled onto the green. A short putt and he would be two under par for this hole.

‘Good shot,’ said Keith, and Malcolm suppressed a smug smile.

Now that peace had come, he had new horizons in his sights. His jewellery shops were doing well and since he’d joined Worthing Borough Council he had ambitions to become mayor. All this unsavoury business with Annie made it more difficult. He wasn’t just thinking of himself. He needed to keep her reputation intact as well. People were prone to gossip and this sort of thing could do an awful lot of damage to a young girl. Annie had already made one ghastly mistake and it was down to him to stop her making another. Trouble was, she was so damned stubborn although where she got that from he didn’t know. He cleared his throat noisily. He hated it when they rowed.

Keith was concentrating very hard as he prepared to tee-off. A second later the ball was heading straight for the green. Malcolm closed his eyes. It was a perfect shot, damn him, and with the game he was having there was every possibility of him getting a hole-in-one. He heard a sharp sounding ‘whack’ and Keith groaned out loud. Malcolm opened his eyes to see the ball, which had obviously hit a wall jutting out slightly onto the green, coming back towards them. Fortunately, Keith ducked as it made its return and landed a couple of yards behind him in the rough.

‘Oh, bad luck,’ said Malcolm. He turned his head quickly in case Keith saw the smirk on his face. Perhaps there was a God in heaven after all.

*

Monday morning, bright and early, Sarah began her new job. She had spent the weekend doing her own washing and she’d walked back to her old address with the pram to retrieve what she could from the coal bunker and the shed at the back. She had written letters to her two wealthy employers telling them of her new position and that she wouldn’t be back. She called in to see Mrs Angel who was delighted for her and promised to send word of any new orders Mr Lovett might bring. Sarah said her goodbyes and headed off to the pub where the landlord told her she had been the best worker he’d ever had and wished her all the best.

Peter Millward was still in Wales. She wondered vaguely if he was looking for properties. Perhaps he was planning to move to a new area. She pushed a note through the office letter box and left. She was a little disappointed that he wasn’t there and the thought that she might never see him again made her feel a bit sad. She would have liked to have thanked him in person and she still had some of his paperwork.

Her first job was to cook breakfast, but once Kaye went into her office, how Sarah planned the day was pretty much left up to her. When she suggested going out, Lottie trailed a few steps behind her pushing the pram. She discovered a school nearby in Lyndhurst Road and asked the head teacher if she could register Jenny. It would take her at least half an hour to walk to Jenny’s old school and this one was only five minutes away. She was in luck. The Head took her daughter there and then. Sarah left Jenny happily sitting in her new classroom.

There were some nice shops in Coronation Buildings in Ham Road, between Copper Beeches and the school. Annie ordered fruit and veg from the grocer and meat from the butcher to be delivered before midday. The butcher thumbed his nose and grinned. ‘The same arrangement as Mrs Pearce had?’ he whispered confidentially.

Sarah’s eyes flashed. Clearly Kaye’s previous housekeeper had been up to something dodgy. ‘I expect everything to be completely above board, Mr Carson,’ she said haughtily. ‘Mrs Royale likes top quality produce, but if that is a problem, I can always try elsewhere.’

‘No, no,’ the butcher protested quickly. ‘You shall have only the best.’

‘And at the proper price,’ said Sarah stiffly.

‘At the proper price,’ the butcher agreed sheepishly.

Back at the house, she heard raised voices in the office. After a few minutes a pompous-looking woman with tightly permed hair came out into the hall with Kaye following.

‘Sarah, show Mrs Goodall to the door, will you?’ said Kaye.

Mrs Goodall looked Sarah up and down as if there were something evil-smelling on the bottom of her shoe. ‘There’s no need,’ she said haughtily. ‘I know the way.’

As the front door banged, Kaye let some air out of her mouth and muttering, ‘Bloody woman …’ went back into the office.

When Lu-Lu looked up with a confused expression, Sarah planted a kiss on the end of her nose. The little girl played within sight of her mother while she began a systematic spring clean of the whole house. As she got started, Sarah realised it would take her more than a week to clean each room properly. Mrs Pearce had only cleaned the centre of the room and the nether regions left a lot to be desired. Sarah was determined that before long she would have the house as shiny as a new pin. She made Lottie and Kaye a light fish dish for lunch and she and Lu-Lu ate alone in the kitchen. Having put Lu-Lu down for a nap, Sarah prepared the dinner, and later, with Lu-Lu sitting up in the pram, she collected Jenny after school. Sarah decided to have an hour alone with the children before getting the meal on the go. Lottie was a bit put out at first, but Sarah gently insisted.

‘You can come back at five,’ she told Lottie. ‘Go and do some of your sewing for a bit, or look at a magazine.’

She had turned one of their two rooms into a sitting room where the children ate their tea. It was wonderful because now she had time to read stories and hear about Jenny’s day. Right from the word go, Jenny loved her new school. It was Mrs Audus this and Mrs Audus that … Sarah listened and smiled.

‘William Steel pushed me,’ Jenny complained.

‘I’m sure he didn’t mean to,’ said Sarah.

‘He did,’ Jenny insisted. ‘He called me a silly fat bum-bum.’