Promise Made (3 page)

‘Sometimes,' Emily told her. ‘When I'm feeling a bit low I come down and talk to some of the men. I soon realize how lucky I am.'

‘Yes . . .' Frances was quiet for a moment. ‘I think I must be one of the luckiest women alive. I feel so guilty when I think of all the wives who have lost their sweethearts and husbands, brothers and cousins. Marcus is coming home and I've got everything I ever wanted.'

‘You were always lucky,' Emily said, ‘but you shouldn't feel guilty about it, love. Lots of other men are coming back too. Has Alice heard when Daniel might be home?'

‘I saw her yesterday,' Frances said, thinking that they were lucky as a family. Daniel was her only brother to go to war, and he would be home soon. ‘You knew that Daniel was with a batch of prisoners the Red Cross evacuated immediately the war was finished, of course. I think he is in some sort of halfway camp now, being rehabilitated. Alice is hoping that he might be home in a couple of weeks . . .' Frances smiled as she thought of her sister-in-law's happiness. Alice had clung to her belief that her husband was alive when all the signs were that Daniel had been killed, and in the end she'd been proved right. He had been captured while working with a resistance group in Greece and out of his mind after a severe blow to the back of his head for some while. But at last he had recovered and Alice had begun to receive his letters. Ever since then, she had walked around lit up like a beacon.

‘Well, at least that is something to look forward to,' Emily said. ‘Alice was so certain he wasn't dead when she got that official telegram – and she was proved right in the end.'

‘Yes, it was a relief to us all when that happened. Emily, I wanted to talk to you about . . .' Frances broke off with a little sigh of annoyance. ‘There's someone at the door. I had better answer it . . . I'll talk to you again soon. Come down and see us when you can. It's ages since you did.'

‘Yes, I'll try. I had a letter from Henry today. He needs my help with the farm accounts – and he doesn't sound at all well, Frances. You should go and see him if you get a chance.'

‘Yes, I will,' Frances promised. ‘I must go now.' She replaced the receiver and went to open the door, frowning at the thought of her eldest brother being ill. She hadn't seen Henry for ages. They got on all right, but didn't have much in common. ‘Oh, it's you . . .' Frances stared at her youngest brother in annoyance. ‘I was on the telephone. Why didn't you let yourself in? I hope you haven't lost the key I gave you?'

‘No, I forgot it this morning,' Connor said. ‘Sorry I made you answer the door. I should have found a ladder and climbed in through the bedroom window.'

‘Don't be ridiculous,' Frances said. ‘Of course you shouldn't. We would have the police round here thinking there were burglars.' She raised her eyebrows. ‘I suppose you want some supper?'

‘No, thanks,' Connor said. ‘I went over to Henry's after school and Mary got me some supper. I've been helping to feed their pigs.'

‘Is that what I can smell?' Frances wrinkled her nose. ‘You had better put those clothes out to be washed tomorrow – and wash yourself before you get into bed.'

‘Yeah, all right.'

Connor went past her and up the stairs. Frances suspected that he would ignore her. She had no control over him whatsoever and it worried her that he was getting into trouble. She was annoyed that he had interrupted her conversation with Emily. They didn't talk often enough as it was. She thought about ringing back, but Emily would probably have gone up to the house by now and she might get Amelia Vane if she rang there. Frances didn't like Lady Vane very much. She suspected her of trying to keep Emily from visiting her family, though Emily always denied it.

Yawning, Frances tried the various doors and windows, making sure that they were locked before she went upstairs. Marcus would be home soon and then she wouldn't have to do these things; he would do them for her. It would be so nice to be looked after, to have someone to lean on. She had a feeling that her problems with Sam Danby were nearly over. Marcus would protect her once he was home.

The thought of Marcus's homecoming warmed Frances as she went upstairs. Suddenly, she was excited, feeling like a bride again. She had loved Marcus all her life and being married to him was all she had ever wanted of life – but the war had spoiled things. She smiled and hugged her pleasure to herself because the war was over and so were the loneliness and the fear that had hung over her for months.

Emily walked up to the house, because it was a lovely still night. She hadn't bothered to bring her car earlier and she didn't mind walking alone at night, at least she didn't mind being alone on Vane's land. She felt safe here, protected from the dangers of the outside world.

During the early years of the war she had worked for the fire service in Liverpool. She had been caught out in raids several times, witnessing the utter destruction that the bombing had caused, and the grief. Terry had been a fireman too, and it was his devotion to duty that had caused his death. She smiled a little as she thought of her lover . . . the father of her child. If he hadn't been killed doing his duty, she would probably have left this place long ago.

‘Emily . . . is that you?'

Vane's voice broke into her thoughts, startling her, making her feel slightly guilty. There was always an element of guilt in her thoughts concerning Vane, because she had lied to him about Robert – at least she had allowed him to believe what he wanted to believe, that her son was also Simon's and therefore his grandson.

‘Yes,' she answered, thrusting the guilt to a far corner of her mind. ‘It was such a lovely night that I thought I would walk.'

‘Yes, the stars are wonderful tonight,' Vane agreed. ‘I came out to smoke a cigar. You know Amelia hates them . . . and I wanted to be alone.'

‘It is good to be alone sometimes,' Emily said. ‘Shall I go and leave you to your thoughts?'

‘No, let me walk back with you,' Vane said. ‘I don't want to be alone when I can have your company.'

Emily nodded. She knew that he preferred her company to Amelia's, but she took no advantage of it. They all lived in harmony together most of the time – and that was best.

‘I think I shall visit my brother soon,' she said. ‘Just for a few days.'

‘We shall miss you,' Vane said. ‘But you must do as you want, Emily.'

‘Oh, I shan't be away long,' Emily said. ‘I told you I would stay while you needed me, and I shall . . .'

‘Good,' he said, smiling as they walked the rest of the way in silence.

Two

‘Where are you off to, Connor?' Frances asked a week later, as she saw him standing in the bus queue for Ely, a small, nearby market town. His friend Peter Robinson was with him, and he gave her a nervous look as she stopped. ‘Shouldn't you be at school?'

‘We've got a day off,' Connor told his eldest sister. ‘We're going to have fish and chips at the shop on the market place, and then go to the Thursday matinee at the pictures. It's a western.'

‘Have you got enough money?' Frances asked. She frowned as the bus arrived and he hopped on without answering her. She often worried about him these days. He had become very moody during the time that Daniel was believed dead, and she knew he hated living with her. He spent as much time as he could with Henry or at Alice's house. ‘Don't get into any trouble . . .' she called after him, though she knew he wouldn't hear and he wouldn't listen if he did.

Frances wheeled her bike through the High Street to the shop she favoured with her weekly order. There were two grocery shops in the village and both thriving, because despite the regular bus service into Ely it was easier to have the goods delivered from a local shop: especially if you had children. It would have been different if she had learned to drive, as Emily had at the start of the war, but somehow she had never bothered. Marcus or her late father had always been there before the war, and then, after she'd married, she'd been busy with other things.

She had left Charlie with Muriel that morning. He was a noisy, happy child and he would be fine playing in the garden with the puppy he loved so much. Perhaps Sam Danby had been right about that, she thought and then frowned, because she didn't want to think about her father-in-law. She gave a little shudder and then dismissed him from her mind.

Entering the small shop, which smelled strongly of carbolic soap, vegetables and tar from the wood kindling piled in the corner, Frances found that Alice was already there ordering her goods. She turned as she heard Frances speak her name, a smile on her lips.

‘Frances, how lovely to see you. I was going to come and visit you after I'd done my shopping. I've had a letter from Daniel. He will be home sometime next week.'

‘That's good news,' Frances said. ‘I told you that Marcus would be back this week, didn't I?' Alice nodded, smiling happily. She was a pretty girl with soft hair and a gentle smile, though a little plumper than she had been before the birth of her son. ‘We must have a little party, a get together for all the family. I telephoned Emily yesterday and she has sort of promised to come down for a visit but I am sure she will if you tell her that Daniel is coming home. He was always her favourite.'

‘Yes, I know. Dan is very fond of her too,' Alice said. She looked down at her son, who was by her side and pulling at her skirt for attention. ‘Yes, darling. You shall have a sweetie if mummy can get some.' She laughed as she saw Frances frown. ‘I expect you think I spoil him, but he looks so much like Dan sometimes that I can't help it.'

‘I don't let Charlie have sweets often,' Frances said. ‘I don't think they are good for him.'

‘Oh, Frances,' Alice said. ‘That's a bit strict, isn't it? Surely you relent sometimes?'

‘Well, for a special occasion,' Frances said, a slight flush in her cheeks. ‘He has them once a week when his grandfather calls.'

‘Well, I suppose it is good for them to learn discipline,' Alice said though looked doubtful. ‘Not that we can get sweets all the time anyway with the rationing.'

Alice turned away then as the shopkeeper spoke to her. Frances felt a little warm, because she didn't like to be criticized over her management of the child. It wasn't fair, because she only wanted what was best for her son.

‘Why don't you come back with me?' she suggested to Alice. ‘We can have lunch together, if you like.'

‘I can't stop for lunch,' Alice said as she paid for her goods over the counter. ‘Mum wants to go into Ely later – but I can stay for a cup of tea and a chat.'

‘I've made some buns this morning,' Frances said. ‘Marcus's father comes for tea on Wednesdays. He likes rock buns so I usually make a few for him, but there's enough for us too.'

Alice agreed, waiting while Frances paid for her order. They walked back through the village street together.

‘I didn't know it was a school holiday today,' Frances said. ‘What is it for this time?'

‘I don't think it is,' Alice said, wrinkling her forehead. ‘I am sure Peter went to school this morning as usual.'

‘He was with Connor in the queue for the bus to Ely when I came by,' Frances said. ‘He told me it was a holiday and they were going to have fish and chips and go to the pictures.'

‘Peter hasn't got enough money for that,' Alice said. ‘If he is going to the pictures Connor must be paying for him.'

‘I wouldn't have thought he had enough money either,' Frances said. ‘I know he does a paper round at the weekends, but he doesn't get much for that – a couple of bob perhaps.'

Alice looked concerned. ‘Perhaps they've been saving their pocket money or . . . they might have done a little job for someone . . .'

‘Yes, perhaps,' Frances agreed. She couldn't think where else Connor would get spending money. Henry certainly hadn't got any to spare for his younger brother. She knew from his wife that he was at his wits' end finding the cash to pay the farm workers, because they had met in the street the previous day and Mary had come back for a cup of tea and a chat. ‘Of course Cley might have given him a few shillings . . .' Cley was her second eldest brother – but he didn't see the rest of the family often since the brothers had fallen out over the land after their father's death.

‘Does Connor see much of him?' Alice asked. ‘I didn't think they got on very well since Cley fell out with Daniel and Henry?'

‘I really don't know whether he sees Cley or not,' Frances replied, feeling a little guilty. She had never known what had caused the row between Daniel and Cley, but it had been something to do with their father's second wife, Margaret. She had picked that much up from something Emily had let slip, but she hadn't really wanted to discover the truth. Cley was the least favourite of her brothers and it was months – nearly a year – since she'd seen him. Henry wouldn't speak to him at all these days.

‘If Peter is getting into trouble, Mum will half kill him,' Alice said. ‘I know Mr Brown wanted a word with her a few weeks back. Peter is going to be apprenticed to him as a carpenter when he leaves school this term. She wouldn't tell me what was wrong, but I think it might be to do with taking time off from his Saturday job without asking.'

‘No wonder Connor hopped on that bus quick,' Frances said, feeling cross. ‘If he has been missing school I shall have something sharp to say to that young man! He leaves in the summer and I've had my work cut out to keep him there until then, because he wants to leave, but his teachers say he could do something really worthwhile with his life if he tried. I think he should go to college.'

Alice made no comment. She knew that Connor hated living with his sister, though she wasn't sure why. It might be to do with the fact that Frances had gone ahead with her engagement and wedding too soon after her father's death, and that Connor had decided that she hadn't cared about his father dying – or him!