Chapter 22
‘Oh Birdy, you’re an angel,’ Topsy said the following Wednesday, when Bobby unhooked a bag of hemmed tablecloths from her bicycle handlebars and put it into Topsy’s arms. ‘Will you come in? Maimie, Teddy and I were about to have some tea.’
Bobby grimaced. ‘I can’t. My sister and her new husband are paying their wedding visit tonight.’
‘You’re pulling faces about it,’ Topsy observed. ‘Do you not like this new husband?’
‘It’s more that my dad doesn’t like him. I just hope there isn’t a row.’
‘I don’t remember you telling me your sister had married. Did you?’
‘Oh, I’m sure I did,’ Bobby said vaguely, knowing full well she hadn’t. ‘It was only a quiet do at the register office. Lil didn’t want any fuss.’
‘Well, give her my congratulations, won’t you? From one bride to another – or at least, I will be a bride soon.’ Topsy hugged herself, beaming at the prospect. ‘I can’t wait to sign myself Mrs Nowak.’
‘Is that how it works?’ Bobby asked. ‘I thought there were rules about titled people marrying commoners. Doesn’t the husband have to take his wife’s name or something?’
Topsy laughed. ‘You read too many novels, darling.’
‘So you’ll just be a plain Mrs after you get married?’
‘If I choose to be. Mine is a courtesy title – that is to say, I’m only Lady Sumner-Walsh thanks to Father.
Although it ought to be Lady Honoria really.
The surname should only be used by itself if one is the wife of a knight or baronet, but I couldn’t bear to have people calling me by my ghastly first name.
’ Topsy pulled a face at the idea. ‘Thankfully, no one in Silverdale knows any better.’
‘I had no idea it was so complicated.’
‘Isn’t it foolishness?’ Topsy said, laughing.
‘So dreadfully out of date, but there are still enough people who care about this nonsense to fill the pages of Debrett’s.
Personally, I’m rather looking forward to turning my back on the business and becoming just an ordinary pilot’s wife – or former pilot, I ought to say. ’
An ordinary pilot’s wife who owned her own country estate and had more money in the bank than Bobby could imagine, she couldn’t help reflecting, but she smiled at her friend’s enthusiasm.
‘It’ll be a happy occasion for us all,’ she said. ‘I’ll see you soon, Topsy.’
‘Goodbye, darling. Do remember me to your sister.’
Bobby mounted her bicycle and pedalled off as fast as she dared.
She was expecting to have to work on soothing her dad’s temper before the arrival of their guests, who were coming on the five p.m. train from Bradford to spend the night.
Mary’s help had been enlisted too, as had the Parry girls.
All three were now at the cow house, making sure all was spruce before the newlyweds showed up.
Bobby was particularly grateful for the presence of the children, whose innocent chatter usually managed to make her dad smile in spite of his mood.
At home, she found the fire lit and her dad in his chair by it, wearing his slippers.
Florence was with him, prattling about some object on his knee, while Jessie helped Mary with the dusting.
Rob looked a little dazed at the incessant flow of chatter from Florrie, but he was smiling.
Bobby smiled too, pleased to see him looking happy for the first time since the day she had broken her sister’s terrible news.
‘Well this is very cosy,’ she said, bending to unlace her boots. ‘I’m sorry I took so long. It’s so dark in the evenings, I don’t dare ride too quickly no matter how urgently Topsy needs her precious tablecloths.’
‘It’ll soon be spring. Longer days are coming, Bobby.’ Mary nodded to a vase of snowdrops that had been placed on the table by her dad’s chair. ‘See what our Jessie picked to bring you. A little reminder of new life to come.’
Bobby went to give Jessie a kiss. ‘Thank you, sweetheart. They brighten up the room perfectly.’
‘Bobby, guess what?’ the child demanded immediately.
‘I can’t guess without a clue, Jess.’
‘All right, then the clue is… Daddy.’
‘Your dad? Has he written a letter?’
‘Better’n just a letter,’ Florrie said. She scooped up whatever it was she had been showing Rob and skipped with it to Bobby.
‘Dad sent us this from the war. He said his friend who’s been in Africa brought it back.
Louis Butcher offered to swap me and Jess two bob and a go each on his airgun for it, but I said no. It’s wizard, ain’t it?’
Bobby looked at the small, squat green thing that Florence held out to her. It looked like a large seed, although Lord knew what plant it had come from.
‘What is it, Florrie?’ she asked.
Rob came to join them.
‘What, lass, so long since you’ve seen one you’ve forgotten what they look like?’ he said, smiling. ‘It’s a banana, that.’
Bobby blinked at the squat little shrub.
‘They’re not quite as I remember them,’ she said. ‘I’m sure they used to be bigger. And yellower.’
‘Happen they look a little different when they’re plucked right off the plant.’
‘Now don’t either of you be tempted to eat that,’ Mary told the little girls sternly. ‘I’ve never seen a fruit so calculated to bring on a belly ache.’
‘Oh, no,’ Florrie said, looking horrified. ‘We’d never eat it. Not when it’s worth two bob and a go on an airgun. We’ll keep it for show.’
‘And guess what else Daddy says?’ Jessie asked Bobby.
‘Has he been given a date for his discharge?’
Florrie nodded vigorously. ‘In May. And you’ll never guess what else.’
Bobby laughed. ‘Sorry, Florrie, I’m all guessed out. You’ll have to tell me.’
‘He’s found somewhere we can live,’ the little girl said gleefully.
‘And the best thing of all is it’s not in London or anywhere far away.
It’s across the bridge, where Mr Horsely lived before he died.
It’s a bit frightening to live somewhere a dead person was, but I suppose old places all have had some dead people in so I’m going to not think about it. ’
‘That’s wonderful news.’ Bobby crouched to talk to Jessie. ‘How do you feel about it, my love?’
‘Welllll, it’s scary still to live somewhere else,’ Jess said, cocking her head.
‘But we can walk here every day to visit. Mary says we can come to breakfast before school if Daddy says it’s all right, and I’m still to take care of my hens, and feed Boxer.
Reg said our room would be left just as it is, and we can sleep over if Daddy needs to go away anywhere. So I think it will be OK.’
Bobby gave her a hug. ‘I think so too.’
Florrie pointed to the tinny old piano in the corner, only used when Charlie – the sole piano player in the family – was home on leave. ‘Mr Bancroft, may I try that, please?’
Rob laughed. ‘Happen we’ll need cotton wool in our ears first. Aye, go on.’
A moment later she was tinkling away tunelessly, having the time of her life finding out what sound each key made.
‘Oh my word,’ Mary said, laughing as she put her fingers in her ears. ‘What a din, Florence Parry! I don’t think we’ll be booking the Albert Hall for you just yet. Now get coats and shoes on, and we’ll leave Bobby and Mr Bancroft alone. Their guests will be here soon.’
‘Aww.’ Florrie poked out her lip. ‘But I was just getting the hang of it.’
‘My ears beg to differ,’ Bobby said, smiling.
‘Perhaps you can have a lesson with Uncle Charlie next time he’s on leave, and learn some proper tunes.
You had better go now, girls, and have your supper and cocoa.
We’ll be packed in like sardines if you’re still here when my sister and her husband arrive. ’
‘How come your sister’s got a husband now, Bobby?’ Jessie asked as Mary buttoned her coat up for her. ‘She never had one when she come at Christmas.’
‘Well, ladies do tend to get husbands once they reach a certain age, you know, Jess. Even you might have one someday.’
Jessie poked out her tongue. ‘Urgh. No thank you.’
Bobby laughed. ‘We’ll see. Goodnight, girls.’
When they’d gone, her dad slumped back in his chair, looking windswept.
‘Why do I always feel like I’ve been tossed about in a hurricane after a visit from them two?’
Bobby smiled. ‘It does feel rather that way, doesn’t it?’
Her dad smiled too, a little sadly. ‘I remember I had a pair of my own like that, once. Little whirlwinds. All the time it were “Daddy, look at this” and “Daddy, you must take me to see that”.’ He sighed. ‘Long time ago.’
Bobby crouched down and rested a hand on his arm.
‘But we’re still those same girls, even if we are grown up. Your girls,’ she said softly. ‘It was nice to see you smiling tonight, Dad.’
‘Aye, well. Hard not to with little ones around.’
‘And soon there’ll be a little one of our own arriving. One who’ll need their grandad very much after the difficult start they had in life.’
Rob sighed again, but he didn’t speak.
‘Dad, I’m really so sorry,’ Bobby whispered. ‘I never meant to say what I said, that night. You’re right, it was my fault. I didn’t see the danger until it was too late. Still, you have to believe that Tony isn’t the scoundrel you think he is.’
‘Huh.’
‘For the sake of one of those little whirlwinds who always loved you, you will be polite, won’t you? No matter what happened in the past, Tony’s trying to do what’s right. He deserves to be given a chance.’
Rob didn’t answer. He just sat in silence, staring into the fire. Realising nothing would be achieved by saying more, Bobby went out to the pump to get water and set the kettle to boil ready for the visitors.
It was just over half an hour later that a tentative knock sounded. Bobby glanced at her dad, who stood up.
‘This is it,’ she whispered. ‘Please, Dad. For Lil.’
He didn’t say anything. Bobby went to answer the door.