Angela was glad to go back to work, though it took her a few days to stop looking up each time the door opened to see if it was Eddie. Then one evening in mid-November a stranger walked up to the bar.
‘Hallo, Angela.’
Angela’s head shot round at the American drawl with the definite New York accent.
‘Harry,’ she cried. ‘What are you doing here?’
Harry smiled. ‘I’m here for a pint of your warm beer and looking for you,’ he said with a smile.
‘Why?’ Angela said as she pulled the pint and passed it across the bar counter.
Before Harry could answer, Paddy approached. After the incident with Eddie McIntyre, her boss was even more protective of Angela than ever. Angela introduced him with a brief explanation as to who he was and Paddy saw immediately that, though Harry too was American like Eddie McIntyre, he was a far more suitable man for Angela to be friends with. Angela could see Paddy was impressed with Harry’s manners and the way he called him ‘Sir’ as he shook him by the hand, but she was astounded when he said, ‘It’s quiet enough tonight, so why don’t you take your friend into the snug and have a proper chat.’
‘Are you sure, Paddy?’
‘Quite sure,’ Paddy said and added with a grim smile, ‘Now get yourself away before I change my mind.’
‘You must have a drink,’ Harry said.
‘Just a lemonade,’ Angela said with a look at Paddy. Harry didn’t urge her to have something stronger but bought the lemonade and carried the glass and his pint into the small room to the side of the pub.
‘The snug is a good name for this place,’ Harry said, looking round.
‘Yes, it’s not that well used,’ Angela admitted, sitting down at one of the leather-topped tables. Harry sat beside her as she said, ‘Now tell me why you came looking for me. Did … did Stan send you?’
‘No,’ Harry said. ‘I came to ask you something which I should have asked you a long while ago, but I didn’t know how things stood with you and Stan. I knew there had been some sort of disagreement but disagreements can be fixed all the time.’
‘This one can’t,’ Angela said in a clipped tone.
‘So I understand,’ Harry said. ‘That’s why I’m here …’
Still Angela waited, her eyes puzzled and a look of expectancy on her face. It was obvious that Harry was nervous. He licked his lips and cleared his throat twice and Angela took pity on him.
‘Come on, Harry, out with it, whatever it is. I don’t bite.’
‘No, and the thing is I’m going back to the States. My father’s heart is not too good,’ Harry said. ‘Mom wants me home to see to things to take the heat off him. I intend to get there for Thanksgiving.’
‘When’s that?’
‘The fourth Thursday in the month of November. So this month it’s the twenty-fourth.’
‘So soon,’ Angela said. ‘What are you doing with the shop, selling it?’
Harry shook his head. ‘Stan’s taking it on. Now Daniel is settled at college and will be earning before too long, Stan has used his gratuity from the army and savings from his wages to date to buy a partnership.’
‘Does Stan know anything about running a shop?’
‘He’s been helping me out on Saturdays for a while now,’ Harry said.
‘Yes, Harry, but there’s quite a difference from helping out to running the whole show.’
‘I know,’ Harry said. ‘And as soon as this was on the cards I took Stan out and about to meet the suppliers and such, showed him how to order, tot up the books and all. Daniel said he’ll give him a hand with the book work.’
‘But Stan has a job.’
‘Not any more, he hasn’t,’ Harry said. ‘Gave it up a fortnight ago and has been working with me hand and glove since. Foundry work is for a young man. It was getting too much for him.’
‘Has he been ill?’
‘Not ill,’ Harry assured her. ‘Just tired, not that he’d admit it, but he likes shop work anyway.’
‘I’m really glad it has all worked out for you both,’ Angela said. ‘But where do I come into all this?’
‘Well the thing is … I know that this must seem like it’s come out of the blue, but I wondered … Angela, would you like to come with me – back home to America?’
‘What?’ Angela cried, for it was the very last thing she had thought Harry would say. ‘Me go to America?’
‘I mean you no harm, Angela,’ Harry said. ‘I would make arrangements for you to stay with my parents. They would love to meet you.’
‘They don’t know me.’
‘They know of you,’ Harry said. ‘Years ago, George used to write to my father about you working in the shop – his “little ray of sunshine”, he called you – and when I met you years later I understood why. I wrote to my parents all about you and my mother was astounded when I told her about you driving a large truck full of shells through the busy, traffic-filled Birmingham roads through the war, and then more recently about you driving a truck full of debris and junk from the flat above the shop. She said she’d love to meet such an intrepid woman.’
‘Oh, I think she would be sorely disappointed if she met me,’ Angela said. ‘I hardly think of myself as anything special, let alone intrepid.’
‘No one could be disappointed when they met you,’ Harry declared stoutly. And then very tentatively he took hold of one of Angela’s hands and said earnestly, ‘I am very fond of you, Angela.’
‘I am fond of you, Harry.’
‘Could you be more than fond?’ Harry said. ‘I don’t want to press you, but I think I love you.’
‘Dear Harry, I don’t think of you that way.’
‘Well, could you start thinking of me that way?’
‘Harry, you are a good and honest man,’ Angela said. ‘And you deserve someone to love you as much as you love them. Sadly that person can’t be me.’
‘How about just coming over for a holiday then?’ Harry said desperately. ‘We can get to know each other a little better. There would be no promises I’d expect from you, but it could be the chance of a new life for you and Connie.’
Suddenly the idea of a new life and a fresh start felt like the answer to all her problems. She could re-establish herself as a respectable widow with a daughter.
But then she wasn’t sure Connie would want to go to America and she really had to start considering Connie, for she knew she had ignored and side-lined her when Eddie had been on the scene. She was cool enough with her as it was and she knew it was time to try and build bridges with the daughter she loved so much. Anyway, she remembered that the mad period when she behaved like a little trollop with Eddie McIntyre might have results and she couldn’t load that on to Harry.
Harry was anxiously awaiting her reply and she smiled at him. He was a lovely man, and in a way his innate kindness and consideration for others reminded her of Barry, and so she was gentle when she said, ‘It is a lovely offer you’ve made, Harry, but …’
‘Just give it a try, please?’ Harry pleaded. ‘You could meet up with your brothers.’
‘My brothers are just names on a page to me now,’ Angela said. ‘It’s sad, but they have lived their lives away from me and they have families of their own. They’d hardly want a sister they’d barely remember turning up out of the blue and muddying the waters.’
Harry was disappointed, so disappointed that Angela saw tears lurking behind his eyelashes, and they softened her heart because she hated to upset people. But she knew whatever Harry said, if she did go with him to the States, it would make it worse when she returned home again and he would be more disheartened than ever. It was such a long way to go on a whim.
‘I’m truly sorry, Harry,’ she said. ‘But you may thank me when you arrive in America and meet the girl of your dreams.’
‘Too late,’ Harry said huskily. ‘I’ve already met her and lost my heart.’
‘Oh Harry, I’m sorry.’
Harry drained his pint and took a deep breath. ‘If you can’t say yes then I wonder if you could do me another favour?’
Angela didn’t know what he was going to ask but said anyway, ‘Anything, if I can.’
‘I know you and Stan have had your differences, but would you be able to look in on him every now and again and see that he’s doing all right? You know that shop like the back of your hand, and that experience might prove invaluable to Stan. I know you two have had your differences of late, about which I was truly sorry to hear because I know how much Stan has missed your friendship, but I thought you’d want to know that I was leaving. Stan could do with your help over the next few months.’
Angela didn’t know what to say. ‘That might be tricky … but I’ll give it some thought.’
‘Goodbye, Angela. I hope we’ll see each other again,’ said Harry.
‘So do I.’ And Angela shook his hand as he left.
Angela sat for a moment and did feel bad about both Harry and what he had said about foundry work being too heavy for Stan. It was a cause for a little concern and she had a hankering to pop into the shop and see for herself how he looked, and to make sure he was all right with the running of the shop. But she didn’t because she didn’t know that Stan wouldn’t order her out of the shop, still nursing his heartache. Best leave him well alone, she thought.
Stan was in fact very busy once Harry had left, and a little lonely too, for he had liked him very much and he had been good company. Harry hadn’t told Stan about his hankering after Angela and so Stan put Harry’s melancholy down to his regret about leaving for he knew he hadn’t wanted to go. Harry was happy to let Stan think that and actually he did feel a pang when he looked around the shop that last morning. He knew his father would be pleased that he had turned old Uncle George’s shop around.
‘This isn’t goodbye, Stan,’ Harry had said as he got in the taxi. ‘It’s just so long. I will be back to see how you’re getting on and you write if you have any problems.’
‘I will,’ Stan had promised. ‘Go on now and don’t worry about me. Hope your father is as well as can be expected.’
‘My mother would have wired me if there had been any change,’ Harry said. ‘And once I’m home I’ll make sure he takes things easier. Won’t be easy though. He can be a stubborn old cuss when he wants to be.’
‘You’ll have to work your charm.’
‘Hmph, might have to find it first,’ Harry had said and Stan gave a throaty chuckle as Harry shut the door of the taxi and it sped off to New Street, the first leg of his journey to Southampton.