September 1943
Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
The azaleas were so thick their pink petals obscured the bush’s leaves but Junie barely noticed them as she hurriedly gathered Francesca out of her new car and ran into the Rileys’ house. She was late from studying too long at the library and hoped the girls wouldn’t be disappointed with her, especially as they had gone to so much trouble for her daughter’s first birthday party.
Junie knocked on the door and it was thrown open almost immediately by a very excited Katie.
‘She’s here!’ she exclaimed happily to the room, grabbing Francesca and placing her on her hip before Junie had even walked in.
‘Oh, isn’t she looking lovely! Hello, Junie, how are you dear?’ said Mrs Riley, kissing her cheek and smiling at Francesca. The baby smiled back and Junie thought the resemblance to Michael was so obvious she almost wanted to take her and head back home. How she hated this part of the ruse – denying her baby’s grandparents the right to know this was their beloved son’s child.
At least Beryl and Dorn knew Francesca was their niece and they held her chubby hands and cooed over her with the others, taking turns to be in raptures over her little outfit and fine golden curls.
‘Come on, you lot, stop smothering her and give me a proper look,’ ordered Rory as he sat down in his chair and patted his knee. The baby was duly handed over and he studied her closely. ‘Her hair is so fair,’ he remarked, patting it awkwardly with his large hand. ‘Maybe she takes after your mother.’
‘As long as she doesn’t take after Ernest’s mother, that’s the main thing,’ Katie said.
‘Katie!’ Mavis scolded, but she was hiding a chuckle.
Francesca kicked her dimpled legs and laughed her adorable baby laugh, grabbing Rory’s nose.
‘She’s a beaut,’ he declared with a grin, reclaiming his nose before handing her to Katie. ‘Better give her back before she cries.’
But she didn’t cry. Francesca spent the afternoon charming everyone with her sunny nature and Junie couldn’t help but feel very proud of her daughter as she watched her interact with these much-loved people from home. Her true family.
She wished she had organised her parents to have attended this rather than the Farthingtons’ official party, although there was sure to be plenty of entertainment on offer there too. Constance was coordinating what appeared to be some kind of baby debutante ball, knowing full well Eliza would be there with her baby girl, Marigold. Eliza was predicting their daughters would be ‘frothed up like meringues’ by the time Constance and Jane were done, calling it ‘the society Nana duel of the season’.
‘Here,’ whispered Katie, tipping a little brandy in Junie’s teacup and they giggled as they went into the garden and sipped the warm concoction.
‘What are we drinking to now?’
Junie laughed. ‘How about babies?’
Katie’s smile fell away and Junie mentally berated herself.
‘I’m sorry.’
‘No, no, don’t be. Happens all the time, doesn’t it? Anyway, we can enjoy trying again.’
Junie nodded, wishing Katie’s pregnancy hadn’t come to such a sad, abrupt ending just before Easter.
‘Any news about the boys?’ She braced herself for any details about Michael as Katie shared the latest from Jake’s letters.
‘So it doesn’t look as if they’ll be out of New Guinea any time soon,’ Katie finished. ‘I thought he might get some leave when they went to Port Moresby, but no such luck.’
‘Maybe he’ll be home by Christmas,’ Junie said.
‘Here’s hoping,’ Katie said thoughtfully. They relaxed into silence as each sipped on their tea, thoughts of war hanging between them. The sweet scent of jasmine reached them from the fence and Junie tried to imagine the scenery where the men were now. This serene suburban garden seemed a universe away from the wild terrain the boys would likely be struggling through.
‘I wish I could walk into a magic wardrobe, you know, like that one you used to read to me about. With the lion,’ Katie said.
‘The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe. I loved that book,’ Junie said, smiling.
‘That’s it – with the secret passage to that other world.’
‘Narnia.’
‘Only when I go through it’s always to where Jake is, you know? So I can talk to him whenever I want.’
‘And what would you say?’
Katie considered for a moment. ‘“Stop buggerising about playing war and get yourself home to the cheese and kisses. Wifey needs a baby.”’
‘And you need someone to appreciate your lovely turns of phrase.’
‘Exactly! “So get in that wardrobe, Jakey, and don’t let the door hit you on the arse on the way out!”’
Junie laughed, spilling her tea. ‘Oh, you really are too funny!’
‘I’m here all week,’ Katie said with a bow and a grin.
‘Thank God for that. I think I’ve become a horrible bore with all this study. I’ve missed your corruption.’
‘Some may say corrupt, others delightfully diverting,’ Katie said in a posh voice.
‘I just wish you would come to the Farthington party.’
‘Oh, you’ll have Eliza. You won’t need the likes of me.’
Something in Katie’s continued posh tone made Junie change the subject. ‘She’s been very spoilt today. It’s lovely of the Rileys to do this.’
‘Imagine if they knew the truth,’ Katie said and Junie looked at the ground, suddenly quiet. The breeze was picking up and Katie turned to her, pushing her hair back as it whipped at her face. ‘I know you can’t say anything to them, of course, but I’ve been thinking…well, sooner or later someone is going to let it slip to Michael that you have a baby. Jake’s the only one that knows over there and he won’t say anything, and the girls and his parents are keeping it from him too – I know that much. But he will find out at some point Junie, you know that. Imagine how he’s going to feel.’
‘Might be worse if he knows the whole truth,’ Junie whispered, shrugging.
‘Maybe, but I think you should tell him. I know, I know,’ she said, raising her hand. ‘I’ve no right to say it. But you’re my best friend, so I’m saying it anyway. Every day we hear more and more of our fellas are dying up there. This isn’t something he should go to his grave never having known. God forbid.’
‘God forbid,’ Junie echoed automatically.
‘It’s a basic human right, surely? To know you’re a parent.’ She turned away, tears in her eyes. ‘I just think he has that right too.’
Junie said nothing but moved her hand to squeeze Katie’s and they stood silently until Mavis’s voice called them in for birthday cake.
Watching her daughter’s face illuminated by the candles as her unwitting grandparents looked on, something almost painful pulled in Junie’s chest and she knew then that Katie was right. Just because she hadn’t got to him in time the day the train pulled away didn’t mean she should never try to tell him again. It wasn’t a matter of her choosing either way any more. He had a basic right to know, it was true.
Later that night, Junie walked to the end of the street, her daughter asleep in the pram, and kissed the letter goodbye that said the words at last.
She knew she was doing what was right. This was all about equality, in the end.
And in her heart that really just came down to one thing: upholding her own common law.