When Daisy had told Georgina of her plans, her friend had written back, eager to be involved in the project. ‘At first I couldn’t bear the thought of seeing my old home so changed. But it’s better than it standing empty and going to rack and ruin. Besides, I must get away from here. You can’t imagine the frustration of living with Tom’s parents. I know they mean well, and they want the best for little Jack, but it’s so stifling.’
There was more in this vein – the boredom of doing the church flowers, afternoon tea with the church ladies discussing the goings-on in the parish. But whenever a move back to Sussex was mentioned, Muriel managed to find a reason for her to stay ‘just a little longer’. The latest ‘crisis’ was Jackie’s bad cold which still lingered on. Georgina was eager to get away from her in-laws and airily dismissed Daisy’s concern that she might be embarrassed by seeing Henry again. ‘We won’t see much of him, once the home’s open,’ she wrote. ‘I’ll come straight away. I want to be involved right from the start.’
Daisy hadn’t expected this and hadn’t thought about where Georgina and Jackie would stay. They couldn’t move into Ryfe Hall while it was still being renovated. ‘Could she and the baby stay here?’ she asked her mother, looking round the tiny kitchen of the cottage. ‘They could have my room while I’m still at the Thorntons.’
Effie gave her customary sniff. ‘She won’t want to stay here with the likes of us,’ she said.
‘Mum, how many times have I said that Georgina’s not like that? Besides, she can only say no,’ Daisy said, wishing that her mother could rid herself of these feelings of inferiority, although she did understand.
Georgina and little Jack arrived at the beginning of November, settling happily into the cottage. ‘This is better than the dorm in Malta,’ she said, bouncing on the bed.
Effie looked sceptical but she soon mellowed. It was little Jack’s blue eyes and gummy smile that won her heart. And once she’d overcome her initial reservations, she admitted that Georgina was ‘a nice enough girl’.
With the addition of the baby to the household, Daisy had the perfect excuse to stop her mother from taking in washing. The autumn days continued with a pervading dampness which carried on into an early winter. Fog curled through the narrow lanes, creeping up from the harbour, and it was impossible to dry the washing. Effie had to agree that the damp air wasn’t good for the baby. Not that she needed persuading. She’d enough to do looking after Jack. The girls spent every available moment at the hall overseeing the work and helping with the cleaning and decorating, and Georgina was happy to leave him in her care. Susan stayed with Roger and it seemed as if everything was working out. And if Daisy wasn’t exactly happy, at least she was content.
Georgina sat back on her heels and surveyed the shining wet floor with satisfaction. The uneven flagstones had been ingrained with dirt and there’d even been a few weeds growing between the cracks. The house had been empty for so long, it no longer seemed like the home she’d lived in for most of her life.
Surprisingly, she was beginning to enjoy this new phase of her life. These days she seldom thought of Tom. The love she’d felt for him had now been transferred to baby Jack. She hated leaving him, although he seemed quite content in Effie’s company. Funny how she didn’t mind Daisy’s mother looking after him, yet she’d been so resentful when Muriel had tried to take over. Perhaps it was because she hadn’t been allowed to make any decisions for herself. Now, she was doing something because it was what she wanted.
She was enjoying Daisy’s company too. Working together was almost like being back in Malta but with a more carefree atmosphere. The empty rooms rang with laughter as they stripped damp ribbons of wallpaper and scrubbed the mould from the paintwork.
Daisy confided that she was enjoying herself too, glad to be free of the responsibility of caring for Roger for a while as Susan had agreed to work longer hours.
‘It’s only until the home opens,’ she said.
‘Will Susan want to carry on working then?’ Georgina wondered. ‘It’s a long way for her to travel each day from Southsea.’
‘I’d like to have her. She’s a good nurse. But we’ll have to see if there’s enough room for live-in staff. Don’t forget she’s got a baby to look after as well.’
‘So have I,’ Georgina said. ‘I don’t need to work, not for the money anyway. But maybe she does. We must try and help her if we can.’
Because of the shortage of workmen, they had decided to do the decorating themselves. The outside work, as well as the painting of the hallway and the high ceilings in the drawing and dining rooms, had been completed by professionals.
Henry joined them whenever he could spare the time. With his tie loosened and his sleeves rolled up, he seemed a different person to the man Georgina remembered.
But then, we’ve all changed, she thought, as she wielded her brush. Who’d have thought she’d be down on her knees scrubbing, and in her old home at that? She stifled a giggle as she pictured the horrified expression on her mother’s face.
The door opened and Daisy came in, stepping carefully on the wet floor. ‘I’ve just heard Henry’s car,’ she said.
Georgina stood up and smoothed down her apron, ruefully examining her reddened hands. She pushed back the strand of hair which had escaped the neat bun at the back of her head, colouring as she caught Daisy’s smile.
‘Old habits die hard, Daisy,’ she said. ‘I was thinking of what Mama would say if she could see me now.’
Daisy laughed and pursed her lips. ‘My dear, you must remember you are a lady and it is not seemly …’ she said in a passable imitation of Lady Davenport’s prissy voice. They were both laughing so much they didn’t notice that Henry had come in. His face was flushed and he was flourishing the early evening newspaper.
‘Ladies, ladies, didn’t you hear me?’ he said.
At the word ‘ladies’ they collapsed in giggles again, but quickly got themselves under control when they took in Henry’s words.
The war was over. ‘They signed the armistice at eleven o’clock this morning,’ he said.
Georgina looked at Daisy and realized they were thinking the same thing. They should have been jumping for joy but all they felt was a dull numbness. Victory had come too late for them. They had lost too many loved ones in the past four years. Wordlessly they hugged each other, unshed tears gleaming in the dimness of the large old kitchen.
Henry coughed and said, ‘I think the work can wait for a while, don’t you? Let’s go and tell your mother, Daisy. She may not have heard yet.’
They climbed into the Lanchester and drove through the misty November morning towards Kingsbourne. Although they’d been expecting the announcement of the armistice for some days, the reality had still to penetrate their dazed minds.
As they drove through the village they saw that flags were already draped over the front of the King’s Arms and some of the cottages. Knots of people had gathered in the street, smiling and waving at the car. The church door was open and, as they passed, a peal of bells rang out.
Near Kingsbourne, the crowds increased, and the sound of church bells filled the air from all directions. It was impossible to drive the car through the throng which choked Market Square, so Henry pulled up in a side street and they walked down towards the harbour.
As they approached the quayside, Effie came towards them, little Jack bundled into a shawl and balanced on her hip. Over the noise of the crowds and the pealing church bells, the horns and sirens of ships in the Solent added to the cacophony.
Little Jack started to cry, bewildered by the noise, and Georgina took him from Effie. Holding him close, she murmured soothing words, but still he cried. His distress released the emotions she’d held in for so long, and she began to cry too. Huge wrenching sobs such as she hadn’t been able to release since Tom’s death shook her body. She hardly noticed when Daisy took Jack from her, leaving Henry to draw her to the edge of the crowd, holding her against his broad chest and patting her back until her sobs died away.
She took the handkerchief he silently handed her and wiped her eyes, blowing her nose vigorously. She managed to smile and thank him, then turned away. ‘Let’s join the others, shall we?’ she said. ‘We should be celebrating, not crying.’
She pushed through the throng to where Daisy and her mother leaned on the harbour wall, holding Jackie up to look at the boats, now decorated with flags and coloured streamers that seemed to have appeared from nowhere. The little boy was laughing now and Daisy was smiling with him. Georgina noticed that despite the smile, her face also showed a suspicion of tears, as did Effie’s. Everyone in this laughing, singing crowd had probably lost someone, and there were still those who didn’t know if their loved ones would ever return.
Suddenly, the noisy celebrations seemed too much, and she longed for the haven of the Marches’ little cottage. Daisy looked up and she knew her friend felt the same. They pushed their way through the press of bodies and into the comparative quiet of Fish Lane.
Indoors, Effie rattled the poker between the bars of the range until the embers glowed and swung the heavy kettle over the fire. Henry took the coal scuttle and went outside. When he returned, the girls were laughing as Jackie tried to pull himself up by holding onto the arm of a chair. Henry made up the fire and sat down in front of it. He picked the little boy up, bouncing him on his knee and chanting nursery rhymes.
Georgina watched, a faint smile curving her lips. How could she have thought him stuffy and pompous? Of course he was older than she was, older than her brothers even. He’d seemed more of her father’s generation in those years before the war. But I’ve had to grow up a lot these past four years, she thought. Since her return to Sussex, she’d begun to see her former fiancé in a new light. He’d make a wonderful father, she thought, and a faint flush crept over her cheeks as she caught Daisy’s glance. She would never regret her relationship with Tom, and she knew that a part of him would always hold a place in her heart. But she couldn’t help wondering how things might have turned out if she’d married Henry.
After months of hard work, Ryfe Hall was transformed into the luxurious home of Daisy’s imagination and now, in the spring of 1919, they were ready to receive their first patients. Officials from both the Red Cross and the military had inspected the alterations and, to Daisy’s relief, they had passed the test.
Henry advertised in the medical journals for a doctor with experience of mental problems, but some still refused to accept the definition of shellshock as a real illness and they were having difficulty finding the right person.
‘Why not write to your doctor friend? He might be interested,’ Henry asked.
‘I think it would be better if you wrote – more businesslike,’ Daisy said. She was wary of becoming too involved. Friendship was all she wanted at present.
Peter wrote back straightaway, saying that he was still under navy regulations. However, he was willing to act as a consultant during his free time and once he was discharged from the service. He could easily come over from Gosport once a week and they could telephone him if they had any problems.
The authorities agreed. ‘They say that with a small number of patients and such experienced nursing staff, we won’t need a doctor on the premises full-time,’ Henry said, showing the official letter to Daisy.
Today as she, Georgina and Henry awaited their first patients, Daisy felt proud of their achievement. She couldn’t believe that from now on she’d be living here – and not as a servant but as the matron in charge. The east wing had been converted into two self-contained apartments, so that Daisy and Georgina could live in and Daisy hoped that her mother would move in with her. ‘I don’t like her living in that damp cottage,’ she said.
Henry agreed. ‘With Mrs March on the premises, things will be easier for Georgina. That is, if your mother agrees to carry on looking after young Jack.’
‘Just try to stop her,’ Daisy laughed. ‘It’s been good for her, having him to care for. It’s helped to take her mind off what happened to my brothers.’
But Effie refused to give up the cottage. ‘It’s my home,’ she said. ‘Besides, have you forgotten Billy – he’ll be home when this voyage is over.’
‘Billy’s going to stay in the merchant navy, Mum,’ she’d protested. ‘He’ll be away most of the time.’
‘But he’ll be coming home on leave. And what about Dick? How will he feel, coming back to find his home gone? No, I’ll look after Jack while you and Mrs Lazenby are working. But here I stay, in my own home.’
Effie had persuaded herself that once Dick was home he’d be able to go back to the fishing. She’d even spoken to a friend of her husband’s asking if any of the fleet needed crew members. But Daisy knew it would be a long time before Dick was fit enough to work and had tried to prepare her mother for the reality of his condition. Effie stood firm and Daisy let the matter drop. Once Dick was here, she hoped her mother would change her mind.
Now, as they waited for the first patients, Daisy tingled with anticipation. Henry’s faith in her had given her confidence. She’d achieved a lot in the past few years. At last she really felt she’d proved herself, that she was as good as anybody else.
She glanced at Henry, whose eyes were on Georgina, and wondered if she was aware of the way he looked at her. Anyone could see he was still in love with her. And, although Georgina’s only interests nowadays seemed to be her little boy and the transformation of her old home, Daisy wouldn’t be surprised if she was beginning to return Henry’s feelings. She had noticed that Tom was seldom mentioned now.
The ambulance pulled up at the door, interrupting her thoughts, and she helped the men up the steps into their new home. There were only four of them at present, as well as Roger Thornton, who had come over earlier with Henry.
After supper Henry left and Daisy and Georgina settled the men for the night. They took their coffee into the office which had once been Sir John’s study. There were no reminders now of Georgina’s father. The dark panelling had been ripped out, the walls painted pale blue with darker curtains and carpet. A large desk stood in front of the windows. Here, Daisy would keep the accounts and oversee the running of the home.
She’d been unsure about handling the business and had admitted as much to Henry, but although he was happy to give advice, he’d said, ‘I’ve got my businesses to run and it’s the profits from those that will help to pay for all this. Don’t worry, Daisy, if I didn’t think you could do it, I wouldn’t have supported you.’ Despite her nervousness she’d flushed with pleasure at Henry’s confidence in her.
‘Well, this is it; we’re on our own,’ she said now, settling into an armchair beside the fire. ‘I couldn’t have managed without you, Georgina.’
‘And your mother too – she’s been marvellous, caring for Jackie the way she has.’
‘We’ve been lucky with staff too, especially getting Mrs Harris out of retirement.’ Daisy gave a sigh of satisfaction. They also had two live-in maids, Ruby and Millie, and a daily woman from the village. They could take on more staff as it became necessary.
‘In some ways it’s as if nothing has changed,’ Georgina said, lapsing into silence.
Daisy wondered if she was feeling sad because this was no longer her family home. ‘I wasn’t sure you’d approve of all the alterations,’ she said.
‘It’s for a good cause – besides, I’m not sentimental,’ Georgina replied, looking at the clock. ‘I hope Jackie’s all right. It’s the first time I’ve missed kissing him good night.’
‘It’s only for one night. Henry will pick them up in the morning.’ Daisy sighed. ‘It would be so much easier if Mum moved up here. It’s a long trek from the village.’
‘Perhaps she’ll change her mind when your brother gets here.’
After their busy day they were ready to turn in and, after making a round of the patients to make sure everyone had settled, they went to their own rooms.
The next day Daisy woke early. Her sleep had been disturbed several times when she thought she’d heard someone cry out. But the men were all sleeping soundly. It was her own anxiety keeping her awake. Had she taken on too much? It was a big responsibility. But Georgina was here and she could always telephone Peter if she was worried.
She went down to the kitchen where Mrs Harris had already started on the breakfasts. ‘Like old times, isn’t it?’ she said.
‘Not quite, Daisy. Or perhaps I should call you Matron now,’ she said.
‘Daisy will do.’ She felt a bit uncomfortable and hoped she’d be able to cope with the reversal of their positions. ‘Mrs Harris, are you sure this isn’t going to be difficult for you? I don’t want to appear bossy or anything.’
‘Don’t worry, Daisy. I wouldn’t have taken the job if it was going to be a problem. Besides, your mother told me you were in charge of a ward in Malta so I’m sure you’ll do well.’ She began to stir the porridge and check the toast under the grill.
Daisy looked at the clock. ‘The maids will be here soon. I’ll show them their rooms and then send them down for their orders. Meanwhile we’d better serve breakfast.’
When she knocked on Georgina’s door, she was already up and tying on her apron. ‘All ready,’ she said. ‘I can’t wait to get started.’
Their patients, used to army discipline and hospital routine, dressed and came down to the dining room, although they ate mechanically with no conversation. Daisy had tried to cajole Roger into leaving his room too, but although he’d been prepared for the move to Ryfe Hall, he’d slipped back into his childlike behaviour and she was worried about him.
Georgina reassured her. ‘Wait until Susan gets here – she knows how to handle him. He can stay in his room for the time being.’
The morning passed quickly and it was almost noon before the friends paused for a break. As they went through the hall on their way to the kitchen, Georgina broke into a smile. ‘I can hear a car. Perhaps it’s Henry,’ she said.
Daisy smiled. She was right about her friend’s growing fondness for him.
They opened the front door just as Henry and Effie got out of the Lanchester. Henry lifted little Jackie down, holding his hand as he took steps towards his mother.
Georgina swept him up in her arms. ‘My baby’s walking!’ she cried.
Effie smiled proudly. ‘I knew he were ready,’ she said. ‘Kept pulling himself up on the furniture.’
It was a lovely moment and they could have stayed there in the spring sunshine marvelling at Jackie’s progress but for Susan saying it was time for the medicine round.
Henry left soon afterwards, saying that he’d call again in a few days, and Georgina took Effie and Jackie to her apartment.
After dispensing the midday medicines, Daisy left Susan to keep an eye on things and went to the kitchen. She was pleased that Millie and Ruby, the two new maids, were working hard under Mrs Harris’s direction and that lunch was well under way. Then it was time to try to persuade Roger to come down to the dining room for his meal.
Everything seemed to be going smoothly so far but as she went upstairs she couldn’t help thinking of her past life in this house. Then she wouldn’t have dared to walk up the main staircase. It was the back stairs for her. Despite all her achievements over the last five years, Daisy still sometimes felt like Daisy the lady’s maid, unfairly accused and humiliated by the former owners of Ryfe Hall.