Peggy had spent a troubled night worrying about what Stanislaw had told her, and as Danuta didn’t seem to be heeding his warning too seriously, she decided she would take matters into her own hands. She left Beach View earlier than usual that Monday morning, and after dropping Daisy off at the factory crèche, she climbed the stairs up to Solly’s office.
‘Good morning, Madge,’ she said brightly. ‘How are you today?’
Madge looked up from her typing. ‘I’m fine, thanks, Peggy, but I’d tread carefully, if I were you; Solly’s like a bear with a sore head this morning.’
This didn’t bode well, for she’d known Solly since their schooldays and his volcanic rages were not something she wished to provoke. ‘Oh dear. What’s upset him now?’
Madge shrugged. ‘I have no idea, but Rachel’s with him, and from what I’ve overheard, it’s something to do with this hare-brained scheme of his to go to Poland.’
‘Thanks for the warning, Madge.’ She listened to the raised voices in Solly’s office, took a deep breath and tapped on the door.
‘What do you want?’ roared Solly.
‘It’s me, Peggy. I need to have a word with you.’
‘Then get in here and say your piece,’ he shouted.
Peggy had faced Solly’s rages before and knew they soon blew out like a summer storm, but they were still quite frightening, and so she steeled herself for the coming confrontation.
Solly was pacing the room, his cigar smoke forming a thick layer below the ceiling, while his wife, Rachel, opened the window. ‘I’m sorry to butt in like this,’ said Peggy. ‘But what I have to say is important.’
‘Then spit it out, woman,’ he snarled.
Rachel turned from the window and gave an exasperated shrug of her elegant shoulders. ‘I’m sorry, Peggy, but I don’t know what to do with him today,’ she said. ‘He won’t listen to a word I say, and if he goes on like this he’ll have a heart attack.’
‘Is this about the trip to Poland?’ Peggy asked.
‘Yes. And I hope you’ve come to try and persuade him out of it. It’s sheer madness, Peggy, but he refuses to see it. Perhaps he’ll listen to you.’
Peggy very much doubted it, for when Solly was in one of these moods he’d listen to no one.
‘I am here, you know,’ he rumbled. ‘And I’m quite capable of making my own damned decisions.’ He flung himself into his chair, making the springs groan beneath his weight. ‘Danuta and I have it all planned, and we’re going,’ he said, forcefully stubbing out the cigar in the ashtray.
‘Your doctor told you it would be madness to travel far in your condition,’ said Rachel with tightly held calm.
‘What does that meshugana know?’ he retorted.
‘He knows you’ve got high blood pressure which is putting a strain on your heart,’ Rachel retorted. ‘You pay him enough for his advice. It’s a shame you don’t take it.’
‘If I might just say something,’ interjected Peggy.
Solly raised his chin, his beady gaze warning her he was on the point of exploding. ‘If it’s more of the same, then you can keep quiet, Peggy. I have heard enough from Rachel.’
‘Then clearly you haven’t been listening, Solly,’ she dared reply. ‘Danuta has a friend – a Polish pilot who’s kept up with the news back in Poland. He told me that now the Russians are in charge over there, it would be extremely dangerous for either of you to go, even though you both have British passports.’
Solly’s face reddened further and his eyes became flinty. ‘Rumours,’ he said dismissively. ‘Just rumours.’
‘Stanislaw has first-hand experience of what the Russians are capable of and is in touch with people still living there who’ve warned him very strongly against going back.’
‘Who is this man? What people? There’s nothing in the newspapers about any sort of crisis in Poland,’ said Solly belligerently.
‘But you were warned you might not be safe there,’ said Rachel. She turned to Peggy, her face lined with anxiety. ‘I wrote to the Foreign Office as soon as he and Danuta started planning this trip, and was told it would be most unwise for any British citizen to travel into Poland until things are properly settled. And if he ignores the warning and goes, then the British government would not be able to assist him or Danuta should they run into trouble, as East Germany and Poland are now out of their jurisdiction.’
Shocked, Peggy sat down with a thump. ‘Does Danuta know this?’
Rachel shook her head. ‘The letter only came on Saturday morning, and although I tried to telephone, no one seemed to be at home.’
‘I told her it was a lot of fuss about nothing,’ said Solly. ‘It’s just the British diplomats protecting their own rear ends. Danuta and I are free citizens of this country with valid British passports, and should be allowed to travel where we wish.’
‘Not if it’s going to put your lives at risk,’ retorted Peggy, her tone sharper than she’d intended. ‘Have you given a moment’s thought to how Danuta will fare if you got ill – or God forbid – got arrested?’
‘Why should I be arrested?’
‘I don’t know,’ she admitted. ‘But you’ve got a hot temper, and if you’re thwarted in any way, you’re inclined to lose it and speak without thinking – and that could lead to all sorts of trouble, for you and for Danuta.’
‘I would never endanger Danuta,’ he rasped.
‘Not knowingly,’ said Peggy. ‘But she had a life before coming here – a secret life – and if the Russians get an inkling of what that was, she could very well be killed – or sent to some labour camp in Siberia.’
‘We know something of her other life, but not all,’ he mumbled. ‘But she is going back as a British citizen to nurse the poor souls who survived those awful camps. The Russians will have no reason to question her.’
‘According to Stanislaw they don’t need a reason to interrogate anyone,’ she snapped. ‘And that girl has been through enough, Solly. I will not allow it. Do you hear?’
‘I hear, I hear you,’ he barked. ‘Oy vay, Peggy; the whole town can probably hear you.’
Peggy held his angry gaze and softened her tone. ‘Then damned well listen to me, Solly. What about your heart? Do you really want to risk falling ill over there? Are you expecting Danuta to nurse you as well as everything else?’
Solly heaved an enormous sigh and threw his hands up in the air. ‘My heart, my heart,’ he stormed. ‘There’s nothing wrong with the damned thing. Why do you women keep on and on about it?’
‘Because we both know you’re likely to drop down dead one day if you keep this up,’ shouted Rachel, banging her fists on the desk. She burst into tears. ‘Solly, Solly. Please listen for once. I don’t want to lose you, and yet you seem determined to kill yourself. And for what? They’re all gone, Solly. Every last one of them murdered in the camps.’
Solly looked stricken. ‘We don’t know that for certain,’ he breathed.
‘If they’d survived they would have found a way to let us know,’ she sobbed. ‘Please, Solly, don’t go. I beg you.’
He reached across the wide desk to take her hand, his face drawn with concern. ‘Rachel, please don’t cry. You know I hate seeing you like this.’
Rachel lifted her tear-streaked face to him. ‘Then stop being such a stubborn old fool and listen to what we’re telling you. You can’t ignore your health, Solly, and if you go on like this …’
As Solly hurried round his desk to comfort his wife, Peggy quietly left the room and softly closed the door behind her.
In answer to Madge’s enquiring look, she managed a smile. ‘Rachel’s got him where she wants him,’ she murmured. ‘Her tears always work, and he’ll listen to her now. I’d leave them to it for a while until things have calmed down.’
‘He’s changed his mind about going to Poland, then?’
Peggy nodded.
Madge gave a long sigh. ‘Thank goodness for that. It was a fool’s errand, wasn’t it?’
‘The lure of home and family is very strong, Madge. You can’t really blame either of them for wanting to go back.’
Peggy left the factory and hurried along Camden Road, and then on up the High Street and the hill to the factory estate. Seeing Jack working in his motor repair shop, she gave him a wave before entering the small clothing factory unit and switching on all the lights. She still had time to spare before the workforce arrived, so she went into her office and telephoned Beach View.
‘I’m glad I caught you, Anne,’ she said. ‘Could you leave a note for Danuta? Tell her not to go and see Solly until at least this afternoon. He and Rachel have a lot to talk over.’
‘They’re always falling out,’ Anne said lightly. ‘What is it this time?’
‘The trip to Poland. And add to the note that Rachel had confirmation from the Foreign Office that it isn’t safe to travel there at the moment. That should make her change her mind, if nothing else.’
‘All right,’ Anne said hesitantly. ‘But you know how stubborn she can be. She might decide the risk is worth it.’
‘I sincerely hope not,’ said Peggy with a shudder. ‘If she wants to speak to me, I’ll be here all day.’ She looked through the glass partition and saw the first few workers clocking in. ‘What are your plans, Anne?’
‘I meant to tell you earlier, that I got a letter the other morning from the people who’ve been renting our cottage. They’re moving out two weeks earlier than planned, so I need to go up there and check that everything is as it should be. Martin’s taking care of the girls until I get back, and then he’s off to oversee the work on the airfield. I’m meeting Betty this afternoon at the new school. The headmaster has called for a staff meeting before the start of term, to show us around.’
‘It sounds as if you have a busy day ahead of you,’ said Peggy. ‘But with your tenants leaving, will that mean you’ll be moving out soon?’
‘It will all depend on the state of the cottage,’ said Anne. ‘But with Auntie Doreen and her three about to descend this weekend, it will probably be better for everyone if we moved out. Three small girls make enough racket – I dread to think what it will be like with six little ones in the house.’
Peggy was rather looking forward to the chaos of a full house and the sound of lively children, but she did accept it might become intolerably noisy – and really, it would be good for Anne and Martin to be in their own home again.
Once she had disconnected the call she sat for a while, lost in her thoughts, and then decided there wasn’t much she could do about anything. Things would sort themselves out one way or another, and she had work to do. But first she would telephone Doris and find out how John’s back was doing.
Doris replaced the receiver and hurried into her bedroom to finish dressing. She was running very late, but then it had been a busy morning what with taking breakfast round to John and seeing to it that he was as comfortable as he could be lying on that board on the floor. Life would be very much easier if they lived in the same bungalow, but as it was, she was going back and forth like a pendulum.
She brushed her hair and grabbed her handbag, her mind already on all the things she had to do today – not only in the office, but in the town. With her wedding to John only days away, she was due for a final fitting at the dressmaker’s, and still hadn’t found the right hat to go with her outfit. She also had to book an appointment at Julie’s to get her hair and nails done on the Saturday morning, and then go and see Rosie to discuss the idea she and John had had about the tenancy on her bungalow. It would be the ideal solution really, but it all hinged on what Rosie had to say about it.
A glance at her watch told her she was wasting time, so she quickly closed the front door behind her and rushed next door. ‘It’s only me,’ she called from the hall. ‘I hope you’re decent.’
‘I’m in the kitchen and very respectable, thank you.’
‘You shouldn’t be in here, let alone doing the washing-up. You know what the doctor said,’ she fussed.
He carefully turned from the sink and dried his hands on a towel, his smile making his blue eyes sparkle. ‘I’m fine, really, my dear. Please don’t worry about me.’
‘Oh, but I do,’ she breathed, stroking back his thick silver hair from his temple. ‘You’ve been in such pain and the doctor was most insistent that you lie flat on the floor – not be dashing about doing things.’
He kissed her softly on the brow and then grinned. ‘I’m hardly dashing anywhere, dear heart, but I can’t bear lying about doing nothing, and I really think that moving around is better for my back. It already feels so much easier.’
‘That’s probably due to those strong pills the doctor gave you,’ she said worriedly. ‘Leave all that and I’ll make you a nice cup of tea before I go to work. If you’re feeling well enough, then why not sit in the garden? It’s a lovely day.’
‘I’m afraid you’re doing too much,’ he said with a frown.
‘Silly man,’ she replied lightly. ‘I’ve got enough energy for both of us at the moment, and besides, I enjoy looking after you.’
He smiled down at her and then slowly made his way out of the back door and into the neat vegetable garden where he sat rather gingerly on the bench.
Doris saw him wince and quickly took him out a cushion before returning minutes later with the tray of tea things. ‘I’ll pop in at lunchtime to make you a sandwich,’ she promised with a loving smile. ‘So you can stay here and enjoy planning what you’re going to plant for the winter. Peggy telephoned to ask how you were doing. She missed us at Rita’s wedding, and hopes you’ll soon be better.’
‘Of course I will,’ he said stoutly. ‘Nothing’s going to make me miss our wedding.’ He took her hand and raised it to his lips. ‘I love you, Doris. See you at lunchtime.’
‘I might be a little late back, so don’t worry. It’s just that I have things to do in town which really can’t be put off any longer.’ She kissed him softly on the lips and left the bungalow to walk to the factory estate.
It was a beautiful summer’s day, the birds were singing, the sky was blue and her heart was light with love and happiness. She had so much to look forward to, and still couldn’t quite believe how fortunate she was after the disastrous events that had led her to Ladysmith Close and her office work on the factory estate. She might have lost her home in a V-1 attack, and suffered the heartache of losing her estranged husband only to discover he’d left her almost penniless, but she’d found a home here, had reconciled with her sister, Peggy, and met the love of her life in Colonel John White.
It was an enormous disappointment that Fran probably wouldn’t be playing at their wedding, but it was important the girl took care of herself. The only real cloud on her horizon was the worry over John, whose back was still being troublesome despite all his protestations to the contrary. She could only hope that the pills the doctor had given him would lessen the pain, but not encourage him to do too much which could aggravate things. She had little doubt that he would go through with their wedding come hell or high water, but she wanted him to be well enough to enjoy it and partake fully in the celebrations, and the week’s honeymoon they’d planned in the Lake District.
She was still blushing at the thought as she arrived at the office. There was a stack of mail waiting for her, and various memos regarding the leases and rents on the small factory units. It seemed John had been right when he’d said the place would soon be buzzing again, for all the units had been rented out, and the conversion of the armament factory was in full swing, with applications already pouring in to rent one of the large spaces.
Doris opened the letters one by one and placed them in order of urgency on her desk. She could answer most of them, but a couple would need some advice from John before she replied.
The last letter was addressed to her in an unfamiliar hand, and she sliced through the envelope with the opener, wondering who would write to her here. Unfolding the single sheet of paper, she saw the signature at the bottom and her heart missed a beat. It was from John’s son Michael.
Mrs Williams,
I received the invitation to your wedding with some surprise, as I’m sure you and Father are fully aware of my feelings on the matter. If this invitation is Father’s way of trying to persuade me to accept the situation, then he’s sorely mistaken, and I must decline the offer.
Major M. White
Doris’s hand was shaking with fury as she folded the sheet of paper back into the envelope. She was tempted to tear it into a hundred pieces and commit it to the bin, for if John read it, he’d be deeply hurt. But she realised he’d have to know what his son had written if their new life wasn’t to begin with her keeping things from him, no matter how good her intentions. She’d already witnessed his reaction to her having fibbed over something, and never wanted to see such disappointment in his eyes again.
‘You’re a nasty piece of work, Michael,’ she muttered. ‘And you should be ashamed of yourself.’ She shoved the letter in her handbag, deciding she’d wait for the right moment to show it to John – if there ever could be such a thing.
Danuta had read Peggy’s message with some exasperation. Peggy had clearly been unable to resist meddling, and although she’d undoubtedly meant well by going to see Solly, Danuta did wish she’d left things alone.
The revelation that the Home Office was advising British passport holders not to travel to Poland had come as a surprise, but it seemed to underline the dangers Stanislaw had warned her about, and went some way to easing her guilt at changing her mind about going. However, the tone of the message suggested that Peggy’s visit to the factory had caused some disagreement between Solly and his wife, so she decided she would do her rounds before going to see them.
The morning flashed past as she dressed ulcerated legs and bathed the elderly patients who couldn’t do it for themselves. She attended the ante-natal clinic straight after a lunch of Spam sandwiches, and once it was over, approached Sister Higgins.
‘I am sorry to make things difficult for you, Florence,’ she began hesitantly. ‘But would it be all right if I took back my notice and stayed on?’
Florence’s broad face broke into a beaming smile. ‘Oh, my dear. You don’t have to apologise. Of course you can stay. I’m just so relieved you aren’t going back to Poland. Dr Sayers and I were very worried about you.’ She regarded Danuta fondly. ‘What changed your mind?’
‘I realised that this is my home now. I have Peggy and Ron, and work that I love. It seemed to me to be very foolish to leave when I have so many things here to be grateful for.’
Florence threw her arms about her and held her to her generous bosom. ‘Dear Danuta, I’m so very happy you’re staying – and I know Peggy and all your patients will be too. You’ve become an important part of our lives, and we really didn’t want to lose you.’
Danuta enjoyed being cuddled by Florence, for it was like being embraced within layers of soft cushions, but still shy of such strong emotions, she gently disentangled herself. ‘Did you read my report on Mrs Wilson?’ she asked, straightening her cap.
‘Yes, and you did very well, Danuta. It was a tricky one, and not always resulting in a happy ending. I’ve seen the trick with the cold water done once before, although I doubt the powers that be would approve. Still, if it works when nothing else has, it’s definitely worth a try – as you proved.’
‘I am hoping to visit Mrs Wilson later to see how she and the babies are doing.’
‘There’s no need, dear. I went in early this morning. Mrs Wilson is blooming, as is baby Daniel, and little Evie is safe in an incubator and expected to pull through as long as she doesn’t get an infection.’
‘Peggy will go to see Mr Wilson tonight to make sure he’s managing,’ said Danuta, packing away her instruments. ‘But I think he knows he must cope and will do his best.’
Florence sighed. ‘Yes, the poor man isn’t capable of much and was turned down for enlistment on medical grounds. His nerves, I believe. But by all accounts he’s a wizard when it comes to Cliffehaven’s gardens, and the council know they’re jolly lucky to have him. He planted the carpet gardens, you know – the ones on the bomb site of the Grand Hotel. Lovely, they are. You should take time to go and see them while they’re still at their best.’
Promising that she would, Danuta finished helping to clear away everything before setting off on her bicycle for her final two house calls. She felt lighter in spirit now she’d decided to stay, and the sun seemed to bring out the colours more vividly in the window boxes and small gardens. Yes, she thought. I’ve made the right decision – but I still have to tell Rachel and Solly.
Rachel and Solly Goldman lived at Starlings, a large house set back from the main road which led out of Cliffehaven and over the hill towards the next town. It wasn’t as far away as the Memorial Hospital, but it was far enough, and the hill steep enough to leave Danuta fighting for breath that early evening as she reached the imposing gateway set into a high rhododendron hedge.
She waited to catch her breath before opening the gate and wheeling her bicycle along the neat brick path lined with pretty red flowers that led to the front porch which was smothered in roses and clematis. She loved this house, and never tired of drinking in its tranquil atmosphere.
Starlings had given temporary shelter to numerous Jewish refugee children who’d been sent to England when it became clear they wouldn’t be safe in Europe, and both Solly and Rachel still kept in touch with them. The house was old and rambling, with whitewashed walls and dark beams beneath a thatched roof. The diamond-paned windows glinted in the late afternoon sun, and the heady scent of roses and clambering honeysuckle filled the still, warm air. Lawns as smooth and green as billiard tables stretched to the hedged boundaries on three sides, and the flower bed borders were positively bursting with colour.
Danuta could hear the busy humming of the bees as they flitted in and out of the flowers, and she stopped to watch some goldfinches swoop down to eat from the bird table, or splash in the ornate basin held in the hands of a stone nymph. She gave a deep sigh of pleasure. It was truly a paradise, and she could have sat in this garden for hours, dreaming away the day in these peaceful surroundings.
She reluctantly pulled the black metal rod by the door which rang a bell in the hall, and breathed in the fragrance of the cascade of pink roses which rambled over the porch.
‘Hello, Danuta,’ said Rachel, looking cool and svelte in a cream linen dress and strappy sandals. ‘We were expecting to see you after Peggy visited this morning. Come in, my dear. We’re in the back garden as it’s such a lovely evening. Have you eaten? Would you like a drink?’
Danuta smiled, for Rachel was the consummate hostess, always worrying that her guests didn’t have enough food or drink. ‘I will eat at Beach View later,’ she replied. ‘But a drink would be welcome after tackling that hill.’
‘Of course, of course. Everything is waiting outside.’ Rachel touched Danuta’s arm and drew her to a standstill in the large, galleried hall. ‘Solly has been in a terrible mood all day, but I think I have persuaded him against going. The letter from the Foreign Office was the clincher, really. But it will do no harm for you to dissuade him.’
She regarded Danuta sharply. ‘You have decided not to go, haven’t you?’
Danuta nodded. ‘Reluctantly, it seems wise.’
‘Thank goodness for that.’ Rachel put her arm around Danuta’s shoulder and steered her gently through the hall into the elegant drawing room which had French doors leading out to a terrace overlooking the sweep of the back garden. ‘Just tell him straight, Danuta,’ she murmured. ‘Then he can’t argue.’
Danuta smiled at that, for Solly could argue black was white if he put his mind to it.
‘Look who’s here, Solly,’ said Rachel cheerfully.
He turned his great head and eyed Danuta with all the welcome of a bad-tempered bulldog before he got to his feet. ‘I suppose you’ve come to bully me too,’ he stated.
‘Not at all,’ she replied. ‘I’ve come to tell you I’ve changed my mind and will be staying here.’
‘I see,’ he muttered. ‘So Peggy got to you too, did she?’
‘It was entirely my decision,’ she said firmly. ‘And after hearing about that letter from the Foreign Office, I have concluded it was the correct one.’ She sat down in one of the wicker chairs and Rachel handed her a tall glass tinkling with ice.
‘A gin and tonic,’ said Rachel, shooting a glance at her husband. ‘Works wonders on tired bodies and bad tempers.’ She raised her glass. ‘L’chaim.’
Solly joined in the toast to life, then plumped down into the cushions of the sturdy wicker chair and glowered at the beautiful garden. ‘Who is this man Peggy talks about? The Pole who put these ideas in your head, Danuta?’
‘He’s just someone I met at Rita’s wedding,’ she replied lightly. ‘And it seems he was right to warn me if that letter from the Foreign Office is anything to go by.’
‘Hmph.’ He took a long draught of his drink, and then placed the empty glass on the table for Rachel to replenish. ‘We will all go back one day, Danuta. That’s a promise.’
‘Yes,’ she murmured. ‘But until then we must give thanks for the beauty of this home we have here, and for the people who love us.’ She smiled at him. ‘Is it not said by the Jewish people that when we are no longer able to change the situation, we are challenged to change ourselves?’
Solly nodded. ‘Everything can be taken from a man but one thing – the last of the human freedoms – to choose one’s own way.’ He smiled, bringing warmth to his dark brown eyes. ‘You are wise for one so young,’ he said softly.
She smiled back at him with great affection. ‘I have a very old soul.’