Peggy had avoided going to the recreation ground ever since the family picnic two years ago which had ended in the terror of an enemy rocket heading straight for them. The V-1 had come down in Havelock Road and completely destroyed the end three houses. Peggy could still remember the shock and horror of that day, and the profound fear that she’d lost Doris in the inferno.
However, she’d discovered that time was a great healer. Her fear had been unfounded as Doris had not been in the house at the time, and was now due to return to her bungalow tomorrow, fresh from her honeymoon. Life had moved on, and in her sister’s case, it had improved no end and brought harmony between them after many years of strife.
Peggy had been a bit put out that she hadn’t been asked to help with the tea the club provided after the match, but she soon learned that for the first match tea was always provided by the club chairman and committee members, and that she’d definitely be roped in for future home matches. She recognised some of the other mothers and could see that there were several senior players watching from the clubhouse – one of whom was young Dr Michael Sayer, who’d now taken over the practice from his father.
Michael was with his snooty wife, Eunice, who was trying to keep their toddler amused and losing the battle. Peggy had never taken to Eunice, because she’d been perfectly horrid to Julie Harris when she’d come to Beach View as an evacuee and worked at the surgery. Eunice had pursued Michael quite vigorously and seen poor Julie as a rival, even going so far as to endanger Julie’s position at the surgery with her spiteful talk. Peggy watched the lack of interaction between Eunice and her husband and wondered fleetingly if either of them was happy.
The match was finally won by the Cliffehaven side. Charlie had played well, even scoring a try, so he was very pleased with himself, and both Frank and Ron were so hoarse after shouting encouragement they’d had to down several cups of tea so they could speak.
Peggy left Cordelia with Frank, who would drive her home, and walked slowly back to Beach View with Daisy. The early clouds had melted away and as the afternoon had waned to evening, the air was soft and warm. Her thoughts turned to Frank, who seemed to be holding up well, despite the shock of Pauline leaving him so suddenly. She rather hoped he’d find a nice little woman who could love him as he deserved – but that was for the future.
Daisy ran on ahead to greet Rosie, who was sweeping the first of the autumn leaves from the pavement with much hindrance from Monty, and Peggy smiled at the sight. Rosie was dressed up to the nines, with high heels and a figure-hugging frock. ‘You’re a bit overdressed for that job, aren’t you?’ she teased.
Rosie grinned and her blue eyes sparkled. ‘I suppose I am, but Ron’s taking me out dancing tonight, and I just needed to clear this lot away so they don’t get trampled into the bar.’
Peggy’s smile hid her envy, for she couldn’t remember the last time Jim had taken her dancing. ‘Where’s he taking you?’
‘The Pier Hotel,’ Rosie replied. ‘They’ve opened up the basement and the dance floor is rumoured to be marvellous.’ She lifted Daisy into her arms and perched her on her hip so the child could inspect her sparkling earrings. ‘Why don’t you ask Danuta to babysit and come along with us, Peg? I’m sure you could do with a night out.’
‘I’d feel a bit of a gooseberry, Rosie.’
‘You could always ask Frank to come with you,’ said Rosie with a naughty grin. ‘He’s footloose and fancy free at last, and is quite the dancer.’
‘It’s a bit soon, don’t you think?’
Rosie shrugged. ‘Probably, but he should start getting out and about and enjoying life again. Living with Pauline can’t have been much fun.’
‘I don’t expect it was,’ agreed Peggy. ‘But her leaving like that came as a nasty shock, and he’ll need time to find his feet again.’
Rosie winced as Daisy tugged at her earring. ‘Don’t pull, darling,’ she said. ‘That hurt.’ Daisy looked mutinous, so Rosie put her back on her feet so she could pat Monty.
‘Changing the subject,’ she said, rubbing her ear and clipping the earring back on, ‘all the paperwork has gone through on Doris’s purchase of the bungalow, so I expect they’ll start the building work any day now. How are your renovations going, Peg? I hope Ron’s getting on with it and not spending half his time drinking tea.’
‘He’s been very good, really. There’s only Danuta and Cordelia’s bedrooms to do now and upstairs will be finished but for the landings. The big upheaval will start on Monday when the men begin work on the basement.’
‘It will all cost a pretty penny, Peggy. I hope you’re not stretching things too far and leaving yourself short.’
‘I have been a bit over-ambitious with all my plans,’ Peggy admitted. ‘The cost of everything is terrifying, and now there’s only Danuta and Cordelia paying rent things are tight.’ She gave a sigh. ‘I might have to shelve some of my bigger ideas until next year.’
Rosie nodded. ‘That’s a shame, but understandable. The rationing is worse than ever and the cost of everything is rising almost daily. It’s one of the things I plan to argue against once I’m on the council. We’re in the heart of the countryside with fields and farms all around us, but even the most basic things like butter, eggs, potatoes and bread are rationed so we can send food to Europe. It’s simply not right.’
Peggy grinned. ‘There’s no need to get on your soapbox for me, Rosie. I’m in full agreement. But what will you do with the Anchor if you get on the council?’
‘Not if, Peggy, but when,’ she chided softly. ‘We shall have to sell it. Ron prefers to be out and about rather than standing behind a bar, and since his accident, his back really isn’t up to lifting barrels and being on his feet all evening. Though he wouldn’t thank me for telling you,’ she added with a wink.
‘I suppose the brewery would take it on like a shot. The Anchor’s become a real little gold mine since you took it over.’
‘That would be my last option, Peggy. I’d really prefer to keep it freehold so that whoever buys it can do what they want with it. Once a brewery takes over they make demands for changes and start charging high rent, and you’re tied to buying all your beer from them.’
She gave a little sigh and caught Monty’s collar to stop him jumping up at Daisy. ‘I was hoping a young family might take it on, or a returning serviceman, but there’s simply no money about, Peggy. So it looks as if we’ll be here for a long while yet.’
‘Well, I for one am glad. I really don’t like the thought of you and Ron moving away from Cliffehaven.’
Rosie giggled. ‘There’s no chance of that. If we do sell, we’ll find somewhere here to move into.’ She gave Peggy a hug. ‘You don’t get rid of us that easily.’
Peggy hugged her back, then rounded up Daisy and headed for home, thinking how lucky she was to have such a good friend in Rosie.
Daisy was tired after her long walk, and once she’d had her bath and some cocoa, she was soon asleep.
Peggy stood and watched her for a while and then quietly opened the bottom drawer of her tallboy and drew out the baby clothes she’d kept wrapped in tissue paper. Most of Daisy’s layette had been donated to charity, but she’d held back these few pieces because Daisy was the last baby she’d ever have. It had been through nostalgia and a sense of time slipping away that she’d needed to keep these mementos, but it felt criminal to hang on to them when they could be put to good use elsewhere.
She carried the matinee jackets, bootees and knitted bonnets into the kitchen and carefully put them on the table while she made a pot of tea, and hunted out a writing pad and pen from the dresser drawer. Once she’d taken a restorative sip of the rather weak tea, she parcelled up the baby clothes, thinking about how to answer Ruby’s sad letter.
Peggy decided to keep it light-hearted and full of gossip, so she started by congratulating her on her terrific news and telling her there would be a parcel in the post for her very soon. She sympathised over the morning sickness but consoled her by saying it wouldn’t last for long, and she’d soon be feeling fine. Then she told her about Charlie’s first week at the grammar school, and his rugby match.
She wrote about the work she was having done on the house, and Rosie’s plans to sell the pub once she was on the council. Making light of Pauline doing a flit, she went on to tell Ruby that Rita and Peter were now on their way to Australia, and that Sarah and Jane would arrive in Singapore very soon and finally discover what had happened to their father and Philip. There was the news that Danuta was courting a Polish baron of all things, and that although he’d lost both legs during a dogfight over Holland, it was clear the pair of them were over the moon with each other, and she was expecting an engagement to be announced any day now.
Peggy finished off by saying that once her baby was born, Ruby would feel much more settled as she’d have someone other than herself to care for during those lonely days when Mike was away, and not to be too downhearted in the meantime. Everything resolved itself in the end, and as long as she had Mike, she’d soon find her feet and start enjoying life in Canada.
Peggy read the letter through and couldn’t think of anything else to say, so she signed it and added a few kisses in the hope Ruby would know she was loved and missed.
She had just finished a similar, newsy letter to Jim when the back door crashed open and Charlie came up the stone steps. ‘What time do you call this?’ she asked mildly.
Charlie squinted at the mantel clock. ‘Five past seven,’ he replied, giving her a cheeky grin before he sank into a kitchen chair.
‘I’ll have less sauce from you, you young rapscallion,’ she said affectionately. ‘What’s happened to Frank and Cordelia?’
‘They stopped off at the Anchor for a drink with Grandad before he takes Rosie out dancing. I think Uncle Frank’s a bit reluctant to go home to an empty house, so he’s chatting to Brenda.’
Peggy felt a dart of hope which she quickly quelled.
‘Have you got anything to eat, Mum? Only I’m starving.’
Peggy rolled her eyes. ‘But you had an enormous tea at the club.’
‘That was hours ago, and I’ve only had a bag of chips since then.’ He got up to rummage about in the larder.
Alarmed, Peggy quickly pulled him out and firmly shut the door. ‘There’s soup in the pot on the stove, and bread in the crock. Everything else is for tomorrow.’
He grinned down at her just as his father used to do when he wanted his own way over something. ‘Are you sure I can’t have a bit of that tinned ham?’ he wheedled.
‘Positive,’ she replied, trying not to laugh.
‘Oh, Mum,’ he sighed, putting his arm round her shoulders. ‘I do love you, you know. And I’m sorry I’ve been such a pain.’
Peggy’s heart melted, for this was the first time her son had said anything close to an endearment, and it was the most precious of moments. ‘I love you too,’ she managed.
He drew her into his embrace and held her close for a moment and then softly kissed her cheek. ‘Sorry I haven’t done this before,’ he murmured. ‘But I’ve been all of a muddle.’
‘I know you have,’ she replied, fighting back her happy tears. ‘And I do understand why, Charlie.’ She smiled back at him. ‘But if you think this has softened me up into letting you have some ham, you’ve got another think coming.’
He tipped back his head and roared with laughter before hugging her again. ‘I’m happy with soup,’ he said finally.
Much later that night Peggy was warmed by the memory of that embrace and the joy of the moment when her son had finally accepted he was home. She didn’t know what had brought it about, and didn’t care, but she’d sneak him an extra slice of ham for lunch tomorrow – not just for his cheek, but because she was so happy to have her son back to his old self again.
Danuta had spent the previous Sunday getting the hang of driving on the left side of the road, doing hand signals and working out the gears. Jack Smith had been really patient with her, never raising his voice or giving exasperated sighs when she stalled the engine or crunched the gears.
The little car ran beautifully, and Danuta was absolutely thrilled with it. However, she was still suspicious that Jack was charging her far less than it was worth, and she’d queried the amount again. He fended her off and then quickly changed the subject, warning that she’d need to take a test before she was allowed to drive it on her own. Over the following week, he’d taken her out each evening, teaching her the Highway Code and making sure she knew what to expect from the examiner.
Danuta had passed the test yesterday, and had gone straight to Jack to proudly show him her licence, and they’d celebrated with a cup of tea and a bath bun from the bakery. Now it was Sunday morning, the weather was fine and Danuta planned to take Stanislaw out for a drive to cheer him up. Physically, he was very much better after resting quietly in bed and completely cutting out alcohol, but he’d been feeling very down these past few days. However, Danuta had a plan, and if things went as she hoped, then he would have something to work for and aim at.
She kept her plans to herself as she kissed Peggy and Cordelia goodbye and ran down the front steps to where her little car was parked at the kerb. She stood and admired it for a moment, then climbed in and gave a sigh of pleasure as she ran her fingers over the leather seat and mahogany dashboard. She still couldn’t quite believe she owned such a wonderful thing, but she’d decided it was definitely female and she would therefore call her Bessie – which echoed the registration plate BSI 4489.
Danuta drove carefully out of Cliffehaven towards the Cliffe estate, revelling in the sheer joy of making the journey so effortlessly after going everywhere by bicycle. She passed between the grand pillars and up the driveway and parked by the ramp which had been placed over the front steps to give the less mobile patients easier access to the grounds. Grabbing her handbag, she softly closed the car door and then ran up the steps, eager to see Stanislaw and show him her car.
She found him sitting in his room staring gloomily out of the window, clearly deep in thought. ‘Hello, there. My goodness, you’ve got a long face for such a lovely day,’ she said cheerfully.
He looked up at her sorrowfully, and held out his arms. ‘I have missed you,’ he said, gathering her on to his lap and kissing her. ‘Why you not come to see me yesterday?’
She perched there within his embrace. ‘I did tell you, Stanislaw. I was working all day and then taking my driving test – and I passed. So come on, let’s go for a lovely drive in the country.’
‘You are clever girl,’ he said, giving her another kiss and then regarding her thoughtfully. ‘You are beautiful and have good life, Danuta, with so many things to still achieve. Perhaps it is not wise for you to tie yourself to a man who will only be a burden.’
Danuta moved from his lap and looked down at him. ‘That’s defeatist talk,’ she said in Polish. ‘And I won’t have it. You are perfectly capable of doing many things if only you put some effort into it.’
He shrugged and couldn’t meet her gaze. ‘I have tried. But is no use. I cannot walk, and without legs, I am only half a man and cannot provide for you.’
Danuta realised he was in one of his darker moods, so instead of arguing with him, she fetched his prosthetic legs and held them out to him. ‘Are you going to sit and sulk here all day, Stanislaw? I have plans for us, and you will spoil my surprise if you don’t put these on and come with me.’
He heaved a great sigh, and then muttered a litany of moans under his breath as he slowly began to strap the legs on.
Danuta ignored the comments about bossy women and how a man couldn’t be left in peace, and handed him the walking sticks. ‘I know the stumps haven’t fully healed yet,’ she said, ‘so you can’t walk too far. Therefore, I shall put the wheelchair in the boot of my car.’
‘I’m not using that,’ he grumbled.
‘We’ll see,’ she murmured, steadying him as he struggled to his feet and balanced himself with the walking sticks.
She collected the wheelchair and followed him closely as he began the long walk down the corridor, ready to push the chair beneath him should he falter. They eventually reached the front door. ‘There,’ she said. ‘That wasn’t so difficult, was it?’
He scowled and grunted, and then eyed the little car. ‘Is very small,’ he grumbled. ‘I not fit in that.’
‘Bessie is big enough to take you and the wheelchair,’ she retorted.
He eyed her quizzically. ‘Bessie? You give the car a name?’
‘Yes,’ she said firmly.
He broke into a chuckle. ‘I will never understand you women,’ he said. ‘But if I can fit into that, it will be a miracle.’
Danuta was actually having second thoughts herself, but was determined not to let him see that. She wheeled the chair down to the car, and then came back to steady him as he slowly negotiated the ramp.
Opening the car door, she waited for him to position himself and then lower his rump onto the seat – which he did with an alarming thud that rocked the little car and made the springs complain.
Trying not to think about the damage he might be doing to her precious Bessie, she took the sticks from him, then lifted up his legs and tucked them into the well beneath the dashboard. It was a tight fit, for his head touched the roof, he took up one and a half seats, and his prosthetic knee-joints had to stay bent even with the seat ramped back as far as it would go.
‘I feel as if I am ship in bottle,’ he grumbled. ‘I hope we not go too far.’
Danuta closed the door on his grumbling and quickly folded up the wheelchair to put into the boot. It wouldn’t fit, no matter which way she tried, and she was almost at the point of giving up when a helpful porter came along with some rope and lashed the boot handle to the back bumper.
Thanking him profusely, she climbed into the car, found she was squashed between the door and Stanislaw and had to wriggle about to get comfortable behind the steering wheel. The handbrake was digging into Stanislaw’s bottom, and when she released it, he sighed gratefully.
‘I hope we are not going far,’ said Stanislaw. ‘We are like beans in a can, and it is very hot in here.’
‘Then we must open the windows,’ she said, winding hers down. They were indeed like beans in a can, she realised as she drove away from the recuperation centre, but it was just something they’d have to get used to if he wasn’t to be stuck at Cliffe every day.
‘Where are we going?’ he asked as she turned out of the driveway onto the country road.
‘You’ll find out any minute now,’ she replied, the excitement bubbling up inside her.
Stanislaw folded his arms. ‘We will have lunch there?’ he asked hopefully.
‘Probably not,’ she admitted. ‘But then you must have only just had breakfast.’ She drove past the fields where a farmer was ploughing to the accompaniment of a flock of seagulls, and then slowed to turn off through the open gates leading to the airfield.
‘Why we come here?’ he demanded, shifting in his seat and making the springs twang.
‘Because today is the inaugural flight of the new freight service,’ she replied, bringing the car to a standstill. ‘Kitty, Charlotte, Roger and Martin will be here with Anne, the children and everyone from Beach View to celebrate.’
‘You should have told me, Danuta,’ he gasped. ‘I would have brought champagne.’
Danuta didn’t reply as she drove down the newly laid track past the Nissen huts which had been developed into weather-proofed, comfortable homes for the men and their families who would work for this new venture. She knew that many of them had been out of work and virtually homeless before Roger and Martin had started recruiting, and they’d worked hard to turn the derelict Nissen huts into decent dwellings and bring the airfield back into a serviceable state.
‘There has been much work here,’ murmured Stanislaw as they passed the reconstructed control tower and drove parallel to the smooth, weed-free runway. ‘Oh, look,’ he said excitedly, ‘a pair of DC-47s.’
Danuta smiled inwardly and continued down the track to the far end of the field where a large gathering clustered around a sturdy wooden hut bedecked with bunting. She’d known Stanislaw’s interest would be piqued by the sight of the planes, and she just hoped that the excitement of the day would chase away his depression and give him something new to think about.
She parked the car a little distance away from the office hut and it was instantly surrounded; the door was thrust open and Stanislaw almost unceremoniously hauled out to be embraced by his fellow flying officers, and introduced to the ground crew.
Danuta smiled as she saw the light return to his eyes. Stan hadn’t flown with Roger or Martin, but the brotherhood of airman was tight-knit, and soon he was laughing and joking, and making his way towards the planes.
Danuta realised she’d been forgotten in the joy of this meeting, but that was all part of the plan, and as Kitty helped her to free the wheelchair, they shared a knowing smile.
‘That’ll be the last we’ll see of any of them for a while,’ said Kitty cheerfully. ‘Once they get talking planes, we might as well not be here. Come and have a cup of tea, Danuta. Charlotte baked a lovely Victoria sponge, I made some sandwiches, and the other wives brought all sorts of goodies, so no one will go hungry.’
‘I did not expect so many people to come,’ said Danuta, eyeing the large crowd.
‘We felt we had to celebrate properly and involve everyone who put so much time and effort into this venture. We couldn’t have done it without them, and this is a very special day for all of us.’
‘How is Charlotte feeling about it all?’ Danuta asked quietly.
‘A mixture of sadness that Freddy can’t be here and a sense of pride that we’ve seen all our plans come to fruition.’ Her smile wavered. ‘It’s how we both feel, really, but this isn’t a day for looking back. Freddy wouldn’t have wanted us to.’
She linked arms with Danuta and they walked over the uneven grass towards the gathering. ‘So, do you think your plan will work on Stanislaw?’
‘With some help from you, yes, I think it is very possible,’ Danuta replied, glancing across at the men who were inspecting every inch of the cargo planes with their bright new logo of a phoenix emblazoned on their tails. ‘I like the phoenix,’ she said.
‘We decided on it because it represents new beginnings from the ashes of the war, and Phoenix Air Freight is much more memorable than what we first thought up.’
She stopped and turned to Danuta. ‘I will do my very best to encourage him, Danuta, and have coached Roger and Martin to do the same. But you do realise he has a very long way to go?’
Danuta nodded. ‘Of course I do, and I will be with him every step of the way.’
Kitty grinned. ‘I hope he realises how very lucky he is to have you by his side.’
Danuta giggled. ‘Every day I tell him this, so he knows.’
The morning sped past as she was introduced to the wives and families of the ground crew, drank tea, chatted to Peggy, Anne and Cordelia, and kept a watchful eye on Stanislaw who was in danger of getting worn out from all the walking and standing.
Ron and Frank turned up with the dogs, shortly followed by Brendon, Betty and baby Joseph. It became a real family gathering with children and dogs racing about as the women gossiped and the men went into huddles to talk engines and flight paths and the vagaries of the weather.
As midday approached the men dispersed and Roger and Martin returned with their co-pilots, dressed in their flying gear. An expectant hush fell over them all and even the children stopped playing to watch the men kiss their loved ones and then stride across to the planes. Climbing up the steps, each man waved before the door was shut.
A breathless silence fell to be broken by the splutter and roar of the powerful engines. Chocks were hauled away, another brief wave from the cockpit window, and the first DC-47 raced down the runway and lifted up into the sky, shortly followed by the second.
A huge cheer went up and everyone waved, but the two cargo planes were now almost beyond the edges of the cliffs and lifting higher and higher above the English Channel, the sound of their engines fading.
‘I wish I was with them,’ sighed Kitty, holding Charlotte’s hand. ‘Still, our turn will come soon enough with so many orders to fulfil.’
Stanislaw had chosen to ignore the wheelchair and was jammed into a deckchair. He shaded his eyes against the sun until the two planes were mere specks in the distance. ‘Roger tells me you were both ATA girls,’ he said. ‘I met many such beautiful girls in the war. They were all very brave.’
‘There was nothing brave about it,’ said Charlotte. ‘We were merely doing a job. But we both miss it, don’t we, Kitty?’
‘Indeed we do, but now I’m expecting again, I shall soon be grounded by Roger, who seems to think being pregnant will make me extra delicate and unable to think straight.’
Stanislaw smiled, but his thoughts were clearly elsewhere. ‘You lost a leg, and yet you are flying again.’
‘It wasn’t easy,’ admitted Kitty. ‘I had a lot of very hard work to do before I could be passed fit enough.’ She grinned and sat next to him, deliberately letting her prosthetic lower leg show from beneath the cuff of her linen trousers.
‘But flying gets into the blood, doesn’t it?’ Kitty went on. ‘I just knew I couldn’t give it up, so I did everything I could to climb back into a plane and feel that adrenaline rush of taking off and soaring through the skies.’ She grinned. ‘There’s nothing quite like it, is there? Did Roger tell you that I flew us both away from our wedding reception?’
Stanislaw nodded thoughtfully, his gaze fixed on her leg. ‘How long did it take you to be passed fit?’
‘Almost a year, I think. It felt much longer, and I had some very bad days as well as good ones. But I never gave up, Stan, and it was all worth it in the end.’
Danuta watched as Stanislaw digested this in silence. Kitty was doing a brilliant job of jolting him out of feeling sorry for himself and opening up a whole world of possibilities.
‘Would it be difficult for a man like me with no legs to fly again?’ he asked quietly.
‘Douglas Bader managed it through the war until he had to bail out over Germany, and was taken prisoner,’ said Kitty. ‘I hear he still flies for pleasure, even now.’
‘But will someone employ such a man now the war is over?’
‘I’m sure that if he’s competent and has passed all the medical requirements, he’d be snapped up,’ said Kitty.
‘It is something to think about,’ he murmured. ‘Thank you, Kitty. You are an inspiration.’
He struggled to lever himself up from the chair and gave up with a roar of laughter. ‘Perhaps it is wise for me to learn to get out of chair before I climb into cockpit,’ he said, his eyes dancing with humour. ‘May I ask someone to be so kind as to unplug me?’
There was a great deal of laughter and joking as Stanislaw was hauled out of the chair and onto his feet, but he took it all with great humour. ‘I think now I must return to Cliffe. Thank you all for a most pleasant and informative morning.’
Danuta’s plan to spur Stanislaw out of his misery and give him something exciting to think about had worked. She was to discover over the following months that he was now determined to fly again, and she watched with admiration and heart-stopping concern as he used all that stubbornness and strength to push himself to the very limit of his endurance.
Doris felt she must be positively glowing she was so happy. The honeymoon had been a triumph in every way, with the first-class hotels, the meals, the lovemaking, and of course the wonderful views and walks in the Lake District.
John drew the car up to the kerb and switched off the engine. ‘Here we are, my darling,’ he said. ‘Home safe and sound.’ He climbed out of the car and went round to open the door and help her out. ‘Do you want me to carry you over the threshold?’ he asked with a naughty twinkle in his eye.
‘You’d better not,’ she giggled. ‘We don’t want your back going again, and I have plans for you tonight.’
He squeezed her hand. ‘Well, in that case, we’ll forget the threshold and just go straight to bed.’
Doris blushed furiously as he collected their cases from the boot and then hesitated between the two front gates. ‘But which bed do we choose?’ he asked. ‘Mine or yours?’
‘Mine,’ she said. ‘It’s bigger and I made it up with clean sheets before we left.’
He led the way up the short path and she slotted in the key. Pushing the door open they found a pile of mail waiting on the mat. Doris quickly gathered it all up and shuffled through it, then gasped in delight. ‘There’s one from our solicitor and another from the planning department.’
He put down the cases and looked over her shoulder as she opened each letter. The purchase of the bungalow had gone through; her first mortgage payment would be due at the end of September, and planning permission had been given to turn the two properties into one.
‘Oh, John,’ she breathed, turning into his embrace. ‘Our dreams really are about to come true.’
He kissed her softly on the lips. ‘Mine already came true when you agreed to marry me, darling girl,’ he murmured, gently divesting her of her coat, hat and scarf. ‘Let’s celebrate all this good news in the best way we know how.’
It was quite a while later before they could think about anything else but each other, and it was only the need for the bathroom, a cup of tea and something to eat that stirred them from the bed. Having washed and dressed in their night things, they sat in the kitchen over a pot of tea and went through the rest of the post.
‘There are a lot of bills,’ sighed Doris. ‘I hope all the work we’re having done won’t prove too expensive.’
‘You let me worry about those,’ said John firmly. ‘My pension and the salary I get is more than enough to cover everything, and I do have some savings should we need anything extra.’
Doris bit her lip, reluctant to speak of what had been worrying her ever since they’d decided to do the building work and take out the mortgage.
Seeming to sense her unease, John took her hand and lifted it to his lips. ‘You’re not to worry about anything, do you hear me? I know you lost everything because your first husband didn’t take proper care of you, but if anything happens to me, you’ll be absolutely secure – I promise.’
‘I know I can trust you, John,’ she replied. ‘It’s just seeing all these bills and estimates has worried me a bit. The amount we’re spending didn’t seem so vast until I saw it all written down in black and white.’
John pulled her gently onto his lap. ‘You can’t have omelettes without breaking eggs, and although it all looks frightening now, think how marvellous it will be when the work’s finished.’
‘Do you think it will be done in time for Christmas?’
‘I’m not sure, but I’m hoping so. It would be perfect to spend our first Christmas together in our new and very smart house, don’t you think? Perhaps Anthony and his little family could visit. Suzy will have had the baby by then, and you’ll be able to enjoy your grandchildren.’
Doris snuggled up to him, happier than she’d ever been, her worries disappearing in the glow of being loved and cherished by this wonderful man.