Christmas Wishes (34 page)

‘Why don’t you ask her to go with you as well as Irene?’ Chalky suggested. He guffawed. ‘Wharrit is to be popular with the ladies, eh? Only you don’t want young Irene gettin’ ideas. What say I come along as well to make up a foursome like? I’ve never been to the Isle of Man and I can purroff visitin’ me uncle for another day.’

Alex frowned. Poor Irene had been trying to get him to herself for months and months; if she heard their twosome was to become a foursome, would it wreck the day for her? On the other hand, if he stuck to his original plan and only he and Irene went aboard the steamer, then she might read into it more than he intended. Alex sighed; what on earth to do for the best?

He began to soap his face and hands vigorously. He had seen the look Gillian had given her twin when Irene had told the twins triumphantly of the planned excursion, had seen Joy banishing a wicked little smile. He knew neither girl wanted him to get involved with Irene, knew too that they had never even considered an involvement with Mrs Clarke. Why, after all the years they had known one another, he still called her ‘Mrs Clarke’ or ‘Auntie Clarke’, had never used her first name, though he knew it well enough.

Alex reached for a towel, then glanced at the clock on the wall; if he went up to his bunk now, and provided there were no more shouts, he could have a good sleep and still get home when his shift was over in time to catch the twins before they set off for the coach station. Then he could tell them his change of plan regarding the trip to the Isle of Man. Yes, it might be wisest to do that. The twins and Irene were thick as thieves these days, and Alex knew they loved their Auntie Clarke almost as much as they would have loved their mother, had she lived. But they disapproved of Irene’s obvious designs on their father and would probably applaud Chalky’s suggestion of a foursome.

Hastily, Alex clapped the younger man on the shoulder. ‘Are you sure you want to, old feller? Only we’ve been up all night so we’ll only get a few hours’ sleep before we have to be down at the quay.’

‘I’ll be fine; I’ll get me head down straight away and be fresh as a perishin’ daisy by the time she sails,’ Chalky assured him. ‘It’s years since I had an outin’ like this. How much will it cost, though? I’m not too flush right now.’ Alex told him, and Chalky said he thought he could manage to pay his way since he had long wanted to see the Isle of Man. ‘But what about Mrs Clarke? She ain’t exactly rolling in riches,’ he said.

‘Oh, if Mrs Clarke is free, I’ll pay for her willingly,’ Alex said, ‘but I won’t be able to find out how she’s fixed till I’m free at nine o’clock. And I’ll tell the twins that the first ones home buy fish and chips for – let me see – fish and chips for seven.’

Chalky rubbed his hands. ‘I like young Irene.’ He looked at his officer from under thick fair lashes. ‘And if she didn’t have a crush on some feller old enough to be her dad …’

‘That’s enough, young Chalky,’ Alex said severely but with a twitching lip as the two men left the washroom and clattered up the stairs. ‘You don’t know how to court a girl, that’s your trouble. Boxes of Black Magic and bunches of flowers are unknown to you. Four penn’orth of chips and a seat in the back row of the flicks is no substitute for chocolates and roses.’

‘Chocs is on ration, don’t forget,’ Chalky grumbled. ‘As for roses … why, I dare say they’d charge me two bob for the scrawniest bouquet. Remember, I’m just a perishin’ fire bobby, norra sub-officer rollin’ in dosh.’

‘Oh, ha, ha,’ Alex said smartly. ‘I suppose you wouldn’t like to pop round to the Finnigans’ as soon as we’re off duty, and tell Irene that you and Mrs Clarke are going to come along?’

‘Is that an order?’ Chalky said suspiciously. ‘Because if so, it ain’t bleedin’ well fair! She’ll want me guts for garters when she hears I’m hornin’ in on her day out.’

‘Oh nonsense, she’ll be delighted to have some young company,’ Alex said briskly, crossing his fingers behind his back. ‘And she’s rare fond of Mrs Clarke – shall we suggest that Dilly comes along as well? I know how you love that little dog.’

Chalky made a rude noise but said that though unwilling, he would do the dirty work and tell poor Irene the bad news, provided Alex promised that the pug should be left behind. ‘And if Irene screams and sticks a carvin’ knife into me vitals then it’ll be your blame, Mr Lawrence, sir,’ he said gloomily. ‘Come on, let’s hear you swear on the Bible that Dilly won’t be one o’ the party.’

The twins were awoken by their father thumping hard on their bedroom door, then shooting it open. ‘Wakey, wakey, rise and shine,’ he shouted. ‘You don’t want to miss the coach and I don’t mean to miss the steamer, so get yourselves out of those beds and down into the kitchen to make my breakfast.’

Joy scrambled out of bed and collided with Gillian doing the same, just as their father crashed the door shut. ‘Clumsy idiot,’ both girls said in chorus, collapsing back on to their own beds and giggling helplessly. ‘You’re the clumsy one though, because you must have seen me,’ Joy pointed out, standing up and heading for the door. ‘Why didn’t you dodge?’

‘I had my eyes closed,’ Gillian confessed. ‘I was so excited last night when we came to bed that I couldn’t sleep. I heard the church clock chime midnight …’

‘…
We have heard the chimes at midnight, Master Shallow
,’ Joy quoted dreamily, opening the bathroom door and beginning to pull her nightdress over her head. ‘They say there’s a Shakespearean quote for every occasion, but I suppose we’re a bit young for that one.’ She began to run water into the hand basin. ‘Gosh, I thought today would never come, but now it has and I do believe it’s a nice one; am I right?’

‘Yup,’ Gillian said briefly. She nudged her twin with a sharp elbow. ‘Shove up, then we can both wash at the same time.’

Presently, Gillian dressed in a blue gingham frock and Joy in one of sunshine yellow, they descended the stairs to the kitchen. Alex was already there, sleeves rolled up, stirring the porridge whilst sipping a mug of tea. He grinned at Gillian, patted Joy’s arm, then told them the change of plan and received their congratulations with a smirk. ‘I guessed you’d be pleased that Auntie Clarke was sharing in the treat,’ he said. ‘And Chalky, of course.’

The three of them ate their porridge and drank their tea, then Joy began to wash up whilst Gillian checked the bag containing their swimming costumes and towels. When there was a knock on the door, which opened to reveal Mrs Clarke’s rosy face, both twins greeted her with affection, but did not linger.

‘We’ll miss the perishin’ coach if we don’t get a move on,’ Gillian said, snatching her jacket and her twin’s from the hooks by the back door. ‘Have a good day, Auntie Clarke, and Dad! See you this evening!’

‘And don’t forget; whoever gets in first buys the fish and chips,’ Alex shouted as the girls, arms linked, went out into the back yard. ‘Gillian, keep an eye on your sister if she insists on going in the sea. Remember she can’t swim, but I know very well that won’t stop her from having a go.’ He laughed. ‘If she kept on going, I might have to take ship for Ireland to catch up with her!’

As soon as the coach arrived in Llandudno Gillian began to look for Keith, but it was Edward who saw him first. ‘There’s a fellow standing over there who looks vaguely familiar. Yes, he’s spotted you, Gillian; he’s smiling and coming over.’

Joy immediately let go of Gillian’s arm, and Edward caught her hand and led her forward, saying as he did so: ‘Yes, I was right; the chap in the blazer and flannels is Gillian’s friend. I’ve seen him before – our schools were in the same area of the city – but we’ve never actually met. Introduce us, Gillian.’

Gillian had been chattering away to Keith, but at Edward’s words she swung round, flushing. ‘Oh, how dreadful I am! Poor Keith hasn’t even met my twin, let alone you, Edward.’ She performed the introductions, explaining that Edward was the boy who used to take Joy to and from school when she, Gillian, had taken up her place at St Hilda’s. ‘It isn’t everyone that I trust to take care of my twin,’ she said, ‘but both Joy and I trust Edward completely. Now, where shall we go first?’

Keith opened his mouth to reply, but Edward cut across him. ‘Gillian should have explained that I mean to pay my way since I’m an uninvited guest,’ he said gruffly. ‘If the Imperial will allow me to share your lunch and to pay for it, then I’ll be quite happy, but if not, I can get myself a sandwich and a cup of tea somewhere else and then meet up with you later.’

Keith laughed. ‘It’s all right, there’ll be plenty of food for four,’ he said. ‘Because it’s such a gloriously warm and sunny day, the housekeeper has packed me a hamper, so we can have a picnic either on the beach or up the Great Orme, whichever you would prefer.’ He looked at Joy as though expecting her to speak, then looked quickly away, and Edward realised, with a slight sinking of the heart, that Keith was embarrassed by Joy’s blindness and would avoid even addressing her directly if he could do so without appearing rude. Still, Edward comforted himself, by the end of the day Keith would grow accustomed, might even forget Joy’s disability as her delightful personality made itself felt.

But Gillian was speaking. ‘Oh, a picnic!’ she said excitedly. ‘That will be lovely. But where is this hamper? I see no sign of it.’

‘It’s back at the hotel; the housekeeper guessed you wouldn’t want to lug it around all morning, so we’re to pick it up from her room at half past twelve. As for what we should do first, it’s entirely up to you. There’s the pier, the beach, the Great Orme and of course the promenade, as well as some of the most impressive shops and big stores in the whole of North Wales. Take your pick.’

Edward saw Gillian open her mouth to reply and was pretty sure she would go for the shops, but a small, firm voice cut across Gillian’s opening sentence. ‘I’m going on the beach,’ Joy said. ‘There are plenty of shops in Liverpool, and though everyone raves about the views from the summit of the Great Orme, views don’t mean much to me. But I’ve longed and longed for the beach and the sea, so if you will take me down there and leave me, I’ll be happy as – as a sandboy.’

‘I agree; I’d prefer to go on the beach and paddle – or even bathe – rather than trail round shops or play the machines on the pier,’ Edward said quickly. ‘If you two want to go off by yourselves …’

Keith began to say that they could meet up outside the Imperial Hotel at quarter past twelve, but Gillian interrupted. ‘You’re right, queen, it’s a brilliant day and you aren’t the only one who’s longing for the beach,’ she said, and Edward beamed at her; it might not be true – he still thought that left to herself Gillian would have opted for the shops – but she was a loving sister and clearly wanted her twin to enjoy this special day.

Keith had flushed up to the roots of his hair and was now muttering that of course he should have guessed that the sands and the sea were what people came to Llandudno for, and that his friends were no exception. So Gillian seized Keith’s arm, Edward took Joy’s hand, and the four of them set off for the beach.

The beach! Joy settled herself on the sand and felt the salt breeze on her face, lifting her hair and caressing her bare legs and arms, and knew an enormous rush of happiness. She had dreamed about this moment all week and now it had arrived and she was at the seaside! She knew that young ladies of seventeen did not normally dig holes, create sandcastles, or turn over rocks in the hope of surprising a crab or some other sea creature, but today she was just Joy, and meant to get the most out of this rare treat. Indeed, when she had a job and a salary she meant to save up until she had enough money to take herself, her father and Gillian to the seaside for a whole week’s holiday, but that day was still far distant. For now, she would tuck her dress into her knickers and play!

Accordingly, she announced that she was going to make a sandcastle, and very soon Edward, Gillian and even Keith joined in, bringing her stones and seaweed to decorate what they assured her was becoming a vast and impressive edifice. Joy was aware that Keith was embarrassed by her blindness, but if he was as nice as Gillian said he was, then he would soon conquer what she realised was really a fear of the unknown. She wanted to get to know him better, however, and knew this would not be possible whilst he was ill at ease.

So she began to put herself out, catching his wet and sandy hand – having first ascertained that it was indeed his and not Edward’s – and saying teasingly that he didn’t want to dirty his nails by digging too deeply into the sand. ‘You’re afraid you’ll be pinched by a crab or pulled down into Davy Jones’s locker by an anemone, that’s why you say you won’t bathe,’ she accused him. ‘Can you swim? I can’t, but Edward is going to teach me.’

‘I can swim like a fish,’ Keith boasted. ‘I’ll teach Gillian if Edward’s going to teach you. Only we’ll have to leave going in the sea for at least an hour after our picnic, otherwise we’ll sink like stones and nobody will ever hear of us again.’

Joy crowed with delight at the mental picture of the four of them so swollen with food that they could no longer float, but refused to agree to put off at least a paddle. ‘Just you roll up your trousers, you fellers, and give me a hand each and take me down to the sea!’ she commanded. ‘I don’t mean to leave this beach until I’ve been in the sea as far as my knees. We can come back later, after our picnic and a trip up the Great Orme, and swim then.’

‘And don’t forget the pier and the prom, and all the other amusements,’ Keith reminded her. ‘If we do all the things you and your sister want to do, it’ll be midnight before you get your swim. I know it sounds very romantic to bathe by moonlight, but I don’t think it’s wise.’

Joy chuckled appreciatively. ‘I could bathe at midnight and never know it,’ she said cheerfully. ‘For me, you could say it was always midnight.’ She wagged a finger to where she knew Keith was sitting. ‘Don’t feel bad about it; I always love it when someone forgets I’m blind and treats me like a human being. You’d be surprised how ordinary I am, apart from my lack of sight.’

For a moment there was a shocked silence, and Joy feared she might have gone too far, but then Keith laughed and a hand came out of the darkness and gripped her own. ‘On your feet, my lovely lass,’ Keith’s voice said. ‘I rolled up my trousers while you were speaking and I see Edward has done the same. So now we’ll go a-paddling, and if you bunch up your skirt and tuck it into your belt we’ll take you in as far as your knees, and chase off any intrepid crabs who try to take a nip at your toes.’