Pack Up Your Troubles (42 page)

Connie was banking on the fact that Stan’s mother would still be at home. She never went to church so it was now or never. She took one last deep breath and walked up the path.

Mrs Saul looked a little surprised when she opened the door and saw Connie.

Connie didn’t wait for an invitation to come in, she simply barged past. ‘I’m sorry, Auntie Aggie, but this is important. I need to talk to you.’

Roger looked at Gwen anxiously. ‘I’ve come to see Connie.’

Gwen smiled. ‘You’d better come in. You’re not the first and I’m in the middle of baking bread.’ She indicated her floury hands.

Roger followed her into the neat kitchen. Connie’s great aunt was sitting hunched up by the kitchen range. She glanced up as Roger came in but far from the torrent of abuse she usually dished out when she saw a Maxwell, she nodded curtly and lowered her eyes.

Roger looked around at the other assembled people and was dismayed to see that one of them was the French Canadian and the other, the chap who’d been with him on the hill. They apparently brought gifts for Mandy and Roger was immediately annoyed with himself that he hadn’t thought of doing something like that too. He couldn’t help admiring the beautifully handcrafted doll’s cradle and a little chair. It must have cost a packet. They weren’t the only people in the room. There was someone else, a girl with flame-coloured hair and an interesting weather-beaten face.

‘This is Kezia,’ said Gwen. ‘She’s an old friend of Connie’s. Kez popped in on the off chance of seeing her as well.’

Roger and Kezia exchanged a nod of greeting.

‘And you know Eugène and Isaac of course.’

Roger nodded politely and looked away.

‘We’re here to say goodbye,’ said Kez by way of explanation. ‘The Frenchie is moving to Slinden with us and I came to thank Connie for looking after my brother.’

‘I hope you don’t mind,’ Gwen said, holding up her floury hands again, ‘but I must put this in a warm place to rise.’

‘No, no,’ said Roger. ‘You carry on. That’s fine.’

‘I owe you an apology Captain Maxwell,’ said Ga.

Roger lifted his hand to stop her. ‘You were distraught. It really doesn’t matter.’

‘Oh but it does,’ said Ga. Her tone was contrite and her voice small. ‘I’ve done a lot of thinking since last I saw you and I’m ashamed of my behaviour. I have come to see that I may have confused my loyalties.’

‘Please …’ Roger protested, then turning to Gwen he said, ‘Is Connie here?’

Mrs Craig and Kez shook their heads.

‘She said she was going to see Reverend Jackson,’ said Ga dully. ‘If I had known Stan was going to turn out like that, I would never have gone along with what Aggie said.’

Roger frowned. ‘I’m sorry?’

‘There’s no need to go into all that, Ga.’ Gwen glared at her aunt and then added, ‘We’ve all had a bit of a shock what with one thing and another.’

‘Oh, so you know about Connie?’ Roger asked. ‘I must say, not to put too fine a point on it that I was appalled by what Matron had done.’

He looked around at their puzzled expressions and started to feel uncomfortable. He cleared his throat and lowered himself onto one of the kitchen chairs. ‘Look, I don’t know how much she has told you,’ he began, ‘although knowing Connie probably nothing at all because she wouldn’t want to upset you.’

Gwen’s face paled. ‘Is something wrong? This sounds serious, Captain Maxwell.’

‘Roger, please,’ said Roger. ‘Haven’t you all wondered why Connie is at home and not in the hospital?’ He glared at Eugène and noted with some satisfaction the anxious look on his face. The man didn’t know. Roger resisted the smug smile playing at the corners of his mouth.

The three women looked at each other. ‘It’s her day off,’ said Ga.

‘I’m afraid not,’ said Roger. ‘It seems that someone made an allegation about Connie behaving inappropriately. They accused her of being disrespectful towards a patient.’

Gwen clutched at her chest leaving floury marks all over her apron. ‘What?’

‘I don’t believe it,’ said Kezia stoutly.

‘Apparently Matron had an anonymous letter,’ Roger went on. ‘Connie has been sacked.’

‘I don’t believe it,’ Kezia said again. Ga moaned.

‘Sacked?’ said Eugène. He and Isaac exchanged a worried glance.

‘But she never said a word about it,’ Gwen gasped.

‘Yes, she did,’ said Ga. ‘I remember it now. She told me but it didn’t really register. It was when we were fighting over that envelope. Don’t you remember? She was about to say that I’d got her the sack from the hospital.’

Roger raised an eyebrow. ‘Don’t look at me like that,’ Ga challenged. ‘I had nothing to do with it.’

Nobody spoke.

‘Like I said,’ Roger went on, ‘in view of the terrible day you all had on Monday, she probably didn’t want to upset you. All her friends, including my sister feel it’s grossly unfair and for that matter, completely untrue.’

‘An anonymous letter, you say?’ said Ga.

‘But who could have done such a thing?’ cried Kez.

‘Who indeed,’ said Roger.

‘I saw the way she looked after my father,’ Kez went on. ‘She’s a wonderful nurse.’

Ga was staring into the hearth.

‘Can nothing be done?’ asked Eugène.

Roger pulled a face. ‘Apparently Matron is adamant.’

‘What’s she supposed to have done … exactly?’

Roger repeated the story about Mr Steppings.

‘I remember her telling us about that,’ said Gwen. ‘It was an accident. No harm was intended.’

‘I’m sure of it,’ said Roger, ‘but the fact remains, Connie has lost the opportunity to do the thing she wanted most, to be a nurse.’

They heard the sound of a bed creaking upstairs and everyone’s eye turned towards the ceiling.

‘Mandy,’ said Gwen, looking directly at Roger. She glanced down at her dough. ‘I must get this out of the way before she comes down.’ She was pushing the dough into tins and covering them with a clean tea towel.

‘Forgive me,’ said Roger. ‘I forgot to ask. How is she?’

‘She was up quite early this morning so she’s having a rest now,’ said Gwen. ‘I want to thank you for everything you did to help us.’

Roger shook his head. ‘It was nothing. What happened to the dog?’

‘He died,’ said Eugène. ‘Clifford and I buried him in the orchard.’

‘I’m sorry,’ said Roger. ‘Connie was fond of that dog.’

‘Pip is dead!’ Kez cried in alarm. ‘When he wasn’t here, I simply thought he was out for a walk.’

‘Someone attacked him,’ said Gwen.

‘Whatever for?’ cried Kez.

‘It’s a long story,’ said Gwen, ‘but we think Pip tried to help Mandy and her attacker lashed out.’

‘I didn’t realise,’ said Kez.

‘Have you managed to trace the man?’ Roger asked.

Gwen and Ga exchanged looks and then Ga blew her nose again.

The floor above their heads creaked again. ‘Ga, why don’t you go up and sit with Mandy?’ said Gwen. She had put the dough to rise next to the range and was busy clearing the table to do the washing up. ‘It would be good for her to see a familiar face when she wakes up.’

The older woman rose to her feet and left the room.

‘I don’t know how much Connie has told you,’ Gwen said to Roger.

Kez stood up. ‘I’d better be going.’

‘I’d rather you stayed, Kez,’ said Gwen. ‘You too, Eugène. Along with Eva, you are the most important people in her life and Connie is going to need all the help she can get if she’s to get through this.’

Aggie Saul sat white-faced at her kitchen table. She had listened to everything Connie had told her without once interrupting. It was far worse than she’d ever dreamed. Her mind drifted back to when Stan was a boy. He was such a lovely looking child and it wasn’t until he was about twelve that she realised he was a little different. That’s when she’d caught him with little Estelle from next door.

He’d persuaded the child to take off her knickers and do a wee by the back door. While she performed, he was watching her and touching himself. Aggie had scolded him of course. At the time she’d put it down to natural curiosity but in her heart of hearts she’d known it wasn’t right. Estelle was only six, for goodness sake. Stan’s father had wanted to give him a thrashing when Aggie had told him what had happened. Aggie had tried to stop him of course but Leslie had been too enraged to listen. Having called her boy every name under the sun he’d reached for his belt but Aggie made sure he never laid a finger on her son and from that moment, she’d raised her little lad on her own.

She’d known about Olive catching him with Connie but she didn’t feel that counted because they both blamed Kenneth. Olive had found some money on the table and said Stan had paid Kenneth to go with his sister. Well, what red-blooded young lad wouldn’t make the most of an opportunity like that, and Stan had been most apologetic.

She took a deep breath. How dare Connie come here and accuse her Stan of wrongdoing all those years ago? Why didn’t she say something at the time? Connie was going on about Mandy now. Agatha frowned. There was no proof that Stan was anywhere near the child. He’d been with Jane Jackson all the time. With a sister like Connie, it was far more likely that the girl had made the whole thing up.

They heard the back door slam and Stan’s voice called, ‘Mother, I’m home.’

Connie’s face paled. He was back a lot sooner than she had expected. She rose to her feet as he walked in the door. Her heart began to pound. She shouldn’t have done this on her own. She should have waited for Roger or asked Clifford to come with her, or even gone to the police.

Stan stared at both of them. ‘Connie, what an unexpected surprise,’ he smiled affably.

He took out his cigarette case and Aggie’s mothering instincts kicked in. Her eyes narrowed as she walked to her son’s side. ‘Connie’s been saying bad things about you, son,’ she said. ‘She’s been telling me that you like little girls. She says you had something to do with Mandy going missing on the Sunday school outing. Tell me it’s not true, son. Tell me it’s not true.’

Stan shot her a wounded look. ‘Of course it’s not true, Mother,’ he simpered. ‘How could you believe I’d do anything like that? Why, it’s disgusting.’ He glanced at Connie and said in a much sharper tone, ‘Whatever she’s said, she’s a liar.’

A wave of revulsion and nausea flooded over Connie. ‘You’re sick, Stan,’ she said. ‘You need help.’

‘It was you who went to see Reverend Jackson, wasn’t it?’ said Stan.

Connie was relieved. Perhaps it was going to be all right after all. Rev Jackson must have spoken to Stan straight away. ‘He’s a good man,’ she said, softening her voice. ‘I’m sure when you both have a chat, he’ll make sure you get all the help you need.’

Stan smirked. ‘Reverend Jackson and I have already had a long chat.’

‘That’s good,’ she sighed.

‘I told him not to believe a word of it,’ said Stan in a superior tone. He took out his cigarette case and tapped a cigarette on the lid. ‘He was very embarrassed having to bring it up but after I explained everything, he reckoned it would all blow over soon. All I’ve got to do is sit tight.’

Connie’s jaw dropped.

‘He could see it was untrue, Mother,’ Stan continued. ‘As a matter of fact, he said that his daughter was most impressed by the way I helped out with those kids on the outing.’

Connie’s eyes filled.

‘He said he would do all in his power to … what was it? Ah yes, “to purge this village of gossip and innuendo”,’ said Stan confidently. ‘In fact, I think he was going into his study to prepare his sermon on Sunday.’ Stan waved his hand as if creating a headline. ‘No gossiper shall inherit the kingdom of God.’

Connie couldn’t believe what she was hearing. When she’d left Rev Jackson he was confident that what she had told him was true and yet somehow this silver-tongued monster had turned the tables yet again.

‘You know me, Mother,’ Stan continued. ‘Would I really do all those terrible things like she said?’

Aggie looked up at him with trusting eyes. ‘I never believed it for a moment, son, but what are we going to do?’

Connie suddenly felt very vulnerable. She took a step towards the door but Stan was right there barring the way. ‘Don’t be a fool, Stan,’ she began. ‘I’ve already told my family where I am.’

‘Let me see,’ said Stan, stroking his chin and play-acting a part. ‘Yes, Connie was here. She stayed for a cup of tea and then we both saw her leave, didn’t we, Mother?’

As he lunged towards Connie, she pulled the chair over between them. She backed away but there was nowhere to go. Stan and Aunt Aggie were both blocking the only way out of the room. Connie did her best to fight them off but within minutes they had pulled her from the kitchen into the hallway. Stan grabbed her painfully by the arm and Aunt Aggie opened another door. Stan shoved her in front of it and then Connie was slipping and falling down the cellar steps.

Thirty-Three

Rev Jackson was slightly surprised to see Eugène and Kezia at his front door. Eugène he had long admired. The man had done such a lot for the community during that long horrible winter and it seemed grossly unfair that he should be struggling with his business now. Rev Jackson was never one to listen to gossip but he had heard that the engagement with Miss Hampton was off. She had apparently fallen for an Earl and preferred to be known as a Countess rather than plain wife. Rev Jackson was aware of the gypsy woman because he’d had words with her grandmother about telling fortunes on the doorstep. He couldn’t think why they should both want to see him. As they followed him to his study, it crossed his mind that perhaps they wanted to marry. They seemed a rather unlikely pair but the war had changed so many things.

As they left Connie’s home, Eugène, Isaac and Kez had agreed that they couldn’t sit around twiddling their thumbs the same as everyone else. Ga had said Connie had gone to see the minister, so Eugène had suggested they start from there. He and Kez went to the door, while Isaac waited in the motor. He had no time for Rev Jackson. After all, it was his testimony that helped to put him behind bars.

Eugène got straight to the point.

‘Connie?’ said Rev Jackson. ‘Yes, as a matter of fact, she came to see me this morning but I haven’t seen her since.’