Sweet Memories of You (Beach View Boarding House) (22 page)

Doreen nodded. ‘Absolutely,’ she said firmly.

‘Well, if you do find it a bit much you must tell me,’ Veronica insisted. ‘And by the way, I’ve managed to get cover for us both next week, so I’ll be coming with you to Bow.’

Doreen’s smile faltered momentarily at the thought of Archie’s funeral, and her tightly controlled emotions threatened to slip, but she held on to them determinedly. ‘Thanks, Ronnie. I really do appreciate that.’

‘Come on then, let’s see what delights the canteen has on offer today – though I bet it’s vegetable stew again, or something pretending to be cottage pie.’

It was Saturday morning and Jack Smith’s few days of leave had come to an end. Peggy could tell how despondent Rita was about this, and had offered to go with her to the station to see him off. Rita had declined the offer with her usual stoicism, but Peggy could see that she was finding it very hard to keep her emotions under control.

Peggy waited until the girl had left the house to meet her father for breakfast at the Crown, and then gauged the length of time she would need to walk to the station. For all Rita’s protests, Peggy knew she would need company and she wanted to be there for her when the train pulled out.

As time moved on, Peggy pulled on her coat and hat and left Daisy in the care of Ron and Cordelia, with firm instructions to Ron not to take her into the hills on one of his poaching trips. He’d done it before, and the idea that he could have been arrested with her baby in tow had made her go cold.

It wasn’t long before she saw Rita and Jack walking arm in arm up the High Street and held back until they’d crossed the humpbacked bridge and were out of sight. The train was already in the station, for she could see the smoke billowing from its funnel, and hear the panting of the engine. Peggy looked down from the bridge and saw the two embrace, and then Jack was climbing aboard and Stan was poised to blow his whistle and wave his flag.

Peggy hurried past the Nissen hut and arrived on the platform just as the train slowly began to pull away. With a reassuring glance at a clearly concerned Stan, who’d made it his business to watch over the girls who lived at Peggy’s, she hurried along the platform.

Rita turned away as the last carriage disappeared around the bend, her little face streaked with tears, her shoulders slumped in defeat.

Peggy’s heart went out to her and she silently drew her into her arms and held her as she sobbed against her shoulder. ‘It’s all right, Rita, dear,’ she soothed. ‘He’ll write more often now, and he promised me he’d telephone the house the minute he arrived.’

Rita drew back finally and scrabbled for her handkerchief. ‘I know, he promised me too,’ she said thickly through her tears. ‘It’s silly of me to get so upset, isn’t it? After all, he’s been away for years – but seeing him again has made me realise just how much I’ve been missing him. And now he’s gone, and I’ve no idea of when he’ll come back.’

Peggy gave her a hug. ‘It’s not silly at all,’ she murmured as she found a rather cleaner handkerchief in her coat pocket and handed it over. ‘Come on, Rita. Dry your eyes, and just be thankful that you’ve had these few days together and that he won’t be posted abroad like Jim. Who knows, he could even get leave again before Christmas.’

Rita nodded and did her best to conquer her tears and compose herself. ‘Thanks for coming, Auntie Peg,’ she said with a watery smile. ‘How would any of us manage without you, eh?’

‘I’m sure you’d find a way,’ Peggy said briskly. ‘Now we’d better get back. I’ve left Daisy with Ron and Cordelia, and I dread to think what sort of mischief they’ve been up to.’

They said goodbye to Stan, who was itching to get to his allotment to see to his beans before he had to return for the next train, and then set off down the High Street. Turning into Camden Road, they approached the fire station and Rita drew to a halt.

‘I think I’ll go and check that engine, if you don’t mind,’ she said. ‘Keeping busy will stop me thinking about Dad, and John Hicks has been on at me to service that truck for several days now.’

Peggy smiled and nodded, understanding the girl’s need to keep occupied. ‘I’ll see you later, then.’

As Rita headed inside the fire station, Peggy hurried for home – not really concerned about Daisy being with her grandfather, but impatient to read the airgraphs from Jim that had arrived early this morning, and which she hadn’t had time to read. She was hoping they’d give a clue as to what had been in Ron’s, for she still hadn’t been able to get him to tell her anything.

She was about to cross the road and head for the alley that would take her to the back of Beach View when she saw the unmistakable figure of her sister climbing the front steps. Her spirits plummeted. ‘What on earth does she want?’ she muttered as she hurried across and into the cul-de-sac. ‘Doris!’ she called.

Doris turned and watched her approach. She was dressed in her best tweed suit, tan felt hat and smart shoes, and looked as if she’d just stepped out of a beauty parlour – which she probably had. Doris had her hair washed and set every week, as well as getting her nails manicured.

‘There is no need to shout in that vulgar way, Margaret,’ she said snootily as Peggy ran up the steps. Her gaze drifted from Peggy’s tousled hair, over the rather shabby jacket and skirt to the scuffed shoes. ‘Good grief,’ she muttered. ‘How on earth can you go about looking like that? Have you no shame?’

Peggy slotted her key in the door and kept silent. Doris was not going to wind her up this morning. She led the way into the kitchen where Ron was on the floor with Daisy, showing her how to use her crayons in her colouring book, while Cordelia was doing the ironing and singing very much out of tune to the music coming from the wireless. Harvey had beaten a retreat under the table, for the floor was littered with building bricks, toys and crayons, and the wireless was very loud.

Peggy hurriedly turned the volume down and Cordelia stopped singing in mid-flow to regard Doris with little enthusiasm. ‘I suppose you’ve come to cause trouble as usual,’ she muttered.

Doris sniffed in disdain as she regarded the scene. She turned to Peggy. ‘I’ll wait for you in the dining room,’ she said. ‘Put the kettle on, will you?’

Peggy raised her eyebrows and exchanged a knowing look with Ron as Doris sailed out of the kitchen and across the hall. ‘What did her last servant die of?’ she asked no one in particular as she picked up the teapot from the table and discovered it was still hot.

Daisy laughed and blew a raspberry as she clapped her hands, and Peggy gave her a smile and a kiss, noting that more crayon seemed to be on Daisy than on the pages of her book. She put cups and saucers on a tray alongside the teapot and milk jug, and went into the dining room.

‘Your house is as disorderly as the people who live in it,’ said Doris, who was sitting in an armchair smoking a cigarette. She’d removed her gloves and set her handbag on the floor by her beautifully shod feet, but her hat and jacket remained in place. ‘And this room is positively arctic,’ she added with a delicate shiver. ‘How can you possibly entertain in here?’

‘I don’t,’ said Peggy as she shed her coat and then poured the tea. ‘What do you want, Doris? Only I’ve got a hundred and one things to do today.’

‘Ivy has to come back to Havelock Road,’ Doris said baldly.

Peggy was taken aback. ‘Don’t be ridiculous,’ she said. ‘You’ve made it all too plain that you don’t want her there.’

‘That is not the point,’ Doris said with a hint of exasperation.

Peggy sipped her tea, which was a bit stewed, and regarded her sister over the lip of the cup. ‘Then what is?’

‘The billeting people are insisting I have someone to occupy my spare room until Caroline’s friend can get down here, which probably won’t be for another week or so. She has an important posting in London, and is waiting to be transferred by the MOD.’

‘So you want Ivy to come back for a couple of weeks so you can chuck her out again? I don’t think so, Doris. Ivy isn’t a train carriage to be shunted back and forth, and I will not allow it.’

‘But the billeting people are threatening to send me some chit from the East End who has a baby of all things. I cannot possibly allow that. I’m sure Ivy wouldn’t mind helping me out after all I’ve done for her.’

Peggy’s eyebrows shot up. ‘What exactly have you done for her, Doris – other than use her as a skivvy, go through her belongings and talk down to her?’

‘I have standards, Margaret. Ivy needed to be educated in the right way of doing things. Caroline, on the other hand, is a delightful girl with lovely manners and a very good private education – and when her friend comes down Ivy can come back here.’

‘Ivy’s not going anywhere and that’s final.’ Peggy put down her cup and saucer and stood up. ‘Now, if that’s all you came for, we’re finished here. You know the way out.’

‘There’s no need to be like that,’ snapped Doris.

‘Doris, there’s every need,’ Peggy replied wearily. ‘There are thousands of people who are in need of a roof over their head, and although you might find it inconvenient to have people staying with you, it really is none of my concern.’

‘You could discuss my proposition with Ivy,’ Doris said stubbornly. ‘And let the girl decide for herself.’

‘I can tell you what she’d say without doing that. I’m sorry, Doris, but you can’t expect everyone to fall into line with you just because you’ve been inconvenienced.’

‘I might have known I’d get no help from you,’ Doris muttered, stubbing out her cigarette and pulling on her gloves. ‘There are times, Margaret, in which I despair for this family. You and Doreen have always been deliberately awkward, and seem to take pleasure in thwarting me at every turn. I really don’t understand why you should be like this when I’ve been so generous to you both over the years.’

‘We’re grateful for your generosity, Doris. Hand-me-down clothes and shoes are always welcome here, and I’m aware that you’re sending regular postal orders to little Evie and Joyce, for which I’m sure Doreen is most thankful. But you persist in calling me Margaret even though you know I hate it, and do nothing but run my family down and turn up your nose at my home. And when Doreen was going through that awful divorce from Eddie, you weren’t at all sympathetic or helpful.’

‘I might have known you’d defend Doreen,’ said Doris with a sniff. ‘You always did stick together.’

‘That’s how sisters should be, Doris. Now, if you’re quite finished, I have better things to do than stand here arguing with you.’

‘I know about the pig.’ Doris’s eyes were challenging.

‘What pig?’ Caught on the hop by the swift change in topic, Peggy became flustered.

‘The one being slaughtered tomorrow. I’m sure the authorities would be interested in the part your father-in-law plays in helping to conceal such a blatant breaking of the law.’

Peggy stared at her older sister in shock. ‘I don’t know what you’re talking about, but I certainly don’t like your tone, Doris. If you’ve got something to say, then I suggest you get on with it.’

‘I’m not a greedy woman, but a fair portion of that pork would be welcome recompense for keeping quiet.’

‘That’s blackmail,’ snapped Peggy in utter fury.

‘Call it what you like, Margaret. But if I don’t get any, then I shall have no option but to inform the authorities. Lady Chumley is most particular about stamping out the black market.’ Doris picked up her handbag and swept out of the room.

As the front door slammed behind her, Peggy bunched her fists and growled with fury and frustration. Doris was the absolute limit, and she wouldn’t put it past her to contact the authorities – anonymously, of course – and get poor Ron and his friends into trouble. But if the price of her silence was a bit of pork, then she’d have to pay it.

She stomped into the kitchen, where Ron was attempting to get Daisy’s face clean while Cordelia placed the final freshly ironed shirt on a hanger and hooked it above the door to the cellar steps.

‘I see by your expression that Doris has been her usual sweet self,’ said Ron. ‘What’s she done now to upset you, Peggy?’

Peggy told them as she smoked furiously on a cigarette. ‘We’ll have to give it to her, Ron,’ she said finally.

‘Then I hope it chokes her,’ he muttered, setting Daisy onto the floor. ‘Mean-minded, that’s what she is, and little Ivy is best off out of there.’

‘My thoughts exactly.’ Peggy began to gather up the colouring books and crayons. ‘But you’re not to say a word to Ivy. It wouldn’t be fair on her.’

Cordelia plumped down into a kitchen chair. ‘I wouldn’t be at all surprised if the whole thing wasn’t just a means to an end,’ she said thoughtfully. As Peggy frowned, she continued, ‘We all know that Doris doesn’t really want Ivy there, and I doubt very much if the billeting people would place a girl and her baby with her. They know Doris too well. I suspect she just saw a chance to get her hands on some of our pork.’

‘Aye, you could be right,’ rumbled Ron. ‘Though how she heard about it is a mystery. There’s only four of us in Alf’s syndicate, and none of us would give her the time of day, much less tell her about that pig.’

Peggy bit her lip, distressed that her sister would go to such lengths. ‘It does make a horrible sort of sense,’ she murmured fretfully. ‘But I never thought she’d stoop that low.’

‘War does funny things to people,’ said Cordelia darkly. ‘I shouldn’t waste time worrying about her if I were you.’

Peggy knew she was right, but even so, it wasn’t pleasant to realise that your sister was capable of being so conniving and ruthless.

Ron took himself off on some mysterious mission with Harvey, passing Ivy on the cellar steps. She greeted him cheerfully, yet as she entered the kitchen it was clear that she’d noticed the tense atmosphere, for her smile faded and she looked suddenly wary. ‘Is everything all right?’ she asked with a frown.

‘There’s nothing to worry about, dear,’ said Peggy quickly. ‘I’ve just had a bit of a run-in with Doris, that’s all.’ She waved away the girl’s concern. ‘She winds me up until I want to scream, but that’s the way it’s always been.’ She got up from the table to boil the kettle so she could freshen the tea in the pot. ‘How was your shift?’