The Clippie Girls (34 page)

‘I don’t know, but I’ll think of something. Mr Bower’s coming round tonight to see her. That might be a good start.’

‘She’ll not come down to see him.’

‘We’ll see,’ Rose said, with a glint in her eye.

Myrtle smiled down at Freddie. ‘Your Aunty Rose is on the warpath. Watch and learn, little one.’

Forty

‘Come through, Mr Bower,’ Rose invited, leading him into the living room and offering him the armchair on the opposite side of the hearth to her grandmother.

Grace lowered her paper and smiled at their visitor. She’d become quite fond of the quiet little man, who often seemed to find an excuse to call at their house. And now she thought she knew why. On his last visit she’d seen the way he looked at her daughter. Well, Grace thought, Mary could do a lot worse for herself, but whether Laurence Bower would be willing to take on their family of women was another matter. And then her smile broadened as she remembered. They were no longer just a female household now; they had Freddie. Tonight Laurence was carrying a large cardboard box, which he balanced on his knees. ‘What have you got there, lad?’

Rose turned away, chuckling at hearing Mr Bower called ‘lad’, but then her grandmother had the advantage of age, which let her get away with saying things others dared not.

‘Baby clothes, Mrs Booth. I found some the wife had kept. They’re still in good order – no moth holes – though maybe they could do with a good wash. And then some of the girls at work have been busy knitting.’

‘That’s very thoughtful of you,’ Grace murmured.

‘I’ll just fetch Peggy down,’ Rose said.

Grace glanced up, raised her eyebrows in surprise, but said nothing.

Rose ran upstairs, determination in every stride. She flung open the door to see Peggy sitting at the dressing table idly brushing her hair. ‘Right, mi lady, I’ve had enough of this. Mr Bower has come to see you. He’s brought you some things for the baby and you’re going to come downstairs and see him.’ She grasped Peggy’s arm.

‘No, Rose, I can’t. I won’t.’

‘You can and you will.’

Rose was stronger than her sister and though she tried to resist, Peggy found herself hauled to her feet and being propelled out of the bedroom. Briefly she tried to cling to the door frame, but Rose prised her fingers free and pushed her to the top of the stairs. ‘Now, unless you want me to push you down, get going.’

‘Rose, I—’

‘Go!’

Mr Bower got up as the two sisters entered the room. Grace’s face was a picture and Rose dared not meet her grandmother’s gaze or she would have burst out laughing.

‘Peggy, how nice to see you. How are you?’ Mr Bower held out his hand.

‘I’m – fine. Thank you,’ Peggy murmured as she shook his outstretched hand.

‘And the baby? A boy, I understand. Is he doing well?’

‘Yes – yes – thank you.’

Laurence held out the box and explained what it contained. Peggy took it from him, but made no attempt to open it.

‘Let’s have a look, then, Peg.’ Rose nudged her and Peggy smiled thinly, but undid the string and opened the box.

‘Three little coats and hats to match,’ Rose enthused. ‘Aren’t they lovely? Oh, and a beautiful shawl.’ She held it up for everyone to admire.

‘My wife knitted that just before John – our eldest – was born,’ Laurence said rather wistfully as he reached out to touch the shawl.

‘I’ve never learned to knit,’ Rose said.

‘Hasn’t got the patience,’ Grace sniffed.

‘Oh look, do look, Peg, there are more little jackets and leggings to match.’

‘Now Peggy here, she’s a good little knitter,’ Grace said and added pointedly, ‘if she puts her mind to it.’ Peggy had lost interest in knitting since Freddie’s birth.

‘I expect you’ve got a lot to do with looking after a little one now,’ Laurence said. ‘But if you ever did want to come back to work, even if it was only for part time, we’d be pleased to have you, Peggy.’

Peggy gaped at him. ‘You – you’d have me back?’

‘You were one of my best clippies, but, of course, if you don’t feel you’ve the time.’

‘Of course she’s got the time,’ Grace put in. ‘We all take turns in looking after little Freddie. It’d do her good.’

Peggy glared at her grandmother, but the older woman took no notice.

‘Right then, if you’d like to come down to the depot whenever you feel ready, we can discuss your hours.’ He stood up. ‘I’d better be going.’

‘Oh, but you haven’t had a cup of tea,’ Rose said.

‘Please don’t trouble. I’ve only just had my tea and I wouldn’t want to take your precious rations. I’ll say goodnight then, Mrs Booth.’

Grace nodded and smiled and then picked up her newspaper as Rose showed Laurence out. ‘Give my regards to your mother,’ he said. ‘I’m sorry I’ve missed her.’

‘She’s gone shopping with Myrtle. No doubt they’ve had to queue for hours.’

Laurence pulled a sympathetic face and stepped out into the summer evening.

As she closed the door after him, she turned to see Peggy sneaking back up the stairs.

‘Oh no, you don’t, my girl. I want to talk to you. Get yourself back in there.’

‘But—’

‘No “buts”. This has got to stop. Mam and Myrtle should be home in a minute and we’re going to get this sorted out. Sit down at that table while I get their meal ready. Then we can talk.’

‘What’s there to talk about? I’m not going back to work, if that’s what you think.’

‘Mebbe not, but that’s only the half of it.’

A few minutes later, on their return, Mary walked into a wall of uncomfortable silence in the living room and Myrtle, hearing Freddie wailing in the bedroom, dashed upstairs.

‘Myrtle’s just gone to see to Freddie, she’ll be down in a minute.’

‘I’ll keep hers hot then,’ Rose said, as she placed her mother’s meal in front of her. Then she stood with her back to the fire and faced the room.

Mary picked up her knife and fork but made no effort to eat. ‘What’s the matter, Rose? Has something happened?’

‘Not really, but it’s going to. We’ll wait for Myrtle. Eat your tea, Mam, while we’re waiting, else it’ll get cold.’

Peggy was still sitting at the table, fingering the tablecloth and avoiding meeting anyone’s gaze. Grace folded her newspaper, took off her spectacles and rubbed her eyes. ‘I hope this isn’t going to take long. There’s something I want to listen to on the wireless.’

‘Hopefully not, Gran.’ Rose said.

Myrtle wandered in as Mary finished eating. ‘I’ve got him off. He should sleep till ten or eleven now until his next feed.’ She glanced round, sensing there was something about to happen. She took her place at the far side of the table, as Rose placed her meal in front of her. Mary moved to sit in the armchair beside the fire. ‘Right, Rose, what’s so important?’

‘Peggy – and her child. It’s high time she stopped moping about and started looking after her baby – ’ Rose ticked the points off on her fingers – ‘helping around the house, going out and even going back to work part-time like Mr Bower’s suggested.’

‘Laurence?’

‘He came round tonight to bring some baby clothes for Peggy and he said he’d be pleased to have her back even if she could only manage part-time.’

‘Mam, I—’ Peggy began, but Grace interrupted. ‘Quite right, too, Rose. I couldn’t have put it better myself.’

Mary was watching Peggy anxiously.

‘I met Mrs Bradshaw out wheeling Freddie in the pram when I came home from school,’ Myrtle put in. ‘She said Peggy should go out to get some fresh air and exercise. And if that doesn’t work, she should see a doctor.’

‘So, Peg, what’s it to be?’ Rose said firmly. ‘And whilst we’re deciding what’s to be done, have you made up your mind whether or not you’re accepting Bob’s proposal?’

‘I’ve written to him.’

‘And?’

‘Thanked him – but declined.’

Inwardly Rose heaved a sigh of relief. It didn’t really make it any better for her if Bob was still in love with Peggy, but at least she wouldn’t have the heartache of him becoming her brother-in-law. The two sisters stared at each other until Peggy dropped her gaze.

‘I’m glad to hear it,’ Grace said. ‘Now Rose is right. You should start and get back to normal, Peggy. We’ve all cosseted you for far too long. And I don’t want to hear any talk of having him adopted. He’s ours and here he stays, but you ought to start acting like a proper mother. Tomorrow morning is Saturday and Myrtle always takes him out in the pram on a Saturday morning. And you, my girl, are going with her.’

Peggy sighed and got to her feet. Without another word she went up to her bedroom, but unbeknown to any of the others, she sat down beside the cradle and gazed at her sleeping son for a long time. ‘I’m sorry,’ she whispered at last. ‘It’s not your fault. None of it.’ Then she picked up a letter she’d received that morning and went back downstairs. She poked her head round the living-room door.

‘Rose, can you spare a moment?’

The two girls went into the front room and Peggy closed the door behind them. ‘Here, you’d better read this.’

‘What is it?’

‘A letter from Bob, in reply to my refusal.’

‘Oh, I don’t—’

‘I want you to read it.’

Rose sighed and sat down.

Dear Peggy, Thank you for your letter and your honesty and I’ll be as honest back. I have to admit to being relieved that you’ve said no. I felt I had to make the offer. Once I loved you very much and I was very hurt when you took up with that soldier, specially as you hardly knew him. Still, that’s not my business and all I want is that you should be happy. I still care about you, but I don’t think I’m in love with you any more. So, all I can say is that I wish you the very best and hope things work out for you. I’ll always be there for you as a
friend
if you should need my help. I don’t expect you will as you’ve all your family rallying round. Specially Rose, she’s a good ’un. Please tell her I’ll see her when I get home.

He’d signed it,
Yours, Bob.

Rose’s mouth gaped open as she finished reading and looked up at Peggy. ‘He – he says he’s not in love with you any more. His mother said as much, but I didn’t really believe her.’

Peggy was smiling. ‘No, he’s not. I doubt he ever was really. So, sister dear, he’s all yours.’

‘Oh well, now, I don’t know. He doesn’t say—’

‘He says he wants to see you when he gets home. That’s a start, isn’t it?’

Rose hardly dared to hope. ‘We’ll see,’ was all she said as she handed the letter back to Peggy and got up to leave. Peggy touched her arm. ‘Thanks, Rose, for what you said in there. I will try to do better. I’ll just have to make up my mind that Terry’s not coming back and get on with my life – whatever that might be.’

‘Oh, Peg!’ Rose flung her arms around her sister. ‘That’s wonderful. We’ll help. We’ll all help you.’

‘I know you will,’ Peggy murmured, as she hugged Rose in return. ‘You already have.’

Forty-One

Myrtle had taken her Higher Certificate in June. Concentration had been difficult with a crying baby in the house and her desire to hold him at every opportunity. But the groundwork of revision for the exams had already been done before Freddie’s arrival and when the results came out, she had passed all her subjects with the highest grade. Her place at Sheffield University, for which she’d applied the previous year, was confirmed.

Towards the end of August Peggy decided to return to work.

‘You’re going back far too early.’ Mary pleaded with her to stay at home and care for her baby until he was a little older.

‘I’ll go mad if I stay in this house much longer. Besides, I’m not needed now he’s finished breastfeeding.’

‘Of
course
you’re needed, Peggy. You’re his mother.’

Peggy turned away. ‘I’m seeing Mr Bower this afternoon. I’ll ask him if he can just put me on part-time. I can fill in when someone’s ill or they’re short-staffed.’

Mary was not pacified and she confided her worries to Laurence.

‘Can you tell her there are no vacancies? I know I’m asking a lot, but she really shouldn’t be coming back to work at all, let alone so soon after having him.’

‘Trouble is, Mary, we’re very short-staffed. It’s my boss’s policy not to stop the men from enlisting if they want to, but it’s leaving me with a real headache organizing the rotas, I don’t mind telling you.’ He touched her arm sympathetically. ‘My dear, I’m honoured that you’ve felt able to confide in me, but have you thought that maybe – because of how Peggy feels about the baby – to come back to work might be good for her.’

Mary stared at him. ‘I hadn’t looked at it that way,’ she said slowly. ‘Maybe you’re right. She spent so long on her own when – well, before Freddie was born. Perhaps that’s part of the trouble and to mix with other people again would do her good.’ Mary sighed. ‘But I still don’t like her leaving her baby.’

Laurence smiled a little wistfully. ‘It’s not us, is it? Mothers going out to work. In our day, wives and mothers were the home-makers.’

Mary pulled a wry face. ‘I had to go out to work because Ted was injured in the war and couldn’t work – or – or wouldn’t. I didn’t know which it was.’ She’d never confided this to anyone before – not even her mother – but Laurence was the sort of man she felt she could trust implicitly.

‘I’m sorry,’ he said, contrite that he might have implied she’d not cared for her family as she might have done. ‘Times were hard then, my dear, and they are again now.’ He paused, then added, ‘So what do you want me to do about Peggy? I can lie through my teeth if you really want me to, but I think she’d know I was doing so. It’s no secret that we’re desperate for staff. And I’d be turning away a
very
good clippie.’

‘No, no, I wouldn’t want you to do that.’ Mary sighed. ‘Let her come back and we’ll see how it goes.’

‘I’ll watch out for her. At least the bombing seems to have lessened just lately.’

There’d been isolated incidents, but nothing on the scale of what the city now called their blitz. The most recent had been at the end of July at Hunter’s Bar, but, happily, there had been no injuries.