Diamonds in the Dust (21 page)

It was a week before Dora could give any thought to the party. Lily’s continual requests finally wore her down, and they had settled on the coming Saturday afternoon, leaving her only two days to make the arrangements. Thank goodness she had Dobbs and Lizzie, who had said over and over that they would be happy to help. Her little sister was so looking forward to it, and she had been very good, attending the new school without protest, although it meant making new friends. Tom had also taken to his school without uttering one complaint, but then she had never expected him to complain. If he didn’t like something, he would keep quiet and sort it out in his own way. Dora was well aware that this was a great upheaval for both of them, but they appeared to be settling down well and she was immensely relieved about
that. It had worried her that it had been necessary to put them through this move. She had been almost running from one job to another and hadn’t thought about visiting the solicitors as planned. But it didn’t matter. It would most likely be a waste of time, anyway.

On the day of the party Dora had been at the hospital all morning, and their guests would be arriving at three o’clock. With only two hours to spare she hurried home.

‘Ah, there you are.’ Dobbs met her at the door. ‘Everything’s ready. Lizzie’s made a fine job of the food. Wonderful cook, that woman is.’

‘What?’ All was ready? She was sure she hadn’t heard that properly.

He smirked. ‘That’s my word. Come with me.’

She followed him along the passage to the back room, gasping in amazement when she saw the long table against the wall. It was loaded with all kinds of food, and there was a barrel of beer right in the middle. Tom and Lily were standing with Lizzie, proud grins on their faces.

‘Where did all this come from?’ She had given Lizzie what money she had, but it would never have bought this sumptuous feast!

‘Auntie Winnie and June have been here.’ Lily dragged her sister over to the table, telling her who had donated certain items of food. ‘The beer came from Uncle Reg and Stan. And John’s going to play the piano for us.’

‘I didn’t know he could play.’ Dora glanced at her brother for confirmation.

‘Says he’s out of practice, but he’ll knock out a tune for us.’

‘Well I never!’ was all she could say.

Dobbs urged them towards the door. ‘Now I think you should all go upstairs and make yourselves look pretty.’

Tom raised his hands in horror. ‘I’ll have a job to make myself look pretty!’

‘What?’

‘Oh, he’s gone deaf again, Lily.’ Tom shook his head in mock dismay, but his eyes were glinting with laughter. ‘Come on urchin, let’s see if you still fit into your party frock.’

Dora took one last look around, wondering how this party had got so out of hand. She had intended it to be a small affair, but it had gathered momentum. Heavens above! She didn’t even know how many were coming.

‘Stop fretting, girl.’ Dobbs pushed her towards the door. ‘This was the doc’s idea. He’s asked all the men to come and bring their families with them. He said it was time everyone learnt to laugh again. This was his family home, so he’s delighted it’s come to life again, and helping a few people as well. You make sure you come down here with a smile on your face. Me and Lizzie are here to see everything goes smoothly.’

‘I will, and I’m sorry if I seem such a worrier. Thank you both for all you’ve done. I’m sure the party will be a great success.’

‘There’s no need to apologise.’ Lizzie gave her an understanding smile. ‘You’re having a hard time, what with your mother missing and the responsibility for those two youngsters of yours weighing heavy on your shoulders. I don’t suppose you give a thought to yourself.’

‘I am the eldest, and they depend on me,’ she pointed out.

‘True, but you’ve got to ease up on yourself and remember you’re surrounded by people who love and admire you. If there’s anything you can’t handle, you can come to any of us for help. And Stan would walk through hell for you. Now off you go and get ready.’

Dora had much to ponder as she walked upstairs.

‘Look! It’s too small,’ Lily wailed as soon as she appeared. ‘It’s the only good frock I’ve got.’

‘Let me see.’ Dora knelt in front of her sister. ‘Hmm, you’ve grown, but there’s plenty of material in the side seams and the hem. I can soon let it out for you, sweetie.’

‘Can you?’ Her face brightened at once.

‘Of course. Take it off and bring me the workbasket.’

An hour later, after much snipping, unpicking, sewing and pressing, the frock slipped easily over Lily’s head.

She stood in front of a mirror, turning this way and that as she inspected the finished garment. ‘You are clever, Dora!’ She threw her arms around her big sister. ‘It looks lovely. Can I wear my necklace?’

‘I don’t see why not. It is a party, isn’t it?’

‘Goody.’ Lily beamed at her brother as he walked into the kitchen, freshly washed and wearing a clean shirt. ‘Dora’s made my frock fit, and she said I can wear my necklace.’

‘So I see. You’re going to dazzle everyone in the room.’ Tom frowned at Dora. ‘You’d better hurry. We mustn’t be late.’

‘Goodness!’ Dora scrambled to her feet. ‘Get the necklace for Lily.’

‘I’ll see to it, you hurry.’

‘Thanks.’ She dashed to her bedroom with only half an hour to get ready.

‘Isn’t Reg home yet?’ Stan asked when he went to collect Winnie and June.

‘No, but I expect he’ll come straight to the party when he’s off duty. You know how it is, Stan.’ His sister gazed at him with affection and said softly, ‘I didn’t think I’d ever see you like this again, looking fit and moving without pain. You’re a handsome devil, in a tough sort of way.’

‘Thanks – I think. Is June ready? We’d better get going.’

‘Here I am.’ June danced into the room wearing a pale lemon frock. ‘This is new, Uncle Stan. Do you like it?’

‘Very pretty, and so are you.’

She smiled, delighted with the compliment. ‘Will there be lots of people at the party?’

‘I think so, but you know quite a few of them will be ex-soldiers wounded in the war, don’t you?’

She nodded. ‘Mummy told me all about that, and I promise not to stare. I never stared at you when you couldn’t walk, did I, Uncle Stan?’

‘No, you’re a good girl.’ He took hold of her hand. ‘Let’s go, shall we?’

The Bentleys were standing just inside the room to greet the guests as they arrived, and it made Stan’s temperature rise when he saw the little girl was wearing the necklace. They had no idea of its value, and he hoped no one else in the room could tell that it was real diamonds. There were at least twenty people there and it was good to see
the young men with their families. The general had just arrived with his son and the doctor. John was playing the piano as background music, and Dobbs was even wearing a tie, making this a very special occasion indeed!

Dora looked lovely, if a bit flushed as if she had been hurrying, in a frock of pale blue. He wanted to get her to himself, but she was too busy at the moment. He would have to be patient and choose his time.

‘Have a drink, Stan.’ Tom handed him a glass of beer. ‘Is Reg coming?’

‘He’ll be here if he can, but he’s been delayed.’

At that moment the doctor called order. ‘Welcome, we’re pleased you could all come to this little gathering. We have much to celebrate. Thanks to the generosity of General Harrington, the house is now in a fit state for us to extend our activities.’

There was a round of applause, which the general took with good grace.

‘I am personally delighted that Dora and her family are now living in the flat upstairs. We wish them much happiness in their new home. And we are also here to congratulate Stan on making a good recovery. Entirely due to his own courage and determination.’ The doctor smiled at Stan. ‘Well done, my boy.’

Stan smiled, embarrassed at having attention drawn to him like this. ‘You’ve got that wrong, sir. My recovery is entirely due to your skill as a surgeon.’

‘Raise your glasses to the doc,’ John called. ‘Without him some of us would still be in wheelchairs.’

There was a heartfelt round of applause for the man
who cared enough to give unstintingly of his time and skill. He held up his hands for quiet. ‘It’s my pleasure to work with so many fine young men. Now, I suggest we tuck into this splendid food.’

Stan was about to go over to Dora when he saw her smile at someone who had just arrived. He turned and saw a young man. He was tall, even taller than Stan’s six foot one. His left arm was missing; there was a patch over his left eye and his face was badly scarred.

‘Ray!’ The yelp of delight came from Lily as she hurled herself at him. ‘Thank you for my picture, it’s beautiful. Did you get my letter?’

‘I did, and John told me about the party, so I just had to come.’

Ah, he must be the artist, Stan thought. He stood back and watched the crowd gather round, welcoming him with genuine pleasure.

‘Stan, come and meet Ray.’ Dora urged him forward.

After the introduction, Stan stayed with Ray, and he liked him at once. He spoke with a soft, musical voice, and there was a gentleness about him. It wasn’t surprising that he was such a talented artist. One tragedy of the war was that men like this had been sent to the trenches, and the lives even of many who came back had been shattered in one way or another. Right from a young child Stan had been tough, and when faced with the horror of war, he had fought with grim determination. But for someone as sensitive as Ray it must have been nothing short of purgatory.

John abandoned the piano and joined them, bringing a tray with three pints of beer.

Dora also arrived with a plate of sandwiches. ‘How are you getting on at home, Ray?’

‘All right, thanks to all of you. You gave me the confidence to face my family and friends. I’ve been working hard and finished a couple of paintings. A local gallery is taking an interest in my work. They put them on show and even sold one.’

‘That’s wonderful! One day when you’re famous I’ll be able to say we have an original of yours on our wall.’

He laughed at the compliment. ‘Would you mind if I took photographs of it? I’ve brought a camera with me.’

‘That’s a lovely idea. Tom, Lily,’ she called. ‘Take Ray upstairs so he can take a picture of the angel.’

Lily bounced with pleasure. ‘Can June come too?’

‘Of course she can.’

Stan watched them leave, and when John went back to the piano he was finally alone with Dora. ‘Tom’s been telling me about his garden. Will you show me?’

She nodded. ‘He’s very proud of it.’

The afternoon was warm with a slight breeze to stir the air, and although all the doors and windows were open, it was pleasant to walk outside. There was a high wall around the entire garden, making it into an oasis of calm in busy Wandsworth.

‘He has been working hard.’ Stan surveyed the freshly dug-over plot. ‘What’s he going to grow?’

‘Everything. By next year he reckons we won’t need to buy another vegetable in the shops.’ There was laughter in her eyes as she looked up at him.

‘It’s good he’s found an interest. This is a lovely spot.’

‘Yes, it is.’ She was serious once again. ‘We’ve been very lucky. I know you didn’t want us to move, but it was the right thing to do. That house was too expensive for us, and it held a lot of memories. We’re happier away from it.’

‘You were quite right to come here. I was being selfish, not wanting to lose you.’ He reached out and turned her to face him, then lowered his head and kissed her on the lips. Standing up straight again, he said, ‘I want you to know I love you, Dora. And have done from the moment we met.’

When she went to speak he placed fingers on her lips to stop her. ‘Don’t say anything, let me finish. Now I can move around again I want to be able to take you out, spend some time on our own so you can get to know me better. And I hope, in time, that you’ll love me enough to marry me.’

‘Oh, Stan, I do already love you, but it wouldn’t work between us. I could never leave Tom and Lily. I’ll have to stay unmarried until they’re grown up.’

‘My darling girl, I wouldn’t dream of separating you from them. Where you go, they go, I know that, and I wouldn’t have it any other way.’ He stopped her again before she could speak. ‘I’m not asking for a decision now, just remember I love you – all of you – and no matter what happens I want us to be together. Will you remember that? It’s important, my dear.’

‘I’ll remember.’ She smiled shyly. ‘And I look forward to getting to know you better.’

Stan breathed an enormous inward sigh of relief as
they walked back to the house. He’d told her clearly how he felt. All he could hope was that when the truth came out she would turn to him, and not away.

When they rejoined the party he saw his brother-in-law had arrived. He was still in uniform. ‘You obviously didn’t have time to change,’ he said. ‘Had a busy time?’

Reg took a long swig of beer. ‘Had one hell of a day.’ Pulling Stan aside, he said quietly, ‘We’ve found a woman’s body.’

Propping herself up in bed, Dora stared at the fingers of moonlight filtering through the half-drawn curtains. She was bewildered. Stan’s behaviour had been bizarre. Had that been a proposal of marriage? If so then he hadn’t wanted an answer from her – hadn’t given her a chance to speak. If he didn’t want to know how she felt, then why say anything? She rubbed a hand over her eyes as the questions ran through her mind. And most confusing of all, he had then made a point of telling her that no matter what happened he would be there for them. They had known that from the moment he had agreed to help them. Perhaps she shouldn’t have told him she loved him, but he had taken her by surprise. She had never been in love before – never even had a boyfriend – so how was she to know what was the right thing to do? Of course,
marriage for them was out of the question. No man could be expected to take on responsibility for the three of them. And she loved him too much to place such a burden on him, no matter how willing he appeared to be. No, she would be wise to forget this ever happened. He had probably acted strangely because he was feeling good about his recovery …

Her bedroom door opened and a little face peered in. ‘You awake, Dora?’

‘Yes, sweetie, can’t you sleep either?’ Lily padded to her in bare feet and climbed on the bed, snuggling up to her big sister.

‘I’m too excited. It was a lovely party, wasn’t it? And Ray came to see us again.’

‘That was a nice surprise, and we might see him tomorrow because he’s staying at John’s tonight.’

‘Hmm, hope so.’ Lily yawned. ‘He took pictures of the wall and said he’d send me one. I can take it to school and show them.’

‘Have you made a special friend yet?’

‘No, but they’re quite nice, and I like my teacher. But I do miss June.’

‘I expect you do.’ Dora smiled down at her. ‘Did June have a good time at the party?’

‘Oh yes, they all did – except Uncle Reg. He didn’t look very happy.’

‘He could have been cross because he was late and hadn’t had time to go home and change. I don’t suppose he liked coming to the party in his uniform.’

‘Hmm, ’spect so …’

Dora studied her sister’s face. Lily had fallen asleep in mid-sentence. She leant back against the pillows and closed her eyes, Lily’s gentle breathing making her relax.

Sleep was the last thing on Stan’s mind. He was at the station examining the contents of the handbag found in some bushes close to where the body had been discovered. It had been buried in a shallow grave.

‘We’re going to have to ask Dora if she recognises anything here.’ Reg began putting the items back in the bag.

Stan’s mouth was set in a grim line. ‘But she can’t be asked to identify the body!’

‘No, that’s out of the question. You met the woman, so do you think you could do it?’

‘I’ll try. We’ve still got the photograph of her, so that might be a help. Any chance of doing it now?’

‘There’s always someone at the mortuary. Let’s go.’

They walked out of the station together. Stan said, ‘After we’ve done this I’d like to see where she was found.’

Reg nodded as they got into a police car.

The mortuary was almost in darkness except for a dim light over the door. There was only one elderly man on duty. He led them along a corridor and into another room, then he turned on all the lights.

‘If it is our missing woman Stan might be able to identify her,’ Reg explained to the assistant.

The man nodded, gave Stan a thoughtful stare, and then pointed to a covered figure. ‘It ain’t gonna be easy, sir.’

Conscious that he mustn’t make a mistake, Stan took his time as the sheet was pulled back.

‘If you’re not sure, then say so,’ Reg advised.

There was no doubt in his mind, and he nodded. ‘That’s her.’

‘Positive?’

‘Yes.’

They thanked the attendant and went outside, glad to get out of that place. Stan lit a cigarette and drew the smoke in, releasing it on a long sigh. Reg did the same and they smoked in silence.

They stubbed out their cigarettes, and Reg swore under his breath. ‘They were all so happy at the party, and now we’re going to ruin everything for them. Still, at least they’ll be able to have a funeral. But we’re not going to be their favourite people when we tell them the truth, Stan.’

‘It’s got to be done, and far better coming from us. Now, let’s go and see where she was found.’

Reg took him to a large patch of waste ground, and walked in about twenty steps. ‘She was in a shallow grave just here. Some kids were playing and found her.’

‘Hmm.’ There was a bright moon shining and Stan could see the area quite clearly. They were close to a cluster of low buildings. ‘We’re back to Roger Grant again, aren’t we? If he is responsible then he must be stupid to leave the body so near to the factory.’

‘Panic, I expect. This was probably the only place he could think of where he wouldn’t be seen. But proving it was him will be difficult.’

Stan’s expression was grim. ‘I’ll leave that to you. My concern now will be for her children.’

‘They’re going to need you.’ Reg shook his head sadly.
‘We’ll see them tomorrow and ask if they can identify anything in the handbag. Then we’ll have the unpleasant task of telling them the whole story. I’ll ask Win to come with us. We can leave June at our neighbours’. Now, I think we should get some sleep.’

‘You’re joking, of course!’

‘Where’s June?’ Lily asked as soon as they arrived.

‘With our friends next door.’ Winnie looked around. ‘Is Dora home yet?’

Tom was already filling the kettle so he could make tea for their visitors. ‘She’s been at the hospital all day, but she should be home any time now. Good party, wasn’t it?’

‘Yes, very enjoyable.’ Winnie helped set out the cups.

Stan had never considered himself a coward, but he didn’t want to do this. As he looked at their smiling faces, he felt sick – afraid that in a short time he was going to lose them. He loved them all.

At that moment the door opened and Dora came in, breaking into a smile of pleasure. ‘Oh, what a lovely surprise! Are you going to stay and help us eat some of the food left over from the party?’

Both Reg and Stan were on their feet, unable to relax enough to sit down.

‘We need to talk to you first.’ Stan glanced at Reg, the slight nod of his head indicating that he wanted his brother-in-law to start.

Removing the handbag from its paper wrapping, Reg tipped the contents onto a table near Dora. ‘Will you tell me if you recognise anything here?’

There was a deathly stillness in the room as the youngsters stared at the items. Dora’s hand was shaking as she reached out and picked up a powder compact. After turning it over and over in her hands, she held it out for Tom to see. When he nodded, Stan felt his insides clench. He’d known it was their mother when he’d seen the body, but this confirmation still jolted him.

‘Dad gave this to Mum before he went to France. She never went anywhere without it.’ The colour had drained from Dora’s face. ‘You’ve found her?’

‘Yes,’ Reg told them. ‘And I’m sorry to have to tell you that your mother is dead.’

Stan wanted to reach out and comfort them, but the three Bentleys had drawn close together, effectively shutting out the others in the room. He saw Winnie move towards them and then step back. The little tableau was saying,
This is our grief; it’s private
.

‘How did it happen?’ Tom was the first to speak. ‘And do you need us to identify her? I’ll do it, if you do.’

Reg spoke now as a policeman. ‘She was killed, but we don’t have details as yet. And Stan carried out the identification for you.’

‘And you’re positive it was our mother?’ Dora sounded as if the words were being forced out.

‘Yes, I’m sure.’ Stan’s mouth was set in a grim line, hating every second of this. And what was to come.

Winnie was busy handing out cups of steaming tea, but no one seemed to want them. Still standing, Reg continued. ‘There are things we’ve found out in the course of our investigation, and if we could save you from this
we would, but you must be told. You might want to put Lily to bed.’

Dora’s head shot up. ‘Whatever you’ve got to say can be said to all of us.’

‘Very well. Stan will explain.’

Clamping down on the feelings he had for them, Stan also took on the role of a policeman speaking to a bereaved family. It was the only way he was going to be able to do this. When he spoke, it was in a firm, impersonal tone. ‘Your mother’s name was Harriet Duval. Your father, Ted Bentley, was a merchant seaman sailing out of Bristol. Then he changed to a ship from Liverpool, and it was there he met your mother. When he went back to sea she discovered she was expecting his child. Her family are middle class, quite wealthy, and intolerant. They felt their daughter had disgraced the family name, and they turned her out. No one knows how she survived, but she did, and by the time Bentley arrived back from a long voyage, Harriet had a baby daughter.’

It was as if the youngsters in front of him were frozen in ice, neither moving nor speaking. Drawing in a silent breath, he continued, knowing that they were going to find the next piece of news devastating. ‘Unfortunately, they weren’t able to marry because Bentley had a wife in Bristol. They decided to move to London and live as husband and wife.’

Although no one spoke, Stan could feel the shock waves rebounding from the silent figures. His mouth was dry and he longed to stop this torture, but he knew the complete story had to be told. ‘When your father was
killed, your mother took the flat in Bloomsbury. But there, according to her neighbour, Mrs James, she gave dinners for men who needed somewhere for discreet business deals. She also acted as hostess when this was required. The book you found is a list of her clients. We’re unable to trace any of them to find out the extent of her services because she only listed Christian names. She’s protected them well.’

Stan was aware how bad this sounded, but they really didn’t have anything else – not one tiny piece of information to prove that what their mother had been doing was completely legal and respectable. He couldn’t take his eyes off the horrified faces in front of him, and was relieved to hand over to Reg. ‘Reg has more information for you.’

‘The Bloomsbury police have now discovered that your mother didn’t own the flat, as her neighbour had said, but was renting it. Also, there’s a will with the solicitors we visited. He’ll see you when you feel up to it, but won’t disclose anything until he’s got a death certificate, and it’ll take a few days before that’s issued. However, there’ll be no harm in introducing yourself to him. We don’t know yet who killed your mother, but we have our suspicions.’ Reg paused for a moment. ‘I’ve met the Duval family, and the necklace you have belongs to them. It’s very valuable, but they haven’t asked for it to be returned as yet. We don’t know why your mother never sold it when she was in need of money – we can only assume that it meant a lot to her. Perhaps she kept it as a link with the family who had rejected her … Finally, you can go ahead and
make the funeral arrangements. Around two weeks’ time should be all right.’

‘We’re very sorry to bring you this distressing news.’ Stan gazed at the silent figures, alarmed by their faces, drained of every bit of colour. He stepped forward, wanting to comfort, needing to let them know that it didn’t matter what their parents had done. He loved them and nothing would ever change his feelings for them. But they wouldn’t even look at him. He had never felt so helpless in his life. ‘Dora …’

She turned her head away. ‘Please go.’

Winnie stooped down in front of them. ‘Let us stay till you feel better. And don’t worry about the funeral costs. We’ll help you with that.’

‘That’s our responsibility. There’s nothing else you can do for us. We want to be left alone now.’

Stan was alarmed by Dora’s abrupt attitude. His worst fear was being realised – they were turning away from them. ‘We can’t leave you like this!’

It was Tom who spoke, his voice vibrating with anger and distaste. ‘Dora’s asked you all to go. I’m telling you to leave – now!’

Knowing that they were doing more harm than good by staying, they left.