Dreams Can Come True (31 page)

“Well, that’s the reason then, she’s picked the virus up from her hotel! I’ll leave her this mixture. If it gets any worse, send Olive down again for me. It’s only a mild dose from the look of her.”

“Can we get a nurse in, Doctor? I daren’t get too close to Mother, because of my little boy. In fact,” Hannah lowered her voice. “I think I may be expecting again. Shall I visit you when Mother gets better and you can confirm if I am right?”

“Oh, I think your mother will get better in the next three or four days. No need to bring a nurse up here. Get Olive to bring her plenty of boiled water to drink, she’ll not feel like eating, but she’ll be strong enough to crawl into the bathroom. Olive can change her linen, but otherwise leave her alone. This mixture contains a little opium and rest will do the trick.”

The plump middle-aged doctor smiled kindly, as Hannah passed him his tall silk top hat.

“Another one already, eh? Are you planning to fill the nursery?”

Johnny lay in his bed in the room he rented on Grafton Street. He’d been feeling groggy since he came off his ship at Kingstown Harbour that afternoon and instead of walking from the docks to the city as he usually did, he flagged a passing cabby. Settled with a bottle of whisky that he had hurriedly bought before he mounted the steps to his chilly room, his foggy mind conjured up thoughts of Maggie. What the Hell had she been playing at? There was a name for women who behaved as she had done. He had really believed it, hadn’t he, that he and Maggie were going to be a couple? Sod the scandal, forget the Church, two fingers to Jack and their marriage. Maggie was going to leave her business, her family, her committee meetings and her fancy life to start afresh with him!

He threw another glass of whisky down his burning throat. Damn the woman. Just when he had opened his heart, wore it on his sleeve, made declarations of his undying love, her daughter had told the truth about her. Maggie hadn’t wanted to go to Liverpool in the first place. So why had she been there in the Adelphi? Why bother to go to all that trouble and expense?

Johnny poured himself another drink. His body was shaking with cold, but sweat was pouring off him. When this was finished, he promised himself, he’d get another. Try to block out her lovely face.

“Hello Maggie, Hannah said I’d find yer in here. How yer feelin’ today?” Eddie came into the conservatory, where his mother in law sat in one of the cane chairs with her feet resting on a footstool.

“Well enough to sit in here, thank you,” Maggie replied a little hoarsely. “Your wife’s a dragon though, give her a bit of power and her bossy streak comes out.”

“Oh, she’s only concerned about yer. Doesn’t want yer rushing about like yer did before. Anyway, yer looking better, the warmth in here has give yer a bit of a flush. I’ve been over to see the Bradleys at Ashlea House this morning. See how they’re settling in. There’s one or two things they’re not very happy with. The front door doesn’t fit properly, looks like the bottom was shaved too much ‘cos the winds bin whistling under it. And she’s not too happy with her kitchen, not enough space to put their table in.”

“Well, she’s been enough times to measure up. I’d say it’s her fault if her table’s too big. Yer mean a kitchen table, don’t yer, one fer working on?”

Eddie nodded, pleased to see he’d lit a spark in Maggie. She’d been so listless according to Hannah, wasn’t eating, couldn’t be bothered reading the broadsheet or any of her books that she normally loved to read; staying in her bedroom staring out of the window, or sat in the conservatory just looking into space.

“I’ll take one of the carpenters off and get him to fit a thresher on the bottom, that should cure it. But I’m afraid she’ll have to sort her other problem out herself.”

“Was Mr. Bradley there? Yer know he’s setting up a branch of Thursco Textiles in Chester, don’t yer?”

“Yes, his missis told me. He’s one of the Directors. No, he wasn’t there. She told me he took a bracing walk up to Neston Station this morning to catch the eight o’ clock train. That’s why they’d chosen the area, she told me, fer its convenience, location and view!”

“Oh, good. And did yer go next door to the Taylor’s?”

“I did knock, but no one answered. What does he do, Maggie? Does he work in Chester the same?”

“No, he works at the bank in the village. He’s the manager. In fact when I’m feeling better I’ll pay him a visit. Let him know who I am.”

“That’s my girl,” smiled Eddie. “Now can yer manage a little soup? Joan’s got a pan of broth on the go.”

“Here you are, Mother, a small bowl of broth. Now eat it up. I know you put most of your oatmeal this morning down the sink.”

“I threw it back, Hannah, that’s why it went down the sink. I’ve got all this phlegm at the back of me throat and down on me chest and that stuff yer give me brought it all up.”

“Uh, disgusting. I hope Joan didn’t see yer doing it.”

“I didn’t do it in the kitchen sink, I spat it into the bathroom bowl!”

“Anyway, Mother. Can I talk to you about something?”

Hannah drew up another chair and lowered herself into it.

“You know I told you yesterday that I think I may be expecting again? Well, I am. I went to see Dr. Barnes this morning and he says I’m two months gone.”

“And is Eddie pleased?” Maggie tried to look pleased herself, but found it an effort to put a smile on her face today.

“Oh, he just gave me a great big kiss and said, “Well done little mother”, but he went out looking cheerful. He’s gone back to the site to look at some footings; one of the men sent a message for him to come.”

“So, what do yer want to talk about?”

“Well, with me expecting I thought you’d like some of my rags. Only there wasn’t any of yours in that basket we share, so I thought you’d perhaps burnt all yours and needed some more.”

“I’ve been thinking, while I’ve been lying in me bed, that I’m over having monthlies,” Maggie said. “I’m sure I was due two weeks ago and I’ve seen nothing. I put it down to that damned ‘flu or whatever it was that attacked me, but thinking about it, maybe I’m starting the change.”

“How would you find out, Mother?” asked Hannah, quite awed at the fact that here she was, wanting lots of babies, and that Maggie was at the end of things.

“I don’t know, I don’t want Dr. Barnes poking around in me private bits. I’ll have to find someone older than I am and ask them.”

“Joan,” they both said in unison.

“If nothing happens in a day or two, I’ll ask Joan about it then.”

“Staff Nurse Tibbs, can you come here a minute?” Sister Gill called to Katie, as she began to put her cloak on, preparing to walk over to her room at the Nurses Home. Katie groaned to herself. What now? She’d been on her feet since seven that morning and was looking forward to her evening meal.

“I’ve just had a message from the colliery. It seems that a miner fell out of the cage as it was being lowered into the excavation. He’s still alive, as they managed to throw him a rope and haul him back up again, but the doctor is sending him here in case he’s suffering any ill effects from the cold or dirty water.”

“But the new shift will be here in a minute, Sister. Can’t one of them see to him?”

“Yes, one of them could, but as you know one of their team is ill and we have limited bed space. I was going to ask you to put him in a side ward and make him comfortable before you leave. He’ll be here in twenty minutes or so. Surely you can do that for your fellow man?”

“Yes, Sister. I’m sorry, Sister. I’ll get a probationer to make up the bed. Could I perhaps make myself a drink though, to give me a bit of energy to carry on?”

Katie walked slowly to the kitchen. Sister was always asking for that little bit extra. She had been on Mens’ Ward now for four months and it always seemed that they were short of staff. An extra hour here and another there. Her old hospital seemed like a paradise when Katie compared it to this place.

“Sister wants you to make up the bed in the side ward,” she said to Winnie, her underling, who was sitting sipping tea. She took the cup of the girl and shooed her on her way.

“I’ll finish this tea off for you, Win. I’m parched and I’ve got to stay behind again.”

One morning in the middle of May, as the rain lashed down against the conservatory windows, the two ladies of Selwyn Lodge were absorbed in some fashion magazines that Hannah had ordered from a London store. They were both a little bored as the weather had kept them cooped up in the house for days. Hannah longed to walk down to the promenade with little Johnny; Maggie would have liked to visit Chester to see her solicitor. She still hadn’t done anything about Michael’s release from his regiment and it had been preying on her mind. Eddie had taken the carriage, so it meant walking down to the train station. Nowadays, that kind of effort was just too much to bear. Where had all her energy gone? She kept wondering. Even playing with her grandson was too much at times.

“That would suit you, Mother,” Hannah remarked, pointing to a day dress modelled by a pretty dark-haired girl. “If you made that up in a silk, perhaps a pastel shade for when the summer comes. Blue maybe, you always look good in blue, or try a deep pink this time and I could make up one for myself with a similar cut, though maybe a little fuller across the hips. I know, we could both have a draped effect across the front.”

“Are you saying I’m fat, Madam?” Maggie asked. She said it lightly, but had to admit to herself that the middle-aged spread that Joan had mentioned seemed to be now applying to herself.

“Well, you have put a bit of weight on, haven’t you? Even though you’re not finishing up what’s put on your plate.”

“I’ll easily get thinner by Ladies Day. Once this rain stops and we can get out again, I’ll take long walks with you and the baby. Though, Joan warned me about something she called middle age spread, when I talked to her about women’s changes. I think she was probably looking fer a reason to excuse how fat she is.”

“Meow. Keep your voice down, Mother, she’ll hear you. You know that in this house our walls have got finely-tuned ears. So, shall I send for the patterns? I’ll order this one for both of us and we should be able to make a start by next weekend.”

“I suppose so. With me being chosen to carry a banner at the parade this time, I’d better have something new to wear. Though I’m going to feel embarrassed with everyone looking at me.”

“Mother, you deserve the honour!” Hannah declared stoutly. “Half the charities around here benefit from your largesse; none of them would exist if it wasn’t for your hard work.”

“I know, but I’ve never really got over the feeling that people look at me with scorn. Look, there’s the great and good Maggie Haines. She was an Irish immigrant, yer know.”

“Oh, tosh to that! You’ve spent more of your life here than back in Ireland. Not everyone has a memory like you have, except Grandmama or Maddy that is. Anyway, come on, let’s measure each other before the little rascal wakes up and starts crying. Stand tall, stand still. No, put your arms down by your side. That’s it…”

Suddenly, Hannah stopped what she was doing, leaving her hand dithering somewhere around her stepmother’s waistband. She pulled Maggie gently towards her, so that they were facing each other. Her voice were full of disbelief as she looked intently into innocent eyes.

“You did meet my father in Liverpool, didn’t you?”

Maggie’s heart lurched for a moment at the memory of her guilty secret, then wondered why on earth had Hannah decided to bring up the trip now, after all these weeks had passed. And why accuse her of meeting up with Jack? What had happened to make Hannah think that she had had an assignation? Maybe someone had seen her in Liverpool. She answered her stepdaughter indignantly,

“What are yer talking about, Hannah? Meeting up with yer father, indeed! He made it very clear that it was a different life he wanted. I’ve not seen him since he cleared off over to Wicklow and how long ago was that? Listen to yer, you wouldn’t think that I’m a grown woman who’s entitled to some private time on her own, the way yer clucking over me!”

“Then you must be expecting a baby through immaculate conception, if it wasn’t Father.”

She turned her back on Maggie and slowly walked away.

“Hannah, come back. Just finish measuring me or you and I are going to fall out.”

But Maggie’s cross words fell on deaf ears, as Hannah ran up the stairs to the nursery.

“Are yer all right, Mrs.?”

Joan, the cook, looked at Maggie with concern in her eyes. She stood uncertainly in the dining room doorway, wondering if she was over stepping the divide between herself and her employer, but surely there had been anguish in the voice she had just heard. Probably a spat that she should keep her nose out of, but the missus had been through the mill recently, what with Mr. Haines clearing off like he had and then her coming down with a nasty dose of ‘flu. Joan watched as Maggie clutched at the mahogany table, then sat down in a chair with a thump.

“What is it? Is it them hot flushes? I’ll get yer a cool drink from the larder; that should do the trick.”

Without Maggie’s agreement, Joan waddled through the kitchen, shooing Olive away as she passed the inquisitive girl.

“Mrs. Haines’ll be wanting lunch laid out in a minute, Olive. Go and ask her if yer can move all them things from the table and keep yer mouth shut; she’s not very well.”

Maggie was sitting staring out of the window as her maid crept in. She nodded her head numbly when Olive asked if she could clear the table and put the magazines on the bridge table by the door. She thanked Joan politely as a glass of lemonade was placed before her, then waited with trepidation as Hannah was called down for her lunch from the nursery.

She hated falling out with her stepdaughter. She could count on the fingers of one hand the amount of times there had been sharp words between them. And that in a house full of women, if you counted Olive and Joan. Surely Hannah couldn’t be right, could she? Accusing her of expecting a baby, of all things. She was forty one, nearly forty two, and in all those years after having Michael there had been no more babies. It was as Joan said. It was the changes that women of her age went through that were causing the extra weight, her lack of monthlies, the loss of appetite and energy. Once the sun started shining she’d feel a whole lot better. Plenty of walks in the fresh air would give her a new lease of life again.