Lily’s War (29 page)

He dropped his tin hat, gas mask, kitbag, and held her off from him. ‘I was more worried about you lot! We know Liverpool’s been copping it.’

‘We’re surviving.’ She smiled. ‘How are you finding the land of your fathers?’

His expression brightened. ‘Lovely country and the natives are friendly to us foreigners.’

‘Foreigners? Our mam and grandparents were Welsh!’

‘Well, there are foreigners among us. There’s an RAF training base not far away with New Zealanders and Aussies.’ He looked at Matt. ‘You’d feel quite at home. And there’s this nice old lady with this enormous house and gardens who throws it open to all and sundry. She thinks we’re all heroes. We have a few friendly drinks and a few friendly fights.’

‘Fights? Aren’t the Jerries enough for you all?’ said Lily.

He grinned. ‘It’s nothing serious. And I’ve told them we’re just as friendly in Liverpool and to drop in any time they’re over this way.’

‘Thank you, Ben,’ she said with mock severity. ‘As if I didn’t have enough visitors with Matt’s waifs and strays.’

Ben pulled a face. ‘And now there’s me to feed. I’ve got a whole fortnight’s leave.’

‘Well, you can spend it at the farm,’ she said promptly. ‘Uncle William was saying he has a lot to discuss with you.’

He asked after his uncle and from then on the conversation was taken up with family and business matters.

That night there was only a light raid, much to their relief. On Christmas Day, William arrived in the Armstrong Siddeley to take them to the farm. They had made a promise not to talk about the war that day, but it was not easy considering the debris, bomb craters and unsafe buildings which needed to be avoided in order to collect the twins’ sister.

‘This is Vera,’ introduced Matt.

She was a tall girl, with pale delicate features and waving brown hair fashioned peek-a-boo style, which did not quite conceal a black eye. The skirt of the navy blue suit she wore was a little on the short side, which was to her advantage, revealing long slim legs. Her shoes were well worn but highly polished. A bandage showed beneath the cuff of her left sleeve and she appeared nervous, biting on her bottom lip as she stood gazing at them.

Lily and William smiled and said hello. The twins chorused for her to come and sit by them, but Ben, who was sitting in the front seat and had been gazing wordlessly at her, scrambled out of the car and offered his seat. ‘You’ll be more comfortable here than squashed in the back,’ he stammered.

‘Thank you.’ Her voice was just a thread of sound and she stared at him gratefully from elongated brown eyes.

Lily lifted one of the twins on to her knee and tried not to stare at Ben as he squeezed in next to her. It took some doing because to her knowledge it was the first time he had ever looked at a girl in such a way. She spoke to him and he answered as if in a dream. He’s in love, smitten at first sight, she thought, wondering what that boded for the future.

Over dinner Lily watched Ben and Vera and it was obvious to her the girl was as smitten as her brother. It showed when he asked William and Dora could Vera and the twins board with them? Ronnie and May had taken the visitors to see the animals.

‘She’ll be able to help on the farm now most of the men have gone, Uncle William,’ he insisted, his expression animated. ‘I’ve got a fortnight, I can teach her quite a lot in that time.’

His uncle agreed and when Matt stressed the need for those who had to help those who had not, Aunt Dora also said yes, adding since she had been aiding William and May outside there had not been enough hours in the day and she was always tired. It was not like her aunt to show weakness and Lily felt concerned. Then she remembered the baby. The news brought a smile to Dora’s face, although for a moment she reverted back to her old self and reminded Lily that her mother had died in childbirth and she would have to take care of herself and not do too much. Albert had been too wrapped up in himself to see what had been needed at the time, which was typical of men.

Matt said shortly, ‘I have every intention of my wife having the best of care, Dora.’ But instead of insisting Lily stayed safely at the farm that night they went home together.

Lily was quite happy to do so, although she would have liked to be on hand to see how the relationship between Ben and Vera progressed. She found out within the week when Ben announced he and Vera were getting married and asked Matt how he went about getting a special licence. She expected Matt to counsel him on the wisdom of not rushing into something so important as marriage but he did not.

‘They’re right for each other,’ Matt said succinctly. ‘You can see it just looking at their faces and they’re always talking.’ He officiated at the wedding which was attended only by the close family. The obviously happy newly-weds had a two-day honeymoon in Blackpool before Ben returned to his unit.

Matt tried to find out more about Jane but it was difficult with victims’ bodies charred beyond recognition and survivors coming and going from the countryside. For the docks to keep working, the dockers had to stay alive, so it made sense for them to escape the bombing where they could.

There was a welcome lull in heavy bombing for a couple of months and Matt said no more about Lily moving out to the farm. Feeling well, and with the baby moving inside her, she got on with life. She tried not to worry about the war or Ben. Vera went to see him in Wales and soon after they heard he would be going abroad. He said they had not been told where for security reasons but he and Vera worked out a code so he could let her know when he was leaving and where he was going, but she received no letter or phone call and could only presume that they had whisked him away before he had a chance to get in touch.

With few raids life almost felt normal. Then halfway through March, Lily and Matt were having a welcome break at the pictures when the sirens started. They stayed where they were, enjoying the film and believing the raid would only be a light one, but an incendiary started a fire and they were told to leave. They came out of the cinema to the sound of machine-gun fire. Flares lit up the sky, enabling them to see the duel taking place between two planes. Mesmerised they watched as tracer bullets travelled along the plume of a Heinkel bomber with a Nightfighter in hot pursuit. The planes tore across the sky, then suddenly there came a tremendous explosion and they could see burning bits and pieces of aircraft plunging from the sky. There was a hush and then the crowd let out a cheer.

‘Let’s go,’ said Matt grimly, seizing Lily’s arm. ‘Tomorrow you go to the farm.’ She nodded, wishing the men had been able to parachute out. It did not matter than the slain were the enemy. They were someone’s husband, son or brother.

Lily was to remember that aerial fight a couple of mornings later. She had just finished helping Uncle William and Vera with the milking, wanting to get away as soon as she could to see if Matt and Ronnie were all right, when the twins came into the house at a run.

‘We’ve found a man,’ they said breathlessly and in unison. ‘He speaks funny English, not as good as Matt, and thinks he’s broken his ankle.’

The three grown-ups exchanged glances. ‘A Jerry, d’you think?’ said William, reaching for the shotgun which had never been far from his hand since war was declared.

‘Your guess is as good as mine,’ murmured Lily.

Vera’s mouth tightened. ‘If he’s one of theirs I know what I’d like to do with him.’ She made a twisting gesture with her hands and strode out of the shippon accompanied by the twins.

Lily and William hurried after them to the field, where to their relief an airman in RAF blue was trying to fold his half-torn parachute, while propped up on one elbow among rows of early cabbages. There was a smear of mud and a long scratch down the side of his face but he grinned as they approached. ‘Gidday sports!’

‘You’re an Aussie!’ chorused the two women.

‘You’re quick. Name’s Andy Gardner.’

Lily could not help a smile. He reminded her of Rob Fraser and suddenly she was remembering the sunshine and the flowers and life before the real gut-gripping fear that the bombing had brought to all their lives.

William cleared his throat. ‘We should get his boot off if his ankle’s broken.’

Lily roused herself. ‘It’ll hurt like hell and we’ve still to get him on his feet and we can’t go lifting, Uncle William.’

Vera agreed and sent the twins to fetch May, and between them the two young women managed to get Andy into the house, where William phoned a doctor and the Australian asked if he could ring his base at Speke, a few miles away.

The women fussed around Andy who informed them he came from New South Wales, and soon he and Lily were talking of places she had visited and completely forgot the time. The doctor arrived and said Andy’s ankle was only a bad sprain. He also had a talk with Lily and they discussed her coming confinement as she had decided it would take place at the farm. It came as a shock to her to realise it was well gone two before he left. She wondered if Matt was worried about her, then decided he could have phoned from the post office if he was concerned. She felt definitely annoyed about him not doing so.

Yesterday she had arrived home to find the house empty and had done most of the washing before he came in. He had been visiting the bereaved and seemed distracted. She had been feeling unusually vulnerable and anxious but had not liked bothering him with her feelings, especially when someone else had arrived, homeless and asking for his help. He had ended up offering her Albert’s old room without consulting Lily, which she now remembered had annoyed her. She thought they should have discussed it. Afterwards there had been barely time to snatch a meal together before she had to leave to catch the tram. Thinking about it, Lily decided she would not rush into Liverpool and back to the farm again. The doctor had said her blood pressure was up and she should be resting more with the baby due in less than two months.

About six in the evening Matt phoned and it seemed to Lily that he did not care if he saw her or not when he said he hoped to get a good night’s sleep for a change because he was not fire-watching that night. She felt undesirable and unwanted.

Dora, seeing her flushed face, suggested she had a bath and maybe an early night. Not accustomed to being fussed over by her aunt, Lily was touched by her solicitude and did as she suggested. She enjoyed a long soak with the new
Woman
magazine and was just rubbing her hair dry when she heard the sound of a vehicle drawing up. Her heart quickened its beat. Perhaps Matt had found transport and had come to spend the night with her?

She donned the satin dressing gown he had given her for Christmas and hurried downstairs. Then she stopped abruptly, her heart bumping heavily. In the hall stood two men in RAF uniform. One was a stranger but the other she knew. He was Rob Fraser.

‘Lily!’ Rob bounded up the stairs.

She gazed into his face and thought, he looks just as young as ever and as attractive, whereas the war is ageing Matt and me before our time. ‘Hello, Rob.’ Her voice was quietly controlled. ‘I never thought to see you here.’

‘I always hoped I’d see you again,’ he murmured. ‘That’s why I volunteered and came up here.’

‘That was a daft thing to do!’ She flushed. ‘It was all a misunderstanding … Matt was in New Guinea. We’re back together and I’m having his baby.’

He stared at her for what seemed a long time and his eyes were the hard blue of sapphires. ‘Men get killed in wars. Perhaps Matt will?’

Lily could barely believe he had said such a thing but before she could comment. Vera, who had entered with the two men, called, ‘Do you two know each other?’

‘Sure do,’ said Rob, switching on a smile. ‘Small world, isn’t it?’ He clomped downstairs.

‘We met briefly when I was in Australia,’ said Lily, as she followed slowly in Rob’s wake. She smiled at the other airman who was dark-haired and sallow-skinned. ‘I presume you’ve come to collect Andy and you’ve got to rush off with him?’

‘Not particularly, have we, mate?’ Rob’s eyes flashed a message to the other man. ‘There’s time for a cuppa if you’re offering.’

‘I wasn’t,’ said Lily, knowing it would not do to allow Rob into her life again.

Vera stared at her in surprise. ‘But they’ve come so far, Lil. I thought—’

She laughed lightly. ‘They haven’t just flown in from Australia! They’ve only come from Speke, over the way.’

‘Cruel, Lily, when I’ve got so much to tell you,’ said Rob reprovingly. ‘Abby turned up after you left. You remember her?’

Her stomach lurched and for a moment she could not speak. Then anger superseded the fear of what he might say and she murmured, ‘Vera, perhaps I’m being a little unkind. Make the men a drink. I’m going to bed.’

She began to climb the stairs, heard a door open and the murmur of voices before they were shut off and thought, thank God! She jumped when Rob said, ‘I’d still like to get to talk to Matt about other things besides Abby.’

She stared at him, suddenly convinced there was a hint of a threat in those words. She wished she had told Matt about Rob but it was too late now. She felt the blood drain from her face, and seizing hold of the polished oak knob at the top of the stairs she clung to it and took several deep breaths before turning and staring down at him. ‘You’re determined to cause trouble, aren’t you?’

‘Sure am. Told you I wanted to knock his block off.’

A tight smile pinched her mouth. ‘You’re out of luck! Matt isn’t here. I’ve evacuated from Liverpool because of the bombing and the baby.’

He frowned. ‘So where is he?’

‘I’m not telling you.’

He shook his head as if in disbelief. ‘Out of harm’s way, I bet. Then I might as well tell you what Abby had to say.’

‘No!’ she blurted out. ‘I don’t want to know.’

His eyes glinted. ‘Coward! You don’t trust him, do you?’

‘You’re wrong.’ She closed her eyes briefly. ‘I’m tired. The doctor says I’ve got to rest. Another time, Rob.’

‘When?’ Lily shrugged and he added, ‘Next time I have some time off we could meet – go somewhere and talk. This place has a phone, doesn’t it?’