Lizzie's War (14 page)

Lizzie entered the house and heard Beth's raised voice. Mrs Court was crying and blaming herself, and Beth was saying it had to be her sister. Her mother was denying it, claiming it was all her fault for leaving them while she had a nap.

‘They must have got out of their cots,' she said when Beth let her get a word in. ‘We need to call the police, Beth – and go looking for them.'

‘I know where they'll be,' Beth said bitterly. ‘Mary should have gone to the mental institution. She's just not right in the head, Mum.'

‘Mary is upset but she wouldn't do something like this – worrying us all.'

‘She doesn't care two hoots what she does to me,' Beth said. ‘I'm going round there now…'

‘What's all this then?' Beth's father walked in, staring at his wife and daughter.

‘The twins have disappeared,' Mrs Court said. ‘I put them in their cots and went for a lie down. When I woke up a couple of hours later they'd gone – and Beth thinks Mary has taken them, but she hasn't been here…'

‘When did she leave this then?' Mr Court picked up a scarf that was lying on the kitchen floor. ‘This is Mary's, isn't it?'

‘Yes, but she could have left that at any time…' his wife stared at it as if she hadn't seen it before.

‘Not on the floor,' he said. ‘You would have seen it and picked it up this morning. I think Beth is right. You're upset and I don't like to admit it, love, but Mary's been acting strangely since she came out of hospital.'

‘I'm going round to get them,' Beth said and turned towards the door, but her father caught her arm.

‘No, Beth, leave it to me please. Lizzie can come if she wants, but you'll just get angry and make things worse. I'll bring the twins back if they're there – and if not, I'll get up a search party. Someone came into this house and went upstairs and took those babies from their cots. I doubt if it was a stranger.'

Beth stared at him rebelliously. ‘They are my children, Dad. She had no right to take them.'

‘Not without your agreement,' he confirmed, ‘but Mary is your sister. She isn't evil, even if she is unwell. I'll talk to her and I'll make sure she won't do it again – and in future, your mother can lock the door if she wants a rest.'

‘It's my fault…' his wife wailed her remorse. ‘I'll never forgive myself if…'

‘If you'll come with me, Lizzie. We'll see if the twins are with Mary,' Mr Court said.

‘Yes, of course.' Lizzie met Beth's anxious gaze. ‘Stay with your mum and make her a cup of tea. I'll just take a quick look at Betty and then I'll go with your father. We shan't be long, I promise you.'

Beth looked angry but then inclined her head. ‘Yes, all right, Lizzie, I'll stay here and see Betty is looked after, but be as quick as you can…'

*

‘Thank you for that, Lizzie,' Mr Court said when Lizzie came back down the stairs. ‘Is Betty all right?'

‘Sound asleep, so I didn't disturb her.'

‘Good. I'm sure the twins are fine too, but it's as well to make sure.' They went out to the shabby but serviceable van he used for his work as a market trader. ‘Beth is in too much of a state and Mary needs understanding, not a blazing row.'

‘She isn't well,' Lizzie told him. ‘No one wanted her to go to that mental institution the hospital suggested, but she does need help.'

‘And she'll get it from me,' he replied firmly. ‘Mary just needs a strong hand to guide her. She ought to have her husband with her and that's a part of the trouble. Because she hasn't had a letter in months, she thinks he's dead and she hasn't got much else to live for.'

Lizzie nodded but made no reply. Mary had been through an awful lot but what had made her behave in such a reckless fashion? She must know how much it would upset both Beth and her mother?

It seemed to take ages to reach Mary's house but was in fact only a few minutes. Lizzie sighed with relief as she followed Mr Court into Mary's kitchen. It was strewn with bits of dresses and skirts she'd cut up, but otherwise it looked clean enough, and she was sitting in an old rocking chair, nursing Beth's little girl, and Matt was sitting on a cushion at her feet, chewing on a biscuit she'd given him and knocking down some brightly coloured bricks.

‘Hello, Dad,' she said, looking up at him. ‘Have you come for the twins? Mum was asleep and she looked so tired, so when Matt started grizzling, I brought the twins back here. I've fed them, so Beth won't have to when she gets back from work.'

‘That was good of you, Mary,' her father said in a gentle voice. ‘Gave them egg and soldiers, did you? I remember you liked that when you were little – but you should have left a note, you know. Your mum and Beth were worried.'

‘They didn't need to be,' Mary said. ‘Beth never did like sharing her toys.'

‘Babies are not toys,' he said. ‘You mustn't ever do that again, Mary. If it does happen, I might have to make sure you can't do it anymore, love. I don't want to do that, but you know I can – and what would Andy say if he knew?'

‘Andy won't say anything, he's dead,' Mary sounded calm, almost disinterested, as she glanced at the mantelshelf. ‘I got one of those things the day I went to the social club It says he's missing presumed dead… I told Mum I knew he was dead weeks ago but she didn't believe me.'

‘Oh Mary, love,' her father said. ‘I'm so sorry. Why didn't you tell us it had come?'

‘It doesn't matter.' Mary's eyes were dark with grief now. ‘Nothing matters – so I'm going back to nursing. I'm going to ask if they will send me overseas. I want to do something useful…'

‘Lizzie, take the twins to the van,' he said, sending her an urgent message with his eyes. ‘I shan't be long.'

‘Certainly,' Lizzie said and lifted the little girl from Mary's arms. She held on for a moment but then let go. Lizzie hoisted her in one arm and then took hold of Matt's hand. He toddled confidently by her side as she took him out to the van.

‘Mum, mum?' he said and rubbed at his dirty face.

‘Soon. We'll be back with Mummy soon,' Lizzie said.

Mr Court was about ten minutes before he came out. Lizzie didn't ask questions; he looked grim and she didn't really want to know what he'd said to his daughter in private. The children were unharmed and that was all that mattered to Lizzie.

She couldn't wait to get all the children home and bathed and in their own cots. Beth was going to need time to come to terms with what her sister had done and they would have to discuss what to do about the children in future. Mrs Court had looked tired and it was obvious that having all three children was too much for her.

Lizzie wondered if she could find someone trustworthy to look after them for part of the day at least, though she wouldn't want to offend Beth's mum by taking them away from her completely.

It was a difficult decision to make.

‘I never want to go through that again,' Beth said after the children were clean and settled in their own room for the night. ‘I was terrified that Mary might have run off with them – or worse…'

‘She was nursing Jenny,' Lizzie reminded her. ‘The telegram about Andy being missing was too much for her – and explains the way she behaved at the serving men's club. I think she just went wild, didn't truly know what she was doing.'

‘Yes, I can see that,' Beth agreed. ‘But how can I be sure she won't do it again?'

‘Your father told her what he would do if she did,' Lizzie said.

‘What did Dad say to her?'

‘I didn't hear all of it – but I think he was telling her that as her father he could ask for her to be committed to one of those places for wayward girls if she did anything like that again.'

‘Oh, poor Mary,' Beth said. ‘She thinks the world of Dad, so coming from him that would upset her. I don't want her shut up in a place like that, Lizzie. I just want to make sure she keeps away from my children.'

‘Well, she's had a warning and if she goes back to nursing, as she plans, that should be the end of it. You have to feel for her, Beth. The baby dying was terrible enough to make anyone nearly lose their mind and then to get one of those telegrams… it must be awful.'

‘I know it hasn't been easy for her, but I can't risk it happening again.'

‘I know…'

‘Mum is feeling tired, so I'm taking a week or so off work, Lizzie. I shall stay with the children until we can find a way to lighten the load. Dad says it's too much for Mum to have all three of them every day. We have to find someone else we can trust.'

Lizzie started in alarm as the front door bell rang. ‘It's half past nine – who could that be?'

‘We'll both go,' Beth said and grabbed a poker, holding it menacingly as the bell rang again.

Lizzie went ahead of her to open the door. She felt nervous because whoever was there was determined that she would answer, knocking continuously.

‘All right, please don't wake the…' she began as she opened the door and then the words died in her throat and she felt a rush of emotion. Her eyes stung with tears as she moved towards him, and all the emotions of the last few days welled up and spilled over. ‘Sebastian … Oh, Sebastian – I never thought…'

‘May I come in, Lizzie?'

‘Please do,' she said. ‘We were just sitting talking and we couldn't think who could be at the door…'

‘I'm sorry it's so late, but they only let me go this afternoon and I've had a long train journey.'

As he stepped into the light, Lizzie could see that he looked tired and pale; there was a red mark at his temple and another scar near the corner of his eye. Both had healed, but she sensed that his injuries had taken their toll, because there was a change in him; he seemed weary, almost vulnerable, and that wasn't like Sebastian. He'd always been so strong, invincible.

‘Come in and sit by the fire,' she invited. ‘We can make coffee or tea – and we have a bottle of sherry…oh it's so good to have you back…' Emotion caught at her throat as her eyes went over him, taking in every beloved detail.

‘Just coffee,' Sebastian said. ‘They've given me some pills that might not take kindly to alcohol. I'm sorry for arriving out of the blue, I ought to have waited until tomorrow. Shall I leave and visit you again at the showroom in the morning?'

‘No, stay here and rest please,' Lizzie insisted, reluctant to let him leave even for an instant, ‘I'll make some coffee – we've got some decent stuff in the cupboard that we keep for special occasions.'

‘I'll go up and check on the children,' Beth said. ‘Nice to see you, Mr Winters. Goodnight...'

She closed the door behind her. Beth had been understanding leaving them together and Lizzie was grateful. She gazed into Sebastian's eyes and then moved towards him, putting her arms about his waist. She rested her head against his chest and he touched his chin to her head. She felt the tremor that ran through him and held him closer.

‘I've missed you,' she said, breathing deeply. ‘When were you hurt?'

‘Some weeks ago. I was unconscious for a while and then too ill to know what was going on. It was some time before I was sent home – and I wouldn't let them send you a telegram when I was in hospital, because I didn't want you upset.'

‘How were you hurt?' Lizzie asked wonderingly, touching his cheek with her fingertips as he drew back to look at her. ‘Are you better now?'

Sebastian laughed softly. ‘One question at a time. I have some of my own – have you missed me?'

‘I've missed you so very much, Sebastian.'

‘I've been longing for this and now… I'm just too tired to say all things I want to say, my darling.'

‘You don't have to say anything. Just being here is enough.'

‘Is it?' He looked long and hard into her face. ‘Last time I was here – I wondered if I'd dreamed it. Did you really tell me you loved me, Lizzie?'

‘It has seemed like a dream to me too,' she murmured softly. ‘I wasted so much time denying you, Sebastian. I should have taken your offer to work for you when you first asked…'

‘No, I don't think so. I might have taken advantage and ruined things between us then,' Sebastian said. ‘You've become so much more, Lizzie. You've grown up and made your dreams come true – and you've learned what life is all about. I hope you will be my wife one day soon and that we'll carry those dreams to a higher plane. You've suffered, but you've become a woman, Lizzie, a very beautiful woman.'

‘Oh, Sebastian,' Lizzie said and lifted her face to his. ‘Sometimes I wondered if I would ever see you again…'

‘Didn't I tell you that bad pennies always turn up?'

Lizzie shook her head. ‘You've always been good to me, Sebastian.'

His head bowed and he kissed her, softly at first and then with increasing passion. This is what she had longed for, dreamed of, ever since he left her after their blissful Christmas together. Lizzie melted into him, her body soft and pliant as she gave herself to him and the kiss. When he let her go at last, she was breathless but reeling from the pleasure. She wanted to know him in the fullest sense and felt bereft when he stopped kissing her.

‘I need that coffee, Lizzie,' he murmured softly. ‘And I don't want our first time to be on a kitchen mat with your friend and the children upstairs. Besides, I'm too damned weary to do you justice, my love.'

‘Beth wouldn't take any notice… but you need to rest and I want us to be alone together somewhere nice…'

‘Can you come away with me please? Just for a couple of days?'

‘I'm not sure.' Lizzie hesitated. ‘Beth was speaking of taking a week off to be with the children – and if I go too…'