Summer Loving (5 page)

‘It was bound to. Come in a minute. How is Percy?’ Jess asked over her shoulder as she carried the tub into the kitchen and switched on the light, relieved when Morwenna closed the door and followed.

‘He do put on a brave face, dear of him. But this here chest infection have left him awful weak. We’re trying to feed ’n up and get a bit of meat on his bones. But he got no appetite.’ Her gaze fell on the cup half-filled with clear liquid. Her nose twitched and she glanced up. ‘Is that –?’

‘Gin,’ Jess said.

‘I tried it once.’ Mor shuddered again. ‘Like drinking scent it was.’

Jess smiled. ‘I can’t stand it either. But it’s brilliant at cleaning jewellery.’ Fishing out the two rings she’d had steeping in the cup ever since Ben’s visit, she laid them on a folded tissue and carefully blotted them.

‘This,’ she held it up, ‘was my nan’s engagement ring. The one with the three diamonds belonged to my father-in-law’s mother. They were both grubby and dull. But look at them now.’ She turned them so they caught the light.

‘Gin do that? Well, I never.’ Morwenna peered at them. ‘Don’t they sparkle?’

‘I had to sell everything else but I hung on to these. They’ll go to my granddaughter, Helen.’

‘I don’t know what happened to my gran’s engagement ring. Mother must have sold it.’

‘Mine was old,’ Jess said. ‘I’ve always loved antique jewellery. It was made around 1800 and quite valuable.’ She shrugged. ‘But it had to go.’

‘Did you mind?’

Jess shook her head. ‘I thought I would. But after everything I found out, it had lost any meaning for me. Fortunately it fetched a good price which helped clear Alex’s debts. My daughter-in-law’s is very simple, a single diamond set in platinum. She had it made to her design. Here, try them on.’

‘Oh, I can’t –’

‘Of course you can. Go on. Third finger.’

The triple diamond ring hung loose. But the other fitted perfectly.

‘If you had to choose, which would it be?’

Morwenna smiled, turning her hand so the sapphire and tiny surrounding diamonds sparkled as they caught the light. ‘This one. It’s so pretty and I love the colour. Ben never said about getting me an engagement ring. I aren’t bothered, mind. I’ll have my wedding band. With both of us working we haven’t had time to go shopping for that yet. So we looked in catalogues. I couldn’t b’lieve how many there was to choose from. Some had these fancy designs on. But you should’ve seen the prices. Dear life! I couldn’t let ’n pay that kind of money. Any case, I’d sooner have something simple. I told ’n, tidn what it cost, ’tis what it means. Once Ben put ’n on my finger, I won’t never take ’n off again.’ She removed the ring and dropped it into Jess’s hand.

‘Mor, that’s a lovely thought. Have you got time for a cuppa?’

‘Better not.’ She gestured to her basket. ‘I’ll take these down to Percy. Then Ben will walk me home and we’ll have an hour to ourselves. Anyhow, thank you.’

‘I was glad to help. And thanks for the scones.’ Jess watched her walk down the path before closing the door and crossing to the phone.

‘Hello, Ben? Mor’s on her way down to you. She’ll love the ring. I’m absolutely positive. My nan’s engagement ring is a sapphire and diamonds. Mor tried it on and said how much she liked the colour. Have you got a pen and paper to write down the size?’

‘Will you talk to Jimmy? Find out what’s going on?’ Jess hung the tea towel over the rail as Tom carried mugs of coffee to the low table in front of the sofa.

It was Tuesday evening and Tom had called in after dropping Doug off at home. Setting the mugs down, he straightened.

‘Aw, Jess –’

‘I know what you’re going to say. Men don’t ask each other personal questions and anyway it’s none of your business. I know all that. But Viv’s nearly out of her mind with worry. If it’s not another woman, and I honestly can’t see it – I mean he’s at the garage all day and home to Viv in the evening. When would he ever find time? But it’s plain as day there’s something on his mind. He wasn’t himself at the Summer Fair. I
know
men don’t usually talk about their problems. That’s why they have heart attacks and strokes and die before they need to.’

‘All right, all right.’ Tom threw up his hands in surrender. ‘I’ll talk to him, OK? But if he tells me to mind my own business –’

‘At least you’ll have tried. I always thought of him and Viv as one of the closest couples in this village.’

‘Exactly,’ Tom dropped onto the sofa beside her. ‘So if he won’t tell her, why would he tell me?’

Jess shrugged. ‘Because you’re a man and maybe it’s a man thing? What is he, forty-seven? Forty-eight? Maybe he’s having problems in bed –’

‘I aren’t asking him
that
,’ Tom yelped.

‘I’m not suggesting you should,’ Jess patted his thigh. ‘I’m just saying it could be a reason. You knew them all the time I was away living in Truro. Could you ever imagine him having an affair?’

He shook his head. ‘Him and Viv – they started going out at school. Far as I remember, neither one of them ever looked at anyone else. It was always Jimmy and Viv. All right, you’ve made your point,’ he said as Jess raised an eyebrow.

‘Tell him Viv came to me because she’s worried sick, and I told you because I don’t know what to do – which is the truth. I know you can’t make him talk. But maybe if you give him the opening –’

‘I’ll give it a go, bird. But I aren’t promising anything.’ He leaned forward and picked up his coffee. ‘What about Billy-Joe Spencer then? Found out any more have you?’

‘I’m getting there, though at the moment it’s mostly about his unit.’ Getting up, Jess fetched a folder from the table. Back on the sofa she tucked one foot under her as she faced him and opened the file. ‘To rehearse for D-Day, units of US troops were taken to Slapton Sands in Devon.’

‘Why did they have to go up there?’

‘The beach is long and shallow, like those in Normandy where they would be landing.’ As Tom nodded, she continued. ‘Because many of the soldiers had never been in battle, the Supreme Allied Commander, General Eisenhower, wanted them to know what it would be like landing under fire. He gave orders for a British warship to bombard the beach with live shells so the troops could experience the noise, smell, and sight of explosions. There was supposed to be a half-hour gap between the bombardment and them landing.’

‘Why?’

‘To allow time for any live shells to be made safe and cleared away.’

‘’Course. Daft question.’

‘Then while the soldiers were jumping from the landing craft and running up the sand, troops hiding at the top of the beach were supposed to fire live rounds over their heads.’

‘
Live
 –? Bleddy hell.’

‘You haven’t heard the worst. The timings were changed and the bombardment delayed. But the landing craft weren’t on the right radio frequency so they didn’t get the message. Soldiers running up the beach were being killed by the warship’s shells.’

‘Jesus,’ Tom whispered.

‘The next day a convoy of landing craft packed with men, tanks, lorries, and equipment were heading for the beach when they were hit by torpedoes from German E-boats. One caught fire and the vehicles on board exploded, spraying the men with blazing fuel. Another sank almost at once and a third had its stern blown off. The convoy was ordered to scatter. But that left hundreds of men in the sea. Weighed down by waterlogged clothes and kit most of them drowned. Others were killed by their lifejackets.’

‘What? How?’

‘They were supposed to be worn under the armpits. But the men hadn’t been told and it wasn’t clear from the design. So most had tied them round their waists. Only this turned them face down and pushed their heads underwater.’

Jess heard Tom’s breath hiss between his teeth. Swallowing the painful lump in her throat she went to the kitchen and reached for the kettle.

He followed, putting his arm around her shoulders. ‘All right, my lover?’

She nodded. ‘I know these things happen in wartime and it was a long time ago. But it’s such a terrible waste of life.’

‘They was all someone’s son, maybe a husband or father. Was Billy-Joe –?’

‘No. His unit had been there a month earlier.’ She wiped her nose and took a steadying breath.

As the kettle boiled, Tom picked up the mugs from the coffee table, rinsed them under the hot tap. He grinned at her as he wiped them dry. ‘I wonder what the Americans thought of our bathrooms.’

Appreciating his attempt to lighten the mood, Jess smiled. ‘What bathrooms? Back home they had hot running water and flushing toilets. Some of the big houses taken over as command posts for the officers had proper bathrooms. But the electricity supply was erratic so hot water was a luxury unless it was carried up from the kitchen in ewers.’

Jess made fresh coffee then returned the milk to the fridge. ‘Nan used to tell me stories of what life was like in the village during wartime. None of the cottages along Back Row had electricity. Everyone cooked on a coal or wood-fired range, used oil lamps for light, and collected drinking water from the village pump in brown stoneware pitchers. Nan had a tin bath on a nail in the back yard. Grampy brought it in on Friday evenings and Nan filled it with hot water from the copper in the scullery.’

Tom nodded. ‘Remember what my granfer used to call the back house?’

‘I do. Ours was at the top of the garden. Most of them were. Grampy had planted honeysuckle to climb all over it. In summer it was a scent battle between the honeysuckle and Jeyes Fluid.’

‘That brings back memories.’

‘Nan’s had a wide plank with a hole cut in it for a seat. Grampy had planed it smooth then put a coat of varnish on so we wouldn’t get splinters. There was a bucket of ashes from the fire to be tipped into the pit after use, and squares of newspaper on a loop of string hung on a nail.’ She sighed. ‘Blow the good old days. I like my bath and loo indoors.’

Tom kissed her. ‘You OK now? Only I’d better get back. Chris’ll be home soon. I don’t want ’n coming in to an empty house.’ He pulled her close and kissed her again. ‘I won’t forget about Jimmy. I’ll see ’n soon as I can.’

She hugged him then let him go. ‘You’re a dear.’

‘’Night, my lover.’

––––––––

‘T
he insurance company sent an assessor to look at the chapel,’ Gill told Jess when she went into the shop the following morning. ‘Now the Trustees have to get a price for the work from three different companies.’

Jess made a face. ‘That will take at least a fortnight, maybe longer.’

Gill nodded. ‘Whichever company gets the job will have to finish the work they’re doing before they can start. I hate to say it, Jess, but I can’t see the repairs and all being finished in time. It’s end of July now and the wedding is on 3
^rd
September.’ She clicked her tongue. ‘Nothing’s easy for Mor, is it?’

At 11.30 on Wednesday morning Jess carried two large plastic boxes of chocolate brownies into the kitchen ready for the Over-60s lunch.

‘Hi, all,’ she called.

Stirring an enormous double-handed pan of soup, Viv looked over her shoulder. ‘All right, Jess?’ Then she raised her eyes and gave her head a brief shake.

‘All I’m saying is, there’s no smoke without fire,’ Frances Chiddock announced.

‘You’d know all about that,’ Annie retorted.

Frances’ chin came up. ‘What is that supposed to mean?’

Annie shrugged. ‘Whatever you want it to.’ She turned her back on Frances whose cheeks had flushed red. ‘Jess, is it all right if I take a brownie for Percy? He does like his bit of cake.’

‘Of course you can. What about some soup?’

‘I already offered,’ Viv called. ‘But she’d sooner give him stuff from a tin.’

‘Viv, stop trying to wind Annie up,’ Jess scolded.

‘Take more than her to do that.’ Annie said. ‘She’s made chicken and ham, and Percy said he fancied a drop of tomato.’

Jess handed her a brownie wrapped in a paper napkin. ‘How is he really? Mor and Ben are both putting on a brave face but I know Mor’s concerned.’

Annie nodded and spoke quietly. ‘He’s only hanging on for the wedding, dear of him. He’s worked hard all his life and his body’s worn out. That’s why he can’t get rid of this infection.’

‘Do you think he’ll make it?’

Annie’s smile was fond. ‘I’d put money on him walking Mor down that aisle. He thinks the world of her. He told me all he ever wanted was to see Ben happy.’ She held up the brownie. ‘This will make his day.’

‘Tell him I asked after him.’ She half-turned her back to the others. ‘I take it Frances has heard about Karen Trewearn’s baby?’

Annie nodded. ‘She and the rest of the village. Linda asked me to drop in and make sure Karen and the baby were all right.’

‘Surely – I mean, isn’t the health visitor –?’

‘Linda sent her packing after she made Karen cry. She told me she’s asked you to try and find out if there’s an explanation – apart from the obvious one.’

‘You’re a nurse, Annie. Have you ever heard of something like this? Frances is only saying what probably most of the village believes, that Karen slept with someone who wasn’t her husband and wasn’t white. But according to Linda, Karen swears there has never been anyone but Scott.’

Annie sighed. ‘I haven’t come across it myself. But I’ve spent most of my life in Cornwall. Maybe in the teaching hospitals ... I’m not saying couldn’t happen. But the sad fact is that the obvious answer is often the right one.’

‘Jess?’ Viv yelled. ‘I could do with some help here.’

‘Coming.’ As Annie headed for the door, Jess hurried to Viv’s side. ‘What do you want me to do?’

‘Put out the soup dishes?’

Guessing Viv was about to ask what they had been talking about, Jess spoke first. ‘Have you heard anything about the Vintage Rally and Country Fair up at Gwendra Farm?’

‘No, when’s that then?’

‘A couple of weeks after Mor and Ben’s wedding. There’s a poster on the village notice board.’

‘The last one was years ago. I s’pose it was too much for Keith while he was working. But now he’s retired and his sons are running the farm he’ll have more time.’ She lifted the pan from the stove top onto a heat-proof stand and began ladling it into the bowls.