Authors: June Francis
‘She’ll feel a lot better if you come home,’ said Teddy persuasively. ‘This place isn’t good enough for you, Annie, and our place hasn’t been the same since you left.’
‘Don’t soft-soap me,’ said Annie. ‘Anyway, I never said I wouldn’t come, just that I couldn’t come right away.’
‘Tomorrow?’ he said.
‘I’ll think about it. You’d best sleep in my room. I’ll sneak you up the back stairs. In fact you’d best go up before she comes home. She’s gone to play bridge with some of her cronies. It’s freezing up there but I’ll give you the oven shelf wrapped in newspaper to put in. If you keep your clothes on and snuggle right down you’ll soon warm up.’
He smiled at her. ‘I am tired. Thanks, Annie. You’re real good.’
‘Hummph,’ she said. ‘Drink that tea and let’s get you upstairs.’
It was half an hour later that there was a
rat-a-tat
on the door. Annie hurried to answer it, thinking that her mistress had forgotten her key again and muttering the little speech she had prepared, only to receive another shock when she saw John standing on the doorstep. ‘You were quick,’ she said. ‘How did yer know he was here?’
‘A guess,’ said John grimly. ‘Can I come in?’
She nodded and led the way into the kitchen and then stood as if on guard. ‘I’ve sent him to bed. He was cold, hungry and tired out.’ said Annie.
‘He deserves to be the way he’s worried Kitty sick. Wait till I get my hands on him. He’ll be sorry,’ said John, glancing around him.
‘I’m not surprised yer feel like that,’ said Annie. ‘But he didn’t come here for nothing. He says he wants me to come home. That Kitty needs me.’
‘She does,’ said John, his expression easing. He leaned against the table and folded his arms across his broad chest. ‘Is there any chance of it, Annie? If there is then I mightn’t skin the hide off him.’
Annie’s eyes shone. ‘Oh, I said to him I’d come but I feel so much better with it coming from you.’
He smiled. ‘I’m glad you feel like that. Kit’ll be made up.’
‘I’ve missed her,’ said Annie, putting on the kettle. ‘We worked as a team, not like this one here. And tight-fisted!’ She rolled her eyes. ‘I can’t begin to tell yer the way she cuts corners! And the meals – she can’t cook for toffee!’
‘Did Teddy tell you Kit was trying to turn him into a chef?’
‘He did and I couldn’t believe it! He’d never have her nice light touch with pastry! Her shortcrust melts in the mouth. She’d lose custom.’
‘You tell her that.’ John straightened. ‘Don’t bother with tea, Annie. I’ve drank at least six cups already this evening. I’ll be back in the morning but don’t tell Teddy I’ve been, I want to surprise him.’ He squeezed her shoulder and left.
Annie slept the other end of the bed to Teddy. It was not as comfortable as it might have been but at least it was only for the one night.
Come morning
, she thought happily,
I’ll be on my way back to dear ol’ Liverpool.
Teddy travelled back to the Pool in more style than he had to London, by train. He tried to act in a cowed fashion after receiving a tongue lashing from John, but he was cock-a-hoop because he had achieved what he had set out to and his hopes were high that his mother would no longer insist on him being a cook. He dared not hope just yet that she would let him have his way and work in the yard.
No sooner did they set foot inside the hotel than Kitty and Annie fell into each other’s arms. ‘Oh Kit, it’s lovely to be home. You can’t imagine how lonely I’ve been.’ Annie’s eyes shone with a luminous brightness.
‘It’s lovely to have you back. I’ve really missed you.’ Only now, seeing her cousin’s familiar little face, did Kitty realise how well they had worked together in the past. Hannah might be a good worker but she wasn’t kin and could not talk about the happy times when Kitty’s mother was alive. She really was delighted to have Annie back and she knew whom she had to thank.
Kitty turned and looked at Teddy who was to all outward appearances repentant. ‘I should give you the back of my hand,’ she said. ‘Why couldn’t you have written to Annie?’
‘But it wouldn’t have got me anywhere,’ he said earnestly. ‘At least my way you sat up and took notice.’
‘It wasn’t kind, and I’ve a good mind to say that you still have to stick it out here but John says he doesn’t think he can put up with your miserable face round the place day in, day out. So you can go and work in your smelly old engine yard but don’t come moaning to me in a year’s time saying you hate it.’
Teddy’s ears went red and his eyes shone. He made to throw his arms round Kitty but she drew back. ‘No, I’m still cross with you. So beat it before I change my mind.’
He repeated for the fourth time, ‘Sorry, Ma.’
‘OK. Get out,’ she said severely, but inside she rejoiced that he was home safely. That was all that mattered.
Teddy rushed out of the kitchen and went in search of Mick to tell him his good news.
With Annie’s return Kitty’s life became easier. Her one worry had been that Hannah might turn awkward but Annie seemed able to cope with the older woman’s grumpiness. She was not so pleased about having to share a bedroom with her, but as the only other option was to go and live at home again where she would be sharing with two of her sisters she decided to stay put. As for Hannah, she grudgingly admitted that Annie was not a bad little worker. Kitty began to allow herself a few dreams once more. With two such good workers and her plan for Mick to work full time at the Arcadia when he left school, together with a couple of extra girls when they were particularly busy, as well as herself and John, and Teddy and Ben doing their little bit, she decided she should be able to cope with running the hotel and looking after the baby.
She allowed John to cosset her, putting her feet up any odd moment she had and accepting cushions for her back. She used the time to knit tiny pink matinee coats and bootees. John made some comment about the colour but she barely took it in. She was too wrapped up in dreaming of the day she would push a pram down the road with her curly-haired daughter in a frilly bonnet inside it.
Nancy returned at the end of January, bringing with her the news that Aunt Emily was a shrew but at least she was performing a kind act in providing a home for an orphan girl who had recently lost her grandmother. In return this Jeannie, for that was her name, helped with the housework and cooked the meals.
‘How old is she?’ asked Kitty, her fingers stilling on the knitting needles.
‘Fifteen – sixteen. Her father was killed in the war. Lovely looking girl and competent with it. She knows exactly how to handle Aunt Emily, which isn’t easy. She’s a demanding woman.’
‘She always was from what I remember,’ said John, passing her another scone. ‘We’ve got some news.’
‘Oh!’ Nancy gazed expectantly at him and Kitty.
‘You tell her, Kit,’ said John, smiling at his wife.
She twinkled back at him, loving him madly. ‘I’m having a baby. A little McLeod.’
Nancy’s face lighted up. ‘But that’s wonderful! When?’
‘May.’
‘But that’s only three months away!’
Kitty nodded. ‘It’ll be on us before we know it.’
‘You’ll have your work cut out,’ said Nancy thoughtfully. ‘You’re not so young. You’ll have to take care of yourself.’
‘I’ll make sure she takes it easy,’ said John, his expression revealing a touch of anxiety as he looked at his wife.
Kitty pulled a face at him. ‘I’ll be OK! I know the drill. And I can’t be sitting every minute twiddling my thumbs. It’d drive me mad.’
‘You’ll do as you’re told,’ he said firmly.
Nancy’s eyes went from Kitty’s face to John’s. ‘Would it help if I stuck around?’ She bent to give Nelson a morsel of scone.
They both stared down at her flushed profile. ‘But haven’t you got to go back to Canada?’ said Kitty, wondering what Nancy meant by ‘sticking around’.
Nancy sat back in the chair. ‘I’m not saying I’ll stay forever, but who have I got to go back to, really? Mother died three years back and father’s dead now. I have a few friends and of course there’s George’s brothers and sisters but they won’t really miss me. They have their own families taking up their time. My apartment’s only rented. I have a small regular income and shares in George’s family’s timber business which pay me a yearly dividend. So you don’t have to worry that I’d be a financial burden on you.’
‘We weren’t thinking of that,’ said John hastily. ‘We’d love you to stay, wouldn’t we, Kit?’
‘Love it,’ said Kit obediently, despite certain reservations.
A smile broke out over Nancy’s round eager-to-please face. ‘I’d stay on the same terms as any other of your regular guests but help out when you needed me. You’d give me a lot of pleasure in allowing me to do that.’
‘You’ve made it so we can’t say no,’ said John lightly. ‘Isn’t that true, Kit?’
She agreed but wondered exactly how long Nancy would stay. Come National week she would need her room, but she decided she would worry about that when the time came.
In the meantime, life went on pretty much as it had done, except now Teddy was happy. Mick was working with his school books, determined to do well in his exams despite Kitty telling him there was no need to work so hard. There was one sad day for Ben when he found Twitchy dead in his cage. Kitty and her youngest son had a ceremony and buried the mouse in one of the window boxes, and it was not long before Ben found consolation in his tricycle and the company of Nelson.
Grand National week arrived with its usual flood of guests and Kitty had difficulty working out where to put them all. There was a French couple whom John was able to converse with, having picked up some of the language during the war. A group of young people, full of the joys of spring and looking for a good time, agreed to share with complete strangers for just a couple of nights because every hotel and guest house in the city was full. It was rumoured that houseowners near the race course were even renting out tents in their gardens, and getting good money for them. Kitty divided a few of her larger rooms with blankets hung over a length of string to provide her youthful guests with some semblance of privacy. Some slept on the floor, but they all seemed happy enough and, although noisy, they were polite when John asked them to keep the sound down.
To Annie’s and Kitty’s relief, Mr Jones had not booked with them that year but Mrs Mahoney had turned up as usual and this time she had one of her nephews in tow. Her wrinkled face showed satisfaction when she saw Kitty’s increased girth. ‘So you married him, girlie,’ she said, ramming her walking stick on the floor and staring at her from eyes which appeared not as bright as they used to be. ‘I’m glad to see you had some sense and I hope he’ll always be good to you.’
‘He is good to me,’ said Kitty and showed the old lady to her room, promising a cup of tea would be brought up to her.
By the morning of the big race Kitty was worn out but the last thing she wanted was John insisting that she stayed at home. She kept a smile pinned to her face as she dressed in one of the new maternity smocks that Aunt Jane had made for her and chattered to him about how much she was looking forward to the day out.
It was a mistake and she realised it pretty swiftly when they had to park the car some distance away and needed to walk the rest. They arrived at the crowded race course with Kitty desperate for the lavatory. Her condition caused some of those waiting in the queue to allow her to go in front of them but no sooner had she found John, the O’Neills and Nancy, and had watched the first race, than she wanted to go again. She saw little of the other races and it was a relief when it was time to leave. She looked forward to relaxing in front of the fire after the evening meal was served.
But there was to be little relaxing that evening. No sooner had she settled herself with her feet up on the stool which John had put solicitously close, than Annie came flying downstairs.
‘Kit! Something terrible’s happened!’
‘Not the boys?’ she said immediately, dropping the newspaper and pushing herself out of her chair.
‘Sit down,’ ordered John, who was already on his feet. ‘I’ll see to it. What is it?’ he asked Annie.
‘It’s Mrs Mahoney,’ she said breathlessly, resting both hands on the back of a chair. ‘Her bell was ringing away so I went up to her room.’ She paused for a swift intake of air. ‘And there she was flat out on the floor. Her face is a funny colour. I think she’s dead!’
Kitty’s heart sank. ‘We’ll have to get the doctor!’
Annie said, ‘Mrs Higson’s gone for Dr Galloway. I told her where he lived.’
‘Good ol’ Nancy,’ said John, looking relieved. ‘You stay here with Kit, Annie. I’ll go and have a look at the old girl.’ He hurried out.
‘Perhaps she’s not dead,’ said Kitty hopefully. ‘Guests don’t like it when people die on the premises. Neither do I! It causes problems. Poor Mrs Mahoney!’ She was struck by a thought. ‘I wonder if we should find a priest? And where’s that nephew of hers?’
‘He went out with Jimmy’s great-uncles,’ said Annie, clasping her hands and bobbing about, unable to keep still. ‘Should I go and find him?’
‘Don’t be daft,’ said Kitty. ‘Where’ll you look? He could be in any ol’ pub. Sit down and keep still. You’re making me nervous.’
‘Perhaps I should go upstairs and see what’s happening?’
‘You can stay here with me! I hope the rest of the guests stay out till midnight. Or if any do come home early perhaps we can get her out without anyone seeing!’
‘We could put her in that big trunk that’s still up there!’ Annie giggled. Then covered her mouth. ‘Sorry,’ she said in a muffled voice. ‘But I’m all of a doo-dah.’
There was a scrabbling noise at the area door and they both jumped. Annie’s mood was catching and Kitty felt slightly hysterical. Knock, knock, who’s there? she almost said. Then they heard Mick’s voice and Nelson’s sharp little bark.
The door opened and youth and terrier entered. Mick stared at them. ‘What’s up with you two? You look like you’re ready to burst.’
Annie snorted and covered her mouth again.
Kitty took a deep steadying breath. ‘Something terrible’s happened. Mrs Mahoney’s dead upstairs.’