Beyond a Misty Shore (30 page)

Hetty thought about it and then nodded slowly. At first she had been very wary of him, even though she pitied him for the pain he was obviously suffering, but gradually she had come to realise that he posed no threat to either herself or those she considered her family. ‘I wouldn’t like to leave him out, Sophie. It wouldn’t be the right thing to do at all. He seems a nice enough young man – for a foreigner – and he has suffered a great deal.’

Sophie nodded her agreement. ‘He has. It was a great mistake for him to come to Liverpool, we all warned him but . . . but he loves Maria so much that the separation became unbearable. But as soon as he is well enough he will go back to Peel.’ She didn’t mention to Hetty that her sister was determined to go back to the island with Hans; she knew it would upset her.

Hetty smiled. ‘Maria is very lucky, Sophie, to have someone who loves her so much.’

Sophie had smiled sadly as she nodded.

Maria was pleased that Hans was to be invited. ‘I’m sure it will make him feel better, Sophie, to be included, but I’m still determined to take him home.’

‘Well, don’t go mentioning that to Hetty. I don’t want her to get upset, not on her special day, and if she knows you’re going too it will worry her.’

Maria promised she’d say nothing.

Everything was ready and the table looked lovely, Sophie thought with satisfaction. Maria had arranged spring flowers in one of the cut-glass vases and placed it in the centre of the table, beside the cake which Sophie thought looked very good. She had iced it carefully and had even managed to get the lettering fairly even. ‘Happy 80th Birthday, Hetty’ was what they had decided on and Sophie had tied a length of satin ribbon around the cake. Bella had wanted candles too but Sophie had said that it would be impossible to get eighty candles on the cake, even if she were lucky enough to find so many.

‘But, Mam, blowing out the candles is the best part,’ Bella had protested.

‘Aunty Hetty is a very old lady, Bella, and it takes an awful lot of “blowing” to put out all those candles, it would exhaust her,’ Sophie had said.

Bella had been persistent. ‘But she won’t be able to make a wish!’

‘Of course she will,’ Sophie had replied firmly.

Lizzie and Jim had arrived at ten to three, Lizzie bearing a fancy glass jar which contained coloured bath crystals.

‘I just didn’t know what to get her, Sophie, not that there’s a great deal of choice. I mean what
do
you buy someone of her age? She’s got so much already. Our Katie suggested these but I wasn’t sure. What do you think?’

‘I think she’ll be delighted. She loves things like that,’ Sophie reassured her aunt.

‘How is the lad now?’ Jim asked. They’d heard about the attack on Hans.

‘Getting stronger each day. He’s coming in to join us for half an hour.’

Lizzie raised her eyebrows but she was curious to meet this Hans Bonhoeffer. ‘He was a fool to come here in the first place. I take it when he’s got over it he’ll be going back to Peel?’

Sophie nodded but not wishing to get into a discussion on Hans and Maria’s future she urged her aunt to place the gift she’d brought on the table with the others before Hetty came down.

They had all bought Hetty a gift and these had been wrapped and were now set out on a side table, all except Bella’s which Sophie had agreed the child could give to Hetty first.

Sophie had made the old lady a lovely bed jacket in lavender crêpe with a warm fleecy lining, trimmed with lace and ribbon. Maria had bought Hetty’s favourite Yardley’s
Old English Lavender soap, talcum powder and cologne and had added Hans’s name to the gift card. From Arthur there was a silver-backed hairbrush in a box and he’d had ‘Henrietta 80’ engraved on the handle.

Bella was wearing her best dress, the royal blue velvet Sophie had made her for Christmas, and her hair was tied back neatly with a white satin ribbon. She was holding the card she had made, which Sophie had to admit had turned out very well; in fact she was beginning to realise that Bella was quite artistic.

At three o’clock Arthur escorted Hetty into the dining room and when she saw everyone eagerly waiting for her, her face lit up with pleasure.

‘Happy Birthday, Aunty Hetty!’ Bella cried, unable to contain herself any longer and thrusting the card into the old lady’s hands. ‘I made it for you for your special birthday!’

Hetty examined it carefully and then kissed the child on the cheek. ‘It’s
beautiful
! A true work of art. Thank you, Bella, you are a very clever girl and I will treasure it always,’ she promised, her eyes suspiciously bright.

‘Come and sit down and we’ll have tea, or would you prefer to open your gifts first?’ Sophie asked as Arthur settled Hetty in a comfortable carver at the head of the table.

Sensing Bella’s excitement Hetty smiled. ‘I think I’d like to open my presents first and Bella can help me.’

Carefully Bella brought each one from the table and placed it in front of Hetty, who exclaimed with pleasure and delight at each one she opened, thanking them all for their
generosity. Then Sophie and Maria brought in the tea, the sandwiches and scones and finally Hetty was urged to cut the cake.

‘You have to make a wish, Aunty Hetty!’ Bella urged as Hetty prepared to make the first cut.

Hetty looked around her. ‘There’s nothing more I can wish for, Bella. I have absolutely everything a person could want.’

‘But you
have
to, Aunty Hetty,’ Bella insisted.

Hetty’s gaze fell on Maria, who was sitting beside Hans and spreading jam on a scone for him. It was so obvious that they were very much in love. ‘Then I wish that Maria and Hans have a long and very happy life together.’

Maria blushed and smiled. ‘Thank you, Hetty. I hope we will and I hope that you . . . that everyone will come to our wedding, whenever and wherever it takes place.’

Hans smiled and nodded. ‘You will all be most welcome, especially you, Miss Foster. It is a great occasion for me to help celebrate your birthday, I have much appreciation.’

Lizzie looked surreptitiously at Jim. You had to admit that the lad had good manners, and he seemed genuinely fond of Maria and pleased that he had been included in this little celebration. And if Sarah didn’t object to the match then who were they to do so?

Lizzie and Jim had finally departed, Lizzie reluctantly for she greatly enjoyed the comfort and luxury of Hetty’s house, to say nothing of the quiet peaceful atmosphere, something
which was decidedly missing in Harebell Street. Billy usually made sure of that. But it was all a bit
too
quiet and refined, Jim remarked as they walked to the tram stop. He intended to go for a pint or two with Pat Ryan when they got back, Lizzie no doubt would quite happily sit and relay every detail to Martha.

Sophie and Maria cleared the dishes away while Arthur helped Hans up the stairs for Maria insisted he must rest now. He had been installed in Bella’s room and the child was now sharing with Sophie. Hetty and Bella, too, had been persuaded to go up for Hetty was tired and Bella had school the next day.

‘It all went very well, didn’t it? Hans enjoyed it too,’ Maria remarked contentedly.

Sophie nodded. ‘Maria, I’ve been thinking about you going back . . .’

Maria stopped folding the tablecloth and looked closely at her sister. ‘I’m not going to let him go on his own, Sophie. He won’t be able to use that arm for quite a while yet and what if he fell and hurt his ribs even more?’

‘I wasn’t going to suggest he went on his own. I’m just worried about how Mam will manage with the two of you and if, when he’s able, Maude Sayle will take him back. She might not; she might have taken someone else on now. Wouldn’t it be better, Maria, if you stayed here for a while? You could save up a bit more, it would help until one of you managed to get work and Mam wouldn’t have you both under her feet; you know how small the cottage is. If Hans was there on his own it wouldn’t be too bad.’

Maria bit her lip. Everything Sophie had pointed out was true.

‘Just, say, for a month and then—’ Sophie urged.

‘Am I interrupting?’ Arthur asked as he came into the room.

‘Of course not. I was just urging Maria to stay here for a month after Hans goes back, to save up a bit more money to help tide them over until he can work again—’

‘Hans doesn’t want to stay here for very much longer, he knows that when he’s well again he won’t be able to go out and says he feels cooped up, he’s used to being outdoors. He’s very, very grateful of course but he wants to get back as soon as he can. But I can’t let him make that journey on his own,’ Maria interrupted.

Arthur nodded slowly; he could see both points of view. ‘Would it help if I were to accompany him? We could take the morning ferry and I could return the following day. Of course I wouldn’t want to impose on your mother – is there an hotel or a bed-and-breakfast establishment where I could stay?’

Maria looked very relieved. It would help solve some of the immediate problems. ‘Oh, that would be a huge help, Arthur, thank you. I’d feel much happier knowing you were with him.’

‘I’ll write to Mam and tell her and ask her to find you some suitable accommodation,’ Sophie added.

‘Then that’s settled. As soon as he’s well enough I’ll go with him but I think we’d better ask the doctor when that will be,’ Arthur advised.

It was three weeks later when Hans, accompanied by Arthur and Maria, went down to the Pier Head to get the ferry. Maria had agreed to stay on for another month, which would help increase her small amount of savings and also give Hetty time to get used to the idea that she was going home and in all probability would not be coming back. Sarah had written informing Sophie that she had booked Arthur into a small but clean and comfortable bed and breakfast on the edge of the village and had been up to see Maude Sayle, who had indeed taken on someone else to replace Hans. But, as summer approached and they became busier, Sarah wrote, he might well be employed for the harvest.

Maria was going straight to work after seeing Hans off so Sophie had taken the opportunity of giving the bedroom he’d used a thorough clean and had changed the bedding. Bella was moving back into her room that evening. After lunch Emily had arrived as it was her week for visiting Bella and the two children were playing quite happily upstairs in the playroom so Sophie took the opportunity to cut out two dresses that had been ordered. Hetty as usual was having a nap.

‘They got off all right?’ Sophie asked when Maria returned that evening and Sophie was preparing the meal.

‘Yes, they’ll be safely with Mam now.’ She sighed. ‘Oh, I miss him already, Sophie. I’ve got so used to being with him every day . . .’

‘Mam will take good care of him, Maria, and the time will pass quickly enough.’

‘I know but—’

‘Go up and get changed and tell Bella and Emily that tea is almost ready,’ Sophie instructed. She wanted to take her sister’s mind off Hans. ‘Would you tell Hetty too, please?’

Maria sighed again but nodded and left the room.

Sophie was pouring the boiling water from the kettle into the teapot when Maria ran into the kitchen.

‘Sophie! Sophie, come quickly! There’s something wrong with Hetty!’

Sophie’s eyes widened and she put the kettle down. ‘What is it? What’s wrong with her, Maria?’

‘I . . . I can’t wake her, Sophie, I think . . . I think she’s . . .’

‘Oh, my God!’ Sophie cried and rushed into the hall, followed by Maria, who was pale and shocked.

The old lady was still in bed. Her eyes were closed and the magazine she’d been leafing through had fallen to the floor. Sophie took her hand, feeling for a pulse.

‘Hetty! Hetty, are you ill? Hetty, can you hear me?’ she pleaded frantically. She could feel no pulse and as she looked closer she realised Hetty wasn’t breathing. A sob caught in her throat. Hetty was dead, she knew she was, and she’d died up here . . . alone.

‘Shall I go for the doctor, Sophie?’ Maria asked, a note of panic in her voice.

Sophie nodded, the tears welling up in her eyes. ‘Yes, but . . . but he won’t be able to help her. She . . . she’s dead, Maria. It must have been another stroke, but . . . but he’ll know.’

‘Oh, no! Oh, Sophie, she was fine this morning . . .’ Maria
broke down and the two girls clung together. ‘She was so good to us, Sophie,’ Maria sobbed.

‘I know and she . . . she was all alone when she . . . went, Maria. Oh, I wish I’d been with her, I
should
have been with her.’ Sophie was trembling with shock and grief. She wished Arthur were here.

‘What will we do, Sophie?’ Maria asked tearfully.

Sophie realised she had to try to pull herself together. Bella and Emily were upstairs and Maria was looking to her for comfort. She wiped her eyes. ‘You go for Dr Franklin and I . . . I’ll go up to Bella. I’ll have to find the words to tell her that her dear, kind, lovely Aunty Hetty has gone to heaven.’

The next hours seemed very unreal to Sophie, they reminded her of the way she’d felt when she’d learned that Andrew had disappeared, but this time she didn’t have her mother to help her get through them. Dr Franklin had come and had confirmed that Hetty Foster had indeed had another stroke but assured both girls that she wouldn’t have suffered, which was a blessing. Upon learning that Arthur Chatsworth was away, he had signed the death certificate and had suggested that Sophie contact the undertakers, gently assuring her that they would take care of everything. He also suggested that she go through Hetty’s papers to see if she had left any instructions regarding which firm, if any, she had a preference for.

‘We’ll have to let Arthur know, Sophie. Will I send a telegram to Mam?’ Maria had asked and she had agreed. It
wasn’t something that could be left until Arthur returned tomorrow. He had to know what awaited him.

Bella had been very upset and tearful but having Emily with her had helped, Sophie thought as she went through the papers in the drawer where Hetty had kept them. Oh, she hated doing this, she thought, but thankfully she had found a business card with the name, address and phone number of a firm of funeral directors. When Maria returned she would go to the local public telephone and call them. Her sister was going to call in to inform their aunt on her way back and she knew Lizzie would come as soon as she could and she’d be very grateful for her support. She felt so utterly confused, bereft and alone. If it hadn’t been for Hetty Foster she wouldn’t have been able to do so well with her business, she wouldn’t have been able to give Bella such a comfortable home. Hetty had loved the child and Bella had looked on the old lady as a grandmother for she hadn’t seen Sarah for a long time.