Children in Her Shadow (10 page)

Moira closed the conversation by asking if her mother had explained not just the facts of life but the ways in which she could protect herself if Edward came on to her. Ruth was extremely embarrassed, as neither had her mother or anyone talked about intimate things like that and she was certainly not going to engage in that talk now, if for no other reason than to save herself the embarrassment of having to admit she frankly knew nothing about relationships and even less about how to tame an amorous man.

Moira realised that she was making no headway and as she rose from her chair she stroked Ruth’s beautiful black hair and said, “I have been where you are today and I’ve made mistakes that embarrass me even now, so please feel that no matter what happens in the future you can always talk to me.” Ruth raised her head and said, “I’m sure I love him Moira and I will be careful but this is the first time in my life that I have felt like this about anyone.”

Ruth took some time to reflect upon her feelings and the advice she was receiving but she could only visualise one thing in her mind and that was the time she would be spending with Edward on Saturday. She tried to rationalise her own feelings about Edward with the advice she was getting from Moira. But by the time she picked up a pen to continue her letter to her mother, Moira’s advice had been consigned to the back of her mind and as though to ensure she received no further advice on the subject, she didn’t even mention the matter of Edward in the letter she had begun writing to her mother.

Instead, she took up the thread of her mother’s letter to her which reflected a less than easy transition to their new life in Arigna, Ireland. Her mother had explained in her letter that the Arigna Valley was a luscious green and beautiful haven and not in any way the kind of bleak and dusty place one associates with coal mining. She explained that whilst her father had tried to prepare himself for a return to work in this old and hazardous mine he had clearly chosen to block from his memory the incredibly challenging working conditions which after all these years left him questioning if he had the agility and physique to deal with the extremely narrow seams.

Ruth had been pleased to hear that whilst the cottage given to her parents by the colliery was small it was manageable. As Ruth closed her letter she simply wrote, ‘I’m doing well at work and Moira is looking after me so don’t have any worries for me’. This was a sentence that, upon reflection, her mother would be bound to see through.

The week passed slowly but when Saturday came it was a cold crisp end of February day during which Ruth was looking forward to seeing a little of the local countryside ….as well as spending time with Edward. Her preparations for the day included making a picnic of crab paste sandwiches, two small pork pies, some cheese and a small bar of chocolate, a real luxury in ration weary Britain given to her by Moira who also provided a flask of tea and a bottle of homemade lemonade.

All of this was carefully packed in a small hamper which seemed incongruous given the season as Ruth walked in the crisp morning sunshine to Blackpool bus station to meet with Edward. Not content with this image of summer at the end of February, Ruth decided that she would wear her pretty white summer dress under her winter coat so that when they were together she would look at her best. The fact that the dress was also somewhat revealing and had the benefit of showing off her youthful figure was regarded by Ruth as purely incidental!

Edward arrived on time and off they drove in his father’s Austin eight car. This beautiful two door dark blue car with highly polished black wheel arches and leather seats was purchased by his father in nineteen thirty nine just before the start of the war. Edward jokingly warned Ruth, “The car doors which open to the rear are often referred to as suicide doors because if they are opened, very slightly even at low speed, they have a tendency to swing open violently taking you with them.”

Edward was proud to be able to drive such a nice car and as they swept along the generally deserted roads he explained that this was a pre requisition car. Such cars he explained “beat the July nineteen forty regulation whereby the British Government had taken over stocks of all new cars and banned their purchase by private individuals, except under special circumstances.” Ruth nodded in all the right places as Edward continued his story explaining that getting petrol for cars was very difficult as it was strictly rationed.

Edward opened up a little, explaining that he and his father were able to get extra petrol because they both would use the car for their work; Edward as a Special Constable in the Lancashire Constabulary in the Fleetwood and Blackpool area and his father as an officer in the Home Guard. Ruth found this an interesting revelation about Edward that she was unaware of and this made her feel that the concerns expressed by Moira were unfounded as surely a policeman would be honourable and decent.

Their day together was to be spent travelling the short distance to Lytham St Annes, just along the coast from Blackpool where Edward said he had a surprise for Ruth. Lytham St Anne’s to the people in Blackpool was regarded as the sophisticated part of the North West Lancashire coastline, perhaps better known for its peaceful parks and beautiful gardens. Ruth was particularly impressed by the old half-timbered houses that were in such sharp contrast to the gaily painted guest houses in the terraced side streets of Blackpool. It was also immediately obvious to Ruth that Lytham was such a quiet peaceful place with its quiet promenade and lovely sandy beach.

At first, Ruth was shy and apprehensive and felt a little clumsy in Edward’s company, being careful, perhaps too careful not to give the wrong impression. By contrast, Edward had the air of a sophisticated man, he carried himself with confidence despite his small stature and he was clearly at ease in the company of a woman.

Edward was well dressed wearing a smart three-quarter length raincoat under which was a well tailored blue blazer a white shirt and at the neck he wore a light blue cravat. The ensemble was finished off with a neatly pressed pair of grey flannel trousers a pair of black and white correspondent shoes a trilby hat worn jauntily at a very slight angle to his left and brown leather gloves. Ruth had last seen such a well dressed person when she worked in the post office in Cardiff, but somehow Edward’s attire seemed out of place and slightly contrived. Edward was clean shaven apart from a thin moustache which was painstakingly groomed.

After a couple of hours in each other’s company they became very much more at ease. They had at least one common interest that being their work but it was not long before they set that subject aside and they were soon laughing and joking in the way that young lovers might. Being courted was an entirely new experience for Ruth who had only experienced the close company of young men she had grown up with or the flirtatious couple of hours with someone she would meet at a dance before each went their own separate ways.

Ruth felt grown up and although she knew she was inexperienced she felt as though she was giving back to Edward the companionship and interest he was showing towards her. Inexperienced as she was she knew that the two of them were not as comfortable as they should be and she knew that this was because neither was showing the true extent of their feelings, or at least she wasn’t.

As they arrived in Lytham St Annes, Edward carefully parked the car and in a gallant gesture came around to Ruth’s side of the car and opened the door. As she stepped out of the car, in a moment of sheer emotional pleasure and a calculated move to break the ice she drew Edward to her and gently kissed him on the cheek, lingering sufficiently for him to understand that she was happy in his company and that they should both try to relax a little. This did break the ice and it was not long before they were walking hand in hand drawn close to each other. They walked along the promenade and eventually came to Fairhaven Lake where Edward insisted that they should hire a small sailing boat.

As Ruth looked on ever so slightly worried at the prospect of sitting in a small boat on this bright but chilly day, Edward said, “This is your surprise, I love to sail and ever since I was a small boy I have been coming here with my parents and I wanted to share with you the joy of sailing.” It took real courage and great fortitude for Ruth to smile and show an appreciation for this gesture whilst inside she was terrified.

With the boat booked, Edward stepped into the dingy and after setting the sail and adjusting various ropes and the tiller he held his hand out to Ruth to help her into the boat. It was clear from Edward’s face that Ruth had been unable to keep up the pretence that this would be exciting. The look of sheer terror must have been as evident to Edward as it was to the onlookers who were by now huddled in small groups observing this solo craft taking to the lake on this chilly winter’s day.

Not daunted, and having settled Ruth into the boat he gently slipped away from the shore and with great skill smoothly manoeuvred the boat around the lake. Ruth set aside her earlier fears as she began to feel safe and somewhat more at ease. There was her hero skilfully tacking and weaving his way around what is a relatively small lake with skill and some degree of pride. That was until there was a sudden and sustained breeze which required rapid adjustments to the sails and an urgent requirement for the centre board to be fully lowered. And therein lay the problem: with Edward mastering the helm and Ruth unable to put the required downward pressure on the centre board to fully lower it Edward was less in control than was the wind.

Before long it became clear that their intended destination, the point where they had hired the boat was less likely to be the point that they hit land. Looming in their sights was the children’s play pool which was cordoned off by a set of floating markers. As the dingy mounted and crossed the floats and came gently to rest against the shore line Ruth found herself unable to contain her laughter any longer and as they disembarked their small craft both could by now see the funny side of their alarming experience and fell into each other’s arms laughing and thoroughly enjoying the humour of the moment.

It was at this moment that Edward kissed Ruth with a passion that she had never experienced before. He clearly had done this before and Ruth allowed herself to be taken along with the sheer pleasure and intimacy of the moment. After a while and with the air becoming ever cooler, they returned to the car and settled into the picnic lunch Ruth had carefully prepared. The car had no heater so as they ate their sandwiches they wrapped themselves in two warm blankets and watched the gathering clouds that were darkening the south western sky. As they chatted and drank their hot tea so the windows of the car steamed up isolating them from the passersby, the weather and the cold, adding to the privacy of the moment.

They remained in Lytham St Annes until the late afternoon. But as the skies darkened further with the prospect of a winter storm and the early dusk swiftly transformed the daylight into darkness, Edward announced that they must set off to Blackpool so that they were home before six o’clock. Ruth pressed him and asked if they couldn’t go somewhere in Blackpool for a couple of hours, anxious not to end what had been a wonderful day. Edward was adamant that they must get back now and after being pressed further he snapped, “There is a war on and I have my duties to do.” Ruth was rather taken aback by Edward’s abruptness and immediately put the remains of their picnic back into the small hamper, folded the blanket over her knee and sat back as Edward drove off heading back to Blackpool.

They said little on their journey back to Blackpool but Ruth was disturbed by Edward’s impetuous outburst which resembled a child who would have what he wants or throw the toys out of the pram. On their arrival into Blackpool Edward stopped at the top of Apple Tree Crescent and switched off the engine. As Edward was doing this Ruth concerned herself with how Edward should know where she lived as she was sure she had never divulged this to him at any time. Moreover, she had never shared her address with Sarah, always relying on friends or friends of friends to make arrangements when they should meet.

Ruth’s curiosity could not be contained as she asked Edward, “How on earth did you know where I live?” “It was not difficult” he said, “I know what bus you get from Vickers to your home each night and I know that you get off at the same stop as Gloria, the rest was easy and now you have just said you live in Apple Tree Crescent.” It was by now almost six o’clock and knowing Edward’s eagerness to get on his way Ruth thanked him for the day and kissed him goodbye. As she did Edward asked if Ruth would like to go ice skating in two weeks time but in the mean time could he take her to the Tower Ballroom the next night. Ruth took this as a positive sign that he really did like her and wanted to take the relationship forward. As they parted they made their arrangements to meet and Ruth gave Edward one final long and lasting kiss.

The night out at the Tower Ball Room was followed by two other dates in the same week. Each meeting served to confirm their growing friendship as they both became more at ease with each other. Ruth could also sense that Edward was very attracted to her physically. She would notice him looking closely at her and she knew that he often watched her shapely figure as she walked towards him. Innocently, Ruth was flattered rather than cautious about Edward’s reaction so soon in their relationship.

The days went by quickly as Ruth spent her time with Edward, whilst she continued seeing her other friends. Ruth was anxious not to lose touch with her friends so she spent most evenings in their company. All were curious to hear how Ruth’s dates with Edward had gone and each probed to get the most intimate details of their day and their evenings together.

During their conversation Ruth asked if any of them had seen Sarah and one of them said she was seeing her the following night and would Ruth like to join them. Ruth quickly agreed as she was keen to gauge Sarah’s reaction to the news that Edward and she had started courting. She was soon to find that out, when the following evening they met at the ice rink.