Rainbow's End (46 page)

‘Tell you what,’ Ellen said, as they made their way wearily out of the clearing at last. ‘We’ll get cookie to make a couple of big blackberry pies. Would you fellers like one too?’

‘Aye, wouldn’t we so,’ Liam said at once. ‘But how are you goin’ to get it to us?’

‘You’ll have to come to the hospital – no, not the hospital, the village, there’s a café in the village,’ Ellen said. ‘Could you come there one evening? Could you manage to come . . . say at . . . oh, gosh, what shifts are we on, Patsy?’

Walking slowly back through the trees they worked out which shift they would be working in three days’ time. By then they were sure the pies would have been made.

‘Meet us in the village café about eight in the evening the day after tomorrow,’ Ellen said at last, ‘and we’ll hand over the pie. Will your duties allow that?’

‘Sure they will. Apart from the duty guard we’re free evenings. We could talk about meetin’ again, maybe,’ Liam said hopefully. ‘I . . . I’d like to see you again, Ellen.’

‘And I’d like to meet you,’ Ellen said shyly. ‘But I dare say now that this latest battle on this part of the front is over you’ll be packed up and moved somewhere else.’

‘Oh aye, very likely,’ Liam agreed. ‘But whilst we’re here we could mebbe meet up. And if we are moved, we could write.’

‘I’d like that too,’ Ellen said. ‘Mind you, I write to several of the fellers, but I’d like to write to you as well.’

Steve and Patsy had drawn a little ahead and highly daring Liam put his arm on Ellen’s elbow, drawing her to a halt. ‘Do you have a feller, Miss Docherty . . . do you have a sweetheart?’ he asked.

‘No,’ Ellen said decidedly. ‘Not a sweetheart, though I’ve a deal of good friends, but . . . No, there’s no one special.’

Liam nodded and sighed with satisfaction. ‘Isn’t that just fine now. Then I’ll see you in three days,’ he said, ‘in the café in the village. I’ll look forward to it, Miss Docherty.’

‘And me, Mr Nolan,’ Ellen said, and knew she spoke no more than the truth. Liam Nolan was already important to her, though she had only know him a few hours. But people fall in love between one minute and the next, she told herself as they walked briskly along the road. Why not me?

It was almost dusk by the time they reached the village and Liam made this an excuse to tuck her hand into the crook of his elbow. Ellen felt a tingle rush through her and smiled shyly up at him. She had not felt like this over Tolly, not even when she had kissed him, she realised. When they reached the point at which their ways parted she took his hand in both of hers. ‘Thank you for your company, Mr Nolan,’ she said. ‘And I’ll see you quite soon now.’

‘Me name’s Liam,’ the young man said, ‘and you’re Ellen, are you not?’

‘Yes, that’s right,’ she replied. ‘Take care of yourself now, Liam.’ And on the word she turned away and walked briskly up the path towards the hospital.

Walking back to their quarters, Liam and Steve talked desultorily about their day, but once Liam was in his bunk he allowed his thoughts to return in a more intimate manner to the girl he had just left. He liked her very much. In fact she was the first girl he had thought of seriously since losing Maggie and this made him feel almost guilty, though only for a moment. Maggie had loved him, possibly considerably more than he had loved her, he thought guiltily. She would be only too happy to know that he was beginning to make a life for himself once more. Maggie had loved family life; she had wanted children of her own one day. She would not grudge him a sweetheart.

He fell asleep soon afterwards, tired by his energetic day, but the next morning, the first thing he did was to pull out the little photograph and look at it long and hard. Strange! Was she really rather like Maggie, this Ellen Docherty, or was it just his wishful thinking? He knew deep in some inner part of himself that his attraction towards her had little to do with the likeness, however. He liked Ellen Docherty for herself and would have done so under any circumstances, he was sure of it. And, what was more, when he had taken her hand he had felt a thrill of something far stronger than mere friendship.

Liam replaced the photograph in his pocket and set off for breakfast. He felt younger somehow, lighter almost, with the prospect of meeting the girl again in a few days. Maggie wouldn’t grudge him happiness, he told himself once more as he joined the queue for breakfast, his irons in one fist and his plate in the other. She had always been generous. Anyway, he realised now his affection for and affair with Maggie had been that of a boy for a girl, whereas the feelings he had for Ellen were that of a young man for a young woman. He had misled Maggie, perhaps, and he would always feel a vague sense of guilt over her death although it had been no doing of his, but he had to move on, he had to live the rest of his life without her.

He had only known Ellen for a few hours, but she had lit a little flame in him which warmed him still. She would, he reflected, be easy to love, already he could see clearly, in his mind’s eye, the small, pointed chin, the big eyes of her, and the sweet curves of her kissable mouth. Three more days and he’d see her again!

‘’Old out yer plate, you ’alfwit, I nearly threw them beans all over yer bloody ‘ands.’ The cook who had spoken to him as he reached the head of the queue grinned knowingly. ‘Wot, cat got yer tongue? Or is you in love?’

‘Sorry I am, Corp,’ Liam said, holding out his plate. ‘Me mind was miles away, so it was.’

‘I’ll forgive you: thousands wouldn’t. Bread?’

It was a beautiful winter’s day for once, with bright sunshine lighting up the frosted trees and only the thinnest covering of snow. Liam strolled along, humming a tune beneath his breath, at peace with the world. He was going to meet Ellen.

They had met three times, by appointment, and seen each other half-a-dozen times on the ward, because as soon as he found out where she worked, he had become a most assiduous visitor to any of her patients that he happened to know, but this was not the most satisfactory way of meeting. Sister quickly became suspicious, for a start, and often he visited only to find that Ellen’s shift had been changed, or she had been lent to another ward. So now it was letters, careful plans and even more careful meetings.

Liam was puzzled by the fact that the nurses were not allowed to ‘fraternise’ with soldiers, either in or out of hospital. It seemed quite mad to him that two people who were fond of one another were officially denied the chance to test their friendship, see if it would turn, with more meetings, into something warmer, fonder. It was all so damned hole-in-the-corner, keeping well away from the hospital, never so much as taking the girl’s hand where you could be seen, sneaking back there in the dark so that the senior nursing staff would not realise that a girl had a beau.

But this time everything should be all right, because they were going to meet in the refreshment room at the railway station in the local market town, catching different buses to get there. The refreshment rooms were usually full of service men and they felt sure they would not be noticed there. This would mean that they could enjoy each other’s company without forever looking over their shoulders.

And already Liam was more than just fond of Ellen. She meant more to him than anyone else had ever done, apart from Maggie, and he was no longer certain that the love he had felt for Maggie would have endured. He was a very different young man from the one Maggie had loved, far more decisive and self-disciplined. Indeed, he had been made up to corporal the previous autumn and taking decisions, leading his men, came naturally.

As for Ellen, he had thought her very like Maggie when they had first met, but closer acquaintance had pointed up the differences not only of character, but also of looks. Ellen’s skin was pale as milk, but she had tiny golden freckles across her nose and when you looked at her dark hair in sunlight you could see reddish tints. What was more, her eyes, which looked so dark at first glance, were in fact a very deep blue, almost violet. She was taller than Maggie as well, and she had an air of authority which his sweet little first love had lacked and Liam believed that, had she lived, her clinging ways might have become trying.’

What was more, he had soon realised that Ellen was very much better at hiding her feelings than Maggie had been. He
thought
she was fond of him, but he could not be sure. Ellen was nice to everyone, polite, kind. On their second meeting he had kissed her and she had not drawn away, but neither, he thought, had she returned his kiss with much enthusiasm. He supposed that expecting a show of affection at a second meeting had been presumptuous of him – but even then, he had been pretty sure that Ellen Docherty was the girl for him. And today, he told himself grimly as his bus drew into the station square and he heard an approaching train in the distance, he would find out whether he was the man for Ellen . . . or he hoped he would.

However, he worried over coming out into the open. Suppose he asked her and she said ‘no’? How would he deal with that? He could scarcely arrange another meeting with someone who . . .

He jumped down from the bus and looked to right and left. At the door of the refreshment rooms a slender, dark girl, whose hair, in the sunshine, showed reddish tints, stood waiting.

Liam gave another look around, just to be on the safe side, and walked past her into the noisy, crowded room. She followed and they squeezed into a table for two against the wall. He smiled into those dark-blue eyes and saw – or thought he saw – warm affection in their depths. Highly daring, he took both her hands in his, leaned forward and kissed her lightly on the cheek.

She moved her head and for an instant their lips met. Heart pounding, Liam kissed the soft, parted mouth, wishing desperately that he could pull her to him, crushing her against his khaki battledress, feeling through the embrace her delicate yet strong young body. Almost at once he released her to glance round, but no one seemed to be looking at them. Everyone was intent on their own business, even the waitress who presently approached the table.

Liam bought two
cafés au lait
, and as soon as they arrived he turned once more to Ellen, speaking to her under the hubbub of conversation, exclamation and laughter which surrounded them. ‘Anyone see you?’

She shook her head. ‘No, I’m sure we’re all right. What’ll we do? It’s a nice day for once.’

‘We’ll drink our coffee for a start. Then we’ll take a stroll round the town, get ourselves a meal somewhere quiet. We might walk into the country if the weather holds.’

The weather held. The small town, crowded with peasants in black and soldiers in uniform, seemed anonymous enough to hide them and they found a market and strolled amongst the stalls until, at last, Liam took her hand and led her down a side-street which, after a short way, turned into a sleepy country road.

‘There’s an inn a bit further on,’ he told her. ‘One of the fellers says you can get a dacint sort of meal there, so you can.’

‘Lovely,’ Ellen said, snuggling up to him as they walked. ‘Isn’t it quiet here, Liam, when you think of the town, so crowded and noisy?’

‘It is,’ Liam said. He drew her into a gateway and they leaned on the mossy gate, gazing out over rolling pasture, with the frost lifting under the strength of the noonday sun. ‘Ellen . . . what’ll you do when peace breaks out?’

Ellen shot a sideways glance at him. ‘Go home, I suppose. To Liverpool. A-and you? What’ll you do?’

‘I’m t’inkin of gettin’ wed,’ Liam murmured. ‘If me gorl agrees, that is.’ He squeezed her hand, then turned her to face him. She was staring up at him, wide-eyed, and he put a finger gently on her small, straight nose. ‘Well, what d’you say, Ellen? Will you make me the happiest feller on earth? Shall we get wed?’

‘We’ve not known each other for long, Liam,’ Ellen pointed out. ‘What’s more, we only know the . . . the army side of each other, if you get me meanin’. You know Nurse Ellen Docherty an’ I know Corporal Nolan. We’re different people at home, I don’t doubt.’

Liam shook his head chidingly at her. ‘Now aren’t you speakin’ a lot o’ nonsense?’ he said gently. ‘I scarce know you on the wards, you’ve never nursed me, nor was I ever your patient. I’m in love wit’ Ellen Docherty, so I am, a pretty, sweet, tender young girl who happens to be a nurse. And you, I hope to God, are in love wit’ Liam Nolan, eldest son of me mammy, who would do anything for you, Ellie.’

Ellen put her arms up round his neck and stood on tiptoe, but spoke before their lips could meet. ‘You’re right, Liam. I am in love wi’ you, and I’ll marry you gladly, but if you change your mind when we get home . . .’

‘Me mind’s firm as a rock, so it is,’ Liam assured her. ‘Oh, I wish I could buy you a ring an’ we could marry at once, but it wouldn’t be fair on our families, an’ the Army might make a fuss, so it might. But as soon as the war ends an’ we go home we’ll tie the knot. Agreed?’

‘Agreed,’ Ellen said solemnly. ‘As for a ring, there’s time for that, plenty of time. Well, Liam Nolan, you certainly have surprised me! You’re so sensible an’ practical an’ levelheaded . . .’

‘So I am. And ’tis sensible an’ practical an’ levelheaded I’m bein’, gettin’ you to agree to marry me,’ Liam said contentedly. ‘Let’s seal our bargain, eh?’

He bent his head and their lips met. He strained Ellen’s slim body against his khaki battledress and thought he had never been happier. When at last they broke the kiss he told her so, putting his arm round her shoulders and leading her along the country roadway once more.

‘I’m happy too, dearest,’ Ellen said softly. ‘It’ll make the work less pointless when I think that I’m helpin’ to end the war so’s we can be together. But oh, Liam, for my sake, take care!’

‘And you,’ Liam reminded her. ‘I know how dangerous your job can be. But we’ve something worth waiting for now. Peace means we’ll be together for always, not just in little snatches and odd moments.’

And arm in arm they continued up the road, oblivious, for once, of the possibility of watching eyes.