The Girl From Barefoot House (17 page)

The music came from a portable wireless. Half a dozen Wasps were lying around the fire and heralded their arrival with subdued murmurs. Josie didn’t know where to look when four of the newcomers, three men and a girl, stripped off and ran
stark naked
into the sea. They began to kick water at each other.

Griff sank down on to the sand, and pulled her down so she was sitting in front of him, his arms around her waist. It seemed only natural to lean back, relax against him.

Little was said over the next hour as they watched the flames, watched the wood turn to brilliant red ash, watched the red ash crumble and become grey. They hummed occasionally to the music, and Josie lay contentedly in Griff’s arms. Then someone yawned. Soon everyone was yawning and stretching. Jeremy said, ‘One last swim for me.’ He began to remove his clothes.

‘I love this song,’ Josie murmured. The haunting strains of ‘Goodnight, Sweetheart’ came from the wireless.

‘Let’s dance.’ Griff lifted her up, and slid his arms around her waist. There was nothing to do with her arms except put them around his neck, which she willingly did. He pressed his cheek against hers as they shuffled over the sand.

She closed her eyes, and when she opened them Jeremy was entering the water without a stitch on,
holding the hand of a girl as naked as himself. Sand was being kicked on the fire, parts of which still glowed dullish red. The sky looked even more beautiful, as if more stars had appeared, and the moon had got bigger and more orange.

Josie caught her breath. It was an enchanting scene, and she was part of the enchantment. Not everyone might regard the last few hours as an adventure, but it would do.

Next morning, Lily’s eyebrows narrowed in a frown when Heidi and Barbara passed their breakfast table. ‘Morning, Josie,’ they called. The frown deepened when Jeremy said, ‘Enjoy yourself last night?’ Before she could open her mouth to demand an explanation, Griff came up. ‘See you tonight, darling. Same time, same place.’

‘Okay,’ Josie replied weakly.

‘Did you enjoy yourself
where
?’ Lily looked about to burst a blood vessel. ‘And you haven’t got a date with
him
, surely?’

‘Griff was in the chalet yesterday when I cleaned it,’ Josie said haughtily. ‘We had a little chat. He’s very nice. I met him again last night on me way home from the dance, and he asked me for a drink. Then a big pile of us went to the sands.’

‘You went to the sands with a pile of
Wasps
?’ Lily’s eyes gleamed jealously. ‘I
crept
in last night, so as not to disturb you because you said you had a headache. I didn’t even turn on the light. I thought you were in bed, but all the time you were cavorting on the sands with piles of
Wasps
.’

‘We weren’t cavorting. We were merely talking and listening to music. We danced a bit and some of them swam.’ She didn’t mention they swam in the nude, as Lily was likely to choke.

‘That sounds like cavorting to me.’

‘Well, it isn’t,’ Josie snapped. ‘And quite frankly, Lily, it isn’t any of your business if we were cavorting or not. Nor is it anything to do with you who I go out with. I never offer a word of criticism of your various boyfriends.’

‘You said Frank from Manchester was ugly.’

‘No,
you
said Frank from Manchester was ugly. I just agreed that he was as ugly as sin.’

Lily’s bottom lip quivered with rage. ‘Another thing, you still haven’t told me what was in the letter from me ma.’

‘She wouldn’t have marked it “Private” if she’d wanted you to know. It’s another thing that’s none of your business, Lily Kavanagh.’

‘You’re a fine friend, Josie Smith.’

Josie wasn’t sure what came over her, other than a wish to remove the wind from Lily’s sails completely. She said airily, ‘Me name’s not Josie Smith any more, it’s Josie Flynn.’ With Aunt Ivy out of her life, there was no need to keep up the pretence.

Lily’s face collapsed. She floundered, ‘What?
What
? What on earth are you talking about?’

Josie smiled mysteriously. ‘Wouldn’t you like to know?’

It was the first row they’d had since they’d come to Haylands and they were both quite happy with it. They linked arms on the way to the laundry to fetch their trolleys.

‘Actually,’ Lily mused, ‘I wouldn’t mind a platonic
relationship. It makes things so much easier, no wondering how far a bloke’s hands are going to roam and if you should let him if they do. And I must admit that Griff is dead gorgeous.’

‘Who said it was a platonic relationship?’

Lily’s face collapsed for the second time that morning. ‘But I thought, I thought …’

‘Well, you thought wrong.’ Josie felt smug. ‘It’s just an act he puts on to entertain the campers.’

‘Did – did he
kiss
you?’

‘Only me ear.’

‘Oh, Jose. It sounds dead romantic.’ Lily sighed. Later, as they pushed their trolleys towards the chalets, she said, ‘You know that business of your name being Flynn, not Smith. I take it you weren’t having me on, so you will tell me one day, won’t you, Jose? And whatever it was me ma had to say in her letter. After all, we’re
friends
.’

The tide had not long gone out, and the sand was moist beneath Josie’s feet as Griff twirled her round and round in an old-fashioned waltz. They were getting further and further away from the group around the bonfire who lay uncaringly on the damp sand. There was no moon, and the only illumination came from the leaping flames and a strange, grey light that hung over the sea. The horizon was a dark, silvery blur.

Josie trod on something and yelped, and Griff led her back to where the sand was dry. They sat down and he examined her foot. ‘Nothing there, darling,’ he said after a while. Suddenly, he kissed her toes, he kissed her legs and her knees. He put his arms around her waist, pushed her down on to the sand and kissed her lips. Josie felt a wild, fluttery sensation in her stomach that she’d never had with Ben. She kissed him back, and willingly opened
her mouth when he tried to force it with his tongue, a habit she’d previously thought disgusting. Nor did she mind when his hand crept under her jumper, under her bra, pulling it away, and he bent and kissed her breasts. In fact, it was so nice, so incredibly nice, that she wanted to scream how nice it was, and that she didn’t want him to stop, not ever. There was a throbbing between her legs, and she longed for him to touch her
there
.

‘Griff. Josie. We’re going.’ The shouts sounded far away.

Griff raised his head. ‘Coming.’ He looked down at Josie and lightly touched her left nipple. ‘Have you done this before?’

‘Well – almost.’ She felt disappointed that he’d stopped. There seemed something daringly wicked about lying in the open air with her breasts bare. She stretched voluptuously.

‘I thought as much.’ He pulled down her jumper. ‘That’s enough for tonight, my darling. And don’t tease.’

She thought about him the second she woke. He was on her mind all day, as she counted down the hours and the minutes before she would see him again.

That night, they wandered far away from the bonfire to the place they’d lain the night before, where they fell on the sand in each other’s arms and began to kiss eagerly. Josie felt as if her body were on fire as it began to respond to Griff’s touch, his hands or his lips exploring every secret part of her. Suddenly, he sat back on his haunches. She was surprised to see that he was naked – and so was she, though she couldn’t remember either of them having removed their clothes. He was the handsomest man she had ever known. Her head was whirling, and she felt as if a spell had been cast upon her. Making
love had been far from her mind when she’d come to the camp. She had thought it would be years away, when she was married. But now it was about to happen, on an enchanted Welsh beach under a dark sky, to the sound of the rippling tide and the faint, tinny music from the wireless.

‘What are you doing?’ she asked impatiently. Griff was feeling in the pockets of his trousers. She wanted him
back
.

‘Looking for this.’ He held up something very small. ‘We don’t want a little memento of Haylands arriving in nine months’ time.’ He straddled her, then tenderly cupped her face in his hands. ‘Are you sure you’re ready for this?’ he said gently. ‘I won’t be cross if you change your mind. Well, not very.’

Josie clasped her arms around his neck. ‘You’ll have to put me in the mood again.’

‘Willingly,’ murmured Griff.

Lily was irritable next day, and it was all Josie’s fault. She wasn’t concentrating, she wasn’t listening, she was in another world. ‘You’re bloody miles away,’ Lily said accusingly.

‘Am I?’ Josie dreamily shook a mat.

‘You’re supposed to shake it
outside
, not in. I’ve just brushed that floor.’

‘Sorry, Lil.’ Josie shook the mat outside.

‘You’ve already done that. I’m just brushing the muck up.’

‘Sorry, Lil. What shall I do now?’

‘Empty the bin, make the beds, clean the sink, same as we do every day. What on earth’s got into you, Josie?’ Lily said acidly. She looked at her friend intently. ‘What’s happened? I’ve never known you so vague before.’

‘Something wonderful, Lil,’ Josie said in a husky voice. She had to tell someone, and there was no one else but Lily. ‘Something truly incredible and … and, oh,
wonderful
.’ She could almost hear the ticking of Lily’s brain as she tried to think what the something was. Her eyes grew wide and her jaw fell as enlightenment dawned.

‘You’ve gone all the way!’ she cried. ‘Did it hurt, Jose?’

‘Only a bit, only at first.’

Lily’s face twisted ferociously as she tried to adjust to the news. She pouted. ‘I’m the oldest. I should have done it before you.’

‘Oh, Lil. It’s not a race.’

‘Are you in love? You
look
like you’re in love.’

‘I’m not. It’s purely sexual.’ Josie sighed rapturously. ‘We can’t keep our hands off each other.’

‘You lucky bugger!’ Lily’s expression changed from one of envy to concern. ‘Our poor Ben, though. Does this mean you’ll never get back together? Ma keeps hoping you will.’

‘I’m afraid it does, Lil. I never felt with Ben the way I do with Griff.’ She had forgotten the letter she’d meant to write.

Lily said wistfully, ‘I love being here. It won’t half seem dull when we’re back in Liverpool, working in an office.’

Josie reluctantly came down to earth. She decided it was time she dropped her bombshell. ‘I’m not sure if I’m going back to Liverpool, Lil.’

‘Why ever not?’ Lily’s face was a picture of bewilderment.

‘Because Vince Adams is back with Auntie Ivy. That’s what the letter from your ma was about. I’ve got to find
somewhere to live, as well as a job.’ In order to get everything out of the way in one go, she explained that her mother hadn’t been married and that Ivy had insisted that Josie change her surname to Smith so no one would know. ‘But from now on, I’m Josie Flynn.’

The
Liverpool Echo
was on sale in the camp. Josie bought a copy every day. By the end of August, the only live-in job even vaguely suitable was as a cook in a men’s hostel, which she didn’t fancy, mainly because she couldn’t boil an egg. Most rented accommodation was way beyond her means. Even the few affordable places meant she’d be left with scarcely anything to live on.

Lily was desperate for her friend to stay in Liverpool. ‘We’ve got to stick together, Jose. I don’t know what I’d do if you weren’t around. I’d miss you far more than I would our Daisy or Marigold.’

Even Griff became involved in the search of a job for Josie. ‘You could join the forces,’ he suggested one night after they had finished making love. They were in his chalet because it was raining. Jeremy had been ordered not to come back for an hour. ‘Become a Wren or a Wraf. Or you could marry me.’

She looked at him in surprise. ‘Do you mean that?’

He appeared a tiny bit shocked. ‘I’m not sure. It just sort of slipped out.’

‘
I’m
sure. It wouldn’t work. We hardly know each other.’

‘I would have thought we knew each other better than anyone else on earth. I’m familiar with every single part of your body, and you with mine.’

Josie’s stomach lurched. ‘Yes, but we still don’t
know
each other. We don’t know what goes on inside each other’s heads. I mean, we never
talk
.’ She began to touch
him. There was still time to make love again before Jeremy came back. ‘Oh, but I’m so glad you were the first,’ she cried. ‘I’m so lucky it was you.’ She would never see him again after October, but she would remember him all her life.

It was Lily who saw the job that might possibly do. ‘Secretary/companion required by elderly gentlewoman to commence mid-October. Own large room. No cooking/cleaning/nursing. Formby area. References required. Salary: £10 per month.’

‘There’s a box number,’ Lily announced when she read the advertisement aloud. ‘It sounds perfect, Jose.’

‘Would you fancy being companion to an elderly gentlewoman?’ Josie said huffily.

‘I’d hate it. But I don’t need to find a live-in job, do I?’

‘Thanks for reminding me. What’s a
gentle
woman when she’s at home, anyroad?’

Lily shrugged. ‘Same as a gentle
man
, I suppose. In other words, dead posh. But ten pounds a month, Jose, and you wouldn’t have to buy food. You wouldn’t need fares.’

‘Hmm, I dunno.’ Josie chewed her lip. ‘I couldn’t very well write from Haylands, could I? It wouldn’t look good to say I was a chalet maid.’

‘Put our new address in Childwall, and I’ll send it to Ma to post. She’ll send the answer here.’

‘I don’t suppose it would hurt.’

A fortnight later, Mrs Kavanagh sent the reply with a short note to say the job sounded ideal, and she hoped the letter contained good news.

The letter was signed by a Marian Moorcroft and was short and to the point. ‘Dear Miss Flynn, In regard to
your application as secretary-companion to my mother, kindly present yourself for interview at the above address on Wednesday, 2nd September at 2 p.m. Please telephone if you are unable to keep the appointment.’