The Soldier's Daughter (44 page)

‘I can’t believe Mabel’s mother didn’t send her anything for Christmas,’ he commented as his eyes fell on the children’s presents.

‘I know,’ Briony shrugged. ‘Between me and you, I’m getting really concerned about it now. We haven’t heard a thing since that first note she sent shortly after Mabel arrived here. In fact, I’ve written to the Red Cross to ask if they can get in touch with her. I’m beginning to fear that something might have happened to her. But then surely they would have let us know if it had?’

‘I would have thought so,’ Howel agreed as he headed for the door where he paused to say, ‘Night night, Briony.’

‘Goodnight, Howel.’ Once the door had closed behind him she frowned. Howel hadn’t seemed to be his usual cheery self lately and she wondered what was troubling him. But then she set about tidying the kitchen and didn’t think about it any more.

‘I shall be goin’ out wi’ Charlie tonight, son. Do you mind?’ Mrs Brindley asked Ernie on the afternoon of New Year’s Eve. ‘Madge Pinner in Webb Street is havin’ a bit of a party an’ you’re more than welcome to come. Sounds like it’s gonna be an open ’ouse to me.’

‘Thanks, but I won’t bother if yer don’t mind,’ Ernie answered, patting his leg. ‘This is just gettin’ right, an’ wi’ the frost on the pavements makin’ ’em like a skatin’ rink I wouldn’t wanna go me length an’ end up back at square one.’

‘Well, I dare say young Ruth will be round to keep yer company,’ Martha said, admiring her wash and set in the mirror. She’d been saving her clothes coupons for months and had treated herself to a new dress to wear, so she would be feeling like the bee’s knees this evening. She wasn’t at all guilty about leaving Ernie because he and Ruth had been getting on like a house on fire since he’d been home and now they were inseparable. Apart from going home to sleep and to work, the young woman had spent every minute at theirs so she had no fear that Ernie would be lonely. They might even enjoy a bit of time to themselves, she mused and hurried away to start getting ready. It was a bit early admittedly, but she wanted to look her best for Charlie. He really was very good to her and such a gentleman into the bargain.

‘Wow, you look a million dollars, Mam!’ Ernie said admiringly when she came downstairs.

Martha Brindley flushed at the compliment. Until recently she had forgotten how nice it felt to dress up, and for the first time since losing her beloved Clal she was beginning to feel like a woman again. She noted that Ruth was already there. She had brought a bottle of port and some lemonade so that she and Ernie could toast the New Year in and she added her compliments to Ernie’s.

‘You really do look lovely, Mrs Brindley,’ she said and Martha beamed. But then there was a knock on the door and she got all flustered.

‘Oh dear, that’ll be Charlie. Let ’im in fer me, would yer, luvvie? I ain’t even got me coat on yet an’ I’ll be needin’ it. It’s enough to freeze the ’airs on a brass monkey out there.’

Grinning, Ruth hurried away to let Mr Mannering in, noting that he too had gone to great pains with his appearance. He was wearing his Sunday best suit and his hair was flat to his head with Brylcreem. His eyes were openly admiring when he saw Mrs Brindley and he winked at Ernie.

‘I’ll tell yer what, young Ernie. I reckon I’ll ’ave the prettiest girl in the place on me arm tonight.’

‘Oh, get off wi’ yer, yer silly old sod,’ purred Mrs Brindley. ‘It’s some years since I’ve been referred to as a girl, or pretty fer that matter.’

He held his arm out and she linked hers through it then they sailed off into the night as Ruth and Ernie laughed.

‘I hope you realise ’e’s got a real soft spot fer yer mam,’ Ruth warned him.

‘I gathered that,’ Ernie agreed, with a chuckle. ‘An’ yer know somethin’? I don’t mind at all. In fact it’s nice to see ’er ’appy again.’

They then settled down to listen to a tribute to Glenn Miller on the wireless as Ruth made them both a port and lemon. Earlier in the month, Glenn Miller and two companions had set off on a routine flight to France where he was booked to play, never to be seen again. No distress call had been heard and no wreckage had been sighted. Ernie loved his music, ‘Moonlight Serenade’ and ‘In The Mood’ being amongst his favourites, and he thought it was a great pity that such a talent had been lost. But then so many lives had been cut short during the war. He took a long swallow of the drink Ruth handed him. He had been thinking of Briony all day and wondered if he might be able to get down to see her before he returned to his unit.

By nine o’clock they were both pleasantly tipsy and Ruth joined him on the sofa and laid her head on his shoulder. He could smell her perfume – he thought it might be Chanel No. 5 – and it felt nice to have someone close to him. He could feel her body heat through the very pretty green dress she was wearing and it felt natural to slide his arm across her shoulders. Sighing with contentment she snuggled closer and again, it seemed the most natural thing in the world for her to softly kiss his cheek. But as she went to do just that, he turned his head and the kiss landed on his lips. Ernie felt desire stir in the pit of his stomach and so did Ruth, and before they knew it they were kissing passionately. When his hand played gently across her breast, she felt her nipple harden and so he gently undid the buttons and rolled his hand across her bare skin. And then somehow they were on the rug in front of the fire undressing each other as the firelight kissed their skins.

Ernie stared in awe at Ruth’s naked body as he felt his manhood harden. She really was quite beautiful, but even so he was aware that she was most likely still a virgin so he asked huskily, ‘Are you sure yer want to do this, pet?’

She nodded eagerly, her eyes holding his. ‘It’s what I’ve waited for all me life, Ernie,’ she said softly. ‘You must know ’ow much I love you? I’ve
always
loved you.’

His hand traced down the flat of her belly to the warm moist hollow between her legs, and when his finger slid into her she gasped with pleasure and arched her back. He was tracing little kisses all across her flat stomach and she felt as if they were leaving a trail of fire. At some stage she briefly wondered why she felt no embarrassment. Somehow their clothes had landed in an untidy heap on the floor and this was the first time she had ever been naked in front of a man, after all. And yet, once again, it felt like the most natural thing in the world, and soon her hand dropped to his hardness and she stroked him until he was gasping with desire. Feelings she had never known she possessed were racing through her until, unable to hold back any longer, Ernie slid on top of her, parting her legs with his knees, and then he thrust into her. There was one small cry of pain but then she was rising to meet him and she groaned for more until suddenly they both found release and she felt as if she was floating on a cloud of pure bliss. She wrapped her legs about his waist and sighed with contentment. She was Ernie’s now completely, just as it had always been meant to be.

They lay for a while in a tangle in the warm afterglow of their lovemaking but then Ernie suddenly thrust her aside and reaching for his trousers, yanked them on before lighting a cigarette.

‘You’d better get dressed,’ he told her curtly, and bewildered and confused she began to pick up her clothes.

Ernie squeezed his eyes shut as guilt cut through him sharp as a knife. What had he been thinking of? He and Briony had an understanding. Admittedly he was no saint. There had been quite a few girls since he had joined the RAF, but none of them had meant anything to him. They had just been a way of relieving the tension when he had come back from a flight all in one piece. This was entirely different. Ruth had been pure and he felt as if he had defiled her. He could hear her behind him fumbling as she tried to drag her clothes on, and then she was standing in front of him again and staring up at him with a look on her face that almost broke his heart. She was so trusting and innocent.

‘You don’t regret it, do you, Ernie?’ she asked falteringly. ‘Because I don’t. I’ve kept myself for you and it was inevitable that we’d come together some day.’

He looked away, unable to meet her eyes for a second longer. ‘I’m sorry. It was a mistake,’ he muttered. ‘I shouldn’t have taken advantage of you like that. It must have been the drink. Let’s try to forget it ever happened and go back to how we were before, eh?’

But she shook her head. ‘We can never be as we were before, after this,’ she told him quietly, hurt evident in her voice. ‘I’m yours now for all time.’ As the faint echoes reached them of neighbours counting down the seconds to 1945 to welcome in the New Year, Ruth picked up her coat and bag, then left without another word. And it was then that Ernie reached a decision. First thing in the morning, he would return to his unit. Better that than see hope in Ruth’s eyes every time he saw her.

At that moment in Poldak, Howel was whirling Briony around the dance floor in the village hall. She was laughing and with her eyes shining he thought she had never looked more beautiful.

‘This is getting to be a habit,’ she shouted to make herself heard above the band. She had attended the New Year’s Eve dance with him every year since she had arrived. It seemed a lifetime ago now and each year as it approached she found herself looking forward to it. The band were playing a lot of the swing numbers that had become so popular, and eventually she held her hands up in defeat and headed for their table.

‘Phew! I think I must be getting old,’ she joked.

‘Yep, twenty-one is a little over the hill,’ he agreed as she playfully took a swipe at him. Then suddenly the band stopped playing and everyone crowded onto the dance floor to form a circle as someone switched the wireless on. The haunting chimes of Big Ben echoed around the room followed by the familiar strains of ‘Auld Lang Syne’ and then she was in his arms and as she stared up at him she knew that he was going to kiss her.

Hastily pecking him on the cheek, she yanked herself free, saying brightly, ‘That’s it then, the party’s over. Shall we head for home?’

He was staring at her as if he was seeing her for the very first time and he nodded abruptly. She had just helped him to reach a very difficult decision.

‘Of course. I’ll just go and get our coats.’

She chewed on her lip as she watched him march away with his back as straight as a broom. When he returned, he handed her her coat and helped her on with it. Then she followed him meekly from the hall.

The wind momentarily took her breath away, but Howel didn’t pause to wait for her or offer her his arm as he usually did. She found that she was almost having to run to keep up with him, which was no mean feat in high heels, and eventually she gasped, ‘Howel, slow down,
please
. Is something wrong?’

He slowed his pace but kept his eyes straight ahead. ‘No, nothing’s wrong, but I’ve reached a decision tonight.’

‘Oh?’

‘I’ve decided that once the war is over, I’m going away.’

‘But you can’t!’ she said, unable to keep the shock from her voice. ‘How would your parents manage without you? And where would you go?’

‘I wouldn’t go until there was some chap back from the war ready to take my place. And as for where I would go . . . well, the world is my oyster. I’ve seen nothing but this place, so I think it’s time I stretched my wings a bit. I can turn my hand to most things so I can go where the fancy takes me and work where I will.’

‘I see.’ But she didn’t see at all. It should really make no difference to her, she knew. Once the war was over, she would marry Ernie and she would leave this place too. So why then, she wondered, did the thought of him leaving hurt so very much?

In April 1945, word reached the British public that the last German forces had been expelled by the Finnish Army. Two days later, the Italian dictator, Benito Mussolini, was captured near Lake Como by Italian partisans whilst trying to flee to neutral Switzerland. On 28 April he was shot, and the other fascists who had been captured alongside him were taken away and executed. The bodies were then transported to Milan and hung in one of the city’s main squares for a gruesome public display.

‘This is the turning point,’ Annik Dower said sagely. ‘We’ve got the Nazis well and truly on the run now.’

Briony could only pray that she was right.

And then on 30 April, Hitler finally realised that all was lost, and not wishing to suffer the same fate as Mussolini, he committed suicide with his new wife, Eva Braun.

As word of his death was broadcast, the British people flew into a frenzy of excitement.

‘It’s only a matter of time now,’ Mr Dower said stoically, echoing his wife as he sat listening to the wireless whilst sucking on his pipe.

It was during these momentous events that Briony received a letter from Mrs Brindley.

Dear Briony
,

I hope as this won’t come as too much of a shock to you but I wanted you to be one of the first to know that me and Charlie Mannering have decided to get wed. We’ve been walking out for a while as you’re aware, and we’ve decided that life’s too short to spend alone. I know he can’t never take the place of my Clal and I also know that I won’t ever take the place of his late wife Vera, but we get on well together and we’ve decided to try and make a go of it. I hope you’ll be pleased for us and not think too badly of me. As soon as we have a date booked for the wedding I’ll let you know. We’d be tickled pink if you and the children could make it. It may not be till the summer as we’ve still got a lot of decisions to make, like where to live for a start off, seeing as we both have a house but I dare say it’ll all come out in the wash
.

Also I need to let you know that Ernie is home again. He’s got another infection in that leg of his, but he’ll be down to see you just as soon as he’s able. Thank God the war is over for him and I pray that it will soon be over for all of us
,

Lots of love to you all
,

Martha Brindley xxxxx

Briony’s heart was thumping as tears of joy flowed down her cheeks. Ernie was safely home and for now that was all that mattered. She clutched the letter to her. And Mrs Brindley was getting married again! Briony thought it was wonderful news and intended to write back to her that very day to tell her so. But oh, how the time was going to drag now until Ernie arrived . . .