When Wishes Come True (36 page)

Bessie pictured it in her mind. ‘The stiff brush or the soft one, sweetheart?’

Milly pursed her lips and drew her brows down in thought. Now that was a poser, she didn’t know there were two brushes. ‘Which one do you think, Auntie Bessie?’

‘Oh, the stiff brush would cause more damage, sweetheart, without a doubt. And now you go and play with Daisy while I get a move on.’

Bessie had just finished washing up when Evelyn passed the kitchen window. She hadn’t been told about the new arrangement with Rita and Aggie because Bessie was of the opinion she would definitely disapprove. Although she hadn’t told Milly not to mention it to her mother, she was confident the child would know without being told. So, no one was actually telling lies, and what the eye didn’t see, the heart didn’t grieve over.

‘Come in, Evelyn, I’m just drying me hands.’

She came in, shivering and bringing the cold air with her. ‘If today is anything to go by, we’re in for a long, hard winter. I’m sure it couldn’t be colder living in Iceland than it is sitting on our trams with the wind blowing right through.’

Bessie steered her to the living room. ‘It’s not too bad if yer get one of the new trams where they’ve filled in the staircase, but with the old ones, open to all the elements, yer get blown off yer feet.’

‘Oh, what a lovely fire! I feel warmer just looking at it.’ Evelyn held her hands out to the flames. ‘If I had three wishes right now, one of them would be that when Amelia and I open the living-room door, there would be a fire like that in our grate. And the second wish would be to find a tray with a pot of hot tea on it, and several rounds of toast.’

Bessie waited for a few seconds than asked, ‘And the third wish?’

‘Oh, I’d have to think carefully about the third and last wish. I wouldn’t want to waste it on something so trivial as a fire and a pot of tea. It would have to be something important, something that would change my life so I could live happily ever after.’

‘That’s a miracle ye’re looking for, Evelyn, and miracles don’t happen in Walton. At least not to my knowledge they don’t.’ Bessie held out a hand. ‘Give me yer coat and sit near the fire. I’ll make a fresh pot of tea, then yer’ll be warm enough to face the icebox next door.’ On her way to hang the coat up, she tilted her head at Milly. ‘Have yer said hello to yer mother, Amelia?’

‘Not yet, Auntie Bessie, I was waiting for her to be settled.’ The girl walked to the side of the couch. ‘Hello, Mother.’

And to the surprise of Bessie and her daughter, Evelyn patted the seat beside her. ‘Sit here and tell me what you’ve done in school today.’

There was suspicion on the girl’s face, and it was obvious to Bessie that her mother being so friendly was something new to Milly. It was a while before she answered. ‘I’ve got my exercise book, Mother, you can look in that and see how I’m getting on in class.’

‘The kettle’s boiling now,’ Bessie said, in a bid to avert embarrassment, ‘so let yer mother have a hot cup of tea and she can look through the book later, when ye’re in the comfort of yer own home. After the fire’s lit, of course, ’cos there won’t be much comfort while ye’re sitting there like blocks of ice.’

She poured a cup of tea out and carried it through to Evelyn. ‘I got a nice surprise when I got home from work today, I was over the moon. Rita had been in and lit the fire for me so the room was lovely and warm to walk into.
And
a pot of tea into the bargain. I was so pleased, I felt like kissing her. She’s always had a key to the door, ever since I moved in and we became friends. It’s so she can let the coalman into the yard, otherwise there’s many a time I’d be without coal. I thanked my lucky stars for her today, there’s nothing worse than working all day then coming home to a cold, cheerless house.’

There was a little bit of snobbery back in Evelyn’s voice when she asked, ‘Do you not mind letting strangers loose in your house?’

Her tone got Bessie’s back up, but she did her best not to ruffle any feathers. ‘Good grief, no! I’ve known Rita for fifteen years, she’s as honest as the day is long. Besides, what harm could she do?’ Bessie shook her head vigorously. ‘I would trust Rita Wells with me life, and Aggie Gordon, too! Like meself, they’re ordinary working-class people, struggling to make ends meet. There’s no shame in that.’

‘Of course not!’ Evelyn’s brain had been at work when she’d heard Rita had lit the fire for Bessie. Now she was worried she may have spoiled her own chances. ‘What I said was out of curiosity, not a reflection on the honesty of your friends, Bessie, please believe me. You are indeed very lucky to have such thoughtful neighbours. I only wish I was so lucky. It must have been a wonderful surprise, and relief, to come home to such a warm welcome.’

Bessie’s brain was also at work. She’s a devious one all right, this one is, and she’s angling for something. Well, I too can be devious, especially when it comes to my two mates. ‘Oh, I wouldn’t let her do it every night, not without some reward. So I’m going to give her a shilling a week for lighting the fire every night. Until the weather improves, that is.’

‘Do you think she would like another shilling a week to light my fire for me? I can afford it now I’m better off, and it would be such a relief to come home to a warm house, both for Amelia and myself.’

Bessie could hear applause in her head for her own ingenuity, but kept her face straight. ‘I couldn’t possibly answer that, Evelyn, I’d have to ask Rita first. But if you want me to, I’ll put your request to her tomorrow and see what she says. That’s all I can do, I’m afraid, I can’t speak for her.’

‘If you would put in a good word for me, I’d be really grateful, Bessie. It would make my life so much easier.’

And a shilling a week would make life a lot easier for Rita, Bessie thought. She’d share with Aggie, doing a night each, which would mean an extra tanner every week. They could spend it if they were stuck, or add it to the money she was putting by each week so the three families would have a really happy Christmas. ‘I’ll have an answer for yer when you call tomorrow night. But it would mean yer leaving yer key with them. Would that suit yer?’

‘I’ll leave the key here, so Amelia can let Mrs Wells in. I would have no objection to that. Please do your best for me, it would help enormously.’

Bessie nodded, and followed mother and daughter to the door. Once it was closed on them, she hurried back to the living room, pulled her chair nearer the fire, and let her chuckles out. Ah, well, she thought, rubbing her hands in glee, life is full of surprises. Wait until her two mates heard they were in for a tanner each, every week. Well, it would be enough to send Aggie running to the corner pub for a bottle of milk stout to celebrate.

Oscar Wentworth looked across the breakfast table at his wife Gwen, and sighed. ‘I have visited twelve schools in the area around Aigburth and the Dingle, all to no avail. To cover the whole of the Liverpool, into Lancashire, will take me almost a year. I’m becoming quite despondent, losing faith in ever finding Evelyn or her daughter. She just seems to have vanished off the face of the earth. I mean, neither we nor any of our acquaintances have set eyes on her. Never bumped into her in the city, never even heard her name mentioned.’

Gwen indicated to the maid that she could leave the room and they would serve themselves. She disliked holding a personal conversation in front of staff. ‘Evelyn could have married again, have you thought of that? Which means the child’s name will no longer be Sinclair.’

Oscar nodded. ‘I have thought of that, of course I have, but I can’t let such a possibility stop me from doing what is important to me, and more so to Cyril. He is blaming himself for not giving Evelyn the benefit of the doubt, at least until the child was old enough to show a likeness. And I don’t come out of it very well. As Charles’ friend, I should have thought things out more clearly, instead of jumping to conclusions.’

‘I am to blame for that, my love, I was the first to call her a liar. And don’t think I haven’t asked myself a thousand times why I didn’t believe her. We’d been friends since school, and I was almost certain she had never been out with any other man but Charles. Yet I could have been wrong about that. Maybe she wasn’t the innocent little goody-two-shoes I thought she was. We are still not certain Charles is the father, but like you and Cyril, I believe if we don’t try and solve the puzzle, it will haunt us for the rest of our lives.’

‘If I am to be honest, darling, it is not Evelyn I am interested in. I would feel guilty if it turns out she was telling the truth, but I will never really forgive her for her lack of emotion when told of Charles’ death. She was cool and remote, as though he’d meant nothing to her. She never even visited his parents to offer condolences or comfort and help them in their hour of need.’

‘I’m afraid Evelyn was always lacking in emotion, even when she was young. But that was due to her parents. They were dreadful people who never should have had a child. She didn’t know what it was to get a goodnight kiss, or be tucked up in bed and have a story read to her. I was her only real friend, but I was never allowed to visit her. When I called for her to go to school, I was never invited in. That says a lot about her parents.’

Oscar sighed. ‘From what little I’ve heard, she is treating her daughter as she was treated. That’s why I must try and find her. Charles would expect no less from me.’ He wiped his mouth on a damask napkin then laid it on his plate. ‘I’ll call and see Cyril, then try the next three schools on my list. I keep telling myself that one day I’ll walk into the office of a headmistress and be told that, yes, they do have an Amelia Sinclair attending their school.’ He walked to the other end of the long dining table and kissed his wife’s brow. ‘How lucky I am to have you, my darling. A wonderful wife and mother.’

‘I wish you well today, love, and please don’t give up hope. Patience and endurance will pay off in the end. And give my love to Cyril.’

Cyril Lister-Sinclair was lost in reverie when the knock came on his office door. He quickly gathered himself together and called, ‘Come in.’ He smiled when he saw Oscar, and waved his friend to a seat facing his across the desk. ‘I was lost in thought when you knocked. It happens very often these days.’

‘You should get out more, old man, you’re too young to live the life of a hermit. Why don’t you and Matilda come to us for dinner one night, we would be delighted to have you.’

Cyril tapped his fingers on the desk. ‘It is very kind of you, my boy, but I wouldn’t be very good company, I’m afraid. And, as you know, my wife goes out very little. If she needs a new dress or whatever, she gets a taxi to her favourite shop, has the driver wait for her, and when she’s bought what she wants, it’s straight back home again. Actually she spends most of the day on the chaise-longue, fast asleep. Nothing seems to interest her any more, and I’m at a loss to know how to change her for she refuses to hold a sensible conversation. Her maid is the only one who can get through to her. I don’t know what I’d do if it weren’t for her.’

‘If Matilda refuses to visit friends, it shouldn’t stop you. It’s not as though she needs you, there are enough staff to attend to her.’

Cyril shook his head. ‘No, I would never go out socially without her. I come down to the office each week day because I need to keep an eye on my business affairs so she is without my company on those days. I know Matilda is not the easiest woman to get along with, has no interest in business or politics and subsequently no real conversation. Also, she can be quite childish and demanding. But I fell in love with her the moment I set eyes on her at a mutual friend’s house, and I still love her.’

There was affection in Oscar’s eyes as he gazed at the man who had always made him welcome whenever he’d called for Charles. Cyril was like a second father to him, and Oscar loved him dearly. ‘I’m afraid I’ve had no success with the schools so far, Cyril, but I’ve got another three to visit today so I’m keeping my fingers crossed. If I’m not successful I shall just carry on until I’ve covered every school across the city. It is possible, however, as Gwen pointed out his morning, that Evelyn may have remarried, and then the child will no longer have the name Sinclair.’

‘I’ve been considering all the possibilities too,’ Cyril told him. ‘In fact, the matter is seldom far from my thoughts. The easiest and most sure way of finding them is to go to the police or put a notice in the local evening paper so that, if she didn’t see it herself, it would at least be seen by a neighbour. But either way could have its drawbacks. The notice might send Evelyn into hiding and then we would never find her or the girl. Although I toyed with the idea of a private detective at one time, I agree with you now that it is not the right way.’ He sighed and swivelled his chair. ‘If we make a song and dance about it, the whole thing would become public knowledge and perhaps alienate Evelyn completely. If she was telling the truth, she has just cause to hate us. Or, I should say, hate me, it is I who turned her out of the house. She would have no cause to hate you or Gwen.’

‘If she is a fair-minded person then she will understand the reasons why you acted as you did. Any father who had just lost a son would have found it very difficult to believe her story.’ Oscar was saying this after years of heart-searching. ‘At the time, I would have found it hard to believe it of Charles. But on reflection, he knew he was shortly to be shipped abroad and perhaps lost his head for a while. Who are we to say we would have acted differently? None of us is a saint.’

‘That is very true, war changes people. So the sooner we find Evelyn and the girl, the sooner my heart will be at rest and we can put the whole sordid affair behind us. I wish you well today, Oscar, but if it isn’t to be the day we must continue to be patient.’

‘I second that.’ Oscar got to his feet and stretched his tall frame. ‘I won’t share a pot of tea with you this morning, Cyril. I want to visit two of the schools on my list before lunch. Then I’ll call to see my father and spend some time in the office with him so I can keep abreast of business affairs. Later, I will visit the third school on my list.’