Winter on the Mersey(104)
‘It’s a long story,’ Nancy started to say.
The policeman, a different one to the couple who had been there that morning, intervened. ‘I understand you are all acquainted with Mr Alfred Delaney,’ he said slowly. ‘I can therefore inform you that my colleagues are at this moment in the process of apprehending him. He won’t be back to cause your family any more harm, I can reassure you of that, Mrs – Feeny, is it?’
Dolly nodded, as Tommy burst out, ‘He was in the pub, Auntie Dolly. We could hear him as we got Georgie away. He was shouting and screaming about something.’
‘Then we tried to find a bus but we went past an ARP warden’s station and got help from there,’ Nancy explained. ‘Don’t worry, Mam, we’re fine, and Georgie doesn’t seem to have been hurt. We’re trying to say as little as possible in front of him, but really he thinks it’s all a big adventure now.’
‘You can tell me all the details later, then,’ Dolly said. ‘I’m still going to ask Rita to take a look at him. She should be back from the hospital soon. And that’s Pop now, if I’m not much mistaken.’ She hurried to greet him, keen to update him on all he had missed since leaving for work much earlier in the day.
Nancy looked at Tommy. She realised she’d always discounted him before as a young tearaway who was likely to cause trouble wherever he went. Now she saw he had grown up and was on his way to being a man – and one who could take responsibility and keep calm under pressure. He also seemed to know a few useful tricks.
‘I meant to ask you before,’ she said in a low voice so that Dolly and Pop wouldn’t catch what she was saying. ‘How did you know what to do with that hair grip? I mean, I was glad you did know, or we’d never have got Georgie away so soon or so quietly – but you didn’t learn that at school, did you? Don’t tell me they teach you that at the GPO in case nobody answers when you knock.’
Tommy blushed in the parlour’s gaslight. ‘Promise you won’t say,’ he replied. ‘Uncle Seth taught me. Auntie Joan mustn’t find out. He accidentally locked himself out one day when she was at market and we couldn’t get in. He showed me what to do and let me have a go. We had to send Michael and Megan to play with the chickens so they wouldn’t know.’
Nancy raised her eyebrows. ‘And here was me thinking he just taught you how to fix a fence or collect eggs. Well, I’ll thank him one day – don’t worry, when nobody else can overhear.’
Tommy shuffled a little guiltily but was saved from further embarrassment by the arrival of Rita, still in her nurse’s cloak. Dolly was all for hurrying her straight to check that Georgie was as unhurt as he appeared, but Rita paused, taking something from her bag.
‘Hang on, we’d better see what this is. Ruby took delivery of this telegram, which is addressed to Sarah. Is she still asleep?’
‘She was when I last looked,’ Dolly said. ‘I’d better have it instead.’ She ripped it open, though Tommy looked anxious. He knew only too well what they so often meant – and yet who would be sending messages to Sarah?
‘Oh, it’s from Kitty,’ Dolly said. ‘She’s been delayed in London – doesn’t say why, but we aren’t to worry. Well, as if we would. She’s probably been asked to go to some more meetings or something like that. That’s all right, Tommy, you can stop here with us. I don’t want you in your own house until that lock is fixed.’
‘I’ll go and do that now,’ said Pop, glad to be of use in this house of increasing chaos. ‘Want to give me a hand, Tommy?’
Nancy looked across at the boy – almost young man – and smiled. ‘Yes, you go and do that,’ she agreed. ‘You’re good with locks.’
‘Have you seen the kitchen here, Kitty?’ Frank asked as he approached the sofa in the admiral’s flat, bearing two cups of tea. Kitty was propped up there, much brighter for her hours of sleep. Her ribs and left arm still hurt, but she could wiggle her fingers and had faith in the doctor’s judgement that rest was the best medicine. She grinned as she looked up at Frank.
‘No, I haven’t been here before, only heard about it from Laura,’ she said, shuffling a little against the plush cushions to accept the fine porcelain cup. ‘This is a bit different to Derby House, isn’t it?’ She sipped carefully.
Frank sat beside her and put his arm around her shoulders. ‘I should say so. There’s even a chock-full cocktail cabinet over there. Haven’t seen one of those for a very long time.’
‘I knew there’d be a reason Laura liked coming here,’ Kitty laughed, and then winced as the movement caught at her ribs. ‘I shan’t be having anything from there though. I don’t think it’d go well with the painkillers.’
‘You’re probably right,’ said Frank. ‘Tell you what, when you’re better I’ll take you to the finest cocktail bar in Liverpool. How about the Adelphi? Bet they do all manner of them there. Would you like that?’
Kitty rested her head on his shoulder. ‘Frank, I don’t mind about posh cocktail bars. I’m not that keen on cocktails, to be honest. You can treat me to half a shandy down the Sailor’s Rest if you like. As long as I’m with you, I don’t care.’ Her dark blue eyes shone as she turned to look up at his face, familiar and yet alight with a look that she now knew was love, love for her. The realisation nearly took her breath away. She had waited so long for him, hardly daring to believe it would ever happen. Now here they were, together at last.