Winter on the Mersey(75)
Frank knitted his brow and made to answer, but before he could Dolly burst in. It was already after midnight. Dolly’s hair was awry and her cardigan buttoned against the cold – though all the wrong way – yet her face was full of joy as she ran to Pop and took his arms. ‘Pop. You’ll never guess,’ she gasped.
Frank dropped his arm from Kitty’s waist and removed the needle from the record, bringing their moment to an abrupt halt. ‘Whatever is it, Mam? Is she all right? Is the baby here? What is it?’
Dolly stood in the centre of the Callaghan kitchen, almost too overwhelmed with emotion to speak. Then she gathered herself. ‘Pop, you have a new grandson.’ She paused and swallowed. ‘He’s going to be called Edward. Teddy for short.’ Words seemed to fail her then, as Pop gasped too and looked as if he was welling up at the thought of a new Edward in the house; no replacement for – but a fitting tribute to – their beloved son who had given his life for his country and who had longed so keenly for this very moment. He rubbed his face, joy at the new life mixed with heavy sorrow for the one who would never see this new child.
Dolly took a deep breath and released the bombshell. ‘You’ve also got a new granddaughter.’
Pop stared and Frank and Danny looked at each other and then back to Dolly.
‘Yes, it’s twins,’ she went on. ‘That poor girl – that’s why her bump was so big. But Rita says she’s fine, and both babies are fine. They’re a good size for twins, she says. She and Sarah are staying with them for now and we can see them in the morning. How about that?’
Pop stepped closer to her and drew her into a hug. He was a big man who had seen most of what life could throw at him, but it was almost too much for him to take in.
‘A miracle,’ said Dolly, her voice faint but steady now. ‘Our best ever Christmas present. We might not have our boy any longer, but he’ll live on – in the twins.’
Nancy was as stunned as the rest of the family by the news when it reached her on Boxing Day, and Georgie immediately demanded to be taken to see his new cousins. He’d been fascinated with baby Ellen, and the thought of now having two babies to watch was irresistible. ‘I’m going to look after them,’ he said seriously. ‘I’m big and they’ll be too small to do anything, won’t they? So it’s my job.’ He stood up straight as Nancy did up his toggles and pushed his fringe out of his eyes.
‘That’s right, they’ll be glad of their big cousin to help them,’ she assured him. But her mind was only half on what he was saying. Her plan had been to leave Georgie with Dolly this afternoon and to dash into the city centre to meet Gary, then return in time to take him home before bedtime. She might still manage to do it, but would there be objections to her leaving him there with so much else going on? She’d risk it anyway. She was desperate to see Gary again, desperate for his touch, for that warm glow he gave her that nobody else had ever done. It was worth taking a gamble. With luck her parents’ house would be in such uproar that nobody would notice she wasn’t there all afternoon.
Fate seemed to smile on her as, the instant she stepped through their door, Tommy took charge of Georgie, who was delighted to trail after his hero. Nancy dutifully took a look at the new arrivals and acknowledged they were very sweet, before slipping out again into the cold December air, hurrying towards the bus stop before any of her family could challenge her.
Of course there were hardly any buses running, and she had to wait for ages, stamping her feet to stop them from freezing, thrusting her hands as deep into her pockets as she could. Once on the bus she carefully reapplied her lipstick, to the disapproval of some of the older passengers around her, who gave her sharp looks. She ignored them. It was more important to look good for Gary.
He was waiting for her near the train station, in his heavy uniform coat, his face full of concern. ‘Hey, you look gorgeous,’ he said, sweeping her into a close embrace. ‘Aren’t you cold? What a day, that wind is enough to cut a man in two.’
‘All the warmer for seeing you,’ Nancy said, wriggling deliciously in his arms, not caring if anyone saw them. Who of their acquaintance would be around, anyway? All the people she knew would be with their families, sitting in their tedious parlours, eating yesterday’s leftovers and trying to stay festive. It didn’t bear thinking about. The WVS canteen was shut and so none of her colleagues would be about. Besides, she was so wrapped up in the delight of seeing Gary that at that moment she didn’t give a fig.
‘Come on, let’s go and celebrate our own Christmas,’ she said, taking his arm and drawing him along the pavement. ‘You can tell me all about what you do in America. If you were back there now, how would you be spending Boxing Day?’
Gary smiled, his eyes alight. ‘Well, I certainly wouldn’t be doing this,’ he said, leading her along and pausing before the door of a cosy but select-looking hotel doorway. ‘Shall we go in?’ He pretended to bow. ‘I hear they do all sorts of Christmas specialties in here.’
Nancy looked up. ‘Oooh, I’ve never been in. I’ve walked past loads of times, though.’ She walked in eagerly, curious to know what the place was like inside, never having dared try it before. It was without a doubt what Gary would call a classy joint, with thick carpets deadening any noise and subtle lighting, making it feel warm and welcoming and yet with a definite touch of luxury.