with worry. What was going on?
“I’m sorry dear, I should have introduced myself properly. It’s been a long day.” She put the case down. “I’m Ivy. Luke’s housekeeper. He asked me to meet you and take you home to him.”
“But…”
“My dear, you did receive the telegram before you left, didn’t you? We weren’t sure you’d still come, but when we had no word back Luke said I’d better come down to meet you, just in case. We were already prepared for you, after all.”
Betty’s head started to thump. She squeezed William, hard against her.
“Where is Charlie?” Betty was starting to panic, ready to scream for her husband.
Ivy reached for her, eyes suddenly damp with tears. She gave her a tiny smile, followed by a big sigh. The way she held her body, the slump of her shoulders, told her something was wrong. That this kind looking woman didn’t want the burden of sharing something with her.
Betty shuddered as her heart pounded like a pendulum. Tick-tock. Harder and faster until she thought it might actually beat right out from her jersey.
“Betty, I’m so sorry, I didn’t think I’d be the one to have to break it to you…”
“Where is he?” the voice she heard didn’t even sound like her own. It was strangled, pained. Heartbroken. Could almost taste what was coming next, knew she didn’t want to hear what this Ivy had to say, but she needed to. She needed her husband. “Where is my Charlie? Tell me where he is!”
She let the woman take William for her as he started to scream. Her hands were shaking too hard to hold him herself.
“I’m sorry, my love. Charlie’s dead.”
* * *
June tried to sit still. After so long at sea, she was desperate to stamp her feet on the ground, but she was travelling again, this time by train. Eddie was off in search of refreshments.
“We’re so excited to finally have you here, June.” Eddie’s sister, Patricia, grabbed hold of her hand and squeezed.
Tears pricked her eyes, but she blinked them away. Having another girl, a sister-in-law beside her, was making her nostalgic. Would she ever hold her own sister’s hand again? See Lilly, or her mother and father?
She braved a smile as she saw Patricia and her mother-in-law trade glances.
“Are we not what you expected?” Patricia asked.
“Oh, heavens no! I mean yes,” she laughed at her fumbled words. “It’s just you remind me of my own sister so much. It makes it hard, knowing I might never see her again.”
Patricia slung an arm around her shoulders. “You’ll love it here. We know you will.”
Eddie appeared in the carriage door. They had a private compartment to themselves with four large seats.
“What’s going on here?” he passed around coffee from a tray and set it down on the table. “You’re not scaring my wife are you?”
June couldn’t help but smile back at him. His grin was infectious. From that first day when she’d struggled home with him, helping him despite his drunken stupor, she’d not been able to take her eyes off that smile.
“We like her just fine, Eddie.” Patricia thumped him on the arm as he tried to manhandle her out of the way.
Eddie winked at June as he managed to dislodge his sister and steal her seat. He put his arm around her.
“We call her Patty,” he said, indicating with a thumb at his sister. “She landed in a cow pat as a kid and the name stuck.”
Patty squealed. “I did not!”
Their mother put her hand up and Eddie pulled June against him and planted a kiss on her head.
“Didn’t I tell you she was the best?”
The two women laughed. June felt her
“I’m sorry dear, I should have introduced myself properly. It’s been a long day.” She put the case down. “I’m Ivy. Luke’s housekeeper. He asked me to meet you and take you home to him.”
“But…”
“My dear, you did receive the telegram before you left, didn’t you? We weren’t sure you’d still come, but when we had no word back Luke said I’d better come down to meet you, just in case. We were already prepared for you, after all.”
Betty’s head started to thump. She squeezed William, hard against her.
“Where is Charlie?” Betty was starting to panic, ready to scream for her husband.
Ivy reached for her, eyes suddenly damp with tears. She gave her a tiny smile, followed by a big sigh. The way she held her body, the slump of her shoulders, told her something was wrong. That this kind looking woman didn’t want the burden of sharing something with her.
Betty shuddered as her heart pounded like a pendulum. Tick-tock. Harder and faster until she thought it might actually beat right out from her jersey.
“Betty, I’m so sorry, I didn’t think I’d be the one to have to break it to you…”
“Where is he?” the voice she heard didn’t even sound like her own. It was strangled, pained. Heartbroken. Could almost taste what was coming next, knew she didn’t want to hear what this Ivy had to say, but she needed to. She needed her husband. “Where is my Charlie? Tell me where he is!”
She let the woman take William for her as he started to scream. Her hands were shaking too hard to hold him herself.
“I’m sorry, my love. Charlie’s dead.”
* * *
June tried to sit still. After so long at sea, she was desperate to stamp her feet on the ground, but she was travelling again, this time by train. Eddie was off in search of refreshments.
“We’re so excited to finally have you here, June.” Eddie’s sister, Patricia, grabbed hold of her hand and squeezed.
Tears pricked her eyes, but she blinked them away. Having another girl, a sister-in-law beside her, was making her nostalgic. Would she ever hold her own sister’s hand again? See Lilly, or her mother and father?
She braved a smile as she saw Patricia and her mother-in-law trade glances.
“Are we not what you expected?” Patricia asked.
“Oh, heavens no! I mean yes,” she laughed at her fumbled words. “It’s just you remind me of my own sister so much. It makes it hard, knowing I might never see her again.”
Patricia slung an arm around her shoulders. “You’ll love it here. We know you will.”
Eddie appeared in the carriage door. They had a private compartment to themselves with four large seats.
“What’s going on here?” he passed around coffee from a tray and set it down on the table. “You’re not scaring my wife are you?”
June couldn’t help but smile back at him. His grin was infectious. From that first day when she’d struggled home with him, helping him despite his drunken stupor, she’d not been able to take her eyes off that smile.
“We like her just fine, Eddie.” Patricia thumped him on the arm as he tried to manhandle her out of the way.
Eddie winked at June as he managed to dislodge his sister and steal her seat. He put his arm around her.
“We call her Patty,” he said, indicating with a thumb at his sister. “She landed in a cow pat as a kid and the name stuck.”
Patty squealed. “I did not!”
Their mother put her hand up and Eddie pulled June against him and planted a kiss on her head.
“Didn’t I tell you she was the best?”
The two women laughed. June felt her
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