On Christmas Day Read online

  Because Albert Martin had no idea how much his wife missed him, even if she was able to manage well enough without him. And each time he went off again, to her he always did seem as merry as a robin that sings in the tree, with not a care in the world.

  Chapter Twelve

  It was Friday, the 4th of September. The trip to Barra had ended, and Reynard had driven to Salisbury to collect Alfred and Johnny who were due home any minute.

  Anna looked down at the table. The cakes she’d made that morning looked wonderful – even if she did say so herself. There was the chocolate sponge, always Alfred’s first choice, the Victoria sponge that Johnny liked best, and the tiny iced fingers which Lexi always went for first. Anna smiled to herself. She knew it wouldn’t be long before Lexi put in an appearance.

  Anna set out the tea cups and saucers, and went across to put the kettle on. These last weeks had seemed endless without a full house at Grey Gables – and Alfred and Johnny would be returning to college on the 14th so they weren’t going to be home for very long. She frowned briefly, wondering if they’d had had enough to eat while they’d been on that island. From what Johnny had said in his letters their accommodation had been some hall or other and they were having to help out with cooking the meals. Anna would like to have witnessed that! Her boys had never even sliced a loaf od bread.

  A few minutes later Anna heard the front door opening, and almost immediately Alfred and Johnny came running down the stairs to the kitchen, Reynard following close behind. After giving both the boys a hug, she stood back and looked at them, her head on one side. Far from looking lean and unfed they were as brown as berries and seemed to have put on considerable weight.

  ‘Now then, come and sit down – I want to hear everything you’ve been up to,’ she said as she began pouring the tea. ‘You start, Alfred – first of all, what food were you responsible for, may I ask? Was any of it edible?’

  ‘I’ll have you know,’ Alfred said, between mouthfuls of chocolate cake, ‘that my group won meal of the week. Our steak and kidney pudding was voted the best ever.’

  Johnny sniggered. ‘We were all so hungry at the end of each day we’d have eaten anything! Anyway, Alfred only won the vote because he got around Denise – she was in charge of the kitchen – and she helped him out when it all began to go wrong, which it did, frequently!’ Johnny added.

  Alfred dug his brother in the ribs, but said nothing. He couldn’t deny that he and Denise had got on very well. She was pretty and talkative and, later on most evenings, they’d enjoyed a cigarette or two outside together. They’d promised to keep in touch and Alfred had given her the Grey Gables address. He knew exactly where she lived – a small village just outside Salisbury.

  Reynard didn’t look up as he drank his tea. On the way home in the car he’d heard all the details about the trip he’d paid for and was satisfied that his money hadn’t been wasted. It seemed to have been a well-organized expedition, and it had pleased Reynard to hear Alfred talk so enthusiastically about soil analysis, and land mass, and to hear about all the surveys which they’d undertaken. It did seem that Alfred was, at last, putting his mind to his future career.

  But what cheered Reynard the most was that the time spent away from the mainland had absorbed Alfred completely, the war forgotten. Neither of the boys had even touched on the fact that the country was now in savage conflict – probably due to the fact that they’d had little or no news while in Barra. It was a very isolated spot, and Reynard had known very well that it was. Let the novelty of battle die down, he’d thought, let matters settle before, it was hoped, his older son felt the need to offer his body for sacrifice. Let others, in the first flush of enthusiasm, do that. Alfred’s future lay here, with the business.

  Reynard helped himself to a slice of cake. Alfred had given no hint of being restless, or that he didn’t want to continue the college course. Quite the reverse in fact, so thank goodness that worry had all blown over.

  Just then there was a tap on the door and Lexi appeared, flushed with excitement at seeing them both home again. In the ensuing babble of greetings Alfred was the first to gain attention – as usual. He went across to Lexi and kissed her on both cheeks.

  ‘How do you do, Miss Martin?’ he drawled, holding on to her tightly.

  Johnny pushed his brother out of the way. ‘Clear off, Alfred,’ he said amiably, hugging Lexi around the waist, as she glanced at each of them in turn.

  ‘What’s happened to the pair of you! You’ve changed colour!’

  ‘That’s because we’ve been permanently outdoors in all winds and weathers,’ Johnny explained, not letting her go. ‘And look at Alfred’s hair! The sun has dyed it – it’s the same colour as Dad’s now!’

  ‘Oh, you shut up,’ Alfred said, annoyed. He did not want his hair to be the McCann colour. He wanted black hair – or at least dark brown. ‘Anyway, yours has gone red too – look, that bit in the front! And there’s a bit at the back!’

  ‘Sez you,’ Johnny said.

  Anna pulled out a chair for Lexi to sit down. ‘Come and have tea, Lexi,’ Anna said happily. This was what she’d been longing for – fun, young folk, her family again.

  Presently, with conversation flowing around the table, Reynard stood, pushing back his chair. ‘I have work to do, so I’ll leave you all to it.’ he said. He glanced at Johnny. ‘I have to say that Miss Martin has done a very good job with the rounds,’ he said. ‘Very good indeed.’

  ‘Well that’s no surprise, Dad.’ Johnny said. ‘I told you she would!’

  The next afternoon, Johnny came up to the sweet shop to walk Lexi back home, and as soon as they reached the cottage, Phoebe and Joe rushed out to meet them – followed by Lucky who scampered around, barking excitedly.

  ‘Hello you two!’ Johnny exclaimed. ‘So this is the new member of the family, is it? Lexi has been telling me all about this lucky little dog!’

  Just then Cecilia appeared at the door, smiling. ‘Oh, you’re back home, Johnny,’ she said. ‘Do come in – Albert is here and I’m sure he would like to talk to you. Did you find Barra a very interesting place to spend the summer?’

  Johnny made no reply to that, but just grinned as he followed everyone inside and for the next half an hour they all listened to everything he had to tell them.

  ‘And how about Alfred?’ Cecilia asked. ‘Did he enjoy the trip as you seem to have done, Johnny?’

  ‘I think so,’ Johnny said. ‘But of course we were all kept so busy there wasn’t much time to fool around and misbehave ourselves. And at the end of each day we were so tired we just fell into bed.’

  ‘I think your Barra sounds a lot like my Ireland,’ Albert said affably. He’d been listening with great interest to all Johnny’s vivid descriptions. ‘Lots of lovely space and clean air and freedom.’ He looked around him. ‘I am going to take you all to the Emerald Isle one day – one day soon,’ he added.

  Cecilia cut in ‘Lexi – your dinner is in the kitchen. Would you like it now?’

  Lexi shook her head quickly. ‘Do you mind if I eat later, Mama? Miss Lewis bought me a very big cake which I ate just before I left, so I do feel a bit full.’

  Phoebe went over and sat on Johnny’s knee. ‘Where are you and Lexi going this afternoon?’ she said. ‘Are you going for a walk? And can we come too?’

  ‘Of course you can,’ Johnny said, shooting a rueful glance at Lexi. He hadn’t gone on the rounds with her last night because his father had wanted both his sons in the study for a proper talk. So he and Lexi had promised themselves a quiet stroll together today instead.

  ‘It would be lovely if you did all go together,’ Cecilia said. ‘I still don’t like the children going over the fields on their own, and Lexi and I don’t always have the time to take them.’ She smiled at Phoebe and Joe. ‘And Lucky will enjoy it too, won’t she?’

  ‘Goody!’ Joe yelled, jumping up and down. ‘You can have one of my sherbet dabs, Johnny!’

  Johnny immediately took one
, and Cecilia sat back for a moment. Johnny McCann was still only a child really – even if he was going on seventeen and over six-feet tall, and as she watched him rolling on the floor with the children and the dog, some of her misgivings melted a little. Johnny’s relationship with her family was so innocent and so straightforward that he might have been one of her own.

  Later, after the four had left the cottage, Albert turned to Cecilia. ‘What a decent youngster that Johnny McCann is, Cissy, isn’t he? Someone you’d feel you could trust with your life – whether you knew him or not.’

  Cecilia got up from her chair. ‘Yes I suppose so, Albert, but he’s just Johnny – someone we’ve known for ages,’ she said casually over her shoulder as she went into the kitchen.

  With Johnny grasping Lexi’s hand tightly, and with Phoebe and Joe taking it in turns to hold the dog’s lead, the four strolled away from the cottages, past Grey Gables, and on towards the fields. As they came to Bert’s Place, Johnny stopped.

  ‘I’m going to treat us all to a lemonade to toast being together again!’ Soon they were sitting at a table waiting for Mr Bakewell to bring their drinks. And when he did, Lexi knew that he was going to sit down with them and tell one of his stories.

  She glanced over at Johnny and their eyes met. And they both knew what the other was thinking. How had this afternoon, the first chance they’d had to be together, turned out like this? They’d planned to go down to the river, but that wouldn’t be happening now.

  Presently, their drinks arrived and Mr. Bakewell pulled up a chair and sat down beside them, preparing to finish the tale he’d started a few minutes earlier.

  ‘Anyway,’ he went on, ‘on that occasion we’d only left the harbour an hour before when the most almighty storm blew up! It nearly blew us out of the water! I don’t tell a lie! You never saw anything like it, and one of our mates – well, we nearly lost him! If it hadn’t been for …’ On and on the old man went, with Lexi almost offering to finish the tale for him because she’d heard it many times before.

  But eventually, with more customers arriving, Mr. Bakewell reluctantly got up, and Lexi and Johnny and the children, with the dog pulling on the lead, left the café.

  ‘Can we go down by the river?’ Phoebe asked eagerly. ‘To see if there are any fish?’

  ‘Well, just for a few minutes.’ Lexi replied. ‘We mustn’t be late back.’

  It didn’t take them long to reach the river bank, and Lexi and Johnny watched the two children crouch down on the shingle. They’d each found a stick which they were trailing around in the water, hoping to bring a fish up to the surface.

  It had turned out to be a very warm afternoon, and with Phoebe and Joe totally engrossed, Johnny slipped his arm around Lexi’s waist and pulled her towards him. And without any hesitation she lifted her face for him to kiss her. This was the moment they had been waiting for.

  Then their lips met and Lexi almost swooned with pleasure at the gentle intimacy of that encounter. And as he held her even more closely, it was as if her soft curves were actually melding into the strength of his body, making them one whole person.

  He turned his face so that his lips touched her ear. ‘I’ve missed you,’ he whispered. ‘I missed you every second of every one of those long days away.’

  Lexi snuggled into his neck. ‘There are no words that can say how much I missed you, Johnny,’ she murmured.

  Then, as if he couldn’t help himself, he lifted her right up in his arms so that she was gazing down into his eyes. Then their lips met, again and again. Until he lowered her gently down to the ground and they just held each other. And Lexi could feel Johnny’s heart drumming wildly against hers.

  ‘I love you. I have always loved you,’ he said softly, ‘And nothing will ever change that.’

  Suddenly a chorus yell from the children broke the silence, with Phoebe crying hysterically.

  ‘Lucky’s fallen in! Help, Lexi!’ she cried. ‘Lucky’s going down the river and I can’t catch hold of her! Help! She’s going to drown! Help, Help!’

  Chapter Thirteen

  Half an hour later, the four and the dog, made their way back home across the fields, Lucky scampering ahead on her lead and stopping every two seconds to shake the water from her coat. Phoebe and Joe had only just stopped crying. They’d thought – and so had Lexi – that they were never going to see the dog again.

  But without a second’s delay, Johnny had splashed straight into the river and, half-wading, half-swimming, had followed the animal downstream, before he was eventually able to catch hold of the lead and drag her back against the current, struggling on to the bank further down. By that time, Lexi and the children had followed along after them. And when the bedraggled pair had finally reached a point where they could climb on to dry land, everyone collapsed on to the ground, Phoebe and Joe crying uncontrollably and Lexi shaking so much she thought she was going to be sick,

  ‘I thought we were never going to see Lucky again,’ Phoebe had sobbed, and Joe was so shocked he’d hardly uttered another word. But Lexi could only think of what might have happened to Johnny if he hadn’t been so strong, and so determined that they were not going to go home without the dog. For a few minutes it had been a very dangerous situation, and Lexi was only too aware of it.

  The only one who didn’t seem any the worse for the mishap was Lucky, who was still finding interesting things to sniff as they walked home.

  ‘Ugh, Johnny’s clothes are all wet,’ Joe observed, and Johnny grinned.

  ‘Well, I’ve just been for a swim, haven’t I?’ he said. ‘But I’ll soon get dry again, don’t you worry.’

  Lexi squeezed Johnny’s hand more tightly than ever, loving him even more than when they’d been kissing. He was so kind, so brave, so loving to her and the family. What more could you ask of anyone who was also dark, tall, and handsome!

  As they were nearing home, Lexi called the children back to her – they’d been walking slightly ahead and she looked at them seriously.

  ‘Now, I don’t think we should tell Mama about Lucky falling in the river,’ she said. ‘Because that would worry her and she might not let me take you there again. So – no telling … this is a secret. OK?’

  Phoebe and Joe nodded at once. They loved secrets. Then Joe said doubtfully – ‘But Lucky’s wet, Lexi. Won’t Mama see that?’

  ‘Oh, Lucky’s nearly dry already!’ Lexi said. ‘Her smooth coat soon dries off – see? I’m sure Mama won’t notice.’

  ‘Well, can we tell her about having lemonade at Bert’s Place?’ Joe said.

  ‘Of course, we can tell her that,’ Lexi said, ‘and that we had a nice walk by the river. Just do not mention Lucky falling in – or that Johnny rescued her. OK?’

  ‘OK,’ both children chorused. ‘We won’t say a word, Lexi. Promise!’

  Johnny smiled down at Lexi as they reached Grey Gables. ‘For obvious reasons, I shan’t come up to the cottage now, Lexi,’ he said. ‘I’m looking forward to a slightly nicer dip than the one I’ve just had!’

  Later, with Phoebe and Joe in bed, Lexi and Cecilia sat together downstairs, Cecilia as usual finding something to do with her needle. Albert had gone to the pub – where else would he go on a Saturday night – and Lexi was writing something in a small notebook. Cecilia glanced at her daughter.

  ‘What are you doing there, Lexi? Something interesting?’

  Lexi didn’t look up as she continued what she was writing. Then - ‘I was just doing a few sums, Mama, that’s all … adding up all our worldly wealth.’

  Cecilia sighed inwardly as she picked up her needle again. Lexi was so determined to become rich but it was such a hopeless prospect – how could anyone in their working class achieve something like that?

  ‘Ours is such a nice cottage, isn’t it, Lexi?’ said Cecilia casually. ‘I am really happy here now – aren’t you?’

  ‘Of course I am, Mama – but one day we can do even better than this. I just know I am going to be rich enough to buy our
house sooner or later,’ Lexi said.

  Cecilia let a moment pass. ‘But we have a comfortable place here and we can afford the rent – and everything else we need. The children are happy, and you are doing so well in all you take on. We honestly don’t need to be rich,, do we?’

  ‘Yes, we do, Mama,’ Lexi said firmly. ‘All you’ve just said is true, but there is even more we can have – and the most important thing is to own our own place and never have to open the door to a landlord ever again. Think of that, Mama! We would never be turned out, or suddenly made to pay a much higher rent, the house would be ours! Our very own!’ Lexi hardly paused for breath. ‘It is my dream, Mama, and I shall never give up, never, never, never.’

  Cecilia decided to let the matter drop. ‘The children certainly seemed to enjoy their walk today,’ she said. ‘And by the look of her, so did Lucky! She’s been flat out on the mat ever since you got back.’

  Lexi kept her eyes down. ‘Well, we did go quite a long way,’ she said briefly.

  ‘Johnny didn’t call in afterwards,’ Cecilia remarked, and Lexi shook her head.

  ‘No, he needed to get back,’ Lexi said shortly.

  It was so quiet and peaceful there with just the two of them, and with Phoebe and Joe fast asleep upstairs – though it would have been very nice if Albert had been there, too, to keep them company. But Cecilia knew very well that the call of the pub was just too much and anyway it was no good dwelling on things like that. After all, any bridegroom who could leave his young bride on her own so soon after their marriage – like Albert had - was never going to be the perfect husband later on.

  Not long after, Lexi got up from her chair. ‘I think I’ll pop down to Bert’s Place, Mama,’ she said. ‘Just for half an hour. It’s only 8.30 – and I told Mr. Bakewell this afternoon that I’d probably be able to help him cash up later.’