Across the Mersey

‘We had to wait for a bus because the first one was full with it being such a nice day,’ she explained as she and Vi exchanged brief hugs.

‘Oh dear, yes. I tend to forget how unreliable public transport can be now that I’ve got both Edwin and Charlie to drive me wherever I need to go. Really I can’t think how we went on when we only had the one car, especially now that Bella has joined the Tennis Club and is so much in demand. Come on in, anyway. I thought we’d have tea outside, seeing as it’s such a lovely day.’

‘So that the twins don’t spill tea on her carpet again is more like it,’ Luke grinned, muttering his aside to Grace as they followed their parents into the house.

‘That wasn’t their fault,’ Grace whispered back. ‘It was actually Jack who spilled the tea but they took the blame for him.’

‘Poor little tyke. It’s hard to believe sometimes that Mum and Auntie Vi are twins, isn’t it?’

‘Very hard,’ Grace agreed feelingly.

‘We’ll go straight through into the garden, I think.’

Jean exchanged looks with Sam as they all trooped through her sister’s kitchen and out into the garden. They hadn’t, Jean noted, been invited to walk through the sitting room at the back of the house and out into the garden via the French windows that Vi had showed off to her so proudly when they had first moved into the house earlier in the year. But, of course, Vi hadn’t had her new carpets put down then.

The garden, its lawns shorn as short as possible and its flowerbeds weed free and rigidly immaculate, was empty, a white cloth flapping gently on the card table set up for the birthday ‘tea’ and six deck chairs drawn up in a straight line.

‘Where is everyone?’ asked Jean.

‘Oh, well, with you being late, Edwin said that he might as well catch up on a bit of work. He’s been ever so busy just lately, what with the business and then all his ARP duties and the council. He’ll be out in a minute, I dare say. Bella’s just run upstairs to change out of her tennis things, and Charlie’s with his father.’

‘And Jack?’ Jean asked.

Vi tensed. ‘He should be in his room doing his homework. His last report said that he spends far too much time daydreaming. Edwin’s completely out of patience with him, but I saw he’d sneaked outside into the garden earlier.’

Her voice suggested that Jack could expect to be punished for his transgression and Jean winced inwardly but knew better than to say anything.

‘Do make yourselves comfortable whilst I go and put the kettle on,’ Vi continued. ‘Bella will be down in a minute, I expect, Grace. Bella has got a lovely surprise for you. She’s such a wonderful daughter, Jean. She got me flowers for my birthday and a bottle of scent. Edwin bought me my new frock, of course.’

‘It’s lovely,’ Jean offered dutifully.

‘Pure silk,’ Vi told her proudly, adding, ‘Oh, here are Edwin and Charles.’

Vi’s husband and son were casually dressed in cavalry twill trousers and smart sports shirts, and looked cool and fresh.

‘Yes, do take your tie off if you wish, Sam,’ Vi offered, causing Jean’s face to burn a little at the recognition that her sister was patronising her family. That Sam knew it too was evident from the tight look of anger she could see hardening his mouth.

‘I’ll come with you and give you a hand with the tea, Vi,’ Jean began, only to be told firmly, ‘I’d prefer it if you called me Vivienne from now on, Jean. Mrs Lawson, who’s in charge of our local WVS group, was saying to me only the other week, when she asked me to be her deputy, what an elegant name Vivienne is and what a shame it is to shorten it.’

Luke and Grace exchanged mirthful looks before turning away to hide their amusement.

‘Got your papers yet, Luke?’ Charlie asked, coming over to join them as the two sisters headed for the kitchen.

‘No, but I’m expecting to get them any time,’ Luke answered. ‘What about you?’

Charlie gave him a knowing grin and a wink, tapping the side of his nose meaningfully. ‘No fear of me being called up. I’ve made a smart move and joined the TA. A chap I know told me that once you’re in you’re exempt from having to do your six months, and that means that I get to stay at home and attend TA sessions a couple of times a week, whilst other chaps who aren’t as on the ball end up being send hundreds of miles away to some godforsaken army training camp. You should think about doing it yourself, Luke. Dad reckons that there’s no chance of us going to war, no matter what the papers might say. He reckons Hitler will back down. Mind you, we’re not complaining about all the doommongers, not when we’re doing very nicely thank you out of it. We’ve got that much work on we’ve had to take on extra men. Course, that means that things are a bit of a doddle for me at the moment.’ He gave Luke and Grace another wink. ‘There’s not many pretty girls that say no to a spin in a brand-new car on a nice sunny day.’

‘I wouldn’t have thought that your father would approve of that,’ Luke told him.

‘No, I dare say he wouldn’t – if he knew.’

In the kitchen Jean dutifully admired the new linoleum floor Vi was pointing out to her.

‘It’s all very nice, Vi – I mean Vivienne – but I don’t know how I’d feel about not having an outhouse to do me washing in.’

‘Oh well, as to that, Edwin insists that we send everything to the laundry. He can’t abide having wet washing hanging all over the place. He’s even talked about getting someone in to do the heavy cleaning, especially now that I’m getting so involved with the WI and the WVS. Mrs Lawson has good as said that she wants me to be her second in command.’

‘I don’t know,’ Jean marvelled, shaking her head. ‘Remember how our nan used to carrying her washing down to the wash house?’

Vi’s face changed colour and she looked over her shoulder before pushing the door to and saying quickly, ‘I’m surprised at you bringing something like that up, Jean. It was a long time ago and it’s best forgotten.’

‘Well, I’m surprised at you, our Vi. Anyone would think you were ashamed of Nan now that you’ve moved to Wallasey. A hard worker she was, and proud as well, even if she and Granddad were poor.’

‘Your Luke will be getting his papers soon,’ Vi announced, changing the subject as the kettle came to the boil.

Jean’s face creased with maternal concern. ‘That’s right. Sam’s got a place waiting for him in the Salvage Corps and once he’s in it he’ll be in a reserved occupation but he isn’t out of his apprenticeship yet.’

‘Well, I can understand that you’d want to keep him safe,’ Vi agreed, ‘but for myself I can’t help feeling that it’s a young man’s duty to serve his country. My Charlie joined the TA the minute he could.’ She gave her twin a lofty look. ‘Of course, we fully support him,’ she added untruthfully, conveniently forgetting how furious Edwin had been when he heard what Charlie had done, and how he’d said that Charlie should have waited until he had a few words in the right ears before jumping the gun like he had.

‘As busy as he is, Edwin’s still volunteered to oversee our local ARP unit and of course now that he’s on the local council he’ll be expected to take on a more managerial role. I dare say he’ll be put in charge of something or other – not that he believes for one minute that there’s going to be a war.’

‘Sam thinks there will.’

Vi gave her twin a superior smile. ‘Well, I rather think that my Edwin is in more of a position to know what’s going on than your Sam, Jean. After all, he’s got important men from the War Office and the navy coming down to see him all the time, on account of the work that’s needed to be done refitting so many Merchant Navy ships.’

‘But surely that means that there’s more likely to be a war than not be one?’ Jean argued valiantly.

‘It might look that way but, take it from me, the Government is just taking precautionary measures, that’s all. Now I think we’ve got everything. Will you bring the milk and the hot-water jug for me?’

Outside in the garden Sam and Edwin were standing together looking awkward whilst Luke and Charlie were laughing at something and the twins, Jean was glad to see, were playing with Jack, who had obviously been allowed to escape from his homework.

‘I had a letter from Francine yesterday wishing us both a happy birthday,’ she told Vi. ‘She’s still in America singing with Gracie Fields. She said that she misses Liverpool but I don’t expect she’ll be coming back now with all this talk of war.’

‘Well, I certainly hope that she doesn’t. I haven’t forgotten all the trouble she caused, and now that Edwin’s moving up in the world, the last thing he needs is a sister-in-law who’s on the stage parading herself all over the place.’

‘Vi,’ Jean objected, ‘that’s not very nice. And not very fair either. Our Francine’s done really well for herself.’

‘Yes, and we all know how,’ Vi retorted darkly. ‘Edwin refuses to so much as have her name mentioned, and no wonder. America’s the best place for her. I don’t want her coming back and showing us all up, especially not now, with Isabella joining the Tennis Club and mixing with such a smart set. Did I tell you about the young man she’s seeing? His father is on the council, and his mother comes from a very well-to-do family. He’s taking Bella to the big Tennis Club dance next weekend. Bella is so generous. She wants your Grace to make up a foursome with her and Alan and Alan’s cousin. Of course, I told her that poor Grace would probably feel a bit out of her depth, what with all the other young people at the Tennis Club either working for their parents or, like Bella, working in an office, but no, she’s determined that Grace should be included. She’ll have to spend the night here, of course, and I dare say that Bella will have a dress she can borrow.’

There was no chance for Jean to make any response because they were now within earshot of the men, but she could feel her heart burning with indignation on her daughter’s behalf.

As she put the milk jug and the hot water down on the table next to the cups and saucers already laid out with military neatness, Jean tried not to feel envious of her twin’s pretty Royal Albert china, with its roses and its gold edging, nor to compare it with her own far more practical and robust cups and saucers, oddments, in the main, bought from the market. Every time she saw Vi’s tea set she felt envious, and then cross with herself for being so silly. What did a few cups and saucers matter, after all?

‘More cake, Sam?’

‘No, thanks, Vi. I’ve never bin keen on shop bought, not with my Jean being such a good cook.’

A small smile twitched at the corners of Jean’s mouth as she listened to her husband and saw her twin bridle slightly.

Jack was a bit too pale and quiet for her liking, Jean decided, watching her nephew as he sat on the grass and drank his lemonade. In looks he resembled her own twins and was therefore physically more like Vi than either of her other two children, but that similarity didn’t seem to endear him to her.

Suddenly, despite the smartness of her twin’s home and garden, Jean found that she was longing for the familiar comfort of her own much smaller and shabbier home.

‘It’s been lovely, Vi, but I think we’d better make a move. With it being such a nice day there are bound to be long queues for the ferry,’ she announced, causing Sam to look at her in both surprise and relief. ‘I’ll give you a hand washing the tea things first, though,’ she offered, ignoring Sam’s twinkling smile.

‘There’s no need for that. Bella will help me with them.’

They were both on their feet, equally aware of their eagerness to have the ritual sharing of their birthday over and done with.

There were already long queues waiting for the ferries back to Liverpool, but Jean didn’t mind. It gave her the opportunity to chat over the afternoon with Sam as they stood in line.

‘Vi was telling me that Edwin would like to have Jack evacuated if it does come to war. Poor little boy. Vi should never have had him really, and I blame myself that she did.’

Sam put his hand over hers. ‘You’ve nowt to blame yourself for, love. It is a shame that the poor little lad isn’t better thought of, but there’s nowt you could have done. You know what your Vi’s like. She’s never liked thinking that she’s being outdone.’

‘Especially not by me,’ Jean agreed ruefully. ‘She was determined to have Jack from the moment she knew I was pregnant.’

‘Aye.’ They shared a mutually understanding look that was tinged with pain and sadness.

‘It might have been different if our little Terry had lived,’ Jean said quietly. ‘He and Jack could have been good friends.’

‘Like our Luke and Grace are with your Vi’s Charlie and Isabelle, you mean?’ Sam asked her drily. ‘I could hear Charlie boasting to Luke about that ruddy car of his and how he spends his time driving about in it, showing off.’

‘Edwin won’t tolerate that. Vi told me herself that the only reason Edwin has given Charlie a car of his own is because he needs him in the business.’

‘You mean because he wants to keep him out of the army if it does come to war,’ Sam corrected her. ‘Mind, I can’t blame him. I don’t mind admitting that I’m relieved that Sid’s got a place waiting for our Luke with the Salvage Corps. What’s that look for?’

‘A lot of parents will have to see their sons go off to fight if it does come to war, Sam. Do you think that it will?’

‘Edwin reckons not, but I can’t agree with him. One thing’s for sure: if it does then we’ll bloody well have to win,’ he told her bluntly.

Jean shivered and moved closer to him. ‘The twins will be leaving school next summer. Maybe there’ll be some jobs going at Lewis’s that would suit them.’

‘I can’t see them two bowing and scraping to the posh women that our Grace has to serve,’ Sam chuckled.

Jean smiled as well. Grace worked in the À La Mode Gown Salon of the big store as a junior salesgirl and she often entertained her family over tea with tales of the well-to-do women who went there to buy their clothes.

‘Mum, did Auntie Vi say anything to you about this dance at the Tennis Club that Bella wants me to go to?’ Grace leaned over to ask, her face bright with excitement.

‘She did, love. I wasn’t sure that you’d want to go.’

‘Of course I do. Bella was telling me all about it. It sounds lovely. She says she’s going to ask Auntie Vi to buy her a new dress. She’s seen the one she wants. It’s pale blue silk embroidered with white marguerites.’

Some of the brightness faded from her face, and Jean knew exactly what she was thinking. Her heart ached for her daughter, who was never likely to own anything as expensive as a silk frock, never mind have a new one every time she felt like it.

‘Well, I dare say we can make up a new sash for your polished cotton, love. Suits you a treat, it does, and you’ve got the advantage over Bella, you being that bit taller and having such a lovely neat waist.’

The little boy in front of them in the queue dropped his ice-cream cornet and started to cry bitterly, whilst his mother, who looked harassed and was clutching both their gas masks, tried to calm him. His noisy tears brought an end to any private conversation. Luke disappeared, only to reappear five minutes later carrying three cornets, one of which he gave to the delighted child and the other two to the twins.

‘You’re just as soft as your dad,’ Jean mock-scolded him, after the child’s mother had thanked him profusely for his generosity, and explained, ‘I thought I’d give him a bit of a treat, like, with a day at the seaside, what with me being told that he’d have to be evacuated if there’s a war, and his dad already away in the army, but it’s bin a long day for him and he’s got himself a bit overtired.’

‘It’s only an ice cream, and the poor little chap had only had a couple of licks of it,’ Luke answered his mother now, before turning to his father. ‘Dad, Charlie was saying that he’s joined the TA because he reckons that it means he won’t have to go away to do his six months’ training. He was showing me his uniform.’ There was a note of envy in his voice. ‘I reckon that if I were to join them—’

‘You’ll do no such thing,’ Sam stopped him sharply. ‘The TA lot will be the first in if it does come to war.’

‘Charlie reckons they’ll be posted to home duties.’

‘Aye, well, he would reckon that, him and that father of his being the clever sods they are.’

‘Sam,’ Jean objected, ‘language!’

‘Sorry, love, but it gets my goat, it really does, the way that ruddy Edwin reckons to be such a know-it-all. I’m your father, Luke, and it’s me you listen to. We’ve been through all of this already. If there’s to be a war then you can do your bit just as well here at home with the Salvage Corps, aye, and you’ll have a decent job wi’ it if there isn’t a war. There’s no sense in rushing off joining summat like the TA.’

Jean listened anxiously. This wasn’t the first time that father and son had clashed over the issue of Luke joining up for active service should there be a war. Like any mother she desperately wanted to keep her son safe.

The Royal Daffodil was pulling away from the dock full of passengers and with any luck they would be on the next ferry to leave.

Jean hoped so. It had been a long day, and now she was tired and ready for her own home, and a nice cup of tea and a slice of bread and butter.

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