Dave and Little Malcolm looked at each other in amazement.
‘Bloody ’ell!’ exclaimed Big Dave. ‘If that David Hattenb’rough knew, e’d be round there in a flash.’
‘Y’reight there, Dave,’ agreed Little Malcolm.
I found a seat near the bay window and enjoyed my piping-hot food. The troubles of school life waned in the happy atmosphere and I had the prospect of a weekend with Beth ahead of me. When she walked in, heads turned and, as always, she looked a perfect English beauty in her white blouse and a classic pin-striped trouser suit.
She paused at Ruby’s table and gave her a kiss on the cheek. ‘Happy birthday, Ruby. Sorry I couldn’t make your presentation but Jack will tell me all about it.’
‘Thank you, Miss ’Enderson,’ said Ruby, ‘an’ please can y’show our Racquel an’ Sharon y’engagement ring?’
After a few admiring glances Beth joined me and squeezed my hand, ‘Good to see you,’ she said. I bought her a gin and tonic and she took a sip, rubbed the ache out of her neck and stretched luxuriously. ‘Bliss,’ she murmured: ‘the weekend at last.’
‘Busy day?’ I asked.
‘Very,’ said Beth, taking another sip and pushing a few stray strands of hair behind her ears. ‘I even had Miss B-H telling me not to worry but to be prepared for any eventuality.’
‘So did I.’
Beth looked round as Troy Phoenix and his aptly named Whalers began to sing ‘House of the Rising Sun’. ‘Shall we go?’ she said with a grin.
‘Let’s,’ I said and we finished our drinks.
We waved goodbye to Ruby, who pointed to her roses and gave me a big smile. It looked like her day was complete. But when Beth and I walked out into the cold night air I realized it wasn’t.
On the far side of the village green, a classic black Bentley had just pulled up and Major Rupert Forbes-Kitchener was standing next to it. From the rear of the car emerged an army sergeant, who jumped to attention and saluted. The major returned the salute, climbed back in and drove away. Andy Smith looked smart in his uniform. Taller than his father, he had the same wiry build but when he smiled there was no mistaking he was Ruby’s son.
Beth and I followed him in to see Ruby’s reaction.
Ruby stopped singing along and stared, barely able to believe her eyes.
‘Andy … my son, my son!’ And with that she burst into tears and hugged her eldest child as if she never wanted to let him go.
It was a scene I’ll never forget but what made it special was that Andy had a gift for his mother.
In his hand he held a flower … It was the sixth yellow rose.
So it was that later that evening, in the crowded front room of 7, School View, Ruby was granted her wish and she sang to her children … all six of them.
Chapter Four
Jane Austen’s Footsteps
School closed today for the one-week half-term holiday with 86 children on roll
.
Extract from the Ragley School Logbook:
Friday, 24 October 1980
THE PURPLE-GREY SKY began to darken and I could smell rain on the autumn wind. It had been a long drive to Hampshire.
Dusk was drawing in and Beth and I were keen to arrive at her parents’ home before nightfall. We slowed as an old wooden signpost came into view. It read LITTLE CHAWTON 2.
‘We’re nearly there, Jack,’ said Beth and she leant over and squeezed my hand. Her excitement was obvious, whereas I felt a knot of apprehension in my stomach as our meet-the-family weekend drew near.
It was Saturday, 25 October. We had left North Yorkshire after breakfast and gradually the miles sped by. A coffee break in South Yorkshire was followed by a relaxing lunch in a friendly roadside pub in the Midlands and afternoon tea near Oxford. Finally, as darkness began to fall, we meandered through a cluster of classic English villages bordered by water meadows and breathtaking forests. Hampshire was truly a beautiful county. However, my mud-splattered Morris Minor Traveller was beginning to groan in protest as we descended a
‘Bloody ’ell!’ exclaimed Big Dave. ‘If that David Hattenb’rough knew, e’d be round there in a flash.’
‘Y’reight there, Dave,’ agreed Little Malcolm.
I found a seat near the bay window and enjoyed my piping-hot food. The troubles of school life waned in the happy atmosphere and I had the prospect of a weekend with Beth ahead of me. When she walked in, heads turned and, as always, she looked a perfect English beauty in her white blouse and a classic pin-striped trouser suit.
She paused at Ruby’s table and gave her a kiss on the cheek. ‘Happy birthday, Ruby. Sorry I couldn’t make your presentation but Jack will tell me all about it.’
‘Thank you, Miss ’Enderson,’ said Ruby, ‘an’ please can y’show our Racquel an’ Sharon y’engagement ring?’
After a few admiring glances Beth joined me and squeezed my hand, ‘Good to see you,’ she said. I bought her a gin and tonic and she took a sip, rubbed the ache out of her neck and stretched luxuriously. ‘Bliss,’ she murmured: ‘the weekend at last.’
‘Busy day?’ I asked.
‘Very,’ said Beth, taking another sip and pushing a few stray strands of hair behind her ears. ‘I even had Miss B-H telling me not to worry but to be prepared for any eventuality.’
‘So did I.’
Beth looked round as Troy Phoenix and his aptly named Whalers began to sing ‘House of the Rising Sun’. ‘Shall we go?’ she said with a grin.
‘Let’s,’ I said and we finished our drinks.
We waved goodbye to Ruby, who pointed to her roses and gave me a big smile. It looked like her day was complete. But when Beth and I walked out into the cold night air I realized it wasn’t.
On the far side of the village green, a classic black Bentley had just pulled up and Major Rupert Forbes-Kitchener was standing next to it. From the rear of the car emerged an army sergeant, who jumped to attention and saluted. The major returned the salute, climbed back in and drove away. Andy Smith looked smart in his uniform. Taller than his father, he had the same wiry build but when he smiled there was no mistaking he was Ruby’s son.
Beth and I followed him in to see Ruby’s reaction.
Ruby stopped singing along and stared, barely able to believe her eyes.
‘Andy … my son, my son!’ And with that she burst into tears and hugged her eldest child as if she never wanted to let him go.
It was a scene I’ll never forget but what made it special was that Andy had a gift for his mother.
In his hand he held a flower … It was the sixth yellow rose.
So it was that later that evening, in the crowded front room of 7, School View, Ruby was granted her wish and she sang to her children … all six of them.
Chapter Four
Jane Austen’s Footsteps
School closed today for the one-week half-term holiday with 86 children on roll
.
Extract from the Ragley School Logbook:
Friday, 24 October 1980
THE PURPLE-GREY SKY began to darken and I could smell rain on the autumn wind. It had been a long drive to Hampshire.
Dusk was drawing in and Beth and I were keen to arrive at her parents’ home before nightfall. We slowed as an old wooden signpost came into view. It read LITTLE CHAWTON 2.
‘We’re nearly there, Jack,’ said Beth and she leant over and squeezed my hand. Her excitement was obvious, whereas I felt a knot of apprehension in my stomach as our meet-the-family weekend drew near.
It was Saturday, 25 October. We had left North Yorkshire after breakfast and gradually the miles sped by. A coffee break in South Yorkshire was followed by a relaxing lunch in a friendly roadside pub in the Midlands and afternoon tea near Oxford. Finally, as darkness began to fall, we meandered through a cluster of classic English villages bordered by water meadows and breathtaking forests. Hampshire was truly a beautiful county. However, my mud-splattered Morris Minor Traveller was beginning to groan in protest as we descended a
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