beautiful. What are the schools like in Kendleton?’
June felt a tightening in her stomach. ‘There’s a catch, Anna. Barbara needs peace and her doctor is adamant that she mustn’t have a child living in the house. Ronnie would have to stay with Stan and Vera.’
The smile faded as quickly as it had come. ‘Then she’ll have to find someone else.’
‘But …’
‘No.’
‘Anna, think …’
‘No! Absolutely not. Ronnie’s all I have. I couldnever leave him. Never!’ Anna flushed, her voice softened. ‘I’m sorry. I don’t mean to be rude. You’ve always been kind to us and I’m grateful but this isn’t possible.’
Anna picked up the tray and continued her work. Upstairs June could hear Albert laughing at something Ronnie had said. On the far wall was a picture of the Tower of London. Another of Ronnie’s efforts. Exceptional for a boy of not quite nine.
‘It wouldn’t be for ever, Anna. A few years, maybe less. You could come and visit. Kendleton’s not that far away. Albert and I would keep an eye on Ronnie. He could visit us whenever he wanted. You know how fond we are of him. Please don’t just dismiss the idea. Promise me you’ll think about it.’
Silence. Upstairs the laughter continued.
‘What’s the matter, Mum?’
‘Nothing, Ronnie.’
‘Yes there is.’
They sat in the window of the Amalfi café. Ronnie had moved on from dissecting jam tarts and now ate chocolate éclairs. The café was crowded, the buzz of conversation almost drowning out the Alma Cogan record playing on the newly installed jukebox.
She told him what June Sanderson had said. ‘Will you go?’ he asked when she had finished.
‘No. I told Mrs Sanderson that her cousin would have to find someone else.’
He nodded.
‘Which she will.’
‘They won’t be as nice as you.’
‘Thank you, Ronnie.’ Anna sipped her tea. At a nearby table Emily Hopkins, sister of her one-time suitor, Harry, talked with a younger woman called Peggy. Both kept looking over, making Anna feel uncomfortable. Harry had married Peggy the previous year and they were expecting their first child at Christmas. Peggy had dull hair and a mean mouth. Anna’s friend, Kate, thought that Harry was a fool. That Peggy didn’t have Anna’s looks or sweet nature. But she didn’t have an illegitimate child either.
Ronnie was staring at her. His eyes were troubled. Now it was her turn to be concerned. ‘What is it?’
He didn’t answer.
‘Ronnie?’
He swallowed. ‘You should go.’
She put down her cup. ‘Do you want me to?’
‘No. But …’ He didn’t finish his sentence. There was no need. She knew what he was thinking. What she was thinking herself.
‘I don’t want to leave you, Ronnie.’
‘I’ll be all right. I’m not a baby.’
There was cream on his lip. She reached out and wiped it away. ‘No, you’re not,’ she said softly. ‘You’re my big, clever, grown-up boy, aren’t you.’
Emily and Peggy were still glancing over. Uncharacteristically Ronnie made a face at them. Both quickly looked away. Anna suppressed the urge to laugh. ‘That was naughty,’ she told him. ‘I’m very angry.’
He made a face at her too. A nice one this time. She thought of what she would have gained through marrying Harry. A decent, hard-working husband. A home of her own. Respectability. More children perhaps. The only price losing Ronnie for ever.
His hand was on the table. She gave it a squeeze. He squeezed back.
‘I love you, Ronnie Sunshine. More than anything in the world.’
‘I love you too, Mum. I don’t want you to go away. But if you do I’ll be all right.’
‘Finish your éclair. We’ll talk about this another time.’
He took a bite. Made a display of eating. But when they left the café half the éclair still remained on his plate.
October. While her husband snored in front of a quiz show on their new television set, Mrs Fletcher studied entries for a picture competition she had set the
June felt a tightening in her stomach. ‘There’s a catch, Anna. Barbara needs peace and her doctor is adamant that she mustn’t have a child living in the house. Ronnie would have to stay with Stan and Vera.’
The smile faded as quickly as it had come. ‘Then she’ll have to find someone else.’
‘But …’
‘No.’
‘Anna, think …’
‘No! Absolutely not. Ronnie’s all I have. I couldnever leave him. Never!’ Anna flushed, her voice softened. ‘I’m sorry. I don’t mean to be rude. You’ve always been kind to us and I’m grateful but this isn’t possible.’
Anna picked up the tray and continued her work. Upstairs June could hear Albert laughing at something Ronnie had said. On the far wall was a picture of the Tower of London. Another of Ronnie’s efforts. Exceptional for a boy of not quite nine.
‘It wouldn’t be for ever, Anna. A few years, maybe less. You could come and visit. Kendleton’s not that far away. Albert and I would keep an eye on Ronnie. He could visit us whenever he wanted. You know how fond we are of him. Please don’t just dismiss the idea. Promise me you’ll think about it.’
Silence. Upstairs the laughter continued.
‘What’s the matter, Mum?’
‘Nothing, Ronnie.’
‘Yes there is.’
They sat in the window of the Amalfi café. Ronnie had moved on from dissecting jam tarts and now ate chocolate éclairs. The café was crowded, the buzz of conversation almost drowning out the Alma Cogan record playing on the newly installed jukebox.
She told him what June Sanderson had said. ‘Will you go?’ he asked when she had finished.
‘No. I told Mrs Sanderson that her cousin would have to find someone else.’
He nodded.
‘Which she will.’
‘They won’t be as nice as you.’
‘Thank you, Ronnie.’ Anna sipped her tea. At a nearby table Emily Hopkins, sister of her one-time suitor, Harry, talked with a younger woman called Peggy. Both kept looking over, making Anna feel uncomfortable. Harry had married Peggy the previous year and they were expecting their first child at Christmas. Peggy had dull hair and a mean mouth. Anna’s friend, Kate, thought that Harry was a fool. That Peggy didn’t have Anna’s looks or sweet nature. But she didn’t have an illegitimate child either.
Ronnie was staring at her. His eyes were troubled. Now it was her turn to be concerned. ‘What is it?’
He didn’t answer.
‘Ronnie?’
He swallowed. ‘You should go.’
She put down her cup. ‘Do you want me to?’
‘No. But …’ He didn’t finish his sentence. There was no need. She knew what he was thinking. What she was thinking herself.
‘I don’t want to leave you, Ronnie.’
‘I’ll be all right. I’m not a baby.’
There was cream on his lip. She reached out and wiped it away. ‘No, you’re not,’ she said softly. ‘You’re my big, clever, grown-up boy, aren’t you.’
Emily and Peggy were still glancing over. Uncharacteristically Ronnie made a face at them. Both quickly looked away. Anna suppressed the urge to laugh. ‘That was naughty,’ she told him. ‘I’m very angry.’
He made a face at her too. A nice one this time. She thought of what she would have gained through marrying Harry. A decent, hard-working husband. A home of her own. Respectability. More children perhaps. The only price losing Ronnie for ever.
His hand was on the table. She gave it a squeeze. He squeezed back.
‘I love you, Ronnie Sunshine. More than anything in the world.’
‘I love you too, Mum. I don’t want you to go away. But if you do I’ll be all right.’
‘Finish your éclair. We’ll talk about this another time.’
He took a bite. Made a display of eating. But when they left the café half the éclair still remained on his plate.
October. While her husband snored in front of a quiz show on their new television set, Mrs Fletcher studied entries for a picture competition she had set the
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