go home. ‘Are you sure you’re going to be all right walking back on your own?’ Simeon asked as he cleaned his brushes.
‘Fine,’ said Connie. ‘I have Pip with me. He won’t let anybody touch me.’
‘Don’t forget to put the clocks back an hour,’ Kez reminded her. ‘Double summer time ends tonight.’
‘So it does,’ Connie smiled.
As she said her goodbyes and left, Connie felt loved and accepted by all of them. Everyone except Isaac. He had been less pleasant. In fact, he seemed to have a giant chip on his shoulder.
The house was in darkness when Connie got back home. She gave Pip a drink of water and the few scraps her mother had saved him from the evening meal.
‘Silly old dog,’ she said softly as she fondled his ear. ‘I didn’t abandon you, you know. I still love you.’
Leaving him in his basket, Connie crept upstairs. She had thought everyone was asleep but then she heard Ga call her from her room. Connie only ever went in there when invited. It was a cluttered place with piles of leaflets and papers all over the dressing table and the chair. As soon as she walked in the door, Connie could tell by the expression on Ga’s face that something was wrong. She was sitting up in bed, her handbag beside her and her bad knee resting on a pillow. She had a lacy bed-shawl around her shoulders and her hair was in steel pins. How on earth did she sleep in those? Connie wondered.
Olive motioned for her to sit on the bedside chair so Connie moved the mound of papers onto the floor.
‘I want to talk to you about this nursing business,’ said Ga. Connie opened her mouth straight away but her great aunt put up her hand to silence her. ‘You might not be worried about how this will affect me …’
‘And you don’t seem to be bothered that I have a right to my own life,’ Connie interjected.
‘But,’ Ga continued loudly and clearly not listening, ‘have you thought of what this will do to your mother?’
Connie faltered. ‘Mother? In what way?’
‘Can’t you see how she looks?’ said Ga accusingly. ‘The poor woman is exhausted.’ She paused as if to let the words sink in. ‘We need you, Constance. We need you to help share the workload. Gwen cannot carry on much longer.’
There was a short silence. ‘But Clifford will be coming home shortly,’ said Connie.
‘And what sort of a state do you think he might be in?’ Ga retorted. ‘Besides, he’s not getting any younger either. I already told you, we need a young pair of hands.’
Connie looked away. She felt sick with disappointment. She didn’t want to admit it but Ga was right about one thing. Her mother did look worn out. And thin. Connie chewed her bottom lip helplessly. Did she really have to give up the idea of nursing? Surely there had to be another way? It was so bloody unfair. She had a right to live her own life but if she walked out on her mother now, she would just be plain selfish.
‘You don’t have to give me your answer now,’ said Ga. ‘Just think about it.’
‘All right,’ she said quietly, loathing the look of triumph in Ga’s eyes.
Ga nodded. ‘Good girl.’
Biting back her tears, Connie stood up. ‘If I do stay,’ she said stiffly, ‘it will only be for a while. I intend to be a nurse, no matter what you say.’
Ga’s mouth set in a tight line.
‘Oh, one more thing,’ said Ga, as Connie turned to leave. She opened her cavernous handbag, and pulled out a newspaper cutting. Connie took in her breath. It was the picture from the Daily Sketch , the one of her and Eva standing in the fountain at Trafalgar Square with the two sailors. The caption above it read, Playtime for English Roses. She remembered how she’d rolled up her slacks and stood in the water before the two sailors climbed in beside them. The picture was quite flattering too. Connie grinned.
‘It’s no laughing matter,’ Ga snapped. ‘I am absolutely disgusted.’
‘Why?’ Connie challenged. ‘It was only a bit of
‘Fine,’ said Connie. ‘I have Pip with me. He won’t let anybody touch me.’
‘Don’t forget to put the clocks back an hour,’ Kez reminded her. ‘Double summer time ends tonight.’
‘So it does,’ Connie smiled.
As she said her goodbyes and left, Connie felt loved and accepted by all of them. Everyone except Isaac. He had been less pleasant. In fact, he seemed to have a giant chip on his shoulder.
The house was in darkness when Connie got back home. She gave Pip a drink of water and the few scraps her mother had saved him from the evening meal.
‘Silly old dog,’ she said softly as she fondled his ear. ‘I didn’t abandon you, you know. I still love you.’
Leaving him in his basket, Connie crept upstairs. She had thought everyone was asleep but then she heard Ga call her from her room. Connie only ever went in there when invited. It was a cluttered place with piles of leaflets and papers all over the dressing table and the chair. As soon as she walked in the door, Connie could tell by the expression on Ga’s face that something was wrong. She was sitting up in bed, her handbag beside her and her bad knee resting on a pillow. She had a lacy bed-shawl around her shoulders and her hair was in steel pins. How on earth did she sleep in those? Connie wondered.
Olive motioned for her to sit on the bedside chair so Connie moved the mound of papers onto the floor.
‘I want to talk to you about this nursing business,’ said Ga. Connie opened her mouth straight away but her great aunt put up her hand to silence her. ‘You might not be worried about how this will affect me …’
‘And you don’t seem to be bothered that I have a right to my own life,’ Connie interjected.
‘But,’ Ga continued loudly and clearly not listening, ‘have you thought of what this will do to your mother?’
Connie faltered. ‘Mother? In what way?’
‘Can’t you see how she looks?’ said Ga accusingly. ‘The poor woman is exhausted.’ She paused as if to let the words sink in. ‘We need you, Constance. We need you to help share the workload. Gwen cannot carry on much longer.’
There was a short silence. ‘But Clifford will be coming home shortly,’ said Connie.
‘And what sort of a state do you think he might be in?’ Ga retorted. ‘Besides, he’s not getting any younger either. I already told you, we need a young pair of hands.’
Connie looked away. She felt sick with disappointment. She didn’t want to admit it but Ga was right about one thing. Her mother did look worn out. And thin. Connie chewed her bottom lip helplessly. Did she really have to give up the idea of nursing? Surely there had to be another way? It was so bloody unfair. She had a right to live her own life but if she walked out on her mother now, she would just be plain selfish.
‘You don’t have to give me your answer now,’ said Ga. ‘Just think about it.’
‘All right,’ she said quietly, loathing the look of triumph in Ga’s eyes.
Ga nodded. ‘Good girl.’
Biting back her tears, Connie stood up. ‘If I do stay,’ she said stiffly, ‘it will only be for a while. I intend to be a nurse, no matter what you say.’
Ga’s mouth set in a tight line.
‘Oh, one more thing,’ said Ga, as Connie turned to leave. She opened her cavernous handbag, and pulled out a newspaper cutting. Connie took in her breath. It was the picture from the Daily Sketch , the one of her and Eva standing in the fountain at Trafalgar Square with the two sailors. The caption above it read, Playtime for English Roses. She remembered how she’d rolled up her slacks and stood in the water before the two sailors climbed in beside them. The picture was quite flattering too. Connie grinned.
‘It’s no laughing matter,’ Ga snapped. ‘I am absolutely disgusted.’
‘Why?’ Connie challenged. ‘It was only a bit of
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