A Cuckoo in Candle Lane (27 page)

Sally couldn’t resist looking at her aura, frowning when she saw that the dark area had increased in size. Glancing up she saw John’s eyes on her, one eyebrow raised quizzically. She reddened, quickly engaging Lottie in conversation, relieved when the bell rang, signalling that visiting time was over.

Sally was glad to get home; a thumping headache drove her to bed early and a full moon cast a luminous glow across her face as she lay snuggled under the blankets, her thoughts on Lottie and the operation she was having tomorrow. She closed her eyes, offering up a prayer.

At work the next morning the time seemed to drag by. Stocktaking was in progress and writing the endless lists made Sally’s eyes ache. Now, pleased to see that it was lunchtime, she hurried to the canteen and joined John at their usual table, happy to find that they had it all to themselves.

‘Are you all right, darling?’ she asked, noticing that he seemed distracted.

‘What? Oh sorry, Sally, I was miles away. I can’t help worrying about Lottie. She must have been down for her operation by now and the thought of it keeps going round and round in my mind.’

‘You don’t have to apologise, John. Of course you’re worried. I am too, but I’m sure she’ll be fine,’ she said, trying to reassure him.

‘God, I hope you’re right,’ he answered, his lunch still untouched on his plate.

For once his appearance was less than immaculate. A slight stubble was evident on his chin, and there were dark shadows below his eyes. Reaching out, Sally touched the back of his hand. ‘Try to eat something,’ she urged.

‘I’m not hungry,’ he said, hands trembling as he picked up his cup of tea.

Sally found herself unable to eat her lunch either, and as John was obviously not in the mood for talking, they sat quietly for the rest of their break.

His eyes were still clouded when they had to return to their departments, and Sally was reluctant to let go of his hand. ‘I’ll see you later, darling,’ she whispered as they parted on the stairs, watching as he walked away, his head bent.

Now, she glanced across at Ann as they strolled home from work, neither saying much, each busy with their own thoughts. ‘What’s wrong?’ Sally asked finally, sensing that her friend had something on her mind.

‘Arthur passed his medical and it won’t be long now before they get their departure date. I’m worried about Mum. She still hasn’t accepted that he’s going and is refusing to talk about it.’

‘He may still change his mind,’ Sally said hopefully.

‘No, we’ve got to face it. He’s determined to go.’

Sally felt a pang of sorrow. Arthur had lived next door since she was ten years old. She remembered how he had looked then, a scruffy and naughty schoolboy, who took great delight in tormenting his sister. Smiling ruefully she recalled how he looked now – tall and ruggedly handsome, yet with a gentle smile. Jenny was a lucky girl, she thought.

Noticing that Ann’s eyes were brimming with tears as they stood outside her front door, she said, ‘I’ve got to go to the hospital with John later, but if I can get back early, would you like me to come round?’

Ann dashed the tears from her eyes, nodded, and with a tremulous smile, hurried indoors.

Pausing for a moment before going inside, Sally wished there were something she could do to comfort both Ann and John. She felt powerless. John’s aunt was in the hands of a surgeon, and now it seemed obvious that nothing was going to stop Arthur from emigrating.

That evening, Sally and John stood by Lottie’s bed, staring worriedly at her ashen face. Her eyes were closed and she groaned softly, turning her head on the pillow.

A nurse came to stand beside them, and seeing their expressions, said, ‘I’m afraid she was late going down for her operation and is still under the effects of the anaesthetic.’

‘Is she going to be all right?’ John asked anxiously.

The nurse removed Lottie’s notes from a clip at the foot of the bed, scanning the pages. ‘The operation went well, but other than that there isn’t much more I can tell you.’ She smiled reassuringly. ‘Don’t worry, she’ll look a lot better when you see her tomorrow.’ Then, replacing the notes, she moved on to the next bed.

Seeing how desolate he looked, Sally pulled out a chair, urging John to sit down. He took Lottie’s hand, a tear running down his cheek. ‘Oh Sally,’ he choked, ‘she looks awful.’

She took his other hand. ‘I know, darling, but I’m sure she’ll look a lot better once she comes round.’

They sat quietly beside the sick woman for about another half an hour, and even when the nurse came to take her blood pressure, there were no further signs of her regaining consciousness. John stood up, and with a small sigh, said, ‘Come on, we might as well go home.’

Whilst sitting beside Lottie, Sally had looked at her aura and couldn’t wait to tell John what she’d seen. Once they were outside the hospital, although slightly worried about his response, she said hesitantly, ‘Listen, darling, there’s no need to worry about Lottie. She’s going to be all right.’

‘Oh, I do hope so, Sally.’

‘John, I looked at her aura and there’s no sign of any illness now. She really is going to be fine.’

‘Really! Are you sure, Sally?’

‘Yes, I’m sure.’

He shook his head, running his hands through his hair. ‘I feel like a hypocrite. I know I should be annoyed with you for using your psychic powers, yet I can’t help feeling relieved. You were right about her illness, so I’m going to dare hope that you’re right now.’

They walked hand in hand to the bus stop and Sally was relieved to see that John’s face looked a little lighter. He yawned, saying apologetically, ‘Do you mind if I go straight home, darling? I hardly slept last night and I’m absolutely exhausted.’

‘No, of course not. Anyway, Ann was a bit upset today and I’d like to spend some time with her.’

Sally knocked on Ann’s door, her face flushing when Arthur opened it. Their eyes locked and they stood gazing at each other. It was Sally who broke the spell. ‘Is Ann in?’ she asked.

He stood back, gesturing her inside. ‘Yes, come on in.’

As she passed him in the narrow hallway, their bodies brushed together and she heard his quick intake of breath. She too felt strange and, walking into the kitchen, was once again wondering why Arthur always had this effect on her.

Elsie was sitting at the table, the Tarot cards spread out in front of her, obviously giving a reading for Nelly Cox who was perched opposite.

‘Hello, Sally,’ Nelly smiled, her top dentures falling. ‘Bloody things,’ she complained, pushing them up with her tongue. ‘Elsie’s reading the cards for me.’

‘Yes, I can see that,’ Sally told her.

‘Ann’s having a bath, dear, but she won’t be long. Sit yourself down,’ Elsie urged.

Sally sat by the fire, glad of its warmth and unable to hide a smile when Arthur popped his head around the door, giving her a cheeky wink. ‘I’ve told Ann you’re here,’ he said, before turning to his mum. ‘Right, I’m off out now, see you later.’

‘Cheerio, son. Don’t be late.’

‘Mum, I’m a big boy now. Don’t you think it’s time you stopped telling me that?’ he joked as he went out.

‘I’m sorry, Nelly, I just can’t seem to concentrate,’ Elsie said, as the door closed behind him. ‘The thought of never seeing my Arthur again seems to be blocking all my powers,’ she added sadly.

‘That’s all right, Elsie. Nothing is likely to happen in my life anyway so I don’t suppose the cards could ’ave come up with much.’ Nelly then levered herself to her feet. ‘Well, I’ll be off now. Are you popping in to see me soon, Sally?’

‘Yes, I’ll be round after work tomorrow,’ she assured her.

As Nelly went out of the room she left a strong smell of urine in her wake which made them both wrinkle their noses. ‘She’s getting worse, isn’t she? I thought it was only her house at first, but she’s let herself go too,’ Sally said worriedly.

‘She’s an old lady, love, and lost without George.’ Elsie’s face fell. ‘I know how she feels. I’m going to be lost too when Arthur goes to Australia.’

Before she could answer, Ann shouted that she was out of the bath, and as Sally left the room to go upstairs, she smiled at Elsie, wishing there was something she could say to comfort her. Yet what could she say? All Elsie wanted to hear was that Arthur was staying in England.

S
ally was thrilled with her seventeenth birthday present from John; she held out her arm, admiring the pretty charm bracelet on her wrist, surprised when he dropped another present into her lap. She grinned up at him before opening the small box, puzzled as she lifted out a key.

‘A flat has come up in the house next to ours,’ John told her, his face alight with excitement. ‘They rarely come up for rent so I grabbed at the chance. It’s perfect for us, darling.’

‘But, John, we aren’t getting married until I’m eighteen. That means we’ll be paying rent on it for a whole year. How on earth will we be able to save up for furniture and things?’

‘That’s just it, Sally. We could bring the wedding forward. Now that I’ve been promoted we can easily afford the rent and Lottie has offered to help us out with some furniture. She’s giving us a double bed and the wardrobe and dressing-table from my bedroom.’ He crouched down by the side of her chair, an earnest expression on his face. ‘I’ve had a look inside the flat and the last tenants have left carpets and curtains. There’s even a cooker. It’s old, but in good working condition.’

‘We’ll need more than that, John,’ Sally told him, doubt evident in her voice.

‘Darling, anything else we need we can get on hire purchase. Please say yes, Sally,’ he urged.

Sally nipped her lower lip with her teeth, wondering if her mum would agree to them bringing the wedding forward. ‘When do you want us to get married, John?’ she asked.

‘Well, it’s February now, so how about in May? That’ll give us three months to get the flat ready. It needs a lick of paint in some of the rooms, but that shouldn’t take long to do. Come on, Sally!’ he cried, jumping up. ‘Get your coat on and I’ll take you to see it. You’ll love it, I know you will.’

Sally gazed around the light and spacious sitting room and had to agree that the flat was lovely. The kitchen, though small, was adequate and the double bedroom and bathroom would look fine once they had been freshly painted.

‘Well, what do you think?’ John asked.

‘You’re right, darling. It’s perfect for us,’ she told him.

‘Then can we bring the wedding forward?’ he asked hopefully.

She threw herself into his arms. ‘Yes, John, let’s do it. Let’s get married in May.’

He pushed her gently away and stepped back. ‘We had better go and tell Lottie. I know she’s waiting anxiously to see if you’d agree. Then after that we’ll have to tell your mother, and she’ll probably hit the roof.’

Hurt that John had rebuffed her again, Sally hung her head. He reached out and lifted her chin with his forefinger, looking at her with the crooked smile on his handsome face that she always found irresistible. She opened her mouth to speak, but he grabbed her hand.

‘Come on, darling,’ he urged, laughing as he pulled her out of the flat. ‘Let’s go.’

Unable to resist his enthusiasm, she pushed the doubts to the back of her mind. It’ll be different when we’re married, she thought, as she tripped along in his wake.

Lottie smiled at them with delight when they told her the news. Of course she and John had discussed it, so it was no surprise really. Her only worry had been that Sally might refuse to get married so early. Yet one look at the adoration on her face as she gazed at John, made her realise that her fears had been groundless.

Sometimes she felt a twinge of guilt at using the girl. But John was such a lovely young man, and despite everything, would make Sally a wonderful husband.

She had become very fond of Sally since she and John had been courting, pleased with the way she had progressed; her diction was good now and in some ways it felt as if she was gaining a daughter.

With luck, Sally would never find out – but even if she did, knowing her problem it was almost certain that she wouldn’t mind. That was why she had picked her for John, and with them living close by, it would be like having an extended family.

Lottie still felt that a miracle had happened when her tumour had turned out to be benign. When the surgeon told her that her biopsy was clear she had stared at him in disbelief. It was as though their prayers had been answered and she had been granted another chance at life, an opportunity to do some of the things she had always wanted. One of these was to have a go at selling her paintings, and who knows, she thought dreamily, if they actually sold well, maybe they could all go travelling together – visit Paris, Italy and all the other wonderful places she wanted to see.

Rushing across the room she pulled Sally into her arms. ‘Oh, my dear, I am so happy for you both,’ she cried, overcome with emotion.

Sally returned her hug, then pulled back, smiling with delight. ‘The flat’s lovely, Lottie. Aren’t we lucky that one came up?’

‘Yes, you certainly are. This is a lovely part of Battersea, and like me, you’ll have a view of the park.’