Diamonds in the Dust (20 page)

Can’t you sleep?’ Tom sat at the table, rubbing his eyes. ‘It’s past midnight, Dora.’

‘Is it? I hadn’t noticed, there’s so much to think about and plan. We’ll be able to move to the flat soon, and I’m wondering where the money’s coming from to pay for the furniture to be shifted. The rooms at Wandsworth are quite large so we’re going to need everything we have in this house. It could cost quite a bit.’

‘Why don’t we ask Dobbs if he knows someone who would do it for us cheaply? He’s got connections – hasn’t he?’

‘Of course,’ Dora said wearily. ‘Why didn’t I think of that?’

‘Because you’re too tired! You’ve got to stop worrying away the nights,’ he told her sternly. ‘Things are looking
better for us. We’ve got somewhere decent to live – rent free – and you’ve got a full-time job with the doc. And look at all the friends we’ve made. We’re doing all right.’

She nodded. ‘I know we have a lot to be thankful for.’ She gave her brother a tight smile. ‘But I still can’t help worrying.’

‘You must! I’m not a kid, Dora! Put more responsibility on me. I can take it! You’re not facing this alone. We’re in this together, remember.’

‘Oh, Tom.’ Dora’s eyes misted over. ‘What would I do without you?’

‘You’d manage well. You’re a lot stronger than you realise, Dora. Come on.’ He pulled her out of the chair. ‘Get some sleep and things will look brighter in the morning.’

She didn’t protest; her brother was quite right. Sitting alone at night and brooding was not a sensible thing to do. She must try to be more positive – just like him. Things were working out well for them. It was unlikely that their mother would be found now. Too much time had gone by – nearly two months – so they must be through the worst of this nightmare. They needed to look to the future and leave the past behind them. It was hard though, and she knew there would be more sleepless nights. Perhaps she would be able to rest once they had moved. She hoped so, and earnestly prayed that things would get easier from now on.

As soon as Dora arrived at the house the next day, she went straight to Dobbs and explained about the cost of
moving. ‘Do you know anyone who’d do it at a reasonable price?’ she asked.

He patted her shoulder. ‘Don’t you worry now, I’ll find you someone. You go and have a look at what the boys have done upstairs. They worked till it was dark. You’ll be surprised.’

Surprised wasn’t the word! The transformation was astounding. Each room was clean and freshly painted – even the windows had been polished. She had foolishly been worrying all night when in fact she should have been counting her blessings. The young men had worked tirelessly to make this place habitable, and their kindness overwhelmed her as she wandered from room to room. When she reached Lily’s room, she stood in the doorway, speechless. It was in a delicate shade of pink. But it was the far wall that took her breath away, and the man completely absorbed in what he was doing. She must have gasped out loud, because he turned.

‘Good morning, Dora.’ He stepped back. ‘Do you think your sister will like this?’

On the wall was a meadow with wild flowers and animals of every kind. Hovering above them was an angel, smiling straight at Dora. The figure shimmered in silver and gold, and had the most gentle face imaginable.

‘Oh, Ray! I’ve never seen anything so beautiful!’

He smiled, pleased with her response. ‘This is an angel to look over you. I wanted to give you a gift and this is my way of thanking you.’

‘I think you’ve got that the wrong way round. We’re the ones who need to thank you.’

‘Not so.’ Ray shook his head. ‘I was afraid to go out, sure everyone would recoil at the sight of my injuries – John practically had to drag me here. And you didn’t seem to notice my scars at all, not even your little sister, and that surprised me in a child so young. I’ll always be grateful for that because it really lifted my confidence.’

Dora had been transfixed by the painting as Ray spoke, now she tore her gaze away and fastened on Ray. ‘I’m sure you’ve been imagining you look worse than you do. The scars are healed and they’re really not that bad.’ She tipped her head to one side and smiled. ‘That eye patch makes you look quite dashing.’

A deep chuckle rumbled through him. ‘Thank you for that, Dora.’

She walked closer to the painting, examining it in detail. ‘And you’re a very talented man. Don’t you ever forget that!’

‘I won’t ever forget meeting you and your lovely family. The doctors have done all they can for me, but I’ve been staying in London. I was hesitant about going home and facing my family and friends. But not any more. The painting’s finished and I’m going home today.’

‘They’ll be so pleased to see you.’ She reached up and kissed his cheek. ‘Will you let us know how you’re getting on?’

‘I’m going to stay in touch with John, and I’ll want to know you’re happy in your new home.’

‘We will be,’ she said softly. ‘We’ve got a guardian angel to look after us now. Thank you, Ray.’

He nodded. ‘I hope everything works out well for you.’

‘You too.’ She watched him walk away, and then sat on a wooden box to gaze at the wall. A wonderful sense of peace swept through her as she looked at each animal, smiling at the comical expressions on some of the little faces. But it was the face of the angel that touched her the most. It was compelling – that was the only way she could describe it. Ray was a talented man and must have an inner gentleness to be able to produce work like this. He deserved to have a full and productive life.

‘We’ve got to tell them, Stan.’ Reg paced around the desk where his brother-in-law was sitting, looking as stubborn as he’d ever seen him. ‘You’ve had the night to make a decision. When you walked in the station this morning, I hoped you were going to agree.’

‘Well, I’m not! Damn it Reg, do you know what you’re asking?’ Stan thumped the desk with his fist. ‘This will destroy their lives! Their parents did a good job of hiding this, and that’s where it should stay – hidden. Bury it. Please, Reg.’

‘You know I can’t do that. It’s all on record now. But suppose we did do as you ask and dropped the whole investigation without saying a word, what would happen if it came to light later and we’d kept it a secret from them?’ Reg sat down heavily. ‘They’d hate us. Is that what you want?’

‘No!’ Stan ran a hand over his eyes, trying to think of the right thing to do. The Bentleys had a right to the truth about their parents, but … ‘Dear God, Reg, I don’t want to hurt them.’

‘Neither do I, but what choice do we have?’

‘None!’ Stan lifted his head, his decision made. There was no way they could protect them from this, but they mustn’t just barge in and drop such a bombshell in their laps. They had to do it as carefully as possible. ‘They’ll be moving in the next few days. Can we at least let them do that in peace?’

‘A week, that’s all. I’ll say our enquiries aren’t yet completed. But we can’t sit on it longer than that. There are other people involved now, and that could cause even more problems than we’ve got already.’

‘You didn’t give them Dora’s address, did you?’

‘Of course not. And they didn’t ask, so I don’t think they’ll cause any trouble. But …’ Reg shrugged. ‘We can’t be sure.’

‘No, we can’t bank on that. Now they’ve had time to think about it, they might want the necklace back. I hope Dora’s still got it.’

‘Try and find out, Stan. If they have got rid of it we’ll need to get it back.’

‘What a bloody mess!’ Stan exclaimed.

‘We guessed from the beginning there was something unpleasant in their mother’s past. Now we know, and it’s worse than I expected. The only thing we can do is help them as much as we can. They’re going to need all the love and support we can give them.’

‘We’ll do that.’ Stan stood up. ‘I must get to the hospital, and then I’ll call in at the Wandsworth house on my way back.’

‘Try with just one stick,’ the doc ordered. He watched carefully as Stan took one step, and then another. ‘How does that feel? Any pain?’

‘No, it feels good.’ He smiled for the first time since hearing Reg’s news. He continued walking, marvelling at how normal it felt now.

The doctor nodded in satisfaction as he watched. ‘As you know, that leg’s now about an inch shorter than the other one, but we can build up the shoe, and then you shouldn’t limp quite so much. Bring another pair with you tomorrow and I’ll get that done.’

‘Thanks.’ Stan sat down, sighing with relief. It really did look as if the leg was going to be all right, and there was no pain at all from his back. ‘Can I do away with the crutches?’

‘Yes, as long as you use two sticks while you’re out. And don’t overdo it. You’ve made remarkable progress and I’m proud of you, my boy. Just be patient for a little while longer.’ Dr Burridge glanced at the clock. ‘Same time tomorrow.’ Then he hurried away to his next appointment.

It was bedlam when Stan arrived at Wandsworth. There were men clambering on the roof, throwing slates into the front garden, and the entrance hall was full of wood and rubble.

‘Whoops! Mind how you go, sir!’ Dobbs began clearing a passage so Stan could get in. ‘Don’t know why they have to make such a mess. Can I get you some tea? We’ve got a stove fixed up in the back room.’

‘Not just now, thanks. I’m looking for Dora. The doc said she should be here.’

‘She’s upstairs. Looking a real treat it is. It’ll be lovely having them living here. Nice kids, they are.’ Dobbs shook his head. ‘No news of their mum I suppose?’

‘No, nothing,’ Stan lied, and headed for the stairs.

He found Dora in the kitchen scrubbing away at the sink. ‘This is all looking very nice,’ he said when she glanced up.

‘Stan!’ She dried her hands, smiling. ‘You must have a look at this. Come with me.’

He followed her into another room and stopped in astonishment.

‘Isn’t it beautiful?’ She spoke softly. ‘Ray painted it for Lily.’

‘Extraordinary,’ Stan agreed. ‘He must be very talented. Is he here now? I’d like to meet him.’

‘He was earlier, but he’s gone home now. He lives somewhere near Liverpool, I think. Lily was right about his accent, though it’s very slight. Have you followed up on that yet?’

‘That’s up to the police.’ He fixed his gaze on the painting, unable to look her in the eyes as he lied. ‘They’re not eager to do anything about it.’

‘I don’t expect they are. A little girl’s vague memories aren’t much to go on, are they?’

‘No. Has Lily seen this yet?’ He quickly changed the subject. Dora looked almost happy today, obviously pleased with the way things were working out for them. His insides churned, knowing that soon he was going to shatter their hard-won pleasure.

‘Doc’s here, Dora!’ Dobbs called up the stairs.

‘I’ve got to go, Stan. The men are in the back room, so why don’t you go and see them? We can’t cook a meal at the moment but there will be sandwiches.’

‘I’ll do that.’ Then he remembered what he’d come for. ‘Do you know when you’re moving?’

‘In about three days. Dobbs arranged it all for me.’

‘Ah, he’s a useful man to have around.’ He smiled casually and joked, ‘Don’t leave anything behind, especially Lily’s necklace. She might like to show it to the angel.’

Dora laughed. ‘Don’t worry, she won’t let me forget it.’

As she hurried away, Stan let out a pent-up breath. Thank God! She still had it.

The next couple of days were so busy that Dora hardly had time to think, which in a way was a blessing. Lily had gone into raptures about the painting on her wall; disappointed that Ray was no longer here, she had written a letter to thank him. John had promised to send it for her. Even before they moved, Tom had attacked the garden. If left to himself he would have dug up everything, but fortunately John was there to stop him doing too much damage. They had started digging over a section at the end of the garden for a vegetable plot. Now the flat was finished, the young men had enjoyed doing something useful and were tackling the front garden.

The kitchen downstairs was finished too, and the cook Mrs Chandler, sent by the general, was arriving on Monday. Dora had already met her and liked her on
sight. So did Dobbs. She was a large, friendly woman and insisted on being called Lizzie. The workmen were still clambering about on the roof, but they would be finished in a couple of days. The full beauty of the fine house was being revealed after years of neglect. Dr Burridge was delighted to see his old family home coming back to life.

Dora was working at the hospital today and needed to find the doctor to remind him about his next appointment – he’d forgotten again. She was hurrying along a corridor when she saw a tall man walking towards her. She stopped in amazement, waiting until he reached her.

‘Stan!’ There had been little time lately to talk to him, or see how he was doing. ‘You’re walking so well! This is wonderful. I’m so happy for you.’

‘Hello, Dora.’ He bent and kissed her cheek. ‘I’m down to using one stick now, and the doc reckons I’ll be able to do away with that soon. They’ve made a small adjustment to one of my shoes and that’s balanced me. It feels good to be able to walk properly again.’

‘I’m sure it does. Just wait till Tom and Lily see you. As soon as we’ve moved you must all come round and we’ll hold a party to celebrate your recovery.’

‘We’d like that. Have you got a definite date for moving yet?’

‘Tomorrow. Dobbs has arranged for a van to move our furniture.’ She glanced anxiously at the clock on the wall. ‘Please excuse me, I’ve got to find the doctor or he’s going to be late – again!’

‘You’ll find him in room twenty-three. I’ll help you with the move, if you like.’

‘That would be wonderful. We need all the help we can get. I never realised we had so much stuff. Thank you. See you tomorrow.’ Then she hurried away.

The door to the room was open and she could hear the doctor’s voice before she reached it. She knocked and peered in.

‘Ah, are you looking for me, Dora?’

‘Yes, sir, I’m sorry to interrupt, but you have an appointment at Roehampton in half an hour.’

He looked puzzled for a moment, and then nodded. ‘So I do. You’ll have to excuse me, gentlemen.’ He turned and followed Dora back to his office.

She handed him a small case. ‘All the papers you need are in here.’

‘How did I ever manage without you? I’ve been told that my timekeeping has improved.’

‘It won’t today if you don’t leave at once, sir. You’re still going to be late however fast you drive.’

‘Not by much.’ He paused by the door. ‘I won’t need you any more today. I’ll be coming to the house tomorrow afternoon, so I’ll see you then. I’m sure you have a lot to do. Have you got enough help?’

‘Plenty.’ Her smile broadened. ‘I’ve just seen Stan, and he was walking so well. Isn’t it wonderful!’

‘He’s done well, and I’m pleased with the result, but his fast recovery is down to his determination.’

‘His sister calls it stubbornness,’ she laughed. ‘Now,’ she urged him out of the door. ‘Try not to be too late, eh?’

He left, chuckling quietly.

Glad of the extra time to continue packing, Dora went straight home. She soon lost track of time, and was surprised when Tom and Lily came in.

‘My goodness, is it that late?’ She bundled clothes into an old suitcase, only managing to close it with her brother’s help. ‘I’d better get tea, you must be starving.’

‘Don’t bother to cook tonight.’ Tom followed her down the stairs and into the kitchen. ‘We’ve got too much to do.’

‘We must have something. What would you like?’ she asked Lily.

‘Boiled eggs and bread and butter.’ This was one of her sister’s favourites.

‘That’ll do.’ Tom was already in the larder. ‘We’ve got eggs we must eat up before tomorrow.’

With that decided, the simple meal was soon ready. While they were eating, Dora told them about seeing Stan, and the party she had suggested by way of a celebration.

‘Yes please!’ Lily clapped her hands. ‘Can we invite everyone?’

‘We ought to,’ Tom said. ‘They’ve all worked hard for us and this would be a good way to thank them. We’ve got three things to celebrate really – moving into our new home, Stan being well again and the work on the house finished. We’d never get everyone in upstairs but I’m sure the doctor will let us use the room downstairs. I’ll ask him.’

‘I like the idea, Tom, but how can we afford it? We’ll need food, and something for the men to drink …’

‘You leave that with me. I’ll have a word with Dobbs and see what we can come up with.’ Tom smiled confidently. ‘And there’s always the pawnbroker.’

‘True.’ Dora grimaced. ‘That man greets us like old friends when we go into his shop.’

Her brother laughed. ‘Well, it won’t be for much longer. Once we don’t have to pay rent, things will be easier for us.’

‘And what a relief that will be,’ Dora said with feeling.

Lily finished the last of her egg and stood up. ‘Can I go and see Stan now? I want to see him walk.’

‘Me too. You coming, Dora? We’ll clear up when we get back.’

‘All right, but we mustn’t be long.’

Lily was out of the door with her brother right behind her. Dora looked around at the mess the house was in and shrugged. It would wait for an hour, she decided, and made her way to Stan’s.

When she arrived he was walking across the room with her brother and sister watching intently.

‘That’s wonderful!’ Tom was clearly impressed. ‘You hardly limp at all.’

‘Does it still hurt?’ Lily wanted to know.

‘No, little one. It’s all better now.’

‘That’s good, isn’t it, Dora?’ She spun round to her sister.

‘Very.’

Just then Winnie and June arrived.

‘Stan can walk properly now,’ Lily informed them, as if she was telling them something they didn’t already know. ‘And when we’ve moved, we’re going to give a
big
party. Everyone can come.’

‘That’s settled then,’ Tom whispered in Dora’s ear. ‘We’ll definitely have to pay another visit to the pawnbroker.’

It was nearly two hours before they managed to get away. Dora was puzzled by Stan. He should have been delighted with his progress, but he seemed rather subdued. He was probably tired, she decided, pushing away the thought as she set about getting everything ready for the morning. The movers were coming at nine o’clock.

She was up by six, moving around quietly, not wanting to disturb her brother and sister at this early hour. Tom joined her by seven, so they gave Lily breakfast in bed.

At nine o’clock a van arrived with Dobbs driving. ‘Borrowed this off a mate,’ he told Dora. ‘Thought me and Tom could manage with the loading. He’s a big strong lad, but I ’spect we’ll need to make more than one trip.’

‘We’ll help as well.’

Dora spun round to face Stan and Reg, standing there in their old clothes with sleeves rolled up ready to work. ‘It’s my day off,’ Reg told them.

Another car arrived and Alan got out. ‘Need any help?’

‘We do.’ Dobbs looked round at the assembled crowd. ‘Now we’ll soon get this job done.’

Dora was quite overwhelmed by everyone’s generosity, and smiled as Lily danced up to Alan.

‘Can I come with you in your car? Stan too, because he mustn’t work too hard.’

‘Of course you can both come, and there’ll still be room to put some of the more delicate things in as well.’ Alan turned his attention to Stan who had walked over to him. ‘Well done, my friend. I’m very happy to see you well again.’

He nodded. ‘It was my lucky day when I met Doctor Burridge.’

‘All right!’ Dobbs shouted to gain everyone’s attention. ‘Let’s get on with it.’

They sprang into action. It took three trips before the house was empty. On the last run, Dora went with the van. Her heart was sad as they drove away, and she didn’t dare look back or she would have cried. It felt as if the last link with their mother was being broken. It was an awful feeling, and she was glad that her brother and sister were already in Wandsworth. They had been spared seeing the house empty; the house that had been their home, made for them with love and care by their mother. Now both had vanished from their lives. It was a hard step to take, but it would be for the best in the end, she was sure.

There was great excitement at the house and Dora forced away the sadness. She had expected tears from Lily, but the little girl couldn’t wait to move into her room with the beautiful painting on the wall. Tom also seemed to have no regrets.

‘We’ve done the right thing,’ he told her, knowing her well enough to read the expression on her face. ‘We couldn’t have stayed in that house, and we’ve been very lucky to be able to come here. Let’s try and put the past behind us, Dora.’

‘I know.’ She squeezed his arm. ‘I’ll be all right once we’ve sorted everything out.’ She watched the activity, amazed that so many people wanted to help them. The house was full of willing helpers, insisting on doing something regardless of any disability they had. Smiling at her brother, she said, ‘It seems that in this dreadful time for us we’ve been showered with many blessings.’

‘We certainly have.’ He hefted a dining chair onto his shoulders, looking very mature for his age. ‘Do you realise what isolated lives we lived when Mum was with us?’

‘I never thought about it at the time, but I can see it now. I thought Mum didn’t make friends with neighbours because she was working too hard. But it wasn’t that, was it? We know now she had secrets, and she hid them well, even from us.’

Tom grimaced. ‘I’d dearly love to know what she was up to, but perhaps it’s best we don’t.’

‘You might be right. Don’t carry that, Lily!’ Dora rushed to her little sister who was tottering along clutching a large vase. ‘It’s too heavy. You’ll drop it!’

‘Don’t just stand there, Dora,’ Alan chided playfully. ‘We need you upstairs to tell us where to put the furniture.’

‘Oops, sorry.’ She ran up the stairs, taking the vase with her. The flat was in utter chaos. ‘Where do we start?’ she gasped.

Alan appeared beside her, shook his head and shouted, ‘Sergeant!’

‘You called, sir.’ Stan walked into the room.

‘Get some men to sort out this bloody mess. Dora will tell you where everything goes. There are enough men milling around.’

‘Yes, sir!’ Stan came smartly to attention and saluted.

Dora’s earlier gloom was now a thing of the past, and she laughed. ‘The general should have come as well and made it a military operation.’

‘We’ve got our orders.’ A deep rumbling chuckle came from Stan. ‘The captain’s more than capable of taking over the operation. Now, where do you want that table just coming through the door?’

With Alan now directing things from downstairs and Stan upstairs doing the same, the chaos was soon transformed into a smooth operation. In no time at all the flat began to look like home.

As soon as she could get into the kitchen, Dora grabbed her brother and sister. ‘Help me make tea and sandwiches. They must all be gasping by now.’

Their lounge was a large room, but it was packed when they took in the refreshments. The tea had just been handed round when the door burst open and the general strode in.

‘You timed that well, father,’ Alan said dryly.

‘Didn’t I.’ The impressive man actually smiled as he relieved his son of his cup. He winked at Lily, making her giggle.

Dora quickly poured Alan another cup of tea, and
Lily held out a plate of sandwiches. ‘Would you like a sandwich?’ she asked politely.

‘Hmm, what are they?’

‘Cheese.’ She giggled again. For some odd reason, the general always made her act like this. ‘They’re good. I made them myself.’

‘Ah, in that case I’ll have one. Cheese is my favourite.’

At that moment Dr Burridge also arrived, making Tom leap up and mutter, ‘I’d better make another pot.’

The general shook the doctor’s hand. ‘We must put our plans into action now the house is ready.’ He glanced at Dora. ‘Most of the organisation in the early days will fall upon your shoulders, my dear. But Mrs Chandler will soon be able to take over everything to do with the food, and with Dobbs, they should be able to run the place quite efficiently. That’s a good man you’ve got there, Doctor, and we must pay him a wage.’

Dora watched the surprise on Dobbs’ face, and saw his mouth twitch at the corners.
He heard that all right
, she thought with amusement.

‘I agree.’ The doctor turned to face the men in the room. ‘Gentlemen, I have to take Dora away from you now. Can you manage without her for a while?’

‘We’ve got a captain and a sergeant to keep us in order,’ John remarked, making the room erupt into laughter.

Knowing she could leave everything in their capable hands, Dora followed the doctor down to his office, listening to the laughter coming from her new home. It could only be a happy place after such a lovely beginning. At the start of this nightmare she had been afraid that her
brother and sister would be taken from her and placed in someone else’s care. But that hadn’t happened, and she suspected that was due to Stan and his family. She hadn’t asked – hadn’t wanted to know. All that mattered was that they were still together, and she was feeling quite light-headed with hope for the future.