The Melody Girls (36 page)

‘Four, I asked him to come,' Lorna murmured. ‘Five minutes to go.'

‘Sure to be on time,' Tilly replied. ‘If he's as keen as you say.'

‘He's keen, all right.'

Suddenly, piercingly, as the clock struck four, the doorbell rang, making them all jump and look at one another.

‘On time,' Tilly said, holding Sam's hand. ‘Like I said.'

‘I'll go.' Lorna moved slowly forwards, opened the solid, shining front door and took a step or two back. ‘Rod, please come in.'

Though he was trying hard to seem at ease as he stepped into the hall carrying a large wrapped box, Lorna could tell he was as nervous as everyone else. His fair hair was well brushed, his light jacket elegant, but his hands on the box were trembling as he looked straight to Sam and for a moment he did not speak.

‘Ma, this is Rod,' Lorna said hurriedly, and as Tilly nodded coolly, Sam's eyes on his father were round with wonder. ‘Rod, this is my mother.'

‘Mrs Fernie, I'm so glad to meet you.'

Setting down his box for a moment, Rod put out a hand, but his eyes had quickly returned to Sam, now standing close to Lorna.

‘At last,' said Tilly, shaking the hand.

‘And this is Sam.'

Lorna, pushing him forward a little, could think of nothing else to say. ‘Sam this is your father' – how could she say that to a schoolboy? How could anyone introduce a son to his father at this late stage? Her cheeks were scarlet, her eyes pricking with tears, she felt the whole scene to be impossible; it couldn't be happening.

But Rod, was already stooping to look into his son's face, his eyes as filled with wonder as Sam's, while Sam himself was venturing a smile.

‘Hi, Sam,' Rod was saying softly. ‘You don't know how happy I am to meet you.'

‘Are you – really – my dad?'

‘I am.'

Suddenly, as Sam leaped to take his hands, Rod was laughing, looking up from his son to Lorna and Tilly.

‘Has anyone shown this young guy a mirror? He has my face, would you believe? He has my exact face!'

And as he swept Sam into his arms, both Lorna and Tilly burst into tears.

Tea was laid in the kitchen, a large sunny room, painted yellow and white by Lorna, and furnished courtesy of the second-hand shops with a large deal table and some rather suspect chairs. Not that anyone had a thought to spare for a wobbly chair, or even the splendid tea Tilly had put together, though of course they all helped themselves to her scones and fruit cake made with ingredients no longer hard to find, her flapjack specially brought over for Sam. But even Sam's attention was elsewhere, for the exciting box his father had brought had now been opened and found to contain a train set.

A train set! And an American one at that! As his eyes went over the strange looking engine, the carriages and lines, Sam could hardly speak.

‘For me?' he asked in a whisper.

‘Sure, it's for you,' Rod told him. ‘Question is, where are you going to put it?'

‘Here,' Lorna said promptly. ‘I've got plenty of room.'

‘That's a relief,' Tilly murmured. ‘I've got none to spare at all.'

‘But when will I play with it?' Sam wailed.

‘Why, whenever you like,' Lorna said. ‘And you'll be living here all the time in September, don't forget.'

‘Oh, yes, that's right.' His eyes shining, he turned to look at Rod. ‘Thank you,' he said quietly. ‘Thank you, Dad.'

It was no wonder then that at the tea table, Sam could only manage to eat while holding at least the engine on his knee, and having the box with the rest of the set close by his feet, while the grown-ups made small talk.

‘Such a lovely house, Lorna,' Rod was murmuring, and, ‘Wonderful baking, Mrs Fernie. Haven't tasted scones like these since I left Scotland.'

‘Aye, well it's nice to be finished with the rationing.'

‘Thought it'd go on for ever,' Lorna added.

‘Though you wouldn't know about that,' Tilly told Rod. ‘Seeing as you've been away so long.'

Time and again her gaze was returning to him, taking in the wide brow, the open, friendly look, the willing smile, and Lorna knew just what was going through her mind. Was this the awful cad who'd caused so much trouble? The absent father, who'd left Lorna in the lurch? This nice, kind fellow, who could scarcely take his eyes off the small boy who was his image? What had gone wrong, then?

Yes, what had gone wrong? Lorna herself was wondering. Why had she let him go? The thought slipped into her mind, as furtively as though it knew it shouldn't be there. Because she knew why she'd let Rod go in spite of her love for him. If she had married him, there would have been no Melody Girls, no career that meant so much, nothing that she'd made her own. And though the old attraction was creeping back – she felt it more and more – she couldn't regret the decision she'd made all those years ago. If only, though, she hadn't had to choose between her love and her music. If only, she could have had both. There was the real regret.

‘So, what have you been doing in America?' she asked coolly, as teatime neared its end. ‘Playing the trumpet?'

‘Yes, but with different bands. Finished up with a cracker – Joe Hunt – terrific chap. Though I've left him now and don't play the trumpet any more.'

‘Oh? What, then?'

‘The guitar.'

At the look on her face, he shook his head. ‘If you can't beat 'em, join 'em, Lorna. I'm with a group, we play rock and roll. But let's leave that for the moment.' Rod glanced at Sam, still fingering his engine. ‘I think Sam here would like us to set up the rails, if that's possible? You did say you had the space.'

‘Oh, yes, there's an upstairs room I was going to let Sam use anyway, for homework and studying.' Lorna smiled. ‘But maybe the train set has priority at the moment. Come on, I'll take you up.'

When she'd left the father and son completely absorbed in the task of setting up the train set rails, Lorna ran swiftly downstairs to sound out her mother's views on Rod.

‘Just doing the tea things,' Tilly called from the kitchen. ‘You can dry, if you like.'

‘OK.' Lorna took up a tea towel. ‘So, what do you think?'

‘Of Rod Warren?' Tilly pursed her lips. ‘Never thought I'd say it, but he seems a nice fellow. No' what I'd imagined at all.'

‘What did you imagine, then? Somebody who looked like the villain of the piece?'

‘I did think of him like that. Was only natural, eh?'

‘So, now you think he's a nice fellow. He is. Just got the wrong ideas, that's all. Which is why we parted.'

‘Never thought of meeting halfway?'

‘There was no halfway, Ma. He just didn't want me to have my own career.'

‘I see your point, Lorna. I always did, because you'd your dad's talent and I knew it shouldn't be wasted.' Tilly sighed and hung up the dish mop. ‘All the same, seems a shame you couldn't have come to some agreement.'

‘I think I hear the chaps coming down,' Lorna said with relief at ending the conversation. ‘It's maybe time for Rod to go. Sam should be thinking about a bit of supper and bed.'

‘He'll be far too excited to sleep. And maybe no' the only one, eh?'

Maybe not.

‘Think I'd better be on my way,' Rod said, his eyes going to Lorna, who guessed he was hoping she might say he needn't, but she only nodded and put her arm round Sam.

‘It's been good to see you, Rod. And for Sam to meet you. Thank you for coming.'

‘And thank you for my train set,' Sam cried, and running to Rod, reached up to fling his arms around him. ‘Will you come again? Will you?'

‘I'd like to.' Rod, releasing him, looked again at Lorna and then Tilly. ‘If I may.'

‘Come tomorrow!' Sam urged. ‘Ma, my dad can come tomorrow, can't he? And I'll come here after school, eh?'

‘I suppose that would be all right,' Lorna said slowly. ‘If Gramma agrees, Sam.'

‘Aye, we'll come here,' Tilly said. ‘But you'll still have your homework to do, Sam. Remember that.'

‘Och, it's just a few sums,' he said airily. ‘I bet Dad will help me, anyway.'

‘Hey, who says I'm good at sums?' Rod asked, laughing. ‘But I'll do my best. Goodbye, Mrs Fernie, and thanks again for that delicious tea. Sam, I'll see you tomorrow afternoon, then. Be a good boy for your grandmother now. Lorna, will you see me out?'

At the front door, they stood looking at each other.

‘You haven't changed at all,' Rod said softly.

‘Neither have you.'

‘No, I mean it.'

‘Me, too.'

‘We're both the same as we were, then, outwardly.' Rod took Lorna's hand. ‘Maybe not otherwise. Lorna, can we meet? Have dinner?'

‘I'm sorry, I've no evenings free. People are still booking us, thank the Lord.'

‘Lunch, then. Can we have lunch tomorrow?'

She let her hand drop from his, but managed a smile. ‘I'd like to, Rod. Where shall we meet?'

‘I'm out of touch, don't know the restaurants. Can you suggest somewhere?'

‘There's a nice little place in Rose Street. Just a cafe, but I think you'd like it.'

‘I'll like anywhere,' he said fervently. ‘As long as I can persuade you to be there.'

They fixed a time, but when Lorna prepared to close her door, Rod quickly kissed her on the cheek.

‘Till tomorrow, Lorna.'

‘Till tomorrow.'

Her phone was ringing as she turned away, and Tilly shouted that it was Flo on the line.

‘Want to know how things went?' Lorna asked, for she had of course told Flo and George of Rod's return and projected visit to Sam.

‘You bet we do!' Flo cried. ‘George and I have been wondering how soon we could ring up. Has Rod left yet?'

‘Just gone. Everything went well. Sam already adores him, and no' just for the train set he brought, and I think Rod feels the same about him. Could scarcely take his eyes off him, in fact, and he's coming back tomorrow afternoon, to play with the train set. Ma's quite agreeable.'

‘Ah, Lorna, that's nice, really nice. To think that Rod and Sam have met at last and it's all gone well. Will you be seeing Rod yourself? I mean, apart from playing with the train set?'

‘I've said I'll have lunch with him tomorrow.'

‘Aha! Lunch, eh?'

‘Don't get too excited. That's all it will be.'

‘Can't be sure of that, Lorna.'

Well, that was true enough.

Sixty-Two

‘You know what this reminds me of?' Rod asked, when they were sitting the following day in the little cafe Lorna had chosen for them.

Lorna, looking round at the room where the woodwork was white, the tablecloths flowered, and the young waitresses pretty, shook her head. ‘Can't say it rings a bell. Better tell me.'

‘That little cafe in Sauchiehall Street, where we went on one of our first dates!' Rod's eyes were shining. ‘Don't you remember? I told you it was a bit like the Willow Cafe and you said I was clever to know about Charles Rennie Mackintosh. Then, when we came out, it was raining and we ran into a cinema to see
Spellbound
.'

‘Good heavens, you've got total recall!' Lorna laughed. ‘I never would have remembered all that.'

‘Where you're concerned, I remember most things,' Rod said lightly, picking up a menu. ‘My word, this looks good.'

‘Like to order?' one of the pretty waitresses came up to ask. ‘I can recommend the steak and kidney pie. Home-made pastry, you know.'

‘Steak and kidney pie? Yes, please!' Rod cried. ‘I've been waiting years for this.'

‘Tomato flan for me, please.' Lorna smiled up at the waitress. ‘With salad.'

‘No salad for me,' Rod said firmly. ‘The Americans are great on salads, but there are times when a fellow wants mashed potato with butter and a stack of green beans.'

‘Yes, sir!' the waitress cried admiringly. ‘Coming up.'

After she'd left them, they were for a time silent. It was Rod who spoke first.

‘Mind if I ask – I know I've no right – but were you very cut up over Josh Niven?'

‘Cut up?' Lorna drank some water. ‘Yes, for a time.'

‘You really thought he was the one for you?'

‘I suppose I did.'

‘So handsome, of course.' Rod made a face. ‘You know what they say, handsome is as handsome does.'

‘I wasn't going just on his looks. We really did seem to get on well. But, thinking about him now, I'm sure we wouldn't have been right for each other.'

‘Because?'

‘Because he was always so correct, so worried about what folk thought. And then, when I told him about Sam, I know I hurt him, but he never really thought about me, how much I was suffering.' Lorna raised sad blue eyes to Rod. ‘Maybe it was just as well I saw another side to him. Just like he saw another side to me.'

‘I believe he really cared for you, Lorna.'

‘But not enough to accept Sam.'

‘He blamed me, rather than you. Quite right, too. I never came out of any of this very well, did I?'

‘We both made love,' Lorna said, keeping her voice down. ‘I never blamed you for that. Only for having different ideas from mine.'

‘Know something?' Rod asked seriously. ‘I've changed.'

‘Changed?'