Two Strangers (23 page)

Hearing the commotion, Harry appeared and strode towards them, smiling. ‘What a lovely surprise. Boys, run and tell Pearl to put the kettle on as we have visitors.’

They shot off, still laughing. Flo watched them. ‘What a difference in them, Harry. The country suits them. I can see quite a few children playing. How many have you got now?’

‘Eight, and two more coming next week. Dave and Alfie are a treasure, helping the new arrivals to settle in. Come and have a cup of tea and I’ll tell you all about it.’

Pearl and Edward were waiting for them, and the boys were busy putting out a plate of biscuits to have with their tea.

‘Can we stay, Mr Harry, please?’ Dave asked. ‘It’s ages since we’ve all been together. The others are playing with Mr John.’

‘Of course you can stay. It’s good to have the family all together again, isn’t it?’

Both boys grinned happily.

‘John Steadman is settling in quite well, then?’ Bob asked.

‘Yes, he’s enjoying the challenge, but if we keep expanding at this rate, I will have to get more help. We’ve got room for twelve boys, and I don’t believe it will be long before we reach that total. We’ve already been able to employ two women from the village to help in the kitchen. Pearl can’t possibly do it all on her own now.’

‘How on earth are you going to pay for all this?’ Flo asked.

‘Ah, well, we’ve had some luck. Charles has been championing our cause and we are receiving a grant from the council for every child we take, because they would otherwise have to be put in care. He’s also persuaded some of his wealthy friends to support us financially, and most of our food comes from his farms, free of charge. He’s very enthusiastic about the school and what we are trying to do here.’

‘My goodness,’ Vicki gasped. ‘I’m glad we found him.’

Everyone laughed. ‘So are we!’

‘That’s wonderful to hear, and we might have a bit more good news,’ Bob told Harry. ‘Vicki could have an idea where Bill might be found.’

‘Really?’ Harry turned his full attention to Vicki.

‘It could be a silly idea, but I’d like your opinion.’

‘Tell me.’

It took a few moments to compose her thoughts. ‘I’m going on the assumption that he is suffering from loss of memory. When I met him, he said his name was Bill, and we now know that is close to the name his friends called him. Also, he told me straight away to improve my speech and gave me the book on English Grammar. He was instinctively being a teacher. When I was dancing with Sid, he complimented me on remembering the steps and said that when something is familiar we do it without thinking about it.’

‘True,’ Harry remarked when she paused. ‘Carry on.’

‘That gave me the idea. Bill had spent much of his childhood in this area, so something deep in his memory could have brought him back to a place he was familiar with.’

‘You think he’s here?’ Edward exclaimed.

She nodded. ‘Somewhere on the estate that he knew as a child and now belongs to the Harmonds.’

‘But, Vicki, if he turned up at the Harmonds’, they would have told us.’ Pearl was clearly doubtful. ‘He was also a close friend of their son, Peter.’

‘It’s a large estate and there could be unoccupied buildings or barns he could stay in without going near the house. He roamed that place as a child and would probably know every inch of it.’

Harry hadn’t said anything; he was staring out of the window, deep in thought.

‘What do you think?’ she asked hesitantly. ‘Is what I’ve just told you plausible, or is my imagination running away with me?’

He stood up quickly. ‘It’s a sound idea, Vicki. Come on, let’s go and see the Harmonds.’

Twenty-Three

They were in luck. Not only were the Harmonds at home, but their son was also there.

After introductions, Mr Harmond asked, ‘Do you have any news?’

Harry explained about the trip to Harrogate to see the Mantons, and by the time he had finished the account, their son, Peter, was on his feet. ‘You are absolutely certain that Will is alive?’

‘Yes, I’m sure,’ Vicki told him. ‘There was no mistaking the portrait as the man I had met.’

‘Oh, dear Lord!’ Peter paced up and down, overcome with emotion. ‘Why hasn’t he been home? He loves his family, and they love him. I don’t understand.’

‘That is the reaction of everyone, and the only answer I can come up with is that he might be suffering from loss of memory.’

The son sat down with a thump and stared at Harry. ‘That does make sense, but if that is the case, how are we going to find him? He could be anywhere!’

‘You might be able to help us with that. We think he might be somewhere on this estate.’ Vicki spoke urgently. ‘Do you have empty buildings he could be staying in?’

‘Quite a few. This is a large rambling place. But what makes you think he might be here?’

‘Instinct is the only reason we can think of. It isn’t much to go on, I agree, but we have to follow every avenue.’

‘Vicki is right,’ Mrs Harmond told her son. ‘What about those two farm workers’ cottages, Peter. You all used to ride your horses to that part of the estate to fish in the stream.’

‘It’s a possibility, and there are a couple of old barns as well.’ Peter was on his feet again. ‘We must go and check at once. I’ll get my car because it’s quite a walk.’

The barns were the nearest, but, apart from the birds nesting in the beams, there wasn’t any sign of life there. They drove next to the two cottages.

They were on a neglected part of the estate which had been allowed to grow wild, but the cottages were sturdy, built of stone, and there was a fast-running stream at the back of the properties. Vicki felt her heart rate quicken as she gazed at the location. If she had found something like this when she had been homeless, it would have seemed like paradise to her.

The first one they went in was completely empty, but the next one gave them all a shock. It was clean and sparsely furnished, with crockery and pans in the kitchen, along with a small camping stove for cooking.

‘Well done, Vicki,’ Harry told her as he began to examine some papers he’d found. ‘This is interesting.’

‘What is it?’ Peter asked, coming over to have a look.

‘School work being marked for young pupils. Is there a school nearby, Peter?’

‘There’s a school for six- to eight-year-olds in the next village, but it’s at least a four-mile walk from here.’

‘Well, if it is Bill and he is working there, then he could have bought himself a bicycle.’

Peter walked to the door and scanned the surrounding area. ‘There’s no sign of anyone, but whoever is living here could come back at any minute. We’ll wait.’

‘No, we should leave now,’ Harry told him firmly. ‘And put everything back exactly as we found it.’

‘Why?’ Peter demanded. ‘If it’s Will living here, then I want to see him!’

‘I know you do, and so does Vicki, but if this man is still suffering from memory loss, as we believe, then our being here could make him run again. He is, after all, trespassing.’ Harry looked at the two anxious faces staring at him. ‘Whoever is here has made the place habitable and has a job. He has made a life for himself. If we barge in and start telling him who he really is, we could do a lot of harm. I’m asking you both to leave this to me.’

‘I suppose you’re right.’ Peter sighed in frustration. ‘What do you think, Vicki?’

‘I’m desperate to find Bill, but Harry knows what he’s doing. Hard as it is, I’m prepared to leave it to him.’

‘Are you both agreed?’ Harry asked. They nodded and he ushered them out of the cottage. ‘Let’s get out of here before we are seen.’ They left the area quickly.

While driving back, Peter wanted to know, ‘What are you going to do, Harry?’

‘I’ll go and pay the school a visit tomorrow. I know what Bill looks like, but he’s never seen me before. If it is him, I’ll talk to him, teacher to teacher, and that will seem quite natural to him. I’ll decide what to do after I’ve found out if he really doesn’t know who he is, or if, for some reason, he has cut himself off from everyone by choice.’

‘No.’ Peter was shaking his head. ‘He would never do that! We grew up together and I know him. He would never hurt his family like this.’

‘That terrible war has changed many men. Have you considered that the boy you’ve known all your life doesn’t exist any more?’

‘I won’t accept that. What was he like when you met him, Vicki?’

‘Calm, understanding, caring, but also strong. Apart from telling me his first name, he didn’t say a word about himself. Not to me or the people he met regularly in the cafe.’

‘You are right about him being strong, but that strength was never used in a cruel way. And it’s interesting you said he was calm. Nothing ever seemed to disturb him. Whatever problems faced him, he met them head on and dealt with them without fuss or anger.’

‘That’s good to know, because if this is your friend, then it could be easier to help him. Providing he wants our help, of course.’

‘Even if he doesn’t, and it turns out he has his own reasons for staying away from his home, I still want to see him, Harry.’

‘So do I,’ Peter said.

‘I’ll do what I can, but he has a right to live his life as he pleases and we must respect that. Now, I want a solemn promise from both of you that you will not go anywhere near him until I’ve had a chance to talk with him.’

Peter and Vicki glanced at each other, and then nodded in agreement.

‘I know this is hard for you, but be patient. I’ll let you know as soon as I have any news.’

That evening, after Harry had taken Vicki and the Howards to the station in the small bus he had bought for the school, he sat at the kitchen table with Pearl and Edward.

‘Do you think they will keep their promise not to approach Bill?’ Pearl asked.

‘Vicki has gone home, and I believe I’ve managed to convince Peter that it would be better for Bill if he leaves this to me.’

‘You are being very cautious, Harry. What are you worried about?’

‘It’s just a feeling I have. Something is telling me we mustn’t suddenly barge into this man’s life. The war has been over for a long time now and yet he’s still living rough. Is he hiding from something, Edward?’

‘Maybe he’s just hiding from himself.’

‘If that is the case, then we must be careful. Vicki has never once said he had any injuries. When she talks about him, the impression I get is that he was fit, healthy and strong.’

‘That’s true,’ Pearl agreed. ‘So, what’s your plan?’

‘First, I’ve got to make sure it is Vicki’s stranger, and to do that I will go to the junior school we think he might be working at. If it isn’t him, I will walk away, tell Peter and leave him to decide what to do about someone making use of the cottage on his parents’ estate. If it is him, then I’ll see if I can talk to him. I am, after all, looking for another teacher.’

‘Ah, that’s a good idea,’ Edward nodded in approval. ‘It will appear quite natural for you to ask personal questions.’

Harry stood up. ‘I’ll do the rounds and make sure the boys are all asleep, and then turn in myself. You are on duty tonight, Edward?’

‘I am. And while you’re thinking of more staff, Harry, we need a matron, or someone with nursing skills to look after the boys’ medical needs. We have two more youngsters arriving at the end of next week.’

‘I’ve already thought of that, so while I’m in the village tomorrow I’ll have a word with the local doctor. He might be able to recommend someone. And what do you think about a permanent night manager?’

‘Now that is a good idea!’ Edward grinned. ‘An ex-soldier would please Charles, and John and I will get a bit more sleep.’

‘Leave it with me. Looks as if I will have a busy day tomorrow.’

The children were just arriving at the village school when Harry got there. He had parked the bus on the outskirts of the village and walked the rest of the way. He mingled with the parents standing outside and waving to their children as they scampered into the playground to meet their friends. There was only one teacher outside and that was a woman. Harry was just debating whether to go and have a word with her when a tall man came out of the door and blew a whistle. As the children rushed into the school, he watched the man give a slow smile of amusement, then follow them inside.

There was no mistaking him. It was definitely Bill!

Harry stood there, unable to believe they had finally found him. Oh, everything had pointed to the possibility that this would be him; even so, Harry had doubted Vicki’s memory of someone she had met so briefly. But she had never wavered in her conviction that the man everyone said had died in the war was alive.

He took a deep breath. He had really thought he would come here today, see someone and then walk away to tell Vicki and Peter that it wasn’t the man they were looking for. Or had he just hoped that would be the case? He was very fond of Vicki, and he didn’t want her to be hurt. She’d had enough to deal with in her life, and he felt protective towards her. He had hoped that another disappointment would persuade her to stop searching. But her persistence had paid off, and Bill had looked healthy, without a sign of anything wrong with him.

Deep in thought, he walked towards the few shops he’d passed on his way here. He couldn’t go and talk to Bill in the middle of classes, so he would have to wait until the lunch break. Meanwhile, they needed a matron, and he would see if he could find a doctor for advice.

The assistant at the greengrocer’s shop pointed him in the right direction. The doctor was seeing patients, and Harry waited until the last one had left.

Dr Saunders was happy to talk to him, showing a great interest in the school. ‘I’ve heard about this and I’m very pleased to meet you. How can I help?’

‘I’m looking for someone with nursing skills to look after the children. It will be a permanent position, and they would have to live in. We have good accommodation for staff. Do you know anyone who would be interested?’

‘There is someone I know would like the job. Elsie Adams was a ward sister. Since her retirement, she has been living with her daughter’s family. The arrangement isn’t working out, and I know she would like to move, but she doesn’t know where to go. Although retired, she is a fit and sturdy woman.’