Lexi’s War: A heart-warming wartime saga to bring hope and happiness in 2018. Rosie James
made a little face to herself as she remembered how their rents had immediately shot up from a shilling and sixpence to two shillings a week which had meant more scraping and making-do for all the tenants. But at least she’d soon gained some occasional employment at the house when it became known that Mr McCann was looking for a needlewoman, as well as someone reliable to help out. Because of that, Cecilia had known the little boys from the beginning, and they’d usually been allowed to play out with the local children despite being so much posher than everyone else.
Anna Hobbs had been the resident housekeeper for years now, as well as looking after the children – though with Cecilia frequently called upon to give a hand with the housework or to make or mend something or other. But that was all a very long time ago.
The Martins, of course, were now in their new cottage.
Lexi touched Johnny’s arm. ‘My Dada came home this week, Johnny,’
Johnny, still helping Joe with his colouring, raised his eyes. ‘Did he? That was nice …has he gone away again already?’
‘No,’ Cecilia said firmly. ‘Lexi’s father has gone to the pub where I’m sure he’s entertaining everyone on his harmonica. But he’ll be back in time for some supper. Or when he feels like it,’ she added.
‘Oh, but he was playing to us this morning, wasn’t he, Mama?’ Lexi said quickly. ‘When you were cooking dinner? And we were all singing “Dada wouldn’t buy me a bow wow” and “Follow the yellow brick road” and “Cockles and mussels alive alive oh!” and Dada was dancing around the room and pulling us around with him and you were laughing so much you were crying, weren’t you, Mama? I saw the tears running down your face!’
Oh, she’d been crying all right, Cecilia thought to herself. She’d cried for the past, and for the future … her own future, and the children’s futures. She’d wanted to hold the precious moment close to her and keep it there forever. She’d cried for the years that were slipping through her fingers, taking the children further and further away from her. And what would she do when they were all grown up, when there was no one left to care for, to worry about, and when there was no one to care about her, either? Cecilia should never expect anything from Albert, that was for sure.
After Johnny had played a couple of games of Snakes and Ladders with the children, he said reluctantly, ‘I ought to go back. I’ve still got homework to do – and you know what my father is like on the subject of work!’
‘It’s lovely to see you, Johnny, and you’re always welcome, you know that,’ Cecilia said, shooting a glance at him and Lexi standing there together like two peas in a pod. Cecilia breathed an inward sigh. She was very aware of the close relationship which had built up between the two youngsters over the years, and one day Lexi was going to be hurt. It was inevitable. Johnny would soon be going away to college, and after that probably to some other academic institution. And that would be the end of it. Nothing lasts forever, and Johnny would be mixing with other friends, friends of a superior rank … more appropriate friends in his own class. Oil and water never mix, and Mr McCann had great ambitions for his sons.
Lexi saw Johnny out, and they stood for a moment out of earshot of the others. Lexi looked up. ‘Guess what, Johnny?’ she whispered. ‘I’m going to have an audition at the Guildhall so that they can hear me sing my songs!’
Johnny’s eyes widened. ‘Really, Lexi? That’s brilliant! But how did that happen?’
Lexi went on to explain who’d come into the sweet shop and what had happened. ‘I’m so excited, Johnny,’ she said quietly, ‘but I haven’t told Mama yet because – well, I do feel a bit scared! Imagine me, Lexi Martin, maybe entertaining people at the Pump Room while they are taking tea! It’s like something out of a fairy tale!’
Johnny grasped her hand. ‘There’s no need to be scared, Lexi! You’ve got a lovely voice, you can do it! The man – Mr. Larson – obviously thinks so or he wouldn’t have said what he did.’
‘I’ve just got to make sure I know every word of every song,’ Lexi said breathlessly. ‘Because if I’m accepted I will be paid a fee! I don’t know how much, but it will be something! Something to put in my shoe box with the wage Miss Lewis gives me. But to be paid to sing would be a dream come true, Johnny!’
Now he was excited, too. ‘Well, on your first performance – guess who’ll be “taking tea” in the front?’ he said. Then – ‘But why haven’t you told your mother? Surely she’ll be pleased about it?’
Lexi’s expression clouded. ‘I will tell her soon, of course. But the trouble is, Mama doesn’t like me talking about money – or rather, about earning money. She keeps saying I’m too young to even be thinking of it. But she’s wrong! I am determined to earn as much as I possibly can, as soon as I can Well, you know that already, Johnny. Miss Lewis asks me to stay on sometimes to help with the stock-taking, and I’m able to save all that because Mama won’t take any of it from me.’
Lexi looked up, her face flushed. ‘One day I am going to buy us that big house, Johnny. A big house of our very own. And the only way that will happen is if I work for it! And that’s what I am going to do, in whatever way I can!’
Johnny slipped his arm around Lexi’s waist. ‘I’m going to tell my father what you said, Lexi, and what you want to do, because you are someone after his own heart,’ Johnny said seriously. ‘That’s what he’s always telling Alfred and me – work hard for what you want, and don’t give up. Work is the way up and the way out, that’s what he’s always told us.’
Lexi nodded happily, but a slight frown did crease her forehead for a second. Her biggest problem was going to be finding enough work to really make proper money, money enough to achieve her goal. And there was a long way to go. How did Mr McCann start, how did he climb that big ladder to success? And was Lexi Martin’s big idea just a youthful daydream?
Then she shook herself angrily. She was not dreaming! She was planning! Planning the rest of her life!
The April evening was cold and rather grey, its melancholy feel adding to Reynard McCann’s sombre mood. Last night had been one of the worst he’d had to endure. Thursday, the day of the week he dreaded, seemed to come around far more quickly than any other day, which of course was ridiculous. Thursday knew its place in the scheme of things.
He sat back, thoughtfully fingering the silk tie Anna had given him at Christmas, congratulating himself on having employed his housekeeper all those years ago. She’d been a real find, running the house smoothly, while taking such good care of the boys – she took good care of him, too, Reynard admitted somewhat begrudgingly. Well, women were good at dealing with the minutiae of life.
He glanced at the clock. It was 7.30, almost time for Johnny to return with the rents. Reynard frowned. He’d have to get someone else in to do the rounds when Johnny went away in September.
He made his way downstairs to the kitchen. As usual, his evening meal had been served to him upstairs in the dining room at 6.30, and Anna, busy at the sink, glanced around as he came in to the kitchen.
‘I hope the apple crumble met with your approval, Mr McCann,’ she said lightly. Her employer’s downcast mood hadn’t escaped Anna’s notice earlier so she’d made the pudding extra sweet. Mr McCann liked his puddings.
‘It was very good, Anna, thank you,’ Reynard said, sitting down and resting his elbows on the table.
With her back towards him as she washed the dishes, Anna thought the two of them were almost like a married couple … even though Reynard had never offered to wipe up. They were often in each other’s company, but with no real need for much conversation. They had a comfortable relationship, mutually respecting each other. She certainly had no reason to share the opinion of many in the town who seemed to loathe him. Well, that was money for you. Money was the root of all evil, breeding envy, jealousy, ruthlessness, cunning … all the worst human traits, in the wealthy and not so wealthy.
Anna had to admit that she had always been curious