‘It sounds like you needed it.’ He kissed her forehead. ‘I’ll build the fire and make some food. You stay here. I’m going to make sure you rest and eat properly from now on, if I have to watch you every minute.’
‘I’ll make the food. Honestly, I’m a lot better now Marmaduke’s back to his wriggly self – only a little washed out. If you feel up to building the fire, though, that will help. I got you a jug of beer from the Hart, and a pack of the cigarettes you like.’
He blinked. ‘Beer and cigarettes as well as salmon? You’re certainly the Lady Bountiful tonight. You shouldn’t spend money on luxuries for me when we need to be counting our pennies.’
‘Don’t worry, I didn’t take it out of the weekly budget. My aunt sent me a ten-shilling postal order for my birthday, so it’s bonus money.’
Bobby crossed her fingers under the covers, hoping God would forgive the fib. She would tell Charlie everything when the time was right, but that time wasn’t now.
‘Still, we ought to save as much as we can, even if it’s unexpected,’ Charlie said.
‘I know, but surely a few treats are allowed sometimes. I didn’t want you to come home to brown bread and margarine after seeing your friend.’ She took in his tired, solemn looks. ‘How was he?’ she asked softly.
‘Let’s get our chores done before I tell you about it. I don’t want you cold and hungry when you’ve not been well.’
Chapter 20
Bobby felt her spirits rise as she laid out the treats she had bought for Charlie on the kitchen table. It looked like the contents of a Red Cross parcel. They would have salmon on toast with fried tomatoes and onions, followed by tinned peaches and custard for a pudding, then a glass of beer each and a cigarette for Charlie. Now her worries about Marmaduke had settled, Bobby’s appetite had returned with a vengeance. She felt quite ready to do the little homecoming feast justice.
Once she had prepared the food, she carried it into the parlour on a tray. Charlie was holding a sheet of newspaper against the fireplace as he coaxed the coke in the grate to catch.
‘We won’t eat at the table,’ Bobby said. ‘Let’s have it picnic-style in front of the fire.’
Charlie smiled. ‘That sounds lovely.’
The fire was crackling to life by the time Bobby had arranged a blanket on the floor, lit a candle and poured them each a glass of beer. Marmaduke had woken up properly now, full of energy as he danced inside her. Bobby shivered happily with every movement.
She made a silent vow that after today, she would never again complain about her lot. All her worries about her job, the wistfulness over her aborted WAAF career, paled into insignificance beside the welfare of her little family. As long as Charlie and Marmaduke were healthy and safe, she would remember to be grateful.
‘This is a real party tea,’ Charlie observed, picking up a finger of salmon on toast. ‘It feels like the war’s over already.’
‘Well, what are you waiting for? Tuck in.’
Bobby was pleased to see that whatever emotions had been wrung from him over the past two days, they hadn’t affected Charlie’s appetite. He made short work of the salmon, onions and tomatoes, and she only seemed to blink for the peaches and custard to disappear. She, too, was hungry and ate her tea with relish, washed down with refreshing mouthfuls of beer.
‘How was it?’ she asked Charlie when he had finished.
‘I don’t think I’ve eaten so well since I left the Air Force.’ He gave her a peach-and-custard-flavoured kiss. ‘Thank you. But let’s keep treats for very special occasions, shall we? We’ll be living off our savings now you’re leaving work.’
He spoke gently, but Bobby felt chastened all the same. Perhaps it had been rather rash to spend all of her ten-shilling windfall so quickly.
‘I had thought of one way of adding to our savings pot,’ she said. ‘Your surgery.’
‘What about it?’
‘I know it’ll be a wrench for you, love, but there’s no point hanging on to your equipment until it’s obsolete, is there? We can always invest in new instruments if you feel up to practising again,’ Bobby added hastily, seeing his solemn look. ‘We need money, and Lil and Tony are desperate for space. They can barely move for baby things.’
Charlie sighed. ‘I suppose you’re right.’
‘Will it upset you to part with it?’
‘It just feels… final, you know? As long as I had my surgery, it felt like my vet days might not be entirely behind me.’ He held up his hand and watched it shake. ‘But you’re right, it isn’t very fair on your sister. Bill Lawrence might buy the equipment for the Smeltham practice, or put me in touch with someone who’d be interested. I’ll speak to him.’
‘Do you want another drink?’ Bobby asked, seeing that he’d finished his beer. ‘Or a cigarette? I managed to hunt down apacket of Woodbines. I know you prefer them when you can get them.’
‘Just now I want my wife.’
Bobby smiled as he wrapped his arms and legs around her from behind, his hands resting on her stomach.
