‘Oh aye, an’ then what’s she gonna do? Will she go to work back at Greenacres?’ He was aware that a lot of responsibility would fall to him and William now with three wage earners gone. He and Edward would have to send some of their wages back each week to their mother, otherwise how was she to live and pay her rent? Still, there would be time for talking about practical issues when they’d had time to come to terms with what had happened, but soon, unfortunately, they would have to return to their jobs.
*
Many of the people in the town were grieving and those who had lost loved ones knew that Christmas would never be the same for them – it would always mark the loss of their nearest and dearest. However, they got on with life as best they could and three days later a poster in the town hall informed everyone that there was to be a memorial service for the deceased. There could be no burials, they had all already gone to a watery grave, so this was the best they could do for them.
The service was to take place in St Mary’s Church on the East Cliff and it was a sombre crowd that climbed the one hundred and ninety-nine steps that stood adjacent to the Donkey Road that trailed up to the abbey and the church.
Alice and her sons wore their darkest clothes – they couldn’t afford to buy black especially for the occasion. Alice still hadn’t shed a tear, nor had a drop of food or drink touched her lips since the night they had learnt the terrible news. Now she was weak and the boys each took an arm and helped her to climb the steep steps.
The church was crowded and, as Alice looked down the aisle, she saw Barnaby Greenwood sitting with his head bent in his family’s pew at the front. Next to his was the pew that belonged to the Lord of the Manor, Nathaniel Cholmley, and Alice felt a wave of resentment. Many of the young bereaved wives with small children had already been forced to leave their cottages and take themselves and the children off to the workhouse, but Barnaby Greenwood would never have to worry about facing such a fate, would he? she thought bitterly.
‘Amber should be here,’ William said brokenly, interrupting her thoughts.
Alice shook her head. ‘There’s no post over Christmas so there was no way o’ lettin’ her know,’ she told him in a hushed voice. ‘An’ anyway, there’s no point in upsettin’ her afore we have to. There’s nothin’ she could do.’
The service started and as the names of the dead were solemnly read out by the vicar it finally hit Alice that she would never see her lovely sons and husband again and at last the tears came in a wave that threatened to choke her.
‘We’ll make sure as you an’ Amber are all right, Mam,’ the boys assured her, feeling helpless but she shook her head. They were young with their whole lives in front of them. One day they would marry and have children of their own and she didn’t want them to have to be responsible for her and Amber as well.
‘We’ll be absolutely fine,’ she assured them as they led her from the church. ‘Amber will get another job an’ I ain’t quite past doin’ a job o’ work meself yet, so you just worry about yerselves.’
The young men exchanged worried glances. They knew how stubborn their mother could be, but now wasn’t the time to upset her any more than she already was so they wisely held their tongues as they guided her home.
Chapter Twenty
As the carriage rocked along the bumpy roads, Harry sat as close to Amber as he could, his head lowered, until eventually, he said quietly, ‘I can’t believe we won’t see you again after today.’
‘O’ course you’ll see me,’ she told him. ‘Like I told you, you’ll be coming home from school for your holidays and we’ll probably see each other then.’
‘But it won’t be the same,’ he said mournfully.
The boys had been a handful at times, but once Amber had stood up to them and showed them that she wasn’t going to allow them to get the better of her, they had shown her a grudging admiration. It was hard to believe they were on their way home. The time seemed to have flown by and already Amber was wondering what she was going to do next. Barnaby Greenwood had assured her that there would always be a job for her at Greenacres, but she knew that she couldn’t go back there after what had happened. She also knew that she would never want to live and work in London. It had been nowhere near as romantic as she had thought it would be and she was looking forward to breathing the clean, fresh sea air again, and seeing her mother. She had missed her and hoped that she would be able to find a job that ensured she could still live at home.
She wondered if her father, Amos and Reuben would be at home when she got back. She knew they’d been due back for Christmas but it could be that they had sailed on another trip by now.
For the first part of the journey the boys had been chatty but as it progressed, they both dozed, which gave Amber time to think and her thoughts turned to her baby as they often did. Only the day before she had wrapped the boys up warmly in thick coats, hats and mittens and taken them to the lake in the park to sail the little boats that their grandparents had bought them for Christmas. The sight of the nannies pushing the perambulators about had brought a lump to her throat. Her little girl would be four months old now and she still thought about her every single day. Her biggest regret was refusing to see her. At least if she had she would have a memory of her to cling to. But as it was all she knew about her was what she had heard the midwife say about her having an angel’s kiss on her thigh.
‘Amber, have we got much further to go?’ It was Harry who had woken from his doze.
Amber started. ‘Not too far now,’ she told him kindly. ‘An’ I believe we’re goin’ to stop at an inn soon for somethin’ to eat an’ drink.’
George was still fast asleep and Harry said quietly, ‘Me an’ George don’t want to go away to school, you know, but father thinks it will be good for us.’
‘And I’m sure it will,’ Amber answered. ‘You’ll settle in in no time, an’ think of all you’ll learn. Why, wi’ a good education you can be anythin’ you want to be when you grow up.’
It was early evening by the time they arrived back at the Temples’ residence and Amber went straight to her room to collect her things together. There was no point in delaying so she supposed she should leave as soon as she was ready. When she came downstairs, Mrs Temple was waiting for her. She led her into her husband’s office where she paid Amber her wages, adding a hefty bonus.
‘You’ve been wonderful with the boys,’ she praised, shaking her hand. ‘Thank you so much for stepping in at such short notice. I know the boys have enjoyed their time with you. In fact, I think they will miss you.’
‘Thank you, and I shall miss them too,’ Amber responded.
They left the office to find the boys waiting for them in the hallway. They would be leaving for their new school the next morning and both looked thoroughly miserable.
‘Take care of yourselves,’ Amber told them as they shyly stepped forward to give her a cuddle, and she was surprised to see that there were tears in their eyes. Despite not getting off to the best of starts they had become firm friends and she was sincere when she said that she would miss them. Caring for and nurturing the boys these past few weeks had brought out a side of her that she hadn’t known was there. At least, she had thought it was the boys who had unearthed her maternal side, but she had also noticed that her mind had been straying to her baby more and more, so perhaps it was her daughter who had brought about the change in her. She was a mother now. Was someone caring for her baby as she had cared for Harry and George?
Amber made for the door and set off down the drive, as the boys and Mrs Temple stood on the steps waving, and although she was sad to say goodbye to them she also felt excited at the prospect of seeing her family again.
She had just turned into Church Street when someone shouting her name made her look around and there was Bertie Preston rushing towards her with a broad smile on his face.
