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Jo Bradley update 24/11/08 http://www.the-cbb.co.uk/viewtopic.php?f=14&t=2526

Author:	claire [ 19 Apr 2007, 21:42 ]
Post subject:	Jo Bradley update 24/11/08
I started this ages ago, then it got lost when the board went funny and I thought I'd lost it off my computer as well, even though I had loads more of it in my head I couldn't face reconstructing what I'd done. Well I FOUND the story so here is the original - and a new bit at the end if you remember the story Jo Bettany hurried after the porter carrying her luggage, as well as that of her little adopted sister, Robin Humphries. She mentally disciplined herself, there was no real need for her to have stopped at that book shop, but there had been such a lovely bound copy of poetry in the window that she had bade the cab wait while she made her purchase and now they ran the very real risk of missing their voyage to India. The long awaited trip to see her brother had been put off twice already and no-one would be best pleased if she caused it to happen again. She bustled an out of breath Robin in front of her, glancing again at her wrist watch anxiously, wondering if there was any chance that this time the over winding had made it run fast instead of stopping as normal. “Miss, Miss” a voice distracted her and a hand gently touched her arm. Jo stopped and looked up into chocolate brown eyes as the hustle and bustle of the Liverpool docks faded away. Tom Bradley grinned at the young lady, her former confident, if rushed, air vanished as she stood there, lips slightly apart, devoid of all words. “You dropped your book” he repeated for the third time. Jo pulled herself together with an effort, “Oh, thank you, I didn’t realise. I’m so glad I didn’t loose it, I adore Wordsworth, don’t you?” “Can’t say I’ve ever tried his work, I probably should, considering.” At Jo’s questioning expression he explained, “I live on Wordsworth Road. Tom Bradley, by the way.” “Jo, Joey Bettany. Would you be so kind to accompany us to our ship so I can thank you properly, I’m afraid we’re rather late. Rob…. Robin? There’s my sister gone on, quick I need to catch her.” “Where are you heading for?” Tom quickened his step beside her, there was no where for him to go so, still holding her book, he followed her. “India, to visit my brother – oh, you mean which boat? The Lucinda-Marie. I don’t suppose you are on the same voyage?” she added hopefully. “No, never been a passenger on a ship before, you’ll find that with most people in Liverpool, despite working with them all my life and my father does, did as well.” Jo picked up on the catch in his voice at the mention of his father, “Has your father passed away recently or can he just no longer work in the business.” Her mention of business was not enough to bring a smile to Tom’s eyes, “He, he had a heart attack last week, was fit and healthy up to then. He’s in Walton Hospital now the doctor’s don’t know if he’ll make it yet, never mind be the man he used to be. I don’t want to think of what it will do to my mother if he doesn’t pull through. Still no need to talk of that. Here we are at your boat and your sister is waving wildly at you. Hope you enjoy your trip.” He touched hand to his cap and walked away Robin found Jo to be a very silent companion at dinner that night, she was filled with emotions that she had never felt before and Robin was too young and inexperienced in life for them to be shared with her. Jo wished that Juliet was there, this must have been how she felt about Donal, or if Madge was there or even that the much anticipated voyage was over and it could be discussed with Mollie, her sister-in-law. Madge, however, wasn’t there but she could write to her, ask her advice, so much would be better than rerunning scenarios in her mind. As soon as was decently possibly Jo left Robin in the company of the Lorrimers, a married couple with a daughter only three months younger than Robin herself, and pleaded a headache and went off to their cabin to write several letters. The six page letter to Madge was soon finished, only the opening page being dedicated to the usual pleasantries and the journey from Paris (one epistle covering the train journey from Tirol to the French capital had already been sent) the rest describing Tom Bradley and the man he was. On receipt of the letter Madge could tell Jo was much taken by the handsome young man from Liverpool, he seemed to have prospects to, if the father was so ill then it stood to reason that his son would be taking his place in the family shipping business. Next Jo took up her pen to write to Tom himself, bravely facing the possibility of rejection. In the letter she told him of herself, explaining she currently lived in Austria, having been a pupil at her sister’s school then when she gave up teaching to marry her husband also worked out there, dealing with TB cases so the family remained there, originally they were a Cornish family, did he know Tavistock at all? That she would be honoured if he was to reply to her letter, Jo having got details from the Purser on when letters from the UK could be received aboard ship and giving her brothers address in India. Then she sealed the envelope, addressing it to Mr T Bradley, giving only a street name and Liverpool as the address, however Jo had great faith in the ability of Royal Mail to deliver it. There was a final letter to write, a more formal one this time, to Mr Bradley. Jo wanted to wish him well and to let him know that should she be permitted she would be honoured to take care of his son. Not once did the thought that young Mr Bradley may already have a wife, or an intended wife, cross her mind. As she sealed the letter, again lacking the full address as she could have no way of knowing the ward he was on, Jo bit her lip, knowing that there was every chance that this may well be the only communication she got with the man who, if fate was kind to her, was to become her father in law, and grandfather to her children. Mentally Jo shook herself, she had always declared that she never wanted to become a mother, that one meeting on the quayside had changed her, matured her and she knew she was ready and waiting for motherhood. The postman caught up with Tom just as he was leaving his house on his way to the docks on Thursday morning, eyeing the envelope questioningly he banged the door shut behind him and stepped straight onto the street. He tore it open, ripping through the neatly printed name and address on the reverse of the envelope, this was something he had never expected, a brief encounter with an attractive upper class woman, there was no reason why she would give him another thought, let alone the thoughts she seemed to be suggesting from the letter. He read the letter through as he walked along, popping into a newsagent for some Woodbines where he picked up a picture postcard and stamp as well. Coming out of the shop he bumped into his friend and work mate, Jim Brown. They fell into step and Tom mentioned his surprise post that morning. “You mean that posh piece you said about? What can she want with you?” “What’s wrong with me? Anyway I don’t think she’s as well healed as I thought at first, her father was a miner after all.” Tom having taken Jo’s story of the Corah Mine taking over her family home in rather a different perspective than it was meant. “She went to some school abroad where her sister was a teacher, that must be what gives her that appearance. Come on, we won’t be in time to get picked if we don’t get a move on.” The two men rushed on, the daily picking of dockers was a ritual they all hated, but necessary to get, hopefully, a day or even half a pay of hard, manual work to try and get enough money together to survive, but that day they were both lucky and got a full day. During his lunch break, Tom scribbled on the reverse of a photograph of the Liver Birds, Jo It was such a (nice) surprise to get your letter this morning. Going to see my father after work so will write properly soon. Tom PS I live at No. 12 Tom rushed home that night, his mother having eaten her own meal before he arrived was hovering at his elbow to take his plate, as she wanted everything to be spick and span before they went off to the hospital. They set off on the twenty minute walk to Walton General in companionable silence. Arriving at the ward just as the doors were opened for visiting. “So son, I see one of your girlfriends has finally convinced you to settle down, or she is going to India to escape you?” Tom stared at his father in disbelief. How could he know about Jo? He had mentioned that he had spoken to a girl boarding a boat for India but had never thought, even since the arrival of the letter that morning, to class her as a ‘girlfriend’, but none of the girls he went dancing with had departed to India so she must be who he was referring to. Looking from his son to his wife Ada, Jim Bradley gave a smirk. “I got a letter off her this morning, saying how you seemed worried about me and she hoped my health would improve soon and she looked forward to getting to know me better. So are you going to tell us about her?” Tom’s mother expressed an interest at this point as well, she had hoped her son would settle down with a nice girl, but so far, at the age of twenty three he had shown no signs of wanting to, now it seemed he had. Tom found himself telling the story, how they had met, had one short conversation and then she had sent him a letter. “I’d like to get to know her better, I think. She seems nice from what I’ve seen so far, she’s from a mining village in Cornwall but her sister got a job teaching at a boarding school in Austria so Jo went to school there instead of staying at the local school she was at, then her sister married and made a home out there, where she lives normally but she’s gone to visit her brother, who’s a lumberjack in India. She said the family’s a lot better off now than they were, guess that’s ‘cos her sister’s married to a doctor. She writes children’s books, though she said it’s not as grand as it sounds, she’s had one published but is hoping they’ll accept another when she finishes it. Only thing is, I can’t help thinking she’s a bit too good for me, what would a girl who’s been educated abroad want with a scouser?” Tom rang down from the summary of his interpretation Ada had been listening silently up to now, “You are good enough for anybody, Thomas, she should be asking if she’s good enough for you. You’ll make a marvellous husband, and any woman would be lucky to have you. Anyway, from what you’ve said she’s had some good fortune but under it all she’s a miner’s daughter. She’s no better than you, if you two want to make a go of it, then you should, I’m sure you’d be happy ogether.” “Hold on a minute, Mam. I said I was going to write to her, not propose. Let’s take things slowly.” Ada and Jim smiled sweetly at each other, this was the most animation their son had ever shown over a girl, and neither would be surprised if things did develop further. As mail was only delivered to the ship once a week, Jo had annoyed Robin by perpetually wondering if she would get a reply to her letter, or precisely three letters although the latest ones would not get sent until the exchange of post. “Do you think we’ll have any mail today?” Jo asked casually. Robin, normally pleasant and charming in any circumstances, snapped back, “I don’t know, even if it is delivered today that doesn’t mean he’ll have replied. For all you know he may be married.” “Don’t be a silly little girl, he’s not married, I could tell. A woman can tell these things.” “Jo, please don’t make things to be much bigger than they are.” Robin knew her Jo well, a talented writer, with a gifted imagination meant her highs were much higher than anyone else’s, but that the lows could sink her to the depths. “You had a small conversation with him, I don’t think he’s the right man for you, one of the doctor’s from the San would be much better, someone like Doctor Jack, then I wouldn’t have to loose you.” “Baba,” Jo said gently, cradling Robin into her arms, “You’ll never lose me, you’ll always be my little sister and I’ll always love you, but this is different, one day you’ll understand. You’ll meet a wonderful gentleman and it will all make sense, I thought it was nonsense when Madge told me that, but then I met Tom.” “You can’t call that a meeting,” muttered Robin under her breath, “anyhow I’m not so sure he is a gentleman, he didn’t look like one to me.” Jo stiffened. “You saw him from the deck of the ship, so he didn’t have a tie on, he’s been terribly worried about his father, you can’t expect him to ensure his outfit is perfect, I’ll going to see if that was the mailship we saw arrive earlier.” And with that she swept off, soon to be wreathed in smiles when she saw the postcard and letter awaiting her. She picked up the postcard, mentally scolding the mail sorter for the dirty thumbprint he had left, not realising that Tom had written his reply from work and the docks were a dirty environment and no employee would have been kept on had his hands been pristine within fifteen minutes of starting. Jo was eager to improve her dancing at the usual after dinner dance aboard ship that night, as Tom had offered to take her to the Rialto if she stayed a few nights in Liverpool on her return to England. Mr Carrington, her dance partner, winced and regretted his decision to ask Jo as she moved her left foot forward instead of the right back for the seventh time. Jo did know all the steps however for the last few years she had been used to taking the man’s role in the dance and this was coming through. Jo’s plans for her future had never included a man so she had been more than willing to take the lead when her friends wanted to dance in school, they knowing how important it was for them to be led when courting their prospective husbands, this coupled with her position as prefect and later Head Girl, where she had taken the new girls under her wing and led them around the floor, meant that she had not taken the female side for the past four years, and it was showing now. Jo, dreaming that Mr Carrington in his mid-forties was actually Tom, thought over all the new information she had learnt from Tom’s letter. He was a keen sports man (Tom had included an account of the Liverpool – Everton football match, where ‘his’ team had been cruelly robbed of victory in the dying seconds by a goal which was clearly offside), he obviously cared deeply about his family and was bound to understand the worry Jo had over Robin as his only, younger sister had died of TB at the age of five. ‘Why couldn’t they have brought her to the San? Then we could have met so much earlier’ she wondered, before mentally kicking herself, the San wasn’t opened when Lily had been ill, besides which she hadn’t moved to the Alps till four years after the date so she would have had no chance of meeting him, even if his partners had removed him from school to accompany his sister. He had turned down a promising career as an accountant to work in the family business (what Tom had actually written was ‘I was never much good at English at school, I much preferred Maths, my father used to tell me I should go to work with accounts instead of with him’) Tom liked animals, he seemed to be more of a cat person, although his mother’s cat had not been replaced after meeting his tragic end, but Jo wasn’t sure how he would take to Rufus, having said he felt a St Bernard may be a suitable pet for an Alpine family, but not very practical for a city dweller, but she was sure she could talk him round. He was still friends with his old friends from school, she knew how much pleasure her continued friendship with Marie, Frieda and Simone had brought her and was glad he had the same, from what he said at least once or twice a week they met up to have a chat at the ‘club’, Jo’s picture of the gentleman’s club Dick had described to her once, full of deep furnishings and dark wooden furniture, was in stark contrast to the drafty bar of the workmans’ club Tom frequented. He enjoyed dancing as well, the waltz had now come to an end and Jo sat down, happy that by the next time she saw him she would be up to the standard a gentleman like him would expect. The pair continued their long distance correspondence by letter over the course of Jo’s first two months in India. Jo filling pages daily about her beloved Tiernsee as well as setting the scene for all her Indian adventures, Tom replied back twice a week, much shorter letters, envying Jo her trips abroad and speaking of his boyhood ambition to emigrate to Australia. They also mentioned books they had read, culminating in a discussion on Queechy, Jo having been very taken with Mollie, her sister-in-law’s copy, the illustrations exactly capturing how she had imagined things in her head. Upon hearing Tom had once read an unillustrated version she immediately went to the post office bearing the weighty tome, upon hearing the postage cost she considered for two moments then flicked through the book, calmly removing the pictures therein and placing them in an envelope.

Author:	claire [ 19 Apr 2007, 21:43 ]
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While in India she formed another close friendship, with Commissioner Parson’s daughter, Dacia. The two girls shared all manner of hopes and their feelings, both being in love for the first time and understanding the range of emotions the other was feeling, Jo for Tom and Dacia for a gentleman called Eric Standish, who at that moment in time seemed not to notice her existence. It was while she was with Dacia that she opened the letter from Tom. She had not received one for over a week and had been agonising over the fact, upon reading his letter she realised why. Her face fell as she imagined Tom’s pain at having to put down on paper the sad details of his father’s second, this time fatal, heart attack, his mother’s grief and her collapse at Jim’s funeral, from which the doctor’s were unable to revive her. "Poor Tom", then she read the last line of the letter, and re-read it. ‘This house no longer feels like a home, I didn’t really realise how much it needed a woman’s touch. Maybe one day it will be a true home again, yours Tom.’ A smile grew over Jo’s face and she grabbed Dacia’s hand, pulling her off to the post office. The following day on his way home from work, Tom was met by his neighbour, Betty Hammond. “This telegram came for you this morning, you were at work so I took it, hope everything’s okay.” Tom took the small buff envelope and ripped it open in wonderment. ‘Yes. I will. Love Jo.’ “She will what?” he muttered to himself. Tom’s mystification lasted for a further four days, the letter he received the day after shedding no light, although after rereading it for clues he realised that it had been sent a while before the telegram and as such could not help him. He then decided Jo must have sent a telegram to the wrong person, maybe it had been aimed for her sister, that made a little more sense. Then he received a letter sent air mail and he found that he was engaged to be married. Jo was full of plans to return to England as soon as possible, a letter from her brother, formally stating his position as head of the family and giving permission for Jo, a minor in the eyes of the law, to marry Mr Thomas Bradley. Jo instructed Tom to take the two letters to the local vicar to allow the banns to be called, enabling them to be married immediately upon her return. ‘Initially,’ she wrote, ‘Dick wanted to us to wait until the two families had met. (truthfully I think he was quite looking forward to you formally asking for my hand in marriage – I told him he’ll have to wait till young Peggy meets her young man). However Mollie was on my side and made him remember how they were going to elope if her father didn’t give permission. I didn’t know but apparently her father thought they (well Mollie, who was only just 18) were too young to get married and wanted them to wait but gave in so she knew how I feel, Dick just hmmphed and said that was different, but he gave in and agreed. I would have loved them to meet your family, but that is never going to be possible now and I want to make a home for you and for us to be together. If you could arrange the ceremony, just a quiet one, Robin will be coming back with me (maybe we could take her back to Tyrol on our honeymoon?) I thought maybe the 18th of next month, I’ve managed to get berths on the Maris Serena for next Wednesday, the 10th and we are due to dock on the 17th, a Friday which seems quite convenient, as Saturday is meant to be a much luckier day for a wedding.’ Tom gulped, Jo thought he had proposed and was departing for their wedding next… no, tomorrow. He shrugged philosophically, he couldn’t back out at this late stage and he probably would have proposed later on, once they knew each other properly, rather than the long distance relationship they had had hitherto. His mother had liked the sound of her (he had given Ada a few of Jo’s letters to read) and she was a good judge of character. ‘I’d better go and see the vicar’ he thought, and straight after he wrote back, addressing his letter to the ship, explaining that they wouldn’t be able to honeymoon in Tyrol, in fact they wouldn’t be able to have any honeymoon, there was no way he could afford to take the time off work, he had missed too much already with the funeral arrangements, he set off for St. Luke's. Jem watched his wife’s face light up and then fall rapidly as she read her mail at the breakfast table. “How can she do this to me?” Jem took another bite of toast, his fourth slice, no mean feat after two bowls of porridge and bacon and eggs, before shrugging. “Do what?” “It’s Jo, she’s getting married. To this Thomas she’s always writing about. I do hope they’ll be happy together, but she’s getting married next month, in England and I won’t be able to see it. Why couldn’t she have a longer engagement? You don’t think they have to get married? I shouldn’t even think that of Jo, I know she’s not like that. I should be helping her plan the guest list and sort the flowers and, oh and everything.” Madge hung her head, tears pricking at the thought of missing the excitement and happiness of her younger sister’s special day. “Calm down,” Jem said, picking up Jo’s letter and skimming through it. “You can’t afford to get upset, not if your suspicions are right." “She won’t be living here either,” “That may not be a bad thing,” murmured Jem, his mind on the state of affairs with Germany, the weekend before he’d spent the evening at the Europe hotel with a colleague working in Wiesbaden, and he was seriously worried although his friend had not sent any word that the situation at present was worsening. “Not a bad thing? I was hoping she’d be up here with us, I wish she was marrying Jack then we’d have had them both, or even that Dr Hunter, maybe not that,” as she remembered the young doctor who’s advances Jo had fled, “but how will she cope running a house without me, how will she know what maids to employ, or even who to get recommendations from, we don’t know anybody in Liverpool who could help her.” Jem patted her shoulder gently, “Madge, she says here they are marrying quietly as his parents have just died, she’ll be taking over a household that I’m sure is very efficiently run, any changes she wants to make, she can do gradually. I’m sure you’ll see her soon and she’ll be writing for advice so don’t feel left out.” “You just don’t understand. I should be there for her. What about when she has a child? She’ll need my help then. I try to make the best of it, she’s sent what will be her address so at least I can send wedding presents. I think I’ll send all her bedding, and curtains and so on. She can still have a plumeau then. Will you run me down to the school, I’m sure they’ll want to give her something to remember them by.” Jo and Robin got off the ship on a bitterly cold January morning, it had been strange spending Christmas aboard, more so as they had no other family with them. The original plan had been to spend the holidays with Dick and Mollie then departing in early January, reaching the Tiernsee in mid February, Jo’s engagement had hastened plans a little. They were met first by Jack Maynard, waiting close by the ship. He had been visiting his brother and sister-in-law, and had agreed to escort Robin back to the Tirol. “You look well,” he said to the blushing bride to be, “Jem and Madge asked me to meet you and Robin as I was in England. I’ll take her back with me, and you if you’ve changed your mind?” he said in a joking manner. “Jack, don’t be silly. I want to marry Tom, when you fall in love with someone, you’ll know, deep inside of you what you want and nothing can change your mind on that.” Jack shrugged, his eyes betraying the fact that he had met someone who had made him feel that way, yet she had those feelings for someone else. “Maybe, but if you love someone you also have to know when to let them go, for them to be who they want to be, your own feelings don’t come into things.” “Oh, will you give me away, please, Jack. I know it’s a C of E wedding and you’re Catholic but you will, won’t you? Rob’s promised to be my maid, Mollie lent me her wedding outfit and the seamstress aboard altered it, so I’m all set to go. There’s Tom, Tom!” Jo waved furiously and launched herself at Tom, who had not worked that afternoon in order to meet her, and was looking very smart in the suit he was wearing for only the third time. The thirty bob suit, from Burtons, had been brought out of his Father’s insurance money for him to wear for the funeral, since then it had also been worn for his Mother’s service and would be worn at the same Church tomorrow. Jo pulled him over to where Jack and Robin were standing, Jack looked over Tom thoroughly, noting the difference between the off the peg suit, which although a good fit, could not be compared with the made to measure one Jack himself was wearing. What was Jo doing marrying this man? But there was nothing he could do, her family had agreed to the marriage, he had offered her, albeit jokingly, a get out clause which she had thrown back at him. “I’ll get your luggage taken to the Aldelphi,” he said, watching as Tom’s eyes widened at the thought. “Rob and I will also stay there tonight and I’ve booked the wedding suite for you two for tomorrow, you deserve the best, Jo. I’m sure you two will want to talk and finalise your arrangements so I’ll take Robin. We’ll see you later. Nice to meet you, Mr Bradley.” “Tom, please.” Tom watched as the two walked away, a porter pushing a trolley with the trunks, fourteen year old Robin slipping a hand into Jack’s as she picked up on his feelings, if not the reason for them. “Now then, why don’t we make our way to St Luke’s so you can see where the wedding is to be. I’ve only invited my best friend and his wife, they live across the street, it didn’t seem right to make a big fuss with my parents so recently….. and your family not being able to come either.” Jo was so happy to be together with him again, she didn’t care if they were to be married in a pigsty. She barely took any notice of surrounding, St Luke’s itself was a nice, small church, but the grey stones were ingrained with the dirt and grime that was such a common part of industrial Britain, as were the neat, respectable semi-detached houses nearby. Tom indicated behind these houses with his hand, “We’ll live three streets behind there, would you like to see it?” Jo considered, the houses were smaller than she was used to Die Blumen and Die Rosen, coupled with the school had spoilt her, she acknowledged that. They would likely have to have a cook cum maid rather than both, and Tom could take care of the small garden himself rather than employ a gardener, she would like to see her new home, but would it be respectable to be alone in the house together? Even with staff there? She was hungry as well “I can wait till after the wedding, shall we go to the hotel and have tea? You said you didn’t think we’d be able to go and visit my family on our honeymoon?” “Jo, I can’t afford to take time off and go to Austria. Perhaps when my ship comes in, we’ll make the trip but right now it’s just not an option. I have to work on Monday, we’ll only have the weekend. Betty is getting food in to cover us till the beginning of the week, she promised steak and kidney pie – her pastry is wonderful – for our first meal together, make things easy for you, however as we have the very generous offer from your brother in law, or his friend, of a honeymoon night, I suggest we make the most of it and can just heat the pie up on Sunday afternoon.” Jo nodded, perfectly content, Betty must have Sundays off, or at least half day to allow her to go to church, and it would be splendid to start their married life completely alone, at least for a few hours.” Seated at the restaurant in the Adelphi Tom eyes moved from the crystal chandeliers to the menu in disbelief, three and six per person for afternoon tea, the small china cups and three triangular, crustless cucumber sandwiches wouldn’t have satisfied him as a ten year old, mentally calculating what money he had in his pocket, he relaxed. He had nearly eleven shillings on him, enough to pay and allow him to visit the chip shop on the way home for something a little more substantial before a few pints with his mates for his send off into married life. Jo, sublimely ignorant of his worries also ordered a tea cake before charging the full amount to her room, so Tom left with more money than he had anticipated.

Author:	LizB [ 19 Apr 2007, 21:45 ]
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OOoooh! Yay! I remember this! happy dances

Author:	claire [ 19 Apr 2007, 21:45 ]
Post subject:
Jo awoke suddenly the next day, opening her eyes as wide as she could then springing out of bed and bouncing across to the window. Today was her wedding day, the first day of the rest of her life and her last as Jo Bettany. She pulled the curtains apart, staring down onto a bright, crisp day, around her the city was beginning to come to life. She smiled, today was going to be perfect. A slight moan from Robin caught her attention and she turned to she the black curls burrow further down under the blankets to get away from the early morning light. Smiling the bride plumped herself down on the bed and pulled the covers away, “I’m getting married today! Wake up, Robin, it’s almost six and you have to help me get ready.” “The wedding is at two o’clock, Jo, even you don’t need eight hours to look beautiful. Never mind, I’ll get up. Ring room service and get them to send up breakfast, I’m sure there’s a law that says all brides must have breakfast in bed. If not, there should be.” Giggling, Jo, who normally resented spending any extra time in bed, quite happily hopped back under the sheets, smiling and giving a small shiver of excitement as her eyes fell on the wedding dress hanging on the wardrobe door. Jack knocked on the door, greeted by a beaming Robin, who dragged him in to show off her handiwork. Robin, still only fourteen but with a hereto undiscovered gift for hairdressing had spent much of the preceding three hours arranging Jo’s normally lank hair into a mass of gleaming, black ringlets, caught back by the veil borrowed from Mollie Bettany. Jack caught his breath as Jo turned towards him, a vision of her, wearing the same white dress approaching him down the aisle flashed through his mind, swallowing he leant forward and kissed her on the cheek. “You look beautiful. It’s not too late to change your mind and run off with me, you know. Rob and I are getting the three o’clock train from Lime Street tomorrow, we can still get you a ticket.” He added in a jovial tone. Jo smiled at him, “I think I’ll pass, thanks all the same. I’ll be settling in to my new home by then.” “Tom is a very lucky man, you’ll make a wonderful wife. Now come on, we’d better get going. I have a taxi waiting. You said you were only having four guests didn’t you? What with his parents' deaths and your family not being able to make it. I’ve reserved a sitting room here for afterwards for the six of us, I hope that’s all right?” Jo nodded and swept past him, fairly bouncing down the wide expanse of staircase in her eagerness to get to the church. The sound of footsteps echoed around the church as Robin followed Jack and Jo down the aisle. At the front stood Tom, the vicar and the Hammonds. As she stood at the front and the others took their seats the vicar’s voice rang out. “Dearly beloved, we are gathered together here in the sight of God, and in the face of this Congregation, to join together this man and this woman in holy Matrimony” The service went without a hitch, as Tom slid his mother’s wedding ring onto Jo’s finger he held his breath, hoping it wouldn’t be too small, but it slid on easily and fitted snugly. After they emerged, blinking in the bright winter sunlight, Tom introduced everyone. “Jo, this is my best friend James Hammond, we work together and his wife, Elizabeth.” “Jim,” the short, stocky man interrupted. Jo smiled at the man she assumed to be her new husband’s business partner and the pleasant looking dark haired woman at his side. The six went back to the Adelphi, to the small sitting room where Jack had arrived afternoon tea for all the wedding party. He wanted Jo’s day to be as perfect as possible for her. “I didn’t realise that we would be coming here afterwards so I’ve left your present at Tom’s house, sorry I should say ‘your’ house, now.” Betty Hammond chatted to Jo as they entered the room, before gazing open mouthed at the chandeliers hanging from the ceiling. “Bets, get a move on,” her husband bustled her into the room. “Talking of presents, Jo, I got some trunks delivered to the house this morning, I think it’s your things from Austria.” “Madge said she hoped they would get here in time, she said our present is there as well.” “I’ve got you a present, too.” Robin chirped up. Jo looked puzzled, when had she had time to go shopping, “Jack took me yesterday, while you two went to the church, I’ll give it to you before we leave tomorrow.” The rest of the afternoon went smoothly, although slightly formal and stilted at times, soon the Hammonds left, and Jack took Robin to the theatre to allow the newly weds to dine in peace and retire to the honeymoon suite. The following morning was grey and damp, but that couldn’t dampen Jo’s spirits as she looked forward to starting her new life. Last night had been the part she had had trepidation about, Madge’s letter explaining marital rights had seen to that, but the fear of pain had been unfounded, the only downside was having to say goodbye to Robin, but she had to finish her education and it was better for her health that she stayed in the Alps so Jo hadn’t mentioned to Tom that she hoped, one day, for Robin to join their small family. Robin handed over the case she had purchased for a wedding gift. Jo opened it eagerly, thanking Robin profusely as she saw what lay inside. Tom raised his eyebrows at the sixteen place canteen of silver cutlery before his wife, he had expected towels as wedding presents, the standard gift at all he had attended so far. He felt a pang of misgiving as he gave his adopted sister-in-law a kiss on the cheek as a thank you, if a teenager could afford such a lavish present what could he bring to such a family. Then he looked across at Jo’s happy face and shook such thoughts aside, Jo had explained Robin’s past, maybe the Polish mother had been rich and her daughter inherited some money after her soldier husband died, that didn’t mean Jo was accustomed to things. “Rob, you shouldn’t have, they are absolutely gorgeous, but this is so generous of you, Madge only got six teaspoons, I didn’t expect anything on this scale.” Tom nodded, reassured, six spoons was a reasonable gift if Jo had expected that that then his earlier thoughts must be unfounded. After an early lunch the pair said their goodbyes and Tom hailed a cab to take them to their marital home. The driver said nothing as he loaded Jo’s trunk from the voyage and the two overnight cases into the car. As the cab pulled up outside the terraced houses, as Tom and the driver sorted out the luggage and the fare Jo stood staring at the small grey stone building, her eyes large as she noticed the crowd of children, most without any coat to keep out the January chill, two boys were barefoot, but all were fascinated by the shiny car. Betty opened her door and called a welcome to Jo before warning the boys not to touch the car, the cabby laughed and said dirty fingermarks would soon wash off. Tom opened the front door, swung Jo up into his arms and carried her over the threshold. As he went back to pick up their luggage she looked around in horror, the door had opened straight into a living-room, she was sure she could see a spring starting to poke through on the couch, the trunks sent from Austria were stacked under the stairs. She gulped and stepped past the small table into the tiny kitchen. “Finding your way about then?” Tom voice made her jump, “I’ll take these upstairs, I thought we’d use the front bedroom unless you’d prefer the back?” Jo shrugged, stunned by the fact that there were only two bedrooms, “I don’t mind, where…. Where is the bathroom?” “The.. oh, the lavvy! Out the back, coal bunker on the left, lavvy on the right.” Jo stepped into the yard, she couldn’t believe this was happening to her, there wasn’t even a garden. As there was no way a small paved yard, containing nothing other than a dustbin and a washing line could be termed a garden. She pushed open the wooden door and stepped inside closing it behind her. She sank onto the toilet seat, this was to be her life from now on, it was too late to go back now, or was it? She looked down at her wrist watch, it was two o’clock there was time to meet Robin and Jack and catch the train back to Austria. Jo straightened up, she wasn’t the type to give up and she had promised to love Tom, for better or for worse, and this may not have been what she had planned but they would make a good life together, of that she was sure. Jo reached into her pocket for a handkerchief to dry her tears, as often happened it had disappeared, she reached for the toilet paper, only to be greeted by squares of newspaper on a string. She paused, there was no way she could wipe her face with them, so she used her sleeve, pasted a smile on her face and went back inside to see her new husband and to open Madge’s gift. When Jo awoke the next morning she smiled, things were not going to be as bad as she had first feared. She snuggled back down under the orange plumeau Madge had sent for their bedroom, to match the curtains and other linen she had given. It certainly brightened up the bedroom, which was filled with dark, wooden furniture. Last night had been quite fun, finding places to put her things away and hanging the new bedroom curtains, which now hung luxuriously down to the floor. Jo had had no problems with the supper (or tea as Tom had termed it), merely having to put a light under the potatoes and peas waiting in their pans ready for them and heating the pie Betty had left. Tom pushed open the door, “You didn’t wake when the alarm went off, so I thought I’d treat you.” He said as he held out a plate holding two pieces of toast, “the fire’s all done so it should be warm for you to go downstairs.” He perched on the edge of the bed and kissed Jo on the cheek, brushing one of her long plaits out of the way. “You look about twelve with your hair like that. I’ve got to go to work now, I’ve left the housekeeping on the sideboard, the rent man doesn’t come until Thursday so you haven’t got to wait in for him. I’ll get chips for my dinner today but get me something for my carry-out tomorrow. Sandwiches,” he added, seeing the mystification on Jo’s face. “Hopefully I’ll see you about quarter past six." Jo gathered up the fifty shillings Tom had left on the sideboard and added it to the pound already in her purse, the remainder of her final allowance payment from Jem. It was nearly eleven o’clock, putting her hair into the customary earphones had taken longer than usual and it was a fiddly job at the best of times, but trying to insert hairpins when you couldn’t see the whole of your face in the mirror was near impossible. She added yet more coal to the fire, Tom had lit the fire but it wasn’t roaring up the chimney as Jo liked, she had washed up the two plates and cups he had left in the sink, a quick flick of the duster and she was ready to go. She banged the door behind her and set of down the street, quite happily. The fears she had had over having to do the housework herself seemed to be unfounded, it was easy enough, why did people have so many staff? Jo looked at the two boys playing marbles in the gutter, “Why aren’t they in school?” she muttered under her breath. Betty Hammond opened her door and came out to stand next to Jo. “They haven’t got any shoes to wear. Their dad was killed last year, Rose, that’s their mother, tries her best but those two they go through clothes and shoes like no man’s business and she’s got a twelve year old girl as well. The school won’t let them go unless they are properly dressed so they have to stay at home ” Betty indicated a house across the street, where the Pagets’ lived. From the outside it looked no different to any of the other houses in the street. But Jo’s heart went out to the two boys, playing in the cold January weather with bare feet and no coat. “I’m popping up to the corner shop, Joey, are you heading that way?” Jo shook her head, thoughtfully “No, I’m going up to town.”

Author:	claire [ 19 Apr 2007, 21:46 ]
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Jo stepped off the tram in Lord Street, she stopped the nearest passer-by and asked where a good shoe shop was. The middle-aged woman in a bright green coat, looked Jo up and down, taking into account her accent and directed her towards a nearby shoe emporium. The elderly shop owner looked up as Jo pushed open the door. It had been a slow day so far and there were no other customers in the store. “Good morning, Madam, how may I help you?” he asked politely. “I wish to purchase two pairs of boys’ shoes, please for an eight year old and a ten year old.” She looked over the several pairs he had available and selected sturdy brown lace-ups for the two Paget boys. At seventeen and six a pair they weren’t the most expensive in the shop, however they looked like they would take schoolboys wear and tear well, certainly much better than the five shilling plimsolls she had first been shown. She handed over the notes needed, then left the shop, feeling very pleased with herself. She found a butchers near the centre and purchased several slices of the best ham for Tom’s sandwiches the next day, a chicken, and some shin beef bones ready for making soup. From there she went to the greengrocers and brought a variety of vegetables, then the bakery for fresh bread, her final port of call was the grocers where she purchased all the other odds and ends needed to complete her planned menu. Glancing at her watch, Jo realised it was almost one o’clock so she popped into Reece’s teashop for a pot of tea and toasted teacake for a light lunch before taking a taxi home. She started preparing the stock for her soup before she to see the Paget’s. Opening the door Jo could see the two boys playing in the street. Beckoning to them, she asked if their mother as in before handing over the two boxes. Billy and Jimmy opened them eagerly, letting out squeals of excitement when they saw the shoes in side. They slipped them on, in Jimmy’s case not bothering to tie the laces, then raced to their front door to show their mother. Rose Paget was had just lit the gas under a pan of ‘blind scouse’, ready for her children’s tea. She had not long returned from the third of her part time cleaning jobs, each was for two hours a day to raise the money needed to keep her family fed and warm. Looking from her sons’ beaming faces as they showed off their new footwear, full of anticipation of going to school and, for once, being not only equal to their mates, but superior to them for none of the local children had shoes of this quality (young as the boys were they could tell the difference between new and the second hand shoes they were used to wearing) to the woman standing behind them in the doorway, she could not bring herself to display the anger she felt. “You brought them shoes? You didn’t need to do that. I was intending to go to Paddy’s on Saturday and buy them myself.” “We don’t have to give them back, do we Mam?” Will interrupted, scared that this new gift would be taken off them. “No, it’s rude to refuse a gift, say thank you to Mrs Bradley. You are the woman Tom Bradley married, aren’t you?” The boys were loud in their thanks before running back out into the street. “I thank you on the boys’ behalf, but you really shouldn’t have done that. I can cope, and provide for my children myself.” Jo picked up on the tension in the widow’s voice and realised she had offended her new neighbour, so rushed in to try and make amends. “I didn’t mean to imply you couldn’t. I had intended them for my nephews, but my sister forgot to take them back with her, and the postage to Austria would be horrendous. So I thought it made more sense for your boys to have them, than them sit in my wardrobe until the next time someone visits and by then they probably wouldn’t fit anyway. I’m Jo, by the way, I was hoping we could be friends” Jo’s voice died away as Rose Paget smiled, taking the friendship offered. “I’m Rose, you’ve met Bill and Jimmy and this little bookworm in the corner is my eldest, Doreen.” Jo looked across to the mousy haired twelve year old sat at the table, the only item of furniture aside from the four chairs in the room. Doreen looked up from her library book and smiled, a similar smile to her mothers which seemed to light up the whole room. “Nice to meet you, Mrs Bradley.” “You too, Doreen. Do you like reading?” Rose laughed, “I’ll say she does, she’s good about helping me around the house, but any minute she can she has her nose in a book, I think she’s read every book in the library.” “As I’ve given the boys a present, I can’t leave Doreen out. Would you mind if I gave her a book? I’ve had a school story published and I have a copy at the house. Would you like it?” Doreen was delighted at the idea of fresh reading material, and amazed that a real life author would live in her street. Rose had no objection to this, and took the hand of friendship help out to her. “Why don’t you come back with me now and I’ll find it. Then I can finish off making Tom’s meal for him, I’ve left the food on the stove.” And with a whirl Jo was off, leaving Doreen to trail over the cobbles. Tom opened the door to be greeted by the smell of roasting chicken, “Hiya, Love.” He called, “something smells good.” He hung his jacket up and turned into the room. The table was set with the new china dinner service, they had received as a wedding present from Jo’s old school. The cutlery was Robin’s gift and his mothers best glasses were twinkling in the candlelight. Jo bustled in, “Sit down, it’s almost ready.” Tom was amazed by the effort Jo had made, but it was the first meal she had cooked for him, their first real, home-cooked meal as a married couple. It was only natural that she had made an effort. He puzzled a little when she brought out two bowls of soup, he tasted it, it wasn’t chicken so what had he smelt earlier? As they ate the ‘everyday soup’, Jo having followed the recipe from the book her friend Simone had sent her, one they and their friends had created for Marie’s marriage, Jo told Tom how she had brought shoes for the Paget boys. He choked on the soup. “How did you afford that? What did Rose say when she found out?” “She didn’t mind, we’ve going to be friends. I had a pound in my purse, so I added that to the housekeeping you left me. I also gave Doreen a copy of ‘Cecily Holds the Fort’, I couldn’t leave her out.” Tom smiled, this was the generous woman he had fallen for in her letters, “It was very sweet of you. I’m glad you’ve made a friend. Betty said she’ll call round tomorrow, show you the best shops and so on. She’d have come today but she had to go to the doctor today and it was washing day on top, so she didn’t have any time.” Jo gathered up the bowls, motioning to Tom to sit down. She carried in a tureen of vegetables, along with one of roasted potatoes, before bringing in the chicken Tom had smelt. “I hope you can carve, I’m terrible at it.” “I really wasn’t expecting all of this, Jo. You didn’t have to make all this. We couldn’t afford it, not for everyday” “I wanted to, you’ve been out all day and deserve it. Besides, I wanted this to be special.” Tom subsided, this was a special occasion and Jo would have had a fair amount of change from the extra money from her allowance, despite what had gone on shoes. The food, which she had spent all afternoon preparing, was well cooked. Jo was so pleased after some of her experiences in dommy sci. had not come out so well, she had been hoping the chicken would turn out better than the fish she had cooked while in fifth form. Smiling she brought in the dessert, an apfelstrudel, which was the most neatly rolled one she had ever made. Tom ate two slices, unbuttoning his trousers to allow room for the last few mouthfuls, he had not been expecting a three course meal and now felt completely bloated. After they had finished, he sat down to read the Echo, while Jo put the kettle on, to provide hot water to wash up with. “Tom,” she called through from the kitchen. “The gas isn’t working. It’s just gone out.” “The meters probably gone, you need to put another sixpence in it.” Jo looked in her purse, “I haven’t got a sixpenny piece.” Tom fished in his pocket, “I’ll do it,” he inserted the silver coin into the meter and turned the handle. “Best go and light it,” he advised. “Mam always used to keep a few sixpences on the shelf, she got caught once in the middle of Sunday dinner, had to send me round the neighbours to swop a handful of coppers.” Jo nodded, there was so much she still had to learn, but the rest of that evening went smoothly. About nine Jo popped upstairs while Tom was down the yard and lit the fire she had laid in the bedroom, so the room would be warm when they retired for the night. She made some cheese on toast for their supper, but as they were sitting at the table, Tom suddenly started sniffing. “What’s that smell?” Jo looked up, and over his shoulder she could see smoke starting to billow down the stairs. “Fire!” she gasped. “I didn’t put a guard round the fire, a coal must have fallen onto the mat.” On hearing this, Tom ran up the stairs and into their bedroom, grabbing the poker as he did so. Coughing on the thick smoke, eyes stinging he raked the hot coals apart, then picked up the Jo’s jug from Tiernkirche from the top of the chest of drawers and tipped in over the fire. The fire safely out, and the bedroom wide, he made his way back downstairs. “Chimney was full of soot, I should have warned you not to light it. It hasn’t been lit for years, only remember it once actually, when I had measles, can’t have been more than nine or ten. Don’t get upset,” he saw Jo was nearing tears. She had tried so hard to be the perfect housewife, cooked a wonderful meal (Tom hadn’t noticed that she had left the custard out, after failing miserably to strain the lumps out), had even saved just over eight shillings from the housekeeping money and now she had nearly burned the house down. “Jo,” he said, gently brushing her forehead with his lips, “It’s not your fault, I should have warned you that it needed sweeping. If you want to have a fire up here on winter’s evenings, that’s all right. Ask Betty to recommend a sweep tomorrow, then you can have all the fires you want.” Jo nodded, feeling rather silly at her lapse of emotional control. “There’s no coal left, by the way.” “No coal, but the bunker had almost a full sack in it! How have you used it all?” Tom then realised Jo was talking about the scuttle. “The rest is out the back, who did you think filled the scuttle? The coal fairy? I’ll fill it up for you, it can be messy. Now, while I go get some more coal in, you pop upstairs and close the window. The smoke seems to have gone and it’ll be freezing in there otherwise. Still, just have to snuggle up, won’t we?” Jo got up when Tom’s alarm went off the next morning, she went downstairs, wrapping her dressing-gown close round herself against the chill of the morning, glad of her slippers on the cold lino, and while he made and lit the fire for her, she placed bread under the grill and made a start on Tom’s sandwiches. As she snapped the lid on the tin box closed he entered the kitchen for a quick swill under the tap.

Author:	claire [ 19 Apr 2007, 21:46 ]
Post subject:
When they were both seated at the table eating their toast, Tom widened his eyes a little as he recognised the difference in taste from the English butter Jo had spread to the margarine he was used to, Jo asked if she could have the days housekeeping. “What do you mean, ‘today’s’? I gave you the week’s housekeeping yesterday!” Jo was amazed, “But… but, how am I supposed to manage on that? Jem used to give me a pound a day (well, roughly what with the exchange rate) and I didn’t have to pay rent or buy food out of that.” “A pound a day!” Tom voice squeaked on the last note, clearing his throat loudly his voice returned to the normal baritone, “Jo, I don’t earn a pound a day, so there’s no way I could give you that much.” At her shocked face, he expanded further, “I get seven and six for a morning or an afternoon, so even if I get every session that’s only three pounds, sixteen and six a week. There’s plenty of ships in now, with all this talk of war the docks have never been so busy, so I seem to be getting the full whack, unlike a few years ago, where if I brought home a pound a WEEK, I was lucky. Last week though I couldn’t work Friday afternoon or Saturday so didn’t have as much. I only kept ten and six for me tram fares and ciggies. You’ve got the twelve and six for the rent, and the sixpence for the insurance policies for both of us, haven’t you? Haven’t you?” Jo shook her head sadly, reached for her purse from the sideboard and passed it to him. “I did buy plenty of food yesterday though,” she defended herself. “Eight shillings, and some coppers? How on earth did you spend so much? No, don’t tell me. I should have explained, got Betty to help you more. I’ll give you,” he pulled coins out of his pocket, “seven and six, pay the rent and insurance money and we’ll eat whatever you’ve got in the cupboards and just buy what we need to, Maisie at the corner shop will give you tick if it comes to it. I’ve survived on bread and scrape before, it won’t kill me. Now, I’d better go, it’ll take me longer if I’m not getting the tram.” He handed Jo the three half crowns, picked up the battered metal box, slung his coat round his shoulders and fairly ran out the door. Jo followed him and shut the door sadly behind him, before sitting on the couch, head in hands. She suddenly stood up, rubbing her bottom where the spring from the couch had dug into her skin. This may not have been what she had expected her marriage to be like, but she had made a vow to God, and she meant to keep that vow. Jo brought her clothes downstairs, then went out to the small back yard and brought in the tin bath, which she placed in front of the fire before filling it with a few inches of water. She plunged into the icy water, then emerged, her skin glowing. She got dressed in a lime green two piece, together with a warm brown skirt and stockings, then she turned to emptying out the bath. Filling the amount of pans needed to lighten the bath enough for her to drag it through the kitchen, to be emptied down the drain in the back took some time and she had barely finished wiping the breakfast dishes before she heard a knock on the door. Opening it, she found Betty. “You ready for the shops? Tom said he’d warn you I was coming.” She said cheerfully. “I don’t need anything, thank you.” Jo said stiffly, hating the idea of admitting to anyone the failure she had made of her first shopping expedition as a married woman. “I have to go now, I’m afraid. Perhaps I’ll see you in a few days.” Betty was left on the doorstep feeling snubbed. She had liked what she had seen of Jo at the wedding and had looked forward to another newly-wed being in the street, aside from herself and Jim everyone else was married with children, many of whom were grown up and working themselves. Shrugging she made her way to the shops. If Jo didn’t want to be friends it was no skin off her nose. Jim and Tom sat on the dock to eat their carry-out, dangling their legs over the waterside. Tom had been quiet all day, pondering over whether he had been fair to Jo. After her mistake with the housekeeping it was blatantly obviously that his initial instinct on her background was right, was it fair to let her come down to his level? He opened his tin sandwich box and blinked at what lay inside. Arranged carefully on a lace doily were eight wafer-thin, triangular, crustless sandwiches and two finger slices of the Apfelstrudel from the night before. Jim peered into the box and chuckled out loud. “Wife out to impress, is she?” he asked before taking a bite out of his thick, brawn sandwich. “Maybe it’s because she’s been in Austria so long, she doesn’t understand us, or the exchange rate,” Tom added quietly. Jim raised his eyebrows quizzically. “She spent most of the housekeeping yesterday, mind you she did buy presents out of it, but she doesn’t have a clue, not really. Could you ask Betty to help her out a little more, just till she’s used to it. That’s if she stays to get used to it.” Jim looked at his friend in silence, they had been best friends since before their schooldays had started, but it was rare for Tom to speak like this. “You two will make it, everyone has problems when they first get married. Remember me telling you that Sunday dinner Betty made where she just stuck the potatoes in the oven to cook. They were like rocks, but she’s a great little cook now, your Jo will be the same.” “I hope so, I really do.” Tom bit into the ham and mustard sandwich, neatly halving it with one bite. He wanted this marriage to work, but he also had to give Jo the choice, it wasn’t fair to shackle her to a life she had never imagined. Jo had dusted around the living room, struggled with turning the heavy double mattress on her own, but she had succeeded eventually, and made the bed. Then she sat by the front window, keeping watch for Betty to return from the shops. Her words had been abominably rude, once she had thought she had realised that, and she needed a female friend nearby. All her life she had been surrounded by friendly people, some of whom were closer than others, and she missed it. Some women in the street, at least on what she had seen so far, she didn’t think would make suitable friends, Sally Hopkins on the neighbouring side, for example. Her husband had been in the public house on the corner of the street on each evening so far, Jo had seen him returning drunk and Madge had always told her that the reason some men drank too much was down to his home life, and his wife failing to make a proper home, where he would prefer to spend his time. Shifting on the couch, when she saw Betty come down the street, a heavy basket under one arm, Jo gave a slight yelp as a stray spring dug in to her flesh. She ran to the door, stepping down into the street she met with Betty just as the red-haired woman was inserting her key into the lock. “Betty, I was wondering if you’d like to come in for a cup of coffee with me this afternoon?” Betty looked at Jo, this was such a difference from the rebuff she had received a few hours earlier, but the eagerness was obviously in the sensitive face and she found herself nodding. “Never tried coffee, more of a tea drinker meself. I’m willing to give it a go though, how about I nip down the corner shop and mug us to a couple of cream cakes?” “I’d like that, see you about two?” Jo smiled as she turned back to her own home. A new friend and a cream cake, life was looking up. Jo found herself unburdening to Betty over two cups of coffee and a cream slice. Betty grinned at the idea of someone spending a week’s food budget on one meal, albeit a three course one. “Let’s have a look in your larder,” she said, standing up and opening the cupboard door. “Why, Jo you’ve got plenty in here. There’s three quarters of the bird left on that chicken, you’ve got flour, rice and all the basics, maybe you could make batter and do toad in the hole? Any sausages? No, don’t worry. There’s a few tins here at the back, corned beef, peas and the like. And plenty of spuds. If you just get bread for this week and use up what’s in here you’ll be fine, next week come with me and I’ll show you the best shops and stuff.”

Author:	claire [ 19 Apr 2007, 21:48 ]
Post subject:
The new part Over the next few days Tom ate some unusual meals, some better than others. The chicken in batter was odd to say the least, and despite Jo’s best efforts with her kitchen knife they were unrecognisable as toads, but the scraps baked with a tin of mushroom soup, served with baked potatoes was warm and filling. The day however when he had choked down golden syrup and raisin sandwiches accompanied by carrot sticks at midday then came home to curried corned beef with what looked like rice pudding residing on the same plate had him raising his eyebrows. Jo explained that she had attempted a variation on a meal she had enjoyed in India. Tom ate every morsel on his plate (and drank seven glasses of water to keep the meal down – Jo had used the entire jar of curry paste on a single tin of meat) He was really looking forward to Betty taking a hand with the shopping. On Monday morning, Jo waved Tom off to work, holding the more usual carry-out of corned-beef sandwiches and two hard-boiled eggs. She consulted the list Betty had made her of the usual weekly chores all housewives had to complete. Washing day, so Jo filled all the saucepans she could find and set them on the gas rings to heat up. This shouldn’t be too hard, after all after the trip to the Baumersee she had taken, and surprising herself, had passed her Guide Laundress badge at the first attempt. She dragged the heavy dolly tub into the centre of the small space available in the kitchen before heading upstairs to strip the double bed. It took a quite a while for the tub to be filled, Jo having discarded the hose lying in the centre as ‘something to do with emptying the thing’, rather than connecting it to the tap and adding the cold water more quickly than the pan at a time method she had envoked. Pounding up and down with the heavy wooden stick, she found that doing a full household wash was far different, and more tiring, than the few slightly soiled garments she had laundered successfully nearly four years previously. Sweating profusely she lifted out the soaking bundles of laundry, making the pleasing discovery that trousers worn while shifting sacks of coal will turn the water such a dark shade that it was obvious, even to such new a housewife as Jo, that any white sheet entering the water will leave it a vastly different shade. Vowing never to make that mistake again, Jo emptied the dolly tub, rang the clothes she had washed through the mangle, prior to pegging it out on the line in the tiny back yard, before starting the whole process again with the bedding. She had only just finished when Betty came calling to take her to the shops to buy food for the evening meal. Jo found her housewifery skills improving over the next fortnight, Betty helped her with the cooking, one day making a large pan of ‘pea whack’ between the two houses, Jo having had no idea of what to do with the pig’s trotter her neighbour had insisted she buy from the butcher. Doreen, having loved Cecily Hold’s the Fort, spent some time at her new heroine’s home, helping her to clean the windows with newspaper and vinegar without smudging the print all over the pane. This latest session, which Doreen had spent quizzing Jo about new storylines, drove Jo to dig out the typewriter Madge had included in her trunk, sent from Austria. Laying the typewriter on the thick felt tablecloth she got to work on the story she had titled ‘Indian Holiday’, an adaptation on her time with Dacia in the preceeding months. Her second book was awaiting publication and she had already promised Doreen a signed copy. The girl had fairly bounced out of the house, looking forward to school the next day where she could brag to her mates, there were so few things that she had to do so about that a shopping trip to the town centre would be talked about for the next month, this, well this should raise her status for the rest of the school year. Tom walked into the house, to find the fire almost out in the grate and for the first time in his married life there was no smell of cooking coming from the kitchen. Jo didn’t even raise her head from the typewriter and she furrowed her brow, fingers poised above the keys as she pondered how to word the next sentence. Tom walked past his wife in silent amazement, if it wasn’t for her position and the rise and fall of her chest he could be forgiven for thinking she had passed away, he had never seen anyone so absorbed in their thoughts, not moving a muscle. He picked up the poker and shook it in the grate, the flames starting to flick upwards, he added more coal to the fire then looked back at Jo. Still she hadn’t moved. “Jo, Jo?” She jumped, startled. “Tom, I didn’t hear you come in. What time is ….. What have you been doing?” Jo was well within her rights to be surprised as Tom had spread small white feathers throughout the small room, and they clung to his clothing. “This? I was unloading a ship with feathers to stuff pillows and the, the idiots” Tom stopped himself using a stronger epithet, “Hadn’t packed them for some reason, an entire hold-full of feathers and not a sack in sight. What’s for tea?” “Bacon ribs, cabbage and mashed potatoes. I have no idea what that tastes like, Betty said she was sure you would like it…” Jo’s voice trailed off, she was still partly in her story-world. “I’ll go and light the ….” “I do, it’s one of my favourites, I’ll get changed while you get it ready.” Jo roused herself enough to light the gas rings beneath the two pans ready prepared on the stove. She contrived to pick up the feathers Tom had strewn around the room and threw them into the fire, which was now blazing up the chimney. When Tom came down stairs, no longer resembling a fowl, he was greeted by an acrid smell, where the feathers had caught alight and Jo sitting back at her typewriter. Coughing he opened the window and then lifted Jo’s hand off of the typewriter. “Does a husband get to see more than the back of his wife’s head when he gets home?” “Sorry, I had the most gorgeous idea of what happens to Delia and I wanted to get it down.” “Make a deal with you, you clear that, that stuff away for a while, make my tea, then after we’ve eaten I’ll get out of your hair. Jim asked me if I fancied going down the pub for a pint.” Happy in the knowledge that she would have time to write later, Jo cleared her typewriter and paper away, entering the kitchen in time to stop the potato water boiling over. As the couple sat at the table to eat their evening meal, Tom couldn’t help laughing at Jo’s face as she tried in vain to use her knife and fork to remove the meat from the narrow bones. “Use your fingers, Jo, you’ll never get the full taste that way.” Gingerly Jo touched the ribs with the tips of her fingers, it was easier to remove all the meat with her teeth, but she had never been brought up to eat this way, even when Tom had brought them scallops and chips from the fish shop one evening she had insisted on them being placed on china plates and using knives and forks to be consumed. As Tom slammed the front door shut, Jo went back to India and the typewriter. It wasn't long before her eyes felt a strain from the dim light given out from the gas mantle and she came back to her present surroundings. As she looked round for Tom, voices floated into her head "I'll go down the pub," "If a man would rather spend time in a public house than spending time with his wife, there must be something wrong with his marriage." Guilt flooded over her, she had driven Tom out of the marital home, she didn't know where he was really, she'd heard stories of the type of women that frequented public houses, what if he met up with one of those floozies. Jo turned down the gas and went to Betty to get directions to the pub. "Come in, pet. Feeling lonely with Tom off boozing is it?" Jo went to make excuses, saying she had to go and find Tom. "Don't be silly, you don't want to be the nagging wife do you? Him and Jim are quite happy putting the world to right over a few pints, they won't be late back - they've never been a pair to get bladdered. Come in and have a natter." Jo allowed herself to be led into the house, Betty seems to take her husband spending a few hours standing at a drafty bar as a normal part of life, certainly nothing to be worried about. "Kettle's not long on the boil, I'll make us a cuppa and how about a biscuit?" When they were both seated in the fireside chairs, an arrowroot biscuit on the saucers. "Ay, Jo, did you hear about Lizzie from no. 12? I saw her running off with the milkman this afternoon?" Jo's eyes nearly dropped out of her head and she had to quickly right her cup of tea before it sloshed over her lap. What sort of a woman would leave her husband? and children, Jo was sure Lizzie was the woman she often saw in the street, acoompanied by a little two year old girl with bright yellow curls. "But doesn't she have a daughter? How can she just leave her family like ... Jo trailed off as she saw a large grin spreading over Betty's face. "You daft hap'orth Jo. Her Harry IS the milkman, they had to run for the tram, You'd fall for the flaming cat you would." At first Jo was indignant, this wasn't a topic one should joke about, but Betty's grin and laughter were infectious. They were still laughing when Jim pushed open the front door and Jo quickly ran home to greet her husband, with a smile on her face and her left earphone starting to unwind - she kept loosing her hairpins and she no longer had the spare money to buy an extra packet a week.

Author:	Fiona Mc [ 20 Apr 2007, 02:27 ]
Post subject:
Lovely to see this back. I remember reading it in the archives. Thanks. Would like to see what happens to Jo next. I'd have to say she and Tom have coped remarkably well with all the difference they hadn't realised about the other. And Tom and Jo are both lovely in this

Author:	Fatima [ 20 Apr 2007, 07:55 ]
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YAY! I remember reading this, too, and would love to see how it all works out for Jo. Thanks Claire.

Author:	LizB [ 20 Apr 2007, 08:35 ]
Post subject:
Lovely as ever Thanks, Claire

Author:	Ruth B [ 20 Apr 2007, 10:03 ]
Post subject:
Yay! Great to see this back! I love all the misunderstandings in their letters.

Author:	Lexi [ 20 Apr 2007, 10:12 ]
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Ooh yay, a Liverpool drabble! This is great Claire

Author:	keren [ 20 Apr 2007, 12:41 ]
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i liked this, pleased it is back

Author:	Sarah [ 20 Apr 2007, 15:51 ]
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Yeah!! It's back!!!!!!

Author:	brie [ 20 Apr 2007, 17:31 ]
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i missed this the first time (probably cos i wasnt even on the board ) but this is great thanks clare

Author:	Tan [ 20 Apr 2007, 17:48 ]
Post subject:
Good to see this back!

Author:	francesn [ 21 Apr 2007, 15:39 ]
Post subject:
Oh Hurrah! I remember this - can't wait to see what happens. Does she still get to have 11 children? Thanks Claire

Author:	Amanda M [ 21 Apr 2007, 17:08 ]
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Another one glad to see this back. I'm looking forward to seeing what's going to happen next. Thanks Claire.

Author:	Lisa [ 21 Apr 2007, 20:39 ]
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Oh, delighted this is back! I also loved it the first time round and reading about the characters again is like meeting old friends!

Author:	Alice [ 22 Apr 2007, 14:53 ]
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I'm glad you found this drabble Claire, lovely to see it back.

Author:	Ronara [ 23 Apr 2007, 21:24 ]
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Hooray! I loved this first-time-'round, so pleased to see it back again

Author:	JustJen [ 24 Apr 2007, 13:18 ]
Post subject:
Calre, I"m happy to see this story back. Quote: Does she still get to have 11 children? Without Anna's help??

Author:	RroseSelavy [ 24 Apr 2007, 14:24 ]
Post subject:
Yay! I really enjoyed this before - it's great to see it back Thanks Claire.

Author:	leahbelle [ 25 Apr 2007, 15:41 ]
Post subject:
Thanks, Claire. Really enjoying this !

Author:	Bookwormsarah [ 29 Apr 2007, 18:29 ]
Post subject:
Hurrah! Very randomly I was thinking of this last week (having not been on the board for ages) and trying to remember the name... Can't wait to read more

Author:	wheelchairprincess [ 06 May 2007, 18:48 ]
Post subject:
Just discovered this and can't wait to read more!

Author:	claire [ 14 Sep 2008, 19:58 ]
Post subject:
Didn't realise it was a year since I last did this - anyway tis back now I'm feeling better after about a year of having little or no energy) Over the following month Jo became an expert at ‘one pot’ meals, anything which allowed her to feed her husband and herself while still allowing her time to continue her writing, Tom soon became accustomed to being met by the smell of well cooked meal, usually some sort of casserole as Jo called it, or ‘Scouse’ in his terms, and a table covered with paper and a wife with hair three-quarters out of her hair pins. However one day he returned to almost similar sight, however this time Jo was reading a letter, her face and mouth streaked with the blue ink from her fountain pen, she had forgotten that she was holding a pen and not a pencil and absent-mindedly chewed the end. She looked up as he entered the house, eyes distraught. ‘Tom, this letter from Madge she says that Jem feels they ought to move from Tyrol, that it’s not ‘the right environment’ for a school like the Chalet. They’re going to move to Guernsey so they can be sure they are safe. Safe! Wh wouldn’t they be safe there? The Austrians are lovely people and we were always met with kindness while I lived there. Why do they have to move? I was planning on us going to visit them as soon as the cheque comes through for my book’ Jo paused for breath and Tom clasped her hands in his, ‘Jo, calm down for a start I doubt I could get time off work, especially now with everything getting more busy, but if I can then maybe we could go to the Channel Islands, or they could come here more easy. As for safe it’s probably that Hitler, everyone says there may be a war in Europe.’ ‘War! Germany and Austria? But what if they don’t get out in time, what if they are trapped and taken prisioner? Or worse? You won’t have to fight will you? It won’t come here will it?’ Tom smiled, although it didn’t reach his eyes, which betrayed his true fears. ‘Jo, if they are leaving now I’m sure they’ll be fine, plus this is just the German speaking countries – we’re well out of it’ ‘Promise’

Author:	Honor [ 14 Sep 2008, 20:10 ]
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So pleased to see this back Thanks Claire and I am glad to hear you are feeling more energised.

Author:	Lisa [ 14 Sep 2008, 21:01 ]
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Hurrah! I'm so excited to see this back, Claire! Thank you! It's interesting to see Jo's reaction to news of the potential war - I like the way their relationship is developing into such a comfortable one. Loved the image of Jo with ink all round her mouth and hairpins coming out

Author:	Lesley [ 14 Sep 2008, 21:17 ]
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How lovely to see more of this - interesting to see Joey's reaction to the possibilty of War - and similar to her initial reaction in Exile. Of course Tom is going to be called up, isn't he? Thanks Claire

Author:	Fiona Mc [ 14 Sep 2008, 22:54 ]
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Am really glad to see more of this and that you're feeling better

Author:	Dawn [ 14 Sep 2008, 23:24 ]
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Wonderful to see this back - and take care of yourself

Author:	keren [ 15 Sep 2008, 05:37 ]
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lovely to see this back What about children?? trips, or not?

Author:	Ela [ 15 Sep 2008, 12:20 ]
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I think it says a lot for Joey that she's been able to adapt so well to such different circumstances than those to which she's used, but she's very lucky that Tom is so nice! I wonder how she'll manage if he's called up? I did like the misunderstandings in the letters, and Joey's impulsiveness (nothing changes!). Thank-you, Claire.

Author:	Sarah J [ 15 Sep 2008, 12:44 ]
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Great to see this back. Looking forward to more.

Author:	RroseSelavy [ 15 Sep 2008, 13:00 ]
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Woo and yay, I loved this drabble!! Thank you, Claire

Author:	Fatima [ 15 Sep 2008, 14:16 ]
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It's great to see some more of this, because I was really enjoying it! Thanks Claire.

Author:	JS [ 15 Sep 2008, 16:42 ]
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She's lucky that Tom's so nice and doesn't mind her working. Thanks for that.

Author:	Bookwormsarah [ 16 Sep 2008, 15:09 ]
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Oh, hurrah, so glad this is back!

Author:	francesn [ 17 Sep 2008, 07:25 ]
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Brilliant! This was always one of my favourite drabbles. I can't wait to see wartime Jo away from the Chalet - maybe a munitions factory? Or will she get called up?! Thanks, Claire

Author:	RroseSelavy [ 17 Sep 2008, 12:10 ]
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Isn't he in a reserved occupation? But Jo could well end up in munitions factory... I wonder how all these changes will affect what she ends up writing? I can't see her carrying on with boarding school stories for too long.

Author:	JosieG [ 17 Sep 2008, 23:36 ]
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This is brilliant Claire, you've really captured the era. I'm secretly hoping Tom is called up too, although I like this Joey more than some I've read on the board! Looking forward to seeing more of it! Thanks!

Author:	claire [ 19 Sep 2008, 19:45 ]
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The following week Jo walked to Paddy’s market with Betty. Tom had insisted that she save the vast majority of the cheque she had received for the book due to be published before Easter. While his mind had still been on the possibility of war and not wanting her to be in the position his grandmother had been in after the last war, left to raise children on just a widow’s pension, he had insisted on her opening a bank account, she had banked thirty five pounds with a vague idea of them being able to own their own home in the future but with the remaining pound she intended to buy a new tea set after she had dropped yet another saucers when washing up. Betty had insisted that she would be able to get that easily at the market but Jo wasn’t convinced. The pair took their time walking, Jo telling Betty of the letter she had received from her sister and her worries. ‘Madge didn’t say much in the letter, it sounded like she was keeping something from me, she always would have consulted with me in the past…’ ‘In the past queen her moving would have affected you. Now you have your own home and with luck a family soon’ Betty pointed out with a hand caressing her own slightly rounded stomach. ‘I suppose, but it just seems so sudden. She said today that Margot, that’s her sister-in-law, has left with all the children, except Daisy. I’m not sure why Daisy didn’t go unless she’s going with the school I imagine, and she’ll be leaving within a fortnight herself and will write again from Guernsey but there just seems to be something she isn’t telling me and she never mentioned how Rob was which is strange, and Robin didn’t put a note in with the letter – I do hope she’s not ill, she’s always been weak.’ Jo trailed off to thoughts of how her adopted little sister’s mother had succumbed to the dread disease of consumption and there was silence until Betty drew her attention to a stall where a young man, dressed in a suit with a brightly coloured ties, was selling china. Jo carefully picked up one of the cups and saucers he was displaying. Sensing a potential sale he turned his charms on her ‘Lovely bargain that is luv, genuine imitation wedgewood. If you have the full set, that includes tea pot, milk jug and sugar bowl as well as the six cups and saucers I can let you have them for a pound, you won’t get a bargain like that anywhere else, not genuine imitation wedgewood you won’t.’ Seeing Jo’s hand move towards her handbag Betty stepped in ‘she’ll give you ten shillings for the set, she’s got a dozen kids almost she can’t afford a quid’ ‘Ten shillings, I’d be starving my kids if I let it go for that – tell you want I’ll come down a few shillings then you can buy some tea and milk to fill it up – but she’ll need some extra cups mind.’ ‘Tell you what, we’ll skip the extra cups if you make it 15bob?’ The man smiled he liked a good exchange and at 15 shillings he was still making a profit. ‘Go on then and I’ll throw in the box for nothing’

Author:	Lesley [ 19 Sep 2008, 20:11 ]
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Good thing Betty's there to help Jo out! Interesting about Madge - we know why Daisy and Robin are missing - but will everything pan out the same way? Surely, as Jo isn't there, there might be a problem with Jack and Robin being caught out in the open? Bet she doesn't have triplets either!!!!! Thanks Claire

Author:	Lyanne [ 20 Sep 2008, 23:43 ]
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Glad to see this back! I know SLOC and I talk about what we'd do in the war, assuming our current jobs, and as a dock worker, he'd be reserved, but the docks would be a target area for bombs. (I'd also be reserved I believe, running a preschool I'd be rushed off my feet with all the children we'd have in while their parents worked.) Edited for spelling.

Author:	Fiona Mc [ 21 Sep 2008, 15:04 ]
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Glad Tom is being sensible about money and trying to keep joey's feet on the ground. Betty is a really lovely friend to her

Author:	JS [ 23 Sep 2008, 18:48 ]
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Really enjoying this, thanks. I bet the 'genuine imitation Wedgwood' would actually be worth a bit now!

Author:	JustJen [ 23 Sep 2008, 18:54 ]
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Very nice to see an update Claire. Now I'm wondering what's going to happen to Joey during the war. Please update soon

Author:	Ellen [ 23 Sep 2008, 23:02 ]
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Maybe she'll join the SOE, put her special gift for languages to use... I'm really enjoying this, Thank you. Hope to see more soon Ellen (who will really try and be more chatty honest)

Author:	claire [ 24 Nov 2008, 12:57 ]
Post subject:	Re: Jo Bradley update 19/9/08
The next two weeks seemed indeterminably long to Jo as she waited for more news from her sister, her book seemed to grind to a halt and apart from the day to day housework she seemed unable to focus on anything. Then she received a letter from Madge. Jo slipped her thumb nail under the envelope flap, her stomach churned at the sight of what looked like tear stains on the ink. Quickly scanning the contents she sank on the sofa in shock, for once not paying attention to the spring which stuck out of the cushion and was normally avoided religiously. ‘Jo, there is no easy way to put this and I wish that I didn’t have to break the news to you but although most of us have arrived safely in Guernsey Daisy I’m afraid didn’t make it and we still don’t know where Robin is, aside from the fact that she is with Jack Maynard. This probably makes no sense to you but I couldn’t let you know before incase of the Nazi’s getting the post. Just before we were due to leave a group from the school went to Spartz with Miss Wilson – Evadne, Cornelia, Maria Marani, Jeanne Le Coudelac, Lorenz, Robin and Daisy. While they were there they saw Herr Goldman being attacked and Robin and Corney jumped to the rescue. Miss Wilson managed to get Robin and Herr Goldman to temporary safety (the brutes shot him afterwards but Robin had reached us by then) but the Gestapo came looking for her, Jack Maynard ran with her and we haven’t heard from them since. Vater Johann helped get the rest of them out of town but they ended up on the mountainside and no safe way of contacting us as they didn’t like to trust anyone. They knew they had to flee so made for Switzerland, just imagine what they must have gone through Jo, it’s been giving me nightmares, no food no other clothes, no men for support and knowing we’d all be worried for them. They managed to reach the Swiss border, much weakened but then, then Daisy didn’t wait for it to be safe and made a run for the border. This is so hard to write but the Gendarme saw someone making for the border and fired. My poor Daisy – all she wanted was to be safe and see her mother again.’ Jo’s eyes filled with tears, this couldn’t be true. Daisy couldn’t be dead, not at the age of twelve, her mother had lost so many children already. And Robin, what if she had met a similar fate, no one had heard from her or Jack Maynard would she ever know the truth?

Author:	JB [ 24 Nov 2008, 13:02 ]
Post subject:	Re: Jo Bradley update 24/11/08
Great to see this back. There are almost tears dripping onto my keyboard. Poor Daisy.

Author:	KJX [ 24 Nov 2008, 13:56 ]
Post subject:	Re: Jo Bradley update 24/11/08
Oh poor Daisy! The implications of Jo marrying someone else are really far reaching aren't they!

Author:	Fiona Mc [ 24 Nov 2008, 15:36 ]
Post subject:	Re: Jo Bradley update 24/11/08
Poor Daisy

Author:	Lesley [ 24 Nov 2008, 20:25 ]
Post subject:	Re: Jo Bradley update 24/11/08
Oh no!!! And the chances of Jack and Robin surviving are low - after all it was Joey pretending to be a gypsy that put the Nazi's off catching them. Thanks claire

Author:	Chelsea [ 24 Nov 2008, 20:51 ]
Post subject:	Re: Jo Bradley update 24/11/08
But...but...but... That is just NOT right. Poor Daisy. And Margot. And Rob and Jack. And...well everyone.

Author:	Amanda M [ 24 Nov 2008, 21:39 ]
Post subject:	Re: Jo Bradley update 24/11/08
Poor Daisy. How upsetting from Jo being so far away from her family. It's good to see this back. Thanks Claire.

Author:	Bookwormsarah [ 25 Nov 2008, 10:42 ]
Post subject:	Re: Jo Bradley update 24/11/08
Oh oh oh OH! Oh, poor Daisy. sniffs So glad this is back, thank you!

Author:	Mrs Redboots [ 25 Nov 2008, 18:24 ]
Post subject:	Re: Jo Bradley update 24/11/08
Oh dear, poor Daisy, how sad. Also wibbling for Jack and the Robin - and it's the Robin Jo will mind about most of all, as in this Universe she wasn't in love with Jack, and hadn't had much chance to get to know Daisy, either. I do hope she will turn up safe and well somewhere, sometime.

Author:	Sarah_K [ 25 Nov 2008, 21:22 ]
Post subject:	Re: Jo Bradley update 24/11/08
Oh Daisy It was amazing they all got out in canon, just the right set of skills I suppose! And without Joey and with Daisy... I hope Jack and Robin are safe but I fear they won't be.

Author:	JS [ 26 Nov 2008, 18:13 ]
Post subject:	Re: Jo Bradley update 24/11/08
Oh no......... But more please

Author:	JustJen [ 28 Nov 2008, 03:56 ]
Post subject:	Re: Jo Bradley update 24/11/08
Oh no. Poor Daisy, Jack and Robin.

Author:	Lyanne [ 01 Dec 2008, 23:02 ]
Post subject:	Re: Jo Bradley update 24/11/08
Oh, I hope they don't have to wait too long to hear about the Robin and Jack, though not knowing leaves room for hope.

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