Home Front Nurse: An emotional first world war saga full of hope

‘’Don’t worry about that,’ Angelina said at once. ‘You can always get in beside me until you drift off, and then I’ll transfer you!’ She squeezed Ruby’s arm. ‘It’s all right, Ruby, there’ll still always be the three of us – you, me and teddy.’

After they had made up the beds, and found out where the kettle and the cups and plates and cutlery were stored, Maria Jones went to the door.

‘I had better go,’ she said, ‘because I must report back to Miss Kingston.’ She smiled. ‘’And I shall tell her that I think you are going to be very happy here.’

Much, much later, with Ruby snuggled in beside her and fast asleep, Angelina’s mind was churning with all the hopes and thoughts and ambitions that wouldn’t leave her alone. She knew that, for the moment, her life had been set out for her and that she must accept it. She was lucky to have been found a job, and the owner of the hotel had treated her very kindly at the interview, though the woman in charge of the kitchen where Angelina would be working hadn’t seemed so keen. She’d stared at Angelina suspiciously and had refused Angelina’s offer to shake her hand, turning away curtly. But that didn’t bother Angelina, who had no intention of being there very long in any case. She had already made up her mind about her next step. In August she would be applying to St Thomas’s to join their nursing school. She was already sorting out the details. She didn’t think that she would be a live-in candidate at first, so she and Ruby would still be here together for a while, and after that, well … it was no good looking too far ahead. Things would work out. Angelina would make sure they did.

She turned over to face Ruby who was deeply asleep, and very carefully lifted the smaller child into her arms and moved the few steps to the other bed, and tucked her in. Ruby was still clutching the little pink teddy bear, and Angelina didn’t have the heart to take it from her. It was their first night away, after all.

After the excitement of the day, even Angelina was beginning to feel tired, which was unusual. She seldom felt tired because there was always so much to do. So much to think about.

In the quiet of that modest room, she let her imagination take her to that honeyed, secret place in her heart. A place she was visiting more and more.

She was here in bed with Alexander beside her. Her Prince Charming had claimed her as his own and she could feel his gentle, kind hands, could hear his deep voice murmuring sweet words.

‘I love you, darling Angelina, with all my heart,’ he murmured. ‘You know I always have, and I always will.’

‘I know that, Alexander, and I will always love you, too,’ Angelina softly whispered the familiar words which she had said over and over to herself for so long, felt his caress, the beat of his heart against her own, his requesting lips on hers. And she murmured again, ‘I know I can never be yours, Alexander, but I will love you until the end of my days.’

Chapter 5 (#ulink_712fdef3-35e9-5362-90fa-6cd0b23290ee)

For the first few weeks, life did seem strange to both the girls, because for the first time in their young lives they had to work out their own routines. To get up in time without being told – and go to bed when they felt like it – to sort out their clothes, and their mealtimes, and keep their room clean without it being checked up on by Mrs Marshall or Miss Jones.

Before they were to start work, Angelina and Ruby had been given three days to get used to everything, and to find their way around their new neighbourhood. On the first morning, straight after breakfast, they went out to do a little shopping.

Dressed in their warm hats and coats, because it was still very cold, they left the house and started walking towards a small row of shops at the far end of the long street.

The first one they came to was the greengrocer’s, which had the name ‘Foster’s’ in big letters above the door. Already displayed outside were ranks of vegetables, all neatly set out. Potatoes and carrots and parsnips and onions, and opposite, at the other side of the entrance, were baskets of tomatoes and apples, pomegranates and oranges. Ruby looked up at Angelina.

‘Anybody could steal all this,’ she whispered, ‘because no one is looking after it, are they?’

Just then, the owner appeared at the door. He was a middle-aged man, dressed in a long white apron down to his knees, and with a jaunty white hat on his head. He smiled at the girls.

‘Good morning, young ladies! Is there anything I can get you today?’

Both girls returned his smile. ‘Oh, no thank you,’ Angelina said, ‘but I am sure we will be buying our vegetables from you very soon.’ She hesitated, then said, ‘You see, we have only just moved in – down the road in the big house at the end – and we have enough of everything for now. But thank you very much.’

The man grinned down at them. ‘Well, welcome to the area, and I am sure you are going to be two of my best customers.’ Then he picked out two rosy apples and two oranges and put them into a brown paper bag. ‘Have these with my compliments,’ he said as he turned to go back inside. ‘I hope to see you again very soon.’

‘Oh, thank you, Mr Foster,’ Angelina said, ‘that is so kind of you!’

Ruby, clutching the bag of fruit, looked at Angelina as the two walked towards the next shop. ‘I thought we had to pay for everything,’ she said.

‘Of course we do, Ruby – usually – but not if it’s a present.’

The next shop was the butcher’s, outside of which were carcasses of lambs and pigs hanging on huge hooks. Ruby shuddered. ‘I don’t like the look of this,’ she said. ‘Those poor animals, Angelina.’

Angelina shoved Ruby ahead of her. ‘Well, don’t look, Ruby. Now here’s the newsagent’s – and there are sure to be sweets! Come on, we haven’t spent anything yet, so we can afford to buy some toffees. We both like those, don’t we?’

Walking on slowly, they passed the hardware shop and the grocer’s, and finally they came to the baker’s. The smell of freshly cooked bread was enough to make them stop and enter. Even though they had enough food in their cupboard to be going on with, they both decided they could afford to buy a currant bun each, to eat now. At last they retraced their steps and began making their way back home.

‘I think I am going to really like living here, don’t you, Ruby?’ Angelina said, licking sugar from her fingers. ‘Everyone is so kind and seems to like talking to us.’

Ruby nodded as she finished the last of her bun. ‘And look over there, Angelina – I can see swings and see-saws. That must be a park over there, like the one we used to go to when we were at the Garfield.’

Angelina stared across. ‘Yes, of course it’s a park – and there are sure to be seats where we can sit when the weather gets warmer.’

There was silence for a few moments after that, with Angelina being acutely aware that, suddenly, her recent high spirits had dropped like a stone. And she knew it was because of that certain memory, two years earlier, which had refused to leave her, even though it was childish and silly.

It had been a lovely Saturday afternoon over Easter, and they had all gone to the park in the care of Miss Jones. Unusually, Miss Kingston had accompanied them as well. Everyone was especially happy because, after all, they had a week’s holiday from school, and each child had received a big Easter egg, with smaller ones inside, some of which they’d taken with them to eat in the park.

Angelina and Ruby had been swinging contentedly together, side by side, to and fro, when in the near distance but away from the play area, Angelina had suddenly spotted two figures she’d recognised only too well. On one of the long benches beneath a huge sycamore tree, Alexander had been sitting there with Honora Mason. Beautiful Honora, his girlfriend. He’d had his arm around her shoulders and was looking down at her, and she was gazing up at him and smiling. Every now and then she would laugh her tinkling little laugh and she’d seemed so happy, so sure of herself and of what her future held.

Angelina’s mouth had suddenly gone completely dry as she’d witnessed the scene. For her, the afternoon had been completely ruined. She’d known she was being silly, because everyone knew that those two had always been meant for each other, and that one day they were sure to get married. But as long as Angelina didn’t actually see them together, she could put that thought from her mind, could pretend that it wasn’t true, after all. But that day, she couldn’t deny the sight of her own eyes, and it was no good. She had never had any real chance of being anything more to the man of her dreams than one of his father’s orphans whom he’d taken it into his head to be especially kind to. And had she been making that up, all this time, thinking she was someone special? Because he’d talked to other children as well, had seemed to take a real interest in what they were doing. Why had she allowed herself to fantasise that one day he would put that silver slipper on her foot and take her away to his palace and that they would live happily ever after?

She’d stopped swinging and Ruby had stopped too. ‘Are you going to eat one of your chocolates now, Angelina?’ Ruby had said.

‘No,’ Angelina had replied. ‘I just don’t feel like one, Ruby.’

‘Have you got a tummy ache?’ Ruby had asked as she’d started carefully removing the silver paper from one of the little eggs in her pocket.

‘Not a tummy ache,’ Angelina had replied, ‘but I want to go home, now. I hope it’s nearly time.’

As they’d all trooped back, Angelina had heard Miss Kingston talking to Miss Jones about Honora Mason and about what a lovely girl she was. And wasn’t it charming to see two young people so much in love?

Now, as they were strolling back home, Angelina tried to shake off her pointless memories. She glanced down at Ruby. ‘Isn’t Miss Kingston clever to have found us somewhere like this to live, Ruby? I know it’s a very long street and the grey houses look exactly the same – all those windows like beady eyes staring down at us are a little bit threatening! But it already begins to feel like home. It really does. Do you feel like that, too, Ruby?’

‘’Course I do,’ Ruby said, tucking her hand into Angelina’s arm. ‘As long as we’re both here together, anywhere will always feel like home.’

Angelina didn’t say any more, thinking that one day soon, Ruby would have to get used to being a bit more by herself. Because a day didn’t pass without Angelina envisaging herself dressed in a nurse’s uniform …

But before that, next week, she must start working at the hotel, and the idea didn’t appeal. It seemed such a waste of time when she could be starting on her proper career. But as Miss Kingston had advised, Angelina must be patient. She was still very young – perhaps too young – for St Thomas’s to take her.

Angelina narrowed her eyes at her own thoughts. Just you wait, St Thomas’s. However hard you try, you won’t keep Angelina Green away. Not for long.

Chapter 6 (#ulink_712fdef3-35e9-5362-90fa-6cd0b23290ee)

It was Friday a few weeks later, and at six o’clock the salon was about to close for the day. Angelina was waiting outside to walk back home with Ruby. Angelina’s hours at the hotel varied, and this week, she had finished early each day.

Presently, Ruby emerged. She ran over to Angelina, and they started walking back home.

‘I was given three tips today, Angelina’ Ruby exclaimed. ‘Three! At this rate we are going to be rich!’

‘Well, people don’t give tips unless they are pleased with you,’ Angelina said, ‘so you must be doing everything right – as I always knew you would.’

‘But I don’t think I’ll be allowed to do any shampooing and setting,’ Ruby said. ‘I mean, I knew I would be expected to sweep up and do chores, but now I speak to clients all the time – and they seem to like talking to me. Often, when I take them their tea, it’s hard to get away! I don’t want Mrs Walker to think I’m wasting time because she is so kind to me. She’s even said she would teach me to do perms if I liked, but I don’t think I will ever be as clever as she is. Imagine cutting hair with those sharp scissors! Whatever would I do if I took too much off! I couldn’t put it back on again, could I!’

Angelina laughed. ‘That could certainly be difficult,’ she said, ‘but you are doing brilliantly, Ruby, you really are. The best thing is, you are happy there, aren’t you? You do look forward to going to work every day, don’t you?’