‘Is she now!’ Dolly’s face was full of pleasure. ‘Well, sure, that’s wonderful! When’s she coming, does she say? Will she live in her own house again or will they expect her to stay in one of their billets?’
Dolly had never felt right about her son Frank’s return to the city of his birth, only to have to live with a landlady, not back in his old home with her. The fact that there wasn’t actually any room for him any more didn’t make a difference to her mother’s instinct to have him home to look after him. She’d felt hurt, even though she’d known logically he needed to be closer to the centre and Derby House. It wasn’t about logic, it was about the deep urge to take care of him, no matter how old he was and how far he’d risen through the ranks. Now she felt the same about Kitty. She was almost like another daughter to her, and she wanted nothing more than to see she was safe and well.
‘She’s not really sure,’ Rita replied, shifting a little to make Ellen more comfortable. ‘She’s told them she wants to live back at home. I suppose that would make it better for Tommy, come to think of it. Between Kitty and Danny, they should be able to keep an eye on him if he does come home. Isn’t it the best news, though? I can’t wait to have her back again; we’ve hardly seen her since she left. She says she should be back before Easter. Jack will be made up when he hears.’
Dolly poured two cups from the pot and pushed one across. ‘Here, let me hold my little granddaughter while you enjoy your tea.’ She reached out and Rita gratefully passed Ellen over, taking great care not to disturb her.
‘The thing is, I need your advice,’ Rita went on. ‘Jack’s too far away – I wouldn’t get a letter to him and a reply back in time – so I want to see if you think this is a good idea or not.’
Dolly looked up expectantly, while cradling Ellen’s head in its tiny crocheted bonnet against her shoulder. ‘What’s on your mind, Rita, love?’
Rita took a sip before explaining. ‘It’s who to have as godparents at the christening. Jack and I agreed we wanted to do this properly, seeing as our wedding wasn’t in the church. Now we’ve got time to plan everything. We want to be fair. Jack’s already said he wants to ask Danny, that’s only right, and I thought I’d ask Sarah, being as how she was the one who brought little Ellen into the world. With your help, of course.’ She grinned, glad that part of the process was over and done with.
‘Now don’t be selling yourself short,’ Dolly admonished her. ‘We just cheered you on – you did all the hard graft there.’
Rita nodded. ‘Worth it, though.’ She gazed in adoration at her little girl before carrying on. ‘So now Kitty is coming back, I would really like to ask her. She’s always been such a good friend to me, as well as being Jack’s sister. I couldn’t think of anyone better, and she’ll be a good example to Ellen too.’
‘She will that,’ said Dolly. ‘None better. She’s done well for herself, and all through her own hard work and talent. I take my hat off to her. She’d be a grand choice, Rita, and I’m sure Jack would agree if he was here. Why would you even think twice?’
Rita nodded. She had no doubts about Kitty’s suitability. That wasn’t what was troubling her. ‘I don’t want to offend Violet,’ she told her mother. ‘She might have expected to be asked. We’d have asked Eddy too, if we could have been certain he’d be back, but even though he’s due leave for Easter week, you know what it’s like – they could be delayed, or the weather could turn, or anything like that. But Violet – she’s here every day and she loves Ellen. I wouldn’t want to put her nose out of joint for anything. It’s just that it seems unfair to have two godmothers from my side and none from Jack’s.’
‘So that’s why you wouldn’t ask Nancy,’ Dolly said, more as a statement than a question. She looked at Rita.
Rita nodded. ‘Yes, we have to be fair.’ She didn’t say that she wouldn’t have asked Nancy anyway, as she didn’t think her middle sister was any kind of suitable role model. She knew full well that Dolly was thinking exactly the same, but neither of them needed to put it into words. Even though Sarah was four years younger, she was far more steady and reliable. God forbid, if anything were to happen to Rita, she knew she could safely entrust the care of Ellen to Sarah or Kitty. She wouldn’t feel nearly as happy relying on Nancy.
‘I’m sure Violet will understand,’ Dolly said. ‘She’s not one to take offence. Look what a hard time some people gave her when she first arrived and they didn’t know who she was. She ignored them and they soon stopped their carping. I wouldn’t think you’d have to worry about her.’
Rita gave a little shrug of acknowledgement. Violet had arrived out of the blue, as Eddy hadn’t told his family he’d got married, and everyone had had to get accustomed to her strong Mancunian accent and braying laugh, which could shake the walls. Her lanky frame and general resemblance to Olive Oyl from the Popeye cartoons made her an easy target for gossip to begin with, but it had soon died down, particularly when she had begun to help out in the shop. Now she was accepted by all but the most petty-minded, such as the occasional older dock worker, who pretended he couldn’t understand what she was saying.
Dolly was sure what she was saying was true, but she kept to herself her other thoughts. She knew, though she never mentioned it, just how desperate Violet was for a family of her own. Violet had never talked about it but, with her sharply honed instinct, Dolly could tell. It was the way Violet looked after little Georgie, never complaining; always ready to play with him even when she was dog-tired. Or the way she was with Michael and Megan on their rare visits, never too busy to listen to them and their stories of life on the farm. Dolly recalled how, when she’d first arrived, Violet hadn’t told them about her real background, letting it be known she was an only child, the orphan of a respectable vicar and his wife. In fact she was too ashamed of the real version, that she was one of eight. It was true her father was dead, but her mother had still been alive then, an alcoholic married to an abusive second husband. Violet had visited her mother for the final time just before a bomb had killed her. So now Violet was genuinely an orphan with nowhere else to go, but she had found her true home with the Feenys.
‘I do hope not,’ Rita said, pausing to drain the last of her tea. ‘I couldn’t do without her help, you know. I’m glad you think I’ve made the right decision.’
Dolly nodded vigorously. ‘And besides, she can be godmother next time,’ she suggested. ‘You’ll not be stopping at little Ellen here, now will you?’ She raised her eyebrows and smiled.
‘Honestly, Mam!’ Rita didn’t know whether to be embarrassed or cross or pleased. She ended up a mixture of all three. ‘I’ve barely given birth to this one; it’s far too soon to be thinking of any more.’
‘Well, you never know,’ said Dolly, who had never regretted having five children, her heart full of love for all of them, even though she couldn’t remember when she’d last had a minute’s peace. A large family was a blessing. She’d known far bigger families back in Ireland, and five seemed nothing in comparison. Her children were the centre of her world, and she wanted nothing more than for them to have the chance to feel the same.
‘We’ll see,’ said Rita, calm again. ‘First let’s see if we can come through this war, and then I can have my Jack back with me all the time. He hasn’t even seen Ellen yet. He’s counting the days until Easter – he can’t wait to meet her.’
‘Of course he is!’ said Dolly, with extra enthusiasm to hide her secret worry that Jack would have his leave cancelled at the last minute, as so often happened. If Rita was openly concerned that Eddy wouldn’t make it back on time, then the same risk must apply to Jack. She would have to keep her fingers crossed that both young men would manage to get the leave they’d been promised. ‘Anyway,’ she said with a sly note, ‘by the time you have the baby after that, Sid might be home and then he and Nancy can be godparents