Eddie’s son grew more like him every day. Kate listened to Hilda’s description of the baby’s dear face. Both of them doted on the child and Hilda told Kate how well he was learning to walk. Kate heard him talk in an endearing, stuttering way, his soft hands clinging to Kate’s skirts.
Hilda, although getting older and more careworn by the day, loved to hold the boy in her arms, gather him against her thin breast, kissing his downy head with tears in her eyes.
On the weekend, Stephen came home from his business trip and, to Kate’s relief, Hilda treated him like the man of the house he was. She generously made a large supper for Stephen and when he came into the little kitchen, dropping his bag on the floor, he took a deep appreciative smell of the roasting lamb.
‘Something good is cooking.’ He shrugged out of his jacket, hung it carefully on the back of the chair and sat down with a weary sigh. ‘Cup of tea, darling?’ he said to Kate.
‘Sure you picked a good time to come home, it’s all quiet here for once.’
‘His lordship is asleep I take it?’
For a moment Kate was irritated, she wanted to say her son’s name was Edward but she thought of Stephen’s goodness to her, remembered how Hari had described his scars, and softened.
‘Kettle’s just boiled,’ Hilda said and Kate felt for a chair and sat down close to her husband. ‘How’s work treating you?’
‘I went up to Island Farm today, I had to take them some new typewriter equipment.’
‘Oh?’ Kate felt his hand touch hers. ‘How did the prisoners treat you?’
‘Well, seriously, some of them are nice blokes,’ Stephen said. ‘Some are hard bastards, begging your pardon, Hilda.’
Without turning she poured the water into the teapot. ‘Don’t mind me! I think Germans are
‘Hilda,’ Kate said softly, ‘it’s wartime, we are killing Germans too. Sure as Mary was a Virgin the Germans can’t all be bad.’
‘Humph!’ Hilda was not convinced. ‘Rather him than me—’ she nodded in Stephen’s direction—‘rather him than me work with them sods.’
Stephen drank his tea and said nothing more. Kate felt a pang. Eddie, she still loved him, down deep inside of her. She was happy she had a bit of him in the little one and yet respect and even love was growing for Stephen, who was a good husband and a good stepfather to her son.
He worked hard and brought enough money home to keep them all in reasonable comfort. If it wasn’t for Stephen they would be poor as church mice.
‘Hungry, Stephen?’ she asked.
‘I’ll be dishing up for the lad in a minute, don’t worry.’ Hilda had softened, she seemed to have picked up on Kate’s thoughts. ‘After all, Stephen is master of the household now. We are beholden to you, Stephen, and grateful.’
Kate examined Hilda’s words for sign of sarcasm but found none. Hilda was truly grateful to him. Stephen was embarrassed.
‘No need to be grateful, it’s me should be grateful, I’ve got a home and a family now and me with my ugly mug all scarred and burned—I’m one lucky blighter.’
Kate felt tears well in her sightless eyes and her fingers curled in his.
‘To me you will always be the handsome boy I first knew back in those days in the Glyn Hall,’ she said softly.
She heard Hilda move sharply from her chair and leave the room. ‘I’m sorry,’ she said to her husband, ‘she’s still grieving over Eddie and,’ she sighed, ‘so am I sure enough but you are very dear to me Stephen, never forget that.’
‘And you are the most beautiful girl in the world, my Kate. I never knew I could love anyone as much as I love you.’
In the next few days Kate’s suspicion became a certainty: she was expecting Stephen’s child. She was excited, thrilled and fearful. There were doubts in her mind, worries more like. Would her scars hold, would Stephen be pleased even though it meant another mouth to be fed—and what would Hilda think?
She waited till nightfall and then went to see Hari. Darkness was no threat to Kate, for her it was always dark. In any case, she knew the streets of Swansea well enough. To her delight, Hari was home from work.
‘Kate! My lovely girl, what are you doing out alone when there could be an air raid any time? Come in, come in. There, sit by the fire while I pour you a drink of sherry.’
Kate felt for the chair and sat down. It wasn’t cold outside and yet the heat from the fire was comforting. When the drink was poured, Hari guided her hand to the glass. ‘I’m so glad you came,’ Hari said, ‘I’m so worried.’
Kate’s spirits lightened, she wasn’t the only one with problems, her dear friend Hari had some too by the sound of it.
‘What’s wrong, Hari, is it Meryl again?’
‘Partly.’ Kate listened while Hari told her of the night the military police had come looking for Michael. ‘Since then they’ve both disappeared into thin air.’ Hari’s voice was breaking. ‘I’ve been to the farm and no one’s there. Jessie’s gone away and the farmer next door is looking after the stock.’
‘Michael will get in touch with you, Hari, to be sure he will.’
‘How can he when they’re looking for him to arrest him for being half German. They think he’s a spy or something.’
‘Look,’ Kate said firmly, ‘if he’s got Meryl with him he’ll be just fine, you know what’s she’s like.’
‘I do.’ Hari’s voice had lightened. ‘She’s a bossy little boots but she’s strong and efficient, she’ll work it out, you’re right enough, Kate. I’m so glad you came and talked sense to me.’
As Kate put down her glass, feeling carefully for the edge of the table, the siren shattered the silence of the little kitchen. ‘Well, you’ll have to be bossy and efficient now,’ Kate said dryly, ‘come on, take me to the nearest shelter.’
Later, when the all-clear sounded, Hari walked Kate to her door and hugged her. ‘I’m not coming in,’ she said apologetically, ‘I’ve got to be up early in the morning. Take care and love to Stephen. You’re lucky to have him you know.’
‘I do know.’ Kate’s words were heartfelt.
She waited until she and Stephen were in bed and then she put her arm around his broad chest and felt his hair tickle her skin. ‘I’ve got something to tell you so I have,’ she whispered.
‘I know,’ he whispered back.
‘How can you know?’
‘I’ve got eyes. Sorry! That was crass of me. Your eyes are so beautiful I sometimes forget you can’t see.’
‘I can’t be showing yet,’ Kate protested. She felt her belly. It wasn’t as loose and fat around the scars as it used to be but it was still not flat and hard as the body of a young woman should be.
‘Hilda told me,’ he said.
‘Hilda knows?’
‘Obviously.’
‘Well, I’ll go to the bottom of our stairs.’ Kate felt relief surge through her as she had dreaded the ordeal of telling Hilda the news and the old woman had known almost before she had.
‘Are you pleased?’ she whispered to Stephen.
‘Pleased? I’m damn well delighted,’ Stephen whispered in her ear. ‘In fact so pleased I think we should make sure just in case.’
He took her in his arms, so gently, so tenderly, and as Kate clung to him, she felt tears of happiness begin to roll down her cheeks. If she couldn’t have her Eddie, there was no other man she’d want to be with but Stephen.
Thirty-One
