Love Walked Right In Page 6

  ‘How awful,’ said Edith, giving her arm a squeeze. ‘Did they ever find out what happened?’

  ‘Natural causes, as far as I know,’ said Ruby. ‘Nobody’s ever said any different. The place looks just the same. It’s not sold or anything.’

  ‘What Bernard and I wouldn’t give for a place like that,’ Edith sighed. ‘We’re going to have to start off in Mum-in-law’s house. She’s letting us use the front parlour.’

  Ruby caught her breath. ‘What about our old place in Newlands Road?’

  Edith stopped walking and stared at her. ‘Do you mean that?’

  ‘There’s someone living there at the moment,’ said Ruby, ‘but I know for a fact that she’s only stopping there while she visits her husband in the hospital. She’s a patient of my father, and Mum’s kind-hearted like that.’

  ‘Ooh, Roob,’ said Edith, ‘a place of our own would be wonderful. Would you ask her for me?’

  ‘Look,’ said Ruby, anxious not to build up her friend’s hopes too high, ‘I can’t promise anything, but I’ll certainly try.’

  ‘Thanks, Roob,’ said Edith. ‘You’re a brick.’

  On Wednesday March 24th the boys arrived at Sea View. Miss Bullock brought them in her car. Albrecht and Franz clicked their heels and gave Ruby a quick nod of the head as they were introduced. Ruby held out her hand to shake, but it was ignored. The boys were much bigger than she had expected them to be. Albrecht was roughly the same height as herself, but Franz was much taller. In fact he was bigger all round. Thickset and with bulging thighs and hairy legs, he seemed much older than his supposed fourteen years. Both boys were blond and wore their hair shaved close to the side of the head. They were dressed in a long-sleeved brown shirt with a lanyard tied to the shoulder and ending in a pocket on the chest, leather shorts, a belt, long khaki socks and stout walking shoes. Ruby knew from what Rachel had told her that the Scouting movement had been outlawed in Germany, but the boys’ uniform looked strikingly like it.

  As soon as Miss Bullock left, it became apparent that Albrecht was the more confident of the two. ‘We have travelled from London,’ he said in impeccable English and with only the faint trace of an accent. ‘The countryside at this time of the year is very good.’

  ‘I love springtime,’ Ruby agreed. ‘Everything looks so fresh and green. Let me introduce you to my husband.’

  Jim was doing the crossword in his paper. He pulled it down to acknowledge the boys, but said nothing. The monkey, now housed in a much larger cage, regarded them with a curious expression as Albrecht and Franz clicked their heels once again.

  ‘I’ll show you to your room,’ said Ruby as she led them upstairs. Each boy carried a small suitcase. ‘I’ll leave you to unpack. Your meal will be ready at six.’

  Albrecht nodded curtly and she left them to it. She had gone to a lot of trouble to ensure their comfort. Each boy had his own towel, and she had put some children’s books beside the bed. Now, having seen what they looked like, she was afraid that they would seem far too babyish. She was mildly surprised when, almost as soon as they had entered the room, they both thundered downstairs and out of the house. The front door swung on its hinges. With a tut of disapproval, she followed them to close it again.

  ‘We go to the sea,’ shouted Franz, as he saw her following them to the door.

  ‘Be back by six,’ she cautioned.

  They ran very fast and in no time at all they were almost at Marine Parade. Ruby had thought that perhaps they were going for a swim, but then she saw their cameras swinging from a strap around their necks.

  ‘What the devil are they up to?’ said Jim, coming up behind her.

  Ruby closed the door, feeling a tad uneasy, although she couldn’t really say why.

  The boys arrived back at the house in time for tea and set about their meal with gusto. Ruby served them shepherd’s pie with jam roly-poly and custard to follow, but already she worried that she might not have enough. They had enormous appetites.

  Because of the language barrier, the conversation at the table was stilted, but they managed. There was no mention of the present difficulties between their two countries. Albrecht explained that they were on a fortnight’s tour of the country with their play, and that when they left Worthing they would be heading along the coast.

  ‘Tomorrow,’ Franz told them, ‘we will go to your town hall. We see the mayor.’

  ‘Then we go to the gymnasium,’ said Albrecht. ‘We are very good.’

  Ruby suppressed a smile behind her hand. And modest with it, she thought to herself.

  ‘Where were you two haring off to just now?’ asked Jim.

  Albrecht looked puzzled. ‘Haring?’

  ‘He means running very fast,’ said Ruby. ‘You were in a terrible hurry, but you didn’t go into the sea.’

  ‘I wish for picture,’ said Franz.

  ‘We wanted to photograph the sea front,’ said Albrecht, ‘but it was already too black.’

  ‘Too dark,’ Jim corrected. They sat in silence for a while, then Jim said, ‘You are both very fit. I don’t think I’ve ever seen a boy run so fast.’

  The chests of both boys swelled with pride. ‘We have to run sixty metres in twelve seconds,’ said Albrecht.

  ‘And we must run over the country for one day and a half,’ said Franz.

  Jim pulled a face. ‘I’m impressed.’

  ‘We have a performance book,’ said Albrecht.

  ‘I see,’ said Jim. ‘Sounds like a good idea.’

  ‘Oh yes, of course,’ Albrecht agreed. ‘We German youth are strong and healthy.’

  ‘And when you’ve done all this keeping fit,’ said Jim, ‘what is your reward?’

  Franz looked puzzled. ‘Reward?’

  ‘For this we wear the brown shirt,’ said Albrecht, ‘our Jungvolk badge and the shoulder strap.’

  ‘I see,’ said Jim gravely. Everyone fell silent. ‘Would a postcard do?’ asked Jim. The boys seemed puzzled. ‘Instead of your photograph, would a postcard do?’

  ‘Ah, this is good,’ said Franz enthusiastically. ‘Ja.’

  There was a knock at the door. When Ruby got up to answer it, Cousin Lily stood on the doorstep. ‘I’ve come for my lesson,’ she whispered conspiratorially.

  ‘We’re just finishing our tea,’ said Ruby. She was about to introduce Albrecht and Franz, but they excused themselves and went up to their room, although not before Ruby noticed Franz giving Lily a rather lustful stare. Fortunately her cousin didn’t appear to notice. Lily helped Ruby with the washing up, until Jim decided to go into the sitting room with his paper. As soon as he’d gone, Ruby got out the writing pad and, having written Lily’s name in a lovely copperplate hand, left her at the kitchen table to copy it. It took all Lily’s concentration, but she managed a fair attempt. Ruby encouraged her to take the test paper home and bring it back when every line on the page had her signature on it.

  ‘All this writing gives me such a headache,’ Lily groaned.

  ‘Well, you’ll have to put up with it, if you don’t want Nick to know you can’t read and write,’ said Ruby.

  Lily shrugged despairingly. ‘I suppose so.’

  ‘Night then, love.’

  Ruby’s voice came softly towards him in the darkness, but Jim didn’t answer. He lay on his back, staring at the ceiling and sighed inwardly. His right leg was throbbing again and although he had already taken an aspirin, he knew that until it stopped he would have little sleep. He stretched out his left leg and a sharp pain caught him just below the knee. He jerked it back up until it was slightly bent and tried again, this time moving much more slowly.

  He didn’t want Ruby to worry, but he was concerned about their schoolboy guests. Why were they singled out from their classmates? The rest of the group were being boarded out with families in the town, and yet Franz and Albrecht had been sent to a seaside guest house far away from the supervision of their teachers. It just didn’t add up. Jim couldn’t help remembering the look of relief on
Miss Bullock’s face when Ruby brought her into their home. Was it more than simply relief to have found somewhere so quickly?

  The two countries, Germany and Britain, were supposed to be friends. The cultural visits between schools in Germany and the home-grown variety were encouraged, to cement good relations between the nations, but there was no getting away from the fact that everybody was talking about war. It seemed a bit unlikely that the same thing wasn’t happening in Germany and, if that was the case, was it possible that Franz and Albrecht were in Worthing with a totally different agenda – or was that a little fanciful?

  The year before, and after all his promises not to, Hitler had invaded the Rhineland. This had been classified as a demilitarized zone left over from the last war, and designed to stop German aggression breaking out again. That strip of land bordered the Netherlands, Belgium, France and Switzerland. It wouldn’t take much to invade those countries and, if he was tempted, how long would it be before Hitler set his sights further afield, especially now that Germany, Italy and Japan had formed an alliance?

  Was he the only person in the country who could see the dangers? And now here he was, with two of that madman’s worshippers under his own roof! Having thought things through, Jim decided to keep a close eye on the lads. He noticed that, on their first night here, they spent a lot of time outside. After they’d been to the beach, they sat on the garden wall in what seemed like deep conversation. Tomorrow he would rig up his only camera, the Contax that Mr Kendrick had given him as a gift after his prize-winning stay in Wimborne, in such a way as to take a picture of the gate and the wall. If nothing else, it would be a record of the boys and their habits.

  He still hadn’t told Ruby about the letter from Percy. It contained an introduction to a friend of his who was a watchmaker in Tarring. At first Jim had been annoyed when he saw it. He resented Percy’s interference, and he was irritated that his brother-in-law had obviously been talking about him behind his back. What right had Percy to do that? However, as the day wore on, his feelings mellowed a little. The man was only trying to help. But Jim didn’t want to be a repairer of watches. He knew sweet-all about clocks, but he hated being dependent on his wife’s earnings. That being the case, he supposed it could be an opportunity to make a living again, but there was another problem. He had been experiencing other symptoms. Both his thumbs were permanently numb and he occasionally had a shooting pain down the back of his left hand and into his ring finger, which made him jerk. How could he work on something as delicate as a watch, with jerking limbs?

  He listened to Ruby’s slow, soft breathing and was filled with loathing. It wasn’t directed towards his wife. It was because of Franz and Albrecht. Why should he put up with those two ruddy Germans at his table? They were so cocksure and clean-cut, and he hated their condescending attitude when they realized he had difficulty in walking. He supposed that, in Hitler’s Germany, someone like him would have been put away. That’s what Rachel had said: ‘There’s no place for imperfection in an Aryan society.’ Jim thanked God that Ruby was such a dedicated worker. He knew that, but for his wife, he would have been in the workhouse long ago.

  And another thing: those boys were supposed to be fourteen, but with biceps like that, they looked more like eighteen or nineteen. He’d seen the way Franz stared at Ruby. What’s more, Franz’s eyes were virtually popping out of his head when Lily arrived. What was that headmaster thinking of – inviting Nazi sympathizers to a place like Worthing at a time like this? His blood began to boil when he thought of Albrecht and Franz, sleeping only feet away from his own bed.

  Ruby murmured in her sleep and turned over. Jim felt his own body tense. He should never have married her. She deserved better.

  He did his best not to think about the accident. On the one hand, he still blamed Ruby for what had happened to him; on the other hand, he hated what he was doing to her. He was well aware that he could be very unkind, but he couldn’t seem to stop himself. Ruby did her best to make him comfortable and never complained, but funnily enough, that made him resent her even more. In fact he didn’t want a wife at all. That night outside the Southern Pavilion when Colonel Blatchington fell on the steps, taking down several other Blackshirts, he had been hit in the back and had somehow swung around the rail at the bottom, with one leg curled underneath his body and the other wrapped around the part of the rail that was anchored to the ground. The weight of the heavyset bodyguards on top of him in this position had done untold damage to his body. Jim had not only lost the proper use of his legs, but – although he’d never managed to bring himself to tell Ruby – also the ability to get his dick up. The desire had died, as well. He never masturbated, and even when he thought back to their wedding night and other nights of passion, it did nothing for him. If he tried to relive the moment, he felt as if he was watching a Hollywood film, or someone from a past life. It did nothing to stir his loins. This wasn’t how he’d envisaged his life. What was the point of it all?

  This brought him back to the watchmaker in Tarring. Damn it, he was a photographer – and a bloody good one too. He knew nothing else. Even if he went to see this watchmaker, how would he get to Tarring to work? If Ruby was busy getting the guests their breakfast, who would wheel him all that way? Aha, Percy, you hadn’t thought of that one, had you?

  Jim turned over and banged his pillow. It seemed that just about everyone in the family had a good idea. Rex, his father-in-law, had suggested bookkeeping, but for Jim that sounded like a fate worse than death. He never did get the hang of sums at school, and he didn’t like writing, either. He could feel the black cloud coming over him again. If he continued thinking things over, they would envelop him like a heavy wet blanket, sucking the life out of him and pulling him down to the dark abyss. He stared ahead at the brick wall in front of him and, as he drifted into sleep, thought that staring at a brick wall just about summed up his future.

  CHAPTER 6

  BOURNEMOUTH DAILY ECHO

  Fears grow for missing child and nanny

  A pram thought to belong to Christine West, aged two, who went missing last week, has been found upside down in the Moors River near Woolslope Farm in West Moors. Police are investigating. Dorset Police say they are ‘very concerned’ for the child’s welfare, after she and her live-in nanny went missing. Christine West is the daughter of Mr and Mrs West, from Avon Road in West Moors. Her nanny, Miss Marlene Amberley, is described as twenty years old, of slight build, with dark hair and brown eyes. She had been working for Mrs West for six months. ‘She always seemed a really caring girl and came highly recommended,’ a tearful Mrs West told our reporter last night. ‘I am positive that she would never harm Christine. It’s a mystery what’s happened.’

  Detective Pressley is urging people to be vigilant and report any possible sightings immediately. The main focus for enquiries is around the villages of West Moors and Ferndown, after the child’s pram was found tossed into the Moors River. Detective Pressley said: ‘Dorset Police are grateful for the assistance from members of the public so far, but concern for little Christine’s well-being is increasing, the longer she is away from home.’

  Christine, who went missing from her home at about 3.30 p.m. on Tuesday, is described as two and a half years old, with long mousy-coloured hair, which may be tied up with a ribbon. She was wearing a pale-blue dress and white cardigan and a brown coat with a matching bonnet. She was carrying her favourite toy, a grey knitted rabbit with long yellow-and-grey striped legs.

  * * *

  Albrecht and Franz were up early. Ruby had already cooked a plate of eggs, bacon and fried bread, which was waiting for them on the table. There was also tea and toast, with either marmalade or gooseberry jam. They both had healthy appetites and tucked in at once, with Ruby keeping an eye on them while they ate.

  They spoke mostly in German, unaware that she understood a lot of what they were saying. Their conversation was inconsequential: they talked about the plan for the day, which Ruby gathered was to in
clude a gymnastic display at Worthing High School, and then they would meet the mayor, Alderman William Tree, for lunch. After their meal they would be given a coach tour of the Sussex villages, before stopping at Steyning for tea in the village hall. In the evening Albrecht and Franz would be performing their play in the Assembly Hall. Ruby pricked up her ears when she heard them complaining that there was little time to see the pier or the centre of town. ‘And we still have to find the gasworks . . .’ said Albrecht in his own tongue.

  Gasworks? Why on earth would they want to see the gasworks?

  Ruby leaned over them and put a plate of apples and bananas onto the table. ‘Do help yourselves,’ she said brightly. ‘Take one with you, if you like, just in case you feel peckish.’

  ‘Peckish?’ Albrecht was frowning. ‘What does this mean – peckish?’

  Ruby smiled. ‘Oh, sorry. It means if you feel slightly hungry.’

  Albrecht nodded. ‘Ah.’

  As she moved away from the table she heard him mutter in German, ‘Why does she look at me like that? She’s always looking at me.’

  Inside, Ruby froze, but to all outward appearances she made herself carry on as if she had no idea what he’d said. Had she been staring? She wasn’t aware that she had been, but it was possible. There was something about these boys that made her uneasy.

  ‘I reckon she’s not getting enough,’ said Franz in his own language. ‘That husband of hers looks pretty feeble.’

  Ruby bristled. How dare he? The cheek of it! And what right had he to be so personal about Jim?

  ‘She might want me for a lover,’ said Albrecht. ‘That’s understandable, but I’d much sooner have an hour with that blonde tart we saw yesterday.’

  They both chortled.

  ‘Everything all right?’ Ruby asked sharply.

  ‘Yes, yes, thank you, Frau Searle,’ said Franz, politely if a little too quickly. ‘You treat us well.’

  Ruby turned back to the stove and began to put Jim’s fry-up on his plate. He had made it clear that he preferred to eat alone in the sitting room whilst the German boys were staying. Ruby picked up his tray, saying, ‘Excuse me for a minute. I need see to my husband.’