The Long Road Ahead. Rosie James

with the job.’ She paused briefly. ‘I don’t have any other home to go to, so I shall hang on as long as I can – before the wedding, I mean.’

      Mabel pursed her lips. ‘Well, luvver…don’t ever say you ’avent got no‘ome to go to – because there’s always a ’ome for you with us – you know that. All of you,’ she added, looking at the others. ‘A’ course, we’re such a long way away from everythin’ – that’s the trouble…’ she added ruefully.

      ‘That’s so kind of you, Mrs. Foulkes,’ Alice said warmly. ‘But I’m sure I shall be able to find something in Bristol…’

      ‘Don’t forget you can always hitch up with me in my room at Miss Downs’s place,’ Fay said. ‘I know she’d have no objection.’

      ‘And I know my mother and father would be more than happy for you to stay with us, Alice,’ Eve cut in eagerly. ‘We’ve two spare rooms that are never used.’

      Alice looked around her, aware that her throat was tightening. One minute she thought she could be homeless, the –next – there were three offers of somewhere to stay with the kindest set of people you could ever hope to meet. Why had she been worrying unnecessarily?

      ‘Thanks…thank you all so much,’ she said, picking up her glass and taking a sip.

      After a few moments, Walter Foulkes leaned back in his chair and looked up at the big clock above the bar. Then he yawned, loudly, not bothering to put his hand in front of his mouth. He’d enjoyed that meal, but enough was enough. It was time to leave.

      ‘Roight then, Mabe,’ he said, half standing. ‘drink up – ’s’time to be goin’.’

      Mabel looked up at him, folding her arms. ‘Sit down, Walt,’ she said firmly. ‘It’s not time to be goin’! I ’aven’t finished my champagne yet!’ This was her birthday treat, and she was making the most of it – thank you very much. Because she was enjoying it with her “family”. When they’d turned up at the farm in 1941, she’d soon considered Alice, Fay and Eve, their three Land Girls as her extra children…part of the large family she’d always longed for. Not that she was complaining…their Roger was the best son in the whole world. The son sent to her by God.

      But still, He could have added one or two more while He was at it…

      Walter did as he was told and sat back down, and conversation continued in the usual, amiable way it always had when this group of people had been together.

      ‘So, then, Fay…’ow long ’ave you ’ad your car, then, luvver?’ Mabel enquired. ‘It were very comfortable, I must say,’ she added. ‘Very nice indeed.’

      Fay had driven Mabel, Alice and Eve to the pub, while Roger and his father had come in the van, and Fay said –

      ‘I’ve only had it a few months, Mrs. Foulkes, but of course with petrol on ration I can’t use it too much. Still, nothing would stop me driving here today,’ she added.

      Mabel sat back contentedly, folding her arms across her ample stomach. ‘Well, well, well…you’re all so ’appy, now…aren’t you?’ She turned to Eve. ‘An’ what about you, luvver?’ she said. ‘Working in that music place over in Bath? An’ are you ’appy there still?’

      ‘Oh yes, Mrs. Foulkes,’ Eve said, glancing quickly at Alice and Eve. ‘We’re quite busy at the moment…things seem to be picking up a bit…and…’

      Fay broke in, grinning. ‘Go on, tell them, Evie! Tonight is good news night!’

      Eve took a deep breath, and all three of the Foulkes family looked at her with interest. ‘It’s just that I’m seeing someone…Max…he works in the shop as well, and we’re…we’re going out together. And we…like each other…very much.’

      ‘Ooooh,’ Mabel said enthusiastically, ‘so is there goin’ to be another weddin’ soon, then?’

      Eve shook her head quickly. ‘Not that soon, Mrs. Foulkes,’ she said. ‘I think it’s going to take us a little time…but one day…’ There was no need for her to say any more. It was still early days for her and Max.

      Roger banged his fist on the table in mock surrender. ‘Well blow me down, that’s two of you gone!’ he said. ‘What hope in ruddy hell has someone like me got?’

      ‘Now, don’t go swearin’ Rog,’ Mabel said. ‘It’s not the night for bad language.’

      Fay leaned forward and touched Roger’s arm. ‘There’s still me, Rog – if you’re desperate,’ she said. ‘But the sad thing is, I’m not the marrying kind. And never will be,’ she added firmly.

      Roger put his arm around Fay’s shoulders. ‘Oh well, we’ll be fun and fancy free together, then, Fay,’ he said. He turned to the others. ‘One day, Fay and I are going to go somewhere a long way away and see animals in the wild. Aren’t we, Fay?’ he added.

      Fay smiled at him blearily. She’d enjoyed rather a lot of drinks with her meal, and the champagne was a particularly good year. ‘Are we?’ she said. ‘I’d forgotten about that.’

      But Fay hadn’t forgotten, and she moved closer into Roger. ‘P’raps we will – in another life,’ she said obliquely.

      By now, everyone was beginning to feel sleepy – the meal had been more than adequate, to say nothing of the wine – when just then the landlord came over from the bar. He looked down at Eve.

      ‘We were just wondering…would you give us a tune on that old thing?’ he asked, glancing across at the piano. ‘It hasn’t had that much use lately – but we were thinking as this is a special occasion you might like to…well…show us if it still works.’ Eve had soon been recognized, by more than one, as the young woman who had entertained them all on New Year’s Eve in 1944…the last one before the end of the war. That night, she had made the place rock with nostalgia and hope and no one had forgotten it.

      Mabel leaned forward eagerly. ‘Oh go on, our Eve,’ she said. ‘’Twould be smashin’ if you did.’ And as Eve hesitated, Mabel went on – ‘Can you play “If you were the only girl in the world”, Eve? Just for me?’ She glanced across at Walter who had his eyes closed. ‘’Twus always a favourite of ours…of mine…’cus we danced to it at our weddin’ supper, me and Walt.’ She paused. ‘He were very good on ’is feet…at one time,’ she added.

      Nothing would stop Eve doing as she was asked, and she immediately went over to the piano and played a few tentative notes – then began to play the favourite, romantic number that everyone knew.

       “If you were the only girl in the world, and I were the only boy…”

      Everyone in the Wheatsheaf began to sing without even being asked, and there were several pairs of watery eyes in the room as the words rang out. Not least Alice’s, for whom the lyrics were so poignant, and for Eve, too, who was still basking in the knowledge that the man she loved would, one day, really be hers.

      As for Mabel – who had joined in lustily – that had been the final, lovely twist to a birthday which she wouldn’t forget in a hurry. She nudged Walter.

      ‘Wake up, you,’ she said. ‘We’ve just been singin’ our special song – in case you ’adn’t noticed.’

      Walter opened his eyes and leaned across to his wife. Then he gave her a big kiss on the side of her cheek. ‘Course I noticed,’ he said gruffly. ‘’Appy birthday, missus.’

      And Alice was aware of her eyes misting as she observed the little charade between the farmer and his wife. It was touching to see those two, Romeo and Juliet – or perhaps Darby and Joan – so close, to intertwined in their lives as they spent each busy day on the farm together, pulling equal weight through good times and bad…their obvious happiness witness to their inherent love and affection for each other. That is what a true marriage must be, Alice thought,