Christmas for the District Nurses. Annie Groves

looked at the slope and the uneven ground beyond and shook his head. ‘No, and I can’t stay long. I just wanted to see how you were and to find out if you have plans for tomorrow.’

      Alice took in how his appearance had changed since she last saw him. He had lost a little weight, she thought, although he was still tall and muscular, but he’d acquired more lines on his face. She could guess that he had indeed been in considerable pain recently. ‘Some of us thought we’d go to the special Easter service at church in the morning. Then maybe a walk, if it stays fine.’ She paused. She didn’t want to dig up bad memories but she had to know. He was too important to her. ‘Go on, tell me, put me out of my misery. How did it happen?’

      Joe sighed. ‘All right. We were part of a convoy across the Atlantic and we got hit by a U-boat. I was lucky, I got out with only a broken leg – well, and a few cuts and bruises. Some of my crewmates died.’ She gasped in horror and he hastily continued. ‘We weren’t in the water for long, we got rescued by an American ship, it could have been far worse.’ He looked away, unable to watch her face as she took it in. He didn’t want to see her distress. ‘Then we got brought back to port and I’ve been laid up ever since.’

      ‘Joe …’ She rested her hand on his arm, regardless of the mud. She struggled to find words to encompass the terror of what he must have been through, and failed. ‘We had no idea …’

      ‘No. Well.’ He cleared his throat. ‘Didn’t want to worry anyone, did I? And as you can see, I’m almost as good as new. This will mend in no time.’ He smiled, to try to convince her. ‘So will you come for dinner tomorrow? Ma’s planning one of her specials, and she’ll be mortally offended if you turn her down.’

      Alice nodded immediately. ‘I wouldn’t dream of saying no. I can bring a contribution too – as you can see, we’ve been busy with the vegetables. We’ve got the last of the leeks, and I was just sowing the new lot when you got here.’ At least there was something practical she could offer.

      Joe nodded appreciatively. ‘Ma would love that. As long as we aren’t depriving you. Will you ask Edith as well?’

      Alice looked over his shoulder. ‘You can ask her yourself.’

      Edith had come around the corner and was waving a brown paper bag at Alice. ‘Found them! I’d put them in my drawer after that seed swap … Joe! Oh my goodness! Is that really you?’ She ran towards him and then halted abruptly, realising he was leaning heavily on a walking stick. ‘What happened?’

      ‘Good to see you, Edith.’ He grinned affectionately at the diminutive young woman who would one day be his sister-in-law. ‘I’ll let Alice explain my mishap, and then with luck we can talk properly tomorrow – you will come to dinner, won’t you?’

      ‘Just you try and stop me!’ Edith beamed. ‘Wait, you’re not off already, are you? I’ve only now got here.’

      Joe shrugged. ‘Sorry, but I’m needed back at home.’ He kept his smile steady, not wanting to reveal that the short walk from Jeeves Street had cost him more than he had thought. He would have to sit down very soon and not try to go so far next time. He’d half-planned to ask Alice to come to their old café with him, but now that was out of the question. How he hated being a semi-invalid. He didn’t know how his brother Harry bore it. ‘Sorry to leave so soon but it’s good to see you, it really is.’

      Edith nodded and Alice looked at him straight in the eye, realising what the problem was. ‘Yes, you’d better get back, you don’t want to make your leg any worse than it is,’ she said seriously. She could see how his face was becoming more drawn by the minute. ‘Why don’t I come with you and tell you everything you’ve missed these last few months. And of course we’ll be there tomorrow, and we’ll arrive early so we can help cook the leeks. Can’t wait.’

      ‘Yes, give your parents my love,’ Edith said, her eyes growing darker as it dawned on her that the tall man in front of her was in increasing pain. ‘You get home and have a good sit down, do you hear? Let Alice take your arm. That’s my professional advice and you ignore it at your peril.’

      ‘I wouldn’t dare,’ said Joe.

      It was almost like old times around the big table in the Banham kitchen, except for the absence of Harry and Lennie. Flo was determined to make it special, and had invited Kathleen, Billy and Brian as well as the two nurses to join the family. She had managed to persuade one of the stallholders at Ridley Road market to get her a large chicken, which she had roasted, along with carrots and potatoes, now glistening and golden. Even better, as Alice got there early as promised with her big bundle of leeks, she had made soup for them to start with, and the savoury aroma had made everyone’s stomachs rumble in anticipation.

      Flo had reacted with horror when Alice offered to cook the soup. ‘Never let it be said that a guest in my house had to make their own food with ingredients they brought themselves,’ she scolded. ‘As if you aren’t on your feet every day of the week. You go and have a nice cup of tea and I’ll see to that soup.’ She had wiped her hands firmly on her old apron, worn to protect her Sunday best outfit. Alice recognised the maroon blouse with a pattern of daisies as the one Flo had worn for Kathleen’s wedding.

      So Alice had retreated to the parlour with her cup and saucer from Flo’s best set, brought out in honour of the day, where she found Joe in an armchair by the window, facing the street.

      ‘Don’t get up,’ she said hurriedly, but too late, Joe was already rising. He was leaning on his stick, but she could see less heavily than yesterday. He really shouldn’t have tried to walk to the victory garden and back, she thought, but didn’t say so. By the time they had reached his parents’ house he had been all but silent, all his energy going into putting one foot in front of the other.

      ‘Can’t let my manners slip just because of a broken leg.’ his usual grin was a little laboured. ‘Sorry about yesterday. Tried to do too much too soon.’

      ‘Doesn’t matter,’ Alice said, setting down her cup on a side table and pulling across another chair to join him. ‘Shall I fetch you a cup of tea?’

      ‘Good God, no. Ma’s been bringing me tea ever since I set foot through the door. Not that I don’t appreciate it but you can have enough.’ He sat down again, pulling a face. ‘So, tell me your news, but properly this time. I didn’t really take it in yesterday.’

      She leaned back and smiled, taking in the welcome sight of him looking less haggard, better rested, bringing back the colour to his intelligent face. His dark hair had been freshly cropped into its regulation service style, but his deep brown eyes were relaxed, without the sharp edge she’d detected yesterday.

      ‘Stop looking at me like I’m one of your patients.’

      ‘I’m not.’ She blushed a little and tucked a strand of hair behind her ear.

      ‘You are. I can tell.’

      ‘Oh, all right. I can’t help it. I’m bound to be concerned – you’ve been away so long and then you turn up with a broken leg and horrific story about how it happened.’ She shifted a little in her chair. ‘Anyway, you’ve heard everything in my letters. We’re just glad the raids seem to have stopped, for now at least. You’d better tell me the rest of your news though.’

      Joe nodded and grew serious. ‘As it’s just us … I don’t want to make my parents more worried than they already are.’ He paused and then went on. ‘It seemed for a while as if we were getting better at working out where the U-boats were, and there were fewer attacks. But now we’re suffering more of them and we aren’t able to predict their movements like before.’

      Alice wrinkled her nose in concentration. ‘So what’s changed?’

      Joe looked a little uneasy. ‘I can’t really say …’

      ‘But if I guessed that someone from the Allies had worked out how their signals were coded,’ Alice said slowly, feeling her way carefully through her train of thought, ‘and