Across the Mersey - Annie Groves [83]
Jean held her breath as Sam unwrapped his gift. No mention had been made of the manner in which they had parted, and Luke was obviously doing everything he could to mend things between them, to Jean’s relief.
The twins were unwrapping their presents, so Jean pretended to be watching them, although in reality her attention was on Sam, who was being maddeningly slow as he unwrapped his. Finally the paper fell away to reveal a leather wallet.
Sam had been using the same wallet for as long as Jean could remember. He had had it before they were married and over the years the stitching had had to be repaired many times.
‘Have a look inside, Dad,’ Luke was urging.
Sam opened the wallet. Inside it, in gold lettering were printed the words ‘From your loving son, December 1939’.
Tears blurred Jean’s eyes. Luke was trying to tell his dad how much he regretted their falling-out, she knew. She could see that he was waiting for Sam to say something to show that he knew it too, and she could see too the hurt in his eyes when, instead, Sam merely said curtly, ‘You shouldn’t have gone wasting your money. I’ve already got a wallet.’
Then he got up and walked out of the room and up the stairs. Torn between wanting to comfort Luke and go after Sam, Jean was obliged instead to admire the pretty silk scarf Sasha was holding up.
‘Mum, look,’ she demanded happily, and then flung her arms around Luke’s neck to thank him.
Upstairs the bathroom door closed and Jean sighed. Sam would no doubt closet himself in there for hours.
Grace reached for her last present. She had been saving it for last deliberately since she had seen already that it had a card on it from her parents, and it looked tantalisingly different from anything she had been expecting, even if it was wrapped in paper she recognised her mother must have saved from last Christmas. They would be doing a lot more making do and mending from now on.
The twins were squabbling amicably over which of their records they wanted to play first, and her mother was saying something about needing to go and check on the goose, but Grace was oblivious to both conversations, her eyes widening and her hands trembling slightly as she smoothed the familiar silk of the green dress. Her mother had folded it in such way that Grace saw the insert of pretty cream lace immediately, and knew what it must mean even before she had shaken out the frock and held it up in front of herself.
‘Oh, Mum!’ she exclaimed emotionally.
‘I took it to Mrs Noakes, who used to work for that posh dress shop on Bold Street before she retired, and it was her that suggested putting a piece in it. She said it’s as good as new now.’
Grace hugged her fiercely, and was just folding the dress up again when Sam came back in.
Jean knew that what Grace had done was wrong, and that Sam would probably have disapproved of what she, Jean, had done to make the best of it, saying that Grace shouldn’t be rewarded for her crime, but Jean was a loving mother and very practically natured. She just could not stand by and see such a lovely dress go to waste. Besides, Grace had learned her lesson, there was no doubt about that.
‘I’ve brought some French stamps back with me for Jack,’ said Luke as he helped Jean to clear up the wrapping paper. ‘I know he likes collecting them. He’ll be back home for Christmas, I expect?’
‘No. He’s staying with the family he was evacuated to. I wrote to Vi asking her where I should send the little bit of summat I’d got for Jack and she wrote back saying to send it to her and she’d put it in with what she was sending to him. She said there was no point in unsettling him by bringing him home just for a few days. Poor little lad, I feel so sorry for him.’
‘He might be happier with his evacuation family,’ said Sasha, pulling a face. ‘Imagine having to live with Auntie Vi and Uncle Edwin and stupid Bella …’
‘Sasha!’ Jean rebuked her.
‘Bella isn’t living with them now. She’s married, remember,’ Lou corrected her twin.
‘I’m never going to get married,’ said Sasha.
‘Yes you will,