The Way We Were_ A Novel - Marcia Willett [24]
Before Tiggy can answer, the twins appear crying that every-one must come – must come now – to see the little wooden village set up, and Tiggy and Aunt Em go upstairs to exclaim and admire.
That night, Tiggy dreams about Tom and the baby. She seems able – as is often the case in dreams – to be both present in the dream but also watching it from the outside. She wakens suddenly, her heart beating fast, putting out her hand to touch the Turk's rough warm coat. It is very early morning and, beside the bed on the little table, she can just make out the figure of the little Merlin, hurrying forward to whatever the future holds.
‘It was so odd,’ she says to Julia later. ‘We were all there. You and me and Tom. First of all, I was holding the baby and Tom was beside me and then you were holding her and I was standing beside you. Then there was someone else.’ She frowns, trying to remember.
‘Holding her?’
Tiggy smiles. ‘I remember saying, “Her name is Claerwen, Clare for short,” and then I woke up. It was all very strange. It seemed so real.’
‘Claerwen,’ repeals Julia. ‘It's rather a nice name. Is it Welsh?’
‘It's my grandmother's name,’ says Tiggy. ‘It means “clear white”. If I do have a little girl I shall call her Claerwen. Clare for short.’
CHAPTER FOUR
2004
The hall of the small terraced house in Chapel Street was crammed with tea-chests.
‘I'm keeping the sitting-room and our bedroom as clear as I can,’ Caroline told Julia, as they unpacked the kitchen boxes. I need somewhere I can go to relax between bouts.’ She took the narrow silk scarf from around her neck and tied back her shiny brown hair. ‘It's really kind of you to help. I thought that later on we'd wrestle with all the sheets and towels and things.’
Julia straightened up and put some plates on the working surface. ‘This really takes me back,’ she said. ‘How I dreaded moving. All those wretched inventories and the married quarters’ officer telling me that I hadn't cleaned the cooker properly. Though I must admit that I gave up on moving round with Pete very early on compared with lots of naval families.’
‘I don't blame you,’ said Caroline fervently. ‘This is only my second move and I'm tired of it already.’
‘Well, being pregnant doesn't help. We went to Trescairn when Charlie was about a year old and after that I stayed put except for the posting to Washington. Look, I'll take all this stuff out and put it on the table and then you can tell me where you want it to go.’
Caroline looked round the small kitchen rather despairingly. ‘Just imagine if it were a real house move. We haven't any furniture of our own but we seem to have so much stuff.’
‘We were just the same,’ Julia assured her. ‘Even when we were moving between furnished places there was always boxes of books and china and all the things you need to make the place feel like your own. Pictures and cushions and ornaments and lamps. And clothes, of course.’
‘I think it looks as if we've got so much because the house is rather small. What about a sandwich? I bet Pete's getting hungry.’
Julia went out into the hall and into the room that doubled as a study and dining-room. Pete had been hanging some paintings and was now unpacking books and stacking them on to the bookshelves.
‘Zack will have to put these in order when he gets home,’ he said. ‘I know he has a pathological passion for having them in alphabetical order but I haven't got the time for that. I'd like to do as much as we can before we go so that Caroline isn't tempted to try anything silly.’
Julia grinned. ‘Nothing changes, does it? Remember all those years ago, Pete? It seemed that every time we moved house the submarine sailed at exactly the same hour that the removal van was due at the door.’
Pete laughed. ‘It was all planned, of course. We weren't stupid, you know.’
‘I believe you. I was remembering the