Christmas with the Cornish Girls by Betty Walker

Author:Betty Walker [Walker, Betty]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: HarperCollins Publishers
Published: 2021-08-24T12:00:00+00:00

CHAPTER TWENTY-FOUR

The bus juddered along the main street and swung around the corner, heading out of town. It was mid-afternoon and gloomy, dusk gathering more swiftly now they had edged into December. The windows were steamed up but Rose could see misty lights around the town, some of them being blotted up as people drew their blackout curtains early. The bus was busy, for this would be the last one of the evening, headlights being generally forbidden after dark.

Rose looked through her basket, checking her purchases again. She did not often go into town, preferring to put aside her salary against some future need. But given that it would be Christmas soon, she had brought her luxury coupons with her this time and gone browsing for a few small gifts.

Dipping into her savings, she had splashed out on a pretty flower brooch for Matron, a few knitting patterns for her closest friends among the nurses, half an ounce of rolling tobacco for Tom, who enjoyed a crafty smoke now and then, and something special for Lewis.

Foolish of her to get the doctor a gift, perhaps. Elsie would be back home soon, and his attention would be on her instead. Since getting her sister’s letter, she had told herself to put aside all thoughts of Lewis Lanyon; dreaming about him would only cause them both terrible heartache. Indeed, it had already caused her to weep all over young Nurse Fisher, who must think her an awful wet blanket. She just hoped Lily would keep her word and not tell anyone else.

But then she’d passed the small antique shop in town today, down a side street near the harbour, and not been able to resist looking in.

The glass of the antique shop window had been shattered by a recent bombing raid, but the owner had merely moved his goods further back into the shop and put up boards to protect against bad weather. Rose had stopped to peer through the door, left open for customers, and seen something that snagged her attention.

She removed her purchase now from the basket and cupped it in her hand. A small but exquisite vintage paperweight, its cool glass misting over in the crowded bus.

Rose knew why the unusual object had caught her eye.

Blue was Lewis’s favourite colour, he had told her once, as they stood looking out over Carbis Bay together. The colour of sorrow, she always thought, yet also of the open sea and sky. The colour of infinity, perhaps. And these perfect blue-and-white glass rods had been imprisoned within a smooth glass dome, shaped by their creator into flowers doomed never to open and bloom.

She didn’t know if he would understand. She wasn’t even sure that she understood. But the gesture must be enough.

The bus halted at the crossroads, waiting for a slow farm vehicle to pass.

Up above, a group of school children in hats and coats were hurrying home, carrying satchels, chatting eagerly with each other as they streamed across the road.

Leaning forward

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