Page 79 of The Winter Bride

Nancy nodded. ‘Yes, an’ it’s as they thought. Just cracked ribs an’ cuts an’ bruises. The police ’ave been too but I couldn’t tell ’em much. It all happened so fast and once they’d dragged me into the alley it were too dark to see anything. I seem to remember they had some sort o’ pipe they were hittin’ me with though.’

‘The low life scum,’ Jamie ground out, his fists clenched at his sides.

Annie took the flowers he’d laid on the bed and went to find a nurse to put them in water, giving the young couple a few moments alone. When she returned Jamie was clutching Nancy’s hand and feeling in the way, Annie told her, ‘I’d best get back to Adam, but I’ll be here again tomorrow. Is there anything I can bring you?’

‘No thanks.’ Nancy gave her a grateful smile and after bending to give her a peck on her swollen cheek, Annie went to find John, who was waiting in his car outside for her.

‘How is she tonight?’

Annie sighed as she settled back into the passenger seat. ‘She’s black and blue, but as the doctor’s said, it could have been a lot worse. I just wish I knew who did this to her.’

He started the car. ‘I doubt we’ll ever find out,’ he said. ‘Unfortunately, things like this are all too common in London. It does seem odd that they didn’t take anything from her though.’

Wasn’t it just? Annie thought as John turned the car towards home. A picture of Reggie’s scarred face flashed into her mind and she shuddered.

Chapter Thirty-Nine

Nancy was allowed home three days later. John insisted on fetching her in the car, although Annie told him she could bring her back in a cab.

‘Why bother when I’m here?’ He gave her a friendly smile and again Annie thought how lucky she was to have such good friends. Ruth had been wonderful, too, keeping the shop running without a word of complaint while Annie went to and fro from the hospital.

‘Actually, I know Marie will be relieved they’re letting Nancy come home,’ he told Annie on the way to fetch her. ‘She’s as worried about you running yourself ragged as she is about Nancy – you’re looking quite peaky. What will you do when she’s back? What I mean is, I know she usually looks after Adam while you’re downstairs working in the shop. She’s not going to be up to that for some time, is she?’

Annie shook her head. ‘No, but everything’s in hand. I’ve employed a lady to work part-time to help Ruth downstairs so I can look after Nancy and Adam.’

Annie was still deeply concerned, however. Only the night before she’d noticed the same shadowy figure in the doorway across the road. She’d mentioned it to John but he’d pointed out that it wasn’t necessarily the same person she’d seen before. There were so many homeless people in London that it could have been any passer-by seeking shelter.

What Annie didn’t realise was that deep down John was also worried, although he couldn’t tell Annie that. She was frightened enough as it was. He decided that he would try to be more vigilant and drive by more often.

For now, Annie tried to push the fear from her mind. She would have her hands full looking after Nancy and Adam for the next couple of weeks and she didn’t need anything else to worry about.

Nancy cried when she got back to their little home above the shop. There’d been moments during the beating before she lost consciousness when she’d been convinced she was going to die, but here she was still, with her life ahead of her.

Everyone fussed around her, settling her in the chair by the fire and fetching her a stool to put her feet on and a warm blanket.

‘Now, mademoiselle, you are not to get up apart from to go to bed or to the toilet,’ Marie told her firmly. ‘I shall be coming to see you every day so anything you need you ’ave only to ask.’

‘Thank you.’ Nancy sniffed back a tear. ‘You’ve all been ever so kind.’

The biggest problem was trying to stop Adam climbing all over her. He had missed her and didn’t understand why she couldn’t play with him.

Eventually John and Marie left Annie to fuss over Nancy, and she was just making her a drink when Ruth appeared.

‘You’ve got some visitors downstairs; shall I send them up?’ she asked with a broad smile.

‘Well yes, but who is it?’ Annie answered.

‘You’ll see.’ Ruth scampered away and seconds later Annie heard the tread of more feet on the stairs. She looked towards the door and gasped when first Charity, then Luca, appeared.

‘Oh!’ She didn’t quite know what to do or say as they both stared at her sheepishly. She’d spoken to her mother on the phone a couple of nights before. Charity made a point of finding a phone and ringing Annie at least once every week, and although Annie had told her what had happened to Nancy, she hadn’t expected her to come.

‘I thought yer might be glad of a little ’elp,’ Charity said, and stepping forward she enveloped Annie in a warm hug. ‘I told yer dad I was wantin’ to come but I were nervous about goin’ on the train on me own, so he offered to bring me.’

‘Don’t worry, I shan’t be stayin’,’ Luca told her hurriedly. ‘But as yer mam said, she were nervous about travellin’ alone. She were hopin’ to be able to stay fer a few days to ’elp yer look after Nancy and Adam.’

‘I can sleep on the settee,’ Charity chipped in. ‘If you’ll ’ave me, that is. Peggy told me yer sounded worn out, so I thought yer might be glad of a little help.’

Nancy was beaming and Annie was shocked, but in a good way. ‘Well, you could always come into my bed wi’ me if yer didn’t mind sharin’,’ she said cautiously. She had never met Annie’s mother before but she’d taken an instant liking to her and knew they were going to get on.