Norma Rogers Ch. 07

Returning to the cabin, we took the life jackets off, got the children ready, and the guards picked up our baggage. Going back through the galley, we left the ship through the loading door in the side of the vessel, crossing the level gangplank, and climbing aboard the waiting bus. As soon as we were seated the driver set off along the landing stage, and up a floating roadway into the city. We drove past the Liver Building, under the tracks of an overhead railway, and then we passed a church that had been almost fully demolished by bombs. All that was left standing was the spire. This kind of sight was to be repeated as we drove; the damage to stores and office buildings from bombing was just as extensive as that in London. After about a ten minute drive we entered Lime Street Station, pulling up on the platform alongside the London train, it had apparently been held up until our arrival.

Our guards saw us aboard the train, and as soon as we were seated in the first class compartment two of them left us, we heard the whistles of the train guard and then the engine, and before we knew it, the train was smoothly pulling out of the station in a cloud of steam. Mum couldn't resist the remark "Charles, you might have let us have a look around Liverpool, we didn't see a thing."

He replied, "Mrs. Walker, you saw more of Liverpool than most arriving troops. A little further along from where we berthed is where the liners and troopships berth. Riverside railway station is right there on the dock, so they are marched off the ship, up the walkway to the station, on to the train and away they go to their camps. They see nothing of Liverpool at all unless they are to be stationed here. I don't know if you noticed that group of W.R.N.S girls beside Exchange station, they are on the staff of the North Atlantic Command Operations Base, way down below the station, I worked down there before I joined Sir John's staff."

The train was an express with only five stops, the first at Crewe. There was a dining car attached and we all went and had some lunch; they even provided special food for the children. In Third Class the train was packed, mostly with soldiers, sailors and airmen, going on or returning from leave. Some must have been travelling to new postings as they seemed loaded down, and a number were carrying rifles as well, I still remember it, corridors packed with men in khaki or blue, servicemen and women who couldn't find seats in the carriages, sitting in the corridor on their kit bags, or standing, with the crush getting worse at each stop. We were lucky to be travelling first class as there were just a few families, and some officers.

We arrived in London around 5pm pulling into Euston Station, to be met on the platform by another naval officer, and a naval bus. Within 15 minutes, we were getting off the bus outside our home, to be met by a very pregnant Nancy, and Hank who had made it home for a few days. Nancy couldn't wait to ask questions. "What is going on, you rush off to Ireland with your family, hardly saying a word, and then back you come on a navy bus, surrounded by sailors. If it wasn't for your Mum and Dad being here I'd be thinking you were up to something?"

"Nancy, it's a long story, and I'll tell you as much as I can later. This is Commander Charles Philips of the Royal Navy, he has escorted us back from Ireland and I'm sure he wouldn't mind a cup of tea for his troubles."

"Oops, I'm forgetting my manners, come in Commander and I'll get the kettle on." She swung around, her well rounded belly almost overbalancing her. Seeing her from the side, the baby was very low, and it was obvious that she would give birth very soon. Charles took our bags into the house, and had a word with the other officer.

He turned to me and said. "Norma the bus will take your parents back to Bromley and I will see you settled before I head back to Liverpool and a few days at home." I quickly hugged my parents, told them I would see them at the weekend, then the bus pulled away with all of us waving. Charles and Hank helped me get the children and bags into the house, and then I took their coats off, putting them down to play with their toys, while we had tea.

I introduced Hank properly to Charles, and Charles asked him how long he would be at the house. Hank told him at least four days, depending on when Nancy had the baby.

"Well that sets my mind at ease Norma; at least you will have protection. Tomorrow morning a WPC of the Metropolitan Police will be here to see you and set up security for the children. As Hank will be here with you, I'll just have some tea, and get on my way back."

After we had tea, he picked up his small bag and I escorted him to the door. He looked so lost for a moment; I couldn't resist stretching up and kissing him on the cheek. "Thank you for the care that you have taken with us to get us safely home."

We stood outside for a moment. Charles spoke, "Norma, would you mind if I gave Penny your name and address to write to you? She feels so out of things at times, and she would like to do more than she is."

"Charles that would be fine, in fact you give me her name and address and I will get started writing, I want to thank her for letting me borrow you."

He quickly wrote it down for me. "Goodbye Norma, it has been a privilege helping you and your family. I feel deep down that we will be meeting again."

"Charles, that wouldn't surprise me as I'll no doubt, be back to Ireland in the future. Oh before I forget, you might pass on to your bosses in Liverpool, that they should keep a watch on the bays and coves on the west coast of Ireland, the Germans are looking to use them for refueling their submarines as they think the Irish population would sympathize with them. Now, go home to Penny and start on that little girl."

He laughed, "I'll do just that." He turned and walked away as I went indoors, only to be greeted in the hallway by Nancy, looking concerned, with hands on hips, like a mother hen ready to look after her chicks.

"Now, tell us what is going on, what is the big secret?"

She looked so severe that I couldn't help laughing. "I'm serious:" she said, "What is happening that you had a navy escort, and what is this security thing that will be going on?"

She looked as if she were about to burst into tears. I wanted to reassure her. "Nancy, everything is alright, I just met someone that I knew while I was over there, and had to get some information to the Government. I was told that our friends in Russia had a file on me, and Charles and the security team were just a precaution to ensure our safety, that's what the WPC will be coming about too, to provide safety for the babies during the day while we aren't here."

Hank asked, "What about Nancy and our baby, will they be included?"

"Yes Hank, by the way, the Russians and now the Germans know of our connection through Nancy, and they know that your father is a Senator." Suddenly, Nancy's face was a picture of astonishment when she heard that.

"How would they know that, I hadn't even told Nancy that he is?"

"I don't know but I should know more in the next few days."

Then Nancy interjected and asked, "Hank, why didn't you tell me that your dad is a Senator?"

"Honey, it's no big secret but I wanted to keep it that way, I just don't want to be known as the Senator's boy, I'd rather be judged on my own merits. In the Army if you are related to someone in Government, any promotions tend to be thought of as because your Dad is who he is. What really concerns me is that the leak seems to be from high up, that is the only way they could know who my Dad is."

I joined in saying, "I know; we already discussed that, I will be seeing my contact from the Ministry sometime next week, so I should know more then. Now, the important stuff, Nancy when is your due date?"

"Next week but I saw the Doctor yesterday, and he says any time."

"Good, so let's have something to eat, then you get upstairs and put your feet up, Hank it's your job to make sure she does. I'll look after getting the twins fed and to bed, they have had a long day." Hank had brought a lot of stuff with him from the PX as he called it, so we had sausage, egg and chips, with an omelet for the twins. Then I bathed them and got them settled in their own beds. They chattered away in their own language for a little while, but before long were sound asleep.

I rapped on Nancy's door and she yelled "Come in." She was lying on her bed and Hank was sitting on a chair beside her. She grinned, "Come on in Norma, I've just been getting filled in on the rest of the family secrets. Not only is my father in law a Senator he is also the Chairman of the Senate Armed Services Committee, my brother in law is a lawyer understudying his dad, so that he can run for the Senator's job when his dad retires. My mother in law is the head of the local chapter of the Daughters of the American Revolution, and here I am, poor Nancy Edwards, a little nobody from Nottingham, who will have to keep up with all this celebrity."

Hank sat there with a pained look on his face, he still had difficulty realising when Nancy was getting him going on purpose, just like most other husbands I suppose. "Nancy, we don't even have to live in the same town, we can just see them for Thanksgiving and Christmas, anyway, most of the time they are away in Washington. When they are in town Dad is just plain Henry Edwards who used to practice law on Main Street. Mom is going to just love you; she just hates people who try to make her something she isn't."

"Hank, can't you tell when I'm joking yet?" meeting your family is going to be part of the biggest adventure of my life, moving to America, getting used to a whole new life. Anyway I've got your Mom on my side already," Patting her belly she grinned, "Her new grandchild is in here, it's a woman thing, we all stick together."

"Well, if you two lovebirds have quit arguing can I ask a favour, can you listen out for the twins while I nip along to Jenny's, she will be thinking I'm neglecting her."

"Oh, if you don't want our company, you just go right ahead, we will look after them, Hank needs the practice, I'll bet your mother in law took them all the time while you were there"

"No I was really hard done by; I had to make do with a Nanny." I really had to laugh at the dumbfounded look on Nancy's face. "Oh I'm sure your mother in law will do the same for you when you get over there."

With that I went down to Jenny's where over a cup of tea, I told her what the holiday had been like and how thrilled the children were with their toys, and she did the same thing for me. She was like a breath of fresh air, her down to earth attitude was so refreshing, telling me what she had heard from Bert, and filling me in on the gossip from the Dog and Duck. It really felt that I was home, I knew there were several letters waiting for me, and I was waiting until I was in bed before I read them.

The blackout had been partially lifted while there had not been any raids so there was a little light to walk home. As I opened the door Hank was coming down the stairs, a worried look on his face. "Norma, Nancy's getting pains." At this I ran upstairs and into their room, Nancy was partially sitting up, grimacing as a wave of pain hit her.

"Nancy, how long have you been having pains?"

"Since around lunch time but they were just niggling feelings that I thought were just back pain."

"How far apart are the pains now?"

"About 5 minutes."

Hank was by my side, "Hank, ready or not, you are about to become a father, go and get Mrs. Oliver, she is the area midwife, she lives on the next street, two doors down from the Dog and Duck on the same side She has been looking after Nancy." He went off in a rush, even forgetting his jacket as he went, I started getting things ready. This wasn't the first time I had been in on a birth, as babies were born even during the worst of the blitz. I stripped the blankets from the bed, and got out one of the babies rubber sheets to put over the mattress, then put another sheet on top of it. Then another sheet to cover Nancy, and I got her into one of her lightest night gowns.

She complained, "I'm having a baby, not seducing my husband."

"Girl, you are going to be sweating, I know, I've done it, twice in one night, and believe me you don't want anything heavy on."

Just then Mrs. Oliver walked into the room. In her blue uniform, white cap and apron she radiated an aura of cool calm efficiency. She put down her bag, and then examined Nancy. She smiled at Nancy, "Well you'll be a mother before the night is out, the baby is in the right position, head down and you are dilating a little, but I think we can wait an hour or so before we call the doctor." Just then as if to prove her wrong, Nancy's water broke with a flood, Hank who was still in the room turned pale, and looked at me with a questioning look. Mrs. Oliver just wrapped up the sheet, passed it to me, and then placed another under Nancy. The rubber sheet had done its job protecting the bed from the rush of fluid; now with luck things would be fairly clean until the placenta came out.

Taking pity on Hank, I took hold of his arm and led him to the door, "Hank, this is all natural and now is when the women take over, there is nothing you can do here but get in the way, but I'm sure that we can all use some tea." He went down stairs, and into the kitchen.

Nancy asked if I could stay with her, and I looked across at Mrs. Oliver, "Yes, that's fine and I know Doctor Brownlee won't mind, thinking of him, I think it is about time that we sent your husband off to get him. He will bring some gas along that will help dull your pains a little if you need it." I left the room to go to Hank, He had made a pot of tea, and was pacing up and down the hallway, sleeves rolled up as if he was going to work at a manual job, and his face was looking absolutely white.

He spoke, "Norma how is she? Why didn't we go to the hospital?"

"Hank, Nancy is just fine; all is going as it should and she is quite comfortable right now. This isn't America Hank, most single birth babies are born at home over here, unless there is reason to think there might be a problem. The Doctor doesn't have any reason to think that with Nancy, her pregnancy has been really smooth. She is going to hurt, she is going to yell and likely curse both you and the baby, but that is normal so don't get worried when you hear it. If there are any problems they can be dealt with as they rise. Now, it is time to get the Doctor, he lives over his office, the place you were at with Nancy yesterday, he will likely need you to help him with the gas bottle."

"Gas, why would he need gas?"

"Relax, it is just a light anesthetic, to help Nancy with the pain, but not interfere with the birth. Now just go get him! I will look after the tea."

He put on his coat and went out the door in a hurry, I went back up and held Nancy's hand, when the contractions hit, she held my hand in a vice grip. Mrs. Oliver checked her again, saying that she was dilating nicely, and she could feel the shape of the top of the baby's head. A few minutes later we heard footsteps on the stairs and Doctor Brownlee joined us. He examined her then said, "Nancy, just like I told you, you are a natural at this, it won't be long before the baby is in your arms, I just want you to push when you get the contractions, and it will soon be over."

He was a man of his word and Nancy had one of the fastest and easiest labours that I had ever heard of. While Nancy was none too quiet, she didn't even wake the twins in the next room, and a very quick three hours later, Henry Edwards III put in his appearance. At seven pounds two ounces, he wasn't that big, but his lungs worked well, letting the world know he had arrived. I got some warm water and bathed him while Mrs. Oliver and Dr. Brownlee finished cleaning Nancy up. Then when he was snuggled down on Mum's breast, we let Hank in to meet his son. While I had seen Hank in a number of emotional situations, the expression of love on his face was a treat to see, and when he held Henry for the first time it was so gentle that he seemed to be scared he would break the baby.

I had provided the old standby, the pillow in a wardrobe drawer and I put it on two chairs beside Nancy, she hadn't even needed any stitches, so she could lean over to reach Henry quite easily. Hank telephoned his base, and advised them of the birth, and his adjutant told him that unless he heard any different, he was on leave for ten days, until Nancy was up and around and able to do things for herself without any help.

That night, after seeing the looks of wonder and love on Hank and Nancy's faces, I had one of the worst nights that I had experienced so far. Sleep seemed to be denied me, I needed Jim beside me so much, it seemed so unfair that he had been denied the experience of holding his new born children, and I wanted him so much. I touched myself to make me feel as if he was there with me, but on this night that was a very poor substitute and eventually I fell asleep. After a very short night's sleep, I was awakened by two young voices telling me "Baby, Baby". The twins had got out of bed quietly, and had gone to see Nancy, and found her nursing Henry. They were delighted with him, and I could see that we would have to make sure they didn't think he was a new toy, though I had no idea then that things would change as rapidly as they did. I fed them some warm bread and milk, and both of them dozed off again so I sat in the kitchen until I heard something from Hank or Nancy.

At 8 am there was a sharp rap on the door, and opening it I found a very smartly dressed woman, in her early twenties standing there."

"Mrs. Rogers?" she asked.

"Yes, can I help you?"

"I'm Clara Higgins, from the Metropolitan Police."

In the fuss of the previous night, I had completely forgotten that we were going to have a police presence in the house. "Oh, I'm so sorry, I had completely forgotten, we had a baby born here during the night so everything else slipped my mind, come on in and I'll put the kettle on."

Clara smiled and followed me through to the kitchen where I put the kettle on ready for tea. I brought her up to date on what had been happening, then she told me what her instructions had been.

"My instructions are to act as a nanny would. That won't be as hard as it might have been, as that was my job as soon as I left school until I joined the Met, so I will be staying with you at the house. I will take the children to the nursery during the day; another WPC will be working there and will watch over the children there. My boss thinks that this will be a long term job so I will be relieved for days off and leave. I hope you have room for me."

"Well that will be a bit of a problem right now, we only have three bedrooms, but we can make do I'm sure."

"I can always go to my Mums place at night while Captain Edwards is here, then I can be here after he has gone back to base."

"That sounds pretty good, what time will you be here in the mornings."

"At about 7.30, that will give you time to get to your station for 8, I can walk with you, and then take the children to the nursery. That way I can see whether anyone is taking any interest in you and have the children at the nursery by 8.30. Then I will have lots of time to watch the area, to see if anybody is taking an unhealthy interest in your home."

"In that case I will start back to work tomorrow and give you a clear field."

After our little chat, Clara went up to meet Nancy and Hank, and of course as most women would, take a good look at their new addition. After a time, Clara came back down, opened a bag that she had with her, and took out an apron much like a nurse's apron. She put it on, pinning it up in the front, and with her dark blue suit, it really transformed her into the nanny that she was supposed to be. She met the twins, and told me that her intention was to fade into the background as much as possible. As she put it, "Nobody notices the servants, and even if they do they dismiss them as having no consequence. As this is what I am looking to do, I will do most of looking after the twins, and Nancy's baby when I am here. That is what people will expect to see. I will take them to the nursery then pick them up later and walk home with you."