Free Across the Mersey by Annie Groves

always said that. You’re a good man, Sam Campion, and I’ve never for a minute regretted saying yes when you asked me to marry you. A decent honest hard-working husband who loves his family.’
    Sam squeezed her hand and then wiped his free hand across his eyes.
    Jean gave him a minute to get himself back under control before continuing calmly, ‘I’ve bin thinking. I’ve got a bit put by out of the housekeeping you give me; especially with you giving me a bit more since you had that rise just after Christmas. I reckon we can afford for our Grace to do her training. She was only doing her best love, not wanting this Sister Harris to go making plans and then her having to say she couldn’t do it. She’s thoughtful like that, is Grace. She’s always wanted to be a nurse – you know that – but she’s settled herself down at Lewis’s and made the best of it. I’ve been ever so proud of the way she’s setto to do her bit for the war effort and I know you are too. It’s a real compliment to her and to us that she’s been recommended for proper training, but bless her, she’s never so much as said or boasted about it.’
    A couple of sparrows were fighting over a worm Sam’s digging had unearthed.
    ‘Well, you’re right about that, love,’ Sam admitted, ‘but I felt that ashamed when Captain Allen came in and said in front of everyone how it were a crying shame that she couldn’t do her training on account of me not being able to afford to pay for it.’
    Jean’s heart swelled with wifely indignation.
    ‘If you ask me it’s that captain who should be feeling ashamed, speaking out in public like that without him knowing the full story, about how our Grace had got it wrong and had not wanted to put her dad to any extra expense, not knowing that he’d already got something put aside just in case. Of course, not all parents are like us and try to bring up their children to respect money and to understand that it doesn’t grow on trees, and I shall say as much too when I see Elsie Norris tomorrow up at the shops.’
    ‘That old gossip?’
    Ignoring him, Jean continued determinedly, ‘In fact if I was you, Sam, I’d say the same to a couple of them as you work with, and them that’s in the ARP with you as well. No need to say too much, mind. Just a bit of a casual mention.’
    Sam shook his head, but he was smiling as well.‘I can see you’ve got it all worked out. I’ve allus said that you’ve got a clever head on your shoulders, Jean.’
    ‘Well, I was clever enough to marry you,’ she agreed, ‘but any woman would want to do her best for her family. That’s only natural. Grace is ever so upset, love,’ she added quietly. ‘Cried her eyes out, she has. She thinks the world of you, you know that.’
    ‘Perhaps I was a bit hard on her, but she should have said summat to us first instead of going and doing what she did.’
    Jean knew when to let things rest. Sam had his sticking points and what man had ever liked admitting he was wrong?
    ‘She’s learned her lesson, love, and, like I said, she didn’t mean any harm. You know what I think?’
    Sam was looking at her with a twinkle in his eyes now. ‘No, but I reckon you’re about to tell me.’
    ‘I reckon it would be a very good thing indeed if you went along with Grace to the next meeting and had a word with this Sister Harris yourself. Explained to her, like, that Grace had got it wrong, and told her how proud you are to have Grace being offered such a chance.’
    The last rays of sunshine were warming the greenhouse roof.
    ‘That way you’d be able to ask her a few questions as well, and find out exactly what’s going to be involved. Grace said something about her having to live in, and if that’s the case then we’ll have a spare room to let out.’
    Sam was grinning now. ‘You think of everything,’ he told her admiringly.
    ‘Well,’ Jean told him practically, ‘it would be daft to have a room standing empty when it could be