Free Bells of Bournville Green by Annie Murray Page B

car makers, did I?’
    ‘What about Coventry?’ Janet said, smiling as she appeared, hearing the men’s habitual sparring. She was holding each of the four-year-old twins by the hand and they stared up, awed at the sight of so many people.
    ‘All right – one of the car cities,’ Anatoli conceded, kissing her cheek. ‘The city of cars and roads. Soon, it seems, it will be easier for cars to move round the place than people. Now – you young ladies—’ He bent down and kissed Ruth, the taller of the two girls, then Naomi, then briefly held each of their faces lovingly between his hands. ‘I do believe you get more beautiful each time I see you.’
    It took some time before all the greetings were over. Everyone exclaimed over Ruby’s suddenly copper-beech hair, Janet kissed Edie warmly, and laid a hand on her friend’s round stomach, smiling in wonder. It was one of the great sadnesses of her life that she and Martin had not been able to have children of their own. They had adopted Ruth and Naomi when they were working in the Congo.
    ‘Only three months to go!’ she said. ‘I’m so excited for you, Edie.’
    ‘I can’t wait,’ Edie said, beaming back at her.
    Greta found herself kissed by everyone in turn and Marleen, who had stayed uncertainly close to the door, holding Mary Lou, was greeted warmly by Janet.
    ‘Do come in, dear – bring Mary Lou in by the fire. I’m sure Ruth and Naomi will help look after her. They’re fascinated by children younger than themselves.’
    The light was already fading outside and the Fer-rises’ big house felt cosy and comfortable. There was a fire burning in the front room and chairs arranged round it. Janet made tea and cut up a big square Christmas cake with reindeer on top, a Father Christmas pulling a sleigh and three Christmas trees. Mary Lou was captivated by the sight.
    ‘I’ve saved it for today,’ Janet said. ‘There’s always rather too much to eat round Christmas Day isn’t there? And look – you girls can each have one of the things off the top. They’re made of marzipan.’
    ‘Did you make them?’ Ruby asked, amazed.
    ‘Me? No – of course not!’ Janet laughed. ‘I have a neighbour who makes them. They’re lovely aren’t they?’
    While they sat eating cake, Janet found toys to occupy the little children, moving about the room in her calm way. She was wearing a dress in a deep plum colour which hugged her elegant figure, and court shoes with slender heels. Like her mother, Frances, Janet had always dressed with flair.
    ‘I may be going out to work with the missions,’ she had said before she and Martin went to work in Africa, ‘but that doesn’t mean I have to dress like a missionary!’
    Ruth and Naomi sat on the fluffy rug by the fire with some little dolls and a basket of tiny clothes. Every so often they came to the grown-ups, asking for help with a sleeve or poppers which needed fastening. At first they went to their mother, but then Ruby said, ‘Why don’t you go and help ’em, Gret? And you, Marleen? Look, Mary Lou wants to have a look what they’re doing.’
    Greta was glad of something to do, and she and Marleen settled on the hearthrug with the twins. She quite enjoyed dressing the dollies herself because she’d never had anything like that when she was little. And the girls were sweet. Naomi was shyest and looked at her out of the side of her eyes with an impish expression when she wanted help. Ruth was more direct and dumped the doll on Greta’s knees, saying, ‘Dress doll, p’ease.’ Greta had found the African girls so strange at first, their very dark brown skin, the pink palms of their hands and their frizzy hair which Janet had learned to keep oiled and tie in tiny plaits. Now she barely gave it a thought.
    Mary Lou sat with Marleen, and there was an occasional squawk when she wanted something the others had, but she wasn’t crying so much these days. Tonight her attention was too taken up by all these new