Read Online A Time of Peace by Beryl Matthews - Free Book Online

as its name suggested, would always deserve a fond place in her heart. Grandpa George had bought it at the start of the war as a safe place for her and James, and anyone else who wanted to stay there. James had inherited the house after their grandpa had been killed by a flying bomb. It was still used by the family for holidays.
    â€˜We’ll be back by early September,’ her father told her, ‘and then we’re going to France for a week.’
    â€˜Are you coming with us, Kate?’ her mother asked.
    â€˜I haven’t been at the paper long enough to have holiday time, but I’ll see what I can do.’
    â€˜You can tell that tyrant that you’ve got to keep your poor old dad company.’
    Kate chuckled and settled down to enjoy her own meal. ‘I think you’re already getting used to being a man of leisure.’
    â€˜I must admit that it’s pleasant to wake every morning and know I don’t have to rush off to London,’ said her father. ‘But James is keeping me up to date with what’s happening, of course.’
    â€˜Of course.’ Rose and Kate smiled knowingly at each other.
    The frantic hammering on the front door of his flat had
Jon tumbling out of bed. Who the hell was that at seven in the morning?
    â€˜Mr Devlin!’ a young voice bellowed.
    He wrenched open the door and saw Tom, a nine-year-old boy from Wilkins House, hopping about on the step.
    â€˜You’ve got to come quick.’ Tom grabbed hold of his arm and tried to pull him through the door.
    â€˜Hold on a minute,’ he ordered. ‘Let me get some clothes on first. Come in and tell me what this is all about.’
    Tom scuttled in and followed him to his bedroom. ‘Mrs Green said to fetch you, urgent like.’
    â€˜Will you stop prancing about and tell me what’s happened?’ Jon pulled on the first pair of trousers he could lay his hands on.
    â€˜Ed’s run away again and we’ve got babies.’
    He stopped in the middle of dressing. ‘Babies?’
    â€˜Yeah, two left on the step and bawling fit to wake the dead.’
    â€˜And how long has Eddie been missing?’
    â€˜Don’t know. He was in his bed last night, but he’d gone when we woke up. He left a note saying he was going to look for his mum. At least that’s what we think it said; his writing’s awful.’
    Jon swore so vehemently that Tom’s eyes opened wide.
    â€˜Don’t you dare repeat any of those words,’ he told the boy sternly. At his age he was likely to think it was big to cuss like that.
    Tom smirked but said nothing.
    Jon’s Wandsworth flat was only a fifteen-minute walk from Wilkins House. So he grabbed his jacket, and, with
the boy trotting beside him, hurried to the home to find out what was going on. Mrs Green looked relieved when he appeared.
    â€˜Oh, thank you for coming. I shouldn’t be worrying you with this, but it’s too early to get hold of anyone else. Eddie’s run away again and – ’
    Jon stopped her. ‘Tom told me. Now what’s this about babies?’
    â€˜Come with me.’ She took him into her own room. A drawer had been emptied out and lined with a blanket. Sleeping peacefully in it were two tiny babies with identical tufts of fair hair sticking up.
    â€˜Good Lord,’ he breathed. ‘How old are they?’
    â€˜I would guess not more than a week,’ Mrs Green whispered. ‘They’re boys and look like twins.’
    As Jon gazed at them, fury raged through him and his hands clenched into fists. How could anyone do this? How could a mother abandon her babies?
    â€˜As soon as the council offices open, I’ll take them there. I suppose they’ll put the poor little things in Standish House …’
    â€˜No!’ Jon exploded. ‘Christ, no, Mrs Green.’ He shuddered. This is just what had happened to him, and he’d never forgotten the awful sense