insisted that they make their way back home and outside her door, as she kissed Tommy goodnight, he asked, ‘Can I see you again tomorrow night?’
She smiled happily as she looked up at him. ‘Of course you can.’
They kissed again, and then with one last hug, Tommy left her to walk up the Rise. Amy watched him for a moment, then went indoors to find her dad out and her mum asleep in a chair.
After her cleaning job and then getting Winnie to bed, her mum wasn’t usually home much before ten. Puzzled, Amy gently nudged her arm, but there was no response.
‘Mum, Mum,’ she urged.
‘Wh … what?’ she muttered as her eyes fluttered open.
‘Are you all right?’
Her mother blinked, shook her head and then sat up, looking up at Amy to ask, ‘What’s the time?’
‘It’s nine fifteen. Did you finish work early?’ Amy asked.
‘Err … err … yes,’ she said, rubbing her eyes and then lowering them as though to gather her thoughts before continuing. ‘Joyce was in a hurry to get home so we skimped a bit. I was back about half an hour ago and must have dozed off for a while. I’d best pop round to Winnie’s and get her to bed.’
Since she’d fainted on Monday her mum said she was fine, but looking at the dark circles under her eyes, Amy wasn’t so sure. She had done all she could to help her mum, taking on the ironing and a few other tasks, along with washing up after dinner every night, yet looking at her now it didn’t seem to have helped. ‘I could give you a hand with Winnie,’ she offered.
As her mother stood up she said, ‘There’s no need. I won’t be long.’
Amy tried again, but her mother still refused to let her help. It was too early for bed, so Amy sat down, her thoughts turning to Tommy. It had been wonderful to see him and she had almost melted in his arms.
Moments later the door suddenly flew open and her mother cried frantically, ‘Amy, Amy, run down to the telephone box and ring for an ambulance.’
‘Why? What’s happened?’
‘It’s Winnie. She’s sitting in her chair and I can’t wake her up. I … I think she might be dead!’
‘Dead!’
‘Get a move on in case I’m wrong! I’m going to fetch Mabel.’
Amy ran then, as fast as she could, hoping that by the time the ambulance arrived it wouldn’t be too late.
When the ambulance turned the corner, its loud bell piercing the air, it proved that Mabel wasn’t the only nosey person on Lark Rise. A lot of people came outside to see what was going on. Of course it was mostly curiosity, mainly women who soon formed into small groups, talking in low voices while their eyes took in the comings and goings at Winnie’s house.
‘Look at that nosey lot,’ Mabel commented as they hurried outside. ‘They can’t wait to find out what’s going on.’
If it hadn’t been such a tragic and traumatic event, Phyllis might have laughed at the irony. Mabel was worse than any of them, but her words proved to be correct when Daphne Cole hurried up to them. ‘What’s going on? Is Winnie all right?’
Neither had time to answer because the ambulance men had left the vehicle, and Phyllis urged them inside, unaware that Mabel firmly closed the door behind them, leaving Daphne hovering outside.
Amy was still inside, pale faced and Phyllis now wished that she’d kept her daughter away. She stood beside her while the ambulance men quickly checked Winnie, expecting them to confirm what she and Mabel already knew.
Instead, one of them said, ‘I think I can feel a weak pulse.’
‘Right, let’s get her into the ambulance,’ the other one said, before turning swiftly from Winnie to ask, ‘Are you relatives?’
‘No, we’re just neighbours,’ Phyllis said, finding her voice. ‘I … I’ve been looking after Win … Mrs … Mrs Morrison.’
‘Has she got any relatives?’ he asked as they managed to lower Winnie onto a stretcher.
‘Yes, a daughter, but she lives in Devon.’
‘Right then, you’ll need to come with us. Once we get Mrs Morrison to hospital, they might need to know a bit about her medical history.’
‘I don’t think I can tell them much, but I still want to come,’ Phyllis said. Winnie was still alive and she didn’t want to leave her.
Moments later she was following the ambulance men outside again, but not before saying, ‘Amy, tell your dad what’s happened. I’ll see you when I get back. Thanks for your help, Mabel.’
With that Phyllis climbed into the ambulance, inwardly praying that Winnie was going to be all right. Guilt swamped her. She’d noticed that Winnie had been quieter than usual that day, her food hardly touched, but she had been so tired herself she hadn’t made a fuss when Winnie said she was fine.
Now it looked like Winnie was at death’s door, and Phyllis feared it was her fault.
Amy left Winnie’s house with Mabel and locked the door. She saw Carol with her mother and they rushed up to her. Mrs Povis though just huffed and hurried into her own house, for once seeming to relish keeping what she knew to herself.
‘Amy, is Winnie all right?’ Daphne asked.
‘My … my mum said she … died.’
‘Oh, poor Winnie, but come on, you’re shivering. Let’s get you home,’ Daphne said.
Amy found herself ushered into her own house, and urged onto a chair while Daphne said gently, ‘No wonder you look so pale. It’s never easy to see anyone who has passed away.’
‘No … no … Mum was wrong. Mrs Morrison’s alive. The ambulance men found a weak pulse.’
‘Did they? Well, that’s good news,’ Daphne said.
‘You still look a bit shaky though, Amy,’ said Carol.
‘I … I’ll be all right. It was just a bit of a shock seeing her like that, and well … I … I really thought she was dead.’
The door opened and Daphne said, ‘Here’s your dad now.’
‘What’s going on?’ Stan said, looking worried as he surveyed the scene.
‘Winnie has been taken ill, but we’ll leave Amy to tell you all about it,’ Daphne said. ‘Come on, Carol.’
‘Bye, Amy,’ Carol said, giving her a hug. ‘See you in the morning.’
‘Yes,
