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  CECILIA’S SECRET

  by Patricia Gallinetti

  “There are more things in Heaven and Earth, Horatio, than are dreamt of in your philosophy.”

  ― William Shakespeare

  Table of Contents

  PROLOGUE

  CHAPTER ONE

  CHAPTER TWO

  CHAPTER THREE

  CHAPTER FOUR

  CHAPTER FIVE

  CHAPTER SIX

  CHAPTER SEVEN

  CHAPTER EIGHT

  CHAPTER NINE

  CHAPTER TEN

  CHAPTER ELEVEN

  CHAPTER TWELVE

  CHAPTER THIRTEEN

  CHAPTER FOURTEEN

  CHAPTER FIFTEEN

  CHAPTER SIXTEEN

  CHAPTER SEVENTEEN

  CHAPTER EIGHTEEN

  CHAPTER NINETEEN

  CHAPTER TWENTY

  CHAPTER TWENTY-ONE

  CHAPTER TWENTY-TWO

  CHAPTER TWENTY-THREE

  CHAPTER TWENTY-FOUR

  CHAPTER TWENTY-FIVE

  CHAPTER TWENTY- SIX

  CHAPTER TWENTY-SEVEN

  CHAPTER TWENTY-EIGHT

  CHAPTER TWENTY- NINE

  CHAPTER THIRTY

  CHAPTER THIRTY-ONE

  CHAPTER THIRTY-TWO

  EPILOGUE

  PROLOGUE

  July 1944 – Tuscany, Italy

  T he summer stillness of the Tuscan countryside was broken by distant rumbles. Cecilia looked across the kitchen table at Piero and Francesca, her eyes wide with terror. She heard the sound she had been dreading, in the distance, a series of thumps, followed by a loud explosion. In the previous months the allies had rapidly advanced into Tuscany and the little community of Tavarnelle had been living on tenterhooks, waiting for the inevitable attack they had all hoped would never come.

  “Quickly, quickly, out the back!” she screamed. Picking up little Bernard, she raced for the big double doors, and thankfully, one was standing open. She heard Francesca following close behind her with her little boy, Giorgio. Turning to look back Cecilia couldn’t see Piero.

  Where was he?

  As Francesca turned around to look behind her, she cried out fearfully in search of Piero.

  “Piero, dove sei?” (where are you)

  Cecilia handed Bernard over to Francesca and pushed her out the door.

  “Go, go, down the bank, near the river! I’ll see where Piero is, we’ll come after you, find shelter, wait for us. Go!” she screamed hysterically at Francesca who was hesitating.

  “For God’s sake Francesca run, run, you are the fastest - Piero and I will follow you!’

  She turned around and breathed a sigh of relief as Piero raced into the room carrying a tin box.

  “All our money and papers…” he explained, his eyes wide with fear.

  They heard the whistle of another shell hurtling towards them, and she hoped it would miss them. She suddenly knew it would not pass overhead. It would be a direct hit on the house.

  She began to turn towards the door, and the incoming screech was so loud, it sounded as if it was almost there. Cecilia was frantic to make it outside and to get to her child, but it was too late. The shell landed with an ear-splitting boom. The house shook and falling debris pummeled them. Piero grabbed her hand and they struggled towards the door as bricks and debris fell around them with a deafening noise. Cecilia was hit repeatedly on her shoulders and back, and there was a hoarse cry from Piero, who released her hand. Something heavy hit her on the head and everything went black.

  Cecilia regained consciousness slowly. Nearby, somebody was moaning, but she couldn’t make out where it was coming from. She was unable to move. There was a heavy load pinning her legs, she couldn’t feel them, and her head ached. Strangely she felt as if she had cotton wool in her ears. She blacked out again.

  Cecilia regained consciousness once more, and she struggled to remember where she was.

  Where am I? I must be dreaming.

  Pain was clawing at her body. She opened her eyes, but was unable to see anything. She groaned, trying to call out, but it only came out as a croak, she was so thirsty. She heard a strange chunk, chunk sound and faint voices. At last the talking became louder, and as she squinted and tried to look up, a tiny chink of light appeared. Finally, the voices were directly above her and she could start to make out a few words.

  “There are two here. They’re alive.”

  The terrible weight was lifted off her legs and the pain was almost too much for her. Cecilia was puzzled and tried to recall what had happened.

  Maybe it’s Liam. Maybe he found me. Maybe he tried to kill me again.

  She was murmuring as the rescuers pulled her out.

  “Where is my baby? Where is Bernard?”

  “Ma’am? Ma’am? Here’s some water.”

  Blessed sweet water dribbled down her parched throat, and she coughed and pushed the hand away.

  “Ma’am, do you understand English?”

  She couldn’t answer. “Can you tell us? Is there anybody else under the rubble?”

  She croaked, at last remembering.

  “Piero! Did you find Piero?”

  “Yes,” was the reply, “He took most of the damage by landing on top of you, but he is alive too.”

  Cecilia suddenly realized her rescuers were talking English and the accent was familiar.

  “Are you Australians?”

  “New Zealanders, Ma’am,” was the reply.

  She had to tell them before it was too late. She lifted her head slightly.

  “The river, look down by the river…there are two children and a woman, please get them, please.”

  “Right, we’ll have a look now.

  She heard him shouting instructions to somebody and from further away a different voice called back.

  “Another couple of shells landed down in that area…we’ve already looked. There’s nobody there.”

  Cecilia frowned; there was something else she should remember.

  CHAPTER ONE

  Melbourne - 1920

  C

  ecilia 8 years old and her mother and father Agnes and Bernard Skye with her little sister Helena were on the ship Bengalia which had just arrived in Melbourne. The family were from Devon England where Cecilia and Helena had been born. When Cecilia caught her first sight of land she was not sure how she felt. The little girl clasped Helena’s hand and looked fearfully out over the railings. She had to look after Helena a great deal during the voyage as Mama was ill. The little eight-year-old felt they had been on the ship forever and heaved a sigh of relief when she realized they had finally arrived. Tears gathered as she remembered the last glimpse she had of her best friend, her beloved dog Jackie. Cecilia watched as some of the passengers pointed out landmarks and others were busily collecting luggage and family. She became afraid as she noticed her father walking down the gangplank which had swung out ready for passengers to disembark and as Helena noticed she let out a screech “Papa” she screamed. Mama bent down and said

  “Hush Darling, Papa is going to see about all our luggage, he will be back presently we have to wait.” After a short interval Cecilia breathed a sigh of relief as Papa appeared at her side. She was desperately afraid he would not find them. He smiled gently and took Cecilia’s hand and picking little Helena up he walked down the gangplank with Mama following behind.

  Cecilia and her mother and father, Agnes and Bernard Skye with her little sister Helena were on a ship that had just arrived in Melbourne. The family were from Devon, England, where Cecilia and Helena had been born.

  When the ship finally docked, there was a hustle and bustle, a cacophony of excited voices as all the passengers prepared to disembark. It was 1920, and they were one o
f hundreds of immigrants fleeing from Britain after the war, England being in the grip of a severe depression. Many more had died from the 1918 Spanish ‘Flu. Unemployment and starvation were rife. The little girls were tired, grumpy and very tearful. Agnes sighed with relief when it was their turn to leave the ship. After hours on the pier at Melbourne docks, the family and many others boarded a train for the city. The luggage had taken a long time to load, but finally the train pulled out slowly.

  Bernard had hoped to find a position in Melbourne quickly, but after weeks of fruitless searching, he realized that Australia was now declining into a depression and preference was being given to the returning servicemen, he admitted to himself he wasn’t a young man. He applied for a job as a male nurse in the Sanatorium for consumptives and to his great relief was given the position.

  He and Agnes were sitting discussing their circumstances after supper when the children had gone to bed.

  “Bernard, I have found a woman who wants me to knit a cardigan for her, she is willing to pay me well. Her name is Mrs. Jackson, do you think I should take it on?”

  Bernard agreed that the extra money would certainly help and said that Agnes should go ahead. Bernard was nearly fifty-five, he married Agnes when she was twenty years old and they had been married for ten wonderful years. He adored his wife and two girls and thought himself very blessed to have such a beautiful family. They moved into a small house and as Agnes was clever with her knitting she managed to supplement their income by selling her work. The two little girls attended a school nearby and started to make friends. Agnes was feeling a bit more optimistic about their circumstances.

  It was six years later, Bernard hadn’t arrived home at his usual time after work, Agnes wasn’t too concerned, he had often been late, but he did not return home all night and she did not receive any news. They had not been able to afford a telephone so, as a result, the next morning she knocked on her neighbour’s door and asked permission to use the telephone. When she contacted the Sanatorium, she was told that Bernard had collapsed the day before and had been taken to hospital.

  “Why on earth didn’t you send a message to let me know?” she asked.

  The voice answered apologetically.

  “Sorry Mrs. Skye we didn’t have a contact number for your husband. We were going to send somebody around to tell you today.”

  Agnes obtained directions and rushing back she told the girls she was going to the hospital and instructed them to stay inside and not answer the door she was sure they would be safe until she returned. When Agnes arrived, she was escorted to the ward. As she walked in and saw Bernard, it gave her a shock to see how ill he looked. Bernard smiled weakly when he saw Agnes coming towards his bed, he had been worried.

  “Everything is alright now dear,” she patted Bernard on the arm lovingly,

  “I am going to find the Doctor and ask him what is wrong with you, most probably just exhaustion after the trip and not being able to find work and all the anxiety. It has been a hard few years.”

  The Doctor informed Agnes that Bernard had Angina and he was gravely ill, he explained, her husband must have had symptoms for a while, maybe pain down his arm accompanied by fatigue. Agnes was devastated. Bernard had never complained, he must have been ill for some time, why had he not told her? She wandered out to the garden, and dazedly sat down on a bench under an old Oak tree. Looking down absently she noticed ants busily pushing a dead insect, bees buzzing in a Rosemary bush nearby. What was she to do without Bernard? She sighed. ‘God, please help me - let him recover.’ She prayed. Eventually she felt able to go inside. She kissed her husband tenderly and told him she would bring the children to see him. The next day Agnes and the girls caught the tram to the hospital, when Agnes saw Bernard, he looked worse. He was listlessly lying in bed, but he brightened up when he saw her and the girls. She tried bravely to hide her feelings. Bernard and his family chatted for a while. He then asked if Cecilia and Helena would like to see the garden as he had something important to say to Mother.

  When the girls had left the room, Bernard told Agnes that the Doctor had explained things to him and he knew he was gravely ill and may not recover, he wanted to discuss how she would manage without him by her side.

  “Don’t let us think of these things now Bernard, I can’t bear it. Don’t worry about the children and me, just concentrate on getting home.” She smiled down at him.

  Bernard nodded and said.

  “Just in case you need help, I want you to write to my sister in England and ask if she will send you the fare to return. You will be better off there, you have family in Kent and I am sure they will take care of you and the girls. Agnes patted his hand and agreed to everything, she didn’t want him to worry about anything.

  Bernard lingered on for another two months but his heart eventually gave out. Agnes stayed with him and held his hand to the end. She determined she would write to Bernard’s sister in England as he had wanted, however, she did not want to return to England, uproot the children again and against Bernard’s wishes she had thought of a better plan. Agnes was sitting in the lounge, thinking of the past few months since Bernard’s passing, the day she returned from Bernard’s funeral, she had written to his sister in England. Agnes had decided to stay in Australia. She needed help to support herself and the girls, while she looked for work and promised to pay the loan back as soon as she was able. When the money arrived with good wishes from her sister-in-law and how sad she was at Bernard’s passing, Agnes paid her rent which had fallen behind and settled a few debts that had accrued while Bernard was ill, there wasn’t much left, but she had to keep some for a rainy day. Agnes then started to look through all the newspapers for possible employment for herself, there was nothing and she realized she had no training for anything. There was still money coming in from her knitting and she was making just enough to pay the rent and to put food on the table, but she wanted more for her girls, she wanted to give them a good education.

  Mrs. Jackson still gave Agnes a lot of work, the woman knew of Agnes’ circumstances, and had tried to help in every way, the kind soul had introduced more customers to Agnes who all admired her garments and Agnes kept busy. She had a steady but small flow of income. One day, as Agnes delivered a finished garment to her customer, received her money and prepared to leave, Mrs. Jackson spoke to her, furtively looking around she whispered.

  “Mrs. Skye, I have been hesitant to ask you this, but I wonder if you could do me a favour?” She took Agnes’ arm and drew her back inside the house glancing towards Agnes almost fearfully.

  “It will also mean a small remuneration for you.”

  “Of course, certainly if I can help, I will” replied Agnes. Any chance of extra money was welcome she thought. Mrs. Jackson then handed Agnes a sealed envelope, the woman was quiet for a second then she seemed to make up her mind.

  “You see Mrs. Skye, I sort of Umm-- have a small gambling circle of friends” She held up her hand. “Not huge amounts, you understand, because our husbands don’t know of it, and of course we don’t make a fortune, but it’s fun,” She smiled, then continued. “I was wondering if you would deliver this to somebody for me, and if,” she smiled again, mischievously almost, “If, we win anything you could bring the winnings back when next you deliver a garment to any one of us in the circle,” she glanced at Agnes, her eyes half closed. “Of course,” she whispered glancing around once more, “I will give you something for your kindness, but if you are not interested, I trust you will not mention our conversation to anyone.”

  Agnes was speechless. She gazed at the woman without saying anything, thinking furiously.

  “Uh, where do I have to deliver this?” Agnes said holding up the envelope, “If I decide to do it, and - is it illegal?” She asked hesitantly. Mrs. Jackson’s face reddened.

  “Well, it is not strictly above-board, but as it is only very small amounts, I don’t think the police will bother to stop you.”

  She then pressed two po
unds into Agnes’ hand and looking at the money Agnes couldn’t resist. It was a fortune. The woman was looking at Agnes slyly; Mrs. Jackson knew Agnes was in dire straits and needed the extra money.

  “Very well,” she said to the woman “What do I do?”

  “There is an old abandoned building in Dandenong Road and a little alley running along the side of the building,” Mrs. Jackson explained. “You have to walk up the alley and you will see some old stables. Walk through the stables and this will bring you to the rear of the old building where there is a back entrance, just walk in and hand the envelope to whoever is in the room, all very simple and safe I assure you,” She smiled. “If we do happen to win I will contact you to pick up our winnings and when you are ready with an order, you can bring the money with you,” She paused. “Not all the ladies customers are in the circle, so it will be best if you deal only with me about this matter,” Mrs. Jackson smiled at Agnes again. “It’s not dangerous and you can earn yourself a lot of money, if you do this for me, next time you come we can set out a fixed amount to pay you, if you prefer.”

  Agnes took the envelope and putting it in her bag, she bade her customer goodbye. On her way to Dandenong road, she felt very hesitant and guilty, this was something illegal. Whatever would Bernard think? She thought. My God, am I doing the right thing? But the money I can earn will help me so much and I can give the girls more. Suddenly she had a thought and gasped. What if the girls should ever find out? She grinned, they will most likely think it’s quite an adventure, but I will just have to keep it from them.

  When Agnes reached the building, she did as Mrs. Jackson told her and turned into the alley, it looked grim and shoddy. Papers, stuck to the wooden fence, weeds growing up through the cracked paving, on the opposite side was a blackened burnt out shell of a building. Agnes walked nervously on and hearing a noise above her, she jerked her head up with fright, but it was only a cat sitting on top of the fence looking down at her with a haughty expression.

  “Hello kitty,” Agnes spoke softly. “You look street wise, am I doing the right thing?” Sighing, she walked on, picking her way through the stables as Mrs. Jackson explained. Coming on the door at the rear she knocked tentatively and it suddenly opened as though somebody was waiting on the other side, she handed the unknown person the envelope and without any words being said, Agnes made her way back to Dandenong road, with relief. As she exited the alley she almost bumped into a police officer and she gave a start. She thought. Guilt must be written all over my face. She gave him a slight smile and he nodded back and walked on. ‘I am getting nervous over nothing, Agnes chided herself. There is no reason I shouldn’t go into this alley. I am jumping at my own shadow. She had followed the instructions, had earned her two pounds and now she would buy a fashion magazine on her way home.