Proud Mary

by Proud Mary (retail) (epub)

  ‘Not supposed to take nothin’ from visitors,’ he said sourly. ‘Get me into trouble you will, Mrs Richardson.’

  Delmai smiled most charmingly and pointed to the basket. ‘Look more closely, this is a very special cake.’

  Griffiths leaned forward, curious now, and his eyes brightened as he saw the folded roll of five-pound notes. With a quick look around him, he dipped his hand into the basket and swiftly pocketed the money.

  ‘What is it you want, Mrs Richardson?’ He still sounded surly, but there was a looseness in his stance which suggested he would be receptive to her requests.

  ‘It’s Billy Gray,’ she said shyly. ‘He seems such a nice young man. I’d like to see him made more comfortable; I’m sure someone like you could arrange such a small detail?’

  Griffiths blinked rapidly for a moment but he did not speak and Delmai’s heart sank. ‘I’m very generous to those who please me,’ she said, allowing herself to smile though she felt more like slapping the warder’s set face. He nodded at last and she sighed with relief.

  She moved about the prison with Griffiths continually behind her, keeping the visit to Billy until the very last. She wondered at her own feelings, knowing that she was taking far more than a casual interest in the young man who was locked away behind bars accused of murder. Yet when she finally entered his cell she knew deep within her that Billy, with his gentle eyes staring at her, could harm no one.

  ‘Good morning, Billy,’ she said lightly. ‘I’ve brought you some fresh cakes. I hope you have a sweet tooth.’

  He looked up, a small light kindling in his face as Delmai seated herself on the solitary wooden chair and placed her basket on the table.

  ‘I believe I left my coat in the last cell, Mr Griffiths,’ she said archly and the warder tugged at his moustache thoughtfully.

  ‘It’s against the rules for me to leave you alone with a prisoner, ma’am,’ he said uncertainly, but Delmai turned the full battery of her smile in his direction. ‘I shall be perfectly all right, I promise,’ she said quickly.

  ‘Very well, but I’ll only be a few minutes away should you need me.’

  There was silence in the small cell after Griffiths had gone. ‘This is silly,’ Delmai said, her voice cracking. She leaned forward and touched Billy’s hand, her fingers gently stroking his. ‘Look, things should be better for you in here now. I’ve bribed Griffiths to make you more comfortable. It’s all I can do for now, but I’m going to start a campaign to get you out of here. I know you’re not guilty of any crime and I’m going to try to make the rest of the town understand that an injustice has been done.’

  Billy looked at her without hope. ‘Save your breath,’ he said, his voice dull. ‘I’m shut away here for good. Anyway, why should you care? I’m nothing to you!’

  ‘I don’t know the reason,’ Delmai answered truthfully, ‘but care I do.’ She stared at Billy for a long moment and he returned her look with surprise.

  ‘Don’t waste your time on me, Mrs Richardson.’ He emphasised her name and looked pointedly at her hand resting on his.

  Delmai spoke quickly, breathlessly. ‘I know it’s wrong to be talking like this, but meeting you has changed my life in some inexplicable way.’

  She leaned closer, staring at him appealingly and with a sigh Billy covered her fingers with his own. ‘I’m not a free man, not in any way,’ he said in despair. Delmai bit her lip, knowing he was alluding to his relationship with Mary Jenkins. She paused, wondering how far she could go.

  ‘I’m sorry to be the one to tell you this,’ she said awkwardly, ‘but Mary is not the woman you left behind. She has moved into the household of Dean Sutton.’ Delmai lowered her lids, unable to look at him. ‘The talk is that she’s more than just an employee. I’m sorry.’

  Billy glanced at her quickly. Colour rose to his thin cheeks and the pain in his eyes was hard for Delmai to bear.

  ‘Please don’t be hurt,’ she said gently. ‘Some women are not born to be faithful. I’m sure she thinks no less of you, it’s just that she needs someone to lean on. We all do,’ she added wistfully.

  ‘Mary and me, we’ve been promised to each other for years, I love her.’

  ‘Do you?’ Delmai managed to speak evenly though her heart was pounding swiftly and her mouth felt dry. ‘Or is it simply that she had become a habit?’

  Billy frowned. ‘If I hadn’t been shut inside here we’d be married by now, I’m sure of it.’

  Delmai’s hand curled within his. ‘But Billy, neither of you was in a hurry to be tied, else why are you not married with a brood of children by now? One of you must have had doubts?’

  ‘Well, it wasn’t me.’ Billy seemed bewildered. ‘I love my Mary and I can’t believe that she would change in a few months from a respectable girl into a floosie.’

  Delmai strove for patience, pushing the pain of his loyalty to Mary into the recesses of her mind. It showed that Billy was a man of character that he defended the woman so forcefully.

  ‘I’m afraid a great deal has happened to her in the last few months,’ Delmai said. ‘She seems to have changed her character entirely. Old Mr Sutton was forced to let her go, dismiss her from her job at the laundry.’

  Delmai looked down at her fingers entwined with his and there was a warmth inside her. ‘And she didn’t pay her rent either. No, Billy, Mary is not the same person as the woman you gave your promises to. I’m sorry to be the one to tell you all this, but there is no way of softening the blow.’

  Billy rubbed his hand over his eyes. ‘I must get out of here,’ he said harshly, ‘I can’t bear to be shut away like this unable to help Mary.’

  ‘Be patient just a little while longer, Billy,’ Delmai urged earnestly. ‘I promise that I’ll have you freed before too long. But you must put Mary out of your mind, she’s no good to you.’

  He looked at her and the trust in his eyes made Delmai tremble with the enormity of what she was saying. Yet she was jubilant, she had risked his anger and it seemed she had succeeded in her persuasions for Billy was turning to her for salvation.

  ‘Excuse me, Mrs Richardson,’ Griffiths had returned to the cell, the keys at his waist jangling. ‘I can’t find any coat. Are you sure you brought it with you?’ Delmai smiled warmly at the warder. ‘How silly of me, I’ve got it here all the time! I’m so sorry for causing you so much trouble.’ She rose to her feet and with a quick glance in Billy’s direction left the cell.

  She heard the door clang behind her with a sound of dreadful finality and her courage wavered. Could she keep her promise to free Billy? She clasped her hands together tightly, gripping the basket until her knuckles gleamed white.

  ‘Thank you for your help, Mr Griffiths, and do remember our little talk, won’t you?’ She had to be content with a grunt from the surly warder as he opened the gate to allow her to pass through the courtyard. Then she was standing facing the beach and the creaking old gallows that should have been burned to the ground long ago. She held her head high as she walked along the street and there was a softness within her that she dimly recognised as the beginnings of love.

  * * *

  The late afternoon had brought a glimmer of sunshine to wash the cold streets and Mary walked slowly away from the prison breathing in the scent of salt and tar that drifted on the breeze from the docks. Yet again she had been turned away from the big gate and had watched bitterly as Delmai Richardson strode past her with a triumphant lift to her head. With a sigh she returned to the shop, glancing up at the clock and shaking her head impatiently as she realised that Nerys and Joanie must have persuaded Mrs Greenaway to spend the afternoon in town.

  But after all, it was only once a month that the staff were free to spend a day just as they chose, and in the two weeks since Mary had been in charge of the store the girls had been transformed from undisciplined children to able, capable assistants.

  Mary left the door on the latch and went into the kitchen where she sank into a chair, closing her eyes wearily, p
ushing her disappointment at not seeing Billy to the back of her mind. She thought with pride of her own progress in the shop – she knew all the prices now and could cut cloth with as much skill as any of the girls. She could run the shop with her eyes closed and deep within her an ambition was growing.

  She wanted her own store, but not just for selling drapery. She would like a shop that sold everything from bacon to long woollen drawers. She smiled to herself – it was nothing but a dream, yet one day she would make it come true.

  Her heart dipped with fear as she thought of Dean Sutton. She had been delighted to learn that his business trip had had to be extended and as yet she had not come face to face with him.

  Meanwhile his wife grew visibly weaker and Mary found herself greatly admiring Mrs Sutton’s stoicism. She sighed softly. Any day now Dean would return, indeed his wife’s sickness demanded his presence. And then would come Mary’s day of reckoning. She moved restlessly from her chair, unable to relax, wishing that the girls would return to take her mind from her own problems with their noisy ways and constant arguments.

  It was with relief that she heard the bell clanging on the door, but when she looked into the shop her heart almost stopped beating as she recognised the tall figure standing near the counter.

  ‘Can I help you?’ She sounded stiff and formal, but her mouth trembled and her hands were clasped together tightly as she fought for control.

  Brandon said nothing but moved towards her with such purpose that she could not mistake his intention. She stepped back a pace and he followed her into the kitchen, deftly slipping the small bolt into place.

  ‘Mary!’ His voice was gentle and when he held out his arms, she found herself going into them, closing her eyes in ecstasy at the feel of his broad shoulders under her hands and the litheness of him against her body. His mouth was on hers and there seemed no need for words as his tongue devoured hers and he held her close as though she was a precious piece of porcelain.

  Mary clung to him, giving herself up to his touch. She did not stop to question his presence for fear she might spoil the magic of the moment. It seemed only that he had come to her as if in answer to an unspoken prayer, and she wanted nothing more than to drown in the sensation of his nearness.

  She was aware of him laying her back on the long couch and of his hands moving over her, bringing her thrill after thrill of delight. It was as though she had drunk some potent wine that removed her inhibitions and left her pliant, responding to Brandon with every part of her being. At the back of her mind she told herself that he had come to claim her as his own, that he would lie with her, giving her his love, and then he would take her away from the shop and from all the implications of working for Dean Sutton.

  When he came to her, she gasped with joy and pleasure, tears of happiness misted her eyes and her fingers caressed the crisp dark hair that curled around his face. They were one flesh, she was his and his alone and there could be no other man, no other love for her ever again. She cried out his name and clung to the broadness of his back, pressing him closer, wanting to possess him body and soul. If she had thought the first time with him was beautiful, then she had not plumbed the depths of the man. He weaved a spell of desire and of passion that coupled with a blinding brilliant love was all the glories of life rolled into one experience.

  There was a silence in the room like the calm after a storm as Mary lay within Brandon’s arms, her eyes closed, her hair wild and tangled over her naked shoulders. She felt replete as though she had enjoyed a great banquet – and so she had, she told herself, only this was a feast of love and wonder and delight.

  Brandon sighed and moved her gently away and as he dressed she watched him, her eyes devouring him. She longed to reach out and touch the warmth of his skin, to have his breath mingling with hers once more, but she was suddenly shy and aware of her own nakedness.

  When they were both dressed, Mary stood waiting in breathless silence, expecting she knew not what. Brandon came to her and took her face between his hands and his mouth was tender now, lacking passion but sweet all the same. She held him close, pressing her face against his shoulder, but neither of them spoke. It was as though the silence was a fragile bubble that might burst and destroy everything.

  She watched him go with a light heart. He had spoken nothing of love or possession, yet she knew in her bones that he felt for her as much as she did for him. Her eyes drank in his lithe walk and the square proud set of his shoulders and she stood in the doorway of the shop until he was out of sight.

  Then she tidied the room and placed the kettle on the hob ready for boiling. She no longer felt lonely, she felt loved and cherished and her heart was beating swiftly, filled with happiness and joy.

  By the time the girls returned, Mary had brushed and repinned her hair and was standing over the stove cooking a rabbit stew as though nothing had happened to disturb the quietness of the afternoon. And yet Nerys looked at her suspiciously, her eyes narrowing, her mouth pursed.

  ‘You seem different,’ she said at last. ‘You look as if you’ve lost a penny and found a sovereign.’

  Mary laughed lightly. ‘Perhaps I have!’ She gestured towards the dresser. ‘Bring out some dishes, the stew’s just about ready.’

  Mrs Greenaway sank into a chair, her face red from exertion. ‘There’s a job I’ve got looking after these two girls,’ she grumbled good-naturedly. ‘Like naughty babbas they are, running off just when you think you’ve got them to heel.’ She eased her feet out of her shoes and rubbed at her toes, sighing with relief. ‘Glad I am that there’s only one day a month they’ve got off; couldn’t put up with them for any more than that, they’d have me six-foot deep they would.’

  ‘Come and eat, you’ll feel better then.’ Mary smiled and sat at the table. ‘Here, pass me the bread, Nerys, I’ll cut a few slices myself before you turn it into a heap of crumbs!’

  The girl readily obeyed, taking up her spoon and tasting the strew. ‘There’s lovely,’ she said appreciatively. ‘I wish you lived down by here with us instead of up at the Big House.’ Mary looked at her levelly, though her stomach turned over at the thought of returning to Ty Mawr.

  ‘So do I,’ she said lightly. ‘We’ll see what can be arranged.’

  ‘Will you ask Mr Sutton tonight then?’ Mrs Greenaway’s eyes were shrewd as they rested on Mary.

  ‘You know as well as I do that he’s away on business,’ Mary said, her voice unnecessarily sharp. ‘I don’t know when he’s expected back.’

  The girls fell silent, glancing uneasily at each other and it was left to Mrs Greenaway to speak.

  ‘He’s returned already. Saw him with my own eyes driving up Canal Street, going home to Ty Mawr. It’s all the gossip that Mrs Sutton’s taken a turn for the worse and the master had to be sent for. Didn’t you know?’

  Mary pushed away her plate, suddenly she did not feel hungry. ‘No, I didn’t know.’ She heard her own voice, but it seemed not to belong to her. She rose to her feet and took her coat from the peg on the back of the door.

  ‘I’d best get up there.’ She spoke evenly now, concealing the turmoil of emotions within her. ‘I might be needed.’

  Mrs Greenaway stared at her with something like pity in her eyes. ‘Yes, it’s the only thing to do. Don’t worry, I’ll look after everything here.’

  The twilight glow of early evening should have had a soothing effect on Mary, but she was too mixed-up and emotional to notice how the dying sun-splashed sea and sky with scarlet and gold. She walked along the edge of the beach, trying to gain enough courage to make for the tram terminus.

  At last, reality forced itself upon her chaotic thoughts and she paused for a moment, taking a deep breath of the tangy sea air before turning back to the roadway. One thing was clear, she could not become Dean’s mistress – not now, not ever. She was Brandon’s woman – he had put his mark on her and she couldn’t bring herself to lie in another man’s bed, not even if it meant that she was out in the street wit
h no job and no roof over her head.

  Brandon had made her no promises, none at all and perhaps he never would. But she would take the crumbs he offered her with selfish joy, holding each experience close to her heart like a precious gem.

  Her mind made up, she walked purposefully now, each step bringing her nearer to where the tram waited to carry her out of the town and up on to the hill. She lifted her head and saw the glory of the night sky and a smile curved the corners of her mouth.

  Chapter Seventeen

  The windows of Ty Mawr were ablaze with lights by the time Mary arrived. The front door under the stone porch stood open, the glare from the hallway spilling onto the drive. A carriage stood in front of the house, the horse pulling impatiently between the shafts.

  As Mary approached the doorway, Dr Thomas was walking slowly through the hall. His shoulders were stooped and his black bag hung down at his side; his appearance was one of complete dejection.

  He paused in the lighted porch and turned to look at the tall man looming behind him whose large frame cast a great shadow onto the pathway.

  ‘The improvement will just be a temporary one.’ The doctor spoke softly, but Mary was close enough to catch the gist of what he said. Dean Sutton acknowledged the doctor’s words with a slight inclination of his great head.

  ‘You know there is nothing more I can do but make her comfortable. She has at best another month and after that her life is in the lap of the gods.’

  The big American rested his hand on the doctor’s thin shoulder. ‘I’m grateful, Bryn, for all you’ve done. Thank you for coming up here so promptly and for spending so much time with Bea.’

  ‘It’s the least I can do.’ Dr Thomas’s voice was muffled. ‘I brought the girl into the world, it’s sad to see her reduced to a shadow of her former self. Bonny and lovely she was as a child. With great fat glossy curls and laughing eyes, always laughing they were.’ The old doctor shook his head. ‘But then life must go on as they say.’