by Anna Jacobs
‘Did you say you were staying at Mrs Tucker’s?’
‘Yes. If you can take me back there, I’d be grateful.’
‘It’s the least we can do.’ He helped her into the front passenger seat, which Mr Slater had insisted she take, studying her covertly. She still looked angry but definitely wasn’t the fainting type.
As he set off, he asked, ‘Do you mind if I take Mr Slater back to Willcox and Selby Motors before I drive you to Mrs Tucker’s? It’s more or less on the way and he’s booked a taxi to take him home after his driving lesson. It might not wait for him if we’re too late.’
‘That’ll be fine by me. Actually, if you’d kindly let me wash my hands and face, and tidy my hair properly at your office, I’d be further in your debt. I’d rather people didn’t see me looking quite such a mess. The road outside the boarding house is quite busy because it leads into the town centre. And Mrs T is going to say she told me so, I’m sure.’
He thought Miss Melling looked magnificent in her anger, with her cheeks rosy, her eyes sparkling and her dark hair falling in a shining stream over her shoulders. Today she seemed a different woman to the one on the train, more of a free spirit, as if her real self was showing – perhaps because she was away from that horrible, complaining stepmother.
When they got back to Crimea Street, Todd looked surprised to see Miss Melling get out of the car with her clothes awry and face bruised, in spite of her attempts to tidy herself up.
‘This way.’ Nick hurried across to the building, trying to stay between her and a couple of gawking passers-by.
Todd followed them into the kitchen. ‘What’s happened? Has there been an accident?’
‘Not exactly. Miss Melling was attacked by two men as she was walking along that narrow road this side of Birch End, the one that’s a short cut to Backshaw Moss.’
‘ What? We need to report the attack to the police, then.’ He looked at her, frowning. ‘I don’t think I’ve seen you around town before, Miss Melling, and I know most people by sight.’
‘No, you wouldn’t have. I’ve just arrived from Australia.’
‘Ah. Sorry you’ve had such a poor welcome to the valley. I’m Todd Selby. This is my garage and car sales yard.’
‘Pleased to meet you.’ She looked at Nick. ‘May I use your bathroom to tidy myself up?’
‘What am I thinking of keeping you here chatting? It’s at the top of the stairs. There’s a clean towel folded on the shelf.’
She gave them a rather forced half-smile and disappeared, her footsteps echoing on the bare wooden stairs.
Todd looked at Nick. ‘I’ve never heard of an attack in broad daylight before, even there. Were they trying to run off with her handbag?’
‘No, they didn’t even try to snatch it. It seems she’s upset someone called Rathley and it sounds as if he sent them to frighten her.’ He lowered his voice to add, ‘Or worse. Do you know him?’
‘Who doesn’t? He’s becoming rather notorious, though I knew of him, rather than knowing him personally until I went on the town council with him.’
There was a pregnant silence, then Slater said grimly, ‘He’ll overreach himself one day, that one will, and it can’t happen too soon for me. I’d not do business with him, that’s for sure.’
‘I don’t think I heard of him when I was a lad here,’ Nick said. ‘But I’ll definitely find out about him now.’
‘You don’t want to tangle with him, Howarth. In fact, I’ll point him out if we see him when we’re out on our driving lessons, so that you can avoid him.’
Nick didn’t say anything but he wasn’t going to play the coward, and was now very determined to keep an eye on Miss Melling. It didn’t sound as if the poor lass knew anyone else in town to turn to for help.
There was the sound of a vehicle stopping outside and Slater went to look out of the front door, returning a moment later. ‘That’s my taxi. Will you be all right, Howarth? You don’t need any more help with the young lady?’
‘No. I’ll make sure Miss Melling gets back to her lodgings safely. See you tomorrow afternoon.’
Still Mr Slater hesitated. ‘If you think it’ll help, I could spread the word about what’s happened to a few people I know, ones who have no reason to love Rathley. They’ll keep their eyes open for her, too.’
‘That wouldn’t hurt,’ Nick agreed.
After Mr Slater had left, he put the kettle on with a wry smile at Todd. ‘If all else fails, a cup of tea’s usually a big help in settling the nerves. I’m sure Miss Melling will appreciate one.’
‘So would I. I’ll just phone Leah and tell her I’ll be late. There may be something I can do to help, and at the very least, we should work out some way of keeping an eye on Miss Melling. The trouble is, Rathley was vouched for by a friend as being with him, so there’s no obvious way of tying him to what happened today. There never is when something happens that seems suspicious. I’ve wondered about a couple of incidents that nudged business in his favour.’
Nick looked grim. ‘That sort of person can get overconfident.’
‘Well, Rathley hasn’t been accused directly of anything so far and from what I’ve heard, ordinary people are frightened to challenge him, given the sort of men he employs as rent and debt collectors.’
‘It worries me, Todd. She’s on her own here and who’d even know if she suddenly vanished? And anyway—’ He broke off abruptly.
‘And?’ his companion prompted.
‘I don’t like to see young women treated badly. I have cousins and if anyone hurt them, I’d go after them.’
‘Yes, and my wife has a younger sister. I’d feel the same.’
‘I’m going to be out and about quite a lot, so I can keep my eyes open. It’s surprising what you notice when you’re giving driving lessons, because you often have to go slowly with beginner drivers. And you also have to be on the alert for what’s going on around you to prevent your pupil doing something stupid. Pedestrians don’t pay much attention to cars that aren’t close to them, I’ve noticed. Nor do people in other cars.’
‘What can you hope to see?’
‘Who knows? I’ve got another advantage: I have really good vision for things at a distance. I can recognise a bird’s shape when other people only see a dot in the sky. That comes in useful sometimes in my job.’
13
T here were footsteps on the stairs and Jo came to join them, looking much tidier, with her hair in a low bun and the blouse pinned together. But the bruise on her cheek showed so clearly it made Nick’s anger flare up again.
‘You’ll have to be very careful from now on, Miss Melling,’ he warned.
‘I will, I promise you. I hadn’t expected anything like that to happen to me. From now on, I’ll be on my guard, even in a small town like Rivenshaw.’
Todd joined in. ‘Show me the town, small or large, that doesn’t have its share of villains. I’ve never found one and I’ve seen quite a bit of the world. I’ve even been to Australia and may I say that it’s nice to hear an Aussie accent again.’
She gave him one of those wide, relaxed Aussie smiles he remembered so vividly from his travels. ‘My stepmother complains bitterly about the way I speak. Luckily I’ve never valued her opinion, so it doesn’t upset me. But look, Miss Melling sounds terribly stiff and formal. We Aussies use first names more often than you Brits do. That absolutely horrified my stepmother but I prefer it, so please could you call me Jo?’
It was Nick she looked at as she said this, though, rather than Todd.
He responded at once, ‘Like a cup of tea, Jo ?’
‘I’d love one … Nick .’
Todd watched them smile at one another as Nick set out a cup and saucer in front of her and then put their usual mugs in front of himself and Todd. They were attracted to one another. You could always tell. Did they realise it yet, though?
She surprised them both by pushing the cup away before he could pour tea into it.
‘That’s another thing. I’d far r
ather have a mug like yours, if you don’t mind. On our farm I used to drink good, strong tea with the men. There never seems to be enough to quench your thirst in one of those little cups and on the ship they made the tea so weak it hardly tasted of anything.’
Todd went across to the cupboard and got her a mug. ‘Here you are, Jo.’
Nick poured her tea and she added a spoonful of sugar then sipped it with obvious relish.
‘Are you sure you’re all right?’ Todd pointed to her cheek. ‘Does that hurt much?’
‘Nah. It’s only a bruise. I’ve always been a tomboy so I’m used to them. But I’m still angry at myself for getting caught out.’
‘I think we should talk about what happened,’ Todd said. ‘If you’ve run afoul of Rathley to the extent that he’s sending men to attack you, you might find yourself in trouble again. As he’s grown richer he seems to have decided he can get away with anything. Since you weren’t intending to stay in Rivenshaw, perhaps you should cut your losses and go on your way?’
She got that stubborn expression on her face again. ‘My father taught me not to turn tail and flee from trouble. He used to say, it’d only follow you and attack from behind another day. Besides, I still have unfinished business here. I want to find my father’s family. It was one of his dying wishes.’
Todd shook his head regretfully. ‘Can’t argue with carrying out someone’s last wish, but take care how you go from now on, eh? No walking through the countryside on your own. And remember, in town you can always take refuge in here if someone comes after you.’
‘I’ll be here part of the time as well,’ Nick added. ‘The office for my driving school is in one of the front rooms and I’m living in the house for the time being, keeping an eye on Todd’s place at night.’
‘My wife and I live up in Ellindale,’ Todd said. ‘I think you’ll get on well with Leah. She’s a no-nonsense person too.’
‘I’d like that.’
‘Nick, we’d love to have you, too, and when she comes to tea, you can drive Jo up and take her back.’
‘Both those would be my pleasure.’
Todd turned back to Jo, speaking slowly and emphatically. ‘You shouldn’t go out on your own after dark, and that even includes crossing the street to a neighbour’s house.’
She grimaced but nodded agreement. ‘I think I’ll carry something to defend myself with in my handbag, just in case, a spanner maybe. Good thing I don’t carry one of those silly little pouch bags that are fashionable for ladies.’ She gestured to her leather bag that was big enough to be called a satchel.
‘About your father’s relatives – what makes you think they’re living in Backshaw Moss?’ Todd asked.
‘Mrs T introduced me to someone called Kath Melling, who turned out to be a distant relative, and she thinks that’s where they are.’
Todd made a disapproving sound. ‘It’s a dreadful place. These relatives might not be – respectable.’
Jo banged her empty mug down. ‘I’ve come ten thousand miles and it wasn’t just to look after my stepmother, so I’m not going back without trying to find them. If they live in a slum, they may be dreadful people, for all I know, but what if they’re not? What if they’re just trapped there because they’re poor and can’t find work?’
‘It does happen.’
‘My father and I used to talk about that, because they’re going through hard times in Australia as well. He tried to help people whenever he could. Men on the tramp used to stop at our farm and ask to fill their billycan with water. He’d give them a meal as well. My stepmother didn’t like that.’
She sighed and went on, almost talking to herself, remembering. ‘Sometimes there were whole families on the road together, pushing handcarts with all their possessions in them and sleeping rough. Dad always gave them a good square meal and maybe a few shillings to help them on their way, and he let them sleep in the barn if the weather was bad. If I find that my relatives here are in need, I shall definitely try to help them, as he’d have done.’
She was not only a brave lass, but an intelligent and caring one as well, Nick thought. Just let him catch anyone trying to hurt her from now on.
That intensity of his protective feeling made him suck in a sharp breath. Oh hell! He was even more attracted to her after a second meeting, and she was only here on a visit. And anyway, he had to focus all his energy on getting his driving school going.
Why did fate so often toss temptation your way at exactly the wrong times?
Todd was speaking, so he tried to concentrate on that but it took a huge effort.
‘Well, let’s make some plans, then.’ Todd managed not to smile. When they weren’t staring at one another, both his companions seemed to be lost in thought. They might have only just met, but they seemed connected in some way, as if they understood one another instinctively.
It had been like that with him the first time he saw Leah. Only she’d been married to Jonah then.
Jo wasn’t married, though, and seemed alone in the world. Maybe … oh, who knew? He wasn’t going to interfere but he couldn’t help hoping his newest friend would find someone to share his life. It wasn’t money that made you happy but people. Well, it did if you were a decent sort.
Now he was the one getting lost in thought. He’d better pull himself together. ‘If you’d like to go up to Backshaw Moss and look for your relatives tomorrow morning, Jo, I can come with you. I have no appointments and there’s no car due in for repairs.’
Nick shot him a quick glance. ‘I’ll come too. In that place, two men will be better than one. We can put a sign on the door here saying Back in an hour .’
‘All right. The sooner you and I find some clerical help, the better. I’ll put an advert in the Friday newspaper.’
‘I could help out till you find someone, if you like,’ Jo volunteered. ‘I worked in an office for a few years in Perth. I’m good with figures and paperwork. I kept the account books and did the correspondence for a haberdasher’s shop. I enjoy organising things.’
Todd spoke without thinking and saw her face brighten. ‘You sound like the sort of person we’d offer a job to.’
‘Well, how about I help you out for a week or two? I’m planning to stay in the valley, if not in Birch End, for at least that long, whether I find my relatives or not.’
They both looked at her in puzzlement and Nick asked, ‘Why?’
‘Because I want to look round this part of Lancashire. I checked the history of the county in one of Dad’s books and it sounds an interesting place. Did you know they opened the first co-operative store in the world – well the first of the modern sort – in a town called Rochdale in 1844? They have similar co-ops in Australia now because that way of organising a co-op has been so successful.’
‘Are you interested in history?’ Nick asked.
‘Yes. About how ordinary people used to live, anyway. I don’t care about lords and ladies, or politics. We had a co-op store in the little town where I grew up in Australia, you see. Well, it was the only shop and people relied on it for most of their daily needs, the ones they couldn’t provide for themselves on the farms, that is. The manager was a friend of my father’s. When he found out I was coming to Lancashire, he wanted me to go and see the co-op in Rochdale and send him a postcard from there.’
She sighed and got a rather sad look in her eyes for a moment or two, as if she missed her home and friends. Well, you would, wouldn’t you?
Todd looked at Nick, who nodded quickly. ‘Did you mean that, because if so we’d be happy to have your help in the office, Jo?’
‘Of course I did. It’ll give you time to look round for someone permanent and it’ll suit me to have something to do. I can’t bear sitting around idly all day. It nearly drove me mad on the ship. My stepmother said I should take up embroidery. Ha! I’d rather go riding or work in the garden any day. My real mother used to laugh at my efforts and tell me I sewed like a one-armed kangaroo!’
‘Won’t h
elping us mean you have to stay here for longer than you intended?’ Nick asked.
Todd watched her expression turn sad again.
‘I don’t have any close relatives to go back to in Australia, just friends and former neighbours, so I’m not in a hurry. I haven’t got a booking yet. Actually, I’m not at all sure what I’m going to do with the rest of my life. My only relatives in Australia are over in Melbourne now and that’s about one thousand, seven hundred miles away and foreign territory to me. And our farm’s been sold.’
‘Why didn’t your father leave that to you?’ Nick asked. ‘Was it only rented?’
‘No. He owned it. He might have left it to me if I’d wanted to run it, but I didn’t. I like being outdoors, but I don’t like killing animals I’ve helped look after and I’m not interested in growing crops. I can easily take the time to hunt for my relatives here and to help you.’
She didn’t tell them she’d received most of the money the farm had brought, apart from the chunk that’d been left in trust for her father's second wife. He had said she should keep that information to herself, and especially not tell Edna.
Todd frowned. ‘I don’t know of any other Mellings in the valley, except for Kath’s lot.’
‘Turns out that I have distant relatives still in the area, as my father expected. They’re called Tayner.’
He cocked his head to one side, then shook it. ‘Tayner? I can’t think of anyone by that name. It’s unusual, so I’m sure I’d remember it. Are you certain these people live in Backshaw Moss?’
‘Mrs T thought they did, but she didn’t know exactly where.’ She flushed as she added, ‘There’s a sort of cousin called Moira apparently. Kath said the rest of the family don’t speak to her because she’s, um, living off immoral earnings.’
‘And you still want to find her?’ Nick couldn’t hide his surprise.
‘I’d like to find out if she’s been driven to that sort of life and wants to escape. If so, I can afford to help her. I have, er, a little money of my own and I’ll have more if my stepmother gets married again, which I think she probably will, since she’s the clinging vine type.’