by Kitty Neale
‘I can see how hard you’re working to make ends meet. Your mother would be so proud of you,’ Adrian said softly.
‘Do you really think so?’
‘Yes, I do. I know she would be. In fact, did you know she once told me that I should marry you? She said I’d never find a better wife.’
Dorothy gaped in astonishment. Her mother had told Adrian to marry her. It was unbelievable. ‘What … what did you say?’
‘I told her that as you’d never agree, it was out of the question.’
Dorothy gulped, hardly believing she was having this conversation. Adrian wasn’t as striking as his brother, though underneath the podginess he was quite handsome, but, more importantly, he was so gentle and kind, a pillar of strength that she could lean on. ‘So are you saying that if you thought I’d agree, you’d have asked me?’
Adrian’s face turned red and he seemed a bit flummoxed. ‘I … I would have, yes, but surely that doesn’t surprise you.’
Dorothy’s mind was in a whirl and she covertly pinched herself to make sure she wasn’t dreaming. Adrian was wrong. She was surprised, she really was. She had no idea he felt like that about her and, though she owed him a great deal, she wasn’t in love with him. ‘I don’t quite know what to say,’ she said slowly, still trying to digest the madness of it all.
‘Say you’ll marry me,’ Adrian pleaded as he suddenly dropped to one knee and took her hand. ‘I can look after you, Dottie, and your father. You can both move into my house and I’ll see you want for nothing.’
‘But … but I don’t love you, Adrian, not in that way.’
‘That doesn’t matter. I can’t bear to see you living like this, and though you don’t love me now, in time you might feel differently. Give me a chance. Let me try to make you happy. I won’t ask for much, just your honesty and loyalty, and, Dottie, you would make me the happiest man alive!’
It was a lot for Dorothy to take in. So much had happened in such a short time. Robbie had run off, breaking her heart and leaving her pregnant. She had lost the baby, and then came the horror of her mother’s death and the harrowing funeral. But this man kneeling before her had seen her through it all. Adrian had held her during the worst moments of her life and thrown her a lifeline on more than one occasion. But marry him? Could she really commit the rest of her life to a man she respected but wasn’t in love with?
As if Adrian had an insight into her thoughts and could read her mind, he said, ‘It’s all right, Dottie. As I said, you don’t have to love me. I have enough love for both of us.’
Dorothy’s mind spun. She hadn’t paid the rent for weeks, she struggled to buy food and pay the bills, but if she agreed to marry Adrian all her problems would be solved at once. Yet was that reason enough to marry someone? Eventually, emotionally and mentally exhausted by trying to cope on her own, she said, ‘Yes, all right. I’ll marry you, Adrian.’
‘Oh, Dottie … Dottie,’ he husked, and standing up he pulled her to her feet and held her closely.
She had thought that all her dreams of becoming Mrs Ferguson had been dashed when Robbie had left her, but here she was, standing in her mother’s kitchen and agreeing to become Mrs Ferguson again. It didn’t hold quite the same thrill it had when she had said yes to Robbie, yet Dorothy found that she felt a warmth inside, a safe and fuzzy feeling in Adrian’s arms that replaced her fear.
She was going to become Mrs Adrian Ferguson and, though there was no secret about her lack of love for her future husband, she believed that Adrian was a good man, the best in fact.
Dottie inwardly vowed that she would do everything within her power to make her husband a contented man and be a good wife to him. After all, it was the very least he deserved.
Chapter 19
Robbie was getting bored. He’d found himself a replacement for Gladys, but the girl liked a drink and when she was drunk, which she frequently was, he found her quite difficult to handle. He’d left her in his bed to nurse yet another hangover whilst he went for a walk to calm his irritation.
Robbie hadn’t ditched the old Ford, sure that the police wouldn’t bother to look for such an old car, and mostly left it parked on a piece of ground behind his flat. Today he decided to use it and drove to Southsea, where he pulled up in a side street close to the seafront.
The clouds gave way to June sunshine as he reached the beach. His heels clipped along the wooden decking of South Pier, but wanting a smoke he spied an empty deckchair to sit on. He fished in his jacket pocket for a roll-up and matches, then struggled to light his cigarette in the sea breeze. The grey waters sloshed against the wooden piles beneath him, as early holidaymakers meandered behind him. It wasn’t quite the busy summer season but it wouldn’t be long before tourists began to swamp the place, and a worrying thought crossed Robbie’s mind. He knew the red London buses did trips to the seaside. What if he bumped into someone who knew him? Perhaps it was time for him to move on? He didn’t have much cash, but if he could raise more the world would be his oyster. He drew deeply on his roll-up and gazed out to sea. OK, maybe the world wasn’t his oyster, but there was nothing keeping him here.
A young couple stopped a few feet along from him, and the man pretended to throw the woman over the side of the pier. ‘Argh … Leave it out, you silly sod. I’ll get me bruvver to knock your bleedin’ block off,’ the woman said, but laughter took the sting out of her threat.
There was no mistaking her distinct London accent, which made Robbie unexpectedly miss home. He didn’t know what it was he missed. He knew it wasn’t his dull brother, or the smelly streets, and he certainly didn’t miss his job. Maybe it was the hustle and bustle or just the feeling of familiarity. He had always been popular and had a large circle of friends. Everyone knew him wherever he went in Battersea and he’d always felt that people liked him, apart from Stan and Brian, but that was no surprise, considering the money he owed them.
In retrospect, he regretted doing a runner after robbing the jeweller’s, and thought back to the panic which had marred his judgement. At the time, he’d thought he was stuck in the jeweller’s attic but he’d found an old trunk which he’d upended and together with a box it had given him enough height to climb out of the skylight. He’d made his escape just as the police arrived and didn’t think he’d been seen leaving the narrow alley. Yet even if he was, without a criminal record he doubted he’d be recognised.
Panic made him leave Battersea, but by this time, with no suspects, the police had probably dropped the case. No, it wasn’t the law that prevented his return to Battersea. It was the men he owed money to, especially Brian, a nasty piece of work. If he wanted to go back and remain in one piece, there was only one way. He’d need to raise a lot of money to pay off his debtors – with accrued interest, the sum he owed was far larger than the original loan.
As he made his way back to the house where he had a room, Robbie thought long and hard. The drunken old bint indoors would never earn him the sort of cash he needed. So far, he hadn’t been successful in planning any big money-making jobs, but then again, he hadn’t really tried. Maybe it was about time he did.
Nelly stood outside her mum’s house and surveyed the street as she waited for Adrian and Dorothy to pick her up. The clock in the kitchen had said five past one, but you could never tell if it was accurate or not. It was a lovely day and she didn’t mind waiting outside. It was nice to get away from the mayhem on the other side of the front door.
Linda, her sister, had been having a bit of a rough time of it with her husband and had left him and turned up here with her three children. Nelly didn’t mind as she loved her nieces and nephew, but space was tight in the little two-bedroomed terraced house. She had the two girls top and tailing in bed with her at night and her nephew was on her bedroom floor, whilst Linda slept on the lumpy old sofa. Nelly took after her mother, who was as round as she was tall, and her father was a big man too, which meant there wasn’t any room in her parents’ bed for the kiddies, but even if there ha
d been she doubted her father would stand for it.
The front door unexpectedly opened and Nelly’s nephew ran down the short pathway towards her. Before Nelly had time to react, the three-year-old had wrapped his grubby arms around her leg and left sticky jam handprints on her new green dress.
‘Oh, no, David … what have you done? Look at the state of me now!’ Nelly gazed down at the cute boy, who looked back at her with his large blue eyes.
‘I is sowwy, Newwy,’ he said, his little lips curling down.
His innocent little face melted her heart and she couldn’t be angry at the child. ‘It’s all right, David. Get yourself back indoors, there’s a good boy.’
‘But I no want to … I wants to come wif you,’ he cried.
Linda appeared in the doorway. ‘There’s the little monkey! Come on, you. Inside,’ she said but then she noticed the marks on Nelly’s dress. ‘Bugger it, have you seen what that little toad has done to your nice outfit?’
‘Yes, of course I have. Don’t tell him off though, he didn’t mean to do it,’ Nelly replied, ruffling the boy’s hair.
‘I’ll skin the little bleeder alive one of these days! Anyway, come indoors and I’ll see if we can’t sponge it off. We can’t have you going to a wedding looking like something the cat dragged in. And what with you being a witness and all …’
Nelly sighed and began to walk up the front path but she spotted Adrian’s car coming down the road. ‘I ain’t got time, Lin, they’re here.’
‘Don’t be daft, it won’t take a minute,’ Linda said but Nelly was already out of the gate and trudging towards the car.
‘Hello, you two,’ Nelly said as she climbed into the back seat to sit next to Dorothy’s father. ‘I’m so bloody excited, I’m like a cat on a hot tin roof!’
Dorothy laughed. ‘I must say, I don’t think I’ve ever seen you move so quickly. I love your hat, Nelly, and thanks ever so much for doing this for us.’
Nelly patted her black cloth hat that she’d trimmed with a green band to match her dress, pleased that Dorothy liked it. ‘Don’t thank me, it’s a real pleasure. I’ve never been a witness at a wedding before. Just think, my signature is going to be on official paperwork for ever. I’ve been practising a curly bit on the “y” at the end of my name.’
‘You are funny, Nel, but I must admit, I’ve been practising too. It’s really weird writing “Ferguson”.’
The drive to Wandsworth Register Office didn’t take long, and though they all spoke to Dorothy’s father, there was no response. Once they were parked up Nelly was first out of the car. Adrian was next and came round to the passenger side to hold open the door for Dorothy. As she climbed out, Nelly thought she looked like a film star in her cream suit, satin-edged jacket and pearl earrings. Her hair was waved and worn up and she wore a cream pillbox hat, with a small veil covering the top half of her face.
‘Wow, Dottie,’ she said, ‘you look amazing!’
‘Thanks, Nelly. I just wish my mum could have been here. I think she would have approved of me marrying Adrian.’
‘She definitely would. He’s a proper gent and you could’ve done a lot worse.’ Nelly didn’t need to elaborate and didn’t want to mention Robbie’s name, especially today. To think her friend could have ruined her life and married the other Ferguson brother. Thank goodness she’d come to her senses and chosen Adrian. Nelly wasn’t stupid and knew Dorothy would never love Adrian the way she had Robbie, but at least the girl was giving herself a fighting chance of some happiness.
‘Thank you, Nelly,’ Adrian said. ‘It’s nice to hear I’m a gent.’
Nelly looked at Adrian, smart in his dark pin-stripe suit, and thought that, though her friend might not realise it yet, Adrian was the best thing that had ever happened to her.
Adrian had tried many times to talk to Dorothy’s father, but he didn’t respond. Understandably, Dorothy wanted him at the register office, and Adrian knew she was hoping that it would draw him out, but so far the man seemed to be in a world of his own. They had gently urged him to a seat in the front row, and now Adrian stood before the registrar, turning to gaze at the beautiful woman at his side. He could barely believe his luck. This gorgeous girl would soon be his wife. He patted his jacket to check again that the gold band was still tucked away in his inside pocket. It would sit nicely against the sapphire and diamond engagement ring he had bought her. The ring had cost a lot of money, but when Adrian had seen the blue stones he’d thought they matched Dorothy’s eyes, and, as stunning as the ring was, he didn’t think it was a patch on the exquisiteness of his fiancée.
Adrian quickly glanced over his shoulder to see that Bill was staring straight ahead, seemingly unaware that his only daughter was just about to be married. Their two witnesses – Nelly and Adrian’s driver Joe – both grinned at him. Joe gave Adrian a thumbs-up sign and Nelly was fiddling with her handkerchief. It wasn’t a wedding on anything like the scale of Grace Kelly’s the year before, and Adrian didn’t really have any friends he could call on to be a witness, but nonetheless it was everything he wanted: Dorothy Butler as his wife.
The registrar began to officiate and it was almost time for them to take turns in repeating the marriage vows. Adrian felt his heartbeat quicken and sweat began to run down the side of his face, which owed more to his nerves than to the heating in the large room. He hadn’t expected to feel so nervous and he was suddenly worried he might flummox his words. His mouth was dry, and as he began to speak his lips stuck to his teeth. He took a deep breath and cleared his throat, determined to get it right for Dorothy.
Dorothy must have seen how edgy he was feeling and gently squeezed his hand. Her reassuring touch made him instantly relax, and soon he was delighting in placing the wedding ring on her finger. The formal ceremony then came to a close as the registrar announced, ‘You may kiss the bride.’
Adrian held Dorothy at arm’s length and looked into her eyes. He felt quite awkward. They had been engaged for three months, yet he had only kissed her cheek. Now, feeling embarrassed at kissing his bride in front of Nelly and Joe, he opted to lightly brush her lips with his, so quickly that it could have been missed in the blink of an eye.
Nelly didn’t miss it and let out a whoop, which left Adrian blushing and uncomfortable. It was strange really: in some ways he wished he was more like his brother. But no, Robbie had broken Dorothy’s heart and that was something he would never do.
The rest of their wedding day passed pleasantly, and when Adrian walked into the living room that evening he found Dorothy looking quite relaxed with her feet up on the sofa. In the hope that they could have some privacy, he had adapted the cosy dining room at the back of the house into a snug for Dorothy’s father, and there was a toilet just outside the back door if he wanted to use it rather than trudge upstairs.
After the wedding Bill had looked tired, so they had driven him home and it had been a relief when he accepted his new surroundings without any sign of agitation. Adrian’s neighbour, Mrs Hart, had kindly sat with him while they went for a meal to celebrate their marriage, and now Bill was safely tucked up in bed.
‘Penny for them,’ he said as he handed Dorothy a mug of warm milk.
‘I was just thinking about my mum. I missed her today.’
‘I’m sure she was there, Dottie, right by your side and listening to every word,’ Adrian said, hoping his words gave his wife some comfort.
‘Maybe. It was a really nice day though. That restaurant was smashing, though a bit posh, and I could see that Nelly and Joe were impressed. Thank you so much for paying for that lovely meal.’
‘Dottie, you’re my wife and you don’t have to thank me for picking up the tab for our celebratory wedding lunch.’
Dorothy giggled. ‘I suppose I’m not used to being your wife yet. After all, it’s only been about nine hours.’
‘And they’ve been the best nine hours of my life. I don’t remember if I told you today or not, but you look stunning in that outfit and I’m
so proud of you.’
‘It is lovely, isn’t it? Thank you for giving me the money to buy myself something special to wear, but I think it’s time I changed. I don’t want to ruin it.’
Adrian decided that this could be his cue to broach the bedroom subject. With her father sleeping in his parents’ old room, there were three to choose from, though he thought it wouldn’t be appropriate for his wife to sleep in Robbie’s old room. That left Myra’s old room, or his.
‘I’ve cleared a wardrobe for you in my room and I’ve had a dressing table put in there. The top three drawers of the chest of drawers are also empty.’ Dorothy just looked at him, saying nothing, so he gabbled on. ‘I’m … err … assuming that now we’re legally married you’ll be moving your things into my room, but I don’t want to push you into anything you’re not ready for. If you would prefer to stay in another of the rooms, that’s fine by me. I’ve arranged for one of my trucks to go to your house tomorrow and clear it. You can bring back here anything you’d like to keep and, like I said, it’s up to you where you want—’
‘Adrian,’ Dorothy said abruptly but with a smile.
‘I’m rambling, aren’t I?’ he asked.
‘Just a bit,’ Dorothy agreed. ‘I think I’ll go upstairs to our room and make myself more comfortable. You can join me in ten minutes.’
Adrian felt a jolt but tried not to show it. He was so relieved to hear he would be sharing a bed with his new wife, but felt terrified at the same time. He couldn’t wait to hold her and caress her, but worried that his inexperience would be evident. It was no secret that she wasn’t a virgin, but for Adrian it would be his first time, though Dorothy didn’t know that. He didn’t have the gift of the gab as Robbie did, and being shy with women he’d never fared well with the opposite sex. If he’d been blessed with Robbie’s masculine physique it would have given him the confidence, but his stout build and bald head, along with his lack of poise, had always held him back. Instead he’d thrown himself into his business, determined to make his company a success.