by Kitty Neale
Yvonne pulled her knickers on. ‘I thought I was going to be a model,’ she said, looking close to tears. ‘I thought you was going to take photos of me.’
Robbie almost laughed, but then realised that it wasn’t such a bad idea. If he had a good enough camera, he could take some risqué shots of her and sell them for a few bob.
‘I don’t know how you got that idea into your head, but I’ll give it some thought. For now, be a good girl. Have a nice wash and tidy yourself up.’
‘I … I don’t think I want to do that with another man, Robbie.’
‘In that case, I’ll have to find myself a girl who does, and you’ll just have to manage on your own again.’
‘No! No, Robbie.’
‘If you want me to stay, you’ll have to do as I say. Are you willing to do that?’
Tears falling in earnest now, Yvonne whispered, ‘Yes, Robbie.’
‘Right. I’ll be back later and don’t worry, it’ll be fine,’ Robbie said, wanting away from her miserable face. He fancied a pint and the pub was always a good place to find some willing punters. It would probably be best to only get the one customer tonight though, ease Yvonne in gently to the job.
As he left the semi-derelict house he glanced back at Yvonne’s window on the top floor. Once she was in full swing and the money was coming in, the first thing he planned on doing was finding a decent place to live.
Chapter 33
With Nelly on crutches and Dottie unwilling to go out, they had seen the New Year in at home without fuss. Adrian’s paperwork was beginning to pile up so he’d gone back to work the next day, and had come home that evening to tuck into a strange-looking meal. It was a new recipe Dorothy had dished up from her Constance Spry cookbook.
‘Do you like it?’ Dorothy asked.
‘It’s scrummy,’ Nelly answered with her mouth full.
‘Different,’ said Adrian. He found it was edible but not his favourite of Dorothy’s culinary experiments.
‘It was invented for the coronation of Queen Liz, hence the name, Coronation Chicken,’ Dorothy said.
She spoke with such animation that Adrian didn’t want to say anything negative and curb her enthusiasm. ‘How was your dad today?’ he asked instead.
‘Much the same. I’m not sure if he knew I was there or not. It was funny though because he seemed to recognise one of the nurses who’s been caring for him.’
With Bill in hospital, Adrian had expected his wife to be a bit down in the dumps but she was remarkably upbeat, which made him wonder if she was putting on a brave face.
‘You know, your father could be in hospital for quite some time yet, and I’m not happy with you trudging back and forward on the bus,’ he said. ‘It’ll wear you out. So how about I take you tomorrow to give you a break? I can leave the office for a while, it’s no bother.’
‘No, it’s fine, honest. You’ve enough to do, especially with Nelly being off work. Thanks, darling, but I’ll manage.’
‘Well, at least get a taxi.’
Dorothy smiled. ‘I’ll think about it.’
Adrian doubted she would, but just in case, he’d increase her weekly housekeeping allowance to cover the cost. Alice had brought her daughter up well, he thought, teaching Dorothy to be frugal. She never took advantage of him and was far from extravagant with her spending. It further proved to him that Robbie had been very wrong about Dorothy marrying him for his money. If anything, he had a problem getting her to spend it.
‘I’ve been thinking,’ Nelly said. ‘It’s about time I moved back home. Don’t get me wrong, I’ve loved being here, but I don’t want to be an added burden for you.’
‘You’re not a burden to me. It’s really nice having your company,’ Dottie insisted, then turned to Adrian, her eyes pleading. ‘Nelly doesn’t have to leave, does she, Adrian? Tell her.’
Adrian cleared his throat. He didn’t mind Nelly staying with them but he was looking forward to having his lounge back and his wife to himself. ‘Dottie’s right. Of course you don’t have to leave. You’re always welcome here.’
‘See, Nelly,’ Dottie said.
‘But if Nelly wants to go home,’ Adrian continued, ‘then you should let her. You aren’t here all day to look after her now, and if she had a fall on those crutches, she’d have a job to get up without help.’
‘Oh, I’m sorry, Nel. I didn’t think and I didn’t mean to neglect you.’
‘You haven’t, Dottie, quite the opposite. I’ve never been so spoiled, but circumstances have changed, that’s all. Tell you what, though, I’ll really miss this bed, it’s very comfy.’
‘I’ll arrange for it to go home with you,’ Adrian said, glad to make the gesture – it would make him feel better about being pleased that Nelly was moving out.
‘No, Adrian, I couldn’t, that’s far too generous.’
‘It’s no good to me,’ Adrian answered. ‘All the rooms upstairs have perfectly good beds so I really don’t need it. It’s yours, Nelly, so no more arguments.’
Adrian climbed into bed that night and snuggled up close behind Dorothy. His wife was happy, Bill was none the worse and Nelly was moving back home. There was only one blot on the landscape, but hopefully they had all seen the last of him.
‘I’ve been thinking about getting decorators in to do up Robbie’s old room. We could turn it into a nursery,’ Adrian said in Dorothy’s ear. He felt her body stiffen but assumed it was because she still wasn’t pregnant, though not through lack of trying. ‘You might like to think about colours?’
‘I’m not sure that’s such a good idea, Adrian. What if we jinx it or something? Isn’t it unlucky?’
‘You make your own luck in this life. Look at me, married to the most beautiful woman in the world and I don’t believe in all that mumbo-jumbo stuff. Still, we don’t have to decorate if you don’t feel comfortable with the idea. I’m sure you’ll fall pregnant soon and we can do it then.’
‘I hope you’re right. I really do.’
Adrian hoped he was right too. He’d given Dottie everything he possibly could to make her happy, apart from the one thing she really wanted. A baby. He silently cursed Robbie. If Dorothy was damaged and couldn’t conceive, it would be his brother’s fault and he would never forgive him.
There was nothing he wanted more than to see his beautiful wife contented and smiling, but he feared she wouldn’t ever be truly satisfied until she had a child in her arms.
Chapter 34
A week had passed since Dorothy had seen Robbie, and the house was very quiet, almost too quiet now. Nelly had moved back home, Adrian was at the office and her dad was still in hospital. She flicked the duster over the lounge furniture, thinking how large the room looked without Nelly’s bed in it, and how she missed her friend’s chattering, which had been a welcome distraction.
The quietness gave her too much space to think and her thoughts were filled with Robbie: his voice, his face and his irresistible touch. She tried to block him out because fantasising about Robbie left her feeling guilty towards Adrian, but it was useless to even bother to try, especially as she was due to meet him later.
Dorothy turned on the radio to alleviate the silence and her mood lightened when Elvis belted out across the airwaves. She flitted around the room with her duster, wriggling her hips to ‘All Shook Up’. That was her, all shook up over Robbie bloody Ferguson, she thought. It wasn’t right to feel like this over another man besides her husband, but she couldn’t help herself.
Her lips tightened resolutely. She would never act on her feelings, never in a month of Sundays.
Later that morning, the bus pulled up near the hospital and Dorothy made her way to the café. She’d been keen to get there and took a seat at their usual table. Her heart was pounding hard again and it felt like there were a hundred little drummer men in her stomach, playing out a frenzied beat.
She looked at the cash she had managed to squirrel away from her housekeeping, a sizable four pounds. Not a bad amoun
t to have saved in a week, she thought, imagining Robbie’s elated face when she gave it to him. Ten minutes passed, then twenty, which soon turned to nearly an hour. Another cup of coffee later, her heart sinking, Dorothy had to accept that Robbie wouldn’t be coming. She’d been a fool, expecting him to meet her when they hadn’t made any firm arrangements last week. Robbie had just left without a word, but nevertheless she’d felt sure he would turn up today. It was her fault, of course, she’d rebuffed him, but she was married to Adrian so what choice did she have?
Robbie had told her he was going to rent a room above Cynthia’s, and if she shortened her visiting time with her dad, she’d be able to make it over to the other side of Battersea and back again before Adrian got home from the office.
It was daring, but Robbie might be in need of the money and it was the only way she could think of to get it to him.
Yvonne was shivering with the cold as she came out of the bathroom and almost walked straight into Cynthia. She thought her new friend from downstairs looked a bit messy with her mascara smudged and her hair still in rollers.
Cynthia squinted at Yvonne as if trying to work out who she was. ‘Blimey, I hardly recognised you. Look at you, all done up like a dog’s dinner in all that fancy clobber.’
Yvonne turned her face from the foul stench of alcohol on Cynthia’s breath, but wished she hadn’t when with a scowl Cynthia said, ‘I see, like that, is it? Turning your nose up at the likes of me now you’ve got your fancy man taking care of you. Just you remember, girl, it was me who introduced you to him.’
‘No, I … I wouldn’t turn up me nose, honest I wouldn’t.’
Cynthia softened. The girl sounded as dim as ever. ‘Take no notice of me, love, I’ve got a stinking hangover. I didn’t mean to snap at you, but tell that fella of yours not to be a stranger. He ain’t bothered to come to see me since he moved in with you. Not that I blame him for not wanting to gawp at an old wrinkly like me when he’s got you to look at.’
Yvonne smiled, but as she did her lip split again and she tasted blood. She licked it away, but not before Cynthia had seen it.
‘Oh, dear Lord, look at your lip. What happened to you?’ Cynthia asked.
Yvonne’s brain floundered for an answer, ‘I … I walked into a door.’
Cynthia leaned in closer. ‘Are you fibbing? Has Robbie given you a slap?’
‘No, he wouldn’t hit me, he loves me.’
‘Yeah, right, if you say so. But take note from this old girl who’s been around the block a few times. If you let Robbie get away with it, he’ll do it again and it’ll only get worse. I’ve put up with a lot of crap in my life but I’d never let a bloke hit me, and neither should you. Now that’s all I’m going to say on the subject, so come on, move out of my way. I’m busting for the loo.’
Yvonne walked back upstairs to her room. It looked a lot nicer than it had a week ago. Robbie had furnished it with some bits of good second-hand furniture and some pictures. She sat on the blue sofa and pulled out a compact mirror from her handbag. Her lip had nearly stopped bleeding, but it looked quite swollen. She frowned. Robbie had said she’d been a naughty girl and it was her own fault he’d had to slap her, but Cynthia had just said that she shouldn’t let Robbie get away with it. The things they’d said tumbled round and round in her head and she found it too hard to make sense of them.
In the end, Yvonne clung to the one thing she could remember clearly. Robbie had promised her that as long as she did as she was told, he wouldn’t hit her again. Her bottom lip trembled and she fought tears. She had upset Robbie, but from now on she’d be a good girl and then he wouldn’t be angry with her. Would he?
Dorothy hadn’t ventured to this side of Battersea since she’d left her family home to move in with Adrian as his wife. She walked through the streets, close to where she used to live, and fought to control the mixed emotions that bubbled so close to the surface.
The streets felt narrow and gloomy, the January sky looking heavy with possible snow. These slums were all she had known growing up, but Dorothy suddenly felt very out of place in her smart attire. She picked up her step and pondered how she’d ever found any happiness amongst all this poverty and hardship. ‘What’s the matter with you?’ she muttered to herself. ‘You’ve become a right snob.’ She reminded herself that Nelly lived just around the corner.
As Dorothy turned into Grant Street, the narrow, three-storey house where Cynthia lived loomed up in front of her, and she unexpectedly felt very uneasy. Maybe this wasn’t such a good idea, and she questioned her motives for being there. Well, she was here now, so with a deep breath she braced herself to walk up the mildew-covered concrete steps to the front door.
As Dorothy went to knock, she was surprised to find the door already open, and pushed it wide before walking into a hallway that reeked of damp. As her eyes adjusted to the dim light, it dawned on her that she didn’t know which room Robbie was renting, but as he’d said it was on the top floor, she’d go upstairs.
Dorothy held on to the loose wooden bannister, and took the stairs slowly. The whole house felt a bit rickety and she feared the stairway would collapse. She passed the first floor, pleased to get away from the revolting smell emitting from an open door that revealed a bathroom, then stopped in front of a room on the top floor, wondering if this was Robbie’s. Dorothy held her breath and tried to listen. She could detect movement but no voices, so she couldn’t tell if Robbie was behind the closed door. Oh, well, she thought, what’s the worst that could happen? Bravely throwing caution to the wind, Dorothy rapped hard on the door. It took a while, but eventually a pretty young woman answered.
‘Hello,’ she said.
‘Sorry, I think I’ve come to the wrong door. I’m looking for Robbie, Robbie Ferguson. Do you know which room is his?’
‘He lives here but he ain’t in. Who are you?’
‘Oh, I’m Dottie, his … his sister-in-law,’ Dorothy replied, not sure what to make of the slip of a girl who was staring nervously at her.
‘He’s never mentioned you, but you can come in to wait for him if you like.’
‘Thanks,’ Dorothy answered and walked into the room where she immediately set eyes on the double bed against the wall.
‘I dunno how long he’ll be. Do you want a cup of tea or somefing?’
‘That would be nice, and though I’ve introduced myself, I don’t know who you are.’
‘My name’s Yvonne and I’m Robbie’s girl.’
Robbie’s girl! The words hit Dorothy like a punch to the stomach. She couldn’t believe this little thing, who looked like she wasn’t long out of her gymslip, could possibly be Robbie’s girlfriend. ‘How long have you been with Robbie?’
Yvonne smiled, but then frowned. ‘Err … for nearly two weeks, I think, but we loves each other and he buys me lots of nice things.’
Dorothy felt sick. What on earth was Robbie playing at? Despite her painted face this girl looked so young and her eyes flicked to the double bed again. No … no, surely not! Her stomach rolled at the thought that they had been sleeping together. Surely the money she’d given Robbie hadn’t been spent on this young girl, who didn’t seem very bright. ‘Where did Robbie get the money from to buy you things? Has he got a job now?’
Yvonne’s frown deepened. ‘I’m not allowed to talk about that sort of stuff. Robbie doesn’t want me to.’
‘Why not? It’s only a simple question.’
‘I … I dunno,’ Yvonne said.
The thought of facing Robbie now was too much for Dorothy and she turned to leave. ‘Look, I won’t wait, and I think it’s best you don’t tell Robbie I was here.’
‘Why not?’
Dorothy fought to find a reason, stuttering, ‘It … it’s complicated. I’m … I’m married to Robbie’s brother and they don’t really see eye to eye. It was probably a mistake to come here uninvited and I don’t want to cause any trouble. Please, don’t tell him.’
‘Trouble! No, I-I don’t want t
hat neither. All right, I won’t tell him.’
‘Thanks. It’s for the best.’
Yvonne still looked puzzled, but Dorothy hastily left, glad to be out of the house and away from its musty smell. She headed towards the bus stop, her mind a muddle of confused thoughts as she tried to fathom what Robbie was doing with a girl like Yvonne. She would’ve liked to pop round to Nelly’s house to have a chat with her about it, but it was out of the question. Nelly had no idea that she’d been seeing Robbie, or that she had given him money, and there was no way her friend would approve.
It would have to remain a secret, but the young girl and the situation played on Dorothy’s mind. It was all a bit peculiar, and once again she felt there was something very wrong with the set-up – very wrong indeed.
Chapter 35
Two weeks passed, and Dorothy bustled around her father’s bedroom, preparing it for his homecoming later that day. As she made his bed with freshly laundered sheets, the subtle aroma of washing powder brought back memories of her old kitchen and her mother scrubbing laundry over the sink.
She still missed her mum so much – missed her more in moments when she found herself doing something and wishing she was there to share it. Today was one of those days. Nelly had said that time heals, but though the death of her mother had changed everything, time hadn’t healed her grief. The pain still felt as raw as it did on the day she died. Dorothy ran her fingers through her hair and drew in a long breath. She had to think positively. Her mum wouldn’t have allowed her to wallow in grief, and today was a good day. Her dad was coming home.
Dorothy paused when she heard a knock on the front door. She ran downstairs to open it, but then froze in her tracks when she heard Robbie’s voice.
‘Yes, it’s just a flying visit, Mrs Hart.’
Robbie was obviously talking to their next-door neighbour, and Dorothy considered pretending she wasn’t home. She was about to make a dash for the kitchen when the letterbox opened and Robbie called through.