Love Changes Everything

by Love Changes Everything (retail) (epub)

  ‘I see!’ He took off his spectacles and polished them vigorously with a large white handkerchief which he took from his top pocket. ‘Does this mean you won’t be able to work this evening?’

  Trixie looked rather taken aback. ‘I had every intention of doing so,’ she said stiffly.

  He nodded, biting his lips and frowning. ‘What about your sister? Under the circumstances, I trust you are not thinking of bringing her with you again?’

  ‘Of course I will be bringing her! I told you there’s no one she can stay with and I certainly can’t leave her on her own.’

  ‘So this sort of thing can happen again, can it?’

  Trixie flushed angrily. ‘Accidents do happen, Mr Browning. I’m very sorry about it and I can assure you it won’t occur again.’

  He ran one of his bony hands over his chin as he stared back at her and she thought for a moment that he was going to sack her. Then he gave an imperceptible shrug of his thin shoulders. ‘Very well, make sure there’s no repetition of anything like this.’

  Although it meant she still had her job, his attitude rankled with Trixie. He seemed to be barely concerned about how badly hurt Cilla was. His only worry was that his precious chair might have been damaged, she thought rebelliously as she took Cilla’s hand and they went out into the cold, wet street again.

  Her reception at the hospital was not much better. She was five minutes late arriving which brought a sharp reprimand from the sister. It was followed by an acid comment that both of them were so wet that they were making puddles on the polished floor as the water dripped from them.

  ‘You’d better not sit down; other people won’t want wet chairs,’ the sister said sharply, her well-starched dark blue dress and crisp white apron crackling as she led Cilla away into a curtained-off cubicle.

  ‘Please stay out in the waiting room,’ she ordered sharply as Trixie made to follow her.

  The iciness of her tone and her officious manner upset Cilla who became frightened and began to cry and shout for Trixie. After a few minutes, when it became obvious that they were not going to be able to remove the dressing unless they used force to hold her down, the sister told Trixie she’d better join them.

  It was left to Trixie to take off Cilla’s soaking wet outdoor clothes and then to begin to unwind the bandages and remove them from her arm. By then Cilla had calmed down and the nurse who was also in attendance was able to take over.

  Although her arm was still swollen and very badly bruised they ascertained that there were no bones broken and after a fresh dressing had been put on it she was discharged.

  The rain had stopped by the time they left the hospital. It was still cold and miserable, though, and on the spur of the moment Trixie decided to go and see Ella. She felt in need of a friendly face and the opportunity to tell someone about the accident, someone who would understand and be sympathetic.

  Although Ella welcomed her and made a great fuss of Cilla as she made them a hot drink and listened to what had happened, she was much more concerned with all the changes that were happening in her own family.

  ‘Ivy and Hadyn are planning to get married next Easter,’ she told Trixie excitedly.

  ‘Have they found somewhere to live?’ Trixie asked as she sipped her tea.

  ‘They’ll move in here, of course. It’s the only way we can all manage,’ Ella pointed out. ‘If Ivy leaves I’m going to find it hard to manage on the little I earn with my sewing and what Jake gives me each week. Although he’s had a good pay rise and has a steady job, what he hands over only pays the rent and keeps us in food. There’s nothing left spare for all the other things we need. If he should ever decide to leave home then I’d be in a right pickle. If Ivy and Hadyn move in here then we’ll all be better off,’ she said with a contented smile.

  Trixie couldn’t help wondering why, if things were as tight as Ella said, she didn’t get a full-time job herself since she was an experienced alteration hand. Working at one of the better-class dress shops would have brought in a lot more than she made working from home, but she didn’t like to voice her thoughts aloud.

  She supposed it was because of her arm that Ella preferred to work from home fitting in her sewing jobs between cooking and looking after her family, and as long as it suited them all, it probably was the best way to live. She wished Daisy was at home more, then she wouldn’t have to do so much.

  Daisy still kept a tight hold of the purse strings and she had also started going out at regular times of the day once again. Where she went or what she did, Trixie never managed to find out. It was some means of earning money, she was sure about that, because, despite the fact that her father and Daisy still went to the pub every night, Daisy always seemed to have enough to buy new clothes and little treats for herself.

  Trixie felt anxious about going into work that evening. She was afraid that once he’d had time to think things over Mr Browning might decide that having Cilla around the place was too great a risk to take any more.

  There was no way she could avoid him because he waited for her to arrive to let her in.

  His greeting was cool, almost frosty, but he did enquire about what had happened that morning at the hospital and seemed relieved to know that Cilla’s arm was only badly bruised.

  ‘You will make quite sure she doesn’t sit in that chair ever again,’ he said forcefully as he shrugged on his overcoat and picked up his trilby ready to leave. ‘It was very fortunate that it wasn’t damaged in any way.’

  ‘Indeed it was, Mr Browning.’

  ‘So where is she going to sit?’ he demanded.

  ‘Well, on the floor, in the corner,’ Trixie told him.

  ‘I see!’ He stood there frowning for such a long time that Trixie’s heart started thumping and she wondered yet again if she was going to lose her job.

  To her surprise he went to the other side of the room and picked up a padded stool and placed it in one corner of the room. ‘There, she can use that,’ he told her. ‘Let her sit on it; she can’t get caught up in any mechanism and it’s more comfortable than the floor.’

  Before Trixie could thank him he’d gone.

  Much to Trixie’s surprise and relief Daisy and her father appeared not to notice the bandage so she didn’t bother telling them about the accident.

  Cilla’s arm was still bandaged when Trixie took her to Steve’s Snacks the following Saturday morning and she had to tell Steve and Sylvia what had happened. Sylvia was so sympathetic and made such a fuss of Cilla that for the first time Cilla started talking about what had happened.

  When Jake came to collect her to take her for a walk she told him about the accident while Trixie merely listened and nodded from time to time.

  Although the swelling soon settled it was several weeks before the bruising had gone but Cilla seemed to have forgotten all about the incident, except that she kept well clear of the chair.

  It was almost Christmas before Daisy found out that Trixie was working and when she did she was furious that she hadn’t been told. There was a heated row and Sam was involved as well. He took Daisy’s side and said that Trixie was deceitful and underhand to be earning money and not giving any of it to them.

  ‘I buy all my own clothes and anything else I need and I also do the same for Cilla,’ Trixie protested.

  ‘Yes, and we keep you both and feed you,’ Daisy stormed.

  ‘In return for me doing all the housework, the cooking, the washing, the ironing and everything else that needs doing here, while you swan around,’ Trixie retorted.

  The slap across the face from her father made her teeth chatter and brought tears to her eyes, there was such force behind it. In the past she had always been on her guard, ready to dodge away or step back so that she didn’t get the full force of his hand, but this time he’d caught her completely unprepared.

  She said nothing, afraid that if she did it might only result in another blow, but she resolved that things couldn’t go on as they were any longer and that the
time had come to put her plan to leave Virgil Street into action.

  She had saved hard and although she still hadn’t anywhere near as much as she would have liked now that she had two jobs, she was sure that if she could find a really cheap room somewhere she would be able to manage.

  For the rest of the week she could think of nothing else and she knew from the way Daisy was watching her every move that she had to do something as quickly as she could. For one thing, she was afraid that Daisy might find her little stash of savings and if she did manage to get her hands on it then that would be the end of all her plans.

  Remembering how Andrew had helped her to look after the Christmas savings when she’d worked at the biscuit factory she wondered if she should ask him if he could open an account for her at the bank so that she’d know her money was safe.

  She saw him so little these days, though, that she decided in the end that it would be better not to wait but to ask Jake to look after it for her. Andrew would probably tell her that it wasn’t a large enough sum to merit opening a bank account.

  Jake might think the same, of course, but at least he knew she was saving up to try and get away from her father and Daisy.

  Her face was still bruised when she saw Jake at the weekend and he was so concerned that it was a simple matter to ask his advice and to look after her money for her.

  ‘Of course I’ll look after it, where is it now?’ he asked, his voice full of concern.

  ‘On me; I carry it in a purse around my waist.’ She smiled. ‘I daren’t leave it anywhere in the house in case Daisy should find it.’

  ‘Then give it to me and I’ll take care of it for you. Would you like me to scout around and see if I can find you a room? I’ll see what I can do if you tell me how much you can afford. Remember, though, they will probably expect at least two weeks’ rent up front and you’ll also have to have enough money left to buy food and heat and so on.’

  ‘Yes, I know all that and it was why I didn’t want to have to make a move yet. I was planning on doing it in the New Year,’ she sighed. ‘You know, a New Year and a new start. That was the goal I’d set myself.’

  ‘Well, we’re only a few weeks off Christmas and it’s bound to take a couple of weeks to find somewhere so you are more or less on target then,’ he told her.

  Trixie found that his interest and promise of help boosted her confidence. She could do it and she would, she told herself. She might only be able to afford one small room but she’d make it a home for her and Cilla.

  Chapter Twenty-Nine

  Two weeks later, even with Jake’s help, Trixie had still not managed to find anywhere to rent. She felt very frustrated; her only consolation was that she knew the money she had worked so hard to save was safely in Jake’s keeping.

  Now that she knew Trixie had an evening cleaning job Daisy made sure that Trixie never had a minute to spare during the day. There was always something or other extra that Daisy insisted needed doing in the house.

  To add to Trixie’s unhappiness, Daisy had once again started picking on Cilla, pushing her out of the way, slapping her or shouting at her for no reason at all. She constantly accused Cilla of killing Jimmy and threatening some form of retribution.

  The only good thing that seemed to be happening in Trixie’s life was when Jake told her that Andrew had now finished the course he’d been sent away on and would be having a party at the weekend to celebrate the fact that he had now been promoted.

  She felt extremely hurt that Andrew hadn’t let her know himself; but then, she thought sadly, he hadn’t been in touch with her all the time he’d been away. She’d dreamed of receiving a letter from him telling her how much he was missing her and how he was longing to see her again; or even simply telling her about where he was staying and what the course was all about, but there hadn’t even been a postcard from him. She wondered whether it was because he hadn’t missed her as much as she missed him or because he’d been studying so hard.

  Every time she remembered the last time they’d been together on the night before he was due to go away, she recalled his passionate kisses and intimate embraces. She loved him so much that her heart ached.

  ‘The party is on Saturday night and he’s asked me to make sure you are there,’ Jake told her.

  Trixie felt the blood rush to her cheeks. Even though he hadn’t written, it seemed Andrew was as keen as ever to see her. Now that he was back in Liverpool everything would be all right again; she was sure of it.

  Her elation immediately turned to dismay as she thought about Cilla.

  ‘I can’t leave her alone with Daisy, I don’t even feel safe with Daisy myself,’ she shuddered. ‘She has such a wild look in her eyes when she talks about Jimmy that sometimes I think she’s unhinged and I’m sure she’s going to do one of us some harm as soon as she gets the chance, so it means I’ll have to miss out on the party,’ she explained to Jake.

  ‘You must go,’ Jake told her. ‘Bring Cilla round to our place, I’m sure Ivy and my mum will keep an eye on her.’

  ‘Ivy will be out with Hadyn, won’t she?’ Trixie frowned.

  ‘I don’t know. Now that they are so keen on saving up for their wedding next spring they tend to stay in quite a lot. Anyway, my mum will be there and Cilla is always happy enough to be with her. Or else I’ll stay and look after Cilla.’

  ‘You can’t do that! It would mean you’d miss the party and Andrew would be very hurt because you’re one of his best friends.’

  ‘Not any longer,’ Jake said dryly. ‘Andrew’s moved on. We haven’t had a night out together for months.’

  ‘That’s because he’s been away on this course,’ Trixie pointed out. ‘I haven’t seen or heard from him for months either.’

  ‘So he’s been neglecting both of us,’ Jake said wryly. ‘Still, it’s more important for you to see him than for me to, so I’ll look after Cilla and you can go to the party.’

  ‘If your mum doesn’t mind looking after her, then promise me that you’ll come as well?’ Trixie begged, laying a hand on Jake’s arm.

  Jake shrugged. ‘OK, if it will please you, but I really don’t mind missing out,’ he assured her.

  For the rest of the week Trixie could think of nothing else except being with Andrew once again. He’d been away over two months and there had been times when she’d worried that he’d met someone else and that was why he hadn’t bothered to write to her.

  When she collected her wages from Mr Browning on Friday night she had the sudden impulse to dash up to St John’s Market and see if she could find herself a new dress to wear on Saturday night.

  ‘Come on,’ she told Cilla as they left Cazneau Street, ‘we’re going shopping before we go home.’

  The market was bustling as people searched for Christmas bargains. Trixie headed for the second-hand dress stalls. She wished she could afford to go into one of the many big stores in the centre of Liverpool and buy the prettiest frock she could find but she knew that would be reckless.

  Even so, she felt that she owed it to Andrew to look nice so she was justified in having something new for such a special occasion as his party. It also meant she’d have something new to wear at Christmas.

  The dress was lovely; it was dark red, straight hanging, and had a belt of draped material at the waist that was trimmed with a large buckle. The square neckline had a wide beaded trim and a clasp at one side that was a smaller version of the buckle at the waistline.

  Although she couldn’t try it on, Trixie was sure it would fit her and even though it was a couple of shillings more than she had wanted to pay, she was so delighted with it that she decided she must have it.

  Cilla was watching excitedly and then began touching the dresses hanging on the rail, stroking them and holding the skirts up to her face. Materials seemed to fascinate her and she would stand smoothing the soft or silky fabric whenever Ella was working on a dress, rubbing it against her face as if she enjoyed the feel of it.

  Trixie was wel
l aware that Cilla was at last growing up and although she sometimes found it difficult to express her feelings or thoughts in words Trixie was often acutely aware of what she was thinking.

  She’d also noticed that Cilla spent ages brushing her hair and looking in the mirror and also had begun to take quite an interest in what she was wearing and how she looked. She wished her mother was there to see this; it would be their first Christmas without her and so much had changed since she’d died.

  Now, as Cilla smiled at her, making it quite clear that she was also hoping for a new dress, Trixie hated to disappoint her. Yet she knew that if she bought her one as well then it meant spending almost all her week’s wages.

  As she paid the stallholder and held out her hand to Cilla, ready to walk away, she saw tears fill the girl’s eyes and there was such a look of disappointment on her face that Trixie hesitated.

  As Cilla grabbed hold of her hand and pulled her back towards the rail Trixie gave in. Why shouldn’t Cilla have a new dress as well? she asked herself. She doesn’t have many pleasures in her little life. She has no friends of her own age, Daisy bullies her, Dad ignores her and she has to spend hours sitting in a corner while I work. It’s almost Christmas and she’s too old for toys so this could be her special treat.

  Deep down Trixie knew that it would be far more sensible to buy her a warm winter coat because she had practically grown out of the one she had but that wouldn’t have the same excitement attached to it as the new dress.

  When she explained to Cilla that if she bought her a dress then it would be her Christmas present, Cilla clapped her hands enthusiastically. Together they sorted through what was on sale and finally found a blue wool dress with long sleeves and a reasonably high neckline that would be both pretty and sensible.

  When Trixie handed the garment over, the stallholder studied Cilla with a kindly smile as she took the money and put the dress into a bag.

  ‘Would you like this to wear with your new dress?’ she asked as she held out a pretty blue hairband to Cilla.

  ‘Sorry, it’s lovely, but I haven’t any more money to spare,’ Trixie said quickly.