A Broken Family

by Kitty Neale

  ‘You look lovely too,’ Rose said. ‘The table is booked for two so I think we should make our way to the restaurant.’

  One of the dour-faced men stepped forward then and said, ‘Samuel, we won’t be coming. Rachel is rather tired.’

  ‘I see, and what about you, Sidney? Will you and Helen be joining us?’

  ‘We’ve got a long drive home, so no.’

  ‘Right, goodbye then,’ Samuel said shortly.

  ‘They don’t like me,’ Rose said as they walked away.

  ‘It’s the thought of losing my money they don’t like. Now come, my dear, let’s get to the restaurant.’

  ‘Phyllis, the car is still waiting for you so we’ll see you all there,’ Rose called.

  The drive only took about ten minutes, and as soon as they walked into the restaurant they were led to a table. It looked lovely, with a white, crisp linen tablecloth, beautifully folded napkins and sparkling glasses. There seemed to be so much cutlery, several knives and forks laid out at each setting and Amy looked at them worriedly. She glanced at her mother, saw that she looked intimidated too, but then Rose hissed, ‘I was the same at first, but don’t panic. Just watch me and do what I do.’

  They both smiled gratefully, and no sooner were they all seated than a waiter poured them a glass of what Amy supposed was champagne. To her surprise she saw her father rise to his feet to offer up his flute in a toast, ‘To Samuel and Rose.’

  ‘To Samuel and Rose,’ the rest of them chorused as Amy noticed that despite her mum’s best efforts, her dad’s old suit that he’d had for years still looked shiny. There had been no money left for a new one, but he hadn’t complained, happy for them to buy new clothes.

  The meal began, and watching Rose, Amy was able to pick up the right cutlery for each course. Samuel Jacobs was charming, amusing, and Amy liked him. Her mother had always called their landlord an old skinflint, but she seemed to have warmed towards him too.

  ‘Rose has told me that you two are engaged,’ Samuel said. ‘Have you set a date for your wedding?’

  ‘Not yet,’ Amy replied.

  ‘When you do, and if you need a house to rent, just let me know and I’ll see what I can do.’

  ‘That’s jolly kind of you, sir,’ Tommy enthused.

  ‘Samuel, you must all call me Samuel, or Sam. After all, we’re family now.’

  ‘Here’s to that,’ Rose said, lifting her glass.

  As Amy smiled at Tommy, she was unaware that her mother had had a sudden idea, or that she’d soon be in league with Rose to make sure that if possible, it would come to fruition.

  Though they’d been over it before, Paul found himself talking about it again. ‘I was fuming, ready to lay into Dad, to pulverise him, but he was so pathetic that I couldn’t touch him.’

  ‘Yeah, I was the same,’ Dave said, ‘and I took my temper out on the furniture instead.’

  ‘What did he say about me?’ Carol asked anxiously, looking ridiculous in a pair of Dave’s rolled-up jeans and a shirt that came down to her knees.

  ‘That he was sorry, and sickened by what he’d done. He was drunk, Carol, and staggered into your room by mistake. He was so full of booze that the poor sod thought you were Mum.’

  ‘Yeah, he was crying like a baby,’ said Dave.

  ‘Yes, yes, you’ve already told me,’ Carol snapped, ‘but I don’t care what excuses he made, I’m not going home. Dad gets drunk every night and he might make the same mistake again.’

  ‘I don’t think he will. I think you’ll be safe now,’ Dave said.

  ‘You think I’d be safe! What good’s that?’ Carol said bitterly.

  Paul realised that his sister was right. Carol had fought their dad off this time, but if the same thing happened there was no guarantee that she’d be able to again. ‘You’re not going home,’ he said firmly. ‘You’re staying here.’

  ‘Oh, thank goodness for that,’ Carol said, visibly slumping with relief. ‘If you’d refused to let me stay, I would’ve been stuck with asking Gran to take me in.’

  ‘That’d be a barrel of laughs,’ Paul said. ‘You’ll be all right here. Dave can share my bedroom and then you can have his.’

  ‘I dunno about that,’ Dave complained. ‘What about when I bring a girl home?’

  ‘Don’t worry about it. We’ll work something out,’ Paul told his brother.

  ‘I’ll need my clothes,’ Carol said, ‘and my other things, make-up and stuff.’

  ‘Right then, come on, Dave. If we want to try out that place in Old Compton Street tonight, we’d better get Carol’s stuff now.’

  ‘What place?’ Carol asked.

  ‘It’s a coffee bar, called the 2i’s. A skiffle group called The Vipers perform there and we’ve heard they’re good.’

  ‘Paul, will you do something else for me? If I write a quick note, would you give it to Amy? If there’s no one in, just shove it through the letterbox.’

  ‘Yes, all right,’ Paul agreed, and soon he and Dave were on their way to Lark Rise. He wasn’t looking forward to seeing his father again, unable to believe that the man he’d looked up to had turned into a pathetic drunk; one who was so out of his mind on booze that he’d almost raped his own daughter.

  Chapter Twenty-Four

  As Tommy had feared, his mother had reacted badly to his engagement. There had been more histrionics and tears, but he’d stood firm and she had lapsed into sullen silence. That had been over four months ago, and his mother had calmed down since then, the subject never mentioned – as though by burying her head in the sand she thought it would go away.

  Tommy had left it like that, but nothing was going to stop him from marrying Amy and he’d put all his energies into expanding the business. It was now the end of October, and the contract to supply windows on the housing development had been completed on schedule. On the strength of recommendations from the builder Tommy hoped to acquire another large one. In the meantime other, smaller jobs were flowing in so he’d kept the men on, and when on full stretch he often worked late, cutting glass ready for the next day’s work. It was something else his mother complained about, but he wasn’t late when he arrived home at five on Friday, his chest heaving from another asthma attack.

  ‘If you aren’t careful you’ll go down with bronchitis again. You’re working too hard, doing too much,’ his mother warned, rushing to his aid until at last, his breathing came under control.

  Tommy knew she was right and hated his weakness, but too drained to discuss it now, he closed his eyes. If he got another contract, along with the work that was coming in now, the only answer would be to take on more men, but that would entail buying more vans too. He’d have to look at the accounts to see if that was a viable option. For now he was too tired to think and with his breathing easier, his mind closed as he drifted off.

  ‘What …’ Tommy said, blinking as his mother’s voice intruded.

  ‘I said it’s after seven and you haven’t had anything to eat yet.’

  Tommy rubbed his eyes, hardly aware that he’d gone to sleep as his mother continued, ‘Now you’re awake I’ll reheat your dinner.’

  ‘All right, thanks,’ he said, sitting up. He hadn’t seen Amy since Tuesday and was missing her, and though they were going out tonight he would have to get up early in the morning to get to the yard. Tommy knew he couldn’t let up on the work. He didn’t want a long engagement; he wanted to marry Amy as soon as possible, and to make that happen he’d graft for seven days a week if necessary.

  ‘There’s been a right old carry on today,’ Phyllis told her daughter when she came home from work.

  ‘What do you mean?’ Amy asked.

  ‘Frank Cole has been evicted.’

  ‘No, but that’s awful. Why?’

  ‘Because he hadn’t paid his rent for ages and on top of that his place is in such a filthy state that it’s infested with rats. Mabel found one in her kitchen and went absolutely barmy.’

  ‘It’s still awful that he’s
been chucked out. Couldn’t Rose have done something? She must’ve known him from when she worked in the Park Tavern.’

  ‘She tried, but Samuel is a businessman and when his tenants don’t pay the rent for that length of time, they’re out. At least Frank has got somewhere to go. He’ll probably turn up on his sons’ doorstep, so Carol’s going to be stuck with him again.’

  ‘Yes, I suppose so,’ Amy said.

  Phyllis frowned. ‘Frank fell apart when Daphne left. He’s turned into a dirty, smelly drunk, scrounging off everyone, but like you, I still feel sorry for him. Did I tell you that Mabel now thinks that it was Daphne Cole who ran off with Tommy’s dad?’

  ‘Yes, but I hope she’s not spreading it around. There’s been enough trouble caused by gossip.’

  ‘Mabel has learned her lesson. She only told me, but has Carol heard from her mother?’

  ‘She’s never mentioned it, so I don’t think so,’ Amy replied.

  ‘Does Carol still like living with her brothers?’

  ‘Yes, and she’s got a new job as a receptionist in a hairdressing salon. Paul and Davy take her out with them and she’s like her old self again, into the latest fashions and music.’

  ‘That’s good, but here’s your dad so I’d better get our dinner sorted out,’ Phyllis said as she hurried through to the scullery. She had something else to tell Amy and Stan, and though she had made a tentative decision, she was still a bit unsure.

  Stan seemed unsurprised when they told him about Frank, and though sympathetic, he said that the man had turned into such a scrounger that he’d been barred from the Park Tavern. When they were seated at the table, Stan lightened the atmosphere by joking around, pretending his chop was too tough to cut. ‘What’s this,’ he asked, ‘the sole off an old shoe?’

  ‘Mine’s all right,’ Amy said.

  ‘Your dad’s is too,’ Phyllis said. ‘Stan, stop being a silly bugger and listen. I haven’t said anything until now, because I’ve been thinking about it since Rose came to see me.’

  ‘Thinking about what?’ Stan asked.

  ‘Rose isn’t happy in Bethnal Green so she’s persuaded Samuel to buy a place here in Battersea. They’ve already found a house close to the park, and Rose wants me to work for them.’

  ‘Doing what?’ Stan asked.

  ‘I’d be a sort of housekeeper-cum-cleaner.’

  ‘Can’t Rose do her own cleaning?’ Stan asked.

  ‘Of course she can, but Rose has gone up in the world now. She’s got used to having a cleaner, but the one they’ve got now won’t want to travel this far.’

  ‘How big is the house they’ve found?’ Amy asked.

  ‘It’s got six bedrooms, two receptions, a dining room and study, two bathrooms and a kitchen.’

  ‘Flaming hell, why do they want a house of that size?’ Stan exclaimed. ‘There’s only the two of them.’

  ‘It’s about the same as the one in Bethnal Green,’ Phyllis said. ‘Anyway, Rose has offered me a third more pay than I’m earning now.’

  ‘That sounds good,’ Stan said.

  ‘Yes, it does,’ Amy agreed, ‘but how many hours would you have to do?’

  ‘From nine till two, five days a week.’

  ‘That’s not much different to your combined jobs, so why are you thinking about it?’ Stan asked. ‘It’s more money, without an early start, or going out to clean that factory in the evening.’

  ‘I know, but it’s … well … it’s the thought of being Rose’s cleaner. What if she lords it up over me? I’m not sure I could take that.’

  ‘I can’t see Rose acting all high and mighty,’ Stan said. ‘She’s always struck me as being pretty down to earth.’

  ‘Is Rose any different when she comes to see you?’ Amy asked.

  ‘No, of course not, but that’s different,’ Phyllis replied. ‘She visits me as my cousin, but if I take the job I’d be her employee.’

  ‘Why don’t you give it a try?’ Stan suggested. ‘If it doesn’t work out and Rose becomes a proper madam, you can soon tell her where to stick her job.’

  Phyllis smiled at Stan’s turn of phrase, but he was right and she made up her mind to take the job. No more getting up at the crack of dawn, no more factory floors to clean – and for Phyllis, that sounded like heaven.

  Mabel had kept out of the way during the eviction. In truth, she was glad that Frank Cole had been chucked out. He hadn’t confronted her yet, but every night when he’d rolled home drunk her nerves had jangled, expecting him to come banging on her door to lay into her for dobbing him in to the police. She’d watched Frank going downhill over the past few months, but it wasn’t her fault, Mabel decided. It was down to Daphne Cole for walking out on him and it was no wonder that Carol had left home too.

  When she’d found a rat, it gave Mabel the ammunition she needed to get rid of Frank Cole. Of course nobody knew it, but she’d complained to the agent, hinting that the infestation was coming from Frank’s house. When the agent gained entry he’d come out looking green and had thrown up in the gutter. With that and the rent arrears, it had ensured Frank’s eviction and good riddance to bad rubbish, Mabel thought. She could relax now, and as the sun set she turned on the living room light just as Jack arrived home.

  ‘Hello love, things have been happening today,’ she said, going on to tell him about Frank Cole.

  ‘He used to be a decent bloke,’ Jack said, ‘but only last night he collared me on the way home to tap me for money.’

  ‘Did you give him any?’ Mabel asked.

  ‘Certainly not. I told him to get a job and earn his money like the rest of us. For that I got a load of foul language and insults aimed at you.’

  ‘That doesn’t surprise me, and between you and me, Jack, I’m glad he’s gone. It’s just us and the Millers sandwiched between two empty houses now, and with Frank’s house needing more than just fumigating, it could be for some time.’

  ‘Has the agent arranged to do anything about the rats?’ Jack asked.

  ‘Yes, he’s getting poison put down,’ Phyllis told him, shuddering at the memory of finding a big, dirty grey rat in her kitchen. ‘I just hope we don’t get any more coming in here.’

  ‘I’ll put some stuff down too just in case,’ Jack said. ‘Now, I’m going to get washed and changed.’

  ‘Yes, all right,’ Mabel said, knowing that once he’d done that Jack would want his dinner. She walked into the scullery, her eyes darting everywhere as she turned on the light. If she’d seen another rat it would have sent her out screaming again, but thankfully there were none to be seen.

  Mabel knew there was another quiet evening ahead, with Jack’s nose stuck in a book, but at least now that Frank Cole had left the Rise, things were looking up and her life could get back to normal. Or so she hoped.

  Chapter Twenty-Five

  Amy was looking out for Carol as she walked along Lavender Hill after work on Saturday. They came from opposite directions, and often bumped into each other, Amy now waving an arm as she saw Carol walking towards her. ‘Hello,’ she said as they met up. ‘Your hair looks nice.’

  ‘I’m going out with the boys tonight, and though the salon was busy one of the stylists quickly put it up for me.’

  ‘How’s your dad? It must have been awful for him to get chucked out of his house like that.’

  ‘It was his own fault,’ Carol said without any sign of sympathy. ‘He should have got a job and paid the rent.’

  ‘I suppose he’s living with you and your brothers now?’

  ‘No, he isn’t with us. He turned up looking for money last night, and once he got his hands on a few bob he buggered off, which is just as well because there’s no way I’d live under the same roof as him again.’

  Amy supposed it was because Carol’s father was a drunk, but it still seemed so hard and she asked, ‘So where is he now?’

  ‘I’ve no idea, though I’d guess that he’s sleeping rough somewhere with the rest of the down and outs.’

>   ‘But that’s awful,’ Amy exclaimed. ‘Aren’t you going to try to find him?’

  ‘No, I’m not, and if you knew what my father did to me, you’d understand why. Now I’ve got to go, so bye for now,’ Carol said, abruptly walking off towards her brothers’ flat.

  Amy was left bewildered. She knew that Carol’s dad had turned into a drunk, but now it sounded as though something else had happened to turn her against him. With no idea what he had done, Amy was left to wonder as she continued on her way home.

  Carol stomped upstairs to the flat. Her brothers were at home, only working overtime on the occasional Saturday, and Paul cocked his head as he looked at her, asking, ‘What’s got up your nose? I can see by your boat race that you’re in a strop.’

  ‘I bumped into Amy, and because you insisted that I kept my mouth shut about what Dad did to me, she looked shocked that I don’t give a damn about him being evicted.’

  ‘Give it a rest, Carol,’ said Dave. ‘It happened months ago, but you keep going on about it. We’ve told you over and over again that Dad was drunk, that he didn’t

  know what he was doing and like us, you should give him the benefit of the doubt. We’re worried about him since he shot off yesterday, and though we’ve been having a scout round we can’t find him. We’ll give it another go tomorrow.’

  Carol was still sick with worry, fearing that her dad would one day blurt it out – that he’d tell her brothers about the abortion. Not only that, the thought of having him anywhere near her was more than she could bear. ‘If you find him, don’t bring him here. You weren’t there that night! I was and I’m still having nightmares. I screamed at Dad, yelled at him, told him it was me, Carol, but it didn’t stop him. He may have been drunk, but he wasn’t deaf!’

  ‘You never told us that,’ Paul said sharply.

  ‘Yes I did. I must have done,’ Carol protested.

  ‘No, you didn’t,’ said Dave. ‘You just said he came into your room and that you had to fight him off.’

  ‘Dave, do you know what this means?’ Paul asked.

  ‘Yeah, that Dad lied to us. He must have known it was Carol, but the filthy pig told us he thought she was Mum,’ Dave said, his features now tight with anger.