Journey's End

by Josephine Cox

  Vicky was suspicious. ‘Really? Are you sure about that, or is this all a devious plan to make me come home? Because if it is, you’re in for a disappointment.’ She looked angrily from one to the other. ‘You, Thomas, because you turned against your own father. Poor Barney! Not one of you children could see the enormity of the sacrifice he made for you – for all of us!’

  Her voice shook with emotion as she turned her attention to the older man. ‘As for you, Leonard, how can I forgive you? I will never understand how you could have been with me all those years, sharing my life, my days and nights, with the knowledge that you had taken me from Barney. You should be ashamed. You saw how ill he was; you knew he was putting on an act, draining his energy in doing things to turn us against him, when all the time he must have been crying out for us to help him, to be with him.’

  When suddenly she was crying bitter tears, Leonard took a step forward. ‘Please don’t torture yourself,’ he pleaded. ‘It was what he wanted, you have to believe that.’

  ‘Please, Mother.’ Thomas intervened with his own plea. ‘Can’t we resolve our differences? Don’t let it split the family forever.’

  Looking up with tear-filled eyes, Vicky asked softly, ‘Will you forgive your father for turning us away?’

  Thomas shook his head. ‘I can’t. I just can’t. I’m so sorry.’

  Looking from one to the other, she said calmly, ‘I’d like you to go now. I’m here for Barney, and I’m here for Lucy. You don’t need me, any of you. You must all take comfort from each other.’

  Leonard could not believe she was turning them away, but as Thomas had already pointed out, his mother had a strong stubborn streak, and besides, she was still deeply shaken by what had happened to Barney. It would take a long time for her to come to terms with that, if she ever did.

  ‘All right, my dear, we’ll leave you now,’ he said gently, his love for her evident in every word and gesture. ‘But we won’t be too far away.’ Slipping his fingers into the breast pocket of his jacket, he took out a card and laid it on the sideboard. ‘That’s the name of the hotel where we’re staying. Please, Vicky, think about what’s happening here. Think about the family. This isn’t what Barney intended, you must realise that.’

  He looked her in the eye. ‘And you’re wrong in what you said just now,’ he promised in a low voice. ‘Because we all love, and need you.’

  There was a moment, one brief heartbeat, when her resolve almost melted. Then she thought of Barney and her heart hardened. ‘Please go now,’ she repeated, and then she turned away.

  After she had closed the door against them, she stood with her back to it for what seemed an age, questioning herself. Was she being selfish? Her head told her yes, her heart told her different.

  For now though, all she could think of was Barney, that small solitary figure, left alone and terminally ill as they went out of his life forever. Dear God, how lonely and desolate he must have felt. She and the children had gone away, confused and hurt, despising him. But he never stopped loving them. Lucy had told her, ‘Barney talked about you, right up to the day he lost his fight to live.’

  Falling onto the sofa, she closed her eyes and let the tears flow. ‘You were my first love,’ she said brokenly. ‘My first and last.’ Though she had been with Leonard for an age, and she had deep feelings for him, it was never the same passionate, all-consuming love she had felt with Barney. Leonard knew that. And of course, he understood.

  Chapter 23

  ‘OH MUM, DON’T fuss so much!’ Mary had stood until her legs ached and now she was ready to sit down. ‘What on earth are you doing?’ she asked Lucy. ‘All I asked you to do was snip off a wayward thread.’

  ‘Stand still, child!’ Lucy waved her scissors about. ‘If you keep fidgeting, you’ll make me cut a chunk out of your dress, never mind the thread!’ She snipped once, then twice and now she was satisfied.

  ‘There were tag-ends hanging all round the hem,’ she explained. ‘I shall have words with that dressmaker when I next see her. I shouldn’t be getting down on my old knees, not at my age,’ she added. ‘They’re already creaking and groaning as it is.’

  Elsie tutted. ‘It’s your own fault,’ she said. ‘I did offer to do it, but oh no! You had to do the job yourself, so if yer don’t mind me saying, it serves you right if yer old bones ache.’

  From the far end of the room came an offer none of them could refuse. ‘It’s a tipple of the good stuff ye need,’ Bridget informed them merrily. ‘That’ll stop the old bones aching, so it will.’

  ‘Good idea!’ Scrambling up with a groan or two, Lucy stepped back to see her handiwork. ‘That’s better,’ she told Mary. ‘A job well done, though I say so myself.’

  They each had a glass of ‘what the doctor ordered’, and taking another long look at her daughter in her wedding gown, Lucy was close to tears. ‘You look so beautiful,’ she said brokenly.

  ‘Aye, so she does!’ Bridget nodded. ‘And when the groom claps eyes on her he’ll be knocked out, so he will.’

  Mary’s dress was simple but lovely. Straight and slim, with pretty puffed sleeves and a sweetheart neckline, it suited her beautifully. The veil was figured in delicate lace, with a deep scalloped train that fell to just below the hem of the dress. Her hair was caught up in a mother-of-pearl comb which belonged to Lucy, and altogether she made a stunning figure.

  Proud Amy was maid of honour, and Abbie was bridesmaid; both dressed in long flowing dresses of blue, with posies of pink silk roses and matching silk roses in their hair. ‘Youse look a picture, so you do!’ Bridget was already three sheets to the wind.

  ‘Stay off the booze, now, Bridget,’ Lucy warned. ‘Or we’ll be carrying you down the aisle.’

  Looking proud and glamorous, all the women had turned out in their new outfits: Lucy, Vicky, Elsie, Bridget – all the good women, except for Vicky’s daughter, Susie. Her absence on such a day had been a huge disappointment to Lucy and Vicky, though they made little of it, because this was Mary’s day.

  Vicky had joined in the excited preparations and no one knew how bittersweet were her thoughts. Her own children were not here. The bride was Barney’s other daughter, borne by Lucy out of a union with her husband. Had they loved as she and Barney had done? And when Mary was born, small and helpless, did Lucy and Barney feel the same way she and Barney did when their own daughter was born?

  Envy and regret tinged her thoughts, and she was ashamed. Barney had turned to Lucy for comfort, and a kind of love had grown between them. For that she should be thankful. Mary was a lovely girl, Barney’s flesh and blood, and today, the biggest day of her life, she was getting wed to Ben. For the moment, little else mattered.

  ‘I hope Charlie is taking good care of the bridegroom,’ Elsie declared. ‘“Go straight to the church”, I told him. I hope he was listening, ’cause he’s a silly old bugger at times. One time, he lost our old dog on the way to the vet’s; he slipped his lead, ran off, and didn’t come home for days.’

  Bridget sniggered. ‘And what happened to the dog?’

  Along with the others, Elsie squealed with laughter. ‘He found Charlie an’ brought him home, o’ course!’ she said, and the place was in uproar.

  ‘Where’s Adam?’ Frantic, Lucy looked about. ‘I hope he hasn’t forgotten he’s walking Mary down the aisle.’

  ‘I’m here.’ Appearing at the door, Adam looked the part in his dark suit and white shirt dressed with a smart tie. ‘Are we ready then?’

  Lucy had it all organised. ‘The rest of us are all ready to leave, so we’ll be away now and will be waiting for you at the church. Give it ten minutes and then you and Mary will follow in the front car. Bridesmaids go in the second car.’

  And so they set off as planned.

  Having kept herself busy since early light, Lucy suddenly found the occasion overwhelming. Making her excuses, she hurried away upstairs. ‘You all go ahead,’ she told the others. ‘I’ll be down in a minute. I’ve forgotten to collect a han
kie.’ She smiled tearfully. ‘You know how mothers cry at weddings,’ she joked.

  Her eyes met those of Vicky, who was looking at her with a sincere gaze, as if to say, ‘It’s all right, Lucy, I understand.’ Because didn’t she also have those very same feelings, about Mary, and Barney, and hadn’t she come to love Lucy all over again?

  Lucy nodded, and made her escape. She was glad Vicky was here, so very glad.

  Upstairs, she watched through the window as the others made their way down the path, Elsie organising them all in her inimitable manner, and the others looking up to her, following every instruction. ‘Oh Barney, my precious darling …’ Lucy glanced up at a shifting sky. ‘Can you see what’s happening? Vicky is here to see your daughter marry. We’re friends, Barney, just like always.’

  Gulping back the threatening tears, she made her way out to the others. ‘Here I am,’ she announced with a grin. ‘Now let’s be off, before we’re all late for the big event.’

  And so they set off as planned.

  When Lucy and the women arrived at the church, everyone was there, all gathered outside waiting for the bride. ‘Oh Lucy! I’m nervous as a kitten.’ Stuart had made his grandparents so proud when he agreed to be best man. ‘I keep thinking I’ve lost the ring and everything.’

  ‘Nonsense!’ Lucy was having none of that. ‘You’ll be fine. Just keep a clear head, that’s all you need to do.’

  Already the church was close to full with neighbours and well-wishers, as well as those who loved a wedding regardless of whose it was.

  Now, at the sound of the organ music striking up, Charlie suggested they should all get inside. ‘Else the bride will be in there afore we are.’ Feeling important because, after all, he’d been put in charge of the groom, he led the way inside.

  As Vicky and Lucy settled themselves in place, Lucy saw Ben turn to glance at the door. She caught his gaze and smiled encouragingly, and he smiled back, albeit nervously.

  Vicky turned to see her son, Ronnie, just a short distance behind, and her heart jumped with surprise – and a deep maternal affection. ‘I hope you’ll go to him afterwards,’ Lucy whispered. ‘Oh Vicky, I do so wish you could make your peace with them.’

  Suddenly there were others making their way into the church.

  ‘It’s Leonard!’ Vicky leaned towards Lucy. ‘They’re all here … Leonard’s brought Susie and Thomas. Look!’ Tears poured down her face as her beloved family trooped into the church, proving their love, and their solidarity. Never had her heart felt fuller. Nor Barney so close to them all. Light poured through the stained-glass windows, and a huge burden rolled from Vicky’s shoulders.

  As Lucy turned to look, the organ thundered into life, and the majestic chords of ‘The Wedding March’ rolled out … Everyone stood and as the bride went down the aisle, there were gasps of delight and admiration from all sides.

  Ben turned and his soft shy smile said it all. Here was his love coming to wed him, his life and his joy.

  And, as the service got underway and eventually the rings were exchanged, that love and joy was written on both their faces.

  Lucy and Vicky had opted to stand together, and for a moment there were no words whispered between them, though their hearts spoke volumes. At one point, when Ben placed the ring on Mary’s finger, Vicky took hold of Lucy’s hand and the smile they exchanged said it all.

  In that special moment, when Mary and Ben returned down the aisle as man and wife, it was as though Barney walked beside his daughter. With soft, tearful eyes, Mary glanced to Lucy and Lucy smiled encouragingly. They both felt his presence and were comforted. Old sorrows had been put to rest now, and the years between were as nothing.

  Outside, the photographs were taken and everyone clapped, and then it was time to leave for the wedding reception.

  Having driven the long journey down to South Bedfordshire in a stolen car, Edward Trent left the churchyard after the guests, following the wedding party from a discreet distance.

  He had recognised Lucy straight away: the eyes, the way she held herself when she walked, the voice, the laughter. Through the greying hair and the laugh-lines, she was still the same woman. The mother of his son. The virgin whom he had deflowered. The woman he should have married. The light, to his darkness.

  He wanted her. He needed her.

  He glanced at the hand-gun beside him.

  A lightning flash seared his brain, and he gasped with the pain of it but the thought drumming through his mind kept him going.

  One way or another, he meant to have her.

  He chose his moment well.

  The guests were all inside the hotel, drinks in hand and waiting to be called to take their seats at the tables.

  Lucy was walking alone in the garden, deep in thought as she strolled the walkways. She was thinking of Mary and Barney, and how proud of their daughter he would have been.

  Sitting on the swing, she gave vent to her emotion as the tears ran silently down her face.

  That was the moment he decided to intrude.

  Having parked the car round the corner and out of sight, he had been lurking behind the fountain. Now, though, seeing Lucy alone, he could not believe his good fortune.

  ‘Well, isn’t this cosy, eh?’ Taking Lucy by surprise, he stepped forward from his hiding-place. ‘Just the two of us.’

  Lucy was shocked to the roots. ‘YOU!’ Clambering to her feet, she looked at Trent in disbelief. Her heart was hammering with shock, and with revulsion. ‘I thought you’d be long dead by now,’ she whispered. ‘I hoped you were. I prayed you were.’

  He laughed. ‘Sorry to disappoint you. As you can see, my lovely, I’m very much alive.’

  Catching sight of the gun in his hand, Lucy instinctively stepped back. ‘What do you want? Why are you here?’

  ‘I’m here for you, Lucy.’ Darting forward, he grabbed hold of her. ‘Oh no, my darling.’ Pressing the gun into her side, he whispered in her ear, ‘You mustn’t scream. I don’t want to have to shoot you. Not when I’ve been through so much trouble to find you.’

  Keeping a tight hold on her, he began dragging her towards the car.

  ‘Just keep quiet and do as you’re told, and there’ll be no trouble. I mean, you wouldn’t want anyone to get hurt, would you? Not today of all days. Barney’s daughter getting wed, eh?’ Jabbing her with the gun, he made her wince. ‘I can’t believe you let him give you a child. It turns my stomach!’ The pain was drumming again, maddening him. Then it was gone.

  Suddenly he was quietly charming. ‘We’ll go somewhere quiet, you and me … talk about old times. Make plans. Oh Lucy, my lovely, I can’t tell you how many times I thought of this day when I was locked away. Y’see, I’ve never stopped wanting you. Oh, I’ve had other women, young and not so young, but they’ve never made me feel the way you do. I’m worried, because I have to make sure you never get too close to this Adam. He seems to have your favour, and we can’t allow that, can we now? Oh no! No, my lovely, you and me belong together … for always. But we need to talk first. To decide what to do.’

  Lucy kept her silence, because she now realised that he was totally insane. Any minute now, he might burst in on the wedding party and shoot everyone in sight. She was mortally afraid. It was cold, so cold in the garden, and she began to shiver.

  Having come out to look for her, Adam saw her in the distance, and was puzzled. Who was she with? Certainly, it was not one of the wedding party. ‘Lucy!’ he called out, surprised when she did not turn.

  Behind him, Leonard sauntered up with a glass of champagne in his hand. ‘Is something wrong?’ he asked.

  Adam shook his head. ‘I think there might be.’ He began to walk down towards the edge of the gardens.

  Concerned, Leonard went with him.

  ‘Lucy, are you all right?’ Adam called.

  With her arm twisted behind her back and Trent trying to keep the gun on her and open the car door at the same time, Lucy began struggling to escape.

  S
eeing this, and with Leonard shouting that it was the man who had been following Vicky, the two older men made a lunge for Trent. In the ensuing confusion, Edward Trent pointed the gun at them, Lucy was thrown aside, and as she went down she managed to pull on his leg, enough to unbalance him.

  That was when the two men darted forward. Caught in this trap, Trent was like a madman. While Adam tried to get the gun from him, Trent smacked him with a vicious blow on the side of his head. As he fell, Leonard went for Trent, the gun discharged itself and Leonard fell to the ground, where he lay still and silent, seemingly lifeless.

  ‘Jaysus, Mary and Joseph! They’ve killed him!’ Bridget had appeared, and her appalling cry rang through the air. Scurrying into his car, Trent made a dash for it.

  He was heading for the open road when two police cars rammed him. Blinded by the persistent pain in his temples, he felt so terribly weary, he tried to reach for his gun but his strength was ebbing fast. Quickly now the police moved in.

  ‘You left a trail of unhappy people behind you,’ the officer said as he handcuffed him. ‘Stealing cars, breaking into offices and causing trouble in the public house. We have a lot of questions needing answers – and so do our friends in Liverpool,’ he stated. ‘There’s the woman who says you beat her up. She also says you killed her sister. And now we’ve got attempted murder. Well now, that should be enough to be going on with, don’t you think? It’ll be the gallows for you this time, chummy.’ Snapping shut the handcuffs, he threw Trent unceremoniously into one of the police cars.

  Behind them, the ambulance took Leonard away, with Vicky beside him and his family following.

  ‘Don’t you die on me, Leonard Maitland.’ Vicky’s tears fell on his quiet face.

  He didn’t hear her.

  He had no sense of her nearness.

  The guests watched him being taken away. ‘Dear God, let him be all right.’ Lucy was still shaking, her mind in turmoil. ‘Edward Trent said we had things to talk about, and then we’d be together forever.’

  She felt desperately afraid for Leonard. Poor Vicky was in a terrible state. ‘We must go to the hospital,’ she said to Adam.