by Kitty Neale
‘What’s going on?’ one called.
‘Pearl thinks she knows where Eric is!’
Abandoning customers, the men ran to his side, other costermongers alerted and joining them.
Derek quickly explained, their faces darkening with fury as they all ran to the open door, Pearl behind as they thudded upstairs.
Everything happened so quickly that Pearl could barely take it in. Derek’s shoulder crashed into Mr Bardington’s door, wood splintering, and still in momentum he almost fell into the room, the other men followed in his wake. Mr Bardington yelled, and as all hell let loose, she craned to see over their heads. There was a scream of fear, and then the man was on the floor, a sea of heavy boots kicking him again and again, each one landing with a sickening crunch. He shrieked, and as Pearl ducked low she had a brief glimpse of him, his nose shattered and his face running with blood. She swallowed, wanting to protest, but then Derek appeared with Eric in his arms and bile rose in her throat. Oh, no! Oh God!
All thought of protest died on Pearl’s lips as anger threatened to overwhelm her. She wanted to join the men, to kick Trevor Bardington, to punch him, beat him, to make him suffer for what he had done to an innocent child. He was an animal, a monster! A wall of redness formed in front of her eyes, but then Derek yelled in her ear.
‘Pearl, come on, we’ve got to get Eric out of here! We’ll take him to the café and someone can run for Frank and Lucy.’
Derek’s voice somehow penetrated her fury and she reacted quickly. ‘Yes, of course. I’ll get something to cover him.’
As they went down to the next landing, Pearl dashed into her room, grabbing a blanket from her bed to cover Eric’s naked body. The small crowd that had gathered hushed as they stepped outside, but then a cry went up. ‘Good on yer, Derek.’
‘It was Pearl who found him, not me. Now let me pass. This child needs his mother. Madge, will you run and get her?’
The woman nodded, hurrying away.
As the crowd parted, Derek carried Eric to the café. Dolly must have been alerted, and as they walked in she motioned them upstairs to her flat. ‘Take him to my bedroom.’
As soon as Eric saw Dolly’s bed he went into a panic, fighting to get out of Derek’s arms.
‘It’s all right, darling,’ Pearl said, and as Eric held out his arms in appeal, she took him, holding him closely.
The blanket slipped and there was a gasp. Dolly held a hand over her mouth in horror. ‘Oh my God,’ she whispered. ‘His … his little bottom is covered in blood.’
Pearl sat on the edge of the bed, but as she lowered Eric onto her lap he cried out in pain. Tears flowed then, rolling unchecked down her cheeks as she managed to lay the child gently on his side. She had barely covered him with the blanket when Lucy and Frank Hanwell flew into the room.
‘Eric! Eric!’ Lucy sobbed, thrusting Pearl aside. For a moment she gazed down at her son, but then she lay beside him on the bed, pulling him into her arms.
Frank watched, his face drained of colour, and as Dolly whispered her concerns, his fists balled. ‘Yeah, ring the doctor, but where is the bastard who did this? I’ll kill him with my bare hands.’
‘Don’t worry. I think you’ll find he’s already been taken care of,’ Derek murmured.
As Dolly left to make the telephone call, Frank dropped to his knees by the bed, but Eric turned his head away, refusing to look at his father.
‘Oh, son. Oh, son …’ With a strangled sound in his throat, Frank rose to his feet.
For a while nobody spoke as Lucy continued to rock the boy in her arms.
Then Frank turned to Derek. ‘You found my son and I don’t know how to thank you.’
‘It wasn’t me, mate. As I told the others, it was Pearl who found him.’
Frank’s eyes were moist as he looked at her. ‘Well, love, I don’t know how to thank you either, but I’m deeply indebted to you.’
The doctor arrived and asked all but Eric’s parents to leave. Derek and Pearl went downstairs.
‘Pearl, your feet are bare,’ Dolly said brusquely, ‘and you look awful. You’d best take her home again, Derek.’
‘Yes, Mrs D.’
Pearl was led outside, but then shock set in and she was hardly aware of anything as Derek walked her home. Many stallholders and locals patted her back as they trod the short distance, but when Pearl winced as she stood on something sharp, Derek picked her up, carrying her to the still-open street door.
The house was silent as they went in and suddenly Pearl stiffened in Derek’s arms. It felt like a house of horrors now, the thought of living there abhorrent.
‘I … can’t stay here. I just can’t.’
‘All right, love, I’ll take you round to my place. Connie will take care of you.’
Pearl didn’t argue, but as Derek carried her outside again she saw Kevin Dolby amongst the crowd. As their eyes met his smile was like a leer and Pearl looked quickly away, feeling sick inside.
Her arms tightened around Derek’s neck. Oh God, she had betrayed this lovely man. Instead of being cared for and treated like a hero, she should be stoned.
Chapter Fifteen
After staying at Derek’s overnight and then all weekend, Pearl was able to return to work, but she was still full of self-loathing. Derek and Connie had been so kind. They had believed her lies about being ill and she’d been cosseted by both of them. Of course, this had made her feel worse and she felt torn in two. She had betrayed Derek. Should she break up with him?
Pearl baulked at the thought. Despite her feelings for Kevin, he didn’t want her, he’d made that plain, and if she broke up with Derek she’d be alone again, unprotected. Not only that, she would lose Connie too, a woman she had grown deeply fond of.
A foretaste of what was to come happened as she walked through the market on her way to work. She was greeted with smiles, waves, and several stallholders stuffed bags of fruit into her arms. She was even given a bunch of flowers from the old lady who sat on the opposite corner to the café. The flower seller was known for being mean, her flowers often wired around the base of the blooms to make them look tight and fresh. Pearl took the carnations, the old crone patting her hand, and laden, she was greeted with more smiles from Bernie when he saw her.
‘Hello, love,’ he said. ‘Are you feeling better now?’
‘Yes, I’m fine, thanks.’
‘I see the stallholders have been showing their appreciation. You’d better take that lot through to the kitchen.’
‘Have you heard anything about Eric?’
Bernie’s face straightened. ‘He’s in hospital, and may be there for some time. Go and have a word with Dolly. It’ll be better coming from her.’
‘Pearl!’ Dolly exclaimed. ‘It’s good to see you, girl, but you still look a bit pale. Are you sure you’re up to doing a full shift?’
‘Yes, I’m fine. Bernie said that Eric’s in hospital and you’d tell me why.’
Dolly exhaled loudly. ‘This ain’t gonna be easy for you to hear, but from what we’ve heard he has a lot of rectal damage needing surgery. The poor kid is badly traumatised too.’
‘What about Mr Bardington? Has he been arrested?’
‘Pearl, don’t ever mention that man’s name again, especially to the police. We have a way of looking after our own around here, and believe me, he got what he deserved. As far as the police are concerned, they were told that he ran off.’
‘Oh, please, don’t tell me that he got away?’
‘No, love, there was no chance of that. That bastard will never harm another child.’
‘You … you don’t mean that he’s—’
‘Don’t ask,’ Dolly interrupted. ‘All I’ll say is that there are a couple of blokes who run this borough, and they sorted it out. That’s all you need to know. Now go and get yourself a cup of tea before the rush starts.’
With a small nod, Pearl went back to the dining room. She had seen the beating, and from what Dolly had inferred, coul
d guess what had happened to Trevor Bardington. It she wanted to remain in this area, like everyone else she would have to keep her mouth shut. But her stomach churned. If she had called the police instead of running to Derek, the man might still be alive, but instead she had caused his death.
‘You look awful,’ Bernie said. ‘Are you sure you can manage today?’
‘Yes,’ Pearl told him. She saw Bernie’s concerned expression, the kindness in his eyes, and blurted out, ‘I feel awful about what happened to Trevor Bardington. He’d still be alive if I’d called the pol—’
Bernie held up his hand before she could finish the sentence, saying quickly, ‘Who said he’s dead?’
‘Dolly said he’d never hurt another child again, and … and I assumed that’s what she meant.’
‘Don’t assume anything, Pearl. That bastard got the kicking he deserved and a good one at that, but it wasn’t one of our lot that took a knife to him. When he was handed over, that came later. From what we’ve been told, he’s been castrated, and that’s why he’ll never be able to hurt a child again.’
‘Castrated?’
‘Christ, girl, I ain’t about to explain the procedure. Sufficient to say that the man’s alive and you have nothing to feel guilty about.’
‘Oh, thank God,’ Pearl said, relief making her collapse onto the nearest chair.
‘Here, get that down you,’ Bernie said as he placed a cup of tea in front of her.
Pearl gulped the hot, sweet brew and a few minutes later Alice Freeman arrived.
‘Hello, Pearl, it’s good to have you back. You still look a bit rough, but don’t worry, I’ll help you as much as I can until you’re up to scratch again.’
‘Thanks, Alice.’
‘You’re a bit of a hero around here now and it’s nice to hear that Derek and his gran have been looking after you.’
Pearl hung her head. Yes, Derek and Connie had been wonderful, but after what had happened with Kevin she didn’t feel like a hero. She felt more like a slut.
By the end of the morning rush, Pearl had been inundated with gifts. She had also been hugged, thanked and made a fuss of by every customer.
Derek came in at eight o’clock, his face showing concern. ‘Are you all right, Pearl? Is your tummy still holding up?’
‘It’s fine, but I’m a bit overwhelmed by the way the customers are treating me.’
‘You’re the talk of the market. They’ve taken you to their hearts and you’re one of us now.’
‘But, Derek, all I did was hear a noise.’
‘Yeah, but you acted on it. If you hadn’t, we might never have found Eric. Or when we did, it might have been too late.’ He reached out to take Pearl’s hand. ‘Listen, love, I know you can’t face living in your bedsit, so I’ve had a word with Gran. She said you’re to stay with us until you find somewhere else to live. When you finish work, give me a shout, and I’ll come with you to pack up your stuff.’
Pearl hung her head with shame. She didn’t deserve this kindness, yet at the thought of living in that room, knowing what had happened above her, she felt sick. Derek’s offer was her only alternative, at least until she could find somewhere else.
‘Thanks, Derek,’ she murmured, unable to look him in the face.
It was midday before Pearl saw Kevin. She wanted to hate him, but couldn’t, her heart skipping a beat as he passed. He walked through to the kitchen, ignoring her, and when he came out again, he barely glanced in her direction. Pearl’s eyes blurred with tears. It didn’t seem possible that he could ignore her after something so intimate had happened between them.
Kevin spoke to his father and then walked out of the café without a backward glance, leaving Pearl feeling sick inside. She’d been an idiot, a fool, but despite what he said, she had still clung to the hope that he loved her.
There was a knot of pain in Pearl’s stomach, but then she dashed at her tears, shoulders stiffening with resolve. This was another lesson, one she would never forget. She had let down her barriers – barriers put up long ago in the orphanage. She had allowed someone into her heart, and was now suffering for it. Never again. She would never let her barriers down again.
She was fond of Derek – Connie too – but she wouldn’t allow her feeling to go deeper than that. From now on, nobody would be able to hurt her.
For the rest of the shift Pearl did her work, but her smile was forced, and once or twice she saw Bernie looking at her worriedly. As soon as the lunchtime rush was over he called her to the counter.
‘You still look a bit rough. Go on home and I’ll help Alice to finish off the tables.’
Pearl thanked him, and though she wasn’t ill, she was glad to leave. She had been fighting all day to bury her feelings and now felt emotionally drained. ‘What about Mrs Dolby? Are you sure she won’t mind?’
‘You leave her to me. Now go on, get yourself home.’
Pearl pulled off her apron and was just leaving the café when she saw Kevin walking towards her. With her head down she made to walk past him, but this time he didn’t ignore her.
‘Well, Pearl. You’re quite the little celebrity now.’
‘Let me pass.’
‘Now then, don’t be hasty. I was just going to suggest that I pop up to see you again tonight.’
‘Wh … what?’
‘I said I’d like to see you again.’
She looked up at his handsome face and her stomach fluttered. ‘You … you said you don’t want a steady girlfriend.’
‘Yeah, that’s right, but we can still have a bit of fun on the side.’
Pearl’s hand flew to her mouth as she shoved past Kevin, flaying herself for once more letting him get through her defences. One look at his handsome face and her resolve crumbled. It had to stop – it had to. She was nearing Derek’s stall now and fought to pull herself together, forcing the mockery of a smile.
‘You look awful,’ Derek said. ‘Maybe you went back to work too soon. I’ll get someone to watch me stall and we’ll collect your stuff.’
‘I can’t face going to my room now. Can we collect my things later?’
‘Of course we can. Go on home and Connie will see you’re all right. I’ll pack up in about an hour.’
He leaned forward, giving her a peck on the cheek before she hurried away. Home, Derek had said. Oh, if only it could remain her home – a refuge where Kevin Dolby could never get near her again.
Pearl’s steps faltered. There was a way. Instead of waiting, she could marry Derek as soon as possible. As Pearl continued her journey, the thought became more and more compelling.
At eight o’clock, Pearl and Derek had collected her things, and now they were back in his house. It had been hard to return to her bedsit, but with so few belongings it hadn’t taken long to pack. Derek too had been impressed with her drawings, and was now urging her to show them to Connie.
She reluctantly pulled out her portfolio, and was amazed by Connie’s reaction. ‘Blimey, girl, this is a smashing one of Derek. It looks just like him.’
‘See, Pearl, I told you they’re good.’
‘Why don’t you sell them?’ Connie suggested.
Pearl’s stomach knotted. Kevin had said the same thing and she’d been so flattered, the memory of what happened afterwards making her flush with shame.
‘Gawd, look at her, Derek. She’s blushing. I ain’t kidding, Pearl. I reckon you could sell these and make yourself a few bob.’
‘Maybe. I … I’ll think about it.’
‘Pearl’s room wasn’t up to much, Gran. I’m sure she’ll be able to find something better.’
‘Of course she will, and it’s a shame we ain’t got a spare bedroom. It can’t be much fun sleeping on that sofa.’
‘It’s fine,’ Pearl said, ‘and it’s good of you to have me. I’ll find something else as soon as I can.’
‘What did Nobby Clark say when you told him you were leaving?’
‘He said he could see I wouldn’t want to live there now
, and even gave me back my week’s deposit.’
‘Huh, that’s probably because Derek was with you. I wouldn’t trust Nobby as far as I could throw him. Anyway, Derek, how about taking Pearl’s stuff through to the front room, and then we’ll have a nice cuppa?’
‘I’ll make it,’ Pearl said, jumping to her feet, and as she began to prepare the brew, she felt at home in Connie’s kitchen. Once again she hardened her resolve. She would marry Derek, stay in this haven, and now all she had to do was encourage him to ask her.
Chapter Sixteen
On Friday, Frank Hanwell set up his stall again, but he was a different man. There were no more jokes, no ribald exchanges with his customers, and when he went into the café the other costermongers became strangely quiet, most keeping their heads down as Frank headed for one of Pearl’s tables.
‘Hello, Frank,’ she said quietly. ‘What can I get you?’
‘I’ll just have an egg and a couple of rashers of bacon.’
‘How’s Eric?’
Frank reached out to grasp her hand, his eyes agonised and his voice barely above a whisper. ‘He’s coming home next week, but he won’t let me near him. It’s almost as if he blames me for what happened. He’s so quiet, Pearl, but it’s his eyes that get to me. They look blank, as though my son is dead inside.’
Pearl returned the pressure of Frank’s hand, floundering for something to say. She felt so inadequate, so unworldly, and could find no words of wisdom to comfort the man.
‘It’s early days yet,’ was all she could come up with, and after writing his order, she rushed to the kitchen. For a moment she stood just inside the door, reliving that awful moment when she first found Eric.
‘What’s the matter, girl?
‘Oh, I’m sorry, Mrs Dolby. I’ve just taken Frank Hanwell’s order and—’
‘Christ, no wonder you look upset. How is he?’
‘He looks awful. He told me about Eric, and … and I didn’t know what to say to him.’
‘I’m surprised he spoke to you about it,’ Gertie said as she joined them. ‘He’s hardly said a word to anyone since it happened.’