The Glowing Hours

by Marina Oliver

  Fearful of what she might see, Nell peered over the side. Pa had vanished. The barrel, heavy with its load, had sunk, and it appeared he had been taken with it. She watched for what seemed like hours, but he didn't come to the surface. There was nothing she could do.

  'Amy,' she called softly. 'You can come out now. He's gone, it's safe.'

  'He was stealing your patch-box!' Amy sobbed as she scrambled out from her hiding place and Nell turned to clasp her sister to her. 'Where's Pa gone?' she asked warily.

  'He fell in, but he's vanished. I think it's too late. He may have been trapped by something under the water. There's nothing we can do,' she said quietly. 'Let's go home, Amy.'

  ***

  Chapter 26

  Nell sat huddled beside the fire all night. She'd piled on coal, and it roared away, but still she shivered. Amy, hysterical, had finally agreed to sleep in front of the fire on the mattress Nell brought downstairs. She couldn't bear to go back into the room where she'd last seen Pa.

  'He – he was stealing your patch-box, your lucky box!' she sobbed as Nell half carried her home. 'Look, I got it from him,' she said, handing it to Nell.

  Nell sat in the firelight, looking at the bright enamel, and thought about the man who had crafted such fine work. It was the only possession she had to link her with her mother's family. It had been her talisman, but could she bear to own something which had indirectly brought about the death of her father?

  'I didn't love him,' she whispered to herself, but that made it worse. If she had felt anything but disgust and contempt for him she might have been able to mourn. As it was she knew only an enormous relief, as if a burden had been lifted. It had, of course. Now he could no longer terrorise Amy. It was his greed which had caused his death. Yet there was guilt too, that she didn't feel more sorrow. 'I ought to tell Ned,' she said wearily, but on the thought her head drooped, and the next thing she knew was lying half on the mattress, cold and stiff, while someone hammered on the door. Nell rubbed her eyes as she struggled to her feet. 'I'm coming,' she called, and went to open the door.

  Paul stood outside, and at the sight of her he frowned. 'You look dreadful,' he said, stepping into the kitchen. 'And what's this? Why is Amy sleeping down here? Is she ill? Nell, what's happened?'

  Nell heaved a shuddering sigh. 'Pa's dead,' she said baldly. 'He – he fell into the canal last night.'

  Paul's eyes widened, then he stepped towards her and she relaxed when he drew her into the comfort of his embrace. He stood quietly as she sobbed, shaking as she told him all that had happened. After a while he sat down in the only comfortable chair the room possessed, and pulled Nell on to his lap, cradling her to him.

  'Hush, darling, it wasn't your fault. There was nothing you could have done.'

  'I should have tried to help. I should have fetched someone. Maybe if I'd not been so stupid they could have saved him.'

  'I doubt it, Nell. People drown quickly, and you couldn't see him. He might have been knocked unconscious as he fell, or been caught on something underneath the water. Were there boats there?'

  'I think so, a barge a little way up the wharf.'

  'Then there would probably have been ropes under the water. Nell, he wouldn't have suffered a great deal. It would have been too late by the time you could have fetched help.'

  'But I shouldn't have just left him there, alone, and come back here as though nothing had happened!'

  'You had Amy to care for. How is she?'

  'She cried a lot, then went to sleep. But – why are you here, Paul?'

  Suddenly realising she was sitting on his lap, with his arms about her, Nell blushed and scrambled off.

  'You didn't come to see Gwyneth off at the station,' he said. 'Edwina thought you might have overslept after last night, but I thought that would be unlikely, so I came to check.'

  'Gwyneth has gone! And I wasn't there to say goodbye!'

  'She said to tell you she'd write when she got there, and you were to go and see them all as soon as you could. Now I think you had better wake Amy and make her eat some breakfast. And pack a few clothes. I mean to take you both to stay for a while with Edwina.'

  'Amy wouldn't sleep upstairs. Pa broke down the door of our room. But can Edwina manage?'

  'Of course, and if she can't I'll take you to Marigold.'

  'No, Marigold has already been so good to me, I can't impose. Besides, she's having another baby soon.'

  'Go and pack the clothes first. Then we can leave without Amy having to go upstairs. It will be easier for her not to have to go back into that room and be reminded.'

  *

  Ned and Florence stood to one side of the grave, with Nell's other brothers. She faced them, trying not to think of that other funeral, when Ma and the children had been buried. Edwina was beside her, and behind them Tom and Paul. Amy, suffering from shock, had developed a severe cold and was being cared for at Edwina's house by Patsy.

  As the ceremony ended Nell turned away, and found Tom in front of her.

  'Nell, I must have a word with you,' he said urgently, taking her arm.

  'Please, Tom, not now,' she replied wearily, and smiled thankfully at Edwina as the latter stepped forward.

  'Tom, Nell has to go straight back to bed. Come and see her tomorrow if she feels well enough.'

  Tom looked as though he wanted to argue, but Paul was there too and between them he and Edwina shepherded Nell away. Ned came across to him.

  'Our Nell's too stuck up fer likes of us now,' he said resentfully. ' 'Er won't even come back ter tek a cuppa tea with us. Will yer come, Tom? Florence got in a nice bit of ham, and a pork pie.'

  Tom wanted to follow Nell, but while she had her guardians about her he knew there was no chance of speaking to her. He nodded at Ned, and they began the long walk towards the latter's house behind New Street Station. Florence bustled about when they got there, boiling kettles and setting out daintily cut sandwiches on doily-covered plates.

  'Nell Baxter's too good fer us, Tom,' she said with a sniff. 'She never once came here, heven when her Pa was livin' wi' us. Hit's not as if we live in the sort o' squalor she did when her was a kid. Hi've got some nice stuff, I have, me Ma and me aunties saw I had a proper trusso when I married Ned. Do yer like me cups and saucers? A full dozen, Hi've got. And plates ter match, and a sandwich plate too. Don't see many o' them in Ladywood!'

  Tom hastily admired the cups and saucers, took a sandwich which was too small to make two bites, and wondered if he was supposed to take more. But Florence had replaced the plate on the table, too far away for him to reach.

  'There were summat funny 'bout Pa's death, I say!' Danny said belligerently. ' 'E'd bin in water hours afore they found 'im. Must 'ave fell in durin' night.'

  'They said he fell in cause 'e was drunk,' Ned put in, 'but he'd signed the pledge, he wouldn't 'ave – have gone back on that. Besides, why should he 'ave been down on wharf? 'E'd no call ter go there any time, let alone at night.'

  Sam sniggered. 'I can think of a good enough reason,' he muttered, but Ned swiftly told him to shut his dirty mouth in front of ladies.

  'But – he was at home that night. I saw him,' Tom exclaimed.

  'You did? 'Ow?' Danny demanded.

  'I walked Nell home. We'd been to a birthday party for one of her friends, one of the dancers, and it was late. Your father was already home, though – ' he stopped, frowning.

  'What?' Ned asked. 'If yer knows summat, yer ought ter tell us, Tom.'

  'I'm not sure. I was walking away and there was a noise. When I turned round I was sure I saw Amy running along the street, with a man running after her. It must have been your Pa. Then Nell came out too. At least, I thought it was Nell, but I wasn't really sure until later. I went back to the house, but the door wasn't bolted and no one was there. I called up the stairs, but no one came. I couldn't follow them, I hadn't seen which way they went. But I hung around a bit, and some time afterwards Nell and Amy came back, and Nell bolted the door. I've only
just thought of it, but she must have known her father wouldn't be coming back.'

  Ned eyed him thoughtfully. 'I'm gonna 'ave a word with our Nell. Tom, like some more tea? An' what about a sensible piece of pork pie, instead of these bits o' birdfood?'

  *

  Tom paced up and down his small parlour. Ned had said he believed him, though he'd made it plain he felt sure Tom knew more than he'd told them.

  'We know yer'd want ter protect Nell,' he'd said with what was almost a leer. The others had left and Florence had gone to bed. 'Yer wouldn't split on 'er, would yer? If yer just happened ter see 'er by the canal? It'd be easy ter push an old man in, especially if 'e'd had a few drinks when 'e weren't used to it. And it's only her word 'e never come ter surface. Wouldn't a proper daughter 'ave gone fer help? Pa could swim, and though the water was low and probably 'e couldn't 'ave climbed up by himself, he could 'ave been saved if she'd fetched help.'

  'Nell wouldn't have deliberately left him to die.' Tom was still shocked at the very idea.

  Ned had winked at him. 'Yer's sweet on 'er, ain't yer? And yer can't give evidence against yer wife.'

  He was making so little progress with Nell. Even before this dreadful thing had happened, she'd had no time for him. Now he'd be expected to treat her carefully for months. But Ned had shown him how he might persuade her to agree to marry him. Would it work? Suddenly Tom made up his mind. He would at least attempt it, put his luck to the test.

  *

  'I'll be fine, I can teach this week, Edwina,' Nell insisted. 'And we can't give performances until we've reorganised the Nell Gwyn Troupe. We said we'd give that a break after Gwyneth left, start again after Christmas.'

  'As you wish. But don't you need time to look for a new house? If you really won't come and share this one.'

  'Edwina, it's marvellous of you to offer, and it would make life much easier, but I'm afraid to accept. If I did, I might never want to go back to my own place, and you'd get fed up with us in the end.'

  'You know you can stay for as long as necessary, and come back whenever you wish.'

  'You're a good friend. We can't go back to that house, and now perhaps I can afford a through house with a garden. There are plenty for rent. I've been thinking I could offer lodgings to some of the dancers if I had somewhere bigger. It would do Amy good to be with other girls, especially now she's as mad on dancing as I am! I'll go and look this afternoon.'

  None of the houses she saw were suitable, and she was making her way rather dispiritedly down the Ladywood Road when Ned caught up with her. 'Nell, we've got to talk.'

  She looked at him and smiled faintly. 'Hello, Ned. How are you? And Florence?'

  'As well as can be expected. Look, let's go in here and have a cuppa tea.'

  He led the way into a small café, and sat silently until the tea was brought and Nell had poured two cups. Then he looked worriedly at her. 'Tom knows summat,' he said abruptly.

  'Tom? Knows what? What do you mean, Ned?'

  'Look, Nell, I'm not blamin' yer fer anythin', I know well enough Pa were no saint, both you and Amy 'ad a lot ter put up with.'

  'Why should I be blamed for – what are you saying, Ned?'

  'Tom. Tom Simmons. 'E saw yer, the night Pa – fell in canal. If 'e fell in, and from what Tom said 'e seemed ter think there was summat fishy goin' on.'

  'Pa fell in when he was chasing Amy! I told you exactly how it happened, the next day.'

  'Yes, I know what yer said, but Tom, he could say different. It stands ter reason, Nell, summat odd were goin' on, the three on yer chasin' out the 'ouse – house like that at midnight.'

  'Tom wasn't there! He'd left us before we went in.'

  'It didn't take yer long ter come out again, an' Friston Street's long and straight, he'd 'ave seen yer all right.'

  'But – even if he followed us, he'd have seen nothing apart from what I've said.'

  'Perhaps yer thinks yer protectin' young Amy? If Tom said she pushed Pa, don't yer think they'd believe 'im? After all, 'e's a very respected trade union official.'

  'He couldn't say that! It would be lies!'

  'Oh, I wouldn't suggest he'd tell a deliberate untruth, but it were dark, shadowy, perhaps 'e didn't see properly?'

  Nell stood up abruptly. 'Go and take your lies somewhere else, Ned! Neither Amy nor I pushed Pa, and no one can make us say we did!'

  *

  It was a Sunday morning, a few weeks later, and Nell still hadn't found anywhere to live. Amy had departed to visit her friend Phyllis for the day, while Nell and Edwina relaxed over cups of coffee and desultorily talked about plans for the new year. They heard the doorbell ring, and a moment later Patsy came in to announce there was someone to see Nell.

  'It's that Mr Simmons,' she said, and Edwina hastily hid a smile at her tone. Tom tended to patronise Patsy, and the girl resented it bitterly.

  'I'll see him in the office,' Nell said quickly. It was some weeks since she had seen Tom, not in fact since her father's funeral, and she did not wish to encourage him. The office would be businesslike and he would not have to be invited to share their coffee.

  'I'll go along to the studio, I have to fetch those sketches for the new costumes,' Edwina said as Nell rose. 'It's a nuisance I forgot them last night, but I'll be back in a few minutes if you want a diversion.'

  Nell grinned at her. 'I imagine I'll be able to get rid of him quite quickly.' The office was a small room to the side of the front door. Edwina preferred to keep her papers here rather than at the studio, since it was easier to work here in the evenings. There were, however, a pair of easy chairs set beside a small table inside the large bay. When Nell went in Tom was sitting in one of these, and rather to her surprise did not offer to rise. She decided to be as formal as possible and sat in the upright chair behind the desk.

  'Tom, good morning,'

  'Nell, my dear, I hope you are recovered by now?'

  'Yes, thank you. It has been several weeks.'

  'Indeed, I know that full well. It has been a long time, but I have curbed my impatience, I decided it was only right to allow you to get over your tragedy before renewing my proposal.'

  Nell's began to feel angry at his persistence. She did wish he would accept her refusal. 'Tom,' she began, but he raised his hand to silence her.

  'Don't be hasty, my dear. Things have changed. As you know, I have been very patient, I have loved you for a long time, and not many men would have permitted their future wives to behave as you have done – '

  'In the first place, I am not your "future wife", and in the second, you have no right to either control or criticize my behaviour!' Nell broke in furiously, her eyes flashing. 'I have told you until I am tired of saying it, Tom, I do not love you, I will not marry you, and I don't ever want to see you again! Do you hear me?'

  He smiled, a superior, complacent smile. 'I hear you, you are shouting, my dear. Now please permit me to speak. You will regret it if you don't.'

  Suddenly Nell recalled Ned's doleful hints. At the time she had been angry, then for a while concerned. Could Tom possibly tell lies about her? She didn't think he'd been there on the canal bank, but perhaps he had. He could have hidden. But if he said either she or Amy had pushed Pa, he lied, and she would tell everyone so. She was tense with fury. What would it do to Amy, whose confidence was so fragile since she'd been taken to the orphanage, if the child were accused of murdering her father? Even if she, Nell, were accused, it would destroy Amy.

  'Go on then,' she said curtly. 'Say what you have to, and then go.'

  'I see you have some idea of what I mean to say,' he replied, sitting back in the chair and crossing one leg negligently over the other. 'You know, of course, that husbands and wives cannot testify against one another in Court. To marry me would be the safest way of preventing me from telling what I saw the night your father died. I was down by the canal, I'd followed you, you see.'

  'You didn't see anything,' Nell declared firmly, gripping her hands together to prevent t
hem from shaking. 'You didn't see anything, other than what I told the police, because there was nothing different to see.'

  'I could tell them different.'

  'Will they believe you?' she demanded. 'Why should you tell them something like this weeks afterwards?'

  'Oh, that's easy. I wanted to protect your sister. I knew how much she'd suffered, how your father frightened her. It would do no good to accuse her of murder. But then, what shall we say, she tried to stick a knife in me? I came to realise she was ill, her problems had caused her to lose her reason, and for everyone's sake she would be better off locked up. But if you were to marry me, Nell, I would forget all this. What do you say?'

  'I say you are a monster!' She took a deep breath. 'I'll fight you every inch! I'll kill you rather than let you harm Amy any more! But before I did it I'd ruin your precious reputation! You're not the only one who can tell lies! And as for marrying you, I'd rather get into bed with a slimy snake! Now get out!'

  The door was pushed open and Paul walked in. 'How fortunate I heard all that. Mr Simmons, blackmail and threats and perjury are criminal offences. When you make threats against my future wife you make me very angry. It is going to give me great pleasure to throw you out of here. But before I do, be warned. If you even try to speak to Nell again, ever, I will lay information about this conversation. And don't think I won't be believed! Several of my patients are barristers and judges!'

  With that he advanced purposefully towards Tom, who belatedly attempted to struggle to his feet. Paul grasped the back of Tom's collar, twisted it so that Tom went puce, and jerked him forwards. Then he pushed him contemptuously towards the door. Nell, bemused, followed, and saw a grinning Patsy holding the front door wide open. Paul marched Tom to the top of the steps, down them and along the path. With deliberate precision he pushed the hapless Tom, releasing him to send him sprawling into one of the largest heaps of horse droppings ever seen on the Hagley Road.

  *

  'He won't dare speak to you again, Nell.'