‘We’re all sorry for that now,’ Fintan said, his voice thick and hoarse. ‘God knows, I’m sorry for all the heartbreak that’s been caused . . . and I certainly don’t want to see anything else like this happening.’
Claire went to put a hand on Mona’s shoulder but stopped herself. ‘I’ll go in and see the girls for a couple of minutes and then I’ll head back to Glasgow.’
Both girls were sitting shocked and silent by the fire.
‘Is everything OK?’ Heather asked, her heart thumping in her chest. As she had passed by the kitchen door with her father, she could hear the raised and angry voices and she knew something monumental was happening.
‘I hope so . . .’ Claire said, sinking down into the sofa. ‘I certainly hope so.’ She gave a little smile. ‘I’m absolutely drained . . .’
A short while later Fintan appeared with a tiny glassful of brandy for his sister. ‘Drink it up,’ he told her, ‘it’ll do you good.’ He turned to the doorway, where a white-faced Mona stood, clutching a good-sized glass of the medicinal alcohol. ‘Come in, Mona,’ he said quietly.
Without being asked, the two girls got to their feet and went out of the room, leaving the two women alone.
When Fintan came back to join his wife and two daughters, he closed the kitchen door firmly behind him. ‘I think maybe we need to have a few words ourselves,’ he said quietly.
All four sat down at the table, Heather glancing over anxiously at her mother and sister.
‘I think we’ve seen and heard enough tonight to give us all a bit of a shake-up.’ His throat felt dry again and he swallowed hard. ‘I was thinking when I was upstairs that maybe I’ve let this business with you and the fellow get a wee bit out of hand, Kirsty.’
Kirsty’s heart started racing. ‘What do you mean?’
‘I mean that maybe I jumped the gun a bit . . . that maybe I didn’t give Larry Delaney a chance.’ He glanced over at Sophie, as though checking with her that he was saying all the right things. The things she had told him upstairs – and the things he now knew were true. Sophie nodded so he continued. ‘I think we should maybe start again . . . you going back to your singing . . . and maybe going out the odd night to the pictures or the dancing with him.’
‘Are you sure?’ Kirsty gasped, looking from her father to her mother. ‘Can I really see him again – like a proper boyfriend?’
Fintan pursed his lips together and nodded. ‘Just take it slow, mind.’
A huge, relieved smile spread across her face. ‘And it’s OK for him to come and pick me up for rehearsals and when I’m out singing like before?’
‘Yes,’ Fintan said. He was smiling back at her and nodding, but there was a hint of moisture at the corner of his eyes.
Twenty minutes later Mona and Claire came back out from the sitting-room together.
‘I’m just going next door for a few minutes,’ Claire said, popping her head through the kitchen door, ‘to give Lily her presents.’ She moved back to let Mona look in.
‘I’ll see you in the morning,’ Mona said to Sophie in a quiet, calm voice. ‘I’d better get round or that wee devil, Lily, will be playin’ them all up.’
When the front door closed behind them, a huge communal sigh reverberated around the kitchen table.
Chapter 69
About a quarter of an hour later, Claire came back into Fintan and Sophie’s house. ‘Just to let you know that everything is more or less sorted out between me and Mona,’ she told all four Graces, as she leaned on the back of the couch in the sitting-room. She looked across at Kirsty. ‘I’m sorry for asking you to leave the kitchen earlier . . . but I had to say something private to Mona, something I didn’t want too many people to hear. I hope you didn’t mind or feel offended.’
‘Not a bit,’ Kirsty said, beaming at her. She didn’t mind anything at the moment. The whole world was suddenly a wonderful place and she was only counting the minutes until Claire left and she could rush up to the phone box to call Larry and tell him the great news.
‘I didn’t want to sit and listen to Mona ranting on anyway. I hear enough of it day in and day out.’
Claire looked over at her brother and his wife. ‘I’m sure you didn’t need all of this either . . .’
‘You did the right thing,’ Sophie told her. ‘And I’m just delighted it’s all worked out for you.’
‘Well,’ Claire said, giving a little weary sigh, ‘I’m not going to get too elated about it, because I know Mona from old, and I know she’s not the sort to change her colours. I’m not imagining that we’re ever going to be the best of friends, but as long as she doesn’t get in the way of me and Andy being friends with everybody else.’
‘And I’m delighted that we all can get things on to a more normal footing,’ Fintan said.
‘We can have the odd visit out to each other at the weekends and that kind of thing.’
‘Lovely,’ Claire agreed. She looked over at Heather now. ‘I’m hoping we’ll see more of you out in Glasgow,’ she said, smiling meaningfully. Heather had told her all about Paul Ballantyne asking to meet up with her some time soon in the city.
‘Oh thanks, Claire . . . I’ll definitely be back out soon,’ Heather said, feeling herself blush.
‘And me and Larry will take a run out some evening or weekend,’ Kirsty added, excited at the thought of all the things that lay ahead.
Claire looked at her watch. ‘Right,’ she said, ‘I’d better get heading home now before the frost gets too thick.’
She gave them all a hug and a kiss. ‘It was lovely seeing you all, and being back in your house again.’
Sophie and Fintan walked her out to the car.
‘Keep an eye on Mona over the next few days,’ Claire said to them as she got in the car. ‘She’s her own worst enemy, but I would hate to think I hurt her badly. I would never have done it if she hadn’t forced me into a corner . . .’
‘She’ll be fine,’ Sophie reassured her. ‘And it might not do her any harm to have a taste of her own medicine.’
Fintan leaned in through the car window. ‘The door is open to you and Andy at any time,’ he reminded his sister.
The engine revved up and Claire blew them both a kiss as the car pulled away.
‘If you like,’ Heather said, when the girls were on their own, ‘I’ll walk up to the phone box with you and then we ‘OK,’ Kirsty said, getting to her feet. ‘It’s a bit of a nuisance not being able to go anywhere on our own, but I suppose it’s the sensible thing.’
‘You know I’m really sorry about not sticking up for you over Larry, don’t you?’ Heather said.
Kirsty shrugged. ‘It doesn’t matter . . .’
‘But it does matter,’ Heather insisted. She stood up now and went over and put her arms around her sister. ‘It was just the timing . . . all the trouble with Gerry and then Liz losing the baby.’ She shook her head. ‘I’m really sorry, I shouldn’t have been so horrible and I’ll never do it again. I think I was a wee bit depressed or something, especially when I think back to the day I fainted at work. I wasn’t myself at all.’
‘It’s OK,’ Kirsty said, patting Heather’s arm. ‘I know you didn’t mean it. I know you weren’t your normal self.’
‘I promise I’ll never be like that again . . . and I’ll really make a big effort to get to know Larry properly.’ She moved back now to look Kirsty straight in the face, so that she would know that she was being sincere. ‘Even though he is a wee bit older, he’s very good-looking and he wears lovely clothes.’
A huge smile broke out on Kirsty’s face. ‘Even though I say it myself, he is very good-looking, isn’t he?’ She hugged herself with delight now. ‘I just can’t wait to get up to the phone box and tell him that everything’s all right.’ She suddenly stopped and put her hand to her mouth. ‘I forgot – you missed all that earlier on!’
‘What?’ Heather asked, her face creasing into a worried frown. ‘What did I miss?’
‘Larry ca
me out to the house about an hour before you arrived, and my daddy wouldn’t let him over the doorstep.’ Kirsty gave a little nervous giggle. ‘It was certainly all happening in the Grace household tonight.’
‘Let’s just be glad it’s all over and done with,’ Heather said, suddenly feeling exhausted with the whole thing.
The front door opened again and the girls went out and had a few words with their parents then they threw on their coats and scarves and headed out into the cold night air.
‘You’re not going to believe it,’ Heather said, linking her sister’s arm, ‘but I’ve met a really nice boy . . .’
‘When?’ Kirsty asked. ‘Where?’
‘Just today, out at Claire’s house. He’s a young fellow who’s going to be working with Andy.’
‘So what’s going to happen?’ Kirsty said, all excited for her sister.
‘Well, we were supposed to be meeting up,’ Heather explained, ‘but before I could make any real arrangements with him, I got your phone call and then I had to rush to get out here.’ She looked at Kirsty and smiled. ‘But at least I managed to give him my address, so I’ll just have to wait and see what happens.’
Larry was delighted and relieved with Kirsty’s news and after a brief chat they arranged to meet the following night. It was agreed that Larry would once again call out at the house to pick her up, and then they would go on to the pictures for their first real date.
The situation with Liz was much less cheery and there was little Heather could do or say that would make things any better.
‘At least I still have my friends,’ Liz said with a tear in her eye, ‘and I suppose that’s something to be grateful for.’ She blew her nose. ‘I’ll never trust a man again after this.’
There was a little pause, then she looked up at Heather, her eyes hollow and sad. ‘Although I can’t help wondering what might have happened if Gerry Stewart hadn’t got himself killed. Maybe you’d have got back together and the four of us would have all been happy together . . .’
‘No, Liz,’ Heather said softly. ‘We can’t keep looking back and wondering what might have been. It’s time for us all to start looking forward again.’
Chapter 70
Heather went into work the following morning, feeling that weeks had passed since Friday instead of days. She hung up her coat and outdoor things as usual and then stopped to have a few words with Muriel Ferguson, who was most interested to hear that Heather had spent the weekend at her aunt’s.
‘Lovely person,’ Muriel had enthused again, ‘and such a lovely house. We really must take a little trip out to visit her again when the weather is nice.’
‘It was very frosty this morning, wasn’t it?’ Heather said, changing the subject. Hopefully, she thought to herself, Muriel’s intended visit out to the McPhersons’ house would be long forgotten by the time the nice weather came around.
Danny and Maurice came up to sit on Heather’s desk later in the morning, full of stories from the weekend about the dancing and the pubs. And Danny took great delight in telling her all about a great new girl he had met in the Barrowland Dance Hall. ‘I’m takin’ her to the pictures on Wednesday night,’ he told Heather, ‘but I’ve already told her not to get any big ideas about us, as I’m not the kind to get tied down too easily.’
‘I think I’d give her the chance to get to know you first,’ Maurice had laughed, ‘and then there will be no fear of her wantin’ to get tied down too easily wi’ you!’
Sarah and Marie had caught her at the break time and the three girls arranged to go to The Trees restaurant as usual for their lunch.
Just as they were all watching the time for the lunchtime buzzer, Muriel came rushing over to Heather’s desk. ‘There’s a very well-dressed young man at the reception desk,’ she whispered, ‘and he’s asked for you by name.’
Heather moved out from her desk, and looked down along the office to reception, to where the tall, fair-headed Paul Ballantyne was standing. Just looking at him started off the fluttery feeling again in her stomach and chest. She made herself take a long, deep breath. ‘Thanks, Muriel,’ she said to her curious colleague. ‘It’s a friend of mine who said he might be in the city today.’
Then, remembering Claire’s advice, she walked straight towards him, smiling and calm.
‘I hope you don’t mind me calling up to the office,’ he said apologetically, ‘but I was afraid I might miss you if I left it too long.’
‘I don’t mind at all,’ Heather told him. ‘I wouldn’t have given you the address if I did.’
The buzzer suddenly sounded and everyone started to make moves in the office.
‘Are you free for lunch?’ Paul asked. ‘Or have you already made arrangements?’
Heather smiled at him. ‘Nothing that important that I can’t change. I’ll just get my coat.’
She paused to tell the girls about her change of plan, then she grabbed her coat and scarf and bag and walked quickly back to Paul, ignoring all the curious stares.
They went in a different direction to where her workmates usually went and found a small, quiet café up in Sauchiehall Street, where they ordered coffee and sandwiches.
‘I couldn’t explain too much about my new job when we were in Andy’s house yesterday,’ Paul told Heather, ‘because it was a wee bit awkward . . .’
Heather waited, not wanting to appear too keen or desperate to know everything about him – although that was exactly how she felt.
‘You see, my dad’s business hasn’t been doing too well recently,’ he explained, ‘and Andy has been great. When we had the meeting over the weekend, he drew up a new business plan for the next two years for the factory. It involved cutting back on certain things, and staffing was one of them.’ He gave a little shrug. ‘I was one of the newest management staff there, and I felt it wasn’t fair to keep me on when some of the older men were married with families.’
‘So, what’s happened?’ Heather asked.
‘Andy offered me a new job at his place,’ he told her, ‘which is just brilliant. There’s far more scope for me there and if my father’s business picks up, I can always go back with any new skills I’ve learned. It’s just for a year initially, and we’ll see what happens after that.’ He paused. ‘I start next Monday, so it’ll give me time to tie things up back at the factory, and get myself all organised to move out to Glasgow next weekend.’
‘It’s a great opportunity,’ Heather said. ‘And going on my own experience, Glasgow’s a great place.’
‘I wondered,’ he said now, ‘if you fancy meeting me a couple of times a week for lunch, just until I get to know more people.’
‘Sure,’ Heather said, her chestnut wavy hair rippling down over her shoulders as she nodded.
‘And maybe,’ he said, ‘we might meet up after work some Friday and go out to the Barrowland Dance Hall. It’s supposed to be great out there.’
Heather’s heart soared. Going to the dancing together meant that it was a proper date. It meant that Paul Ballantyne must really like her.
‘I have to confess that I was in two minds about moving to Glasgow,’ he told her, looking straight into her dark brown eyes, ‘but meeting you has made all the difference.’ He gave a small laugh. ‘I think somebody was smiling on me that day in Andy McPherson’s house. The last thing I expected to happen was that I’d meet a really nice girl who just happened to be gorgeous-looking as well.’
Heather looked across the table at him and she suddenly found she was laughing too. She knew she should have just kept calm and given a little smile – but she just couldn’t help herself.
While she was waiting for the train that evening, Heather decided to go to the row of public phone boxes and give Claire a ring to tell her what had happened with Paul Ballantyne.
‘Oh, I’m so delighted for you!’ her aunt exclaimed. ‘And Andy will be delighted too.’
‘He’s really nice,’ Heather said, pleased with the chance to talk it ov
er with somebody who knew him. She would tell Kirsty all about it the minute she got home, but it was great to be able to talk to Claire about it now. ‘We’re going to meet up in Edinburgh on Saturday morning,’ she continued, ‘and then we’re going to spend the whole day going around the castle and places like that.’
‘Wonderful,’ Claire breathed, her approval evident in her voice. Then there was a little silence on the line. ‘Oh, Heather . . . there’s just a little thing that you might like to know. Paul Ballantyne is actually a Catholic – the same as yourself. I just thought I’d mention it because Ballantyne is often taken for a Protestant name.’
‘Is he?’ Heather said in a surprised but pleased voice. It wouldn’t have mattered, she would still have agreed to meet him – even if it meant starting the whole Mona thing all over again – but it just made things a whole lot easier.
‘Andy told me last night,’ Claire said. ‘Apparently his grandfather was originally a Protestant, but he changed when he married Paul’s grandmother and the whole family are now Catholic.’ She paused. ‘I was actually relieved, because I wouldn’t like anyone to think that I’d deliberately introduced you to him, given mine and Andy’s situation. And it’s one problem less after all the recent difficulties with Mona and poor Kirsty.’
‘Well, it’s all worked out well so far,’ Heather said. ‘So let’s hope it continues. And I’m really glad I was at your house this weekend or I might never have met him.’
‘Oh, I’m sure you would,’ Clare said, laughing. ‘I think Andy would have got you two together somehow. From the minute he first met Paul, he thought you and he would make a perfect couple.’
Heather found herself grinning into the phone box. ‘Do you mean he deliberately tried to match us up?’
‘Something like that,’ Claire said. ‘I’ll tell you all about it the next time you’re out at our house . . . Oh, God!’ she suddenly remembered. ‘I meant to tell you about the experience I had driving home last night. You’re not going to believe it!’
The Grace Girls Page 52