For Better For Worse

by Pam Weaver

  ‘You think he’s got something to do with Mrs Hartley’s death, don’t you?’

  ‘Mrs Hartley was seeing a younger man,’ said Bear. ‘According to her son, they fell out because she stopped giving the fellow money. I know she probably took her own life by jumping off the end of the pier, but I have a gut feeling Henry Royale’s actions drove her to it. It seems to me that the man might be responsible for the loss of her fortune.’

  ‘But if that’s the case,’ said Harris. ‘What’s he done with it?’

  ‘What indeed,’ said Bear.

  ‘So what do we do now?’ laughed Harris.

  ‘Check out who this car belongs to for a start and then we’ll keep a close eye on Henry Royale. He’s bound to trip up before long, you mark my words.’

  When Harris had gone, Bear sighed deeply. There were times when the job got in the way and changed everything. He had been planning to ask Sarah out, but until he was able to do something about Henry Royale, he would have to wait. Even though they were in the twentieth century, there were times when the police force was positively Dickensian. As he’d told Sarah, if a serving police officer wanted to go out with a girl, he had to get permission from the Chief Superintendent. That girl had to be vetted and approved. He didn’t think for one minute that Sarah had ever put a foot wrong, but now that Henry was out of jail, the powers that be had made it plain that Henry Royale was still a person of interest. The Super had advised him that it wasn’t a good idea to start courting a girl who might be involved with somebody who was up to no good. Bear had stood smartly to attention and said ‘Yes sir,’ but back in his own office, he had thumped his desk with his fist. He really liked her, damn it, but for now his feelings had to stay on hold. Life was bloody unfair sometimes.

  *

  Now that her mother was back from Granny’s, Annie decided to catch the train to West Worthing station and then walk to Thomas A Becket to see her parents. She had left Edward at home with Sarah and Lottie. She’d had no reaction about the scarf she’d given her father at Christmas, so she guessed he still didn’t want to acknowledge his grandson. That being the case, she reasoned that if he saw the pram outside, he probably wouldn’t even open the door. In the event, only her mother was in.

  They sat at opposite ends of the sofa in the sitting room. Judith was pleased to see her, but she wished her daughter wasn’t quite so impulsive. If only she would leave things to settle down. She was sure Malcolm would come around eventually, but she also knew that he would dig his heels in even harder if he thought Annie was trying to manipulate the situation. She was dismayed to hear that the piano lessons hadn’t worked out. ‘What are you going to do?’ she said. ‘In view of the way your father feels, I had hoped that if you were doing something respectable for a living he might come around.’

  ‘I’m not unduly worried,’ said Annie. ‘Henry is out of prison now, and as soon as he has a job, he’ll send for me.’

  ‘He’s not with you then?’ Judith said cautiously. Her daughter shook her head. ‘Any idea when he is coming back?’

  Annie felt her face colouring. ‘I don’t know where he is, Mummy. He forgot to send me his forwarding address.’ And seeing the look on her mother’s face, she added, ‘I’m sure he meant to. He promised me he’d be back for Edward and me.’

  ‘Oh Annie, are you sure?’

  ‘Yes, of course I am …’ Annie began and then burst into tears. Judith moved to sit beside her daughter and put her arm around her. ‘Oh Mummy, I’m so frightened. The other girls think he’s a rotter and that he doesn’t care about anyone except himself, but I don’t want to believe that. Henry is a good man. He explained all about pretending to have a job when he’d been sacked. He was trying to protect me. He was working. He told me he even did the washing up for a hotel kitchen so that we wouldn’t starve. I know he’s not perfect, but he needs me to look after him.’

  Judith handed her daughter a handkerchief. ‘I hope you’re right, darling, but you have to be sensible.’

  ‘He will come back,’ Annie insisted. ‘He’s always wanted a son, d’you see? If he doesn’t come back for me, he’ll come back for Edward.’

  They heard the front door slam as her father came in. The two women looked anxiously at each other and a moment later the sitting room door creaked open.

  Annie jumped to her feet. ‘Daddy.’

  Malcolm didn’t move. Judith held her breath.

  ‘Oh Daddy,’ said Annie, flinging her arms around her stiff parent, ‘I’ve missed you so much.’

  Still Malcolm hadn’t moved an inch. ‘Is he back?’

  ‘He’s out of prison, if that’s what you mean,’ said Annie.

  ‘Malcolm dear,’ said Judith. ‘He hasn’t come back for Annie or the baby.’

  ‘Where is the baby?’ said Malcolm coldly.

  ‘I left him with a friend,’ said Annie. ‘Oh Daddy, you’d love him. He’s nearly five months old and you’ve never once come to see him. You don’t know what you’re missing, Daddy. He’s such a sweet little boy.’

  Malcolm put up his hand in protest. ‘I don’t want to hear,’ he said stiffly, ‘and I think you should leave.’

  ‘Daddy, why are you doing this to me?’ her voice already tearful again.

  ‘How many more times must I tell you, Annie?’ Malcolm’s voice was cold. ‘You are not married!’

  ‘But I genuinely thought I was!’ she protested. Her face flamed and she felt a rush of adrenalin. ‘You seem to forget that I am the victim here. What am I supposed to do? I had a wedding day and I have a marriage certificate. I never went to bed with Henry before I was married.’ She saw her father open his mouth but she gave him no chance to speak. ‘You have no idea how this feels,’ she went on, her voice moving up an octave as the anger and frustration rose inside. ‘I feel totally humiliated. I feel like I’ve lost my identity.’

  ‘Oh, don’t be so bloody melodramatic,’ he scowled.

  ‘I’m not being melodramatic, Daddy.’ Annie blew her nose. ‘You tell me who I am? Go on, tell me. I’m not Henry’s wife. And I’m not a tart and yet you tell me I’m not your daughter because I’ve had an illegitimate son.’

  ‘I gave you a way out,’ Malcolm retorted, ‘and you threw it back in my face.’

  ‘Malcolm,’ Judith interjected.

  ‘You could have had a good marriage,’ said Malcolm. ‘What about that Tim whats-his-name? He was nuts about you. Now there’s someone who is going places.’

  ‘Malcolm …’ said Judith again.

  ‘You can keep out of this and all,’ Malcolm snapped. ‘I’ve worked all my life to give you a respectable life and standing in this town and the pair of you go behind my back and ruin it all.’

  ‘I gave birth to that little boy, Daddy, and I can’t give him up,’ said Annie. ‘I won’t have him brought up by strangers either. He’s my son, my responsibility.’

  ‘And what about his father’s responsibility?’ Malcolm demanded. ‘Why should it be laid on my doorstep?’

  ‘It won’t be,’ said Annie. ‘All I’m asking is for a little help until Henry comes for me. There’s nowhere to go, Daddy. I’m not a widow, so I don’t get a widow’s pension. The government talk about provision for the children of single mothers, but I can’t find any. I can’t work because I have no one to look after Edward …’

  ‘I’ll look after him,’ said Judith. Malcolm and Annie stared at her in amazement. ‘You get a job and I’ll look after him.’

  ‘I give up,’ said Malcolm with a sigh and rolling his eyes. ‘Does my opinion count for nothing in this house?’

  ‘Of course it does,’ said Judith, ‘but she’s our daughter. Our child, Malcolm, and she needs help. To hell with respectability when it comes between us all. I’m sorry, but I can’t turn my back on her.’

  Malcolm glared angrily at them both and left the room, slamming the door behind him.

  Annie lowered herself back into the chair and in a wave of relief whispered, ‘Oh Mummy … I will
try and make it work. I promise. Thank you.’

  *

  ‘Darling, you’ve not eaten a thing.’

  Ada Browning stared at Henry’s plate in dismay. They were sitting in her conservatory watching the latest April shower running down the glass. Behind them, Billy, her budgerigar, swayed on his perch and made newly acquired rude noises. Ada still couldn’t quite believe that Henry had agreed to come and live with her. ‘Think of your reputation,’ he’d cautioned when she’d first suggested the idea. But she’d begged and pleaded with him and to her absolute delight he’d finally agreed. He was such an attractive man. She knew she was no spring chicken, but it didn’t seem to matter to Henry. He told her time and again that she was beautiful, that he loved her big breasts and her big tummy. He’d told her that he’d never experienced a woman like her before and he didn’t seem to notice her wrinkly skin or her flabby arms. Of course, she had tried hard to maintain her youth, but it was a losing battle. Her weight had ballooned with her advancing years and now, no matter how expensive the cream, it did little to keep the wrinkles at bay. She still enjoyed sex, especially with Henry, and he was an energetic lover.

  They had met almost a year ago. She had taken some jewellery into a little jeweller’s shop in Horsham to be mended and Henry had served her. It only took a brush against his hand for her to feel such a surge of desire that she’d asked him if he would come back to her house and inspect some other pieces. He’d agreed reluctantly and furtively, telling her under his breath that if the manager found out, he’d be for the high jump. That’s what she’d liked about him. He was so sweet – willing to go out of his way, even if it caused difficulties for him.

  The first time he’d come, he’d looked at some pieces, drunk some whisky and that was all. He didn’t seem to understand what she really wanted, but then Ada was fully aware that he was a bit of an innocent. The second time he came, she’d taken the initiative, leading him to her bedroom, and before long, they were making passionate love. Afterwards, he’d apologised profusely as if it was all his fault, and begged her not to say anything because he’d get the sack. She didn’t see him for a week, and when she spotted him near one of her regular walks with the dog, she discovered that he was indeed out of a job. He was desolate and she was very consoling. Instead of going into work, he’d come to the house and they’d made love almost every day. He wasn’t married to the girl he was living with, he’d told her that, but it came as a shock to her when Henry had ended up in prison for bigamy.

  She hurried to his side and put her heavily bejewelled hand onto his shoulder. Henry lowered his head and rubbed his forehead wearily. ‘I’m sorry,’ he said. ‘I’m afraid I’ve completely lost my appetite. I’m so worried about my son. I can’t think of anything else.’

  ‘It may not be as bad as you think, darling.’

  ‘What time did you say Nelson will be here?’

  ‘At ten,’ she said. She slid onto his lap, and when she put her arms around his neck, he looked up and kissed her. His hand went to the fold of her dressing gown and sought her breast. He toyed with her nipple and already her heartbeat had quickened. She was nudging sixty-two, but she felt like a silly schoolgirl. She was drunk … that’s what it was. She was drunk on Henry Royale.

  ‘You are so good to me,’ he murmured. ‘If you hadn’t paid for this private detective, I couldn’t have done it.’ He looked up at her forlornly. ‘What can I do to repay you?’

  ‘You don’t have to repay me, my darling,’ she cooed. ‘I’d do anything for you, you know that.’

  He laid his head on her chest and she felt him shudder with emotion.

  ‘Er-um.’ Matthews stood in the doorway clearing his throat. ‘Mr Nelson is here, madam.’

  She rearranged her gown and got shakily to her feet. ‘Show him in, Matthews,’ and with as dignified an air as she could manage, she went back to her seat. Henry grinned and blew her a kiss.

  Dennis Nelson, private detective, was a weaselly-looking man with a constant dewdrop on the end of his nose. Thankfully it never fell – he either sniffed it back or rubbed it with his handkerchief – but she was wary of accepting a handshake. Quite frankly, he revolted Ada, but she deemed him a necessary evil if she was to get this business sorted out.

  ‘I have kept a weather eye on the young lady in question,’ said Nelson, consulting a grubby-looking notebook, ‘and I can report that she has left the child on several occasions.’ He went on to list several days when Annie had been shopping or to the library, but Henry was most interested to hear that she had gone to the dance at the Assembly Rooms. In fact, he was visibly shocked.

  ‘She went dancing?’

  ‘Presumably she left the baby with somebody?’ said Ada.

  ‘That’s not the point, Ada,’ Henry snapped. ‘The mother of my child should not be cavorting about in the dance hall, especially not the dance halls of Worthing.’

  ‘No, no, of course not, my dear,’ Ada agreed hastily.

  ‘What about her morals?’ said Henry high-handedly. ‘Have you seen her in the company of men?’

  ‘Afraid not, sir,’ said Nelson. He was quite aware that Henry wanted to dish the dirt on his wife if possible and it frustrated him no end that he hadn’t been able to find any … so far. ‘I’ve seen two of the other ladies in the company of a man, but not your wife.’

  ‘If they are entertaining men in that house,’ Henry snapped, ‘who knows what my son is being exposed to.’

  ‘I shall step up my vigilance,’ said Nelson, ‘and I am sure we shall find out what the young lady is up to.’

  Ada wrote another cheque and the man hurried on his way. Henry was desolate. ‘What am I to do, Ada? I am stuck here all day. I have no money, no transport. I can’t get to Worthing to see my son and I can only imagine the horrors of the place he’s living in. Oh Ada, my heart is broken … broken.’

  She was at his side in an instant. ‘That settles it. I’m going to give you your own bank account.’

  Henry looked up at her with tears in his eyes. ‘No, no, I can’t allow you to do such a thing.’

  ‘Henry,’ she said firmly. ‘I insist. Now let’s hear no more about it. As soon as I get dressed, we’ll go to the bank and set it up.’

  ‘Oh Ada, my darling,’ he whispered. ‘You’re wonderful.’

  ‘After we’ve been to the bank,’ she continued, ‘we’ll take a walk around to Motors of Mayfair and get a car … No, no,’ she put her hand up in protest, ‘I won’t hear another word. You need a car to get to Worthing and you shall have one.’

  ‘Oh Ada,’ said Henry, slipping his hand under her dressing gown and drawing her onto his lap again. ‘Perhaps you could get dressed a bit later on, my love. There’s something I’d like to show you first.’

  Ada’s eyes glistened with excited anticipation. ‘Oh Henry …’ she sighed.

  Twenty-Four

  ‘Mummy, William Steel hit me.’ Jenny was sitting up in bed with wide eyes and in telltale mood.

  Sarah was getting ready to read her a story before tucking her up for the night. ‘Was he the boy who wanted to speak to you in the playground yesterday? Why did he do that?’

  Jenny shrugged. When William had come over to her, she had run off.

  ‘There must have been something,’ Sarah insisted.

  ‘No, Mummy.’

  ‘Did you do something to annoy him?’

  ‘I told him I didn’t want to do country dancing with him,’ Jenny admitted.

  ‘Why ever not?’

  ‘Connie Jackson says nobody wants to dance with him because he smells.’

  ‘Well, Connie shouldn’t say things like that,’ said Sarah. ‘And you shouldn’t be unkind to a person just because someone else doesn’t like them.’

  Jenny lowered her eyes.

  ‘It was wrong of William to hit you,’ said Sarah, ‘but perhaps you really upset him.’

  Jenny nodded. ‘Sorry, Mummy.’

  Sarah hugged her daughter. ‘If William hits yo
u again, tell Mrs Audus, but I want you to promise me that you won’t join in when people say nasty things about him, okay?’

  Jenny nodded miserably.

  *

  It didn’t take long to set up an account in Henry’s name, and although the bank manager seemed a little surprised at the amount she put into it, knowing how frugal she had always been up until her husband’s death, he did exactly as Ada had asked.

  Motors of Mayfair were delighted to see Mrs Browning again so soon. It wasn’t long since she’d bought her Bentley, and although they’d let it go at a knock-down £3,500, it wasn’t every day that their clients spent so freely. Mr Slade was assigned to her, and Henry took an immediate dislike to the fellow. Slick in his pale grey suit, Mr Slade was far too smarmy for Henry’s liking. They wandered along the rows of cars mostly waiting to be exported abroad. Henry asked what he thought were pertinent questions, but it seemed that although he answered politely, Mr Slade couldn’t hide his disapproval of Henry.

  ‘So do you think this one is the car I should choose?’ Henry asked.

  ‘I’m sure that’s up to you, sir,’ Mr Slade said snootily. ‘I really cannot say.’

  It took some time, but eventually Henry settled for a delightful Riley Drophead Coupe in a glossy evergreen. It had been made for the North American market and was therefore a left-hand drive. It was a two door car and best of all, it was a convertible. Mr Slade held his head on one side and said apologetically, ‘I’m afraid that one is £1,200, madam.’

  To his delight Ada didn’t even blink.

  Henry ran his fingers across the pale leather seats and laughed. ‘My goodness, it’s a beautiful car but I don’t think we should spend that much do you, darling?’

  Twenty minutes later, the car was his.

  He drove her out of town and she loved every minute with the wind in her hair and a handsome man by her side. They stopped in nearby Richmond Park for tea and on the way back into London they had a meal in Fleet Street.