by June Francis
‘You know, Viv, you do take after me.’
‘You mean I’m a prize liar? I don’t think that’s anything to be proud of.’
‘No. I’ll have to go to church and confess all my sins.’
‘Me too,’ said Viv. ‘In the meantime you can dolly yourself up and persuade Stephen that Uncle Tom wasn’t my father and marry him double quick so you don’t have to take the baby back to our street.’
Her mother’s smile faded but there was a sparkle in her eyes. ‘I’ll do my very best.’
‘You do that.’ Viv bit into a grape, kissed her sister’s cheek, told her mother that she’d be seeing her and left to meet Nick, who was taking her out to dinner.
‘You can stay the night,’ she said across the restaurant table.
‘That’s your answer to telling George?’
‘What’s wrong with it? I thought you’d jump at the idea.’
‘Can I sleep in your bed?’ There was a hint of a smile in his voice.
‘What do you think George would say to that?’ She forked some curry and rice into her mouth.
‘He’d probably stand guard in front of your bedroom door.’
Viv stared at him and suddenly was conscious of the smouldering sexual undercurrent that had been between them since her return from America. ‘You could always walk over him, sword in hand,’ she said unevenly.
‘You still fantasising about knights?’ Nick’s fingers curled about hers. ‘I wish we could get married right away.’
‘I wish you and George could be friends. I don’t want the pair of you fighting forever.’
Nick said firmly, ‘I don’t want to be his enemy but I can see that vendetta you once talked about carrying on forever if he’s not told.’
‘I don’t know why you should think that!’ Her fingers twisted in his. ‘If Mam marries Steve she’ll be moving out. We could marry and you could move in with me.’
‘With George there? Some beginning! He came home to try and stop you marrying me. He told me so when you went in to see your mam. Fortunately he didn’t make any cracks about my mother because then I would have spilt the beans about his precious father.’
Viv groaned. ‘He actually said all that to you?’
Nick raised his eyebrows. ‘I don’t know why you should be so surprised. You’re a beauty, Viv. Even more tasty than you were just over a year ago.’ He kissed her fingers. ‘Now you see why he should know about his father.’
‘I can’t tell him, Nick,’ she said urgently. ‘I promised Aunt Flo. Once I get Mam and Stephen sorted out then I’ll do something, trust me.’
‘I do, but not George. Anyway, for now I’ll stay the night.’
When they got home it was obvious to both of them that George knew exactly why Nick was there. ‘Don’t think you’re sleeping upstairs,’ he growled. ‘There must have been enough creeping about going on in this house for Aunt Hilda to get pregnant.’
‘He never came here,’ said Viv swiftly. She still had not told George that Stephen had been her mother’s lover. Tomorrow, she might tell him tomorrow. ‘You’ll both sleep down here,’ she said, glancing at Nick. ‘Unless I can find a chaperone to be with me upstairs.’
‘Why not ask Mrs Kelly?’ snapped George. ‘Come one! Come all!’
Viv stared at him and suddenly had an idea. She told Nick that she was going to use the telephone round the corner and would not be long.
‘Who were you phoning?’ he said when she returned and was making cocoa in the kitchen.
‘Ursula.’
Nick stared at her. ‘What on earth for?’
Viv’s eyes twinkled. ‘To be my chaperone. She said she’d come.’
‘She’s coming here?’ hissed Nick, closing the door into the front room where George was listening to the wireless.
She nodded. ‘I explained the situation. She thought it hilarious and can’t wait to meet George.’
Nick groaned. ‘She’s too classy for him.’
‘No, she’s not,’ said Viv indignantly. ‘That’s Celia speaking. If you’ve not careful, Nick, you’ll lose touch with your roots. Just remember that all men and women are equal in the sight of God. Even the Queen is only flesh and blood.’
‘OK, OK!’ said Nick, running a hand through his hair. ‘But I don’t know why you have to protect George from the realities of life. If you’d only tell him the truth about his father being yours we wouldn’t have this trouble.’
‘He’s suffered enough from the realities of life,’ she whispered, shoving a cup of cocoa into Nick’s hand. ‘Besides he’s the only brother I’ve got, and I love him. I think Ursula would be good for him. Unless of course it could be that you like Ursula too much to hand her over to him?’
That’s not a nice thing to say about Ursula,’ said Nick angrily. ‘Perhaps we should pretend that it’s true, then George would be bound to take an interest in her just to annoy me?’
Viv’s face stilled. That’s a good idea! We could …’
‘No, Viv,’ he said. ‘I was kidding. I’m not playing games like that. I’m surprised at you.’ He pulled her into his arms and made to kiss her mouth but she averted her face.
‘Why don’t you think it’s a good idea?’ she asked.
‘Because it’s the kind of game your mother played and it didn’t come off.’ He covered her face with kisses.
‘Drink your cocoa,’ she whispered. ‘You’re making my legs go all funny.’
‘I don’t want to drink my cocoa,’ said Nick. ‘What did you mean about loving George? Who do you love the most? Is it your brother or me?’
‘Be quiet,’ she muttered. ‘He’ll hear.’
‘Good!’ His mouth swooped on hers but she responded angrily, turning the kiss into a fierce battle of wills that aroused them both as they tussled and ended with them on the floor. She was certain Nick allowed her to win because she was on top of him. ‘Well, Viv?’ he said breathlessly.
‘You ask the most stupid questions,’ she panted. ‘I could hit you.’
He laughed. ‘Make love to me instead.’ She put a hand to his pants but he caught hold of her fingers and kissed them. ‘Say it, Viv? Brother George or me?’
It was at that moment that George entered the room with a thunderous expression. ‘There’s some girl at the door saying she’s your chaperone, Viv! By the look of it you bloody need one.’ He marched past them and took his jacket from a hook on the wall, picked up his rucksack and went out of the back door.
‘He must have heard,’ cried Viv, scrambling to her feet and making to go after him.
Nick stopped her. ‘I’ll go! You talk to Ursula.’
‘Nick, you won’t …’
‘Trust me,’ said Nick and was gone.
He caught up with George halfway down the darkened entry which smelt of cats and bits of rubbish left behind by the bin men. ‘Where are you going, mate?’
‘I’m no mate of yours,’ snapped George, quickening his pace. ‘Go back to her and leave me alone.’
‘Running away, are you? You were always good at that, Cookie.’
George slowed down, scowling at him. ‘You’ll take that bloody back. I can face up to the truth but I’ve got to get away.’
‘I take it bloody back,’ said Nick softly. ‘But stop and think, George, about what you’re doing to Viv. Nothing would make me happier than for you to carry on going and stay out of my life but she happens to care about what happens to you. It’s not what I like but that doesn’t matter at the moment. What matters is Viv being happy and she won’t be if you disappear.’
‘I’ll send her a postcard.’
‘Like you did when you went to France?’ Nick’s voice was scornful as he kept pace with him. ‘She worried then about you. I think she’s a fool but that’s Viv. Your mother brought her up so you should know better than anyone how she feels about family.’
‘More fool her! Mam should never have taken her on. She should have told Aunt Hilda to go to hell!’ George glanced about
him wildly as they came out of the entry. ‘I was always having to look after her. Even after Rosie it was like having another sister—’ His voice tailed off.
Nick took a deep breath. ‘That’s how your mother brought you up. Perhaps she knew what she was doing all those years ago? You lost a sister. She gave you another one.’
George stopped and stared at Nick and there was a glitter of tears in his eyes. ‘It is true then? I’ve often wondered who it was. How could they do that to Mam? How could they?’
Nick thrust his hands into his trouser pockets. ‘A moment of madness?’ he said carefully. ‘We all do daft things without thinking of the consequences. I’ve done it. You’re doing it now.’
There was silence.
Then George said in a low voice, staring up the lamp-lit road, ‘Kathleen Murphy became a nun. I didn’t realise just how much a part of my life she was until she wrote and told me that she was marrying Jesus. I felt like I’d been stabbed in the back, betrayed.’ He swallowed and his voice was husky when he continued, ‘I treated her like a little lapdog when we were kids. She’d follow me around, worshipping me. I took it for granted that our life would go on like that.’ He stared down at the ground.
‘Viv did pretty much the same thing, didn’t she?’ murmured Nick. ‘So you transferred some of your feelings for Kathleen to Viv. Except she wasn’t Kathleen. Even so, when she fell in love with me you felt betrayed. But she didn’t stop loving you, George.’
‘She loves you more.’ He kicked at a paving stone.
‘I should hope she does because it’s me she’s marrying, never you,’ said Nick frankly, hunching inside his sweater.
George glared at him, balling his fist. ‘I don’t want it to be true!’
‘Perhaps not. But it is. Take a swing at me if you like, I think a punch up would probably do us good, but Viv wouldn’t like it if we go back all messed up.’
‘You’re a right smart arse, Brycie,’ said George, relaxing his fists and hitching his rucksack higher. ‘But I’m not going back. You can tell Viv—’ He paused, swallowed. ‘You can tell her I’m OK. That I will be back – when I’m ready. Tell her I’m going to see Jackie’s parents. I liked her. Viv’ll know who I mean.’ Without another word he turned and walked away.
Nick watched him until be was out of sight, then knowing he was in trouble with Viv, strolled back to the house.
She had the door open as soon as be knocked. ‘Where is he?’ she demanded.
‘He’s gone. But he’ll be back,’ replied Nick, nodding at Ursula who was rocking herself in the chair and nursing the cat.
‘What a drag,’ she said with a sigh. ‘I’d looked forward to stealing him away for an hour’s raucous merriment at The Iron Door. Now I’ll just have to play at strawberries.’
‘You mean gooseberries,’ said Nick, moving further into the room and warming his hands by the fire.
‘Gooseberries?’ Ursula looked pensive. ‘They’re prickly. You can imagine one of them keeping people apart.’
Viv said exasperatedly, ‘Do you two mind shutting up about stupid fruits? Nick, what did you say to him? Where’s he gone?’
‘I said nothing that you’d have disagreed with.’ He crossed his fingers. ‘And he’s gone to see someone called Jackie’s parents.’
‘Jackie?’ Viv frowned then enlightenment dawned. ‘She was the one be tried to save when the dam burst. He was racked with guilt about her.’
‘Was he the last one to see her alive?’ said Ursula, interested. ‘If he was he’s probably felt deep down inside for some time that he should speak to them.’
‘Yes. That’ll be it,’ said Viv slowly.
‘It might even be the real reason he came home,’ said Ursula.
‘Right,’ said Nick, rubbing his hands and thinking things were looking up. ‘Now we’ve got that sorted out perhaps I can have my cocoa, love? I’m freezing.’
‘Cocoa?’ Viv stared at him, still looking worried. ‘Go and make your own. I’m too upset!’.
He grimaced and did as he was told.
That night as Viv lay in her mother’s bed beside Ursula, who was reading one of Hilda’s True Confession magazines, she wondered just what George had heard of hers and Nick’s conversation, and what he had made of it, and what Nick had said to him and what else George had said. It had been a bit difficult to ask with Ursula there. But perhaps she was right about George’s reasons for coming home and she and Nick had had it wrong all the time? Maybe they were all right?
She sighed, hoping that George would not do anything stupid. Perhaps she was an idiot to have got all worked up about him knowing? Nick was right. Why should he be protected? He was a grown man! Even so she hoped he would be all right. And that nothing else would go wrong.
She thought of her mother and the baby and suddenly things fell into perspective. She prayed that Stephen would do the gentlemanly thing and that everything would come right for them.
Stephen gazed into the cot and then lifted his eyes and stared at Hilda who looked better than he had expected for a woman of over forty who’d just given birth. She was wearing the satin nightdress that he had bought her for a birthday and her breasts filled it beautifully. He cleared his throat. ‘Is she mine, Hilda?’
‘I don’t know how you could ask,’ she said with the slightest tremor in her voice. ‘Have you forgotten how many times we – made love? Real love, Steve.’
He flushed and glanced about him but the father at the next bed had his head close to that of the young woman whose hand he was holding. ‘Viv thinks she looks like me.’
Hilda smiled. ‘She’s got your hair. Natural curls. She’ll thank you for that when she’s older.’ Her fingers slid along the back of the seat next to the bed and patted it. ‘Come and sit down. It’s easier to talk that way.’
Stephen sat and immediately could smell her perfume. It was light, flowery, and evoked memories of the Lake District. He longed to touch her but instead clasped his hands tightly together. ‘What about Viv’s father?’
Hilda’s expression sobered and she began to pleat the fold of the sheet at her waist. ‘I lied to her, Steve. That night when she came home with that Norwegian sailor, I lied to her. I told her that Jimmy wasn’t her father when he was. I wanted to split you up because the pair of you were living in that house together and I’d been excluded.’
‘But I asked you to many me,’ he said carefully. ‘The three of us could have lived together!’
A small laugh escaped from her rouged lips. ‘I know.’ She touched one of his hands. ‘But I was hurt. And so angry and jealous that I cut off my nose to spite my face. But I paid for it afterwards! You don’t know how many time I wished I’d kept my mouth shut, but it was too late. Neither of you wanted to see or speak to me and I – I was too proud to come to you. I never thought that I could be having a baby. Your baby, Steve.’ Her fingers stroked the back of his hand. ‘Viv’s so embarrassed you know what she’s done? Told the neighbours that I’ve had gallstones removed! I don’t know how I’m going to face them all. It was bad enough when I had Viv and I was younger. At my age they’ll think it’s a hoot.’
His fingers caught hers. ‘You don’t have to lay it on with a trowel, Hilda,’ he said. ‘I believe the baby’s mine. We’ll get married. I’ll get a special licence.’
Relief flooded her face. ‘Thanks, Steve.’ She leant forward and, putting a hand to the back of his head, kissed him. All the banked down passion of the last months and all her gratitude was in that gesture so that he came out of the embrace convinced he was doing the right thing.
‘There’s one thing that bothers me, Hilda,’ he murmured.
‘What’s that?’ Her voice was anxious and she realised that she was holding her breath.
‘The gossip in my avenue when you turn up with a baby. I know we’ll have to put up with it for a while but I’d like to move away. We’ll have a new house … a bigger one. I thought of it months ago before we split up. I still think of that house as
belonging to my uncle but it never seemed worthwhile making the move. Now …’
‘Are you thinking of a brand new house?’ said Hilda, her eyes gleaming. ‘Because if you are you could ask Nick’s advice. Perhaps he could design us one? He won an award, you know.’
He smiled. ‘I know. I’ll do that.’
They fell silent.
She murmured, ‘How d’you feel about Viv marrying him?’
‘As long as he makes her happy, that’s all I care about.’
‘Her real father couldn’t have wished her anything better,’ she said softly.
‘He never was a real bloody father to her, though, was he, Hilda?’ His blue eyes blazed into hers. ‘Not as much as I’ve been! So let’s forget him forever and consider instead what we’re going to call our daughter.’
Hilda was struck dumb but swiftly rallied. ‘I thought Melanie.’
‘Never heard of it.’ He tried it on his tongue and thought it sounded like music.
‘She was a character in a book – and maybe we could have you mother’s name as well?’
‘It would be two Ms,’ he said gruffly. ‘And Mabel’s a bit old-fashioned.’
‘Perhaps we could call her Melanie Stephanie then?’ She smiled at him. He covered her hand with his and consigned Tom and Jimmy to oblivion.
‘They’re getting married,’ said Viv, smiling as she opened the front door to Nick on Monday evening. She was feeling much better about everything.
‘I know. Stephen phoned me about designing them a house.’ He kissed her.
‘He didn’t tell me!’ She reached for her coat. ‘He didn’t tell me what Mam said about my father either.’
‘Perhaps he wants to forget all that?’ Nick turned her round and did up her buttons and kissed the tip of her nose.
She nodded. ‘I’ll find out from Mam. Will you take me to the hospital?’
‘Sure. Heard anything from George?’
‘No.’ She sighed. ‘I’m not going to worry about him. Let’s get going to the hospital.’