by Rosie Harris
Even so, they spent time at their own homes during the month and several times Rebecca was on the brink of confiding in her mother about Cindy. But she felt it might be betraying her friend and was not at all sure what her mother’s reaction would be. Her main fear was that Sandra might tell all to Mavis Mason because, despite the rift that had existed between them over the malicious gossip regarding Cindy’s disappearance, the two of them had been close since childhood.
There was so much that the Masons didn’t know, Rebecca reflected. In fact there was still a lot she didn’t know, but hints dropped by Danny had confirmed that Cindy had had a terrible time at the hands of Bruno and his family.
It was almost three weeks before Cindy and Poppy were allowed out of hospital. They were both very quiet and extremely nervous when they arrived at the flat. Rebecca explained who Grace was, and when she said she was Danny’s sister Cindy visibly relaxed.
Cindy had only the clothes she stood up in, so for the first couple of days it was like old times as she tried on various garments from Rebecca’s wardrobe.
There was nothing suitable for Poppy, of course, so Grace suggested they all go shopping together and buy her some clothes.
‘It’s impossible,’ Cindy told them. ‘I haven’t a penny piece to my name.’
‘Then we will have to pay for some clothes for you and Poppy,’ Rebecca told her. ‘Thank goodness it’s summer and the sales are on, so we can pick up some bargains.’
Cindy shook her head. ‘No, I am indebted enough to both of you as it is.’
‘Then a bit more won’t make any difference and you can pay us back when you’re fit and well and have got your life back,’ Grace told her in a very practical tone.
The next day, when Nick arrived, Cindy listened in silence when Rebecca told her that they had got to know each other when he came to work in their butcher’s shop in Shelston.
‘Is he still working in Shelston?’
‘No, he’s not there at the moment. Why?’
‘He might say something and give my whereabouts away. I haven’t been in touch with my family since I left, so they know nothing about what has happened to me.’
‘And they won’t until you want them to. I hope that when you’re feeling stronger you’ll want to put the past behind you and get in touch with them,’ Rebecca told her quietly. ‘But not until you are ready,’ she added quickly as she saw the look of terror on Cindy’s face.
‘I don’t think I ever will be.’
‘You don’t have to tell them everything, but they deserve to know you are safe. Your mother has been terribly upset, and your father and Jake have done everything in their power to trace you.’
Cindy shook her head and hid her face behind her curtain of dark hair, but Rebecca knew from the way her shoulders were moving that she was crying.
‘I think they’ll be delighted to know they have a granddaughter, and Poppy will benefit from their love and affection,’ Rebecca added.
Cindy brushed back her hair with her hand and stared at her in amazement. ‘Delighted? You mean shocked, don’t you?’ she said bitterly.
‘I said delighted and that’s what I meant. Poppy is adorable and your mum and dad won’t help but love her. Grace and I would like to keep her forever, she’s certainly won a place in our hearts.’
Over the next ten days the three of them, Rebecca, Cindy and Grace, had a good many heart to heart chats. As Cindy revealed more and more of the terrible things she’d had to endure, it was as if the poison was leaving her mind and body.
Poppy was the catalyst. She was now talking and her pretty ways wound tendrils of love, binding them all tighter and tighter together. Even Danny and Nick, on his occasional visits, were drawn into the charmed circle of their affection.
Like Rebecca, Nick felt that Cindy must repair her relationship with her family, and offered to take her and Poppy down to Shelston when she was ready.
‘It could be the answer to all our problems, Cindy,’ Rebecca told her. ‘There’s only a week left before Grace and I will have to get ready to start work at our new schools and you don’t want to be left here on your own, do you?’
‘But I feel safe here,’ Cindy murmured, biting down on her lower lip to stop herself crying.
‘You feel secure because we’re here with you,’ Grace said gently. ‘But Liverpool can be a lonely place when you’re living alone. Give it some thought, Cindy.’
‘Look, why don’t I smooth the path for you by telling my mother where you are?’ Rebecca suggested. ‘I’ll just tell her that I’ve found you and know where you’re living.’
‘Nothing more,’ she added quickly as she saw the fear in Cindy’s eyes. ‘I’ll make her promise not to tell your mother and then let you know her reaction.’
‘Better to let Rebecca’s mother tell your mother rather than for her to read about it in the newspapers when the case comes to court,’ Danny pointed out.
‘Comes to court? You mean it will be reported in the newspapers?’
‘Of course it will.’
‘All the details? Things I’ve told the police in confidence?’
‘They’ll try to keep a lot of it out of the papers, but I’m afraid we can’t stop the reporters doing their job.’
‘I’m not blaming you, Danny, you’ve been wonderfully kind,’ Cindy said quickly, giving him a little smile.
Rebecca noticed that Danny looked a trifle embarrassed, and was blushing as Cindy reached out and touched his arm.
‘Think about it, Cindy,’ she told her. ‘I’m going to Shelston with Nick at the weekend, so if you want me to I can go up to the farm and let your parents know where you are, or simply tell my own mum and dad. Or, of course, you can come with us and do it yourself if you wish.’
‘No, no! I doubt if I could do that … I will think about it, though.’
‘You’ll be here on your own at the weekend,’ Grace warned her. ‘I have to visit my new school and sign the lease for the flat I’m taking over.’
‘On my own?’ The alarm and fear were back on Cindy’s face.
‘Don’t worry, I’ll be around,’ Danny reassured her. ‘So you won’t be completely on your own.’
Thirty-Eight
After Danny and Nick left, Rebecca and Grace spent a lot of time trying to persuade Cindy that she must let her family know she was safe, even if she didn’t tell them where she was.
‘You ought to tell them about Poppy as well, they deserve to know that they have a granddaughter,’ Grace said bluntly.
Cindy was adamant that she didn’t want them to know, not yet anyway. She said she needed more time to get herself together. She wanted to feel strong enough to face up to their shock when they heard about Poppy and to be able to bear the shame she knew she was bringing on the family because she had an illegitimate child.
‘That’s ridiculous,’ Rebecca told her. ‘Your mother and father love you too much to criticize or bear a grudge against you because of that. They nearly went out of their minds when they heard you were missing, and they tried every possible way they could to get some news about your whereabouts.’
‘But I’m bringing disgrace on the family by having a child out of wedlock,’ Cindy insisted.
‘All the more reason to make sure they know about her and meet her and get to know her and love her,’ Grace pointed out. ‘What do you think would happen to Poppy if you died? Or if you were so ill you couldn’t look after her?’
Cindy went white but she still shook her head at the idea of letting her family know where she was or of mentioning Poppy to them.
It wasn’t until Nick and Rebecca were on the point of setting off for their weekend in Shelston that Cindy capitulated. As they were leaving the flat she called after them, ‘Becky, do what you think best if you see my mum.’
Rebecca stopped in her tracks. ‘You mean I can tell her where you are? Tell her everything?’
Cindy hesitated, brushing her hair back behind her ears and squaring her should
ers before answering.
‘Yes, all right. Tell her whatever you feel is right.’
‘Can I tell her about Poppy?’
Again Cindy hesitated then she said in a rush, ‘If you have to, if you think she will understand and take it all right.’ Then before Rebecca could say any more she slammed the door shut.
‘Well, what do you make of that?’ Rebecca asked, staring at Nick who was looking equally baffled.
‘I’m not sure what to say,’ he said. ‘Probably the best thing you can do is play it by ear. See what your mother has to say first and then follow your instincts. It’s like walking on eggshells! But I agree with you and Grace, Cindy’s family ought to know she is safe and they ought to know about Poppy.’
‘Next week, or very soon,’ he went on, ‘the case will go to court and it may well get splashed all over the newspapers. No matter how hard Danny tries to keep Cindy’s name out of things, it’s unlikely that he will succeed. Journalists are past masters at digging and this will be a very sensational story.’
‘I hope they won’t try to interview Cindy,’ Rebecca said, shaking her head.
‘They most probably will. In fact it would be better if her family not only know where she’s been all this time but what the outcome has been, and take her back into their home. She would be much safer from bombardment from the press if she was in Shelston rather than here in Liverpool.’
‘Yes, you’re right,’ Rebecca nodded. ‘Grace and I won’t be with her at the flat as we are at the moment. Grace might manage to get along there from time to time, but her school is some distance away and she will be kept very busy for the first few weeks.’
‘Then you must make an effort to tell Cindy’s mum everything and see if you can persuade her to have Cindy back living with them,’ Nick told her.
For the rest of the journey Rebecca said very little. She was busy sorting out in her own mind what she was going to tell Mavis Mason and how she would approach it in the first place.
As they neared Shelston Nick gave her a sideways glance and asked, ‘Planned the attack?’
‘I’m going to confide in my mother and then take her advice on how to go about things. She’s known Mavis since they first started school and they are more like sisters than friends, so I’m sure she will be able to tell me what to do.’
‘Why don’t you leave it until this evening – until after we’ve had a meal and listened to their news and they’ve listened to ours? I’ll suggest taking your dad out for a drink and that will give you the opportunity to talk to your mother.’
‘Great idea!’ A smile transformed Rebecca’s face and she squeezed his arm affectionately. ‘It will be a lot easier if there’s just the two of us. I’ve got it worked out pretty clearly what I am going to say, and if I can do it without any questions or interruptions I won’t lose my train of thought.’
Bill and Sandra Peterson came to the front door of Woodside together to meet Rebecca and Nick.
‘My, you two are organized! You picked Becky up from the railway station en route, did you, Nick?’ Bill Peterson asked him.
‘Nick has been staying with me in Liverpool for a couple of days, so we motored down from there,’ Rebecca said quickly.
‘You mean you’ve been working up there?’ Sandra questioned. ‘I didn’t know you went to shops as far afield as that,’ she added before Nick could answer.
‘No, I took a couple of days off,’ he told Sandra. ‘I wanted to spend some time with Rebecca before she becomes too engrossed in her new job to have any time for any of us.’
There was a moment’s silence as he caught the exchange of looks between Bill and Sandra, and hoped he hadn’t given then the wrong impression. It was obvious that Rebecca hadn’t told them he was staying in Liverpool with her.
‘Well, come along in and tell us all your news,’ Bill said, giving Nick a hearty slap on the back as they went into the hallway.
‘Yes, come on, the meal is all ready and waiting and I expect you’re both starving after such a long journey,’ Sandra added.
‘OK. We’ll leave our cases in the hall and we can take them upstairs later,’ Nick said.
They exchanged news as they tucked into the meal that Sandra had prepared for them. Rebecca listened with interest to some of the local news, and Bill and Nick exchanged opinions about changes in the retail butchery business.
‘You seem to keep yourself far more up to date on new legislation than I do,’ Bill said grudgingly.
‘Well, I have to with moving about. Some of the larger businesses are red hot on such matters, and so they should be. It’s no good the government making changes in the law for the betterment of our trade and our customers if we don’t play our part and follow them through.’
‘No, you’re quite right,’ Bill agreed. ‘I must try to make sure I keep in touch with things more in the future. The trouble is I’m not getting any younger,’ he added with a grin.
As soon as their meal was finished and they had helped Sandra to clear away, Nick suggested a trip to the pub for a pint.
‘I’ve missed the local brew that they serve at the Red Lion,’ he told Bill with a knowing look.
‘In that case we’d better stroll along there and see if it’s as good as you remember. Can we bring you girls back anything?’ he asked, looking at Sandra.
‘No, you two cut along and leave us in peace. We’ve got plenty of chatting to do ourselves. I want to know where Rebecca bought those lovely shoes she’s wearing and dozens of other fashion tips that I miss out on down here in the country.’
Thirty-Nine
As soon as the door closed behind Bill and Nick, Sandra Peterson went over to the glass-fronted sideboard and brought out a bottle of cream sherry. She placed it on the table and put two glasses alongside it.
‘I think we’ll probably both need a glass of this after you’ve told me your news,’ Sandra said looking at Rebecca rather sternly.
‘What do you mean?’ Rebecca frowned.
‘You’ve obviously got something serious to tell me and that’s why Nick’s taken your dad out for a beer. You planned that he would do that once we’d eaten, didn’t you?’
‘Yes, as a matter of fact we did because Nick thought it would be easier for me to tell you the news I have for you if we were on our own.’
‘Come on then, let’s get it over; tell me the worst. It concerns you and Nick, I suppose. I had no idea he was staying with you in Liverpool,’ she added censoriously.
‘He only stayed for a couple of nights. We weren’t sleeping together, if that’s what you’re thinking,’ Rebecca said with a short laugh. ‘Nick slept on the sofa and Grace was in the house as well, so it was all quite proper.’
‘So what is this news, then?’
‘It’s not about me, it’s about Cindy.’
‘Cindy! You mean you know where she is?’
‘I do, but I’m not sure whether or not to tell her mother. Cindy said she would leave it up to me.’
‘Of course you must tell her, Becky. You must do so right away. She’ll be over the moon. Why wouldn’t you tell her?’
‘It’s not that simple, Mum. You see, Cindy has a little girl. She’s called Poppy and she’s adorable,’ she added quickly when she saw the look of horror on her mother’s face.
‘You mean she’s married?’
‘No, she’s not married.’ Rebecca paused. ‘Pour us both a glass of sherry and then I’ll explain everything. I need to tell you the whole story right from the beginning.’
Sandra listened in stunned silence as Rebecca related how she’d first spotted Cindy in Hoylake when she’d been sent there as a trainee teacher. She went on to explain how she had found out that Cindy was virtually a prisoner, because they were threatening to harm the baby if she tried to escape or informed the police about them.
‘She even got a beating because she was seen talking to me one day.’
‘You haven’t said who it is that’s keeping her a prisoner,’ Sandra
said as Rebecca paused to take a sip of sherry.
‘Bruno and his family. Only that isn’t his real name, of course.’
‘Bruno?’ her mother looked puzzled.
‘The chap who was the manager of the supermarket here when it first opened.’
Sandra still looked puzzled. ‘But he left here some time before Cindy disappeared. So she didn’t run away with him. You mean she followed him?’
‘No, it wasn’t like that. He and another man, I think it was his brother, waylaid Cindy at Frome station the day she was on her way to Cardiff to spend the weekend with me.’
‘You mean they grabbed her after Jake had dropped her off?’
‘That’s right.’
They were silent for a moment as they sipped their sherry.
‘So now that she has got away from them, or at least I assume she has, why doesn’t she come home?’
‘Because of Poppy.’
‘Her little girl?’
‘That’s right. She feels she will be bringing shame on her family and that they would probably prefer her to keep away.’
‘What rubbish!’ Sandra looked shocked. ‘Mavis and Tom will be over the moon at finding her, and for that matter so will Jake. He’s always felt in some way to blame because he was the last person to see her. He’s said time and time again that he wished he’d gone up on to the platform with her and seen her on to the Cardiff train.’
‘So you think Cindy’s mother will accept little Poppy?’
‘I’m quite sure she will. She might feel a trifle hurt that Cindy hasn’t come straight home. I take it she is living with you now?’
‘Oh yes. At the moment she’s in our flat in Liverpool. But she can’t stay there because we are both moving out. Grace is going to a school near Chester and I’m going to one in Blissford.’
‘Blissford? Why that’s less than twenty miles from here!’ Sandra exclaimed, her face lighting up with a smile. ‘Why didn’t you say so earlier?’
Rebecca smiled but didn’t answer. She didn’t want to be drawn into a discussion about her own future at the moment.