by Kitty Neale
‘It might be best if you stay out of the way for a while. You look exhausted, so why don't you go up to my room, have a lie-down? And don't worry, Dan will sort George out when he comes home.’
Linda's eyes flicked nervously to the window. ‘Yes, all right,’ she agreed.
Joan waited until she was out of sight before turning to Petula. ‘Run next door, see if Danny's home, and if he is, tell him I want to see him. Just make sure that you stay out of George's way.’
Petula nodded, and as the girl ran outside, Joan hoped her eldest son was there. If George hadn't calmed down when he came looking for Linda, she doubted she'd be able to handle him.
Petula's mind was racing. George's behaviour had shocked her. She knew he had a temper, but had never actually witnessed his violence. When George lived at home his anger had been verbal, soon snuffed out by her father. Now, though, she was seeing another side of him, and it was one she feared. Was this how other people saw him? Was this how he behaved outside of the alley? If so it could be another reason why they were shunned.
As a child Pet could remember the police turning up at the house, but her father and brothers had always explained it away by telling her that they had made a mistake. None of the family had ever been arrested, so she believed them, at least whilst she was at junior school. Doubts set in when she went to secondary school where some girls avoided her, making their reasons clear. When she'd asked questions, Maurice had been the only one who'd been a little more forthcoming, telling her that all the gossip concerned shady deals in the past. Nowadays, he had said, the family ran a respectable business and she had nothing to worry about.
Yet stories still reached her ears – whispers of her family being involved in fights and intimidation. She loved her father, her brothers, and didn't want to believe the gossip, but friendships had been hard to form. Over time there were three girls she considered friends, yet even so she was always the odd one out – the one who didn't enjoy the same freedom as them.
Yvonne's door was unlocked, like the others in the alley, but Pet rapped the letter box before going inside. ‘Yvonne, is Danny home?’
‘No, he isn't.’ Yvonne looked at Pet's anxious face. ‘What's wrong?’
‘It's George. I'm surprised you haven't heard the racket.’
‘I've been turning out the back bedroom so I didn't hear a thing. What's he been up to?’
Pet told her, then added, ‘I think Mum's nervous that George will come looking for Linda.’
‘I'll come back with you.’
Pet paled as they stepped outside to see George marching towards them. She gripped Yvonne's arm, her heart thumping with fear.
‘Is Linda with Mum?’ he snapped.
‘Er … yes, but she isn't feeling well and went to lie down. She's asleep now, but when she wakes up, I'm sure she'll come home.’
‘She'd better,’ George warned, ‘and you can tell her that from me.’ With that he brushed past them, ignoring number one to march out of the alley.
‘Thank God for that,’ Yvonne said.
Pet told her mother what had happened, seeing her own relief reflected on her mother's face.
Joan sank onto a chair, shaking her head as she said, ‘It ain't right, Yvonne. I shouldn't be nervous of my own son. Dan will have to sort him out. Ivy told me that he's been hitting Linda, but I didn't believe her. I've heard it from the horse's mouth now, though.’
‘Dad has always told the boys that men who hit women are the lowest of the low. When he finds out about George, he'll go mad,’ Pet warned.
She saw the women exchange looks, and then her mother said, ‘You shouldn't be hearing this, Petula. Go to your room.’
‘I'm not a child!’
‘You're not an adult either. Now do as I say.’
Pet flung herself out, marched upstairs, and only just resisted the urge to slam her bedroom door. She sat on the edge of her bed, but only a moment later the door opened, Linda coming into the room.
‘Oh, Petula,’ she cried, moving to sit beside her. ‘I … I want my mum.’
As Linda sobbed, Petula wrapped an arm around her and, despite what her mother had said, it was she who felt like the adult as she held this frightened young woman in her arms.
Chapter Nine
It was six o'clock and Dan wasn't in the best of moods as he made his way home. Not one of the horses he'd placed a bet on had come in, and he was considerably out of pocket. He had hoped to forget about Danny at Sandown, but he continued to intrude on his thoughts. He still couldn't believe that his son had suggested using kids. He was shocked to the core, and it hadn't helped when George seemed to go along with the idea.
Dan thought he knew his sons inside out – thought he had the business sorted and the future sewn up. When he retired, he'd planned for Danny to take over, but now he'd seen a side of his son that he didn't like and would have to have a rethink.
One by one Dan brought the boys to the front of his mind, starting with the youngest. Chris was a good boy with a keen brain. He had potential, and was able to hold his own in a fight, yet he didn't look for trouble. Yes, a good boy, but too young and, as yet, unsettled.
Next came George, and now Dan scowled. As a father, he knew he should love his sons equally, but with George he found that impossible. From the day the boy had been born Dan had sensed something bad in him. Not only did George lack intelligence, he also had a love of violence, wanting to provoke fights at every opportunity. He'd been forced to come down harder on George than any of the others – but maybe he'd calm down now that he was married and about to be a father. Dan nodded; marriage would be a stabilising influence. George was taking care of his wife, obviously worried about the morning sickness, and it was good to see that he had a softer side. There was still the problem of his intelligence, though, and worse, his lack of morals, making George totally unsuitable to run the business.
Dismissing George from his mind, Dan focused on Maurice. This son was definitely the brains of the family. He was capable of running things on the financial side, but he was weak, often ill, and hopeless when there were any signs of trouble from competitors. There had to be strong leadership and therefore he'd have to dismiss Maurice.
Bob seemed the obvious choice. He was the second eldest and next in line to Danny, but Dan had to dismiss him as successor too. Bob had none of the business acumen needed to run things. He could take orders, yet was incapable of giving them. Like Maurice, he'd be unable to keep the rest of his brothers in line.
Dan's problem was still unresolved as he drove into his garage, and his foul mood worsened when Joan pounced on him as soon as he walked in the door.
‘Thank God you're home,’ she cried. ‘I've been dreading George showing his face before you got here.’
‘What are you on about, woman?’
‘Linda's upstairs and too frightened to go home. I don't blame the girl, not after what George has been up to …’
Dan's face darkened as Joan continued, her hands wringing with nerves. When she finally stopped gabbling, he snapped, ‘Why didn't Danny sort him out?’
‘I sent Petula to get him but he wasn't in.’
‘And Chris?’
‘I don't know where he is.’
‘What about Bob and Maurice?’
‘They didn't show their faces. When George kicked off, Pet dragged Linda into Maurice's house, but Norma sent them here. That's not all. Ivy came to see me this morning and she seemed to gain great pleasure from telling me that George has been hitting Linda. I didn't believe her, but Linda told me it's true.’
‘He's what?’ Dan thundered. He had no idea why George had shredded the interior of a brand-new pram, but that was nothing compared to laying into his pregnant wife. By God, he wasn't going to stand for that! ‘Where's Petula?’
‘I sent her upstairs to look in on Linda. The poor girl cried herself to sleep in Pet's arms.’
‘Hello, Dad,’ said Pet, her expression grim as she came into the room. ‘Linda'
s still asleep, Mum, but I doubt she'll want to go home when she wakes up.’
‘She'll have nothing to worry about once I've had a word with George,’ Dan assured his wife and daughter.
‘Oh, Dad, she was scared stiff. So was I. George was like a madman. He was using a knife on the pram and I was terrified he'd turn it on us.’
At his daughter's words, Dan's anger reached boiling point. He had always protected Pet, making sure that the alley was a safe haven, not just for her, but for all the family. Over the years he and the boys had made it plain that the alley was their domain, using fear and fists if necessary. It had worked and now, apart from Betty Fuller, only the police dared to enter without permission.
Dan's fists clenched. Pet had now been exposed to violence – not from an outsider, but from her own brother. Dan knew George had a temper, and struggled to keep it under control, but now his violence had overspilled into the alley. So much for marriage having a stabilising effect. Instead, with George no longer under his roof, the reverse had happened.
Through clenched teeth he hissed, ‘I'll see if he's turned up yet.’
‘Dan, your dinner's ready,’ Joan called.
‘Sod me fucking dinner,’ he growled, slamming out of the house and striding to George's door. He found it locked, and hammered the wood with his fists, yelling, ‘Open this bloody door!’
‘He ain't in, Dad.’
Panting, Dan looked round to see Maurice, then another door opened and Bob appeared. Dan's lips curled in disgust as his sons walked to his side. ‘Your sister was terrified and your mother's been going out of her mind with worry. Why didn't you two sort George out?’
Maurice said, ‘Leave it out, Dad. You know what George is like when he loses it.’
‘You pair of useless tarts! Rather than step in, you left Pet and your mother to face George.’
‘No, Dad,’ Bob protested, ‘I'd have done something if he started on them, but he didn't. He left the alley, and between us we've been keeping an eye out in case he showed up again.’
Dan glared at Maurice. ‘According to your mother, Pet brought Linda here, yet Norma couldn't get rid of them fast enough.’
‘You can't blame Norma for that. She could see I was having trouble breathing, and not only that, there's our kid to think about. You know as well as I do what George is capable of when he loses his rag. Do you really think I could have stopped him?’
Dad eyed his son, noting his narrow chest and arms that were a fraction of George's size. ‘No, I don't suppose you could have done much,’ he admitted. Maurice was a weakling, but there was no excuse for Bob. ‘What about you, Bob? Where were you when all this was going on?’
‘I was gonna do something, but George buggered off before I got the chance.’
Dan could see the shifty look in his son's eyes and wasn't fooled. If there was a fight Bob would wade in, but only if he had backup, and he always made sure that Danny or George had the front row. ‘You could have gone to see if your mother needed any help.’
‘When George went off I assumed she was all right.’
‘How can she be all right when she's got a maniac for a son? Did the pair of you know that George has been hitting his wife?’
‘What!’ Bob spluttered. ‘No, it's the first I've heard of it.’
‘What about you, Maurice? You live next door and must have twigged something.’
‘I've heard George yelling, but that's all. I can't believe he'd hit Linda. Are you sure you've got it right, Dad?’
‘Yes, I'm sure,’ Dan growled. ‘Ivy told your mother before all this kicked off and now it's been confirmed by Linda.’ He raised a hand to rake his fingers through his hair. Ivy should have come to him instead of upsetting Joan, and the girl knew that. He had hoped that by bringing her to Drapers Alley he could assuage his guilt – that he'd finally be able to let go of the past. But no, it still plagued him. ‘Keep an eye out for George,’ he told his sons, ‘while I go and have a word with Ivy.’
Ivy opened the door to her Uncle Dan and stood to one side to let him in. She had watched the shenanigans in the alley with pleasure, only disappointed when George had stormed off and hadn't come back. Steve had wanted to see if her Auntie Joan was all right, but she had prevented him from going to number one, telling her daft husband that it was for George's brothers to sort out.
Uncle Dan looked upset, and that pleased her. ‘You missed out on all the fun, Uncle Dan.’
‘Fun! I'd hardly call it that,’ he said, his expression hardening. ‘I've told you this before, but you haven't listened. You know how bad your aunt's nerves are and that I don't want her worried. Instead of telling her about George, why didn't you come to me?’
‘You weren't around and I was more concerned about Linda and the state she was in,’ Ivy lied. She then took the opportunity to bait her uncle. ‘You should give Auntie Joan a bit more credit. She's stronger than you realise, in fact much stronger than my mother ever was. I know you keep Auntie Joan in the dark about certain things. Did you do the same with my mother?’
He paled, but recovered quickly. ‘Of course not. I never had reason to keep anything from your mother.’
‘Really?’ she drawled. ‘Well, my mistake then.’ Ivy smiled thinly; sure she could see guilt written all over her uncle's features. Oh, he had kept a big thing from her mother, she was sure of it, and once again she was determined that one day she'd make him pay.
‘Yes, well, despite what you think, your aunt isn't strong. As I've said before, I don't want her worried. In future, bring any concerns you have to me.’
Ivy bit her bottom lip, annoyed at her uncle's sharp tone. Her mother hadn't had the privilege of being free from worry, and despite Dan's so-called help, life had still been a struggle. They lived in poverty, while her uncle rose in power, opening a business to make even more money. She wanted to face him with it, but knew it would be a waste of time. He would deny it and she had no proof.
Taking a deep breath to stay calm she said, ‘I hope you're going to sort George out.’
‘Oh, I will. You can be sure of that.’
When her uncle left, Ivy closed the door. She wanted to see him unhappy – in fact she wanted to see all of the Drapers in misery – just as her mother had been before she died.
Dan marched back to number one, his guts churning. Sometimes he felt that Ivy knew something, but surely it wasn't possible? She'd been just a kid when his brother had been called up.
‘Was he in?’ Joan asked as he walked inside.
Dan saw Pet sitting at the table and just shook his head. Ivy's snide remarks had added fuel to the flames of his anger. He just wanted George to show his face so he could vent his feelings and as he began to pace the room his eyes returned again and again to the window as he kept a lookout for his son.
‘Dan, you've got to calm down,’ Joan said, moving to stand in front of him.
‘Calm down! I'll fucking kill him,’ he yelled, shoving his wife to one side.
As she staggered back, Joan's hip hit the side of the table and she yelped with pain but Dan was unaware of it as he continued to pace. He was also unaware that his daughter had fled upstairs.
Joan moved to stand in front of him again, laying a hand on his arm. ‘Dan!’ she begged. ‘Dan, listen to me. Petula has seen enough for one day without you kicking off too. She saw you shove me and it frightened her. Now she's run upstairs.’
He stared down at his diminutive wife, her voice penetrating his anger. ‘Sorry, Queen. I didn't mean to push you so hard.’
‘Yeah, I know that, but I dread to think what will happen if you confront George while you're in this mood.’
Dan knew that Joan was right. Pet had seen enough, yet when George turned up he'd have to sort him out and he doubted he'd be able to control his temper. Thoughts churning, Dan finally came up with a solution. ‘Pet, come down here,’ he called.
When Pet came downstairs, Dan saw that Linda was behind her. His temper almost overspilled again wh
en he saw how frail his daughter-in-law looked and he had to fight to hide his feeling when he spoke to her. ‘How are you, love?’
‘I … I feel a bit better,’ she said.
‘Come and sit down, all of you,’ Joan urged, and after going into the kitchen, she returned with plates of sausages, onion and mash. Dan was given his first, followed by Linda, Joan saying, ‘You've got to eat, love. You're having a baby and need to keep your strength up.’
Dan saw how Linda's eyes flicked nervously to the door. He sat down, leaned across the table and laid his hand over hers. ‘Don't worry. Leave George to me. I'll make sure he never touches you again.’
She looked back at him, her face devoid of colour. ‘I … I'm not going back. I'd rather go to my mum's.’
‘Oh, Linda, there's no need for that,’ Joan said.
Linda's eyes filled with tears, her voice a wail. ‘I want my mum.’
‘All right, don't cry,’ Dan placated. ‘Eat your dinner and then I'll run you to your mother's house.’
‘George won't be happy if he comes back to find her gone,’ Joan warned as she gave Petula her dinner.
‘I don't give a shit how George feels. Anyway, it's best that Linda is out of the way until I sort him out.’
He then turned to Pet, seeing that she was picking at her food too. Forcing a soft tone, Dan put his idea into action. ‘Pet, didn't you say you wanted to go to the youth club tonight?’
‘Yes, but it doesn't matter now.’
‘Don't be daft. When you've finished your dinner, get yourself ready. I can drop you off at the club when I take Linda to her mother's.’
‘No, it's all right, I don't want to go.’
‘Why not?’
‘I don't feel like it, and anyway, the other girls will laugh at me when one of my brothers turns up to escort me home.’
As planned, Dan said, ‘All right, you can walk yourself home, but make sure you're in by ten fifteen.’
Pet's eyes widened. Dan knew he shouldn't lie to her, but like Linda, he wanted her well out of earshot when he confronted George. They wouldn't pick Pet up, but just to be on the safe side, she'd be followed home. If Chris showed his face, he'd assign that task to him.