by Dilly Court
‘Thank you, Ginnie.’
‘I enjoyed dancing with you, Steven, but I really should go and check on Jimmy. He’s not used to being left on his own in the shop.’
‘How would it be if I came with you?’ He glanced at the clock above the bar. ‘You could close up for the day and then we’d be able to come back and see the happy couple off on their honeymoon.’
‘Yes, of course. But shouldn’t you stay here as you’re the best man?’
‘I don’t think I’m needed at present. Laurence and your sister are doing very well without either of us.’
They left the pub together and walked arm in arm along the parade of shops, most of which had already closed for the night. ‘I should have left earlier,’ Ginnie said, quickening her pace. ‘I need to cash up.’
‘How far is it?’
She came to a sudden halt as she saw Jimmy rush out of the shop, waving his arms and shouting. ‘Something’s terribly wrong.’ She broke into a run.
Chapter Ten
Jimmy ran towards her, flapping his arms. ‘Come quick. There’s a mad woman in the shop.’
Ginnie came to a halt, staring in horror at the shop window, which was covered in white paint. A small crowd had gathered and she pushed through them with Steven and Jimmy following close behind. She thrust the doors open and the sight that met her eyes wrenched a gasp from deep within her. Olivia Mallory stood in the middle of the shop floor with a paint can in her hands. She was shaking it and spraying droplets onto furniture that was already iced white as if there had been a sudden snowstorm. The strong smell of gloss paint pervaded the whole area and Ida’s wax fruit floated on a slowly moving glacier as it slid from the coffee table onto the carpeted floor.
‘Stop it.’ Ginnie’s voice broke on a sob. ‘What have you done to my dad’s shop, you crazy bitch?’
Olivia’s eyes glittered with malice. ‘You’ve destroyed my family – I’ve returned the compliment.’
Ginnie made a move towards her but Steven caught her round the waist, holding her back. ‘Don’t,’ he said firmly. ‘This is criminal damage.’ He turned to Jimmy, who was weeping openly. ‘Call the police.’
‘No.’ Ginnie stopped struggling. ‘Not yet. I want Mr Mallory to see what his daughter’s really like. Let me go, Steven.’
‘Promise me you won’t do anything silly.’
‘I’m not going to touch her. I’m going to use the phone in the office. Don’t let her leave the shop.’ He released her and she strode past Olivia, ignoring her taunts and using every last scrap of self-control to keep calm. In the office she searched for the Mallory’s home number, picked up the receiver and dialled.
Colin Mallory’s car screeched to a halt outside the shop, where the crowd of onlookers had doubled in size. He stormed into the building but came to a sudden halt when he saw his daughter. Spattered with white paint, Olivia stood in the middle of the destruction, pale but defiant. ‘Daddy,’ she cried. ‘Take me home.’
‘Did you do this, Livvie?’ Her father gazed round in horror. ‘Tell me it’s not true.’
‘Of course she did.’ Ginnie walked slowly towards him. ‘I wanted you to see exactly what sort of person your daughter is before I called the police.’
‘You might have done this yourself,’ he said defensively. ‘Can you prove that Livvie had anything to do with it?’
Steven indicated the damage with a sweep of his hands. ‘Come off it, sir. You can see for yourself that she’s covered in paint and she’s still holding the tin.’
Olivia uttered a shriek and tossed the can into the window display. ‘Of course I did it, Daddy. I did it for you and for Mummy and for that stupid brother of mine who’s allowed himself to be taken in by that tart, Shirley Travis. I wanted them to suffer for tricking Laurence into taking on another man’s child.’
Ginnie clenched her fists, digging her fingernails into her palms. With her mind concentrated on the pain she was less likely to lose her temper and stoop to their level. She raised her hand as Steven opened his mouth to speak. ‘It’s all right. I’m not going to let her get to me. Call the police, Jimmy. Dial 999 and let’s get the law to sort this out.’
Sniffing and wiping his eyes on his sleeve, Jimmy had begun to shamble towards the office but Colin Mallory barred his way. ‘There’s no need to be hasty. I’m sure we can settle this matter between ourselves.’ He took a deep breath, curving his lips into a smile that was more like a feral snarl. ‘I suppose we are family now, of sorts anyway.’
Ginnie was quietly confident. She had him at a disadvantage. ‘I think a charge of criminal damage would be eminently fair in the circumstances. I don’t think even you could get her off this one, Mr Mallory.’
‘Call her bluff, Daddy.’ Olivia started towards him but he backed away.
‘Don’t touch me, you stupid girl. This is a Savile Row suit.’ Mallory took a handkerchief from his top pocket and mopped his brow. ‘All right, Miss Travis. What do you want?’
Ginnie took in the paint-spattered scene with a sweeping glance. ‘I’ll have to shut up shop while the cleaning up is done, and that will incur a significant loss of business. I can’t tell you exactly how much it will cost to replace the stock until I’ve had a chance to work it out, but you won’t get much change from five hundred pounds, maybe more.’
‘Five hundred! That’s daylight robbery.’
‘She’s the crook, Daddy.’ Olivia stared down at her ruined clothes and paint-stained hands. ‘I want to go home.’
‘Shut up, Olivia.’ Mallory took a cheque book from his inside pocket. ‘I’ll pay three hundred and not a penny more.’
‘Then you leave me no choice.’ Ginnie signalled to Jimmy. ‘Phone the police.’
‘All right. Five hundred it is, but I want your word that none of this will become public knowledge.’
‘If it does it won’t have come from me. And there’s one other thing.’
‘I guessed as much. Don’t push me too far, young lady.’
‘It’s not money. I want you to go to the function room at the King’s Arms and give Laurence and Shirley your blessing.’
He recoiled as if she were a hissing cobra about to strike. ‘Never. I won’t acknowledge your sister or that brat of hers in public.’
‘Don’t let him goad you into something you’ll regret,’ Steven said softly.
‘It’s all right; I’m not going to do anything silly.’ Ginnie faced Mallory with an unblinking stare. ‘You will go there and shake both their hands, and you’ll tell your snooty wife not to snub my sister if she meets her in the street.’ She turned her head to glare at Olivia. ‘And that goes for you too. If I hear that you’ve said anything untoward to my sister or my mother, I’ll take the story to the papers and let’s see how they deal with it.’
‘That’s blackmail, you vicious little bitch,’ Mallory said angrily. ‘You’re going too far.’
Steven cleared his throat. ‘I’d advise you to moderate your language, sir.’
‘Who d’you think you are?’ Mallory demanded angrily. ‘You’re not on the bridge now, sailor boy.’
‘Actually I’m a qualified solicitor, Mr Mallory. But for the war I’d have been practising for several years.’
‘Then you should know that I too am a solicitor, a member of the local council and a Justice of the Peace, and I don’t accept insolence from juniors.’
Ginnie turned to Steven with a shadow of a smile. ‘Thanks, but I can fight my own battles, and I’m not budging on this. Either he acknowledges Shirley as his daughter-in-law or I’m prosecuting Olivia for malicious damage to my property.’
‘Oh for goodness’ sake do as she asks, Daddy,’ Olivia said crossly. ‘I’m soaked to the skin and the smell of the paint is making me feel sick.’
‘And whose fault is that, you stupid girl?’ Mallory pondered for a moment, and then nodded his head. ‘Very well. I’ll do as you demand, but that doesn’t mean that I’ll welcome Shirley and her child into my home.’
Olivia stamped her foot. ‘Daddy! I want to go now.’
‘You’re not getting in my car in that state. You can walk home and if you’re a laughing stock then it damned well serves you right.’ Mallory rested his cheque book on a table that had escaped the paint frenzy, and taking a pen from his pocket he wrote the amount and signed it with a flourish. He tore the cheque off and handed it to Ginnie. ‘Don’t think you can extort more from me. This is in full and final payment.’
‘I can’t go out like this.’ Olivia’s voice rose in a wail and tears poured down her cheeks.
Ginnie stared at her and felt nothing but pity. ‘You’re a sad cow,’ she said slowly. ‘Jimmy, you’d best take her home, but put her in the back of the van on a pile of sacks so that she can’t spread paint all over the floor.’
‘Daddy,’ Olivia gasped. ‘You can’t let her do this to me.’
‘You should think yourself lucky, my girl. And go out the back way. I don’t want people to see you looking like that.’ He opened the door and stepped outside. ‘Move along. There’s nothing to see.’
Olivia stared after him, her bottom lip trembling. ‘I can’t go in a furniture van.’
Jimmy sidled past her. ‘C’mon, miss. The van’s parked in the yard.’
Shooting a malevolent look at Ginnie, Olivia followed him towards the back of the shop. ‘You haven’t heard the last of this.’
Left alone with Steven, Ginnie experienced a sudden sense of panic. All her hard work had been destroyed in a few minutes of malicious vandalism. ‘This is awful. I’ll have to shut the shop and I’m going to lose so much trade. People will just go to the big stores locally or even up West.’
Steven slipped off his uniform jacket and hung it on a coat stand near the door. ‘You’ve got friends, Ginnie. What we need is some elbow grease and several gallons of turps or white spirit.’
‘Where am I going to get that sort of thing at this time in the evening?’
‘I was introduced to your friend Fred Woollies at the pub. He’s bound to have a stock of the stuff. Why don’t you go back to the reception and have a word with him and anyone else who’s up for a night of hard work. We can’t perform miracles and these soft furnishings have had it, but we could get the place shipshape and Bristol fashion in time to open up tomorrow.’
Ginnie stared at him in amazement. ‘Why would you do this? You hardly know me.’
‘I’m a sucker for a maiden in distress, and Laurence is my friend. We’ve been through some tough times together and I don’t see why his spoilt brat of a sister should be allowed to ruin his big day.’ He rolled up his sleeves. ‘Go on, Ginnie. Chop chop.’
She reached up to plant a kiss on his cheek. ‘You must be the best pal anyone ever had. I’ll be as quick as I can.’
‘You might want to pop home and change into something more suitable,’ he said, grinning. ‘You look stunning in that dress but it’s not very practical.’
She felt the blood rush to her face as she met his appreciative gaze. She had not been able to afford a new dress for the wedding, and they had pooled their clothing coupons to buy Shirley a going-away outfit. This had left Ginnie with little alternative than to borrow one of Shirley’s frocks that were now too tight for her, and with a few minor alterations it fitted perfectly. The delicate turquoise silk moulded to her slender figure and accentuated her small waist. It was cut rather too low at the neck for her liking but having dressed quickly that morning she had had little time to bother about minor details as she concentrated on getting Shirley ready for her big day. It was doubly flattering to receive compliments from a man like Steven and she glowed with pleasure. ‘Yes. Thanks, I’ll do that.’ She hurried into the street and was relieved to find that the crowd had dispersed. She ran all the way to the pub.
When she arrived she almost bumped into Colin Mallory who was about to make a hasty exit. ‘Happy now?’ he demanded, scowling. ‘I’ve done my bit, but that’s the end of it. Don’t expect anything more from me.’
Ginnie said nothing. There was nothing left to say. She knew that she had made a powerful enemy that day, but she did not care. Shirley’s future was assured and Colin Mallory had publicly acknowledged his new daughter-in-law. What happened after that would be up to Shirley and Laurence. Ginnie made her way through the bar to the room where the reception was in full swing. Younger guests were jiving enthusiastically but without much expertise and the older generation watched with benign smiles. She could see that Shirley and Laurence were about to take their leave and she paused to catch her breath before strolling up to them. ‘So you’re off then?’
Shirley clutched her husband’s arm, smiling happily. ‘We are, but I’m not sure where. Laurence has kept the honeymoon destination a big secret.’
Laurence reached out to grasp Ginnie’s hand. ‘Thanks for everything, Ginnie. I don’t know what made my old man grace us with his presence, but I suspect you had something to do with it.’
‘I don’t think anyone could make Mr Mallory do anything against his will,’ Ginnie said tactfully. ‘Go away and enjoy yourselves. Don’t worry about a thing.’
‘You’ve been a brick.’ Shirley gave her a hug. ‘I must go and say goodbye to Mum and Colin.’ She wandered off, acknowledging the smiles and good wishes from the guests as she went to give her baby a loving cuddle.
Ginnie turned to Laurence with a questioning look. ‘Is everything all right? You seem a bit edgy.’
‘Why did my father come here just now? Are you keeping anything from me, Ginnie?’
She shrugged her shoulders. ‘You’re being paranoid, Laurence. I expect your father simply wanted to wish you well.’
‘My father never does anything on impulse. Something’s wrong and you’re a rotten liar.’
‘Don’t be silly. This is your wedding day and everything is going to be wonderful.’
His eyes darkened and he looked away. ‘Yes. I’m a lucky man.’
‘Then for God’s sake look as though you’re enjoying yourself,’ Ginnie said, torn between tears and laughter. ‘This is the happiest day of her life and if you spoil it simply because you don’t get on well with your father you’ll have me to deal with, Laurence Mallory.’
He raised her hand to his lips. ‘Why couldn’t I have met you first?’
She snatched her hand away. ‘Laurence!’
‘I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have said that.’ He shrugged and walked slowly to where Shirley was rocking the baby in her arms and talking animatedly to her mother and Avril.
Ginnie stared after him, confused and at a loss. She had always got on well with Laurence, but she had never imagined that his feelings went any deeper. She watched them take their leave of the guests with a strange feeling of detachment. The whole day had taken on a surreal feeling, but Shirley’s smile when she turned to her was genuine enough. She broke away from Laurence to rush over and throw her arms around Ginnie, holding her close. ‘Thank you again for everything you’ve done for me. You’re the best sister a girl could have.’ She held her at arm’s length. ‘Are you all right, Ginnie? You look a bit flushed.’
‘I’m fine. Go with your husband, Mrs Mallory, and have a wonderful honeymoon at the secret destination, wherever that may be. We’ll look after Colin, so don’t worry about anything. Just go and enjoy yourself.’
Shirley’s eyes shone and her skin glowed. She looked so beautiful that Ginnie found it hard to believe that Laurence had any doubts. She waved them off, and as soon as the door closed behind them she headed for Fred Woollies, who was propping up the bar. ‘Fred, dear Fred. I need your help.’
They worked all night. Fred Woollies supplied the turpentine, although like everything else there was a limited supply and it had to be used sparingly. Fred Chinashop helped Jimmy to lug the paint-spattered three-piece suite out into the back yard and Ida attempted to soak up the worst of the paint puddles with unsold newspapers donated by Cyril Huggi
ns who owned the newsagent’s on the corner.
It was four o’clock in the morning when Ginnie called a halt and sent everyone home. The shop reeked of turpentine and there were large empty spaces where the damaged furniture had once stood, but most of the paint had been sopped up, leaving a milky residue on the linoleum and oily stains on the floorboards. ‘It’s a good start,’ Ginnie said, stifling a yawn. ‘But it’s going to take ages to get rid of the fumes.’
Steven wiped his hands on a tea towel soaked in turps. ‘It’s time you went home and got your head down, Ginnie. You must be exhausted.’
She gave him a wan smile. ‘You too. You’ve been brilliant, Steven. I don’t know what I’d have done without you.’
‘I must say I didn’t think my best man duties would involve mopping up several pints of white gloss and shifting furniture around, but I’m glad I could help. At least Livvie’s outburst didn’t spoil Laurence and Shirley’s wedding day.’
‘No. He was a bit suspicious about his father’s motives for turning up unexpectedly, but I managed to change the subject.’
‘He’ll forget all that when he’s with Shirley. I’m sure they’ll make a go of things.’ Steven discarded the tea towel, tossing it into a cardboard box filled with newspaper and rags. ‘I’ll just put this in the back yard. It’s a fire hazard and we don’t want the place to burn to the ground. It would only take a spark.’
Ginnie began to giggle helplessly. ‘For heaven’s sake don’t light a cigarette in here.’
‘I don’t smoke.’ Steven hesitated with the box in his arms. ‘You’re a remarkable girl, Ginnie. Most women would have been in hysterics from the start, but you just pitched in and got on with things.’
She shrugged her shoulders. ‘Anything else would have been a waste of time.’ She angled her head, looking at him as if for the first time and liking what she saw. ‘I never thought to ask you where you were staying, Steven. You’ll be locked out for certain.’