A Mother's Duty

by June Francis

  ‘I hope you meant it.’

  She hesitated. ‘As long as he believes I meant it that’s what really matters.’

  John shook his head. ‘Oh no, it isn’t! You’ve got to mean it! I’m telling you now if he speaks to me like that again I’ll show him how much of a man I am.’ He removed her hand from his arm. ‘I’ll go and check the fires.’

  Damn and blast, thought Kitty, staring at the half-peeled potatoes on the table. He was right! But surely he must realise how difficult it was for her? If she carried out her threat, Teddy would be even more sulky and awkward than he was already. She just hoped he would have some sense and keep his mouth shut or she could see there was going to be real trouble between the two of them, much sooner than she had thought. How she wished they could be more tolerant of each other and find a common interest. Football or something!

  At that moment Hetty entered the kitchen. ‘Where the hell have you been?’ demanded Kitty, speaking more strongly than she would normally. ‘I’m not paying you to skive off when you feel like it.’

  ‘It’s me ’ands,’ said the maid, looking at her from eyes which were so dark one couldn’t ever really tell what she was thinking. ‘They get real sore in and out of water. I went and got meself some cream. I didn’t think yer’d mind.’

  ‘But I do mind when it’s on my time,’ said Kitty sharply. When did she have time to worry about her hands? ‘Now get on with the vegetables and be quick about it.’ She considered once more how she really could do with someone who had a bit of nous about them. If only she could have managed with just the boys’ help she would have done so.

  Mick climbed into bed, settled himself on his back and gazed up at the ceiling. Teddy crawled in beside him, poking him with his elbow. ‘Move up! You’re taking up all the room.’

  Mick shifted a few inches. ‘That suit you?’

  Teddy grunted. ‘If I had my way I’d have me own bed a thousand miles from here,’ he said loudly.

  ‘Shhh! You’ll wake Ben, What’s up with you?’

  ‘I’m fed up of this place. I’m fed up of him! Ma’s threatened to stop me going round the yard!’ His voice rose. ‘She’d have never done such a thing before she married him.’

  ‘She wanted to know where I was going and who I was going with,’ said Mick.

  ‘And?’

  ‘I didn’t tell them.’ Mick smiled into the darkness.

  There was a short silence. ‘Did he say anything to you for not telling them?’ asked Teddy.

  Mick hesitated and turned on his side and said in a muffled voice, ‘Nothing I took much notice of but I think we need to be careful what we say.’

  ‘I’ll say what I like!’ said Teddy fiercely. Mick was silent. ‘You’re scared of him,’ taunted his brother. ‘I’m not scared.’

  ‘More fool you,’ muttered Mick, sitting up abruptly and staring down at him. ‘A backhander from the big fella could knock you to Kingdom Come.’

  Teddy lay back, his hands behind his head. ‘I don’t think he’s that tough. I as good as called him a cissy and he didn’t say a word.’

  ‘Was that when Ma threatened you?’

  ‘Yep.’

  ‘That’s why she did it then. She’s worried he might hit you.’

  ‘Naw! She’s always worried about us. And so she should be!’ said Teddy with some heat.

  ‘She’s probably worried more now. What if he did hit us?’ And what if Kitty defended them? The big fella might just land her a wallop. They all knew he could be violent if roused because he’d broken Charley’s nose. Mick felt sick at the thought of his mother being hurt. ‘We’ve got to think twice, Teddy,’ he said, pulling the covers up over a body which now felt cold.

  ‘You’re yella.’

  ‘No, I’m not,’ said Mick, firing up and aiming a punch at his brother. They wrestled on the bed causing it to creak while each sought to get the upper hand.

  The door opened and John stood there. ‘What’s going on?’ His voice sounded stern.

  ‘We were just messing about,’ said Mick hastily. ‘Sorry.’

  ‘Get to sleep. You’ve got to be up early in the morning.’ He closed the door.

  ‘Phew! I thought we were for it then,’ said Teddy, flopping back against the pillows.

  ‘I thought you weren’t scared of him,’ said Mick sotto voce.

  Teddy made no reply, only rolling onto his side away from his brother and thinking about what he would do to the big fella if he ever grew to his size.

  Kitty glanced at John as he slid into bed next to her. She had strained her ears in an attempt to hear what was being said in the next room but had only been able to catch the murmur of their voices. She wanted to ask if he had hit them but did not want to put him on the defensive. After this afternoon she wanted more than ever for John and the boys to like each other and to share in male interests like proper fathers and sons did when they had the spare time. She wanted it as much as she wanted a daughter.

  ‘Where were we?’ her husband murmured, pulling her against him and beginning to make love to her. Immediately she realised he was not using a sheath and thought with a soaring hope that surely he must be aware of it and had changed his mind. Perhaps now he wanted a child of his own. She pressed her hand against his spine, urging him on to a climax, but the next moment he was out of bed and she knew her opportunity to make a daughter had gone.

  Afterwards she lay flat on her back, feeling low-spirited and weepy, wishing that her husband was not so strong where some things were concerned. She might never have a daughter and she had so set her heart on one that she found it difficult to mentally go back to the state of acceptance that had been hers before she met him. She cried out to God to give her what she wanted. Then she turned over, thinking she had to get some sleep. Tomorrow would be another busy day and she had to telephone Becky about Hannah first thing. She felt a need to have an older woman around.

  Chapter Eleven

  ‘“Fight the good fight with all thy might”,’ bellowed Hannah, scrubbing the front step with vigour. She had arrived a few days ago and was obviously enjoying herself.

  ‘Are you all right doing that, Hannah?’ asked Kitty from the doorway. She was a bit concerned about the old woman getting down on her knees because of her complaints about rheumatism, but ever since Becky had dropped her off, the maid had not stopped working and had gone through the hotel like a dose of salts. According to Mick she had called Hetty a lazy trollop. The younger woman had been furious, saying that either the old biddy apologised or she would leave. Kitty had said bluntly that perhaps there was something in what that old biddy said. For once Hetty had showed signs of wanting to please Kitty. She had apologised, adding that she did her best but it wasn’t the kind of work she was used to. Kitty had almost said, ‘What work are you used to exactly? If you’re used to work at all.’

  ‘Don’t thee be worrying about me, missus,’ said Hannah, shifting on a piece of old matting and wiping her brow so that water dripped from the scrubbing brush all down her arm. ‘Thee worry about them boys of thine. Straight to hell they’ll go if thou don’ts get them up to the meeting house. I saw one of them with a girl. And as for that trollop inside, she’s meeting someone as well. A shifty-eyed fella and up to no good I’ll be bound. I know his sort.’

  ‘You mean you saw Mick with a girl?’ asked Kitty, ignoring the rest.

  ‘That’s the eldest lad?’ She nodded. ‘They were going in one of them palaces of sin, holding hands and looking for all the world like May and June.’

  Celia! thought Kitty, and went in search of John. She found him in the basement totalling figures in a ledger.

  She came up on him from behind and wrapped her arms about his neck. ‘John, we’ve got to do something. Mick’s walking out with Celia. They’ve been seen going into a picture house.’

  ‘Is that all?’ He kissed the back of her hand before removing it.

  Kitty went and sat where she could see his face. ‘Don’t you think it’s e
nough for me to worry about?’ she said wryly. ‘I think he’s too young to be taking girls to the pictures.’ She suddenly noticed that Nelson was lying on the floor at John’s feet and was distracted. The dog had lifted its head from its front paws and was gazing at her. It had the most comical face and she could not help smiling. ‘What’s that dog doing here?’

  Her husband looked slightly discomforted. ‘Dogs like company and I offered to take him for a walk when I’ve balanced these figures.’

  She sighed. ‘He’ll bring in fleas and isn’t he supposed to be guarding our rear in case Charley turns up?’

  ‘You can’t expect Nelson to stay out there all the time.’ John bent and patted the dog’s head. ‘As for him having fleas, Mick’s dunked him in that old hip bath in the yard and drowned all his fleas.’

  ‘How can he be sure of that? Has he been all over him with a fine-tooth comb?’ She stared at Nelson and the dog shifted forward on its belly and licked her shoe. She patted his head, thinking that as long as he didn’t go upstairs it was all right for him to come indoors – but she would have to be firm. ‘Do you think you should have a talk with Mick?’

  ‘About fleas?’

  Her eyes twinkled. ‘No, silly! About how babies are made and controlling himself. What if the pair of them think themselves in love and get carried away?’

  He shook his head and said firmly, ‘I’m not doing it. We’d both be embarrassed and it would put him off me completely.’

  She pulled a face. ‘Surely things aren’t that bad between you?’

  ‘He’s scared of me and Teddy’s not scared enough. A little healthy fear is a good thing but embarrassment and lack of trust is something else. Mick’s a decent lad. He’s not going to do anything he shouldn’t. Besides Celia’s got a sensible head on her shoulders and she worked in a pet shop. She’ll know something about the birds and bees. You’re just being an overprotective mama.’

  She wrinkled her nose. ‘I can’t help it.’ She brushed away Nelson’s head from her shoe and went and sat on John’s knee. She put her arms about his neck. ‘How come you know so much about mothers and sons when you lost your own so young?’

  He kissed her throat where the pulse beat before resting his cheek on her arm. ‘Because I had an overprotective mama myself. I slept with her until I was seven. Except when my father came home. Then I was kicked out. I remember the first time it happened I raised a helluva fuss. He hit me with a slipper and I yelled the place down.’

  ‘What did he do to you then?’

  ‘He locked me in a cupboard but that only made me yell more.’ He grinned at the memory.

  ‘And?’

  ‘They argued outside the door that long I fell asleep.’

  ‘Your mother spoilt you,’ she said, smiling and shaking her head at him.

  He did not argue but rubbed his nose against hers. ‘Father wanted to send me to boarding school but she was dead against it. She died the summer before I was due to go. It messed up all his plans. He’d expected mother to have made the arrangements but she hadn’t. He was in the Far East and couldn’t get home so I stayed with my sister, which we both hated. She was more like an elderly aunt and friendly with Margaret’s mother. Not that I noticed Margaret in those days. Then Gran offered to have me and you know the rest.’

  Kitty drew away from him and rested against his arm. ‘I know bits. It must have been a lot different to Liverpool.’

  ‘That’s an understatement,’ he said gravely. ‘Like the streets are playgrounds for city kids, the mountains and the lochs were mine. I fished, I rambled.’

  ‘You never thought of staying when your uncle Donald left you his money?’

  ‘Not for long.’ He drew her back against him and nibbled her earlobe. ‘There was Grandfather, remember. I did think of finishing my training.’

  ‘Why didn’t you?’

  ‘Perhaps I’d seen enough pain and suffering in my life. Besides I’d met you.’ He kissed her and she thrilled to the touch of his mouth on hers. She forgot everything as that kiss lengthened and deepened. Then he opened her blouse and pressed his face against her breasts. She undid his shirt and slipped a hand inside, dragging out his vest and shirt.

  ‘No,’ he muttered. ‘I have to get these figures done.’

  ‘Please,’ she whispered, kissing his mouth, his eyelids, his throat.

  He kissed her hard before pushing her away. ‘Let’s go upstairs. We might be seen here and that wouldn’t be good for our reputation.’ There was a mocking gleam in his eyes.

  Her hopes and her desire for him soared. Perhaps this time passion might carry him away? But it didn’t, and she wondered again if it ever would.

  Kitty was just fastening on her stockings when she heard footsteps outside the door. There was something furtive about the sound and John’s questioning eyes met hers. He must have felt the need for silence as much as she did because he put a finger over his mouth. They waited for a knock which did not come. The door handle turned slowly but they had locked the door. The next moment they heard footsteps hurrying away.

  John was across the floor in seconds and Kitty followed him. They crept along the tiny landing and gazed over the bannister.

  ‘Did you see who it was?’ she whispered.

  ‘Hetty! What on earth was she doing up here?’

  ‘I suppose she could have had a message for me?’

  ‘Your guess is as good as mine. But it was deathly quiet down there when we came up.’

  ‘We’d best go and look anyway,’ said Kitty.

  They went downstairs and found Hetty polishing the newel post at the bottom of the stairs. She did not speak or look up as they passed but rubbed the wood harder with a duster. They checked the Smoking Room but it was empty, so they went outside and asked Hannah if anyone had come or gone whilst she was there. Her answer was in the negative.

  ‘I reckon we’d better keep a watch on dear Hetty’s movements in future,’ murmured John as they went into the kitchen. He beat a tattoo on the table with his fingernails. ‘I could be wronging the girl but I reckon you’re best wearing your corset at all times.’

  Her mouth turned up at the corners. ‘Even in bed?’

  A smile flicked over his face. ‘You can put it under the mattress. It should be safe enough there.’

  She remembered what Hannah had said about seeing Hetty with a shifty-looking bloke and told him about it. ‘We’ll definitely have to keep our eyes open for him,’ said John.

  ‘Do we tell the boys? They could be a help.’

  ‘And have them behaving like Sexton Blake and his cronies? Let’s wait and see how things go.’

  ‘But we can’t be everywhere!’ she protested. Mick’s sensible and Teddy’s not that bad either. ‘Have you ever thought about how you and he have a common interest?’ she added, going off at a tangent.

  ‘And what would that be?’

  ‘Fishing.’

  He grinned. ‘Kitty, what has that to do with what we’re talking about?’

  ‘Nothing, I suppose. I’d just like you both to be a bit more friendly.’

  ‘I’ll remember it. Now let’s get on with some work.’

  Mick and Celia came out of the picture house, arm in arm. ‘The way Bela Lugosi rushed around carrying a coffin under his arm was hilarious,’ he said with a grin. ‘I’m glad they reissued the film. I was only a kid the first time it came round.’

  ‘He was horrible,’ Celia said, giving a shudder. ‘Those terrible staring eyes! No wonder kids aren’t allowed in to see it.’

  ‘I told you we could pass for sixteen.’

  ‘OK! So we both look older than we are,’ said Celia, letting go of his arm. ‘But we lied, Mick! And I kept waiting for a hand to clap me on the shoulder and throw me out.’

  ‘We didn’t lie,’ protested Mick, hurrying her along Lime Street. ‘The doorman didn’t ask us how old we were so we didn’t have to.’

  ‘OK, OK!’ said Celia. ‘You’re right and I’m wrong, but it’s s
o easy to get into the habit of lying. Ma does it all the time so that I don’t know when she’s telling the truth and when she isn’t. Where did you tell your ma you were going?’

  ‘I didn’t tell her anything but I’m supposed to be back by nine.’

  ‘You’re not going to make it.’ Celia glanced both ways as they crossed the road. It was a fine evening and people were window shopping without any danger of the little money in their pockets being spent. She paused on the pavement in front of the Adelphi. ‘Look, if you’re late your ma’ll get annoyed and might get really awkward. We’ll split here and I’ll make me own way. Nothing’s going to happen to me in broad daylight.’

  ‘No,’ said Mick, frowning. ‘I’m already late. So what does it matter if it’s ten minutes or half an hour.’ It did matter of course, but he was not going to admit it.

  ‘Let’s run then.’

  They raced all the way to Rodney Street, almost colliding with a couple standing not far from the Georgian-style house where Dr Galloway and his daughter lived.

  ‘Did you see who that was?’ whispered Mick as they halted at the bottom of the steps. ‘I hope she didn’t recognise me, but we were past quick, weren’t we?’

  ‘I didn’t look at them,’ said Celia, uninterested. ‘Anyway I’d best go in. Miss Geraldine hasn’t been well. She’s got this cough that’s real persistent. I think the doctor should get her away to the country or the seaside for a long spell.’ She sighed.

  Mick stared up at Celia where she stood on the step so her face was on level with his. ‘You think she’s really sick?’ He looked concerned. There had been a boy at his school who’d had a persistent cough and he had died.

  Celia gnawed on her lower lip. ‘I hope not. But her dad’s a doctor so he should be able to do something, shouldn’t he?’

  He nodded. She smiled. ‘There’s something I overheard that you’d like because you’re real ghoulish.’

  ‘Go on,’ he urged.

  ‘There’s supposed to be a secret passage going from beneath the workhouse on the Mount under Brownlow Hill to the infirmary and university.’ Her voice was solemn. ‘In the old days, when paupers with no family died their bodies were smuggled out that way to be experimented on for the advancement of medical science.’