by June Francis
Jimmy glanced at her. ‘I haven’t told her.’
‘Would Alf let her know?’ asked Irene. Jimmy shrugged. ‘Look, why don’t we call there now?’ she suggested. ‘Gertie might be in.’ Irene glanced at the taxi driver and said to her brother, ‘We could walk from here.’
Jimmy hesitated. ‘What about your suitcase?’
‘Come on!’ said Irene. ‘You’re not a seven-stone weakling, are you? If you can’t carry it, I will. Besides, I could do with stretching my legs.’
Soon they were knocking at Gertie Marshall’s door. There came hurrying footsteps along the lobby and the door opened and she stood there, gazing up at them.
‘You came,’ she said, reaching out for Irene.
Irene allowed herself to be almost smothered by Gertie’s embrace and managed not to burst into tears. ‘She’s gone,’ she croaked.
‘I’m so sorry, love,’ said Gertie, her eyes moist. She patted Irene’s back. ‘Come in, both of you.’
An hour later, they were sitting in front of the fire, drinking tea and eating hot buttered toast. Irene could feel her spirits lifting. Once they had poured out their concerns about Alf and about their mother’s funeral, Gertie told them to stop worrying. She would suggest to him that Maisie’s body be brought back to her house and she and Irene could keep vigil the night before the funeral. After all, they had known her a lot longer than Alf had done. Irene felt a load fall from her shoulders. Gertie also soon had her and Jimmy laughing as she told them tales about what their mother had got up to in the sausage factory and on their outings together.
It was during one such story that they heard the front door open and voices in the lobby. Gertie stood up. ‘That sounds like our Pete and Peggy back from her sister’s wedding.’
The next moment, the couple came into the kitchen and everyone spoke at once until Pete brought about some semblance of order. Gertie went and made a fresh pot of tea, leaving the younger ones to talk. They soon broke into twos. Pete and Jimmy, and Peggy and Irene.
Commiserations and congratulations were given. Irene wiped away her tears and asked the question to which she had only Gertie’s garbled account in her letter. How had Pete and Peggy got together again?
‘Hasn’t Jimmy told you about the accident?’ said Peggy.
‘He was going to tell me but—’
‘I know,’ said Peggy. ‘You were distracted.’
‘Tell me now,’ Irene murmured.
Peggy nodded. ‘But don’t interrupt me with questions. Otherwise I’m bound to miss something out.’ Irene agreed, and so Peggy told her all about the accident in Blackpool and everything that had happened in its aftermath.
Irene opened her mouth several times to butt in, only to remember what Peggy said, so kept quiet and waited until her friend had finished. Then Irene said with a hint of excitement, ‘I saw Tommy earlier as the taxi was turning into that street at the back of the Empire. I recognized him from the photograph Marty gave me. He was with a woman and a little boy.’
Peggy’s eyes widened. ‘What did she look like?’
‘I got the impression she was quite buxom but she was wearing a tent coat so that could have made her look fatter.’
‘What colour was her hair?’
She was wearing a headscarf,’ replied Irene. ‘As for the little boy, I didn’t have time to get a proper look at him. Tommy was carrying a couple of suitcases. They were probably going to catch a train.’
Peggy said, ‘We haven’t seen sight nor sound of Tommy since Blackpool. I can’t wait to tell Marty what you’ve just told me.’
Soon after, Peter said he would give Jimmy and Irene a lift to the Gianellis’ as he would be dropping Peggy back at Marty’s.
On the way out, Gertie said, ‘If it’s a bit crowded at the Gianellis’ house, Irene, you can always come and stay here until you decide what you’re going to do.’
Irene was glad of the offer and accepted it, saying that she would see her in the morning. It was decided to leave her suitcase where it was after taking a few items of clothing from it. There was no way she was going to admit that she was hoping to catch a glimpse of Marty when they dropped off Peggy.
Marty was standing on the front step talking to his next-door neighbour when Pete’s car drew up at the kerb. He instantly excused himself and hurried towards the car as Peggy climbed out.
‘Bernie and Jerry aren’t here,’ he blurted out. ‘The lad next door saw her leaving with him by the back way. She was carrying a suitcase. Father Francis—’
‘Now there’s a coincidence,’ said Peggy, her eyes glinting. ‘Irene was telling me something very interesting at Pete’s mam’s.’ She turned back towards the car. ‘Irene, come on out and tell Marty who you saw by Lime Street station!’
Irene’s heart was thudding as she stepped out of the car. She gazed across the roof at Marty and wanted to reach out and take his hand and hold it tightly. ‘I saw your brother. He was with a woman and a little boy and was carrying two suitcases.’
For several moments Marty could only stare at her and then he said, ‘That figures. Do you mind coming inside, Irene?’
She glanced through the car window at Jimmy. ‘You go with him,’ he said, getting out. ‘I’ll walk to the Gianellis’ from here.’
Irene looked at Marty. ‘What does it all mean? When you said “it figures”, you had something in mind. You mentioned Father Francis …’
‘Let’s get inside,’ he said, leading the way.
She followed him and it wasn’t until they sat down in the kitchen, opposite each other, that he said, ‘I don’t know how much you know.’
‘Peggy told me about the accident.’
‘Did she tell you that Bernie didn’t recognize me as her husband and insisted that Tommy was the name of her husband?’ he said, going straight to the point.
‘Yes, I thought it … odd to say the least. How could she appear not to recognize you as her husband but remember her husband’s name was Tommy?’ said Irene. ‘What did the doctors and nurses think?’
‘After being told memory is a strange thing and you can never tell with head injuries several times, I didn’t bother them with any more questions,’ said Marty. ‘As it is I had a talk with Father Francis at Lil’s wedding and …’
‘I like Father Francis,’ said Pete, who had followed them in.
‘Me too,’ said Irene, having met the priest several times at the Gianellis’ over the years. ‘But what has he to do with this?’
‘He saw a lot of head injuries during the Blitz and so Bernie’s case interested him enough for him to question, like we did, her behaviour and why she was so insistent that Tommy was her husband.’
‘And what conclusion did he come to?’ asked Pete.
‘That it needed looking into and I agreed,’ said Marty. ‘He offered to search through the diocesan marriage records just before Tommy vanished.’
‘You mean … But surely if they …’ Irene’s mouth went suddenly dry, just thinking of the implications if Tommy and Bernie had married without letting their families know about it.
‘If they’d married in the parish church, Father Francis would have known about it,’ said Peggy swiftly. ‘And if they married somewhere else they’d have had to live in a parish for three months beforehand.’
‘Tommy was living with a mate outside Father Francis’s parish after he left home, remember?’ said Marty, his expression grim.
‘Yes, but Bernie has never moved out of her mother’s house, has she?’ said Peggy.
‘A registry office wedding?’ suggested Pete.
The other three shook their heads.
Silence.
‘I’ll go and make some cocoa,’ said Peggy, getting up and going into the back kitchen.
‘I have another suggestion,’ said Pete, staring at Marty, ‘and don’t immediately shoot me down this time.’
Marty smiled faintly. ‘Go on, what is it?’
‘My brother, the policeman, often says how dishon
est people are. Such as someone saying they live at a certain address when they don’t. Or at least they just stay there the odd night so if a neighbour was asked if they had seen them going in and out of the house, then they can honestly answer that they had.’
‘Would the house be unoccupied otherwise?’ asked Irene, thinking the evening had taken on an unreal quality.
‘Not necessarily. Just like Tommy, they could be staying with a friend,’ said Pete. ‘Surely Bernie had a best friend at the time?’
‘Marie Gallagher,’ said Peggy, who was standing in the doorway with a tin of cocoa in her hand. ‘They worked together and if I’m not mistaken they were in the same class at school. They’re still friends. She used to live in St Anthony’s parish a few years ago. Then she moved to Crosby. Bernie could have gone along regularly to church with Marie so the priest got used to her going there and believed that’s where she lived when she came to fill in the Application for Marriage form. She’d be over twenty-one, so she wouldn’t need her mother’s permission and there’s no doubt about her being able to produce proof that she was baptized and confirmed in the Catholic church. Same with Tommy.’
‘Maybe you should suggest to Father Francis that he starts there?’ said Pete.
Irene could not resist staring at Marty to see what he made of that suggestion. Her heart was thudding inside her chest.
Marty nodded. ‘Although, what I can’t get my head around is if they cared for each other so much, why didn’t he get in touch with her after he went missing? I can understand why they married in secret. Her mother would have had a blue fit. She says he’s a criminal and can’t stand him. But how did they manage to arrange to make a run for it today? Bernie was flat on her back for six weeks and he had a broken arm. And since she came home, Peggy has been here most of the time and I’ve been here the rest.’ He made no mention of believing now that Jerry was his brother’s son.
‘Easy enough to remove a sling and conceal the plaster by wearing something with long sleeves and go and visit her,’ said Pete.
‘When?’ asked Marty, exasperated. ‘Either me or one of her family took up the visiting hours.’
‘Maybe he disguised himself as a doctor?’ suggested Irene.
‘Or even a nurse,’ put in Peggy. ‘You know how crafty he is.’ She vanished inside the back kitchen again.
‘She put on some act,’ said Marty, his eyes glinting, ‘and I don’t only mean after the accident. Deceitful, conniving!’
‘At least if it can be proved that they did get married before he vanished, you’ll be rid of her,’ said Pete.
‘If they were to find them, they might arrest them both,’ said Peggy, making an appearance again. ‘Bernie for bigamy and Tommy for theft. Your marriage will be declared null and void, Marty.’
‘Aye,’ said Marty, gazing at Irene. ‘And what does that make Josie?’ he said, running a hand through his hair.
‘I’m sure the Archbishop of Liverpool will have an answer to that,’ said Peggy. ‘The church seems to have an answer to everything. Now, who’s for cocoa?’
When Irene was ready to leave, Marty said that he would walk with her to the Gianellis’. She did not demur, glad to have this time with him alone. As they made their way up to the bridge, she told him that her mother had died a few hours after she had arrived in England.
He said how sorry he was and then paused before saying, ‘Does that mean you’ll be returning to America after the funeral?’
The question took her by surprise and for a moment she could not think how to answer. After all that had been said back at his house, she had been hoping they would have something more to discuss. She had thought that had been the reason for him suggesting he accompany her to Nellie’s.
‘It’s too soon for me to make plans yet,’ she said. ‘I hardly know which way is up. I’d like to spend some time with Jimmy and be here to see Pete and Peggy married at last.’
Marty took a deep breath. ‘What about Harry in America?’
They had reached the bridge and she paused. ‘What about him?’
‘You sounded as if you were enjoying yourself with him,’ he murmured, gazing down at the water.
She realized what he must be thinking and smiled. ‘Who wouldn’t enjoy themself being in a different country and seeing so many new sights? I like Harry but my heart’s back here in England,’ she said softly.
He raised his head and their eyes met. ‘You know I can’t make you any promises?’ he said roughly.
‘Yes, but there’s always hope,’ she said, going into his arms.
Twenty-Nine
Maisie’s funeral went off without a hitch and although it was a sad occasion, there was enough laughter to ease Irene’s grief as memories were shared over the meal afterwards. She was also deeply touched by the sympathy that her younger step-siblings showed her as well as that of Terence’s son, Billy. It came as something of a surprise to discover that Maisie had left both Irene and Jimmy two hundred pounds each. This meant a lot to her because she was able to pay back the money she owed Betty and Stuart for her air ticket.
She wrote to them, pouring out on paper all that had happened since she had arrived in Liverpool and was able to inform them that Pete and Peggy’s wedding was set for the thirteenth of December. Irene had been asked if she would like to be chief bridesmaid as Lil suspected she could be pregnant and preferred to remain in the background. Also, as Norm would be at sea on that date, he wouldn’t be able to be Pete’s best man, so Jimmy was to take on that role. She wrote that she could not thank Betty and Stuart enough for their friendship and hospitality and prayed that one day, not too far away, she would see them again. She made no mention of the possibility that Marty’s marriage might be annulled.
She applied for a vacancy that had come up at Litherland Nursery and was accepted for the post. In the meantime, while she looked forward to the forthcoming wedding, and for news of Father Francis’s investigations, she stayed at Gertie’s house in Bootle.
This meant she was au fait with all the wedding arrangements and was ideally situated to visit her brother at the Gianellis’ or Billy’s house in Formby. She enjoyed listening to the music group rehearse and, of course, she was able to spend time in Marty and Josie’s company, especially as the little girl was now attending the nursery and Irene volunteered daily to take her home.
Sometimes Peggy was not at the house but helping Pete decorate the parlour that was to be their living room and the bedroom that was to be theirs. Gertie had suggested that they exchange rooms with her, so that the married couple could have the bigger front room that she had once shared with her husband. Peggy confessed to Irene that some of her worries about living with her future mother-in-law were being laid to rest. Especially as she was often out in the evenings, although she never said where she was going.
Marty had not heard anything from Tommy or Bernie and neither had her mother or sisters. The news that Bernie had run away with Tommy, taking Jerry with them, had stunned his mother, and Bernie’s family. And the news that Bernie might just be a bigamist was very hard for Bernie’s mother to swallow as she regarded it as a worse sin than that of adultery. Even their Lord had called upon the Pharisees to have pity on the adulteress in the Gospels, she stated, although she still did not have a good word to say about Tommy.
As for Marty’s mother, she called Bernie a whore and recalled her dear, dead husband, having the measure of Bernie when he had said that she had tricked Marty into marriage. At least she had Peggy’s wedding to look forward to, despite her daughter marrying a Protestant. But at least her future son-in-law had promised, this time, that their children would be brought up in the Catholic faith.
As Peggy’s wedding approached and Liverpool was blanketed in fog, Bernie’s mother had still not got over the shock. When the news was broken to her that her daughter was indeed a bigamist, and that the matter was now in the hands of the Archbishop and the police, the old woman fainted. Father Francis explained to Marty that it
could be months before the annulment went through, especially as there were children involved, but he knew that Marty had every intention of marrying Irene as soon as he was legally able to do so.
In the meantime there was Peggy and Pete’s wedding to look forward to. Whilst there were peace talks in sunny Cyprus, where terrorists had been waging war on British soldiers, the snow began to fall in Liverpool and the surrounding countryside three days before the big day.
A dismayed Peggy watched the fat fluffy snowflakes settling on the ground. She and Pete had decided to spend a few days motoring in the Lake District for their honeymoon, stopping at Blackpool on the way for their wedding night. The weather forecast was more snow and ice and the advice given was not to travel unless absolutely necessary.
‘What are we going to do?’ she asked Pete that evening as they put the finishing touches to their bedroom.
He drew her down on to the bed. ‘I phoned the bed and breakfast in Ambleside as soon as it started snowing. Mrs Dwyer said there’s no snow up there. Although if it did snow she told me it looks really magical.’
Peggy liked the idea of spending their honeymoon somewhere magical but getting there could be difficult. ‘I don’t know what to decide,’ she said.
‘Mam has given me my grandfather’s camera. It’s a Leica, one of the best cameras around. She said I’d be able to take some lovely photographs of the Lake District,’ he said persuasively.
He glanced around the bedroom. ‘The only other option is that we spend our honeymoon as well as our wedding night here.’
‘With your mother and Irene in the house!’ Peggy’s mouth firmed. ‘It’s not what I’d call romantic.’
‘Then let’s play it by ear and see what happens. At least we’re not like Irene and Marty, who could still have a long wait before they can be together.’
Peggy spent the next three days in a flurry of activity, having a final fitting for her wedding dress created by Lynne Walker. With the arrival of the snow, Lynne had offered her the loan of a white fur jacket from a box of old clothes in the attic that had belonged to her theatrical dresser grandmother.