by June Francis
‘He should be, and we won’t stay long,’ Grace assured her.
‘So, what’s upset you?’ asked Milly.
‘My cousin Marion – she told me that Dougie had sent a wedding telegram and asked me if I’d seen it. She suggested that there was something horrid about me in it…’
‘Oh, that… Yes, there was a wire from Dougie. Jimmy hid it, and then we destroyed it on the night of the wedding thinking Dougie was just being spiteful and out to spoil your marriage,’ Milly confessed.
‘Oh, thank you,’ said Grace, pleating her skirt with restless fingers. ‘But even so, Marion is still out to blacken my name. Dougie sent it to her apparently, and she read it and put it with the other telegrams. She remembers what it said and is going to send a copy to Ben! She said if I don’t want him to read it, then I’ll have to intercept it, that won’t be easy because Dad or Simon might pick it up and put it aside for Ben to read when he comes home from work…’ She paused for breath. ‘My head’s in a whirl. I don’t even know what it said! I’m confused and don’t know what’s best to do. I want to save our marriage, as things are working out so well, but I know what Dougie is like, he can be so mean-spirited if he wants to be…’ A sob escaped her. ‘Marion has always had it in for me, and I know why now and it’s so childish.’
Milly hushed her and poured out tea and milk into cups before handing one to Grace. ‘Jimmy and I don’t believe a word of what Dougie wrote,’ she said soothingly. ‘Besides which, surely Ben will know by now you were a virgin on your wedding night?’ Here her voice softened, ‘In the telegram, Dougie accused you of being a slut and throwing yourself at Dougie and being damaged goods and that he is glad that Ben has taken you off his hands, but that sort of slur only had power to ruin your marriage before your wedding night, it simply doesn’t matter now. For some reason Marion has not realised that.’
Grace stopped crying and wiped her damp cheeks with the back of a hand. ‘But what will the neighbours think if it got out?’ she whispered. ‘It’s all lies, all of it, but you know how people talk around here. And it would shame Ben if he thought that I was putting myself around before I married him. He would still think I was damaged goods, or he’d been tricked into marrying me. And what about my dad? It’s awful!’ she groaned.
Milly nodded. ‘I understand, but I think you’re worrying unnecessarily. If Ben was to see the words that were written on the telegram, I consider him intelligent enough to know what Dougie and Marion were up to. And to ask you about it… he knows the girl he married,’ she said gently.
Feeling much calmer and reassured by her friend, Grace dried her eyes and drank the remains of her tea before fetching Fergie from the backyard to go home. She thanked Milly profusely, who handed Grace her shopping and then gave her a hug goodbye. Once home, Grace made herself an early lunch of toast and brawn and fed Fergie scraps from her plate. Then, with the dog on her lap, exhausted by the day’s revelations, she fell asleep in front of the low-burning fire.
She was wakened by a banging on the front door and still half asleep, staggered to the front door. Cautiously she asked who it was before opening the door. Her spirits plummeted when a voice called out, ‘Police.’
Chapter 17
Grace whipped the door open and stared at the bobby who had a serious expression on his young face. Standing beside him was a worried-looking Simon.
‘Mrs Evans?’ said the bobby.
‘Yes,’ replied Grace, her eyes wide open now.
‘Your father is Norman Green?’
She nodded, reaching out a hand to Simon. ‘Has there been an accident?’
‘No, but your father has been taken to the Royal Infirmary after collapsing in the museum,’ said the policeman.
‘We were standing in front of a huge spider crab,’ said Simon. ‘Suddenly, he swayed and reached out to me. I grabbed his hand, but I didn’t have a proper hold of it,’ Simon gulped. ‘He fell to the floor. I tried to help him up but wasn’t strong enough and one of the attendants came running.’ He paused. ‘Granddad’s not going to die, is he?’ he whispered.
‘Shush, lad,’ said the policeman. ‘I could take you to the hospital in the police car now, Mrs Evans, if you wish to see your father.’
‘Of course, thank you,’ Grace said. ‘If you’ll give me a few minutes. I was having a nap and your knock woke me. I’d like to splash some cold water on my face and put my coat and hat on. Do come in,’ she said, leading the way up the lobby. ‘Simon, perhaps you should stay here with Fergie. I’ll ask Mrs Shaw next door to keep an eye on you.’
As soon as she was ready and had spoken to Mrs Shaw, Grace went with the policeman in the shiny black police car to the hospital. The building had been constructed in Victorian times and its outer walls were blackened with the smoke from chimneys over the years. Grace was shown into a long ward with high windows on either side. To her relief she found her father awake, although he looked pale and anxious. She sat on a chair at the side of the bed and covered his hand on the bedcover with hers, before asking if he had seen a doctor.
Norman nodded. ‘He reckons I’ve been doing too much.’
‘It’s my fault. I shouldn’t have gone on my honeymoon.’
He shook his head. ‘Don’t be daft. I was glad you were away. I wasn’t going to tell you but I had a nasty letter from Dougie. He went on about why couldn’t I have got sick and died six months ago. Then you’d have been on the ship with him and he wouldn’t have got into debt and you wouldn’t have been forced into marrying another man because you were pregnant with his baby.’
‘The lying swine!’ She shivered, even as she attempted to control her nerves, thinking what a day it had been so far. ‘He’s despicable. Have they given you any idea how long you’ll be in here?’ she asked.
‘I should imagine I’ll be home tomorrow.’ Norman paused. ‘Don’t feel that you have to come and see me again today. You have enough to do with having Simon and Ben to look after.’
‘Should I let Aunt Polly and Uncle Douglas know you’re here?’
‘No, not worth it.’ He closed his eyes. ‘You can go now, lass. I feel like having a doze.’
Grace kissed his cheek. ‘Behave yourself. Don’t be flirting with the nurses,’ she joked.
‘I wish! Bye, lass. Take care!’ he murmured.
Grace walked slowly out of the ward and caught a tram almost straight away. When she arrived home, she found Simon peeling potatoes.
‘That’s good of you,’ she said, giving him a hug. ‘I bought some mutton chops and carrots and a turnip earlier. I’d bought a chop for Dad, but you and your dad can share it.’
‘How’s Granddad?’ Simon asked.
‘He thinks he’ll be home tomorrow,’ she replied. ‘They’re of the opinion he collapsed due to him doing too much.’
Simon’s face lit up. ‘Goody, I’m glad they’re letting him out.’
‘Me too,’ said Grace.
Ben took the news about Norman in his stride, but over dinner, he decided that he would go and see his father-in-law and hopefully have a word with the doctor and try and arrange for him to go to the convalescent home straight away. Grace thanked him, knowing that if there was anything else her father was keeping back from her, Ben would get at the truth simply because those in authority were more likely to talk to him because he was a man. Irritatingly it was a fact of life and something women were still fighting against.
When Ben returned from the hospital, he stood watching his son and wife playing snakes and ladders. Grace’s mind was not completely on the game and her husband’s presence caused her to lose her concentration utterly.
‘So, how were things?’ she asked hesitantly.
‘Your dad was pleased to see me, and we had a good chat.’
‘What about the doctor? Were you able to speak with him?’ She was guessing her father had not mentioned Dougie’s letter by the tone of her husband’s voice.
‘No, apparently it’s his daughter’s birthday and there was to be a party, so
he had to leave.’ He paused. ‘But matron did verify that Norman will be allowed to go home at eleven o’clock tomorrow morning. I think you should be there and arrange for a cab to pick you up at the hospital and bring you both home.’ He delved into his trouser pocket and produced two half crowns. ‘I don’t know how much it’ll cost. Hopefully, this will be enough.’
Grace hoped so too, and thanked him as she took the money.
* * *
The following morning, she was up early, as was Ben, who had the fire blazing before she arrived downstairs. He had also prepared his carry-out of cheese and pickle butties and had the kettle on. Simon came downstairs soon after and the three of them sat down together and ate cereal followed by toast and jam. Ben left first at a quarter to eight and Simon at eight thirty after Grace had ironed his footie shirt and shorts for the last school game of the term. After she had seen him off at the door, she set about doing her household chores.
She had scarcely finished and was putting the kettle on before going shopping and taking Fergie for a walk when there came a knock on the door. She hurried to answer it and there was Milly with the twins in the pram on the doorstep.
‘Hi!’ she said. ‘I thought I’d call and see how you were. I’ve also something to tell you that you won’t want to hear.’
‘That sounds ominous,’ said Grace. ‘I’ll be going out soon, but I’m about to have a cuppa, so come join me.’
Milly put the brake of the pram on and leaving the front door slightly ajar, she and Grace went indoors.
The kettle was boiling, so Grace made two cups of tea and they both sat down. ‘What have you to tell me?’ she asked.
‘Firstly, have you spoken to Ben about the telegram and what Marion threatened you with yesterday?’
‘No, because Dad collapsed and was taken to hospital, so it went completely out of my mind.’ Grace took a sip of tea. ‘They’re letting him out today, so I’ll be going there before lunch.’
‘He must be all right then,’ Milly said.
‘They reckon he’d been overdoing things.’ Grace drank more of her tea. ‘So, what’s this news I won’t want to hear?’
Milly hesitated and then said in a rush, ‘I could have sworn that earlier I saw Dougie or someone who looked very like him.’
Grace thought of the mean words in Dougie’s telegram and all that he had threatened to do to her standing in the community and of the letter he had sent to her father and her heart plunged into her stomach.
‘I hope you were mistaken. I would have thought Aunt Polly would have let me know if he was coming home for a visit.’ Her voice shook. ‘I’d like to kill him.’
‘He could be out to just get on your nerves,’ mused Milly.
Grace pondered on her words. ‘He already does that.’
‘Has he a job in London?’
‘I really don’t know. Anyway, I’m going to have to speak to Ben.’ Grace nibbled her lower lip and was about to refill their cups when she thought she heard one of the twins crying. She was about to make a comment, when Milly stood up.
‘That sounds like my son crying.’
‘How can you tell the difference?’ asked Grace, following her to the front door, only to hear Milly say in a scared voice, ‘The pram’s gone!’
Chapter 18
Grace hurried outside after her and onto the pavement where Milly stood looking left and right. Several children were playing rounders on the road and a couple were running after what looked like a large ball flying off in the direction of Whitefield Road. Milly ran after them. Grace realised that the ball was actually the pram, which was now only a few yards from intersecting the cobbled road ahead and was busy with traffic. She sprinted after her friend as fast as she could. Milly must have put on a spurt, because as Grace watched, Milly managed to grab the handle of the pram just as it reached the corner of the street. Then she turned on the children who had been chasing the pram too, to tell them off.
Grace caught up with Milly, and said breathlessly, ‘I saw you put the brake on! Did some of these children take it off, thinking they’d like to wheel the babies?’
‘They deny it,’ gasped Milly. ‘Thank God there was no traffic.’
‘I’ve never seen you run so fast.’
‘I was desperate.’ Milly fussed over her babies who appeared none the worse for what had happened.
Grace frowned down at the children. ‘Are you telling the truth?’
‘Yeah, missus,’ responded a girl with two short plaits tied up with rags. ‘Me and me friend only went and looked at the babies. Then a man came along and asked would we like to take them for a walk.’
‘We thought he must be the father,’ said the plump girl with a mop of curly red hair. ‘We couldn’t move the brake.’
‘It was stiff,’ said her friend. ‘So, he took it off for us and wheeled it to the pavement and gave it a big push.’
‘To get us started, he said,’ muttered the other girl.
‘Where did he go?’ asked Milly.
‘I don’t know,’ said the girl with plaits.
‘We were too busy chasing the pram,’ informed the red head.
‘Perhaps those boys playing rounders might have noticed,’ said her friends.
‘Why aren’t you at school?’ Grace asked, thinking these children were younger than Simon, but even so…
‘It’s closed because of an outbreak of measles,’ said a girl. ‘There was hardly anyone in school. Besides which we’ll be finishing for Christmas tomorrow.’
‘Then surely you all should be at home in quarantine, not playing out?’ said Milly, although she noticed that none of them had spots, but that was not to say that they weren’t infectious.
‘Some of us have already had it,’ commented another girl. ‘We can’t catch it again.’
‘I hope those who could have it, haven’t breathed on the twins,’ Milly said, wheeling the pram away from the girls. ‘I think I remember having it when I lived with my grandma.’
Grace followed her. ‘I can’t remember. Perhaps the strange bloke, whoever he was, might catch it,’ she said.
‘Whatever, I won’t be leaving the twins outside again. What sort of behaviour is that from a grown man?’ Milly said. ‘Anyway, I’d better leave you to get on, as you’re going to the hospital. Give your dad my love.’
Milly left, carefully wheeling the pram, and Grace collected together her coat and hat and headed out alone, thinking Fergie could have his walk later.
* * *
She dashed around the shops and then hurried home to put away the pasties that she had bought. Then she went out again to catch a tram and walked up to Pembroke Place where the hospital was situated. It was only when she reached her father’s ward that she remembered about the taxi. She mentioned it to the staff nurse, who phoned the taxi firm for her.
Her father seemed frailer today, and hung on to her arm as they made their way to the waiting taxi. The driver helped him inside and it was not long before they arrived home. She helped Norman inside and settled him in front of the fire, where he slumped in his chair. While she was putting the kettle on and placing some of the pasties in the oven to warm, Simon arrived home. He volunteered to take Fergie out for a short run while the pasties and baked beans were warming up.
While he was out, she told her father about Milly’s visit earlier and what had happened with the pram, the children and the strange man. Norman looked taken aback.
‘That’s odd!’
‘You don’t think he could have been a dirty old man, do you?’ she said, thinking aloud, but almost immediately, she added, ‘No, that’s daft! He’d want to catch one on their own.’
‘It could be that he was watching the kids and choosing one to follow and pick on later.’
‘I never thought of that,’ said Grace. ‘While I remember, Dad, do you know if I ever had measles?’
He looked thoughtful and eventually said, ‘You’d have to ask Polly. Anyway, what about those pasties I can smell?’
Grace took the pasties out of the oven. She hoped Simon would not be long, not wanting his food to get cold. As it was, he entered the house ten minutes later, washed his hands and sat down at the table. She told him about the children and the measles and asked had the outbreak affected his school at all.
‘There’s a couple in our class who’ve been sent home and last week apparently one mother sent in a note saying she was keeping her son Billy at home because he had a temperature and a few spots on his face and throat.’ Simon bit into his pasty. ‘You don’t have to worry about me, though. I’ve had measles. It was horrible. I was burning hot before I had any spots and felt tired. Anyway, I was up and about within days, but didn’t go back to school for more than a week. It was great!’
‘That’s a relief, anyway,’ said Grace. ‘What about this outbreak, are you allowed to return to school this afternoon?’
‘Yeah, we have important exams, and I’m all right, so I can go.’ He reached out for his cup of milk and took a long draught.
‘How did footie go this morning?’ Grace asked.
‘Good enough, although I can’t see me ever playing for Liverpool or Everton.’ He hesitated. ‘Has Dad mentioned it’s me eleventh birthday on Friday? It’s just that I’d like to have some of my mates round. I don’t mean to have a big party, but just cakes, pop or ginger beer and crisps.’
‘I’m sure we can manage that,’ Grace said, wondering why Ben had not mentioned Simon’s birthday to her. It must have slipped his mind with the wedding and moving, but she would need to go shopping again that afternoon. She’d waited until Simon had left for school before asking her father would he be all right on his own for an hour.
Norman nodded. ‘Don’t worry about me.’ He fumbled in his pocket and produced a handful of coins and a ten-shilling note. ‘You can spend all that. Buy what you need for his little party and a present from me. Just leave the front door ajar so Simon can get in without me getting up.’
She thanked him and took the money and then left, remembering to leave the door just pushed to behind her. She was away longer than she had planned due mainly to choosing a present for Simon. Eventually she chose a two-hundred-piece jigsaw from Norman, one with a scene of Ancient Egypt, and from herself she bought a box of chocolates.