Alun looked at Luke in surprise. ‘But I thought – you mean, she didn’t want Ed back?’
‘Of course not, lazy so-and-so.’
‘If what you say is true, then I let her down as badly as Ed. But it’s too late for me to go back now.’
They were at the end of the mainland where they could look across at the tidal island called, The Worm. The tide was high and seabirds screeched their objection to their appearance. Apart from the birds they were the only living creatures around. Alun stared across the sea, a frown on his face, regret in his heart. ‘It’s too late,’ he repeated softly.
Luke looked at Alun and said, ‘Don’t cut yourself off on an island of your own making, Alun. You have friends in Cwm Derw and they’d welcome you back.’
‘Betty’s fixed up now, there’s nothing for me to go back to. Come on, I’ll treat you to a pint if the Worm’s Head Hotel is open.’
Back in Cwm Derw Betty was returning from a shopping trip having left Les to finish the lunchtime cleaning and arranging for him to open up if she was delayed. She had left the car and used the bus and when the return bus she intended to catch had been full, a customer offered her a lift so she was back earlier than expected. She’d be there before Les arrived. Just as well. He was never on time.
The side door was closed but not locked. Les must have come early for a change, she thought with surprise. She’d have to remind him about making sure it was locked. Unintentionally she went in without making a sound and gasped in disbelief when she found Les searching through her desk. The contents of a cupboard had been disturbed too, the papers and boxes were on the floor near him. He looked up and began a stuttering apology. ‘Betty, I had a call from the insurers and they wanted to know whether your valuation is up to date and—’
‘Get out,’ her voice was calm. ‘And if you give me back whatever it is bulging in your pockets I won’t go to the police. I should, but I can’t stand the ordeal. But if I see you around here again, then I will.’ Her voice was raised as she repeated, ‘Get out of my sight!’
She stood barring the doorway while he took out a small silver inkwell and a cigarette box, also silver. When he began to push past she stopped him and pointed to his other pocket. He took out a silver and cut-glass cruet and two Georgian spoons. Still she wouldn’t let him pass. His head held in shame, he handed her a small statuette, then patted his pockets to show there was nothing else. She stared at him and waited.
‘That’s all and I’m very sorry, Betty. It’s for my wife you see.’
‘She’ll be proud of you, will she? Stealing for her? This wife you told me you’d divorced?’ She held out her hand and the second statuette was placed in it.
She locked the door after him and prepared to open the bar. It wasn’t until much later, when everyone had gone and the house was still, that she broke down and cried. Once again she was on her own.
CHAPTER NINE
Betty felt utter despair after Les Gronow had gone. She imagined him sneaking around the house marking treasures and making a mental list of what he would take, waiting for the right moment to grab everything of value. He probably had a buyer ready, waiting for him to deliver. She knew she should inform the police but embarrassment over her stupidity at not checking even one of his so-called references made her hesitate. Now several days had passed it was too late, they would think her even more stupid.
She told Kitty and Bob, who had enquired at the address he had given. She wasn’t really surprised that no one there had heard of Les Gronow. Bob tried to persuade her to go to the police but she refused. ‘I just want to forget it,’ she insisted. She read through the list of applicants again and only one name gave her confidence. She decided to write to Tilly Tucker and persuade her to leave the bakery and come to the Ship. She at least knew where the woman lived and she was unlikely to rob her and disappear. Surely she’d had her run of bad luck?
She was distracted from her sad mood by preparations for the coronation celebrations on 2 June. Whenever people gathered, the conversation quickly led to talk about the event. Every street had its own arrangement and most households were involved, either by cooking, helping with the enthusiastic decorations outside the houses, or lending tablecloths or chairs and tables. Anyone with transport was roped in to collect and deliver what was needed.
Seranne tried to persuade her mother to come and share the party, hoping for an opportunity to talk to her without Paul present, but Jessie refused, insisting that their new television, bought by ‘darling Paul’, was too much of an attraction, even though the street party was not on the actual Coronation Day.
‘She’s avoiding me,’ Seranne said to Babs. ‘She won’t talk to me in case she gives away something about Paul she’s worried about. Why can’t she tell me what’s wrong? We used to tell each other everything.’
‘Marriage is bound to change that, she has Paul to discuss things with now.’
‘And a lot of good it’s doing! He’s stopped her thinking clearly and I’m worried that it will end in disaster for her.’
‘She knows you’re there when she needs you,’ Babs comforted.
News of the Cwm Derw café’s new management travelled fast and Seranne and Babs were kept very busy. The food they cooked was popular and they frequently ran out, and once Tony realized what was happening he came to help. Accepting the limitations of their small impractical kitchen was no problem and he cheerfully produced small fairy cakes each with its own individual decoration. These looked attractive and tasted delicious and the girls were grateful to him.
Luke sent his Uncle Frank and cousin George to put up the new shelves and Tony painted them to match the walls. The china that had once graced the shelves of Jessie’s tea rooms was then proudly displayed, much to Seranne’s delight.
Impulsively she hugged Tony and he held her close for longer than she expected. She was surprised when later that day he said, ‘What about that trip to the pictures I promised you. Anything you fancy seeing?’
She looked through the local paper and they argued light-heartedly between Abbot and Costello and a western until Tony said, ‘All right, love, comedy it is.’ Something in the way he said it startled Seranne and she went straight to Babs and insisted she went with them. ‘I might be imagining it,’ she admitted, ‘but I suspect your Tony is thinking of a kiss and cuddle in the back row.’
In mock annoyance, Babs said, ‘You mean you don’t want to be my sister-in-law?’
‘Not if it means marrying your Tony. You don’t have any other brothers you haven’t told me about, do you?’
They met at the cinema on Seranne’s insistence and it was only then that Tony saw his sister. ‘Spoilsport,’ he hissed.
Babs laughed. ‘The girl needed protection,’ she retorted.
To his further dismay she sat between them as they settled to enjoy the film.
Luke was on his way to see his mother when he saw Seranne waiting at the entrance to the cinema. Seeing Tony walking up made him groan in disappointment. He stared as Tony put a proprietorial arm around Seranne’s waist but sighed with relief a moment later when he saw Babs join them.
Luke’s mother was in a nursing home and he visited regularly. She always had lots of questions and this time she asked, ‘When are you going to find a girl? I want to see you married and settled again before I die.’
‘Don’t talk about dying, Mum, you know how I hate it. As for a girl, how can I when I’m not free?’
‘Marion, you mean? Forget her, she’s done you enough harm. Not free? What rubbish you talk.’ He quickly changed the subject, as he always did and she sighed impatiently. ‘There is someone you’re keen on?’
‘Maybe, but it isn’t possible.’
‘Since Marion, you’ve concentrated all your energies on making money, so when will you find someone to spend it on, instead of helping lame dogs over stiles?’
‘When I’m free,’ he insisted.
He was returning from the nursing home when he saw Pat
Sewell and he was curious when he saw she was talking to his Uncle Frank. He parked and waited until Pat had walked away then tooted the horn for his uncle to join him.
‘How do you know Pat Sewell?’
‘She used to live near us, until her husband died and she had to move to somewhere cheaper. I go into the café when I’m in the area.’
‘You’ve met Paul Curtis then?’
‘Oh him? He and Pat have been friends all their lives, they care for each other but nothing more, if that’s what you’re thinking. Friends, that’s all. He needs all the friends he can find, poor bloke.’
‘What d’you mean?’
‘Well he’s hopeless, isn’t he? He inherited a good business from his father but ran it into the ground.’
‘Gambling? Having a good time? Wasting money on drink, or whatever?’
‘No, he just isn’t a businessman. A bit thick if you ask me. He should have worked alongside his father and learned from him but Paul was always convinced he knew best.’
‘What happened to the factory?’
‘He spent too long making the items there was no longer a demand for and even when he was warned that plain, simple handbags were not what people wanted he carried on. He made wallets and comb cases, manicure sets, travelling cases for men and women, leather-covered mirrors and sewing sets, all sorts of gift ideas, but people are looking for something new and he refused to budge from the traditional lines that they’d made for years.’
‘I expect he’s a bit dishonest too, spending money instead of putting it back into the business.’
‘No, Paul isn’t dishonest, and he tried really hard to keep the place going. He just isn’t any good at running the factory. All his best people left and he struggled on refusing to consider changes, even though he had the designers until practically the end. Probably didn’t know how to change. He’s a fool, but you can’t help feeling sorry for him, poor bloke.’
Luke was very thoughtful as he drove away. Could the man have teetered on the edge of bankruptcy by being a fool rather than dishonest? He had almost certainly used Jessie’s money to save himself and that was hardly honest. Was it stupidity that had allowed the tea rooms to fail? He wasn’t convinced.
The most inexplicable part was, why did Jessie allow that to happen? And what about the new shop he was planning to open? Nothing at all had happened there, the place was still closed and in need of decoration and the boxes he had seen were still in exactly the same places. It was more mysterious than ever after listening to Uncle Frank’s surprising opinions.
Tony was thinking a lot about Seranne. The girl he had known all his life had changed, or his perception of her had. One of Babs’s friends, hardly worth a thought, had become a desirable young woman. He went out of his way to please her, persuade her to notice him. She still treated him in exactly the same way as always.
Besides his early morning duties, Tony helped in the family baker’s shop when their assistant Tilly Tucker wasn’t there and in between, did what he could to help his sister and Seranne hoping that somehow things would change.
He was putting freshly baked loaves in the bakery window when Betty called in to place an order. He waved before disappearing into the bake house. Betty found Tilly behind the counter waiting to serve her.
‘Oh, hello, I’ve written to you asking if you still wanted the job of barmaid. The man I chose didn’t suit. Am I too late?’
‘No you aren’t. Here temp’ry I am, and if you’ll give me a try I’d love to work at the Ship.’
Betty called through to the bake house behind the shop. ‘Tony, can I have a word?’
‘What can I do to help?’ Tony asked wiping his hands on a white towel. ‘More bread rolls needed?’
‘I’d like to know whether Tilly has a permanent job with you. I wrote offering her the job at the Ship but I don’t want to poach her from you, Tony.’
‘No, she only came in while the regular is sick. She’ll be finished at the end of the week.’
‘Thanks.’
Tony moved closer and whispered, ‘Talk your head off she will, mind. Not gossip, she isn’t one to talk unkindly about anyone, but I’m warning you, her tongue never stops.’
Betty laughed. ‘I don’t think that’s a bad thing for a barmaid, do you?’
Arrangements were made for Tilly to see Betty after the shop closed to discuss details and Betty walked to the post office, once again wondering whether she had finally found someone on whom she could rely. She told Stella what had happened.
‘Ever since that brother of mine started courting poor Elsie I’ve been trying to find someone to help and every time I’ve been let down. Except with Alun. If only he’d stayed.’
‘You should have made it clear straightaway that you didn’t want your Ed back.’
‘Maybe. But he was so quick to go I just knew he was glad of the excuse.’
On Wednesday, Luke arrived at The Wayfaring Tree in time to help the girls finish tidying up after closing at 1.30. It always surprised Seranne that he needed no telling, but joined in with the necessary tasks with ease, automatically knowing what needed doing and how they liked it done. At two o’clock they were on their way. Babs off home to her parents, and Seranne – with anxiety written on her face – to see what was happening at her mother’s tea rooms.
Jessie was worried. She had been hiding her worries behind a smile for weeks and seeing the look on her daughter’s face she knew she couldn’t do that for very much longer. She had to face facts and the truth was beginning to dawn that leaving the running of her once beautiful tea rooms to Pat and Paul had been the biggest mistake of her life. But what could she do? She loved Paul and she would do anything to keep him, agree with anything just as long as he treated her like someone special, told her she was beautiful and adored.
A visit from a friend the previous day had brought things to a head. Matty Powell had been out of town for several months, visiting a daughter in America. When she called for a coffee and to see Jessie, the shock was enormous and Matty Powell wasn’t the type to hide it.
‘Jessie, what on earth has been happening? Been ill, have you? Taken to drink? Lost your sanity? This place is the worse caff I’ve ever seen and I’ve seen quite a few!’
‘Paul has made me stop working so hard and have some fun, that’s all.’
‘Paul? Who is Paul?’
Taking her up to the flat, Matty asked questions which Jessie tried to answer while at the same time being loyal to Paul. Matty asked about Seranne and being told about her move to Cwm Derw, Matty looked thoughtful and, to Jessie’s relief, stopped her barrage of questions.
Jessie walked down to see her visitor off and Matty pulled her into the drab place and made her look at the devastation of her once beautiful tea rooms.
‘Paul might be the most wonderful thing that’s happened to you, Jessie, but surely you don’t have to let this happen to keep him?’ She waved her arms to encompass the uncared-for mess of the room. It was closed and the tables had yet to be cleared. Listlessly, Jessie began to pick up some used plates.
‘I do what I can. When Paul’s out I come down and … do what I can,’ she ended aimlessly. ‘It’s just that he enjoys spoiling me, telling me there’s no need for me to work, that he’ll take care of everything.’
‘And does he?’ Jessie didn’t reply and there was concern in Matty’s eyes as she said, ‘I’ll come again, soon, so we can see if anything can be done before you have to close down.’
The stark warning behind the softly spoken words wasn’t lost on Jessie. After Matty had gone she sat and stared unseeing at the walls, her head empty of thought. When Paul returned, she clung to him and told herself everything would be all right. Paul had promised.
Matty phoned later and asked for Seranne’s address but Jessie told her to stay away. The trouble was, Jessie didn’t really want things to change. She liked being charmed by Paul. The flattery of walking into a restaurant on his arm and see the admiring looks that h
e engendered had never lost its initial excitement.
She was nervous when Seranne and Luke came on Wednesday, and hugged her daughter for longer than usual before offering a cheek for Luke to kiss.
‘Is everything all right, Mam?’ Seranne asked. Assured that everything was perfect, she looked around for Paul. ‘Isn’t Paul here?’
‘He won’t be long. He’s gone to talk to a new bakery supplier. We haven’t been having good service from our present one.’
‘Pat gone with him?’
‘She’s the one running the place so it’s she who needs to choose.’
‘Of course,’ Seranne said, with forced enthusiasm.
Luke kept the conversation going by telling Jessie how successful her daughter and Babs had been. ‘I’ll come and fetch you one day, shall I? Then you can see for yourself.’
‘Don’t worry, Luke, dear. Paul will bring me when he finds time. He’s so busy. Did I tell you he’s starting up a business of his own?’
‘What sort of business?’ Luke asked.
‘Oh, you know how vague Paul can be. Something about selling catering equipment.’
‘Not china?’
‘No.’ She frowned. ‘He hasn’t said anything about china. Why do you ask?’
‘No reason. Catering? he coaxed.
‘He definitely said catering equipment, utensils and pans and tins like we use here, and the larger things like chip cutters, fryers and fridges. What he can’t stock he can order. He’s arranging deals with the manufacturers.’
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