by Kitty Neale
Before she could get any closer, a laugh rang out and two people emerged from the shabby door beside the launderette. One was Jeff. The other was a young woman, wearing a brightly coloured mac with a tight belt. Rhona thought she was about her own age, although they were a little too far away to see clearly. They hadn’t noticed her. She drew closer to the nearest wall to watch.
The woman was leaning back and laughing, looking up into Jeff’s face. Rhona couldn’t see his expression but suddenly he bent forward and hugged the woman. She hugged him back and they stood for what seemed like ages, arms wrapped around each other. Then the woman broke away and ran off, turning to wave, before she headed towards the far end of the road. Jeff stood where he was, waving back, and when the bright mac was no longer visible he went in through his front door.
Rhona felt as if she had been punched in the stomach. So he had a girlfriend after all, a young, pretty and fashion-conscious one. He’d never mentioned her but she’d never asked him directly about the subject so she shouldn’t be surprised, or blame him. Yet she was stunned. Had she misread his signals? Was there really no buzz between them? How could she have got this so wrong? There was no way she was going to ring his doorbell now.
Turning, she went back the way she had come, towards the familiar bus stop. The wind was blowing hard and that’s what must be making her eyes water, she told herself. They weren’t tears. Rhona Foster didn’t cry over men.
‘Lily? Mavis? Blimey, what’s going on?’ Pete stuck his head around the kitchen door and couldn’t believe the sight that met his eyes. ‘Have I walked into a NAAFI kitchen or what? I’ve never seen so many loaves of bread. Stop what you’re doing for a minute. I’ve got news.’
Lily turned from the sink, wiping her hands on her pinny. ‘Pete! We wondered where you were. We got news too! We’re getting ready to have a party. Tommy’s going to be released.’
Pete blinked in amazement. ‘What, now? Just like that? What’s happened?’
Lily and Mavis competed to tell him, speaking over each other so much that he had to ask them to repeat everything over and over. Jenny emerged from the flat upstairs, bearing a stack of plates and joined in until they were sure he’d understood. When they had finally finished he laughed, in what felt like the first time in weeks. ‘You’ll never believe it,’ he said. ‘It’s too much, I can’t take it in, but wait till you hear what I’ve got to say.’
‘Is it really important?’ Lily was on to him in a flash. ‘We’ve got a lot of arrangements to make and we’re pooling our plates and things. I need you to run over to Jenny’s with her. She’s going to lend us some glasses.’
In reply he drew two letters from his well-worn jacket pocket and flourished them. ‘Is it important, she says?’ Even though Lily expected him to take Jenny to Battersea, he wanted to get every ounce of joy from his announcement.
‘Pete, get on with it.’ Lily folded her arms and gave him a straight look.
‘Now listen, what’s the rush? I doubt that even with all this new evidence, Tommy will be released today. I should think there are procedures that have to be gone through, and see this?’ He flourished the letters again. ‘This one is from the council. You are now looking at the principal building contractor for the whole new Peckham improvement scheme. What do you say to that?’
For once Lily was left speechless. Mavis gasped, but then smiled broadly, thinking of what have might have gone on behind the scenes. ‘It think it worked. I think Melina spoke to her husband and the wheels started turning. Well, I know they would have done eventually but she hurried them up. You don’t say no to that woman when she wants something.’
Lily too smiled broadly. ‘All this happening in one morning? It’s too good to be true. You did it, Mavis, you said the right thing to that woman at the right time and it worked. Come here, I want to give you a hug.’
‘And see this other letter?’ Pete interrupted, as he waved the second envelope. ‘I’ve just been to the bank. This is the confirmation that the mortgage still stands and they aren’t repossessing the house after all. We’re safe and I can’t tell you how long I’ve waited to say that. We’re safe, we can stay here.’
For a moment nobody spoke. The impact of what he’d said hit them and Lily and Mavis looked at each other, their eyes bright with tears of relief. Then Mavis came to her senses.
‘Pete, get in that van and take Jenny to Battersea to fetch some glasses. We’re going to throw a party and it’s a double celebration now. I don’t care what you say, I’m sure Tommy will be released almost immediately. They can’t keep him locked up now that they know he’s innocent. And, thanks to you getting that contract, this is going to be his home now too.’
‘Yes, your ladyship,’ Pete said, tugging his forelock.
‘Oh, you daft sod,’ Lily said, but her eyes were still glistening.
Chapter Thirty-Four
‘What’s all the bleedin’ fuss about?’ demanded Muriel Burns the next afternoon, her face grim. ‘What do you call this? You’re making a right spectacle of the place.’
Lily stopped what she was doing and stood with her hands on her hips, confronting her neighbour on the pavement. ‘I’ll tell you what we’re doing. We’re going to be welcoming Tommy home. He’s an innocent man whose been banged up for something he didn’t do, and it’s no thanks to you he’s been set free.’ Her eyes narrowed with contempt. ‘We heard what you did. You gave evidence against him.’
‘That young man with the dark hair what’s been hanging round your daughter? He was downright rude to me. Of course I told the police that, it’s my duty as a citizen.’ The woman sniffed self-righteously.
‘My God, Muriel, if you reported everyone who was rude to you then you’d be spending all your flaming time down the station,’ said Lily. ‘You are a miserable old bag, but you know what? I ain’t got time to waste on you. We got a party to organise and less than an hour to do it so like it or not there’s going to be a bit of noise round here and, you won’t want to hear this, but people will be enjoying themselves. Jenny!’ she shouted up at the first-floor window, the one to Mavis’s lounge. ‘Chuck one end of that bunting down here and I’ll tie it to the gate post.’ Or around Muriel’s neck, she thought but didn’t say.
‘If you’re going to have a party in the street then you need a licence from the council …’ Muriel began.
‘Oh piss off,’ said Lily. ‘I’m having it in my house so go and shut yourself behind your front door and do whatever it is you do alone in there all day. I got a celebration to sort out.’ She turned her back on her neighbour and started to tie the tape of the bunting to the front fence. Muriel gave her a look like thunder and went into her house, slamming the door so hard the windows rattled.
‘Hurry up, Lily!’ shouted Jenny from above. ‘We need you back in here!’
Lily raced back up the stairs. ‘That woman gets my goat,’ she muttered. ‘She never has a good word to say about anybody. It’s as if she enjoys being miserable.’
‘Oh no,’ said Mavis, overhearing this. ‘That’s made me think. I suppose Olive will have to know Tommy’s free. Should we ask her along today?’
Jenny looked up from the table, where she was stacking a huge tray of ham sandwiches. ‘Are you joking? Seriously, Aunt Olive? Seeing as she thought Tommy was a killer, I don’t think she’d want to come and I really don’t think Tommy would want her here. Isn’t the idea that we fill the house with people who love him? And that,’ she added firmly, ‘rules her out.’
Mavis nodded. ‘You’re right of course. I’m glad you let Greg come over after school, even if he did have to get the bus on his own for the first time.’
‘You mollycoddle that boy,’ said Lily bluntly. ‘About time he did that journey. He’s done it often enough with one of us, he’s a sensible lad.’
Jenny shrugged. ‘I knew you needed help, which meant I wouldn’t be there when he finished school. I wasn’t really happy about it, but he’s here now and no harm done. I’m proud
of him and he can’t wait to see his uncle Tommy.’
Mavis thought for a moment. ‘There’s someone else I’d like to invite. Maybe Greg and James could go to fetch her – she only lives on our old street.’
Lily looked up at her daughter. ‘You mean Rhona? I’m still not sure about that girl. She’s man-mad, and fast.’
‘I don’t care what people say about her and neither should you. Rhona has got a heart of gold and she didn’t believe that Tommy was guilty. She helped me so much, Mum. She persuaded me to ask for permission to display the oil painting of the children in Grace’s school. Melina saw it and when the other mothers heard that she’d commissioned a portrait, a lot of them wanted one too. Rhona also persuaded a woman at the factory to have a portrait painted. It was also thanks to Rhona that I found the nerve to talk to Melina about Pete, but you know all this.’
‘Yeah, you’re right. Sorry love.’
‘Rhona loves a party and she’ll be finished work by now.’
Lily stuck her head round the door to call out, ‘James! Greg! We’ve got a job for you.’
As time went on and the evening closed in, Mavis watched anxiously from the window. ‘I had wanted to spend a bit of time alone with Tommy, but then the plans for the party sort of took over and I felt bulldozed into it.’
Jenny put an arm around her Mavis’s shoulder as she too peered out of the window. ‘You’ll have all the time in the world to be alone with him soon.’
‘Yes, there is that, but how long do you think it’ll take them to get back from the prison? It’s such a long way and the traffic might be bad.’
‘Don’t worry. He’ll here soon, and now we know you won’t have to move out of this house it’s a double celebration.’
‘I know. It’s wonderful,’ Mavis smiled through her nerves. ‘It’s lovely too that Melina and I have become friends. It was nice of her to suggest taking Grace to her house to play with her daughter after school. She said it would keep Grace from getting under my feet, but she’ll be bringing her home soon. When she drops her off, Pete is going to thank her in person for putting the pressure on her husband behind the scenes.’
There was the sound of a car and Mavis craned her neck to see. It wasn’t Pete’s van, but a big black limousine. ‘That must be her now,’ she said. ‘I can’t think of anyone else round here who’d have a car like that.’
Sure enough the impressive vehicle pulled up in front of their house and Grace tumbled out, followed by Maria, and finally from the driver’s side stepped Melina, complete with the latest fashionable coat. Mavis ran to let them in and the girls rushed past her, eager to see the party preparations.
Melina looked up approvingly at the bunting. ‘This is very good. I expect you made it?’
Mavis nodded. ‘Yes, well, myself and my mum. We did it for one of the children’s birthdays back in the summer so it seemed the right idea to use it again.’ She paused. ‘I wanted to thank you, Melina. You’ll know that Pete got the news we’ve been waiting for today. I can’t even begin to say what that means to us all. Please come inside as he wants to thank you personally.’
‘It isn’t necessary, it was nothing. When you told me of the problems the delay had caused, I’m only sorry it took this long. Oh, I have brought you this.’ She turned to the car and lifted a large box from the back.
‘Champagne? You’re brought champagne?’ Mavis gasped. She’d never tried it and neither had any of her family, as far as she knew.
‘Of course. It is a celebration, isn’t it?’ Melina widened her beautifully made-up eyes. ‘We must do it properly.’
At that moment there was the sound of another car engine. Mavis looked up. It sounded familiar and there coming down the street was Pete’s van. As Melina’s car was on his usual spot, he pulled up outside Mrs Burns’ house and her door immediately swung open.
‘Don’t you be thinking you can leave that rust heap there!’ she began, but a look from Pete as he climbed out silenced her.
‘Don’t you reckon you’ve caused enough trouble?’ he asked mildly. ‘If you’ve nothing pleasant to say, then keep quiet.’
Stunned, Mrs Burns glared at him in silence and then retreated.
Mavis took hardly any notice of this exchange. Her eyes were fixed on the passenger door. It seemed like ages before it opened and finally Tommy got out. He gazed at her, and then the house with its decorations, and his face broke into a huge smile.
Mavis almost flew into his arms. ‘At last!’ she gasped, Tommy hugging her tightly before his mouth dropped to hers, their kiss deep.
Time stood still and all the fear and dread of the past few months faded away as Mavis melted into his warm, familiar arms. Gradually she became aware that there was cheering from the window as Lily and Jenny had thrown it open to poke their heads out.
‘Welcome home!’ they shouted, and eventually Tommy stopped kissing Mavis and waved up them.
‘Oh my God,’ said Mavis. ‘I can hardly believe you’re here, Tommy. Let me look at you properly. That time I saw you in prison, I was sick with worry, even though I knew you were innocent.’ She struggled against the weight of emotion that threatened to overcome her and wrapped her arms around him again. ‘Oh, Tommy, I never, ever, want to lose you again.’
‘You won’t, love,’ he said, drawing back to look into her eyes. ‘It doesn’t matter what I went through in prison now. I’m here with you and I’m staying. God, I love you, Mavis.’
Mavis gazed at him, taking in every inch of his beloved face. ‘You’re home, my love, you’re home. It’s … it’s … I don’t have the words to describe it. You know, when I remembered how you looked when you came back to the pub that night … I knew you couldn’t have killed Alec, but I could tell something was wrong.’
Tommy sighed and held her tightly. ‘I’d just messed up the most important conversation of my life. I’d totally failed to get Alec to agree to divorce you and he even said he wanted custody of the children. I knew that would break your heart, so I did row with him, I don’t deny it. We almost had a scuffle too, but he was slippery and pushed past me. I felt so useless, and furious with him for messing up your life. And I was angry with myself for losing my temper; for not keeping a level head.’
‘Oh, Tommy, you should have told me.’
‘I was too ashamed of making such a mess of it.’
Mavis hugged him again. ‘It doesn’t matter. It’s all over with now and you’re here.’
He stroked her hair tenderly. ‘Yes, you’re right. It’s all behind us now.’
Pete came up to them, carrying Tommy’s bag. ‘Come on you two, that’s enough canoodling for now. Let’s get to that party or your mum will have kittens, Mavis.’
She gazed up into Tommy’s eyes. ‘Are you ready for this?’
He nodded. ‘Yes. Let’s get this party over and then hopefully I can have you all to myself.’
‘Forever,’ she whispered, taking Tommy’s hand and leading him past the banner that read, ‘WELCOME HOME TOMMY’.
He looked at the huge spread of food and the booze, and grinned. ‘I haven’t seen grub like this since before I was inside, and I can’t wait to drink a bottle of that beer.’
‘Coming up,’ said Pete.
Tommy hugged Jenny and then Lily, but then frowned quizzically, puzzled when he caught sight of Melina. Mavis hastily introduced them and Melina offered them both glasses of champagne. Mavis took one and sipped it dubiously, but Tommy shook his head. ‘That’s very kind of you but to be honest I’d rather have the drink that Pete has poured me.’
‘I’m with you on that,’ said Pete.
Melina shrugged prettily. ‘You English men. You are all the same. But it is your party and you must drink what you like.’
There was more noise from the front path and James and Greg raced in, both wanting to get to Tommy first. Behind them came Rhona, followed by a tall young man with brown hair and kind eyes.
‘Rhona!’ Mavis exclaimed in delight, and came across
the room to hug her friend. ‘You made it. I’m glad the boys found you. And who’s this?’ She hoped it was who she thought it was.
Rhona looked unusually shy. ‘This is Jeff. Jeff, here’s Mavis, the one I told you about.’
Jeff shook her hand. ‘I’m pleased to meet you. I understand it’s you I have to thank for this Rolling Stones ticket?’
Mavis’s eyes widened. ‘Oh, you didn’t say you’d managed to get tickets for the Stones, Rhona. Lucky you.’
‘Yeah, well, earlier today I thought I’d be going with Penny,’ Rhona said sheepishly. ‘I’d gone round to Jeff’s with them and saw him outside his flat, hugging and saying goodbye to a gorgeous girl. I nearly gave up on him then and I was about to go home. Then I thought that seeing as I’d travelled all the way to Camden, I might as well drop in anyway even if Jeff had a girlfriend. I was a bit shook up, but I had to find out for sure.’
Jeff looked down at her, his face radiant. ‘You daft woman. Didn’t you notice how alike we are?’ he said, then turning to look at Mavis, ‘As I told Rhona, it was my sister. She doesn’t live in London, but as she had a meeting to attend she decided to visit me and to stay overnight.’
‘Yeah, well, I didn’t know you had a sister.’
‘It didn’t occur to me to mention her,’ he said, but then his face grew serious. ‘Why would I look at another girl when you’re in my life? I just didn’t think you were interested in me, that’s all. You always acted so cool, and anyway, I knew you went for flash men, like Gary.’
‘Oh, him!’ Rhona made a disgusted face. ‘All talk, no trousers. No, I’ve grown up a bit since he dumped me. Mave, you’re a star. Your advice was spot on.’
‘Champagne?’ asked Melina, coming over with two brimming glasses.
‘Don’t mind if I do,’ said Rhona. ‘Makes a change from Babycham. I bet you haven’t had this before, Jeff. See, I only bring you to the best places.’