Sunshine and Showers

by June Francis

  An angry Patsy moved away, thinking that her mother would have called Rose Tanner a right bitch. She seemed to have no idea how the other half lived. She could have told the Tanners just how tough her past had been but Patsy was trying to build herself a new life. As it was, the past still haunted her. Even before her father had been lost at sea, her mother was too fond of the gin, and during the war she’d had a fancy man. By the time hostilities had ended there had been three more Doyles in addition to Patsy, Mick and Kathleen. Anthony had arrived after the news had come about her father being washed overboard and the family had been in dire straits.

  Patsy sighed as she remembered how she had struggled to keep the family together. It had been a terrible time but at least they’d had each other. She missed her brothers and sisters and wished that they could all be together again. If she could become a proper cook, one that could live out and earn enough to pay rent on a house, that would be great. She wrote to her siblings once a week but it was not the same as living under the same roof. She wished she could be as free as Rose Tanner to do what she wanted. Her husband might complain about her actions, yet so far he had not stopped her gallivanting. But from what had been said earlier it sounded like there was change in the air, and what would happen to Patsy then?

  She removed the casserole from the oven and breathed in the delicious smell of steak in onion gravy. She warmed the plates and served the food. Then she carried the tray to the drawing room, only to pause outside when she heard raised voices.

  She knocked loudly and called, ‘Dinner!’

  The voices stopped and the door was opened by David who took the tray from her. ‘That will be all, Patsy.’

  ‘If yer need seconds, sir…?’

  ‘We’ll let you know.’ He closed the door with his hip. Patsy returned to the kitchen and ate her dinner and fed the cat. No one came and asked for seconds. Half an hour later she returned to the sitting room to clear away. She could hear the strains of music and thought it a nice change from the couple arguing but she needed to knock several times before the door opened.

  Rose stood there, half in half out of a dress. Patsy stared at her in surprise and then backed away. ‘Sorry, Mrs Tanner, I didn’t mean to—’

  Rose rolled her eyes. ‘Don’t be stupid, Patsy! I need help here with these buttons.’

  ‘What about your husband?’

  ‘He’s gone for a walk. Come in. See to the gramophone first, will you? It needs winding up.’

  ‘But why are you trying on a dress in here?’

  ‘Use your brains, girl. It’ll be bloody freezing upstairs; much warmer down here by the fire. I’ve a couple of others I want to try on. If any of them need altering, you can sort out what has to be done.’

  ‘If you say so, madam,’ muttered Patsy.

  She stared at the back of the dress and saw that the buttons started way down at the base of Rose’s spine and only half of them were fastened. Patsy did up the rest as far as she could but the dress was a little tight across Rose’s shoulder blades.

  ‘I can’t fasten the top six, missus,’ she said.

  ‘But it’s got to fasten,’ cried Rose in a panicky voice. ‘And don’t call me missus! It’s madam.’

  ‘Yes, madam,’ said Patsy, her voice expressionless.

  ‘I want to wear it on Wednesday afternoon. You can’t be doing it properly. It needs pulling round.’

  ‘I’m doing my best, Mrs Tanner, but there isn’t a bit of spare material to pull round.’

  ‘This dress was a real bargain. I can’t have put on weight.’ Rose’s fingers inched round her back in an attempt to drag the material together but without success. She swore vehemently, using words that Patsy had heard often enough when the Doyles had lived in the hovel, near Scotty Road, but never from the lips of a woman who was supposed to be her superior.

  She was shocked into exclaiming, ‘Madam!’

  ‘Oh, shut up, Patsy, I’ve no doubt you’ve heard worse. Think of something! I must wear this dress.’

  Patsy had to admit that it was a lovely dress, made of cerise georgette, with loosely flowing panels of pink. She checked the label and saw that it was a size smaller than Rose Tanner normally wore. No use telling madam that, though. ‘May I make a suggestion?’

  ‘Of course! That’s what I’ve just asked you to do,’ snapped Rose.

  ‘If a couple of the panels were removed, it might be possible to unpick the sides of the dress and insert an extra couple of inches where needed. If anyone said anything you could say it’s part of the design.’

  Rose’s face brightened. ‘Of course, I’m sure I would have thought of that if I hadn’t been so flustered. Help me off with the dress and you can get on with altering it.’

  Patsy hoped her idea would work. It was her sister, Kathleen, who was the artistic one with a good eye for colour and pattern. Patsy began the task of unpicking the sides of the dress while Rose tried on the other two dresses.

  ‘These fit perfectly,’ she said.

  ‘Couldn’t you wear one of them?’ asked Patsy.

  ‘No! They’re attractive in their way but can’t match the cerise one. How are you getting on? I want it fixed before my husband returns.’

  ‘Perhaps I should take it up to my room and sew it there if you don’t want him coming in on us,’ suggested Patsy.

  ‘Good idea.’ Rose’s eyes sparkled. ‘I’ll tell him that I’ve sent you to bed because you have a blinding headache. I’ll even bring you up a cup of cocoa in an hour to see how you’re getting on.’

  ‘Thank yer, madam,’ said Patsy dryly.

  ‘You not yer, Patsy,’ rebuked Rose. ‘One good turn deserves another. You have all you need?’

  ‘Yes, madam,’ said Patsy.

  ‘Excellent,’ said Rose, patting her shoulder.

  Patsy left the sitting room with the dress over her arm. It would be freezing up in her attic bedroom but at least she would be left alone to get on with altering the dress. After that she would write a letter to her siblings and her monthly one to her friend Tilly in America.

  Patsy thought how life at the orphanage had come as a shock. She and her sisters were segregated from their two brothers and were only allowed to see Mick and Jimmy for a few hours on a Saturday. The food was tasteless and unimaginative and the rules were strict. There was little love to be found in that grim building. They were taught the three Rs and the girls were instructed in knitting, crochet and needlework.

  When the time came to leave, Patsy was glad to go out in the world, although it was a wrench being parted from her family. The year after she had left the orphanage, her brother Mick signed up for the ship Indefatigable, to train for a life at sea. This coming Easter, her sister Kathleen would also be leaving the orphanage. No doubt she would also be found a job in service, which meant that only twelve-year-old Jimmy and the eight-year-old twins, Maureen and Mary, would remain there.

  Patsy smiled at the thought of the twins: so alike to look at and yet so different. It had become almost second nature to Patsy to unburden herself in her letters to Tilly when there were matters worrying her. The goings-on at the Tanner household were a regular feature.

  Unfortunately, by the time Patsy had finished the alterations to the dress, her bruised finger was throbbing more than it had done earlier. Perhaps if she rested it for a while it would be better in an hour or so. Mrs Tanner had not made an appearance despite what she had said about bringing Patsy a drink of cocoa, so the girl decided to take the dress to her.

  She was halfway down the attic stairs when she heard the Tanners talking in the hall. Rose was telling her husband about Patsy’s fictitious headache and so the girl retreated to her bedroom. She did not have long to wait before her mistress arrived, minus the mug of cocoa.

  ‘You’ve finished it!’ Rose exclaimed. ‘Good.’

  ‘I hope it fits.’

  ‘It had better.’ Rose gave a slight laugh as she picked up the dress and stroked the material. She inspected the inse
rts and looked at Patsy. ‘They appear to be all right. Goodnight.’ Without further word, she left the room, closing the door behind her.

  Patsy stared at the door moodily. Selfish madam! She went over to the chest of drawers and paused a moment, gazing at the wooden dolphin on top of it. She picked up the carving and ran a finger over its smooth surface. Her father had whittled away at this graceful creature while at sea. She still missed him and wished her last memory of him was not of his having a terrible row with her mother over a man. He had stormed out saying that he might not be coming back. And he hadn’t! She didn’t suppose that he had meant that he would die at sea.

  Patsy replaced the dolphin and took out her writing materials. She gritted her teeth whilst writing because her finger was still painful and she wished all sorts of nasty things to befall Rose Tanner. When finished, Patsy viewed the pages with dismay. Her handwriting was a terrible scrawl and she could only hope that Tilly would be able to make sense of the words on the page all those miles away across the Atlantic in New York.

  Chapter Two

  ‘I’ve had a letter from Tilly,’ said Joy Kirk, settling herself in the corner of a sofa in her sister Hanny’s sitting room in Chester. Joy was a plump woman in her early thirties with a pleasant face and lovely brown eyes.

  ‘That’s more than I’ve had in the last month,’ said Alice, who was Tilly’s sister and Hanny’s sister-in-law.

  Joy said smoothly, ‘It’s partly a letter of condolence. Anyway, she has the baby to care for.’

  ‘But I’m her sister and she doesn’t write to me as often as I’d like her to,’ said Alice, accepting a glass of sherry from Hanny.

  ‘OK! But let’s put that aside. I actually came over here to talk to you both about something other than Tilly’s letter,’ said Joy, pausing to sip her sherry. ‘Mother’s death has landed me and Robbie Bennett with a problem, so we’ve decided to get married.’

  Alice spilt her drink. ‘Look what you’ve made me do!’ she cried, putting down the glass and dabbing at the wet patch on her skirt with a handkerchief. ‘I hope you’re joking!’

  Joy said crossly, ‘What’s there to joke about?’

  ‘Robbie Bennett is old enough to be your father.’

  ‘Tell me something I don’t know.’

  Alice stared at her in disbelief. ‘I think you’re crazy.’

  ‘Not crazy,’ protested Hanny. ‘Sensible. I could see it coming.’

  Joy smiled gratefully at her elder sister. ‘I knew you’d understand. Since Mother’s no longer there to act as chaperone, I suspect that the neighbours are tittle-tattling about us but I swear we haven’t been up to anything.’

  Alice brushed her words aside. ‘How can you consider marrying him after Chris Griffith?’

  ‘Chris is dead,’ said Joy, a shadow crossing her face. She fiddled with a light brown curl and tucked it behind her ear. ‘I’ll be forty before I know it and if I don’t accept Robbie’s proposal what will happen to me when he dies? I’d have to find myself another live-in position and I don’t fancy that.’

  ‘I don’t know why you can’t carry on being his housekeeper,’ said Alice. ‘I bet there’re plenty of households like yours.’

  ‘You surprise me, Alice,’ said Joy, exasperated. ‘I don’t like being the subject of gossip. Besides, I love the house and Robbie needs someone to look after him. We’re not love’s young dream but if I marry him my position will be secure.’

  Alice sighed. ‘I suppose it makes sense.’

  ‘But he is a bit of a spendthrift and likes a flutter on the gee-gees, so I’m going to have to curb that habit when we get married.’ Joy paused to take a sandwich. ‘Besides, I’ll also be in a better position to help the Doyles when I’m a married woman.’

  ‘I know you’ve always been keen to support the orphanage but the Doyles aren’t your responsibility,’ said Alice.

  Joy gave a hollow laugh. ‘You try telling Tilly that! She still keeps in touch with Patsy Doyle.’

  ‘But it must be two years since Patsy left there… didn’t she get a job as a maid?’ asked Hanny.

  Joy nodded. ‘Her first employer died and she’s with a couple called Tanner now. According to Tilly, Patsy’s not happy.’

  ‘Lots of girls in service aren’t happy,’ said Alice. ‘That’s why more and more of them are refusing to work as domestics and going into factories. It’s the reason why there’s a servant shortage. At least Patsy has a roof over her head and is better off than when she was living with that drunken no-good mother of hers.’

  ‘You are harsh, Alice,’ protested Hanny. ‘The woman lost her husband at sea and was left with seven children to rear. Where’s your heart?’

  ‘In my chest where it belongs,’ retorted Alice. ‘I try not to allow it to affect my head too much these days. Anyway, what makes Tilly think Patsy is unhappy?’

  Joy swallowed the last morsel of egg sandwich. ‘Unfortunately, Patsy’s handwriting has gone from bad to worse, so Tilly had trouble making out every word, but she’s almost certain that Mr Tanner has been mistreating her.’

  Hanny started. ‘In what way?’

  ‘That’s the problem! Tilly couldn’t make out that bit,’ answered Joy.

  ‘What about Mrs Tanner?’ asked Alice.

  ‘Apparently she’s a bit of a flibbertigibbet, only interested in clothes and going dancing,’ said Joy.

  ‘What do we know about the husband?’ asked Hanny, frowning. ‘Was he in the army during the war?’

  ‘Yes, he was, but he’s a solicitor by occupation,’ said Joy.

  Alice said, ‘Any injuries?’

  ‘He has a limp but Patsy was told he had injuries invisible to the eye or something like that,’ said Joy.

  ‘That could mean he was shell-shocked and lives on his nerves,’ said Alice, whose own husband had been in the trenches and returned badly scarred, both physically, and mentally. ‘Do they have any children?’

  ‘No,’ said Joy. ‘Apparently they have separate bedrooms. I mean, I’m all for continuing sleeping in my own room and having Mr Bennett remain in his after we’re married.’

  Alice stared at Joy hard. ‘Does Robbie Bennett know that you want to carry on having separate bedrooms after you’re married?’

  Joy flushed. ‘Our marriage is to be one of convenience, so I don’t see why he should expect anything else at his age.’

  ‘But he’s a man!’ cried Alice. ‘They’re not like us, having to go through the change and no longer being able to have children.’

  ‘Did you actually tell him this?’ asked Hanny with a concerned expression.

  ‘You mean did I say I am not sleeping with you?’ asked Joy.

  ‘Yes!’ chorused the other two.

  ‘No. I didn’t think it necessary. If he were to start that malarkey I’d soon sort him out,’ said Joy, tilting her chin. ‘Right now I’m keeping quiet about it.’

  ‘It’s a wonder he didn’t ask his sister and her family to go and live with him,’ said Hanny. ‘It’s a fair-sized house.’

  Joy chuckled. ‘Rita would have loved to take over the household but he told me he didn’t want her nagging him and complaining about his music. She has one of those voices that grates on you, and to top it all she can’t cook the way I can.’

  ‘Are you sure he doesn’t want children?’ asked Alice, draining her sherry glass.

  ‘Fortunately, the subject has never come up. I mean to say, he’s not going to want kids, is he? Not at his age. The man’s been spoilt, used to having his own way, although, having said that, he is fond of his nieces and nephews.’

  ‘Perhaps it’s for the best, then, that you don’t have kids,’ said Hanny, looking thoughtful. ‘Maybe the Tanners don’t want children either? Although… it’s possible that they might find it rather exciting sleeping in separate rooms. Maybe… he creeps along the landing and gets into her bed, just like strangers in the night.’

  Alice smiled faintly. ‘You have too much imagination. Can we be sure
that Tilly isn’t reading more into what Patsy said in her letter than there is?’

  Hanny shrugged. ‘I don’t see anything wrong with Joy checking out that the girl is all right.’

  Alice agreed. ‘I wish I could be of some help but I’ve not only a home to run but the shop as well. And at the moment my daughter is being a real nuisance and a worry. Flora doesn’t want to help me in the house or work in the shop. She’s persuaded Seb that she has the brains to study for her School Certificate so she is staying on at school. When I think that at her age I was already learning a trade in a milliner’s. Which reminds me,’ she glanced at the clock and let out a shriek and jumped to her feet, ‘I should be opening up. I could be losing valuable customers. Sorry, ladies, but I’m going to have to go.’

  ‘Don’t go rushing off just yet,’ said Joy hastily. ‘I want you to make my wedding outfit for me.’

  ‘When is the wedding?’ asked Alice, pulling on a cloche hat.

  ‘We have an appointment with the vicar this week,’ said Joy. ‘I’ll have to let you know the exact date but I’m planning on the Easter weekend.’

  ‘When is Easter this year?’ asked Hanny.

  ‘April.’

  ‘We’re in February now,’ said Alice, frowning. ‘What have you in mind to wear?’

  ‘A white wedding gown with a lovely flowery hat to go with it,’ said Joy, her expression dreamy. ‘I never thought I’d ever get married after Chris went missing, so I want to make a splash.’

  Alice and Hanny exchanged glances. ‘She’s seeing herself as a fairy princess,’ said the latter, shaking her head.

  ‘No, I’m not,’ said Joy, indignantly, ‘because Robbie Bennett is certainly no Prince Charming.’

  ‘No, he’s a sugar daddy,’ murmured Alice.

  Hanny shook her head at her. ‘Naughty. Why shouldn’t my sister have the best wedding day she can in the circumstances?’

  Alice’s green eyes narrowed as she scrutinised Joy’s stout figure. ‘She could do with going on a diet.’

  ‘I know that! I don’t need you telling me,’ said Joy, getting in a huff.