by Joan Jonker
Watching the barman filling the glasses, Corker was hoping George would repeat what had been said. If he did, it might encourage Paul to make the first advance.
And George did repeat it, to Nellie, Lily and Paul. But his son just shrugged his shoulders and said if Phoebe was waiting for him to make the first move, she’d be waiting a long time.
So it came about that by the end of Corker’s ten days’ leave, the couple were still passing each other in the street like strangers. Not a glance nor a word exchanged.
Molly was linking her daughter’s arm as they walked up the long path to the hospital. ‘How d’yer feel now, sunshine?’
‘Mam, I am petrified. Me legs are like jelly and I don’t know how they’re carrying me up this path. If you weren’t with me, I’d turn tail and run.’
‘Listen, sunshine, no one carries a baby for nine months without any problems. And it’s worse when it’s yer first, ’cos yer don’t know what to expect.’
‘Were you frightened, Mam?’
‘I was terrified, sunshine. To listen to me, yer’d think I was the only one who had morning sickness. And every time the baby kicked I thought there was something wrong. My Mam was no help, she used to go all red and flustered if I asked her anything, and the only thing she said was, “Leave things be, nature will take its course.” That wasn’t much help. But I wasn’t afraid when I was expecting you ’cos I knew what was happening by then.’
They walked arm in arm through the main doors and Molly motioned for Doreen to wait while she made enquiries. Soon they were entering a room where there were about ten other pregnant women. Some looked as though they were ready to give birth there and then, others were barely showing.
‘Sit down, sunshine, it looks as though we’ll be here quite a while.’ Molly looked around and saw most of the women were laughing and joking with each other. The only one in the room who looked scared to death was her daughter. This fact wasn’t lost on the woman sitting next to Molly.
‘Is this yer first time here, love?’
‘Yes, I’ve come with me daughter. It looks as though we’re in for a long wait.’
Just then a door on the opposite side of the room opened and a nurse came out holding a white card. ‘Mrs Bradley?’
Molly jumped to her feet. ‘That’s us.’
‘Are you Mrs Bradley?’
‘No, I’m her mother.’ Molly pushed Doreen forward. ‘This is Mrs Bradley.’
‘You’ll have to wait here. Mr Winstanley will call you if necessary. Come, Mrs Bradley.’
Two hours later Molly was on her own in the waiting room. All the expectant mothers had been attended to and no one had been near to tell her what was happening with Doreen. Her nerves were shattered and tears weren’t far away. If she could, she would have changed places with her daughter and suffered the fear and pain for her. For the umpteenth time she got up and paced the floor. What in the name of God was going on? The next time a nurse passed the window she’d stop her and try to find out.
Molly was so deep in anxious thought, she didn’t hear the door open and jumped when her name was called. ‘Mrs Bennett?’
‘Thank God for that! I’ve been worried sick! Where’s me daughter?’
‘She’s resting on a bed at the moment, but Mr Winstanley would like a word with you.’ The nurse covered the ground quickly, not giving Molly time to ask questions. ‘In here, please.’
The man sitting behind the desk got to his feet. After checking the name on a paper in front of him, he held out his hand. ‘Mrs Bennett, I’m Mr Winstanley.’
‘Just tell me me daughter’s all right, Mr Winstanley, before I have a heart attack and yer’ve got another patient on yer hands.’
He smiled and waved her to a seat. ‘Doreen will be fine. She’s resting in one of the side wards at the moment, feeling sickly, with a sore tummy and probably hating me. I had to put her through the mill, I’m afraid, because the baby was in an awkward position and I had great difficulty in turning it. But it had to be done for the baby’s welfare and your daughter’s.’
‘Can I go and see her?’
‘Of course. As soon as she feels up to it, you can take her home. I would suggest a taxi if you can afford it. It would be far more comfortable and she’d be home more quickly.’ He pushed his chair back and crossed his legs. ‘In the unlikely event of its happening again, please bring her straight here. I’m not expecting it, but just in case. And now you can go and see her.’
Doreen was very tearful. ‘Mam, it’s been terrible, please take me home.’
‘Of course, sunshine, I’ll ask them to ring for a taxi.’ Molly stroked her daughter’s long hair. ‘It’s over, thank God, and you and the baby are fine. We can all rest easy in our beds tonight.’
Chapter 22
It was during a slow foxtrot at Blair Hall that Paul found himself being excused by Joanne.
‘Doesn’t yer boyfriend mind yer cutting in on me every week? It’s not very flattering to him, is it?’
‘I don’t care whether he minds or not, he’s not me boyfriend.’ Joanne fluttered her eyelashes as she’d seen film stars do. ‘He’d like to be, but I’m not really interested.’
‘He pays for yer to come in so he must think ye’re his girlfriend. Otherwise why would he waste his money?’
‘That’s his worry, not mine. If he wants to pay for me then I’d be daft to refuse. He keeps asking me to go to the pictures with him but I haven’t done yet.’ Once again Joanne fluttered her eyelashes. ‘I’d go with you if yer asked me, though.’
‘That’s never going to happen, Joanne, so forget it. Ye’re lucky I speak to yer after what yer did.’ Four weeks had gone by since Paul last went out with Phoebe and this girl was partly to blame. He would never like her but didn’t see any point in ignoring her. After all, if Phoebe had believed and trusted him, they’d never have fallen out. ‘Yer told a lot of lies, Joanne, and I’ll never forget that. So go out with Sam Welsby and consider yourself lucky. I’ve known him since we were at school together and he’s a really good bloke. He’s far too good for you though it’s not my place to tell him that.’
She wasn’t going to give in that easily. ‘But I didn’t tell lies, I just didn’t tell the whole truth and that makes a difference. And I only did it ’cos I like yer.’
‘Yer cost me me girlfriend, Joanne, and I wouldn’t go out with you if yer were the only girl in the world. I don’t hate yer, I don’t know yer well enough for that, but I certainly don’t like yer. And I’d be grateful if yer wouldn’t excuse me every week. I don’t want yer to, and I’m sure Sam doesn’t either.’
When the dance was over, he didn’t do the gentlemanly thing and walk her back to where she’d been standing. He didn’t think she deserved to be treated like a lady.
Joanne put a smile on her face when she approached Sam. ‘It’s the interval waltz next, and you like a waltz, don’t yer?’
Sam wasn’t very happy with the situation. ‘I don’t know why yer have to excuse Paul every week and leave me standing here like a lemon. If I’m good enough to bring yer to the dance, then I should be good enough to stay with. I’m not going to be made a fool of, Joanne, so make up yer mind. If yer come with me, yer stay with me. If not, ask Paul to bring yer.’
‘I don’t know why ye’re getting so het up about it. I’ve told yer, I only live a couple of doors away from the McDonough family and we’re friends. And anyway, I feel sorry for him ’cos his girl’s packed him in.’
‘Yer feel sorry for him, or yer’ve got yer eye on him?’ Sam Welsby had the feeling he wasn’t hearing the full story. There were dozens of girls in the hall who would give their eye teeth to be Paul McDonough’s girlfriend, there was no need for anyone to feel sorry for him. ‘Just say the word if yer don’t want to go out with me. I’d rather be told the truth than be used as a stand-in.’
Joanne forced a look of surprise to her face. ‘I’m not using yer!’ After what Paul had told her, she knew she didn’t stand a cha
nce with him. Not now or ever. ‘What d’yer think I am? If I didn’t like yer, I would certainly say so!’ Like hell I would, she thought. Not when he pays for me to come here. Besides, Sam was a nice-looking bloke, even if he wasn’t in the same class as the dark-haired, brown-eyed boy she really wanted. And he treated her well, always polite and attentive. ‘I’m not a gold-digger, yer know.’
Sam smiled and reached for her hand. ‘Yer see too many films, Joanne. There’s not many gold-diggers come to Blair Hall, they only go after men with bags of money.’ The interval waltz was announced and he led her on to the dance floor. ‘How about coming to the pictures with me on Friday? I’ll take yer in the best seats and buy yer a box of chocolates.’
‘Yeah, okay, that sounds good. As long as I can choose which film we go to see.’
‘How’s Doreen?’ Nellie asked as she pulled the carver chair over to the table. ‘I suppose yer’ve been over?’
‘Yes, sunshine, I’ve been over. Eight o’clock every morning without fail. She’s fine and looks really well. But there’s only a couple of weeks to go now, so I’m watching her like a hawk. Phil’s had strict instructions that if Doreen has any pains during the night, he’s to come over for me. Even if she says it’s nothing, he’s got to come.’
‘I hope it happens during the day, girl, so I can help yer get her to the hospital. It’s a pity we don’t know anyone with a car what could take us.’
‘None of our friends are well off enough to afford a car. Except Alec Porter, he’s got his van. But I can’t see our Doreen getting in there, she’s as big as a house now.’
‘Ay, just think, girl, yer’ll be a grandma soon. I’ll be dead envious of yer, yer know that, don’t yer? I hate you having something I haven’t. I don’t know why your Doreen couldn’t have waited for Jill and Steve, then we’d have both been grandmas.’
‘Yer know why Doreen didn’t wait, her and Phil were thinking of Victoria. They wanted her to see their child before God decides he wants her in heaven.’ There was fondness in Molly’s eyes as she gazed across at her friend. ‘Just think, sunshine, if it hadn’t been for our Doreen getting pregnant, we wouldn’t have been so keen to find Phil’s family. As it is, Victoria will not only see his baby, but she’s met all his family as well. And as she said to me yesterday, she’s happier than she’s ever been in her life. So don’t be envious, Nellie, ’cos your turn will come soon enough. Yer’ll be a grandma three times over before yer know it.’
‘I’ll be waiting a hell of a long time for our Paul to make me one, he hasn’t even got a girlfriend. Not that we know of anyway. But that doesn’t stop him going out every night. He goes dancing with Archie and Lily about once a week, but where he gets to the other nights, well, God only knows.’
‘I would never have thought of him and Phoebe breaking up, not in a million years. I said it was a lovers’ tiff and would be over in a week, but how wrong I was. Ellen said she thinks Phoebe’s pining for him, she’s gone so quiet and seldom goes out. But she’s too stubborn to do anything about it. It’s six weeks now, and the longer it lasts the less chance there is of them making it up.’
‘Huh! Our Paul’s not a barrel of laughs, either. Oh, he might laugh, but not like he used to, if yer know what I mean. It never gets as far as his eyes. And he never pulls me leg like he used to, and I don’t half miss that.’
‘There’s nothing we can do about it, sunshine, we can’t force them back together again. All we can do is hope they come to their senses before it’s too late.’
‘I feel like knocking some sense into him, but George has told me to do and say nothing. Yer know what my feller’s like, anything for a quiet life. But it’s breaking me heart to see the way our Paul’s changed. He’s not the happy lad he was before all this. If I thought it was that Joanne Mowbray what caused it, I’d clock her one. I did mention it to her mother but Beryl says she knows nothing about it. And yer can’t blame the mother for what the girl did.’
‘Tommy and Rosie get married in two months so Phoebe and Paul are going to have to meet each other then. Unless they turn down the invitations.’ Molly sighed. ‘I’ve just thought on, Phoebe can’t refuse to come, she’s a bridesmaid.’
‘Yer’ve got a lot on yer plate, girl, what with worrying about Doreen and the wedding. If I had all that on me mind I’d leave home.’
‘A fat lot of good that would do, sunshine, leaving someone else with all the worry.’ Molly smiled as an image came to her mind of Nellie scurrying down the street with a case in her hand. Halfway down the street the case burst open and brassieres the size of barrage balloons tumbled out, accompanied by lisle stockings with the elastic garters still attached and blue fleecy-lined bloomers.
‘What are yer smiling at, girl?’
Molly shook her head. ‘Nothing exciting, it was just something Jack said this morning. Anyway, I don’t have to worry about the wedding, everything’s organised. I’ve got to say that Rosie is the most organised person I’ve ever met. She’s sent the money over to Ireland for the boat fare for her mam and dad to come over. She’s booked a photographer, ordered the flowers and the cars, and is now busy writing out place cards for the table so everyone will know where they’re sitting. In fact I’ve got very little to do. But I suppose it is easier when a son gets married ’cos most of the arrangements are done by the girl’s family. All me and Jack have got to fork out for is the reception. Oh, and a few bottles of port.’
‘How are yer getting on with the reception, have yer nearly paid up?’
‘I’ve still got fifteen pound to pay, that’s all. But our Tommy doesn’t know that so mind what yer say when ye’re talking to him. Him and Rosie were over the moon when we told them the reception was our wedding present, ’cos apart from Rosie’s dress, it’s the biggest outlay.’
‘Yer are still wearing the same hat as yer had for the girls’ wedding, aren’t yer? Everyone will know I’m wearing the same one, so I don’t want you waltzing round in a new creation.’
‘Of course I’m wearing the same hat! The price it was, I’ll be wearing it to every wedding for the next ten years. And I don’t care what anyone thinks, either, ’cos I’m not made of money.’
Nellie smiled at the words. ‘That’s right, girl, you tell ’em! They’ll all be jealous ’cos we’ll be the best dressed women there. And my feller will fall for me all over again.’
Molly pressed her hands down on the table and pushed herself up. ‘It’s time we were making a move, sunshine, or the shops will be closing for the dinner hour. And please don’t stop and talk to all and sundry, Nellie, ’cos I don’t want to be out for long. Until our Doreen’s had the baby I want to be on hand all the time.’
When they were walking down the street arm in arm, Nellie said, ‘Ay, girl, I hope ye’re not going to be one of these women who never stop talking about what a lovely baby yer daughter’s had. I mean, I don’t mind hearing once how much it weighed, and how like it’s dad it is, but it would get on me wick if I had to listen to it over and over.’
‘I’ll bear that in mind, sunshine. In fact, just to please yer, I’ll stand in the middle of the street and shout all the information out at the top of me voice so everyone can hear and I won’t have to repeat it.’
Nellie grinned. ‘I knew yer’d understand, girl, ’cos yer know me inside out.’
‘Oh, I do indeed, Nellie! I know yer well enough to know yer’ve got a head like a sieve and will have forgotten all these things ye’re telling me not to do by the time your own first grandchild arrives. But don’t you worry yer little head about it ’cos I’ll be here to remind yer.’
Nellie changed foot to keep pace with Molly. ‘See, it’s just like I tell everyone, girl, ye’re a mate in a million. I’d never get another one like yer.’ Under her breath but just loud enough to be heard, she muttered, ‘Not that I’d bloody want another one like her, she’s a bossy bugger.’
Ten days later, Doreen began to have twinges in her tummy just after Phil had left for work.
Not wanting to worry Aunt Vicky, and not being sure whether they were labour pains, she said nothing until they became more frequent and more severe as she was making some sandwiches for lunch. She told herself not to panic or she’d upset the old lady and the baby.
‘I’m having pains in me tummy, Aunt Vicky, so I’m nipping across the street to see what me mam has to say. It might be just a false alarm.’
A frail hand fluttered to the old lady’s face. ‘D’yer think it’s the baby, sweetheart?’
‘I don’t know, that’s why I want to see me mam. I’ll come straight back, I won’t leave yer on yer own for long.’
‘Don’t go rushing over the cobbles in case yer slip, sweetheart.’ Victoria left her chair to take up a position by the window. She watched as Molly opened the door and Doreen disappeared inside. Then the old lady began to pray. This was something she’d been looking forward to, but now the time had come she felt afraid for the girl who had become like a daughter to her.
As soon as Molly opened the door she could tell by Doreen’s face that this wasn’t a social call. ‘Have yer started having pains, sunshine?’
Doreen licked her dry lips before nodding. ‘I had little niggling pains when yer were over this morning, but they kept going away so I didn’t mention them. But they’re getting stronger now and coming more often.’
Molly was reaching for her coat and keys as she asked, ‘Have yer waters broke, sunshine?’
‘Me knickers feel wet, Mam, so they must have done.’