by Kitty Neale
‘Yes, you’re bound to say that, aren’t you? You’re hardly likely to admit that you’re in this for what you can get out of me. I’ve been in this job for thirty-odd years and I’ve met plenty of people like you before. You’re a nasty piece of work, just like your slag of a mother,’ he said angrily as he brought his fist down hard on the table.
Sarah gasped. The sudden thud had made her jump. Her father’s face was twisted in fury, though he couldn’t have been further from the truth. She could see he was never going to accept her as his daughter, and now she was becoming frightened of the man. ‘No, you’re very wrong. I would never do that and I wish I hadn’t come here now,’ she said as her tears dried, only to be replaced with anger and fear. Yes, her mother had been a tart, but at least she’d tried, which was more than could be said for her father. She stood up and pushed her shoulders back defiantly. ‘You’ve got it all wrong.’
‘No, I think you’ll find it’s you who’s got it wrong,’ Ron answered quietly as he looked at her through slitted eyes.
‘I’m sorry you feel this way,’ Sarah said. ‘If you want nothing to do with me, fine. I’d like to leave now.’
Without saying a word, she followed Ron back through to reception. He held the main entrance door open, and as Sarah walked through, he covertly grabbed her arm and squeezed tightly. She felt his breath on her cheek as she heard him whisper, ‘Keep your mouth shut about what you think you know, or else you’ll regret it.’
Sarah put on a show of bravado and threw him a look of disdain as she yanked her arm from his grip. She hurried down the steps and dashed around the corner from the police station, but once out of sight she stopped and leaned forward with her hands on her thighs as she gasped in lungfuls of fresh air.
She could hardly believe what had just transpired. He’d threatened her, and now she thought it was a good job that he’d left her mum. She dreaded to think what sort of life her mother would have had with such a vile man, and thoughts of Mo’s violent father came into her mind.
Ron Lyons was a wolf in sheep’s clothing, and she had no doubt in her head that his policeman’s uniform was the perfect disguise for hiding an explosive temper.
Mo had finished cleaning her room and was looking around for something else to fill her time when she glanced out of the window to see Sarah walking home. She went down to the front door to greet her friend, and as Sarah drew closer, she could see the woman looked pale.
‘Hello, love, what’s happened?’ she asked. ‘You look as white as a ghost.’
‘I can’t tell you.’
‘All right, but come on, I’ll make you a cup of tea. You look like you could do with one.’
Sarah followed Mo upstairs, and once inside she flopped onto a chair. ‘Oh, Mo, I wish I could tell you what happened, but for your sake it’s better if you don’t know.’
‘Look, if you can’t tell me, that’s fine, but I ain’t one to gossip and anything you say won’t pass these walls.’
As though her words had released a dam in Sarah, it all spilled out, until at last she slumped, seemingly exhausted.
‘I hate to say I told you so,’ Mo said as she gave her friend a cup of tea, ‘but I did warn you. I’m sorry for you ’cos I’m sure you had this romantic vision in your head, and now that illusion has just been shattered, but trust me, there’s some men you’re better off without.’
‘Yes, that’s exactly what I think now. I know my mum’s life was pretty dismal, but at least she wasn’t knocked about too much by her punters. I reckon it would have been a different story if Ron had stayed with her.’
‘What about your dad’s other kids? They’d be your half-brothers and -sisters. Are you gonna try to get in contact with them?’
‘No, good riddance to the lot of them. I don’t need anyone else in my life, I’m fine with just me and Tommy. And by the way, my dad is no longer called my dad … we’ll call him Ron from now on.’
Mo was pleased to see that Sarah didn’t seem to be upset, though she had obviously been shaken by the experience.
‘I’m off to have tea with George and his mum, Lena, tomorrow. Hopefully, by this time next week, I’ll be working. Onwards and upwards.’
Mo felt a twinge of envy, and selfishly hoped that Lena didn’t like Sarah. She enjoyed having her friend around during the day and found her a welcome distraction from her usual boredom. ‘Yeah, onwards and upwards,’ she repeated through a forced smile. ‘What about that other bloke you like, Roger? You ain’t mentioned him lately.’
‘I ain’t seen him. To be honest, with my mum’s funeral and everything else, I haven’t really had time to think about him. Oh, Mo, I wish you hadn’t mentioned him because now I’ve got butterflies.’
Mo suddenly burst into song, and began waltzing around the room as she sang Doris Day’s ‘Secret Love’. Then she giggled along with Sarah, noticing her once pale face was now blushing pink.
‘Thanks for the cuppa and the entertainment,’ Sarah said, ‘but I’d better get downstairs and tidy up before I pick Tommy up from school. Honestly, he was so excited this morning, he was like a little whirlwind.’
Mo nodded her head and tried to hide her disappointment. She’d hoped Sarah would stay longer. ‘I could give you a hand if you like,’ she offered. She didn’t particularly like housework, but at least she’d still have the company of her friend.
‘No, it’s all right, thanks, Mo. It’s only one room, it won’t take me long. I’ll see ya soon.’
Sarah walked out, leaving Mo feeling lonely. She missed Samuel and wished he would take more time off work. Trouble was, it appeared he was becoming more and more obsessed with saving to buy their own place, but the extra hours of overtime weren’t helping to fulfil Mo’s idea of a happy relationship.
Mo slumped in her chair, finding the silence of the room almost deafening. Well, whether Samuel liked it or not, she decided she’d dip into their savings and treat herself to a new radio. After all, if he was going to leave her alone so much, she needed some sort of entertainment.
A while later, Sarah stood at the school gates waiting for Tommy to emerge. A light drizzle was beginning to fall, but she doubted it would dampen her brother’s spirits.
She heard a bell ring, then all at once there was a mass exodus from the school building as young boys and girls filed out into the playground. She immediately spotted Tommy, who was running alongside Larry, both chuckling mischievously.
‘Sarah, I had the best day ever!’ Tommy said as he ran towards her. ‘Larry and me are going to be in the class play, and guess what? I’m going to be a talking tree!’
‘Sounds like fun. What else did you do today?’ Sarah asked as she went to hold Tommy’s hand, but missed as he ran ahead.
‘I’ll see you at home, Mum. I’m going to run after Larry.’
Shocked at what she’d heard, Sarah stopped walking and ran Tommy’s words over again in her head. He’d called her Mum, there was no mistaking it. She had always felt like his mother and loved him as if he were her own son, but to hear him call her Mum melted her heart.
What did it matter if she didn’t have a dad, especially one like Ron Lyons! She and Tommy had each other, and for Sarah that was enough. She began walking again, only now she was prouder than ever, and soon she’d be working and would be able to give Tommy all the things she’d missed out on.
Especially love, Sarah thought. Yes, especially love.
Chapter 21
‘George, stop fussing about like an old mother hen and relax, will you. It’s only Sarah coming for tea, not the Queen Mother,’ Lena said as she stood over the gas stove, poking a knife into some potatoes on the boil.
‘Yeah, I know, Mum. I was just having a bit of a tidy up,’ George replied as he scanned the kitchen.
‘You cheeky bugger! Are you trying to imply that my house ain’t clean enough?’
George laughed. ‘No, of course not,’ he said, and walked across the room to kiss his mother on the cheek. He checked the
clock on the kitchen wall. Sarah would be here any moment.
‘George, do me a favour, love, and plump the cushions on the sofa. Anything to get you out from under my feet.’
George walked into the front room but instead of plumping the cushions, he stood in front of the green-tiled mantel and stared at his reflection in the mirror hanging above the hearth. Who was he trying to kid, he thought to himself. His scars covered most of his face. His bottom lip was swollen, and part of his ear had burned away. He only had patches of brown hair on his damaged scalp, and his nose was almost flat to his face because of the scar tissue. His skin felt tight, and though he rubbed in creams every day, it still caused him discomfort. Sarah would never want to be with him. If she did, it would be like Beauty and the Beast – and that, though the story was fantasy, gave him hope.
George heard a knock at the door, and his mother call out, ‘Can you get that, George?’
He opened the door, and Tommy immediately threw his arms around his legs. ‘I’ve done you a painting, George. Mum’s got it. I’m at school now.’
So, he was calling Sarah his mum now, George mused as he ruffled the boy’s soft hair. It was sweet, and as Sarah had raised him, he could understand why, but he hoped it wouldn’t cause any tongues to wag. People could be spiteful if they thought a girl was an unmarried mother, and he wouldn’t want that for Sarah. ‘Come inside. You can show me your painting and tell me all about school.’ As he spoke, his eyes were fixed on Sarah. He thought she looked stunning with her long hair tied in a neat bun on top of her head. It emphasised her eyes and long dark lashes, and gave her an air of elegance. ‘You look nice,’ he said, trying to sound more nonchalant than he felt.
‘Thanks. I thought I’d put my hair up to make myself look a bit more professional. I hope your mum likes me,’ Sarah said in almost a whisper.
‘Don’t worry, she’ll love you,’ said George, and, whispering too, he asked, ‘How did you get on when you went to see Ron Lyons?’
‘I got it wrong. He isn’t my dad,’ Sarah said, and looked at the floor.
‘Oh, right. Well, come on into the front room.’
Lena appeared in the doorway and whipped off her apron. ‘Hello, Sarah, and you must be Tommy,’ she said. ‘Sit down, my dear. George, have you offered our guests some drinks?’
‘Give me a chance, Mum, they’ve only just walked through the door,’ George said and hid a smile. His mum was putting on airs, but he knew she wouldn’t be able to keep it up.
‘Thank you,’ Sarah said equally formally as she sat down prettily on the sofa.
‘What can I get you?’ George asked.
‘I’d love a cup of tea,’ Sarah answered.
‘Would you like a glass of lemonade, Tommy?’
‘Yes, please,’ Tommy answered with gusto.
‘Tea won’t be long. I hope you like meat pie?’ Lena asked.
Sarah nodded and Tommy said, ‘That’s my favourite.’
Lena went back to the kitchen. George wanted to sit next to Sarah on the sofa but Tommy had already positioned himself there, so instead he took an armchair next to the fire mantel.
‘Is it OK if I go through to the kitchen to see if your mum wants a hand with anything?’ Sarah quietly asked.
‘Yes, I’m sure she’ll appreciate that, though be warned, she’s always slinging me out of her kitchen. Tommy can tell me all about school.’
George watched as Sarah left the room, then listened as Tommy told him about his new ventures.
Twenty minutes later, Sarah came back into the room. ‘Dinner’s ready!’
George and Tommy followed her through to the kitchen, and George was pleased when he saw his mother give Sarah a warm smile. He didn’t know what had been said in the kitchen, but the ice had been broken and conversation flowed freely around the kitchen table as they ate.
‘That was delicious, Mrs Neerly,’ Sarah said as she finished her meal.
‘I’m glad you enjoyed it. Now, if you’re going to be starting work with me tomorrow morning, I think you should call me Lena.’
Sarah’s eyes widened with delight, and she clapped her palms together. ‘Really? You’re offering me the position in the shop?’
‘Yes, I’ll be expecting you there at ten sharp and then you’ll finish at three. The hours should fit in nicely with Tommy’s school. Once you’ve learned the ropes, I’ll be able to leave you to it and just open up in the mornings and cover the late afternoons. Suits me a treat.’
‘Thank you, thank you so much, Mrs Neerly … I mean Lena.’
‘You’re welcome, love. We all deserve a chance, ain’t that right, George?’ Lena said, and looked at her son wryly.
He knew his mother was referring to Sarah giving him a chance, but he hoped Sarah didn’t cotton on. ‘Yes, Mum. Now, who fancies a game of cards in the front room?’
‘You three go through, I’ll wash up in here,’ Lena said.
‘I’ll help,’ Sarah offered, but Lena wouldn’t hear of it and ushered them all away.
‘I’m really looking forward to working with your mum tomorrow, George.’
‘Good. It’s nice to see a smile on that pretty face of yours.’
The rest of the evening passed with lots of laughter, and George soon found himself having to say goodbye to Sarah. He offered to drive her home in his van, but she insisted on making her own way. Though he found her stubborn independence frustrating sometimes, he also admired her for it.
Later that night, as he lay in bed, images of Sarah’s face floated through George’s mind. He began to feel aroused, and tried to dismiss his thoughts of her. They’d had a very enjoyable evening together, and the least he could hope for was more of the same.
It was dark by the time Sarah arrived home, and Tommy was yawning. She felt bad for keeping him up later than usual, especially now that he had school in the morning.
As she turned into her street, she gasped when she saw two policemen walking towards her. They were some way away, but as they passed under a street lamp, it illuminated their faces. ‘Oh, thank Gawd,’ Sarah said with relief.
‘What?’ Tommy asked.
‘Nothing, I’m just glad we’re nearly home.’
The policemen greeted her a ‘good evening’ as they passed, but their friendly manner did nothing to abate her qualms. Neither of them had been her father, but she still had concerns that he would one day turn up and ensure she was never able to tell the truth about him. She pushed her fears to one side. She had enough to be worrying about with starting her first ever real job in the morning.
Once indoors, Tommy didn’t take long to settle and fall asleep, and Sarah decided it would be wise for her to do the same. However, as soon as her head hit the pillow, she realised she was full of nervous energy, her mind turning as she wondered what it would be like to work in a shop. George had reassured her there was nothing to worry about, but his words hadn’t calmed her fears. She wanted to be good at her new job, but years of her mother telling her she was useless had left her doubting her own self-worth. If it turned out that her mother was right, Sarah felt she’d be letting Tommy down, as well as Lena and George.
Stop it, she chided herself. This was her chance to prove that she wasn’t useless, and, feeling more determined than ever, Sarah eventually drifted off to sleep.
Chapter 22
The next morning, Lena checked her watch. It was ten to ten so she expected Sarah to walk through the door at any minute. She hoped the girl wouldn’t be late on her first day. George had talked her into taking her on, but Lena still had her doubts. She thought Sarah seemed nice enough, but she had no experience and little education. Her regular customers were looking forward to meeting her, though one had mentioned she’d heard a rumour about Sarah’s mother being a drunk and a prostitute. Since meeting the girl, Lena had put the rumour down to nasty gossip, and had decided that if it was true, then Sarah was nothing like her mother. At least, she hoped not.
The door opened and Sarah breezed
in. Lena thought she looked petrified and could see straight through her cheery manner. ‘Good morning, pet, right on time. That’s a good start.’
‘Hello, Lena,’ Sarah chirped, but Lena could hear the crack in her voice.
‘First things first … Get yourself out the back through there and take your coat off. You’ll find a spare pinny on the peg. The toilet is on the left and the stove is on the right. Put the kettle on and make us both a cup of tea, then we’ll get down to business.’
It wasn’t long before Sarah reappeared holding two steaming cups. Lena could hear them rattling on the saucers as the girl’s hands shook, and noticed much of the tea had sloshed over the side and into the saucer. ‘I don’t bite so you don’t have to be so scared,’ she said, trying to put the girl at ease.
‘I know, I’m sorry. My nerves are all jangled. This job means so much to me and I don’t want to mess it up.’
Lena’s heart went out to her. She was such a young woman with the huge responsibility of raising her little brother, and from what she’d seen, she thought Sarah was doing a great job with Tommy. ‘You’ll be fine. Don’t get me wrong, I’m going to make sure you work hard, but as I’ve always told my George, hard work is good for the soul. Now, your first job this morning will be restocking the shelves. The goods are all boxed up out the back. Just bring through one box at a time and make sure you put the new stuff at the back of the shelf. That way, the old stuff gets sold first. Do you think you can manage that?’
‘Yes, no problem,’ Sarah answered.
Lena kept a close eye on Sarah as she very efficiently stacked the shelves. Customers came and went, and Sarah’s affable ways impressed Lena and charmed the customers. She thought the girl was a natural at shop work, but she still had the till and money to cope with yet. The till didn’t do any adding or subtracting, and was only used to store the takings. She hoped Sarah wouldn’t find it too difficult. ‘You’ve done really well, love. Now come and join me behind the counter and we’ll have a go at you serving the customers.’