by Fiona Ford
With that the children filed out of the room, Stan shooting her a small smile as he passed her. Once the last child had gone, Flo made her way to the chairs and helped Celia stack them. The older woman had been very quiet since Flo’s arrival, and Flo was unsure what to say.
‘I saw Henry this morning.’ Celia said, cutting Flo’s indecision in two. ‘He seems well.’
‘Good,’ Flo said, and meaning it. ‘I don’t know what he told you …’
As her voice trailed off, Celia shot her a sympathetic smile. ‘He told me that he had been accused of theft, Flo.’
Flo nodded. There was something in Celia’s eyes that made her feel ashamed. ‘I don’t want to believe it’s him.’
‘It’s not,’ Celia said sharply. ‘I’ve come to know Henry very well and I know it’s not in his nature to thieve.’
‘I heard he has previously been in prison, though, for theft,’ Flo stated.
‘Not everything is as it seems …’
Celia sighed and sank down on to one of the hard backed chairs. Patting the one next to it she encouraged Flo to join her.
‘I don’t know what he’s told you about his background, Flo, probably not much, but you’re a decent judge of character: you must know a good man when you see one.’
Flo bit her lip. ‘I think I do. But what other explanation is there other than Henry took the money?’
‘That I don’t know. But I know this: when a good man insists he didn’t do something, he needs help not a cold shoulder.’
‘Is that what you think I’m doing?’ Flo cried. ‘It’s been hard for me, Celia. I don’t know what to do or say. I’m conflicted.’
‘I know you are.’ Celia sighed as she patted Flo’s forearm. ‘Perhaps that was unkind of me – I’m sorry. But Henry needs someone, Flo. He has nobody else aside from me and Stan.’
Flo hung her head in sorrow. She wanted to believe Henry, but at the moment her head felt just too heavy with it all.
‘I simply can’t make any sense of this,’ she sighed.
‘I know. But you Liberty girls are so good at helping each other out when one of you is in need, I rather think Henry might like a bit of your help too. At least hear him out?’ Celia ventured.
Flo nodded. It really was the least she could do.
‘I’ll go and see him,’ Flo said with a limp smile.
‘Tomorrow?’ Celia asked hopefully.
Flo shook her head. ‘There’s another Liberty girl that needs my help tomorrow.’
Chapter Thirty-Five
The heavy wooden doors of Holloway Prison banged shut ominously behind her and Flo couldn’t help jumping at the noise. The uniformed prison guards led her down a dank corridor. She wasn’t sure where she was going, or how long this corridor would last; only a little light filtered through the tiny windows at the top of the walls towering above her, making her feel confused. She had a feeling that this was deliberate – a technique designed to confuse the poor inmates who were misfortunate enough to end up here.
Immediately, Flo thought of Henry. Had the prison he had been incarcerated in looked like this? Was there paint flaking from the walls? Was the air filled with an acrid smell of bleach and sweat? Flo hadn’t been sure what to expect when she entered the prison. She knew it wouldn’t be pretty, that conditions were ugly, but this was worse than she could ever have imagined.
It was the noise that was really getting to her. The hollow laughs of prisoners; the shouts of misery that rang across the jail as her feet pounded against the concrete floor. It was unsettling, and Flo immediately wanted to leave. This wasn’t a place in which she belonged; in fact, she wasn’t sure if this was a place where anyone belonged.
Before long she was shown into a bare room with just a wooden table and two chairs where she was told to sign a sheaf of forms. The sheer number made Flo’s hand ache from scribbling her name so often, but she was here now – she would make this worthwhile.
Once she had completed the required paperwork Flo was led down another corridor, one with a series of doors with locks and gates, where jailers with keys stood guard, idly fumbling with huge brass key rings hanging from their belts.
Just when she thought the corridor was leading nowhere, she saw a larger room up ahead: still cold and dark, but with a handful of battered tables and chairs lining the walls. Flo was told which seat to take and to wait.
Dutifully she did so and felt grateful when she didn’t have to wait long, as all too soon, there in all her glory, looking as triumphant and as menacing as the day she had been caught red-handed making hooch, stood Mrs Matravers in an ill-fitting grey skirt and blouse, her wrists bound in handcuffs.
‘I wondered when one of you would turn up,’ she said, her face smug as she took a seat opposite Flo. ‘Never thought it would be you though.’
Flo said nothing, merely looking the former deputy manager up and down and taking in her appearance. Mrs Matravers had aged and lost a lot of weight. She was only in her mid-thirties but her hair was grey, her cheeks hollow and her skin lifeless, just like her eyes.
‘Mary’s tried to see you many times, and you always turned down her application for a visit.’
Mrs Matravers shrugged. ‘I don’t want her here. Lording it over me with her airs and graces.’
Flo shook her head in disbelief. ‘Have you learned nothing since you’ve been locked away? Mary’s not like that, she’s never been like that, it’s all in your head.’
‘If you say so,’ Mrs Matravers replied idly, refusing to look Flo in the eye.
Flo didn’t know what to say next. She had planned this visit out in her mind for days, practising what she was going to say and how she was going to say it. She had taken comfort in the fact that Mrs Matravers had never really had a problem with her, and there was a possibility she might even open up to her, given she had gone into business making that revolting hooch with Flo’s own father. The thought made Flo uncomfortable. She didn’t want to talk about Bill Wilson or even think about him. She was here for one reason only, for Mary, to get Mrs Matravers to see reason and sign her child over to Mary and David when they finally married.
But Mrs Matravers had always been a difficult woman. Even when she was married to Alf and lauded in her position as deputy store manager of Liberty’s, Mrs Matravers had always enjoyed making life difficult for others.
‘You’ve never liked me, have you?’ Mrs Matravers’ voice punctuated Flo’s thoughts, making her jump slightly.
‘Not much, no,’ Flo replied with searing honesty. ‘You never knew how to treat people properly. The icing on the cake was when you sent Rose nearly blind with your get-rich-quick scheme.’
Mrs Matravers laughed. ‘It was hardly that. We needed money for the baby.’
‘Because your vile husband was out of a job again,’ Flo countered.
‘Don’t you talk about my Alf like that,’ Mrs Matravers snapped. ‘He’s a good man.’
This time it was Flo’s turn to laugh. ‘A hardened criminal, work-shy, prone to theft and violence – I can’t believe you’re still defending him.’
‘He’s my husband,’
‘And not a very good one,’ Flo hissed, leaning forward and meeting Mrs Matravers’ eye. ‘It’s about time you faced reality.’
‘Meaning?’
‘You must know why I’ve come.’
‘You want me to change my mind about giving my child up to my brother and Mary?’ Mrs Matravers asked with a loud sigh.
‘Yes.’ Flo nodded. ‘And I don’t understand why you’ve said you don’t want them adopting her any more. You must want what’s best for your daughter.’
‘I’m not convinced that her uncle and the woman who fell pregnant out of wedlock is the best thing for my daughter,’ Mrs Matravers said matter-of-factly.
‘So, aside from your ridiculous prejudices about Mary, let me get this straight. You want your daughter to grow up in care? Passed from pillar to post, never knowing a loving home, is that really what you wa
nt?’ Flo asked, shaking her head in despair.
Mrs Matravers shuffled in her seat and pursed her lips. ‘It’s not as simple as that.’
‘It’s just as simple as that,’ Flo hissed, banging her fist on the table for emphasis. ‘When my mother left me, just think what life would have been like if I hadn’t had my Aunt Aggie to turn to. I too could have been brought up who knows where, but I had love and I had a family. Surely you want that for Emma?’
‘I don’t know,’ Mrs Matravers said, her tone softer now. ‘I don’t know what’s best for my little girl. I never expected to be here, Florence, surely you can understand that? All I ever wanted was a baby, a family of my own. It was why I went to the lengths I did to try and make ends meet. I thought if I could just get enough money together for us we would be the perfect family and then Alf would find another job, and everything would be all right. The hooch ring was only ever supposed to be temporary.’
To Flo’s surprise, a great big tear rolled down Mrs Matravers’ cheek.
‘Of course I can’t stand the thought of her being brought up in a place where she isn’t loved or cherished. But the idea of someone else adopting her, so she will never know me, is unthinkable. It means this mistake I made is permanent,’ Mrs Matravers finished.
‘But she will know you,’ Flo cried. ‘You’ve been through all this with David. He and Mary have assured you that when the time is right and you’re free, then you and Emma will be reunited in some form.’
‘But what form?’ Mrs Matravers cried. ‘Mary has already lost one baby; she must be desperate to get her hands on another. What if she doesn’t marry my brother and then refuses to give her back to me or even let me see her?’
Flo looked at her in astonishment. The depths of Mrs Matravers’ imagination knew no bounds. She was so cynical, so untrusting – but then again, Flo imagined that most people who were imprisoned would end up the same way.
‘Mrs Matravers, I can sit here and tell you that Mary is a good person, that she doesn’t deserve your damnation, that she only wants what’s best for Emma, but we both know that’s pointless. What really matters is what you want for Emma and how you want her to grow up. Imagine the state decides to give her up for adoption to strangers? Then you’ll never have anything to do with her. You may not like the offer on the table, but given you’re not going anywhere for quite some time you don’t have a great many options, unless of course one of those choices is letting your daughter suffer in just the way you are in here.’
With that Flo got to her feet, feeling weary. The visit had been a mistake. She had hoped that she would be able to reason with her former boss, and to show her that Mary and David, whenever they wed, would be the best choice for Emma, but she could see that was impossible.
‘Goodbye, Mrs Matravers, and don’t worry, I won’t visit again.’
‘Wait,’ Mrs Matravers called as Flo reached halfway across the room. ‘Have you seen her with Emma? Mary, I mean. Have you seen her?’
A broad smile slowly crept across Flo’s face as she recalled Mary holding Emma at Arthur’s christening in the summer. Everyone had wanted to include the baby in as many events as possible and the orphanage didn’t object to Mary taking her out for the day.
‘Yes.’ Flo nodded. ‘She’s a natural, Mrs Matravers, and she loves Emma as if she were her own.’
After that Flo didn’t wait for a response and simply walked towards the door. The jailer let her out, and Flo left the prison without looking back, wanting to get as far away from the poison that woman trailed in her wake as quickly as possible.
Chapter Thirty-Six
The prison visit the previous day had shaken Flo, and consequently she had woken tired and full of despair. The sight of Mrs Matravers sitting behind that table, still holding on to the power she had wielded so mercilessly when she worked at the store, had haunted her all night long.
Staring into a strong brown cup of tea over her morning break, Flo hoped for a flash of clarity or earth-shattering wisdom. Sadly, nothing came.
‘You’ve got a face like a busted clock,’ Dot said as she burst into the room.
Flo lifted her chin and smiled at the matriarch, who as usual wasted no time mincing her words. ‘It’s been a tough few days, Dot.’
Dot pulled out a chair next to Flo. ‘Is everything all right, darlin’? You were ever so quiet last night.’
‘Am I supposed to be singing and dancing all the time?’ Flo snapped.
As Dot leaned back in surprise Flo felt a flash of guilt. ‘Sorry, I don’t know what’s come over me.’
‘You’ve had a lot on your plate, it seems to me,’ Dot said. ‘Anything you want to talk about?’
Flo sighed. There was so much she wanted to talk about. Her failed talk with Mrs Matravers, the way she had let Mary down, the death of her husband, the singing she loved and still missed, the fundraising night, and the fact a man she thought was a trusted friend had possibly turned out to be a cheat and liar.
‘I’m fine,’ Flo said eventually.
Dot pursed her lips. ‘We both know that’s not true. But if you change your mind, you know where to find me.’
Flo nodded. ‘Did you need me for something?’
‘Ah, yes.’ Dot rolled her eyes, cross with herself. ‘Almost forgot. Edwin wants you in his office.’
‘Me?’ Flo exclaimed. ‘What have I done now?’
‘I don’t necessarily think it’s something you’ve done, darlin’. Henry’s here and in the office with Edwin.’
Flo got to her feet, washed her cup in the sink and then made her way through the labyrinth of corridors towards Mr Button’s office. Rose looked up and smiled sympathetically at her friend and ushered her straight in.
Walking inside the wood-panelled room, she saw Henry and Mr Button going through various documents, heads bent low.
‘You wanted to see me, sir,’ she said, breaking the silence.
Mr Button lifted his head. ‘Ah, Flo. Yes, indeed. Take a seat, won’t you?’
Flo did as instructed and ran her eyes over Henry, sitting beside her. She couldn’t fail to notice he looked terrible: his hair was greasy and unkempt; his face was covered with stubble. She offered him a small smile, but he didn’t notice; his gaze remained rooted to the floor.
‘Henry will be away from the store for a little while as we look into the mess of the fundraising evening,’ Mr Button began, his voice even. ‘That means I need someone who can help me out a little with running the store, and as you’ve done it in the past I wondered if you would be willing to do it again, on a temporary basis.’
Flo glanced nervously between the two men. This was the very last thing she wanted. She had found Henry’s job came with a lot of problems and was stressful to say the least.
‘You won’t be in the office full-time again,’ Mr Button said, spotting the concern in her eyes. ‘I’ll just need you to be on hand now and again. I’ve also told the Board of Trade I may need to curtail my consulting duties for a little while as well.’
Flo nodded. ‘All right, sir.’
A flash of relief passed across Mr Button’s face. ‘Thank you, Flo. Now, I’ll let Henry explain to you where he’s got to with various things. I’ve got to get across to the Board of Trade offices.’
With that he swept out of the room, leaving Flo and Henry alone. As Flo looked more closely at the former deputy she could see he seemed broken and she felt overwhelmed with a torrent of emotion. She’d thought they had a connection, she’d thought they had reached an understanding, but he had lied to her about so much, not least the fact he had been in prison. She had so much she wanted to say to him yet she felt strangely lost for words.
‘So, shall we go through these papers then?’ she said eventually.
Henry lifted his head and nodded. As he reached for the manila folder on the table, Flo laid a hand on his arm. ‘How have you been?’
‘I’ve been better.’
At that moment Flo felt a flash of anger. She
had been so honest with him, so upfront about her feelings, how could he dismiss her with ‘I’ve been better’?
‘You know what? You’re not the only one that’s suffered. Everyone here put their heart and soul into raising that money, and now it’s gone,’ Flo snapped.
‘That’s not my fault,’ he said, dropping the folder and spilling its contents across the floor.
‘I’m not saying it is,’ Flo replied more gently. ‘But if we want to find out who was really responsible for taking that money, then you need to start talking. I want to help you.’
Henry turned to gaze at Flo, and for the first time since she had walked into that room, she saw his eyes light up with hope.
‘Do you?’
‘Of course, but you need to talk to me. Why did Evie say she saw you with the money?’
‘She knows why.’
Flo frowned in confusion as she bent down to retrieve the folder and its contents. ‘If Evie knows, then why isn’t she speaking up?’
‘You’ll have to ask her.’
‘Well, I’m asking you.’
‘And I can’t tell you any more than that,’ Henry said quietly. ‘I know it’s frustrating; it’s frustrating for me as well, I want to clear my name but I’ll have to find another way. I can’t tell you what I know.’
‘But why? If you’re innocent, why can’t you tell me?’
‘I’m sorry,’ he said, more quietly this time, ‘you’ll just have to trust me.’
Flo stared at him in disbelief. ‘Trust you? You’ve lied, you’ve broken promises, you’ve been in prison and yet you want me to trust you?’
‘I know how it looks, Flo, believe me. And I want to tell you, really I do, but I can’t. Just believe me when I tell you I’m innocent.’
‘You were caught red-handed with the box that contained the money, you’ve been to prison for theft, but you want me to trust you on face value. Do you think I was born yesterday?’
‘I didn’t do it. Either theft. I didn’t do either.’