Facing the World (17 page)

‘The women of Paris have that special touch. Even a simple outfit is made to look elegant with a few additions or an adjustment to make the fit just perfect. It’s attention to detail really. They always spend those important extra moments before being satisfied, even if it’s only a brief visit to friends. You ought to persuade your boss that you need to go and see for yourself just how clever they are with clothes,’ she added. ‘I might be persuaded to go with you, once I tell Rick it’s for research and you need my support.’

‘Not quite yet!’ Sally laughed. ‘I’d better give it a week or so.’

The only disconcerting note during those days were the
increasingly
noisy arguments from next door. Valmai and Gwilym often invited young Jimmy in and with Gwilym he was making a model of a watermill, carefully supervised as he used some of the tools.

‘The blade is sharp,’ Gwilym told him before allowing him one of the knives. ‘Don’t push, that’s how accidents happen. Just gently and patiently use its sharpness.’

They usually turned up the radio to disguise the voices as Netta and Walter argued.

‘What’s worrying,’ Valmai told her, ‘is the way Netta now
retaliates
. Once she more or less ignored his constant criticism and the way he banged furniture about. Now she retaliates and sometimes she screams in rage. Poor Jimmy can’t cope. Walter bringing the boy into the arguments made Netta change. Everything got worse and Jimmy is in the middle of it. Poor lad.’

Early summer surprised them with some wonderfully sunny days and Sally wondered, not for the first time, what David was doing and why he hadn’t been in touch for so long. She thought it might be because she was living with the Martins but he hadn’t been seen for longer than that. She had called on his mother a couple of times but each time she had been told that he was either out, or sleeping. He was avoiding her and she wondered why, after his previous friendship.

Whenever time allowed and the weather was suitable, picnics were a regular feature of their week. They went either to the park or the mill, where they sometimes met Eric. They frequently invited Jimmy, who, she noticed, still spent a lot of time there and was continuing to clean the wooden paddles of the huge waterwheel and someone – most likely him, she surmised – was gradually deepening the stream where the wheel was locked with the silt, weeds and rubbish collected over many years.

She knew he dreaded going home. The quiet didn’t offer any relief from his anxiety; he just waited for it to start over again. One day he told her that Eric was ill.

‘The doctor thinks he ought to be in hospital but Valmai – I mean Mrs Martin – has promised to look after him. It was that Amy who found him. That’s a surprise, eh? Got the doctor she did and told Val – Mrs Martin and they’ve arranged help.’

‘I’ll call and see him tomorrow,’ Sally promised. ‘He’s been very kind to me.’

‘Mrs Martin would like to have him staying with her I think. Known him for years, she told my mam.’

‘But she can’t. Because of me,’ Sally murmured.

The flat hunting wasn’t easy, but she had to find something very soon. She had looked at all the vacant flats in the area and none were suitable. Then she went to see Eric. 

He was sitting beside a mock coal fire in his small but clean and tidy room, wrapped in a dressing gown and with an assortment of fruit and drinks on a table nearby. She added the food and drinks she had brought and asked how he was feeling.

‘Are you set on renting a flat?’ he asked, after assuring her he was improving by the day. ‘Would you consider a small house? Only there’s one for rent in School Lane past the old mill. People have just moved out and the owner can’t decide whether to rent it again or sell. If you had a word you might persuade him to rent to you.’

‘I know it. I used to live in School Lane, remember. I’ll certainly look at it.’ When Eric told her the number, it was next door to Mr and Mrs Falconer, who had asked her to leave the rooms she had rented from them when she had been expecting Samuel. She
remembered
the couple in the now vacant house and Eric explained they had moved to be nearer to their son in Cardiff.

The house would be ideal. Two bedrooms and two living rooms, a bathroom and a large kitchen. The garden was too large, but she’d gradually tame it. But could she afford it? Living next door to Mr and Mrs Falconer, who had been so disapproving, wasn’t an ideal situation but when she looked at the house and imagined having so much space she telephoned the owner at once and asked if he would consider renting it.

The man who stepped out of the car later that day made her gasp with surprise. It was the man she thought of as the red-haired giant, the kindly man who had helped when she and Amy had run out of petrol.

He kept smiling at her as she looked around the rooms, which were rather shabby, and when she asked again if he would consider renting to her, he nodded. ‘I don’t want you doing all the decorating, mind. I think you’ve done enough of that. I’ll see to anything that needs doing. Right?’

‘How did you know about that?’ she asked.

‘Old Eric. A friend of mine he is.’ He held out a huge hand and said, ‘Matthew Miller. I reckon my family must have owned the mill once, what d’you think?’

‘I don’t know. Why haven’t I seen you before? I’ve lived here for more than two years.’

‘I don’t come often. My father calls for the rent. The house is
actually
his, but I see to things for him.’ 

She offered her hand again and said, ‘I’m Sally Travis and—’

‘Oh, I know all about you, Sally. I’m looking forward to seeing your daughter Sadie again.’

They discussed terms and when he asked if she needed anything done before moving in she shook her head. ‘I need to get everything sorted fairly quickly. I have a new job you see, and—’

Again he interrupted her. ‘I know, you work for “Style”, and you need to get Sadie settled so you can concentrate on your career.’

She laughed then. ‘All right, you tell me if you have any questions to which you
don’t
know the answer.’

‘When d’you want to move in?’

‘This week!’

So it was settled. She was sad at leaving the Martins’ home; they had been very kind and it was only the thought of Rhys returning home that made it imperative that she moved out. She had to cut that link. Within three days she and Sadie were installed in the modest little house in School Lane. Matthew Miller had painted several rooms before she moved in and he was waiting with transport to help move her furniture and bits and pieces. As soon as everything was in place, she went at once to thank Eric and invite him for Sunday lunch as soon as he was well enough, The future looked good. She was earning a generous wage, with work she enjoyed, a workforce that was pleasant and a kindly boss – plus a house all to herself. Bliss.

Valmai and Gwilym would continue to look after Sadie. Again, because of Rhys not an ideal arrangement but there was no
alternative
and there was no doubt they loved her and gave her the care she needed. Sadie ran to greet her each evening full of what she had done during the day and turned, time and again, to wave to her
grandparents
and promise to ‘See you tomorrow’ as they left for their new home in School Lane.

Twice, Matthew Miller called to make sure they were settled with everything they needed, and besides him there was a regular trail of visitors bringing an assortment of gifts, including a load of firewood and plants for the garden. But there was still no sign of David Gorse.

One day when she and Sadie arrived home, Matthew was digging the garden. ‘Can’t stop,’ he said as she stepped out of her car. ‘I know you’re busy. I’ll just gather my tools and run.’ 

‘Stay and have a cup of tea at least,’ she said, laughing at his pretence at running away.

‘Another time,’ he promised. ‘When there’s more time.’ Pulling faces, waving at a laughing Sadie, he jumped into his van and drove away. He came several times after that although he was never there when she reached home. The borders were neat and the plants she had been given were in place.

She met Mrs Gorse in the butcher’s one day and asked about David.

‘Still restless, unable to find suitable work, see.’

‘Like Walter Prosser,’ Sally commiserated and Mrs Gorse shook her head.

‘No, not like Walter. He’s just plain lazy.’

What the difference was, Sally didn’t ask!

The garden was more or less completed and Sally left a note for Matthew Miller, thanking him, but it was still there when she got home. He had obviously finished and wouldn’t be back except for the monthly rent. She found herself looking forward to the end of the month.

It was late June, and the sun was still warm at the end of the day when she stopped on the way home and picked up a few pies and crisps and cakes, having decided that a picnic was a good way to end the day. Sadie going to bed a bit later than usual wouldn’t matter on such a perfect day. She was smiling as she called to collect her from the nursery. She had finished early and had arranged with Valmai to collect her herself. When Jennifer, the person in charge, opened the door she frowned. ‘Mrs Travis? Is something wrong?’

‘No, everything’s fine. I finished early today and I’ve called to collect Sadie myself. I’ve bought a picnic. She loves to eat out and—’ Her voice slowed as Jennifer’s hands flew to her mouth and she stared at her in horror.

‘But she’s already been picked up.’

‘Oh, it’s all right, Mrs Martin must have forgotten. I’ll go and get her. Don’t worry.’

‘It wasn’t Valmai. It was a man who said he was her father. She ran to him, called him Daddy, so I thought it must be all right even though you hadn’t told me. He’s been ill, hasn’t he? He looked very
unwell but—’ She saw the look of horror on Sally’s face and stopped. ‘It was all right, wasn’t it? He said he was her father, and I thought….’

Sally felt a cold chill run through her. ‘I’ll go and see if she’s at the Martins’. If not, I’m calling the police,’ she said as she ran back to the car.

In shock, Jennifer stared after her then ran inside to hold her other charges as though danger threatened them all. What had she done? She never allowed anyone to collect a child without first having made clear and definite arrangements. But he was her father. It must be all right.

Sally drove like a maniac to Mill Road and burst in to see Gwilym setting the table and no sign of Rhys. ‘Where is she?’ she demanded. ‘Where’s my daughter?’

‘Sadie? I don’t understand. Valmai’s just gone to the shops. She said you were meeting her today. What’s happened?’

‘Your son! That’s what happened. He took her from nursery. Where
is
she?’ She was crying now, fighting the sobs that came from deep in her throat. She stared at Gwilym. ‘Where would he take her? Bristol? To the woman he’s living with and his other child? Happy families for everyone except me?’ Desperately she looked around as though Sadie would magically appear. ‘I’m calling the police,’ she said and as she turned to run through the door Valmai appeared. Explanations were confused by Sally’s distress but Valmai pleaded with her to wait for a while before involving the police.

‘No, I can’t! Every moment we wait means she’ll be further away from me.’

There was the sound of the gate opening and they all held their breath, but it wasn’t Rhys, it was David. ‘I’ve just seen Rhys!’ he said.

They all spoke at once, demanding to know when and where. ‘On the path leading to the mill. I presumed you knew as he had Sadie with him. He’s probably going to your house on School Lane.’

‘If he isn’t there I’m ringing the police!’ Sally said, pushing past him on the way out.

David didn’t tell her he already had.

Jimmy was at the gate. ‘Your Sadie’s at the old mill,’ he said. ‘Are you going to get her? Can I come?’ 

She opened the car door for him. ‘You better had. You might just stop me killing her father,’ she said. She tried to drive sensibly but when the car skidded to a stop outside her house in School Lane, Jimmy said, ‘Phew, that was fast! Good fun, mind.’ Grabbing his hand, she ran to the mill.

Rhys was standing holding the handle of a pushchair, offering up Sadie’s coat, obviously pleading with her to go with him. Sadie was sitting on a blanket with food spread out before her, hugging a new toy, a fluffy blue kitten with a gaudy red and yellow ribbon, under one arm. There was jam on her face and a sticky coconut-covered cake in her other hand.

Seeing Sally, Rhys said, ‘Sorry, love. I just had to see her. I hoped to get her back in time for my mother to collect her but she seems determined to get me into trouble. I just wanted to spend a little time with her.’

‘How dare you! D’you know what a fright you gave us? That I was on the point of calling the police?’

‘You didn’t, did you?’ Alarm crossed his face in a frown.

‘You no longer have the right to “spend a little time” with her,’ Sally said, snatching her daughter. ‘Get away from her.’

‘Please, Sally, I’ll soon be able to explain everything.’

‘Too late. Now please go. I have to let your parents know she’s safe. They’ll be terrified something awful has happened.’

‘I’ll run through the wood and tell them,’ Jimmy said. ‘I’ll be quicker, give you time to calm down. I wouldn’t like Sadie to suffer one of your crazy drives!’ He ran off laughing.

Slowly, with a very sticky Sadie sitting in the pushchair, chattering about the stories Daddy had told her. Sally walked back to the house.

Rhys stood for a moment watching her, head bowed, a picture of dejection. He looked seriously unwell, she noted through her panic and anger. Then there was the sound of people rushing through the bushes and Sally turned to see him held by several policemen.

‘It’s all right,’ she shouted. ‘It’s all right. Just a mix-up of
arrangements
, that’s all.’

Without waiting to see what happened, she hurried into the house and locked all the doors.

Ten minutes later a knock at the door heralded the arrival of a policewoman.

‘Why did you come? I didn’t call you,’ Sally said, still hugging her daughter. She was angry but she couldn’t accuse Rhys of attempted kidnap, could she? She thought too much of Valmai and Gwilym to do that anyway, and he seemed genuinely sorry that his intention to return her to the nursery was thwarted. ‘It was a mix-up, that’s all. Rhys collected her from nursery without telling me.’