It's Now or Never (19 page)

As she reached the foot of the stairs, she saw the maid open the door and welcome Sam. He stamped his feet on the coconut mat and came through into the hall, stopping when he saw her standing there, waiting for him.

He smiled. ‘Hello, love. You all set to go?'

‘You obviously are,' she said brightly. ‘D'you think it's sensible? Remember what happened last time we went travelling in the snow?'

‘How could I forget? You criticized my driving all the way there! Anyway, the main roads aren't too bad, so let's get going.'

‘If you insist, but if we crash and are killed, I'll blame you,' she said, handing her overnight bag to him but keeping hold of the vanity case. She turned to the maid. ‘You don't have to bother making the bed, I've done it. I'll see you in a couple of days.'

‘Look after yerselves,' said the girl, smiling. ‘Yer can have fun in the snow, yer know!'

‘My thoughts exactly,' said Sam. ‘My sister has told me there's a sledge at the cottage.'

They hurried down the steps and as they reached the car, Dorothy looked up at the sky. ‘Those clouds look a peculiar colour. It could snow again,' she said.

‘Let's look on the bright side,' said Sam, opening the door for her before placing her bag on the back seat. ‘They could blow away, the sun could come out and the snow could melt.'

‘I hope you're right. It's not that long to Easter and Hester's wedding.'

‘Three weeks,' he murmured. ‘She was talking about a white Easter.'

‘Is she serious? I was joking!'

He shrugged. ‘You can ask her when you see her.'

Dorothy climbed into the car and settled herself. ‘How's Jeanette or haven't you seen her lately?'

‘She and Davy came one evening and she and Hester were nattering in the kitchen.'

‘That's not unusual.'

‘No, but Jeanette was upset. Betty has told her that she's thinking of leaving art school and not going to Italy and Jeanette says she's making a mistake.'

Dorothy raised her eyebrows. ‘My goodness, why would Betty do that? I thought she loved her art as much as I love my acting!'

‘Exactly,' said Sam drily, as he edged into the traffic. ‘When I asked, the pair of them just stared at me and told me to go away.'

‘I wonder if she's pregnant,' murmured Dorothy.

Sam shot her a glance. ‘Don't be daft! She hasn't got a boyfriend. Her love is art and the trip to Italy has been her dream.'

Dorothy was silent a moment and then said, ‘I wonder how Emma feels about it. Aren't they half-sisters?'

‘Yes. I heard Hester say that Emma's going to be keeping her company at the cottage this weekend. Apparently she felt that she needed to get away. It means, too, that she'll be able to spend some time with Jared who's trying to get the renovations to the cottage finished before the wedding.'

‘I see,' murmured Dorothy, wondering if they would see much of the two couples during the weekend. ‘How's Hester's wedding dress coming along?'

‘It's pretty well finished from what I've heard. Hester reckons Lynne Donegan has real talent.' Sam glanced at Dorothy. ‘You remember who she is – the one I was talking to at the hotel that time.'

‘Yes, I remember her but as I'm unlikely to meet her again, I can't say I'm interested in her.' She changed the subject, ignoring his sudden frown. ‘So, how have things been in the police force this past week?'

His hands tightened on the steering wheel. ‘We've had a spate of robberies and a couple of them involved nasty attacks on shopkeepers. One of the victims was a woman who was unconscious for over twenty-four hours. Fortunately she came round but was unable to give us a description of her attacker.' His expression was grim. ‘But we'll get the swines eventually. They'll make a mistake and that'll be it. We do have our suspicions about who could be responsible.'

‘Your Hester's going to miss all the excitement of her job after she's married,' said Dorothy.

‘Probably, but she'll have plenty to keep her occupied and will soon get used to a different way of life. She'll be living close to Myra Jones whom she stayed with when she was evacuated. Myra's going to help her in the teashop that Emma set up during the summer.' He glanced at Dorothy as he stopped at traffic lights. ‘I've never thought to ask whether you can cook.'

‘A bit … simple meals … egg and chips, mince and potatoes.'

Sam grinned. ‘Plain, simple food, but plenty of it will do me.'

‘I like eating out,' she said.

‘Can't do that all the time,' he replied.

The traffic lights changed and they crossed Islington, heading for Scotland Road and the north. ‘You're never going to believe this but when Dad went to visit Grace the other day, they had pheasant for dinner.'

‘Pheasant! What do they taste like?'

‘Gamey, whatever that means, but he seemed to like it. Another thing he told me was that Grace is on the board of guardians at a home for unmarried mothers in the Cheshire countryside.'

Dorothy froze. ‘Are you kidding me?'

‘No, the subject came up because it's Mothering Sunday this weekend. Apparently the building used to belong to her family a couple of generations back and it was given over for that purpose after the Great War. Grace took over as a guardian after her mother died.'

Dorothy hoped it was not the same place where she and Lynne Donegan had their babies. It would be an unfortunate coincidence if it was and yet the names of mothers and their babies and the adopted parents were supposed to be kept completely hush-hush.

‘What it is to have money and to be able to make such a gesture,' she said casually.

‘The family probably had to get rid of it because of death duties,' said Sam. ‘Anyway, they get a raw deal, some of those girls.'

‘You think so?'

‘Yeah, one little mistake and pow! We were bloody lucky that it didn't happen to you,' said Sam.

‘Yes, weren't we,' said Dorothy, an edge to her voice.

He covered her hand with one of his for a moment. ‘I would have married you.'

‘I know but we were far too young,' she said.

‘Even so …'

They fell silent.

Then Sam said, ‘I know a couple of prostitutes who slipped up and got themselves pregnant.'

‘Do you?'

‘Part of the job, love. Last time it was due to a stabbing and we had to haul several of them in. Actually it was not that far from where Jeanette's living now. There's a Seamen's Club nearby.'

‘Who was it who was stabbed?'

‘A pimp. He nearly died,' said Sam, grim-faced.

‘Tell me more! I'm not a wilting lily.'

He glanced at her. ‘All grist to the mill, is it? You could make a film of it. A tart with a heart of gold gets pregnant. Pimp wants her to have an abortion but she's scared because she knew a girl who died, so she decides to have the baby and give it up for adoption. Whichever way you look at it, it has to be tough giving up your baby or keeping it and having to struggle to support it.'

‘What if in your story she didn't give it up for adoption but kept it?' asked Dorothy, her heart beating fast.

‘She'd need the help of a family and most prostitutes don't get such help. She'd have to carry on selling her body, catch a nasty disease and die.'

Dorothy shuddered. ‘Really cheerful stuff! What happens to the child?'

‘He's no longer a baby and is put in an orphanage and sent off to Australia or South Africa, works like a slave, makes his fortune and returns to England and marries an heiress who is the daughter of the man who got his mother pregnant in the first place.'

‘No!' exclaimed Dorothy, impressed that Sam could make up such a tale. ‘You're wasted as a detective! But tell me how would he know that he was the father?'

‘He wouldn't. Only the cinema-goers would know because they see him at the beginning of the film.'

‘They wouldn't like that. He got the girl into trouble and didn't marry her.'

‘That's why you'd need a double twist. He isn't the man but his twin brother, so not the real father.'

Dorothy groaned. ‘Let's change the subject. The cottage, is it picturesque?'

‘You'll be able to see for yourself. You do have a decent pair of shoes or boots you can walk in, don't you?'

She frowned. ‘You're not really thinking of walking in the snow?'

‘Why not? The inn that Hester's booked us in is not that far from Pendle Hill of witches fame. If the snow isn't too bad, it would bring colour to your cheeks,' said Sam, grinning.

Her eyes sparkled with annoyance. ‘You have to be joking! I'm not walking up any hills at this time of year and that's definite,' she said firmly.

He said mildly, ‘But it is my weekend. You have a week in London doing exactly what you want but you're not prepared to put yourself out for me. I wouldn't take you up the hills if it's risky.'

‘I should think not. Anyway, I don't have boots suitable for walking up hills.'

‘Why didn't you say that in the first place? I suppose I should have mentioned boots when I first broached the subject of a couple of days away.'

She felt like saying that it wouldn't have made any difference but decided best to just nod.

‘We can spend the time snuggled up at the inn in front of a roaring fire or go and see a play that some amateurs are putting on at the village if you like?' said Sam. ‘And if you get really fed up with me, you can spend some time with Hester and Emma.'

She felt a twinge of guilt. ‘I won't get fed up with you, Sam. I suppose we can walk around the village if I could buy a pair of walking shoes.'

‘That's the ticket,' he said, looking pleased. ‘We could also walk along the river or around the ruined abbey.'

She agreed, although she would have much preferred Blackpool with its hotels and theatres. One thing was for certain, it was obvious that despite his frustration, he was still prepared to wait until they were married before they slept together. Hester was bound to have booked them into separate rooms and rightly so. It was much wiser to play safe. One couldn't be too careful and she doubted he'd come prepared – and she certainly didn't want to get pregnant again. If this coming film proved a success there would be another one waiting for her in the wings.

The two days away could have proved to be just what the doctor ordered if either of them bothered with doctors. Dorothy joked that the inn, the village, the cottage and the surrounding countryside looked just like a Christmas card. Hester and Emma had travelled up by train the day before; Jared and Ally were already staying in the village. The two women showed off the new bathroom and the kitchen which Dorothy admired, despite her preference for modern houses.

On the Saturday evening the six of them had a meal at the inn and there was plenty for them to talk about what with Hester and Ally's coming wedding, Emma and Jared's baby expected the end of June and Dorothy's role in the film. She did not go on too much about the latter because of wanting to keep the peace between her and Sam. Several times during the evening she was aware of Emma placing a hand protectively over her bump and Jared smiling at her and squeezing her free hand. They were so content in their marriage that it made Dorothy feel depressed and restless, knowing that was how Sam would like them to be but she just could not see herself in that role. Sam was gorgeous and she wanted his happiness but could she make him happy? She had hated how she had looked when she was pregnant. She remembered how she had done her utmost not to draw attention to her increasing waistline. She had worn a corset, hoping that would conceal her condition and not only because she was unmarried.

‘Hester tells me that you have a lovely frock for the wedding,' said Emma, rousing Dorothy from her reverie.

‘Yes! I bought it in London. That's where you need to go to get anything really fashionable.' She reached for her cigarette case and took a cigarette before offering it around the table.

‘I'm happy with the gown Lynne's made me,' said Hester, after refusing a cigarette. ‘And it's not costing me a fortune.'

‘I'm sure you'll look sensational,' said Ally, smiling across at her.

‘I'm sure she will, too,' said Dorothy hastily, accepting a light from Sam. ‘But clothes are very much part of my job. I have to look stunning to get important people in the business to notice me.'

‘My sister, Maggie, is mad about clothes,' said Jared, reaching for his pint. ‘She wants to be a model. What d'you think of that as a career for a young girl today? You've lived in London, haven't you, Dorothy? What advice would you give to her? She might listen to you if you warned her of the dangers she could encounter.'

Emma leaned forward. ‘When we say anything to her about it, she gets a weed on and says we just want to spoil her fun. Jared is her guardian since their mother died and she left Maggie some money. It would be easier for us if she hadn't as she keeps saying, “It's my money. I can do what I want with it.”'

‘It's a heck of a responsibility,' said Jared ruefully. ‘There's also my cousin, Betty, who has a weed on at the moment, too. She's gone and changed her mind about being an artist and going to Italy, which has been her dream for years.'

‘We've heard a little about Betty,' said Sam, glancing across at Hester.

‘Of course, your sister, Jeanette, shares the flat with her now,' said Jared. ‘Now Betty's joking about working in the theatre.'

‘Why should she want to do that?' asked Dorothy, startled.

Jared and Emma exchanged looks. ‘It's too complicated to explain,' he said, ‘even though both her father and mother were involved in the theatre at one time.'

‘She's in a strange mood,' said Emma. ‘If you could persuade Betty that acting isn't all it's cracked out to be, we'd appreciate it.'