McQueen's Agency (12 page)

Molly made herself look relieved. ‘Oh that’s all right. I thought it was a burglar.’ She stood up. ‘Thanks for the tea. I’d better get back and start earning my wages.’

She walked quickly back to the house and by the time she reached her desk, she was shaking. Christie was obviously lying, but why?

On Saturday evening during the dinner, she had been in the sheds and during that time she had noticed Mike going into a small cloakroom next to the kitchen.

Why, she wondered, did Christie have to go into the house to use the bathroom when there was a perfectly adequate toilet and washbasin a few yards from his work?

She gave herself a shake. ‘Stop making a mystery out of nothing,’ she scolded herself mentally. ‘You’re here to do a job of work and the running of the business is nothing to do with you. If Christie is a thief then Joe and Lena will deal with him.’

She picked up the brochures and letters and placed them in their envelopes, leaving them in a neat pile by the side of the desk, ready for Lena to deal with on her return.

Edna was enjoying working at the seaside. John’s brother lived in a small house at the end of a narrow street. Ten years older than John, James was an artist. Several of his paintings, mostly seascapes and paintings of tiny villages perched on the top of cliffs hung on the walls of the house. Edna thought they were very well done and picturesque.

She had arrived the day before with her mum, Irene, and Billy and although they were a bit cramped in her Auntie Betty’s house, the excitement of being on holiday eclipsed any discomfort.

Betty lived in a council house ten minutes away from the centre of town. The three of them shared a small bedroom with Edna sharing a bed with her mum while Billy slept on a folding bed that was put away in the cupboard every morning.

Billy was so excited about this bed that every morning he watched the ritual of folding the sheets and putting everything away in fascination.

The routine was simple. Edna worked from nine o’clock till twelve then had the rest of the day to spend with her family.

The weather was sunny but there was a brisk breeze with meant, on her visits to the beach with Billy, she had to wear a cardigan over her summer frock. Irene came with them on the first day but decided it was too cold and said she would stay at home with Betty or maybe go to the shops.

John came with them one day. Sitting on a rug on the sand, they had a picnic of cheese sandwiches and a flask of tea. Billy had some milk, which Edna had carried in an old cough mixture bottle.

Afterwards, Billy wanted to go swimming in the outdoor pool and ran to join the crowds of children who were leaping gleefully into the cold water.

John seemed quite content to sit with her and watch Billy splash around in the shallow end.

Edna wasn’t sure how long John wanted to stay with his brother. ‘We can only stay another week with my auntie,’ she said. ‘She puts us up for the holiday fortnight but doesn’t have the room to accommodate us any longer.’

John was relieved. He had made up the pretext of coming here just to be with Edna. At night he would lie awake and try to determine his feelings for this very attractive woman who had come into his life.

‘Another week will suit me as well, Edna,’ he said, hoping his voice sounded steady. The fact was his book was almost three-quarters written and he was dreading the day when he would no longer have an excuse to see her.

They sat in companionable silence and watched a beauty contest taking place on the fringes of the pool. About twenty or so young girls paraded in their swimsuits in front of three judges.

Edna thought they must be cold as the wind had sharpened and now blew in from the North Sea. The overhead sun was warm but the wind seemed to go right through you. As her mum would say, ‘a wind that went through you rather than around you.’

John smiled. ‘Heavens I can see goose pimples on those lassies legs, and that one in the blue swimsuit has blue arms to match her costume.’

Edna laughed. ‘She’s not the only one.’ Billy had joined them and was shivering with the cold. Edna wrapped him in a towel.

The girls paraded once more around the edge of the pool and a round of applause went to the winner; a very pretty girl with long dark hair and a bright pink costume.

‘That’s another “Miss Arbroath,”’ said Edna. ‘It’s always an attraction for the holidaymakers. There’s great competition between the girls.’

Billy looked at his mum. ‘Did you win, Mum?’

Edna laughed. ‘Oh I’m not pretty enough to enter a beauty contest, Billy.’

They sat in silence for a few moments then John spoke.

‘I wondered if you would like to come out for a meal tonight, Edna. Just to say thank you for all your hard work?’

‘I’d love to. What time will you pick me up?’

‘About seven, if that’s all right?’

Edna gave this some thought. ‘Make it half past seven. I should have Billy ready for his bed by then.’ She told him about the folding bed and Billy’s attachment to it. ‘He lies in it and reads his comics for ages while we listen to the wireless. I think I’ll have to ask Betty if we can take it home with us.’

Later, Edna spent ages getting ready. She rejected one frock because she thought it looked too plain but her wardrobe wasn’t a huge one and she didn’t really have a lot of choice.

Finally, she settled for her white dress that had red cherries printed all over the skirt and a pair of white sandals. Her mum watched as she scurried around and hoped Edna wouldn’t get hurt by this man’s attention. He seemed nice enough but you couldn’t tell someone’s nature with a few meetings.

John came dead on seven thirty and arrived in a car. ‘I borrowed my brother’s vehicle,’ he said. He had left his own car behind in Dundee and had arrived by train.

Billy came running downstairs when he heard the car stopping, his eyes like saucers. He was torn between watching the car take off and returning to the folding bed.

The car won and he stood on the doorstep as Edna was whisked away towards the hotel where John said he had booked a meal.

The hotel lay a few miles outside the town and was really posh. Edna wasn’t sure if she was dressed properly but most of the guests were dressed in summer clothes so she soon settled down and began to enjoy the evening.

He was full of stories about his time at sea. ‘I’ve been in the navy since I was sixteen,’ he said. ‘Then, during the war, I was on the Arctic convoys. I got married a few years before the war but I was always away from home. It was a lonely life for Kathleen but I loved my job and I thought our times together made up for all the times I was away.’ He sipped his coffee and Edna thought he looked sad. ‘Then five years ago, Kathleen became ill. I was away but when I got home she told me she had received treatment and I wasn’t to worry. I went back to my ship and she took a heart attack. By the time I got home she was gone.’

Edna reached for his hand and gave it a squeeze. ‘That’s terrible John. How did you cope?’

‘I gave up my job and stayed at home. Perhaps if I had done that earlier, Kathleen might have had a longer life. Now I’m writing my book.’ He gave a harsh laugh. ‘Talk about closing the stable after the horse has bolted.’

‘We never know what life is going to throw at us John so you mustn’t blame yourself. I think if Kathleen had wanted you to stay at home she would have said so.’

‘That’s enough about me,’ he said. ‘Now tell my all about you. Where is your husband? Does he work away from home?’

Edna withdrew her hand and put it in her lap. ‘He’s dead,’ she said quietly.

John looked shocked. ‘Oh, I’m so sorry, Edna. I had no idea. Trust me to ask a personal question like that.’

‘No, no it’s all right. I don’t mind talking about it. He died in an accident. He was a regular soldier who stayed on in the army after the war ended. He was stationed abroad and was killed in an attack on a hotel when he was inside having a drink. William never knew I was expecting Billy.’

John felt so sorry to be bringing back this painful episode in Edna’s life. He leaned over towards her and took her hand in his. ‘I’m sorry. What a tragedy and a waste of life. And to die without knowing he had a son.’

They made their way back to the car. Dusk had fallen but there had been a beautiful sunset earlier on. The sky was tinged with deep mauve and crimson bands. The hotel overlooked the town and it seemed to sparkle under the evening light. The sea stretched to the far horizon where the grey colours merged with one another and it was as if you could see forever.

They spoke very little on the homeward journey but when they reached the house, Edna thanked him for a great evening.

John said, ‘I’m sorry I asked personal questions, Edna. I hope I haven’t upset you.’

‘No you haven’t, John. It’s all in the past.’

He smiled with relief. ‘Good. The last thing I want is to see you unhappy.’

Edna opened the car door. ‘I’ll see you tomorrow morning.’

‘There’s one thing I wanted to say.’ His words came out in a rush. ‘My brother usually puts on a display of his paintings every summer and I wondered if you would like to come with me. It’s on Tuesday night in a local gallery. It’s not a big event but I like to give James my support.’

‘I would love to come and thanks again for a great evening.’

As he drove home, he was elated. Oh he was sorry for Edna’s husband’s death but he now felt he could perhaps keep seeing her … even after his book was finished.

On the Tuesday afternoon, Edna and Billy made their way to the beach. Billy carried his bucket and spade and was soon digging a huge trench in the sand.

‘Can I go down to the sea and fill my bucket with water, Mum?’ he asked.

‘Well, make sure you come straight back, Billy,’ she warned.

He ran down to the water’s edge and filled his little bucket before running back to his sandcastle. This went on for a few times. Edna had paid a few pence for the rent of a deckchair and she lay back in it, watching the antics of her son.

It was a very warm day and the sun shone from a near perfect blue sky. Edna hadn’t realised how tired she was and soon fell asleep. Waking suddenly, she realised she had slept for ten minutes and there was no sign of Billy.

She leapt to her feet and almost tripped over his large sandcastle. The bucket and spade were missing so she ran down to the sea. Some people were swimming and there were a few boats skimming along the waves, but no sign of Billy.

Frantic with worry she ran along the beach, calling his name. Although there were lots of families spread out over the sand with loads of children running out and in the water, she couldn’t see him.

‘Please, please don’t let him be in the water,’ she prayed. At the far edge of the sand was a first aid building and she ran inside. ‘You haven’t seen my little boy, have you?’ she asked the attendant. ‘He’s five years old with dark hair and he’s wearing a pair of blue shorts.’

The man shook his head. ‘We’ve had a few lost kiddies in today but they’ve all been reunited with their parents. We haven’t had anyone in since dinnertime.’

By now Edna was in tears and the man said he would get someone to help her search for him. A large woman appeared and said she would search one end of the beach while Edna concentrated on the other side.

Edna ran between the legs of snoozing sunbathers and capering children. The sand tugged at her sandals and she felt she was wading in treacle. She got as far as her vacant deckchair and the sandcastle now looked forlorn.

Beyond the beach lay the sand dunes; large patches of windblown grass that punctuated the sandy stretches. The grass was sharp against her bare legs but she barely felt it.

She kept calling out Billy’s name but no one answered. There was no one on this part of the beach, nothing but isolation and the vast sea which could easily swallow a little boy.

Suddenly she heard her name being called and when she turned, the helper came towards her, holding Billy’s hand tightly.

He ran up to her. ‘You got lost, Mummy. The man tried to find you.’

Edna dropped to her knees. ‘What man, Billy?’

‘He took my hand and said we had to look for you but you weren’t there.’

Edna looked at the woman. ‘There was no one with him when I found him. He was up on the road that runs alongside the beach,’ she said.

‘The man wanted to buy me an ice cream but I said no. I told him I had to find you so we started to look for you.’

Edna didn’t know what to think. Perhaps someone’s father had found him and was only being helpful.

‘Billy, why did you go up onto the road?’

Billy shrugged. ‘I thought that’s where you were.’

Edna could see that it was no good questioning him any longer. ‘Come on, it’s time to go home. Where’re your bucket and spade.’

Billy’s face crumpled and he began to cry. ‘I don’t know.’

‘Thank you for helping me. You’ve been very kind,’ she said as the woman walked away.

Back in the house, Irene tried to make light of the incident but Edna was worried.

‘I shouldn’t have fallen asleep, Mum, but Billy should have known to stay beside me. I’ve told him often enough never to stray when we’re out.’

Irene had put him to bed with his comics. ‘Well he’s fine now so don’t punish yourself.’

She looked at the clock. ‘What time are you going to this gallery?’

Edna groaned aloud. ‘I’d forgotten about that. Can you give John a message and tell him I can’t go?’

Irene was firm. ‘Don’t be daft. Away you go and have a night out. Billy is fine and Betty and I will be here with him.’

Edna wasn’t in the mood for a night out and hoped it wouldn’t be a late event.

John arrived on the dot of seven thirty and they made their way to the small gallery which was situated on one of the quiet side streets of the town. The seafront was busy with holidaymakers and it seemed as if the entire town was out on this lovely evening.

The wonderful smell of fish and chips wafted out from the chip shop, which had a large queue snaking out the door.

The gallery was quite full when they arrived and there was a small glass of sherry for each visitor. Edna felt quite light-headed as she sipped her sherry. She hadn’t eaten much at teatime because of the trauma of the afternoon.