Nothing is Forever (33 page)

‘You’re too early,’ Toni called. ‘They won’t let you see him until visiting time and that’s not for a couple of hours.’

At the hospital, Tommy was sitting in the waiting-room, his leg in plaster above the knee reading a newspaper. ‘Tommy? Are you all right?’ Ruth asked, running towards him.

‘Where have you been?’ Tommy demanded. ‘Why haven’t you been in with grapes?’

‘We were only told an hour ago. Jack told us.’

‘Waiting for the ambulance to take me home I am.’

‘Coming home? Does Toni know?’

‘Yes, they told her yesterday.’

Ruth and Henry exchanged looks. They asked questions and learned more about the accident, which wasn’t an impulse or a careless climb. It had been arranged for him to start the preparations while Bryn went to look at another job.

‘It hurt more than I’d have expected,’ he said ruefully. ‘But they tell me it’s a clean break and I should be as good as new in a few months.’ He patted his leg, ‘I’m not allowed to climb trees until the plaster’s gone, mind,’ he joked.

‘Why did Toni tell us to wait before going to the hospital?’ Ruth asked Henry. ‘We’d have missed him if we hadn’t gone straight away.’

‘She’s determined to separate Tommy from the rest of the family.’

‘Why?’

‘I don’t know, but she wants to move up socially and you and the rest of us don’t fit with her vision.’

Toni sat imagining her savings dwindling while weeks passed with Tommy inactive. She knew she had to do something. Next year they had planned to move to one of the better houses near the park, a detached house, with a proper garden. She had worked out the finances. It would be tight but would be worth it once they’d recovered from the initial expenses of moving and they’d be so happy there among more ambitious people. Now they’d have to forget it all, unless…. She began to look through the advertisements in the local paper. There were jobs she could do and if Tommy couldn’t earn then she’d have to. She was writing a list of possibilities when the ambulance men brought him in.

‘I’m going to find a job,’ she told him as soon as they had gone.

‘Hang on a minute, first we have to decide what Bryn will do. This affects him and Brenda as well as us, remember.’

‘Oh, they’ll manage. They aren’t planning to move, are they?’

Ruth was surprised when, a few days later, Toni came to see her. She had come by bus and on foot, with the baby in her push-chair.

With only a brief greeting, she said, ‘Your Tommy won’t be able to work for months and I’ll have to. So if you will look after the baby for us, we’ll cope somehow.’

Ruth stared in disbelief. ‘You want me to look after your child while you work?’

‘I’ve asked nothing of you since we married, so I didn’t think you’d mind. I know how you feel about families.’

Henry stood near, putting away biscuits and cakes left from afternoon tea and he said nothing. But he was tense, wondering how Ruth would react and how he would deal with it if she agreed.

‘I’m sorry, Toni, but I can’t possibly help you. I’m needed here and I won’t let Henry down.’

Henry’s shoulders sank to a more normal position as he was filled with relief. When Toni left, he put an arm around Ruth’s shoulders. ‘Thank you. I know how hard that was for you.’

Ruth moved away reluctantly and began filling the sink with hot water ready for the teatime dishes. ‘Toni has always made it clear she can manage without me, hasn’t she?’

‘Is that why you said no?’

‘Henry, you and this place are my priority now. I want it to succeed.’

He smiled. ‘Things have certainly changed, haven’t they?’

‘We all grow up, eventually,’ she replied, taking the plates and putting them into the sudsy water to wash.

When Toni reached home Bryn and Brenda were standing at their door talking to someone carrying a bag across his shoulders. Bryn called to her. ‘I want to talk to Tommy, all right if I come now?’

Toni nodded, irritated at being addressed so loudly across the road. She went in and Bryn and Brenda and their baby followed.

‘I’ve tried everyone I can think of but no one is willing to work for us,’ Bryn said, ‘then along comes Jack.’

‘You don’t want someone like that working for you,’ Toni called from the kitchen.

‘We haven’t any choice.’ Brenda replied.

‘He said he’s worked for Henry and our Ruth, so if they trusted him – and he’s promising to be honest if we take him on. What d’you think?’

‘Like you said, we haven’t any choice,’ Tommy said. Toni’s disagreement was noted by saucepans banging about and Tommy cringed jokingly, grinning at Bryn.

‘What puzzles me,’ Ruth said, when she and Henry were told, ‘is how Jack knows what’s happening. He knew about Tommy’s accident before I did, and before that, he came here, knowing we needed help.’

Toni found a neighbour willing to look after the child and went back to work in the wool shop.

‘Should I do the same?’ Brenda asked guiltily.

‘No, we’ll manage, love,’ Bryn said. ‘We aren’t as desperate as Toni. It would serve her right if she gets pregnant with triplets!’

Tommy got around easily and he dealt with the books, and went out pricing jobs or dealing with the occasional complaint. He went on foot with the aid of a stick and by bus, occasionally being given lifts by Henry. Jack worked hard and caused no trouble, but where he lived and how he spent the time between jobs they didn’t discover. He was careful not to give them any information and after a while they no longer asked. He did what they asked of him, there had been no complaints about his work, and they left it at that.

On one of their rare free days, Henry and Ruth went out for a drive. Henry wanted to take photographs of some of the beauty spots for a new brochure. The weather was fine and the winter scenes and the few spring flowers emerging made every view perfect. Before going home, Henry decided to check on Lillian’s house as she was still in North Wales with her son.

Ruth hadn’t seen the house before and she was as enchanted with it as Henry had been. ‘I think I’ll take a photograph of the view from the garden and enlarge it as a surprise for her. She might like to sent it to her son to show him what he’s missing,’ he said. They gathered the post, which included several Christmas and New Year cards and put them on the hall table. Then Henry opened the door of the lounge to show Ruth the beautiful view. He stood to let her go first and, expecting a cry of delight, was shocked to hear her scream. ‘Henry! The place has been burgled!’

Henry telephoned the police and explained why they were there. Then they sat and waited until the police arrived. While some officers looked around they were questioned for a long time and then waited until Lillian was contacted and assured the police their presence was not suspicious.

‘I’ll come tomorrow morning and drive you back,’ Henry said to Lillian. ‘You’re upset and it’s too far for you to drive after a shock like this.’

Ruth spoke to her and invited her to stay at the centre until the place was restored to its usual harmony.

They drove back in a sombre mood, both wondering whether Jack was responsible. He could have heard them discussing Lillian and noted her absence. It wouldn’t be the first time he had broken into a house to steal. Abigail knew of his dishonesty, and told Ruth what she knew of his crimes, adding the suspicion that he had neglected her mother after her fall, and had caused her death, something about which the police were still unsatisfied.

Henry drove to North Wales and brought Lillian back. She visited her home which had been cleaned and tidied by Ruth, and talked to the police. They had no suspects and it seemed unlikely that the criminal would be found. Henry had added stronger locks, blocked the side entrances to make things more difficult, but she came away wondering if she would ever be safe there again.

When Ruth and Henry took her back after a few days, they avoided talking about the burglary, they just said, ‘Cheerio’ and ‘See you soon’ and went away as though nothing untoward had happened.

Lillian drew the curtains, and looked in every room before locking herself in and after three days, during which she determinedly went in and out frequently, her fears had eased and it was her home again. But she wondered whether she’d be brave enough to visit her son again over the Easter holiday. She had to go back soon to retrieve her car.

Ruth hadn’t seen Abigail for a while and not wanting to lose touch with her, she knocked on her door one evening, carrying some cakes she had made. The door opened, very slightly and stopped her walking in as usual. Through the gap, Abigail said, ‘Hello, Ruth. Nice to see you, but d’you mind if I don’t invite you in? I’m in the middle of something important. Tomorrow perhaps?’

‘Not tomorrow, we have people leaving and more coming,’ Ruth said, stepping back from the door. ‘I’ll write a note suggesting a time, shall I?’

‘Thanks.’ The door was swiftly closed, leaving Ruth feeling surprised and curious.

‘There was someone with her, I’m sure of it,’ she told Henry when she got back.

‘A new boyfriend? I hope he’s an improvement on Jack!’

In the small rooms she still rented, Abigail smiled at Jack. ‘I’ll have to tell people soon, but let’s have just a little more time together, just the two of us, before I admit to forgiving you and having to listen to their warnings about loving you, shall we?’

Mali and Megan invited Ruth one evening to talk about Mali’s wedding. ‘We want to book your barn,’ Mali told her. ‘And we want you to do the catering.’

Tabs at once began talking about pretty drapes and wall decorations and the lighting they could hire.

‘As you gather, our Tabs is already in charge of the setting,’ Megan said with a laugh.

Notebooks were filled with lists and although the wedding wouldn’t take place until the following spring, every detail was discussed. More seriously, when they put the lists aside, Tabs said, ‘You’ll want me to move out, won’t you, so Kenny and Mali can live here?’

‘No,’ Megan said. ‘They’ll find a place nearby.’

‘My father heard about your wedding plans and he wants me to go back home.’

‘No!’ Ruth, Megan and Mali shouted in chorus.

‘What about working with Henry and me at the centre?’ Ruth suggested. ‘A room of your own, and you’d be able to arrange help with baby Melanie.’

Tabs thanked her, touched by the offer, but she declined. ‘We get on so well, Megan and me, and the children are safe with the arrangement we have. I don’t want that to change,’ she said.

Mali added, ‘Megan and I will still work at the café and share the care of Mickie. Nothing will change.’

‘Perfect,’ Ruth said happily.

A few days later Ruth called to see Aunty Blod, but when she went to open the door, the key wouldn’t turn. It was locked, bolted, and the kitchen blind was down.

‘Aunty Blod?’ she called. It was only at night that Blod locked her door. Perhaps she was out for the day. She was just turning away when the key turned, the bolt was pulled back and Blod beckoned her in. ‘You’d better come in – and prepare yourself for a shock.’

A man was sitting on the couch and, when she entered, he stood and offered his hand.

‘Hello, you must be Ruth. I’ve heard so much about you so it’s wonderful to meet you at last.’

She shook his hand and looked at her aunt for an explanation.

‘This is your uncle Ralph, the one we thought must be dead. Your mother’s little brother.’

‘Uncle Ralph? But you can’t be!’ she sank into a chair and stared at him. ‘Not after all the years that have passed without a word. Where have you been? Why didn’t you find us before?’

‘It’s a long story, but do you mind if I wait to tell you? I want the family to gather together and then I’ll tell you everything.’ He sat back down and she saw then that he was ill. ‘I don’t have much energy, you see. In fact, if you don’t mind, I’ll go and rest while my sister explains as much as she can.’ He walked slowly from the room, stopping at the doorway to turn and smile and wave.

She stared at Blod. ‘Well?’

‘I don’t know much, just that he’s been in prison for fraud, and has had to live by finding poorly paid jobs when he once had a successful business. He’ll tell you when he’s ready. Until then, please, Ruth, it’s important to him that no one knows he’s here. Will you promise to say nothing? He doesn’t want rumours to spread before he tells his story and he wants to tell it all just once. As you see, he is very tired and too many explanations will exhaust him.’

‘I can tell Henry, can’t I?’

‘Henry knows.’

‘What? He knows that an uncle we thought was dead has turned up, and he said nothing?’

‘He promised.’

‘But he should have told me! D’you know, Aunty Blod, Henry knowing about this and not saying a word is more of a shock than seeing Uncle Ralph!’

‘Don’t take it so personally. Ralph’s been through so much and we have to respect his wishes. He’s a very sick man.’

‘But Henry knew! I really thought that Henry and I would rediscover our love for each other, that my future was with him and this Country Walks Centre. But this puts me firmly in my place, doesn’t it?’

‘Don’t be angry.’

‘Angry? I’m destroyed!’ She fought back tears. ‘I have to leave. How can I continue working for him? I’m just an assistant, that’s all I am. I can’t stay. Not after this.’

She walked back to the centre the long way. Not wanting to go inside and face Henry, knowing how little he cared for her, how impossible he found it to trust her with a secret she would certainly have shared with him.

He was talking to Lillian when she eventually went into the kitchen. Before she could tell him how she felt about his deceit he said, ‘I’m taking Lillian back to North Wales to pick up her car early tomorrow. You’ll be here all day, won’t you?’

‘I suppose so. I’m always reliable, aren’t I? Someone you can trust?’

‘If it’s a problem I can easily go by train,’ Lillian said, aware of the tension in Ruth’s voice. She began edging towards the door. ‘Please don’t change any plans you have, Ruth.’

‘No plans. I’ve just been to see Aunty Blod and met someone there whom Henry knows but declined to mention.’