Remember Me (32 page)

Hetty knew that the melodies would linger in her mind for a long time to come, and she was sorry, indeed, for the news that she knew she must soon impart to Bertram. It had been a pleasure to be with him that evening and she knew that he felt the same. As her home was only five minutes’ walk away she invited him back, ostensibly for a cup of tea.

‘You are very quiet,’ he remarked, when they had walked up the steep slope and the steps that led from the Spa to the higher promenade.

‘I’m getting my breath back after the stiff climb,’
she told him, which was partly true. It was her condition, she supposed, that had made her notice the steepness of the incline more that evening but, also, her mind was on the forthcoming revelation she had to make to him.

She decided not to delay it any longer. When they were seated in her living room she told him that she would make some tea in a little while, but first of all there was something that she must say to him.

‘It sounds ominous,’ said Bertram. He was smiling at her unsurely, no doubt aware of her serious expression.

‘Yes, I’m afraid it is, rather,’ she replied. ‘That is why I have been quiet tonight… I really have enjoyed the concert,’ she went on, ‘and I’m so pleased you asked me to go with you. But that must be the last time. I’m afraid that I won’t be able to go on seeing you.’

He shook his head ruefully. ‘I thought it was too good to be true, you agreeing to go out with me. I couldn’t believe my luck at first, but now I was beginning to think that we might…well, that we might go on seeing one another, that we might even have a future together. But it isn’t to be; I can see that. What is it, Hetty? Is there someone else, or is it that…you don’t like me enough?’

Hetty shook her head vigorously. ‘No…no!’ she cried, with sorrow and regret in her voice. ‘There is nobody else, at least, not in the way you mean it. And I do like you very much, Bertram. But the truth
is – and I’m sorry I didn’t tell you before – the truth is… I have behaved very foolishly; I’m afraid I’m expecting a child.’

He stared at her. He looked dumbfounded, as well he might, but not shocked or horrified. ‘You said…there was no one else,’ he faltered. ‘You mean…you are not going to marry him?’

‘No, that is not a possibility. He doesn’t know yet, and even if he did it would make no difference. It is all over between us. I told you, I behaved foolishly and now I have to face the consequences. I’m sorry if I have shocked you, or perhaps hurt or disappointed you a little, Bertram. But you haven’t known me for very long, have you?’ She smiled sadly at him.

He did not answer straight away; he just continued to look at her, his eyes full of concern. Eventually he said, ‘I have known you long enough, Hetty, to realise that I am forming a deep attachment to you. I admire you greatly and – no – of course I am not shocked by what you have told me…’

He paused, before going on a little hesitantly, ‘As you no doubt realise, I am a little unsure of myself where women are concerned. I don’t find it easy to form friendships with them. There was a young lady once; I even asked her to marry me…but I think I was not dashing or exciting enough for her. She very soon found somebody else. But with you…I thought we might have something
worthwhile. I still think so, Hetty.’ He looked at her in silence for several seconds, then, ‘I would very much like to go on seeing you,’ he said.

‘In spite of…everything?’ she asked. ‘I find that hard to understand. Everyone will soon know…about me, and people will talk.’

‘I shouldn’t imagine you are the sort of person to worry much about what people think, are you?’ he smiled. ‘And I am not… Will you go on seeing me, Hetty? Just as friends, maybe, for the moment, if that is what you want?’

‘Yes, thank you,’ she replied humbly. ‘I am certainly in need of a good friend like you. Come and sit next to me, Bertram.’ She patted the seat next to her on the settee. ‘You seem so far away.’

He sat down next to her; she took hold of his hand then leant across and kissed his cheek. ‘You don’t know how much that means to me, Bertram, to know that I still have your friendship; and that is all I expect from you. I will tell you another time about my circumstances. It is only fair that you should know.’

He turned towards her and, holding her shoulders, he kissed her gently on the lips, just once, then drew away.

‘We will take things steadily, Hetty,’ he said. ‘I am that sort of a person. But I would be very pleased to think that you might become a part of my life. I knew when I met you that I might have found the part that was missing. Now…what about that cup of tea you promised me?’

Chapter Twenty-Five

A
happy occasion in mid-August was the marriage of Susannah Brown and Frank Morrison; they had been waiting a while for the divorce decree to be made absolute. It was, of necessity, a register office wedding, and it took place at the Scarborough office on a Saturday, when the Pierrots had no afternoon performance. Percy and Letty Morgan acted as witnesses, and apart from Pete and Nancy Pritchard, who had been friends of the couple for many years, there were no others there to watch the simple ceremony.

The real celebration took place on the Sunday evening at the lodgings of Susannah and Frank and, indeed, several more of the troupe, in Castle Road. Mrs Ada Armstrong had put on a sumptuous spread and all the Pierrots, plus other friends and relations, were there to share it. Susannah’s sister and brother-in-law and their children from Halifax were there, as were Frank’s brother and his wife and his grown-up son and daughter from York.

One guest who was thrilled to be there was Emily Stringer, the one-time admirer of Benjy. She had met Maddy a few times through Louisa Montague who
had long been a friend of the Moon family; and now she was delighted to meet all the other members of the Pierrot troupe whom she had so far known only in their stage personae. When Susannah introduced her as the lady who helped to make their costumes they all made a great fuss of her.

‘I had quite a big hand in the making of yours,’ she told Jeremy and Dora. ‘And I do so enjoy your acts. Your lovely singing, my dear and those…characters of yours.’ She turned to Jeremy. ‘I don’t like to call them dummies because you make them seem so much like real people; that Tommy the Toff and Belinda. They have me in fits of laughter no matter how many times I see them.’

‘I’m so pleased you like them,’ said Jeremy, putting his arm round his girlfriend, Dora. ‘We lap up praise, don’t we, darling? It’s what makes it all worthwhile.’

‘But we’re constantly trying to improve and add a bit of variety to our acts, aren’t we, Jeremy love?’ said Dora. ‘For our own sake as well as for the audiences. They would soon notice if we started to get stale.’

Emily smiled at them. ‘So you two…you’re…er… sweethearts, are you?’ They looked at one another, laughing at the old-fashioned turn of phrase. ‘Oh…pardon me; I’m sorry,’ said Emily. ‘I shouldn’t have been so forward. But you look so…nice and right together.’

‘Yes,’ replied Jeremy. He planted a kiss on Dora’s cheek. ‘Dora’s my girlfriend. We met when we came for our auditions and we decided that we liked one another.’

‘But Percy took Jeremy on and not me at first,’ said Dora. ‘Then when Barney and Benjy split up for a while Percy asked me if I’d be Benjy’s partner. That’s how I got into the Pierrots, but Barney’s back now, of course.’

‘Yes…yes, I see,’ replied Emily, feeling a little flustered and hoping that her cheeks were not turning pink. She really had got over all that silly nonsense now. ‘Ah… Maddy!’ she cried with some relief when that young lady came and joined the little group. ‘I’m just getting to know some of your friends. And this is Freddie, the clever young conjuror, isn’t it?’ she trilled, nodding towards the young man at Maddy’s side.’

Emily noticed that Freddie was holding Maddy’s elbow, indicating subtly that the two of them were together. But she decided not to comment on the fact, as she had just done with Dora and Jeremy. They hadn’t seemed to mind, but they had laughed as though she had said something amusing. Moreover, Emily knew that poor little Maddy had recently been ‘let down in love’, as Louisa Montague had termed it. Louisa was not exactly a gossip, but she did like to know what was going on, as did Emily. And Louisa was always interested in the goings-on in the Moon family and was very
fond of Maddy. It certainly looked, to Emily, as though the lass might be well on the way to falling in love again, judging by the looks that she and Freddie were exchanging.

‘Yes, this is Freddie,’ replied Maddy. ‘Freddie, this is Emily. She works for Miss Montague. Tell him how much you enjoy his conjuring tricks, Emily. You’ve told me often enough, haven’t you?’

‘Oh yes, I do!’ enthused Emily. ‘That rabbit popping out of the hat!’ She clasped her hands together in excitement, like a small girl. ‘That is so clever. And all those tiny little boxes that we think are empty. Well, they are; you can see right through them; and then you bring out all those yards and yards of coloured silks. I know it’s all an illusion, isn’t it?’ She nodded sagely. ‘The hand deceiving the eye, but I’m blessed if I know how you do it.’

‘Aha! That would be telling, wouldn’t it?’ laughed Freddie. ‘As you say, an optical illusion. I keep trying to persuade Maddy to do the trick with the lady in the box; you know, where the conjuror plunges a sword into it and then the lady steps out unharmed. But I don’t think she trusts me enough, not yet!’ He smiled at Maddy, giving her a gentle hug.

‘Ooh no! I should think not,’ exclaimed Emily. ‘I saw that done once in a theatre in York and I was too scared to look. Don’t you do it, Maddy love!’

‘Actually, I think he’s teasing,’ said Maddy. ‘Anyway, I’m not a contortionist. Those girls must
be made of india-rubber. That’s how they do it, you know, by squeezing themselves into a tiny space. By the way, Freddie, Emily is the lady who made your Pierrot costume.’

‘Well then, I’m even more delighted to meet you,’ said Freddie. ‘This is my first season as a Pierrot, as you know, and the costume makes me feel that I really belong.’ He smiled at Emily and then again at Maddy.

What a lovely young couple, mused Emily. She had never known the joy of young love and now…well, she was far too old for anything like that, but she was happier than she had ever been in her life. Her midlife silliness, as she termed it to herself, was over. There was deep satisfaction to be found in a job well done, interesting people to meet every day, good friends such as Louisa and Faith, and the warmth and peace of her own home at the end of each day.

‘She’s a nice old lady,’ Freddie remarked to Maddy when they had wandered away from the little group. Emily was now talking animatedly to Pete and Nancy and her high colour showed how much she was enjoying the evening.

‘Not so much of the old,’ laughed Maddy. ‘I don’t think Emily would be very pleased to hear you say that. I doubt if she’s much older than Faith, but I agree that she seems so. She’s a friend of Susannah. I know that seems odd, too, but she befriended her when she was upset about something
and feeling lonely. She’s like that, of course, is Susannah; a real friend in times of need.’ Susannah had confided in Maddy about Emily’s secret little passion, but Maddy had no intention of telling anyone else, not even Freddie.

‘It’s getting very warm in here,’ said Freddie. ‘Shall we go out for a stroll before it gets dark? I don’t suppose anyone will miss us.’

‘Yes, I’ll just get my coat,’ agreed Maddy.

They strolled up Castle Road, past St Mary’s church and on to the path that led round the castle ruins. Dusk was starting to fall after a day of glorious sunshine. Through the trees they glimpsed, far below, the twinkling lights around the harbour, the sweep of the South Bay and the four-square bulk of the Grand Hotel. Freddie had been holding Maddy’s arm; and now he put both arms around her and held her close to him. He lowered his face to hers and gently kissed her lips.

As they drew apart he whispered, ‘Maddy, I think it’s time now that I asked you something… Will you start going out with me; properly, I mean, as my girlfriend? It’s not still…too soon, is it?’

‘No, Freddie,’ she answered with certainty. ‘It’s not too soon…and of course I will.’

He kissed her again, more firmly, and this time she responded eagerly, savouring the rapture of this first true lover’s kiss.

Over the last few weeks they had gone out together more frequently, for supper or for walks,
as they were doing now. He had kissed her, but only in a friendly fashion, as though he were loath to spoil the fragile nature of their friendship. Many in the company believed them to be ‘going out together’, but Maddy had known that he was still waiting; waiting until such time as he was sure – or almost sure – that she had quite got over Daniel. Maddy knew now that she had and that it was time for her to move on.

‘Come along; let’s get back before it goes dark,’ she said. ‘We must be there for the last hour of the wedding party.’

‘Last hour?’ queried Freddie. ‘It looked to me as though they would keep on going till the early hours!’

Susannah, who had noticed them going out, was aware, too, of their reappearance. She looked at Maddy questioningly and made a thumbs-up sign. Her young friend smiled back and gave a little nod. About time, thought Susannah. Freddie still confided in her about his feelings, and she had guessed that he had made up his mind to speak to Maddy. Not to ask her to marry him or even to get engaged; she was still far too young to be thinking of that. But Susannah knew that Freddie needed to know that Maddy was his girlfriend, and his alone.

Freddie had visited Maddy’s family home several times whilst they had been performing in Scarborough. William and Faith liked the young man very much, considering him to be far more
suitable for Maddy than her previous boyfriend. They hoped, though, that there would be no serious courtship on the near horizon; Maddy was too young to be thinking of marriage.

As the summer progressed, through August and into early September, they noticed a subtle difference in Maddy’s and Freddie’s relationship. They seemed more ‘together’ in every sense. The looks they exchanged were more affectionate, and they sometimes spent the whole of Sunday together, enjoying a family dinner at the Moons’ home and then setting off with a picnic tea for a long cycle ride; William had a spare bicycle for Freddie to borrow.

‘I reckon those two are doing a bit o’ courting,’ William remarked to his wife.

‘Aye, I reckon you’re right, Will,’ replied Faith, gently imitating his native accent and turn of phrase. ‘But it’s only to be expected, surely? They spend a lot of time together with the troupe, and they’ll have got to know one another quite well by now.’

‘Aye, and that’s what worries me,’ said William. ‘They’ll be off on their travels again soon, come the end of September, and we’ll not have the foggiest idea what they’re getting up to.’

‘But we have to trust them, William. Freddie’s a sensible young man, and Maddy’s been brought up to know right from wrong.’

‘Aye…and so was Hetty; so was Samuel; and
look what happened there. And that’s another problem that’ll have to be sorted out afore long,’ William sighed.

‘I don’t think you can compare Freddie with Samuel,’ remarked Faith. ‘Samuel is my own son, but I believe that Freddie is far more reliable.’

‘Yes, I agree with you, my dear…but I think I shall have a word, on the quiet, like, the next time I see him – Freddie, I mean.’

‘Now, you mustn’t go embarrassing them, Will, or putting ideas into their heads.’

William chuckled. ‘I doubt that I’ll be telling them anything they’ve not thought of already! Don’t worry, Faith. I’ll have a chat to Freddie on his own.’

He spoke with him the following Sunday when Freddie was returning his borrowed bicycle to the garden shed.

‘I can’t help noticing,’ William began, ‘that you and my lass have got more friendly just lately.’

‘So we have, Mr Moon,’ replied Freddie. He still addressed him formally, despite having been invited to call him William, which was to the lad’s credit, William supposed. ‘I am very fond of Maddy,’ he went on. ‘I waited a while before asking her to go out with me – as a girlfriend, that is – because I knew she was still quite upset about her previous friendship.’

‘Aye, that was a rum do and no mistake,’ observed William. ‘Not that there was owt wrong
with the lad. But it would never have done, him being a Catholic an’ all. Still, that’s all water under the bridge, now…’

Freddie nodded. ‘I know you must feel concerned, especially when your daughter is away from home. But I want you to know, sir, that I will take the greatest care of Maddy. I love her and I respect her…and she will come to no harm with me. I give you my word on that.’

William grasped hold of his arm. ‘It means a great deal to me to hear you say that, my lad. She’s still very young, you know, but I feel I can trust her to your care. Thanks, Freddie lad…’ He put his hand to his head as a thought suddenly struck him. ‘I tell you what; why don’t you take this old bicycle of mine and use it whilst you’re here? I can’t imagine why I didn’t think of it before. It’s a fair step back to your digs, and I doubt if I shall be using it much more…

‘To be quite honest, Freddie,’ he continued as they made their way up the garden path and back to the house, ‘I’m thinking of buying a motor car.’

‘Gosh! Are you really, Mr Moon?’

‘Aye; just for our own use; the family, I mean, not the firm. I reckon it’ll be a few years yet before we have motor-driven hearses.’ He gave a sad little laugh. ‘My father – God rest his soul – the very idea of them was like a red rag to a bull. But he might not have minded a family motor quite as much…’

A letter from Samuel that arrived a few days later announced to William and Faith that he would be coming to stay with them the following weekend, arriving on Friday and returning to Leeds on Sunday. It would be his last free weekend before the commencement of the autumn term at university. He had been busy all through the summer vacation on field trips – climbing and potholing and excavating in the Welsh mountains – and he had been over to France for a few days with a couple more of the young lecturers.