Stay as Sweet as You Are (48 page)

‘I realise that, Irene. But is Lucy grown up enough to understand that her mother has committed the worst sin any woman can commit against her husband? And that is why just being in the same room as Ruby makes me feel physically sick? That is something Lucy would have to be told so she doesn’t think I’m disrupting her whole life through spite or childishness. But I don’t think I’ve got the guts to tell her.’

Irene glanced at Aggie, her eyes questioning. It was her neighbour’s slight nod that caused her to say, ‘Me and Lucy get on well together. We tell each other secrets and share confidences. Nothing of any consequence, like, but she trusts me. And she trusts Aggie. How about if we have a word with her? I could say you’d called in on yer way home from work and told us, and me and Aggie thought we’d get to her first so she wouldn’t be embarrassed when you speak to her. We’d be very diplomatic, we wouldn’t upset her.’

Bob ran his fingers through his mop of dark hair. That he was a man in torment could be seen in his brown eyes. ‘I know yer wouldn’t upset her, Irene, or you, Aggie. She loves the bones of both of yer. But d’yer think my letting yer do me dirty work for me, makes me what Ruby said I am – spineless?’

‘Don’t be stupid, Bob Mellor,’ Aggie said with feeling. ‘The only trouble with you is ye’re too much of a bleedin’
gentleman. Any other feller, Ruby would have been out on her backside ages ago. Anyway, with regards to Lucy, I think it would be better coming from me and Irene. Woman to woman, like.’

‘And we’ll do it today and be done with it,’ Irene said. ‘When it’s all out in the open and we see how Lucy takes it, I might be able to get some sleep tonight.’

‘We’ll watch for her coming home from school.’ Aggie turned to glance at the clock. ‘It won’t be long now, so I suggest yer take yerself off, Bob, and come back about a quarter to five. That should give us plenty of time.’

It was Aggie who opened the door to Bob. As he stepped into the hall she raised her brows and whispered, ‘Ye’re in for a shock, lad.’

He didn’t have time to question her before Lucy came flying out to put her arms around him. She stood on tiptoe to kiss him. ‘I love you, Dad.’

‘And I love you, pet.’ Bob could see she’d been crying and was filled with guilt. He should never have let things get this far. A firm hand had been needed with Ruby years ago, but he’d opted to put up with her antics for an easy life. ‘Let’s go in and sit down, me feet are killing me. I’ve been walking the streets for the last hour.’

Aggie’s voice was high with surprise. ‘Yer mean yer haven’t been home?’

‘I can’t stand being in the house when Lucy’s not there. We’ll go home together when we’ve finished here.’

Irene was sitting hunched up at the table, her hands clasped tightly. ‘I’ve got me dinner on the stove on a low light, so I’m all right for a while. Greg’s going to keep an eye on it to make sure it doesn’t burn.’

Aggie set her rocking chair in motion. ‘We’ve had a good talk with Lucy, haven’t we, sweetheart? And I think she’s got something to tell yer.’

‘I can see yer’ve been crying, pet,’ Bob said, from his seat
on the couch. ‘I’m sorry yer’ve been upset, yer know I’d do anything rather than hurt you.’

Lucy had chosen to sit on one of the wooden chairs next to Irene. ‘It’s not your fault, Dad, I’d never blame you. It’s me mam what’s caused all this, she’s been horrible to yer.’

‘So yer understand why I’ve got to get away, then? I can’t stay with her any longer, pet, you must see that. And if I threw her out, which is what she deserves, she’d cause ructions in the street. And I wouldn’t put it past her to come and cause trouble for me at work. You know her well enough to know that we’d never have any peace from her. I don’t want that for meself, and I don’t want it for you.’

‘I understand all that, Dad, and I can see why yer don’t want to live with her any more. But it’s not only you she’s treated badly. She’s never been a proper mother to me, always shouting at me and hitting me. I can’t ever remember her once, in all me life, saying anything nice to me. I’ve never told yer all this because I knew yer had enough to put up with. But I’ve had bruises all over me body where she’s hit me, and scratches. And me head’s been sore where she’s pulled at me hair. She’s very sneaky, she never hit me where you would be able to see the bruises. It was always on me body, where no one could see. But Mrs Pollard’s seen them, haven’t yer, Mrs Pollard?’

Irene looked down at her hands. ‘Yes, I’ve seen them, sunshine. But yer told me in secret and made me promise not to tell yer dad.’

Bob was sitting forward on the edge of the couch, shaking his head in disbelief. ‘In the name of God, pet, why didn’t yer tell me?’

‘Because yer always looked so sad and unhappy. She doesn’t hit me now, hasn’t done for ages. We had a big row last week and she came at me to give me a belt. That’s when I told her I knew she was slipping out the back way at night when she thought I was asleep. She got worried then, and she actually smiled at me. That’s never been known before. She
didn’t get round me though, and I told her so. I said I wouldn’t tell you ’cos yer had enough worries, but that one day yer’d find her out for yerself. And yer have, haven’t yer, Dad?’

‘It seems I’m finding out a lot of things, pet. I must have been going around with me eyes closed not to have realised how bad things were for you. But now yer can see that the sooner we get away from her the better.’

Lucy shook her head. ‘No, Dad, I don’t see that, or understand. I don’t see why it’s us that has to move. That house is our home and I think we should stay there.’ There was a tremor in her voice, but determination in her heart. She couldn’t say she’d overheard her father saying he was seeing about getting a divorce, but if he did then he wouldn’t be married to her mam any more and she’d have no right to live in the house. But if they left now, they’d never get it back. ‘I don’t want us to leave, Dad, please?’

‘It’s not as easy as that, Lucy. There’s grown up things ye’re too young to understand.’ Bob was wondering what he’d ever done to be punished in this way. Because seeing his beloved daughter like this was indeed a punishment. ‘But we’ll be all right. I’ve got the feelers out for some decent digs for us, until I can find us a proper house.’

‘Dad, don’t take me away from this street and all me friends, please? I wouldn’t be happy anywhere else.’

Irene could see the girl was near to tears. And Bob looked like a man who had reached breaking point. ‘Look, sunshine, yer’ve told yer dad how yer feel, so why not give him time to think it over? He’s only trying to do what’s best for yer.’

‘I know that, Mrs Pollard.’ Seeing the look of despair on her father’s face, Lucy left her chair in such haste it would have toppled over if Irene hadn’t caught it in time. Sitting on his knee she laid her head on his chest. ‘I don’t like to see yer looking so unhappy, Dad, because it makes me unhappy. Let’s not talk about it any more now; you take yer time to think things over. Me mam’s done bad things to both of us,
but she can’t part us. No matter what happens we’ll always have each other.’

‘You and yer dad will never be alone, sweetheart,’ Aggie said, trying to swallow the lump in her throat. ‘Yer’ve got lots of good friends and we’ll do anything to help yer.’

‘I know yer would, Mrs Aggie.’ And hoping to bring a smile to her father’s face, Lucy asked, ‘Can me and me dad come and lodge with yer?’

‘Nothing would please me more, sweetheart, if I had the room. I’d be in me bleedin’ apple-cart, and that’s a fact.’ Aggie grinned. ‘I can just see Titch’s face if he came home and found you sleeping in his bed. He’d think yer were that princess in the storybooks what was asleep for donkey’s years and got woke up when a handsome prince kissed her.’

Lucy’s giggle brought a smile to each of their faces. ‘Yeah, he’d be struck dumb.’

‘Ooh, I don’t know about that. It would take more than a sleeping princess to rob my son of his powers of speech. He was born with the gift of the gab. The midwife what delivered him said that when she lifted him up by his legs and smacked his bottom, he opened his eyes and said if she did that once more he’d hit her back.’

Now the mood was lighter, Irene pushed herself up from the chair. Greg was very good at watching the stove for her, but he wouldn’t think of giving the stew a stir so it wouldn’t stick on the bottom of the pan. ‘I’m off, folks. Will yer be calling in tomorrow afternoon, Bob?’

‘If it’s convenient for Aggie. I wouldn’t go home anyway, I’d hang around and wait for Lucy to come. To be greeted with a sneer when yer walk in yer own living room after working an eight-hour shift, isn’t exactly the best of welcomes.’

‘Ye’re welcome here, lad,’ Aggie said. ‘I was going to go to the Adelphi Hotel for afternoon tea, but I’ll give it a miss for once.’

‘Ooh, ay, Missus,’ Irene laughed, ‘the state of you and the
price of fish! The Adelphi Hotel indeed! That’s a new one on me.’

‘It’s one of my little secrets, queen.’ Aggie left her chair and stretched to her full height. ‘I’m very well-known in social circles, but it’s not something I brag about. I’m not a snob and I wouldn’t want my friends to get an inferiority complex.’

‘I’ve already got one, Aggie.’ There were the makings of a smile on Bob’s face as he pushed Lucy to her feet. ‘But you didn’t give it to me.’

‘Don’t let anybody put yer down, lad.’ Aggie followed them to the door. ‘Ye’re as good as anybody and better than most.’

Lucy gave the old woman a kiss before taking her father’s hand. ‘I won’t see yer tonight, Mrs Aggie, ’cos I’ve promised Rhoda I’d go over there after I’ve had me tea. But I’ll see yer tomorrow. And you, Mrs Pollard.’

‘You and yer mate are welcome to come and have a game of cards,’ Irene said as they reached her house. ‘The boys would enjoy that.’

‘Thanks, Mrs Pollard, but I might not go out at all. I think I’ll stay in and keep me dad company.’

‘He’s welcome to come, too, sunshine.’

‘Not tonight, Irene, but thanks all the same.’ Bob squeezed Lucy’s hand and smiled down at her. ‘I’m going to have an early night in bed and do some serious thinking. Eh, pet?’

‘Yes, Dad.’ Lucy pulled him towards their door. ‘We’ll go to bed at the same time.’

After dinner was over and the dishes washed, Ruby picked up her handbag and left the room. Lucy’s eyes followed her, and as she heard footsteps mounting the stairs she knew in her heart her mother was getting ready to go out. How has she got the nerve, the girl asked herself, when me dad’s told her he knows what she’s up to? She doesn’t seem to care what he thinks.

Bob lowered the paper he was reading and looked across at his daughter. ‘I’m thinking the same as you, pet. She’s going out again.’

‘Are yer going to tell her she can’t, Dad?’

‘No, it’s no use, love, and anyway, it’s too late for that now. At least we’ll have the house to ourselves.’

Lucy bit on her bottom lip. Her dad did look very tired, but she had promised her friend. ‘Can I ask Rhoda to come over here for half an hour, then? I promised I’d try and do something with her hair. Not that I’m any good at it, but she thinks because mine’s curly I can make hers the same. It’s only for a laugh, Dad, and we wouldn’t get in yer way. I always feel mean not asking her in here, ’cos I’m in her house nearly every day. But she’s only been in here once or twice in all the years we’ve been friends. Me mam wouldn’t let her in.’

‘Of course she can come over.’ Bob’s smile turned into a yawn. He was so weary he felt like falling into bed and sleeping for a week. ‘But only for an hour, pet, I do want to have an early night.’

When Ruby came into the room, the smell of cheap scent came with her. Her face was caked with powder and rouge, and her lips were scarlet. ‘I’m going out.’

‘I gathered that,’ Bob said, without looking up from his paper, while Lucy pretended to be so intent on pushing the skin back from her cuticles, she didn’t hear. But as soon as the front door closed she was off her seat. ‘I’ll go and get me mate.’

Bob was staring into space when he heard the girls’ laughter and he quickly fixed a smile on his face. ‘Hello, Rhoda.’

‘Hiya, Mr Mellor! How yer doing? And don’t say ye’re doing everyone because me mam got there before yer.’

‘I always was slow on the uptake, love. Anyway, you’ve changed a lot. Yer used to be a lot bonnier than yer are now.’

There was a look of bliss on Rhoda’s face. Bob’s words were music to her ears. ‘I’ve lost a lot of me fat, Mr Mellor, like me mam said I would. Mind you,’ the girl pursed her lips and her look was comical, ‘she was eight years out in the timing. I was six when she said it was puppy fat, and here I am nearly fourteen.’

Bob grinned at the girl who had been Lucy’s steadfast friend since they were toddlers. ‘Yer look well, Rhoda, very pretty.’

‘I’m not as thin as yer daughter yet, but I’m working on it. And I haven’t got curly hair like hers, but I’m not working on that, she is.’

‘Don’t expect miracles,’ Lucy told her. ‘I’m not a hairdresser.’

‘If yer make a mess of it, yer won’t be able to blame the tools.’ Rhoda placed a bag on the table. ‘Me mam’s pipe cleaners are in there, together with a brush and comb. So there’s no excuse if I don’t end up with curls like yours. If I don’t, yer’ll have me mam to answer to.’

Lucy raised her hands in mock horror. ‘Oh no, not yer mam! Let me answer to yer dad instead, please, I beg yer.’

‘Shut up and get on with the job.’ Rhoda pulled a chair from the table and plonked herself down. ‘And I’ll be counting the curls when yer’ve finished. If I haven’t got as many as you there’ll be skin and hair flying.’

Bob went back to his paper, but not to read. For the next hour he had a real, genuine smile on his face as he listened to his daughter and her friend. They never stopped talking and laughing. When one wasn’t rattling off about one thing or another, the other was. And it did Bob’s heart good to hear young voices and laughter in the house. This was how life should always have been for Lucy. And Bob was grateful for this short period of normality.

‘There yer are, there’s thirty pipe cleaners in now.’ Lucy put the comb down on the table. ‘And if yer hair’s straight in the morning I’ll eat me hat.’