THE BONDAGE OF LOVE (18 page)

I'll take you along and pick up Daisy and drop her at the factory. "

On opening the door of Sammy's room, he nodded towards Daisy, saying softly,

"Come on, Minnehaha; I'll drop you off at your factory."

They had walked some way in silence along the corridor when she startled him, by saying abruptly, "You're lucky, you know."

"Oh? And how d'you make that out?"

"Well, you've got her. She's uppish, but she's the right sort."

"Oh, she'll be pleased to know that."

"Well, you should tell her, and often. Men are fools; most of them, anyway."

She glanced sideways at him as they divided to let the food trolley through, and when they were walking together again, he said, "And from where, miss, have you learned your deep wisdom about men?"

"From our kitchen."

"Oh! Oh!" He nodded his head, then said, "Could be. Yes, could be. Any particular member? Or just the bunch of the males?"

"One, really; me da."

"Oh, you don't say. And he knows how to treat women?"

"Well, one at least, they fight like hell at times, but it's not so bad now as it used to be. When he was in work you could look for a bust-up with your dinner in those days."

"And that's the man, you think, who knows how to treat a woman?"

They were crossing the forecourt of the hospital now to where the cars were parked, and she didn't

speak for some time; but then, thoughtfully, she said, "Well, for his type of woman and her type of man."

He glanced at her. She looked a pickle: she was still wearing the short coat that came above her knees and was pulled in tightly round her waist with a belt. Then there was the face above it: eyes made up with mascara, dead white cheeks, which he thought might be natural, but set off by scarlet lips; then the hair, partly covered now with a thin gauzy scarf; and her legs, not with football stockings on today, but definitely bright ones. And she wasn't wearing trainers.

Strangely, her footwear looked like an ordinary pair of black shoes.

Yet, there she was, spouting theories, theories riven from experience, but which wouldn't have come amiss if spoken by some modern sage, such as a psychiatrist was supposed to be, with his knowledge of life garnered only from books. Otherwise how could he know anything about real living, the way in which the majority of mankind existed? Oh dear, dear! He would soon have to bracket Mark, Willie, and Katie with that lot. Yet Katie was already wise in a way. Aye, well, perhaps after all women had more up top than they were given credit for. And, as this one had suggested, there were women wise enough to keep quiet about it . "Get yourself in."

"Back or front?"

"Well, madam, if I were chauffeuring you, you would get in the back; but as you seem to have become a member of my family, you'll have to ride with me. Any objections? "

She grinned at him, saying, "I could think up some."

"Get yourself in!"

It was indeed as if she had become one of the family, and he hadn't set eyes on her until five days ago. But he had heard quite a bit about her, and from Willie. Oh, he could see how Willie was attracted to her, because, in a way, she was another Sammy. Well, as Sammy used to be, and still was underneath.

But what really was Willie's interest in her? Oh, dear me! Dear me! Well, that was in the future. Yet, put her in a different rig-out and she could pass. But was she the type to go into a different rig-out? He cast a

sidelong glance at her. She was looking out of the windscreen and she said quietly, "Tis a lovely car.

The lads would go mad about it. But I can tell you this," - she turned towards him and, almost as if she were ready to do battle, she stated 'not one of our lot has been a car thief. No, not one. We had a car I mean, our Frank had. It was an old jalopy, but he had to give it up. It was the

insurance, and it was always going wrong in a way he couldn't put right. And they've never gone for joyrides either, not one of them. They wouldn't dare; me da would murder them. With his last breath, he would murder them. But around our way they do it all the time. I think our Sep, at times, used to wish he could join such a gang, but now he's set up in a job. Oh, aye, it's at your place."

"My place?"

"Yes. Mr. Ormesby set him on."

"Oh, well, if Mr. Ormesby set him on, he must be all right."

"Well, yes, he is all right, our Sep. And he's got it up top an' all, but there's no place to use it. He left school when he was sixteen and got into a decent job in Bryants, in the storeroom. He was going to work up to be a clerk. Then they went bust. So he hasn't done anything for nearly two

years. He was getting desperate and he just might, oh, aye, yes, he just might have joined one of the gangs and gone car-lifting, because there's money in it. Pinch enough cassettes and radios in a day and you've got a week's wages."

He pulled up sharply, then exclaimed, "Why don't they look where they're going?"

"And they saunter over as if tomorrow would do."

"What did you say?"

"Nothing."

"You said something, and it wasn't complimentary to me or the car."

"I just said, what's the hurry, they're not in a posh car."

She's a tantalising piece this one.

They passed through Gateshead and Low Fell without exchanging further words.

Then, when they entered Fellburn, she said, "D'you know where the factory is?"

"Yes, miss, I know where the factory is."

There were a number of women passing through the gates when he drew up the car alongside the kerb; and they stopped and gaped as the passenger stepped out of the car. They watched her bend into it, but they didn't hear her say to the driver, "Thank you, mister. But don't you call me Minnehaha again, else I'll have Big Chief Running Water after you. He's my minder and they call him Jimmy.

And he puts people in their place. "

"Get out!" He stretched his face so he wouldn't burst out laughing.

Then, as she closed the door, but not properly, he bent sideways, pushed it open, then banged it; and for a moment he paused there, and returned the wide stare of the women standing on the pavement.

Well, she'd get some fun out of that: there'd be some hot cross-talk in her section today, if he wasn't mistaken.

Throughout the drive back home he found himself chuckling. He had much the same feeling as he used to have when leaving Davey Love's company;

there was that quality about her. Sammy had it, too, although Sammy didn't let himself go as he once did, because education was building up a facade about him. And in a way, that was a good thing.

However, once he was in the house his mood changed: he was going straight into battle with the old grandfather of that brazen piece.

Bill got through to him straightaway.

"Yes?" the querulous voice greeted him.

"This is Bill Bailey here."

"Oh! Oh! Haven't heard from you for some time. How's the child?"

The child, as you call her, is a girl not yet thirteen, and she is in dire trouble. "

"What!"

"You heard what I said; she is in dire trouble. She has almost caused the death of a young man; in fact, it's touch and go yet whether he'll live.

And, into the bargain, it turns out she is a shoplifter."

"Well! Well!" The words came as a bawl.

"You've trained her all right."

"Shut your mouth about training; we've done everything possible. She was sent to a good school, private. But she's a polished liar. And I ask you where she got that from, because she didn't get it from her mother and

father; they were a decent couple. That's why I gave her a home when she was three and you refused to look after her, but you hung on to her money. Well now, I wash my hands of her. You get yourself over here, and make the

choice: either you take her back with you, or she goes into a home for

wayward girls and her money will go with her. I've done my utmost for her and so has my wife. She must have bad blood in her."

The voice came over the phone now, yelling, "If I was at that end, I'd make you eat those words. Bad blood, indeed! You, who've never put your foot inside a chapel in your life."

"Shut up about you and your chapel and get yourself over here! If not, I'm leaving her in the hands of the police. When I took her, you made it

definite that you were her legal guardian. You thought of the money, didn't you? in case I might claim it and use it on her upbringing. And let me

tell you something: if you're not here by this time tomorrow, I shall get the police here to contact your local office. Finally, I'll leave you with the further knowledge that there are drugs in this case, and she's implicated."

He banged down the phone.

He stood for a moment, his hands covering his eyes; he didn't know just where he stood: was he or the old man her adoptive parent? He, himself, had never had control of her money. Then, angrily, he marched away and along to his study, saying to himself, "Don't be such a bloody fool. You adopted her; you're responsible for her. Both of you took on the role of parents."

In the office, he sat down at his desk, put his elbows on the table and lowered his head into his hands. There's one thing certain: Fiona wouldn't have her back. And the very thought of her being in this house again was nauseating to him. Well, this being so, he'd have to come into the open.

There'd be a court case anyway, because the doctor had found a trace of drugs in her blood.

"Minute compared," he had said, 'but nevertheless, there. "

Compared with what? The drug addict which she would soon turn into?

Oh, yes; once she had started on that, and at her age.

He sat back in his chair and breathed heavily. There was only one spot of light on the horizon; she didn't want to come back here. She had told him openly she wouldn't come back here; she would go and live with her

grandfather. Well, then, let her confront the old man with that. And if he would have none of it, then he would see that some

arrangements were made for her to be sent to a strict school. There must be such places. And that's if she wasn't recommended by the court to be put in a place for unruly girls like herself; somewhere dealing with drugs and stealing.

He couldn't believe the thieving part. She had everything she wanted, within reason that is, except for gold charm bracelets and spangles!

Lately, she had been sending letters to the old man, and had received answers from him, likely with postal orders in, for he would have been unwise to refuse her money. If he remembered rightly there was a clause written into the trust fund that she would not have the sole use of her money until she was sixteen. She could draw upon it for special items. Well, if she had to go into that school or wherever, he would see that she drew upon it, because he wouldn't pay another penny towards her keep.

He got up quickly from the desk and, nodding to himself, said, "That's that!

as far as it goes." He had work to do.

i3

He left his office on the site at half-past four, and made straight for the hospital in Fellburn. And now he was sitting by Mamie's bed.

Her head was lowered and she seemed intent on cleaning one fingernail with another.

He had been talking to her for at least five minutes, and she had taken no heed of him.

"Well, now, I'll put it plain to you," he went on.

"My wife," he did not give Fiona the usual name of Mrs. B that the girl used, but repeated, 'my wife won't have you back in our home. Nor do I want you back. That part being clear, it might be news to you that your grandfather and his cousin don't want you in their house either. " He did not know why he said this, only he knew, in his mind, it was true. But this statement brought her nail cleaning to a stop and she said, " He will! He will want me

. he does! "

"Well, he'll likely tell you out of his own mouth tomorrow when you meet him.

But let me emphasise to you that it will all depend upon the police;

Sammy has come around and given them further information, apart from your shoplifting . "

"I didn't! I didn't!"

"You are a liar, and you know it. And when Sammy comes fully around, he'll prove it, and in court. D'you hear? And in a police court, because he has already named some of the men concerned with drugs and whom you know. It is already known to the doctors that you have taken drugs."

"I haven't! I haven't!"

His voice was a growl now, "Don't be stupid, girl! The nurses found two punctures on the top of one arm and some in your hip."

"They're scratches! I haven't!"

"Well, you tell that to the magistrate when you come up before him."

With some satisfaction, he now watched the scarlet flush cover her face.

"I'm going to my grandfather's; he does want me;

nobody can stop me. "

"Well then, you tell him that when he comes." With this, he got up and walked out.

The following afternoon found two men sitting opposite Bill in his study.

They had both been made almost speechless by the size of the grounds and the house, and more so after they had entered it.

As blunt as ever, Bill said, "You're surprised, aren't you, that this is where she's been brought up?"

The older man, his lips now moving one over the other, muttered, "Houses don't make characters."

"You're right there. You're right there. As I said to you on the phone, what's in her has come out from way back. But again I'll say, not from her mother or father, for neither of them would have bred the lying little thief she's turned out to be, and all underhand. Oh, yes, for the first we heard of it was when she went missing. And when my lad went after her, having seen her shoplifting with her pal, what happened to him? He was led into what is now known to be a den of drug-pushers, and afterwards was almost murdered.

Thankfully, he's lucid enough today to give the police the whole picture."

"Well, all I can say now," said the elderly man, bristling, 'is that somebody in this house was very amiss not to notice the condition she was in. "

"She was a girl of almost thirteen; and she was cute enough to know that my wife might have noticed something if she had gone into the pool. But she hasn't used that for some weeks now, saying it would give her a cold. Always some excuse. But none of us twigged."