The Favourite Child (37 page)

Jinnie’s expression was bleak. ‘Nay love, don’t put it quite like that.’

‘How else can you put it? It’s true.’

‘I would help you, if I could, only... I can’t. I really can’t.’ And unable to bear the disappointment in Bella’s eyes, Jinnie turned and hurried away.

The very next Thursday evening when Diana Crompton arrived at the clinic as usual, Bella could sense in her that same pent-up excitement she herself had used to experience just before a meeting with Quinn. It alarmed her now to observe another fall into the same trap.

‘Nurse, I wonder if you could stay on late tonight. I have some paperwork to do and I really could do with your help.’

The girl looked stricken, her young face naked in its disappointment.

‘You didn’t have any other plans, did you?’

She seemed to mentally shake herself, give a tremulous smile. ‘Well...’

Bella gave her shoulder a conciliatory pat. ‘Sorry, but what with the ‘flu epidemic and Christmas coming, poor Dr Sid has had enough on her plate recently. It’s desperately important that we catch up on these record cards, or we’re going to end up in a hopeless muddle.’

‘Of course, I’ll be glad to help.’

Quinn was again leaning against the lamp, head cocked to one side as he constantly cast sideways glances up at the window; waiting impatiently for his new love. Bella felt sick remembering how she had once ached with need before every meeting with him. Quinn, however, had very quickly found a replacement.

And then it dawned on her that he wasn’t waiting for the young student nurse at all. He knew Bella often stood at this window, her favourite place to watch the world go by; that he’d seen her there the previous week watching for Dan, and was actually challenging her to come down and speak to him. Bella was suddenly quite certain that he’d only started seeing Nurse Crompton in order to take his revenge on her.

Her fear now curdled into a bitter anger. She hated Quinn for having put her in this impossible position and there was only one way out. Since she must save the poor girl from herself, Bella must take the risk and play the game through to the end.

She did not make the mistake of rushing across the road to meet him. Instead, she waited in the cook shop doorway, knowing he would come to her. The ploy clearly irritated him but he came nonetheless.

‘So, ye’ve come to yer senses at last, have ye?’

She refused to even discuss the matter until they’d found a quiet corner in the Ship and Quinn had placed a glass of port and lemon before her. Bella told him then, in no uncertain terms what she thought of his heartless treatment of the nurse and that she knew exactly why he was behaving in such a despicable manner. ‘You’re a cold-blooded, evil-minded cad and I won’t allow you to get away with ruining a young girl’s life, just to get your own back on me.’

‘Flatter yerself, do ye not?’

‘Are you trying to pretend that it’s pure coincidence that, having failed to seduce me, you are now courting my nurse?’

‘She’s a pretty little thing.’

Bella screwed up her fists into tight, fierce balls, wishing she had the courage to plant one in the middle of his arrogant face. ‘Why are you doing this?’

He took his time answering, lighting a dog end with a match he struck against the heel of his boot, drawing on it deeply. The smoke blew out through his nostrils as he spoke. ‘Well, as ye’ve rightly guessed, I’d much rather have yourself, Bella, than some eejit nurse. Aren’t you and I the perfect pair? All ye have to do to save this little colleen from what ye clearly see as my terrible clutches, is to agree to come out with me again. That’s not too much to ask, is it?’

‘Not for the world would I
ever
agree to such a thing. It’s over between us. I’ve come to my senses at last.’

Quinn got to his feet and in a leisurely, unhurried fashion, finished his beer in one long swallow then wiped the froth from his mouth with the back of his hand. ‘Aw I think ye’ll change yer mind on that one, Bella my lovely, when ye’ve had time to reconsider. After all, as ye say yerself, she’s pretty, and we wouldn’t want aught to spoil that fresh young beauty, would we now?’

Bella sat speechless with rage as he strolled calmly away, hands in pockets, whistling softly. By the time he’d reached the door she was on her feet. ‘
Quinn
!’ She shouted to him above the noise and chatter. ‘Don’t you
dare
touch her. I’ll not be bullied by you ever again, nor have you bully her. I’ll see you in hell first.’

He didn’t reply, barely paused long enough to listen, simply chuckled softly to himself, pulled open the door and continued on his way. The other drinkers all turned to gaze upon her in fascinated horror, appalled that a woman should elect to even enter a public house, let alone shout out at the top of her voice in such a brazen fashion. What was the world coming to?

Stubborn to the last, Bella sank back into her seat to calmly finish her drink, which she felt in dire need of after her outburst.

Unable to think of any other solution, Bella did speak to Diana Crompton and warned her off Quinn, with the same kind of bluntness that Jinnie had used upon her. It seemed the only way. The girl went white to the lips then, pressing them firmly together, responded exactly as anticipated, stating very succinctly that it was her life and she would do exactly as she pleased with it. She even accused Bella of jealousy.

‘Just don’t ever say that I didn’t warn you,’ Bella told her with a sad shake of the head when all attempts at further persuasion failed.

Diana Crompton was madly in love, young and hot headed and had every intention, she informed Bella, of moving into Quinn’s house on Bromley Street. Bella felt sickened at what might happen to this foolish young girl, and all because of her. Yet she’d no intention of allowing Billy Quinn to win. She refused the girl’s notice, at first asking her to stay on at the clinic and finally insisting that she couldn’t leave until they’d found a replacement. The girl must be saved, against her will if necessary.

In the end she went to see her parents. Mr Crompton came at once to the clinic and gave his under-age daughter a thorough dressing down in front of everyone. She burst into noisy tears, confessed that despite being besotted by him, she was also nervous of going against Quinn’s wishes, whereupon she was promptly gathered safely into her father’s arms. After this touching reunion, the girl was taken safely back home and Bella breathed a sigh of relief. At least she had succeeded in rescuing another victim from Quinn’s wickedness.

Quinn continued to linger under the lamp every Thursday evening, gazing up at the clinic from beneath the neb of his slouch cap. He was waiting, Bella realised, for her to come down and tell him that she’d changed her mind, that she would see him again after all. Courting the young nurse had been only the opening skirmish in this battle. He was letting her know that he could wreak much greater havoc on her life, should he choose to. Bella resolved not to flatter his vanity by allowing him to see she was concerned. She would waste no more of her energy on the likes of Billy Quinn. What more could he do? He had no hold over her whatsoever. And in the weeks before Christmas she became far too busy to give him more than a passing thought.

It had become a part of Bella’s self-imposed duties in the community to raise money each year to provide treats for children most in need. In the summer they would be given a week’s camping holiday at Lytham St Anne’s or on a farm in North Wales. Much of the money for this was provided by local firms who also supplied the transport to take the children on their trip. In the winter the grind of daily life grew ever harder with the constant battle against the cold and damp, on top of the worry of where the next hot meal was coming from. Simeon had, for several years, sponsored the Christmas Breakfast, a treat greatly looked forward to and enjoyed. This always took place on Christmas Day at the chapel schoolroom, where a hundred or more children would be fed on bread and sausages. Bella had always relished sharing the task with him, readily going along to help.

It was Jinnie who brought her the news that this year it was not to go ahead. Simeon had stated that he couldn’t afford it, nor was Mr Josiah prepared to make his usual contribution. Bella was not only hurt and disappointed by his decision, she was incensed. However hard up these men of business were, surely their difficulties couldn’t be compared with the sufferings of the children, and Christmas was the time for children, wasn’t it? She felt as if her father was taking it out on them because of a foolish estrangement with his own daughter. It was untenable.

She determined to raise the money herself and after much badgering and hectoring of local firms, all declaring their poverty and how they were in imminent danger of closure, Bella managed to scrape together sufficient money to fund the Breakfast.

She asked Dan if he would help her to supervise it.

‘Why me for heavens’ sake?’

‘Because you’re used to children, having all those brothers and sisters.’

‘Nay, don’t ask me. I’m sick of childer. Our house is always full to bursting with the little blighters. I like to get away from them on my days off, thanks very much. Ask Jinnie.’

‘Spoilsport.’ She pulled a face at him but didn’t take his comments too seriously. He was merely afraid of seeming soft in front of his mates. But he’d be there. She was perfectly sure that he wouldn’t let her down.

Christmas Day came and Jinnie and Bella, together with Mrs Blundell and Violet went along to the chapel early to start frying sausages and buttering bread. Moments later, Mrs Heap arrived with her eldest, both of them carrying a tray of mince tarts.

‘I’ve been up half the night baking these,’ she cheerfully remarked, plump cheeks aglow with her efforts.

‘Eeh, Aunt Edie. Thee deserves a gold clock,’ Violet told her, taking the loaded tray from the poor woman’s aching arms.

By eight o’clock a queue of children stretched half way round the block. At half past eight the Superintendent of the Sunday School arrived to let them in and nearly two hundred faces, washed clean in honour of the day, lit with pleasure at the sight before them. Rows of trestle tables draped with white cotton cloths and decorated with sprigs of holly; a beautifully adorned tree on the platform. Best of all, the wonderfully delicious aroma of frying sausages. Not a mouth didn’t water at the thought of the feast ahead.

For a moment pandemonium threatened as children began to run about in every direction, pushing and shoving in their scramble to find a place. Bella stood helplessly flapping her arms, her voice lost in the din as she desperately tried to maintain order amidst a sea of battling children, fearful one of them might be trodden underfoot by the stampede. Miraculously, more because of the promise of good food than anything she did, every small bottom finally found a seat and every plate was filled. Soon there was the satisfying sound of chewing, though the chatter only abated by the very slightest degree.

In frighteningly quick time every crumb was gone, every plate licked clean, the special treat of sarsaparilla had been relished to the last drop, and once more the clamour and hubbub rose by several decibels.

There seemed to be twice as many youngsters this year than ever before, probably because this was their best chance of getting fed today. Bella wondered if it were possible to organise so many children into some sort of game when the door opened and in strode Father Christmas, grinning from ear to ear above a cascade of flowing white whiskers. He wore a floppy hat and a home-made cotton jacket and baggy trousers which someone had attempted to dye red but had gone a slightly streaky pink. He carried a sack over his shoulder and on his feet were huge black clogs. He looked superb. Even more surprisingly, he was closely followed by Edward, carrying yet more parcels.

‘Ho, ho, ho! Now then, what’s all this racket about? We can’t have none of that nonsense here. Stand in line if you want a present.’ The voice was unmistakable. Dearest Dan. Oh, how she loved him. It came to Bella, like a small shock, that it was true. She did indeed love him. She’d loved him all along and it was only in this moment that she’d fully realised it.