Try a Little Tenderness (55 page)

‘You do that, sunshine, there’s a good girl.’ Mary understood and was relieved because she didn’t think it was a fit subject for young girls. ‘It’ll save me having to do them tomorrow.’ She waited until her daughter was out of the way, then with her head bent and a finger running along the
plush of the chenille tablecloth, she began to speak.

Amy opened her mouth several times, her face red with anger and disgust, but Mary silenced her with a shake of her head. However, keeping silent didn’t sit well with the big woman and she could be heard muttering under her breath, ‘The bleedin’ bitch, she deserves to be skinned alive.’

Molly, who didn’t know anything about a baby, listened with mounting horror. And when Mary had finished, the Irishwoman made the sign of the cross and said, ‘In the name of God, what sort of a person is she?’

‘A very wicked woman, Molly.’

Amy had so much to say she spluttered. ‘What did I tell yer, girl? Didn’t I say it might not be yer dad’s baby? It was the first thing I thought of when yer told me. But yer wouldn’t have it, would yer?’

‘Me dad didn’t give a hint that it wasn’t his, so why would I think different? He probably thought it was the easiest way out. But that bitch has ruined his life. He didn’t look his age until she got her claws into him, now he’s old and haggard. He looks so unhappy, as if he’s got the troubles of the world on his shoulders.’

‘So he doesn’t know what yer’ve found out?’ Amy asked. And when Mary shook her head, her neighbour tutted. ‘What are yer going to do about it? If I was in your shoes, and it was my dad, I’d break her bleedin’ neck for her.’

‘Stan thinks we should get her out of me dad’s house without him knowing anything about it until it’s all over. So I’ve got a plan in me head, which might work, but I’d need the help of me friends. That’s why I asked yer over.’

Amy lifted her ample bosom and laid it on the table so she could lean forward. ‘If yer want someone to kick her out, I’ll be more than willing to do the job. It’s what yer dad should have done ages ago, when he first found out what she was really like.’

‘Me dad hasn’t got the strength to argue, never mind throw her out. But I’ll do that, with the help of me mam’s
old neighbours. That’s why I kept Laura off, for some moral support. What I’m short of, is someone who’ll go and see Charlie’s mother and tell her she’s going to be a grandmother. Her son’s got this girl in the family way, her parents are throwing her out and she’s nowhere to go. Under no circumstances is me dad’s name to be mentioned, or our real names.’

‘I’ll do that,’ Amy said, with a look of relish. ‘I’m good at that sort of thing. What did yer say her name was, Hettie Owens? Well, I’m sure me and Hettie will get on like a house on fire. I’ll have her feeling heartily sorry for the girl and the unborn baby what her son is the father of. What I won’t tell her, is that the girl in question is the devil in disguise.’

‘Yer’d have to be diplomatic, Amy. She wouldn’t have to know who yer are in case it gets back to me dad. He’d never show his face around here again if he thought everyone knew his business.’

Molly read the misgiving on Mary’s face and was quick to reassure her. ‘Don’t you worry, me darlin’, I’ll go with Amy and we’ll be discretion itself.’

Amy’s eyes flew sideways. ‘What did yer say we’ll be, Molly?’

‘Discreet, me darlin’. We’ll be careful what we say.’

‘Oh aye, we’ll be that. I’m good at being careful, I am.’

Mary wrote the address down and they discussed how the two women should go about it. Then she told them of her plans to get her mam’s old friends to rally round and help her put the frighteners on Celia. ‘I know things don’t always go to plan, but I hope these do. I said so many prayers last night, God must surely have heard them.’

‘When we’ve done our bit, d’yer want us to go up to yer dad’s?’ Amy asked. ‘To let yer know how we got on?’

‘Call in to Monica Platt’s first, see how the land lies. Celia isn’t going to take this without putting up a fight, I can tell yer.’

‘Yer’ll have Laura with yer, so it’s two against one.’ Amy showed her serious side. ‘Just keep thinking of yer dad and what she’s done to him. And what she’s done to the home yer mam was so proud of. That should give yer enough courage to belt merry hell out of her.’

Molly pushed her chair back. ‘Let’s go and get dressed properly, Amy, and make a start. We need to get there early before the woman goes to the shops.’

Mary waved them off, then called Laura. ‘Ten minutes, sunshine, then we’re on our way.’

Amy put on her brightest smile when the door opened. ‘Hello, are you Hettie Owens?’

The woman smiled back. She was quite tall, ramrod straight, with steel-grey hair plaited into a bun at the nape of her neck. ‘That’s me, queen, can I help yer?’

‘We’d like a word with yer, if yer don’t mind. It’s about your Charlie.’

The door was opened wider and the woman stepped back. ‘Come in.’

The hallway and living room were spotlessly clean. Furniture highly polished, grate rubbed until you could see your face in it, and the brass companion set gleaming. ‘Yer’ve got a nice house, Mrs Owens,’ Molly said, trying to hide her Irish accent which would be a dead giveaway. ‘It’s a credit to yer.’

‘Thank yer, queen. And the name’s Hettie, that’s what everybody calls me.’ Hettie gestured towards the couch. ‘Sit down and take the weight off yer feet.’ She sat in a rocking chair at the side of the fireplace. ‘Did yer want to leave a message for Charlie?’

‘Well, no, not really.’ Amy pulled a face. ‘I don’t know whether this will be good news for yer, or bad. But your Charlie’s been a naughty boy, and he’s put a girl in the family way. Well, she’s not a girl really, she’s in her thirties. But her family are up in arms about it and they’re going to
throw her out. She’ll be on the streets today, with nowhere to go. Being a mother meself, I didn’t think yer’d want that to happen, not when your Charlie has admitted to everyone that he’s the father.’

The rocking chair stopped and Hettie looked shocked to the core. ‘I don’t know nothing about this, Charlie hasn’t said a word. Does he know this woman’s being thrown out?’

‘That I couldn’t tell yer, Hettie. It’s just that I know the family and they’re very religious. They’re mortified with the shame their daughter’s brought on the house. So I just thought yer should know, seeing as the baby will be your grandchild. If it was me, I’d take the girl in, rather than see her roaming the streets looking for somewhere to lay her head. I’d feel it was my Christian duty.’

‘What’s this girl’s name?’ Hettie asked, some colour returning to her cheeks. ‘And where does she live?’

‘Her name’s Celia, but that’s all I’m going to tell yer. After all, it’s got nothing to do with me, except I couldn’t live with meself if I hadn’t tried to do something. I’m not so worried about the girl, it’s the baby I’m thinking of. And I can tell just by looking at yer, Hettie, that yer’ve got a kind heart. So ask Charlie when he comes in, he’ll tell yer all yer want to know.’ It took three attempts before Amy could push herself up off the low couch. ‘I know yer’ll see yer son does the right thing and I’m glad me and – er – and Margaret came. My name’s Olive, by the way.’

Hettie looked shell-shocked as she followed them down the hall. ‘How can I get in touch with yer, if I need to?’

‘I’ve done what I thought I had to, Hettie. I don’t want to get involved any more. Have a word with yer son ’cos, after all, it
is
his baby.’

Amy linked her arm through Molly’s and the two women set off down the street, leaving Charlie’s mother with very unChristian feelings towards her son. But as the day wore on, and the shock wore off, she began to think it might be
nice to be a grandmother. A baby would certainly put a halt to her son’s gallivanting. It was about time he settled down.

Halfway down the street, Amy asked in a muffled voice, ‘How d’yer think it went, Molly? Did I do all right?’

Molly squeezed her arm. ‘I’m proud of yer, me darlin’, so I am. Yer were that convincing I got carried away and almost offered to take the girl in meself, so I did. It’s an actress yer should have been, Amy.’

‘And did yer notice, girl, I did it all without using one swearword? That’s a record for me. If I told my Ben, he wouldn’t believe me.’

‘Yer could hardly swear when yer were doing yer Christian duty, Amy. Sure, wouldn’t that have been very unChristian of yer? And wouldn’t yer have had the Good Lord frowning?’

‘D’yer think it worked, though? Or have I given the performance of me life for nothing? I should have had an audience – I was wasted there.’ Then came her mischievous chuckle. ‘I know, I’ll go over it again tonight for my Ben. He can take the part of Hettie, ’cos she didn’t have much to say for herself, did she?’

‘Sure, the poor woman didn’t have much chance, not when you were in full flow. She was flabbergasted, and that’s putting it mild. I’ll bet a pound to a penny she’s sitting in that rocking chair wondering whether she imagined it all.’

‘I hope not, Molly, I hope it sunk in. Otherwise Mary will have me guts for garters.’

‘Oh, it sunk in, right enough. Charlie might be in for an earbashing when he comes home, but I doubt if she’d turn Celia away. It was the use of the words “religious” and “Christian” that did it. Did yerself not notice the statue of Our Lady on the sideboard? Sure, the woman’s a Catholic and she’ll not be tempting the wrath of God.’

‘I wonder how Mary’s getting on?’ Feeling as though her
mission had been accomplished and successful, Amy’s thoughts went to her best friend. ‘We got the easy bit – she’ll have a fight on her hands. Celia is one tough cookie; she won’t leave like a lamb, all meek and mild.’

‘Then let’s get to her side as quick as we can.’ Molly tugged on her arm. ‘We’re in luck – there’s a tram coming.’

‘It’s a fine how-d’yer-do, isn’t it?’ Monica Platt had thought nothing that Celia did would surprise her any more, but this latest news had knocked the stuffing out of her. ‘All the neighbours thought yer dad was mad at the time for marrying a woman half his age, but if it had worked out, we’d have been glad for him. But the queer one didn’t even try, she wrapped him around her little finger from day one. And he’s too much the gentleman, he let her get away with it. But this latest trick goes beyond the pale. He wants his head testing if he doesn’t throw her out, bag and baggage.’

‘I don’t want to give him the option – I don’t think he could stand up to it. So I want to do it for him, and I was hoping you, and some of me mam’s other old mates, would help me.’

‘I will, queen, I wouldn’t hesitate. And I know three or four others who would rub their hands in glee if they were asked.’

‘The thing is, I want to do it today, before she can get her hands on him. I’ve seen marks on his face that couldn’t have got there by accident, and I’ll swear it was her that put them there. Yer see, if she went for him, he wouldn’t fight back because he thinks any man who lifts his hand to a woman is a bully and a coward.’

Monica looked at her with sympathy and understanding. ‘Yer don’t need to tell me anything about yer dad, Mary – I’ve known him since before you were born. And as for Celia, yes, she would have put the marks on his face. These walls are very thin and we’ve heard her carrying on. She shouts and yells at the top of her voice, and her language,
for a woman, is terrible. Sure enough, the next day we’d see Joe with scratches on his cheeks, or bruises.’

Laura hadn’t said much, but now she ground her words out. ‘If I get my hands on her, I’ll give her a good hiding for doing that to my grandad.’

Mary patted her hand. ‘Let’s be content if we can get her out of me dad’s house and out of his life.’ She appealed to the woman who’d been her mam’s best friend. ‘How about it, Monica, will yer help?’

‘With the greatest of pleasure.’ The older woman smiled. ‘Besides, I’ve got nothing on today, so it’ll fill in me time and I’ll consider it time well spent.’

Mary explained what she had in mind, and also what Amy and Molly were doing right this minute. And while she was speaking, Monica was nodding her head in agreement. ‘Good planning, queen, yer’d make a good army captain. Now if you’ll put the kettle on and see to a pot of tea for yerselves, I’ll go and make a few calls.’

It was half an hour before Monica came back, but she didn’t come back alone. With her were four neighbours whom Mary had known all her life. Maggie Smith, Nellie Mitchell, Lizzie Thompson and Ada Bullen. Tears came to her eyes when they stood in a line facing her across the table. They spoke as one. ‘Hello, queen.’

Remembering the laughs her mother had had with these women who, when times were bad, would help each other out with half a loaf, a shovel of coal or a cup of sugar, Mary had to speak through the lump in her throat. ‘If me mam’s looking down on yer now, she’ll be smiling and saying “thank you”.’

‘Ay, girl, we’re doing it for yer dad,’ Maggie Smith said, folding her black knitted shawl across her chest. ‘But we’ll be doing ourselves a favour at the same time.’

‘Ye’re not kidding, we’ll be glad to see the back of her.’ Nellie Mitchell turned her head to make sure her neighbours
were nodding in agreement. ‘Have yer seen the state of her bleedin’ house?’

‘Bloody disgrace it is,’ Lizzie Thompson said. ‘Spoils the whole street.’

‘Aye, and that’s what we see when we look out of our window,’ Ada Bullen complained, playing with the long hairs that grew from a mole on her chin. ‘It’ll be good riddance to bad rubbish.’

‘
If
we can pull it off. Still, we can but try.’ Mary sighed. ‘Has Monica told yer what’s happened, and what I’m trying to do?’

‘Yeah, girl, we know about the baby and what yer friends are doing.’ Maggie Smith took it upon herself to be the spokeswoman. ‘I hate to say this, but the woman yer dad married is no more than a whore. Am I right, Monica?’

‘I’m afraid so. I don’t want to pile the agony on, Mary, but the more yer know, the more determined yer’ll be. Many a night me and Phil have heard her in the entry with a bloke. And we could tell from the noises that they weren’t just having a friendly conversation.’

‘Right, that does it.’ Mary stood up so quickly the chair would have toppled over if Laura hadn’t caught it in time. ‘Me temper’s on the boil now, I’m just in the mood for her.’