by Rosie Harris
From the other side of the room she saw Miss Yorke staring across at them, a look of astonishment on her tight-lipped face. It quickly changed to one of disapproval as, accompanied by Sam, Lucy pushed Anna across the room and into Percy’s office.
Once they were inside and Percy had closed the door behind them Lucy felt her self-confidence returning. She studied Percy as he took off his dark trilby and black Melton overcoat and hung them on the coat stand near the door.
He’d changed quite a lot since she’d last seen him. His untidy mousy hair was now cut in a sharp, short style and his heavy-framed spectacles had been replaced by lighter horn-rimmed ones. He had filled out and was no longer thin and gangling.
‘Right, would you like to take this chair over here, Lucy?’ he pointed to an armchair in the corner of the room, ‘and you take a seat here, Sam,’ he said in an authoritative voice, indicating a chair on the other side of his desk.
‘Is this Patsy’s little girl?’ he asked looking at Anna, who gave him a smile and giggled.
‘Yes, we’ve moved back to Priory Terrace and I’m looking after her,’ Lucy said in a low, stilted voice while at the same time giving Percy a warning frown. She was conscious of Sam listening to their conversation and she wondered what his reaction would be if he remembered how in the past even though Patsy had been his girlfriend she had often flirted with Percy but to her relief he didn’t seem to take any notice at all.
‘I had heard something of the sort.’ Percy’s voice was clipped, almost as if he disapproved. He looked at Anna speculatively. ‘She looks more like her father than her mother,’ he murmured.
Lucy nodded but said nothing.
‘I was hoping when I saw the name Collins against the timetable that you were the one who was coming for an interview,’ he commented as he moved to his desk and sat down in the imposing high-backed leather chair.
‘I didn’t know I would be seeing you, I thought I was seeing Mr Carter himself,’ Sam interrupted.
‘My father only comes in three days a week now to check on what we are doing and to deal with anything he feels needs his attention. For quite some time now I have been dealing with all the day-to-day matters,’ Percy explained.
‘So are you the one I have to ask if I want my job back again?’ Sam asked.
Percy frowned as he picked up a file and began to look through it. ‘You left us in September 1921,’ he murmured. ‘That’s almost three years ago.’
‘Sam didn’t simply leave, he was sacked the same as I was,’ Lucy intervened.
‘Yes, you’re quite right; the details are all here,’ Percy affirmed, tapping the folder.
‘Sorry, I didn’t mean to interrupt, but Sam sometimes has difficulty in remembering things that happened around that time and I didn’t want you to get the wrong impression,’ Lucy said, the hot blood rushing to her face.
‘I understand it has something to do with his accident? Now which accident are we talking about?’ Percy frowned.
‘The very last one,’ Lucy told him.
‘I see; not the accident when he was driving one of our cars but the one he had on Orangeman’s Day in July last year. I read in the Echo all about that; it seemed to be quite serious and caused a lot of commotion.’
‘Well, yes it was. Sam was trampled underfoot by the marchers and was in a coma for a while. He’s fully recovered from that incident, though,’ Lucy added hurriedly.
‘So which accident has impaired his memory?’ Percy persisted.
‘It was an incident since then. Sam was hit over the head with a heavy bottle several months ago when we were living in Horatio Street,’ Lucy explained. ‘I know when you read the list it sounds like a catalogue of disaster but he’s just been unlucky,’ she added wryly.
‘I see. But you are saying he has fully recovered and is fit enough to work now,’ Percy commented. He selected a sheet of paper from the file on his desk and studied it. ‘It appears that you never completed your apprenticeship as an engineer, Sam.’
‘He was unable to do so after the bonfire incident because both his hands were so badly burned; surely you must remember that,’ Lucy said sharply.
‘Oh, I do. Very vividly. I don’t think I will ever forget the ordeal I went through or the time I had to spend in hospital. That was followed by the dreadful car accident and I recall the dressing down I had to take from my father because I was the one who had suggested that Sam should become a driver—’
‘Do we have to go over all those painful details again?’ Lucy interrupted. ‘Sam doesn’t remember anything at all about the car accident and so we never mention it.’
‘Very well,’ Percy agreed hastily. He shuffled the papers together and put them back inside the folder. ‘So what sort of work are you able to do now, Sam?’
Sam looked confused. ‘I was hoping for my old job back, as a mechanic.’
Percy shook his head frowning. ‘I don’t think that’s possible because you aren’t qualified.’
‘He had nearly completed his four-year apprenticeship,’ Lucy reminded Percy. ‘I’m quite sure that Robert Tanner would keep an eye on his work and I understand that Robert is your head mechanic and in charge of the workshop.’
Percy pursed his lips and looked uncertain. ‘You’d better leave it with me for a couple of days, Sam, so that I can discuss the idea with my father,’ he prevaricated. ‘I’ll get in touch with you again as soon as we reach a decision.’
He pushed back his chair and came round to the other side of his desk, then opened the door to show them out. Lucy felt bitterly disappointed on Sam’s behalf. He had been so convinced that the interview with Mr Carter was merely a formality and that he would automatically be reinstated.
‘Would you like me to carry the pushchair down the stairs for you?’ Percy offered.
‘There’s no need,’ Lucy told him stiffly. ‘I can bump it down them quite easily.’
‘That won’t be a very comfortable ride for the little one, though,’ Percy said gravely. ‘No, if you carry her, then I’ll take the pushchair down for you.’
The moment she had lifted Anna out the pushchair he picked it up and strode across the general office and through the door leaving Lucy and Sam to follow.
Conscious that all eyes were on them as she walked through the office with Anna in her arms, Lucy wondered what they would say about them after they’d left.
When they reached the street outside Percy waited until Lucy had settled Anna into the pushchair, then held out his hand to her to say goodbye.
‘I didn’t know you were living back in Priory Terrace,’ he told her in a low voice. ‘I’ve tried several times to find you. What about meeting me one evening to give us a chance to catch up properly?’
‘I don’t think that’s possible because my time is taken up looking after little Anna,’ she told him.
‘Surely Robert can look after her for one evening; you must have some free time and a life of your own, even if you are living in his house.’
Lucy was conscious that he was watching her closely as he said this and her lips tightened. ‘Of course I get time to myself,’ she said quickly. ‘Robert usually looks after Anna when he gets home from work and he often puts her to bed.’
‘There you are. I’m glad we’ve sorted that out and that there’s no problem at all about us meeting. Shall we say tomorrow night? By then I will have had time to talk things through with my father and be able to tell you what decision has been made about Sam coming back to work for us.’
Lucy hesitated. She didn’t want to go out with Percy Carter. He had asked her to do so many times in the past but she had always refused and he’d never argued about it.
She hadn’t had a night out for so long that it suddenly seemed to be an attractive idea. If it was going to help to make sure that Sam was reinstated, then perhaps it would be diplomatic to accept Percy’s invitation on this occasion.
‘Thank you, Percy, but I’m not sure,’ she prevaricated, hoping he would le
t the subject drop.
‘Good. I’ll pick you up at seven o’clock and we’ll go to the Paradise Club. A nice meal and a spot of dancing afterwards, how does that sound?’ he asked in a jovial voice.
Although she smiled and nodded her acceptance, inwardly she was perturbed about what he would expect from her afterwards. Also, what on earth would she wear to the Paradise Club? She had nothing remotely suitable for such an exotic occasion; except a summer dress and that would hardly do justice to such an occasion.
Chapter Twenty-Six
Lucy found that she kept going hot and cold all over as she walked home with Sam and Anna. What on earth had made her accept an invitation to go out for the evening with Percy Carter? she asked herself over and over again.
She wasn’t at all sure what Robert would think when he heard; in fact, she decided that it might be better not to mention it yet. She hadn’t even made up her mind whether she would be going or not. She had nothing suitable to wear and she suspected that everybody there would be dressed to the nines.
Sam was jubilant about the prospect of working again but she only half listened to what he was saying; her own problem made it impossible for her to think of anything else.
She decided to take Anna out in her pushchair in the afternoon because she couldn’t stand listening to Sam talking about working at Carter’s any longer. She hoped Anna would fall asleep so that she could sort out in her own mind what she was going to do, but Anna chattered so much that it was impossible to think.
Instead of their usual walk to the park Lucy went into the centre of Liverpool and it seemed to her that although it was still only the beginning of spring all the stores were displaying the sort of dresses that would be just right to wear to the Paradise Club.
Over their evening meal to Lucy’s dismay Sam related every detail about his interview that morning with Percy Carter. He even added that Percy had carried the pushchair down the stairs for them and then asked Lucy to go out with him.
‘Really; so what did you say to that?’ Robert asked, looking across at her.
She felt the hot colour flooding her cheeks as she tried to avoid his direct gaze. ‘I thought it was diplomatic to say yes because Percy said that it would be an opportunity to tell me what had been decided about Sam,’ she added hastily.
‘I would have thought that his decision about whether there was a job for Sam or not should be discussed with Sam, not you,’ Robert said sharply.
‘Well, yes, I am sure you are right and of course he’ll talk to Sam about what has been decided, but I thought it would be nice to know as soon as possible. Otherwise it might mean having to wait several days before a letter arrives,’ Lucy explained lamely.
‘Mmm! Or was it the idea of a night out somewhere glitzy with Percy Carter that appealed to you?’ Robert asked dryly.
‘No, most certainly not, but I didn’t know how to refuse without causing offence,’ Lucy said hotly. ‘In fact, I’m not at all sure that I will go because he said we would be going to the Paradise Club and I have nothing suitable to wear to a place like that.’
‘You’ll probably look as good as any of the others there whatever you are wearing,’ Robert said dismissively.
Lucy didn’t argue with him because she thought it was pointless to do so; what did a man know about such things? It was so easy for them, all they had to do was put on a clean shirt and a fancy tie and they could go anywhere.
Nevertheless, she couldn’t put it out of her mind and she tossed and turned most of the night wondering whether she should brave it out and wear her summer dress or send a message to Percy to say she wouldn’t be coming.
If she turned down his invitation, she reasoned, it might jeopardise Sam’s chance of a job and she knew it meant so much to him to be back in work.
She was hollow eyed and still tired when it was time to get up the next morning. In silence she prepared Robert’s breakfast and placed it on the table in front of him before pouring herself a cup of tea and sitting down to drink it.
‘Did you have a bad night?’ Robert asked piling his fork with egg and fried bread.
‘Yes, I’m afraid I didn’t sleep very well,’ Lucy admitted, desperately trying to stop yawning.
‘I suppose it was Anna who kept you awake and now it’s time to get up she’s sound asleep.’
‘No, Anna was as good as gold, she didn’t keep me awake,’ Lucy admitted.
‘Oh, I see,’ Robert said grimly. ‘In that case, I suppose you were thinking about your date tonight and what you should wear to impress Percy.’
‘I haven’t even decided whether or not to go. I’ll have to wait and find out if Brenda is off duty this evening and if she can come and babysit first.’
‘Brenda? What has Brenda got to do with it? I can look after my own daughter.’
‘I wasn’t sure if you were free to do so or not; you never offered when I mentioned about going out.’
‘You knew perfectly well that I would be here and that you are free to go out in the evening any time you wish to do so,’ Robert told her huffily.
When she made no reply Robert fished out his wallet from his back pocket and took out a five-pound note. ‘Buy yourself a new dress; something to show him that you are as smart as you ever were,’ he said as he put it down on the table beside her cup and saucer.
Lucy’s mouth tightened. ‘Thank you, but I don’t want that; I’ll wear what I’ve got.’
‘And ruin your evening by feeling out of place? Don’t be daft, go out and buy something new; a dress to knock spots off all the others there. Afterwards, when you get back, try and get an hour’s sleep otherwise you’ll be falling asleep in Percy’s arms on the dance floor and making a laughing stock of yourself.’
Before she could answer he’d stood up from the table, reached down his cap and top coat and was walking out of the house, leaving her looking questioningly at the money he’d left lying on the table.
Robert was so right in what he had said but she wished he hadn’t seemed so angry and cynical. She didn’t like the idea of taking his money to buy a new dress when it was to go out with Percy. She wondered if perhaps Robert was jealous and if so did that mean that he still had feelings for her and resented the fact that Percy was showing an interest in her again?
Robert Tanner was in a very bad mood when he arrived at Carter’s that morning. He hadn’t slept well because he couldn’t put the thought of Lucy going out with Percy from his mind. What on earth did she want to do that for? he kept asking himself.
It stirred up so many memories that he’d thought were buried and gone for ever. He’d tried to move on after Patsy died and he thought he’d done so. He’d been quite proud of the way he’d dealt with all his problems and life had started to look good again but suddenly it seemed to be all turning to ashes.
What made it worse was the way he’d handed her the five-pound note and told her to buy a new dress almost as if he was condoning their outing.
His reasons for doing that had been because he didn’t like to think of her turning up at the Paradise Club in one of her old frocks and being the laughing stock of the hoi polloi who went there. Deep down he did want her to enjoy her night out because she had worked so hard that she deserved it.
Why he hadn’t thought to take her out one night himself he couldn’t understand; well, he knew the reason but he didn’t want to admit it. His feelings for Lucy were as strong as they’d ever been. Never a day passed when he didn’t wish that he could turn the clock back to the time before things began to go haywire. There would have been no Patsy in his life, for a start, he thought grimly.
That would have meant that there would have been no little Anna either, he reminded himself and there was no doubt about it that she meant a great deal to him and always would, even though he still loved Lucy.
Loving your child was different and something very special, he told himself. She was part of him and he felt responsible for her welfare and happiness.
It was
one of the reasons why he’d wanted her to be brought up by someone he could trust to care for her properly and even love her. Lucy filled the bill perfectly.
Even as he told himself this, he knew that deep in his heart he also hoped that perhaps one day, if he was sure that Lucy had the same sort of feelings for him that he still had for her, the three of them might become a proper family.
So far they had treated each other with tremendous caution as if both of them were afraid of saying or doing something that might be wrongly construed. They both seemed to be taking great care not to reveal their true feelings. At least he had, but he wasn’t sure about Lucy. Did she still have feelings for him or was she finding it onerous to be living with him and regretting her decision to do so?
In the olden days they had never wanted to be out of each other’s sight for a minute. They’d walked home from school together talking over the day’s happenings and helping each other with their homework. At the weekends they’d gone for walks together and, in the summer, over to New Brighton on the boat.
In fact, in those days they’d spent every moment they could in each other’s company. They’d shared their thoughts and dreams for the life ahead of them and had taken it for granted that they would be together for ever.
It was all Percy Carter’s fault that it had all gone wrong, he told himself. It had started with the stupid incident when Percy had fallen on the bonfire. That had started a chain of events that within a very short time had churned up all their lives.
After Sam’s car accident, Robert reflected, Lucy had been so busy grieving for her parents and then looking after Sam after he came out of hospital that he’d felt pushed into the background. Patsy had been so dependent on him helping her with Sam and so willing to keep him company when he’d felt miserable that at the time she had filled the yawning gap in his life.
Before he realised what was happening Patsy was pregnant and there was no turning back. He’d done the only thing he could in the circumstances; he didn’t love Patsy, but he had married her because that was what was expected of him.
