by K Leitch
‘Maggie Wendover you trollop,’ said Tracy laughing. ‘One date and you’re sleeping with him… so come on then spill…how was it?’
Maggie smiled her pussycat smile, ‘Well let’s just say, he was better with his fingers than fingering Fred, the fastest fingerer in Fingerford, and even Harold Head from Headly couldn’t hold a candle to Thomas in that department!’
The girls shouted with laughter and the mood had lifted again; they stayed up late talking and laughing, but eventually Tracy gave in, complaining of heartburn and an aching back and so the evening broke up. Carla quietly tidied up glasses and tea cups; she couldn’t quite shake off her worries about Helen though. She would make sure she got someone to watch Maya from now on; she hoped with all her heart that she was wrong, but something in her gut was telling her that she wasn’t.
CHAPTER 49 - MAGGIE
Just as she was about to leave for work the next morning Maggie heard the unmistakable sound of Greg’s car pulling into her drive. She groaned; she had managed to successfully avoid Greg for weeks. And now that Jed was back home, she had thought that she wouldn’t have to see him again.
He rang the bell; and for a second Maggie actually considered hiding, but then she remembered that he had an emergency key, so she reluctantly went and opened the door.
He looked awful, as though he hadn’t slept for a while. His hair was all unkempt and his clothes were creased, totally unlike the Greg she knew.
‘Oh hi Greg,’ she said breezily, ‘you only just caught me I’m afraid, I’m just on my way to work, busy day you know how it is.’
‘Maggie I need to talk to you,’ Greg said urgently.
Maggie sighed, ‘Oh but surely it can wait Greg, what could we possibly have to say to one another after all?’
‘Maggie, I need to talk to you…please,’ he said again, catching her by the arm as she attempted to walk passed him. She surrendered and went back inside.
‘Ok what is it you have to talk to me about?’ she said when they had reached the kitchen; she picked up the kettle, ‘coffee?’
‘No thanks,’ said Greg. ‘Maggie… um… have you given any thought to what I said to you that night…you know that night… before we found Owen?’
Maggie couldn’t remember the last time she had seen Greg looking so anxious, it pulled at her heart strings… she ignored it.
‘I have tried not to think about it if you must know,’ she answered quietly, she turned and looked at him, ‘it wouldn’t work… you do know that don’t you…we can’t go back. There would always be Misha and Lewis and all the men that I’ve been with coming between us.’
‘I think you’re wrong,’ said Greg moving closer, ‘nothing has ever been as good as you and I Maggs, you must have felt that. We were made for each other; we’re almost part of each other. Anything else is just…second best.’
He took Maggie into his arms, she tried to pull away but he held her firmly.
‘I can’t live without you Maggie…I need you…you and the boys. Please Maggie you know I’m right,’ he brought his mouth down hard onto hers and kissed her passionately. Maggie could tell that he was putting his heart and soul into that kiss, and, although it was a good kiss, executed well, by the man she had thought she would love all her days, she remained unmoved. It had gone; miraculously and at last. She felt nothing but pity and mild irritation towards this man that had held her heart in his hands for so many years. If he had done this a year ago, or even just a few months ago, she would have leapt into his arms for joy…now…well now she just felt awkward.
Greg must have sensed it, because he pulled away without saying a word.
‘I’m sorry Greg,’ Maggie began.
‘I’ve left it too late haven’t I? he asked abruptly, Maggie just nodded.
‘Do you think that maybe…sometime in the future perhaps?’ Maggie shook her head. Greg put his head in his hands, and Maggie put her arms around him.
‘You will find someone darling; you are just feeling low because you have broken up with Misha. But look at you…you are gorgeous,’ he looked up at her quizzically, ‘yes, and you know it Greg Wendover, so don’t give me that look.’ She looked into his eyes, ‘I will always love you sweetheart and I would love to be friends with you if you think that’s possible. To be honest you look like you need a friend at the moment, where did you sleep last night, the car?’
‘Hotel…just outside Redbank,’ he said in a small pathetic voice.
‘Well let me tell you, you will never get another date looking like you do today. You need to take a deep breath and move on darling.’ Maggie thought for a moment, completely ignored all the little voices in her head that were screaming at her not to be such a stupid idiot, and said, ‘Look why don’t you come and stay here for a while…in the spare room obviously. Just until you get yourself sorted, the boys would love it and it would give you a chance to look around properly for somewhere else…just as long as you don’t get the wrong idea. Friends…right?’
Greg thought about it for a minute and then smiled a sexy smile, ‘Are you sure you’ll be able to resist my charms when I’m here 24/7. Maybe I need to be worried; maybe it’ll be you creeping into my bed in the early hours.’
‘Oh well if you are worried…’ said Maggie dismissively, turning back to make her tea.
‘No, no I’m not worried…’ Greg hastily reassured her, ‘and if you are sure, that would be great, better than great…fantastic! And I promise I will be a good and tidy tenant with no funny business,’ he kissed Maggie again, on the cheek this time. ‘Thank you…thank you my best and most wonderful friend.’
CHAPTER 50
Duncan wandered around the large and dusty old pub. It had been closed for months and it was showing signs of serious neglect. But the surveyor had given it a clean bill of health; there was a damp patch that needed sorting in the cellars, and some of the upstairs window frames could do with replacing at some time in the future. But all in all it was in pretty good nick considering how old it was. The Bull had stood on Kenley village green since the 17th century, obviously it had been updated and renovated many times since then, but there were still parts of it that dated back to that time. Happily the electrics and plumbing were of a more recent date; and the last owners had built a large conservatory extension on the downstairs, that had turned the pub into a wonderful eatery which had attracted customers from far and wide.
Watson and Clough estate agents had sent him an email, inviting him to an open day that they were holding in the pub today. So far he seemed to be the only person that had turned up, and the young girl that had greeted him when he had arrived, seemed to be completely out of her depth. She had introduced herself as Christine and offered him a glass of bucks fizz, and then had haltingly given him a run down on the pubs history and how many times it had been reduced in price, making it the attractive investment that it now was.
Duncan had no doubt that it was a good investment; but it was still a little above what he had been thinking of paying for a property, and also he was completely aware that it would be a big challenge for him to take on a business, especially one that he was only a little familiar with.
Putting those negative thoughts to one side though, it was an exciting prospect. The thought of running his own pub and restaurant was something that Duncan had often fantasized about. He had worked in loads of wine bars and pubs while he was going through university, and had managed one of them for a couple of years after he had graduated. So he knew the basics, and he thought he knew someone that might be interested in running the restaurant side of things. The living accommodation upstairs was huge; and had obviously been run at one time as a sort of B&B, each of the six bedrooms having their own en-suite bathroom. He had already earmarked the set of rooms that would be perfect for Martha…but he mustn’t get carried away, he needed to speak to a couple of people first to see if he could raise the finances.
Just when Christine was giving up all hope of anybody else turning up,
a tall glamorous and strangely familiar woman bustled in through the double doors, details in hand. Christine hurried over to her with the tray of bucks fizz and introduced herself and then immediately went into her well rehearsed spiel.
‘Oh sweetheart don’t bother with all that,’ said the woman airily, as she helped herself to a drink and looked around the room appreciatively. ‘I know this pub like the back of my hand, although I have to say it looks a bit worse for wear at the moment…which is a bit sad,’ she finished reflectively. She seemed to suddenly notice Duncan, who by now had recognised her as the mad woman at the hospital, with the flat tyre.
Maggie spotted the hairy mammoth standing near the bar area of the pub. He seemed to be trying to figure out where he had seen her before, she heaved an irritated sigh, how bloody awkward…oh god now he was coming over. She plastered a smile on her face.
‘Hello,’ he said returning her smile, ‘are you interested in this old place too?’
‘Well obviously…that’s why I’m here,’ she returned shortly, bloody hell what was it about this man that made her hackles rise. He looked a bit embarrassed and seemed to be struggling to think of a descent retort to her rudeness; Maggie felt a twinge of guilt, so she asked.
‘How are your grandparents? They were so sweet that night, and so funny.’
He smiled sadly at her, ‘I’m afraid my grandfather died, just last week actually…stroke, we rushed him to A&E but there was nothing they could do.’
Maggie’s hand flew to her mouth, ‘Oh I’m so sorry, oh your poor Grandma she must be devastated, oh please give her my condolences. That’s so terrible; I mean they must have been married…forever.’
Duncan laughed, ‘Well not quite, but I’m sure it must have seemed like it to them. They had celebrated their fiftieth wedding anniversary a couple of years ago…so yes, she’s finding it hard.’ He looked thoughtful for a moment as if trying to think what to say next. ‘That’s why I’m here actually; I’ve been looking for a place to buy locally, I need to look after her now and I can’t while she’s in that caravan, so I thought this might be the perfect solution. A place for her to live and a business for me to run…only it’s a bit too pricy for me on my own…’ he trailed off then, realising that he was talking too much… and to a potential competitor at that!
Maggie smiled, ‘That sounds like a lovely idea, it’s a big commitment to take on though…um… not your Grandma, she’s lovely, I mean this old place. I knew the previous owners and believe me it was a full time job.’
Duncan was immediately interested, ‘You knew the infamous Vanessa did you? Wow I’ve heard so many stories about what happened here…did she really have the body of her child buried in the cellars?’
‘Bloody hell…no,’ said Maggie aghast, ‘Oh my god what really happened here was bad enough, why do people have to make up such horror stories. It was awful; and a friend of mine was nearly killed in this pub, but that’s history now… and they are both long gone. At least I hope they are, no one actually knows where Vanessa ended up, but Giles, her husband, is in prison and he will be for a while yet.’
Duncan looked at her puzzled, ‘Why are you interested in this place then, if it was all so terrible. Surely it would give you nightmares to live here?’
Maggie let out a laugh, ’Oh I’m not going to live here…no I love my barn too much. No I’m just looking at this place as an investment. I had been thinking lately about investing in something, a small business maybe. I’ve been looking online, on the Investment Angels website, but nothing I’ve seen so far appeals to me. Then the bumf about this place came through the letter box and I thought ‘why not’ it might be just the thing, plus I have an added incentive to see this pub open for business again. My friends and I used to meet here once a week and since its closure we’ve had to meet at the Dog and Duck in Foxwood…which is not the most salubrious, let me tell you.’
Duncan laughed, but he was thinking hard about what she had just said, finally he took a deep breath, ‘Um…I don’t know how serious you are about investing, but it has just occurred to me that we might be able to help each other out.’
Maggie looked at him suspiciously, but he went on, ‘I want to buy this place and restore it to its former glory. I have a friend who is a marvellous chef, and would relish the chance to put her skills to use, and I am willing to work my bollocks…er ‘suse me…work really hard to make this work. Also I have money to invest as well so it would be a shared venture. With your knowledge of the locals and my amazing people skills what could go wrong?’ he finished looking at her hopefully.
‘Whoa there,’ said Maggie holding up her hand. ‘For one thing we barely know each other and for another I don’t know if I want to go into the pub business. I was just thinking about it, I hadn’t decided anything.’
Duncan looked a bit crest fallen, ‘Oh well it was worth a try…I give you fair warning though, I am going to try and raise the money to buy this place, with or without your help…I know I can make it work. And it would be a wonderful place for my Grandma to live out the rest of her life, a pub full of people for her to talk to, what more could she ask for.’
Maggie couldn’t help but agree with him, so she smiled and wished him luck. And soon after that, they both went their separate ways. But Maggie thought about Duncan’s proposition for the rest of the day, and the more she thought about it the more sense it made.
CHAPTER 51
Maya waited nervously at the place she had been told to wait. Craig had sent her a vicious text message, threatening all kinds of retribution if she didn’t show.
Life had become a living nightmare for Maya over the last couple of weeks; ever since bumping into Craig O’Bruin in Redbank.
She hadn’t been able to believe her eyes, when she saw who it was that had grabbed her by the arm as she walked through the town. She had hoped never to see this man again as long as she lived. He had made her life a misery when she had first come over to England all those years ago.
Oh it had all started nicely enough…handsome Irish charmer chatting her up in a bar in Birmingham. Maya had thought all her dreams had come true when he claimed to be falling in love with her, even suggesting that she moved in with him. Maya jumped at the chance; she was living in a dingy studio flat right next to a busy train line, so anything was a step up. It wasn’t that she was madly in love, in fact after a couple of weeks of going out with Craig she had realised what a shallow and selfish man he was. But she had come to England in the hope of bettering herself, and moving in with him had seemed like a good idea at the time.
What a bloody mistake that was; within a few days of moving into Craig’s ‘boarding house’ Maya realised that she had been trapped. The house she lived in was nothing more than a brothel, and she was expected to keep it clean and look after the girls. By looking after the girls, Craig meant to make sure they had their daily dose of heroin and make sure they didn’t run. Most of the girls were eastern European and didn’t speak English, Maya’s English wasn’t very good, but at least she could make herself understood. She had tried to walk away within the first week of being there; but Craig had stopped her, and beaten her so badly that she hadn’t been able to walk for a couple of weeks. The handsome smiling man that had picked her up in the bar had turned into a terrifying monster, one who violently raped her each night, and beat her regularly when the mood took him.
Maya had spent three years in that house; that was where she had met Mary. Poor damaged Mary, whose only crime had been to have been born into a vicious and depraved family. Maya became friends with the young girl even though she was Craig’s sister; she was a gentle soul who didn’t say much, just did as she was told. Unbelievably Mary was one of the girls that Craig prostituted; according to Craig, Mary had disgraced herself and the family by becoming pregnant when she was a teenager, so basically in the family’s eyes she was a whore already, and she might as well earn them money.
Maya was disgusted; and tried to protect Mary as much as s
he could from Craig’s fists, even taking beatings herself to spare her.
Mary had told her about her child, how she had given birth in her Gran’s house, only to have the child torn from her arms a few hours later. It had been given to a good catholic family, she had been told, who would bring it up properly, give it all the things that she couldn’t. She had later found out that they had been paid twenty thousand pounds for her baby, and that hers was not the only baby being sold like this. Craig and her father had a roaring trade going on, whenever one of their girls found themselves pregnant, she was shipped back to Ireland and Granny O’Bruin’s tender care until the child was born. After which the child was sold on to desperate childless couples, willing to pay tens of thousands of pounds for a new born child.
Maya was horrified and determined to find a way to get away, so she started plotting with Mary. In the end it was as simple as just walking away; Maya made sure she was all prepared and then she just waited for the right opportunity. It came sooner than she had expected, one night whilst celebrating a particularly profitable scam, Craig and his cronies had been drinking heavily and had become careless. Maya knew where Craig hid his cash so she relieved him of most of it, grabbed a terrified Mary and left.
They took a train to Liverpool, Mary knew the town a little bit, having journeyed there as a child. They found a small room to rent, where they laid low for a week or so, both of them convinced that Craig would burst through the door at any minute and drag them back to the boarding house. When nothing happened for a while, they began to feel a bit braver and so they set about trying to find work. Maya soon found a job as a cleaner in a hotel and not long after Mary started working in a small café. Not long after that, Mary moved out of the shared room and into a flat nearer her work and Maya moved down to Surrey to be closer to her family, who had recently come over from Poland. And so their lives went in different directions… until against all odds, they met up a few weeks ago, on the tiny village green in Kenley.
