by Maureen Lee
‘No,’ she replied, flustered. ‘Perhaps I should’ve done. It didn’t cross me mind.’ She should have told him when she wrote that angry letter after he’d threatened to take Tony away, but was the solicitor hinting this omission excused Francis’s behaviour? ‘He nearly killed me,’ she said. ‘If me sister hadn’t come in …’
The solicitor didn’t wait for her to finish. ‘Don’t you think, Mrs Costello, that a soldier coming home on leave might be entitled to feel aggrieved when he finds his own house out of bounds?’
‘Perhaps,’ she conceded weakly, ‘but he had no call to try and strangle me.’ She realised with a shock that the man was definitely not on her side.
‘I might be inclined to lose my own temper, if I came home and found my wife had unexpectedly changed the locks,’ he went on.
‘Only if there was no reason for it,’ Eileen argued. ‘With Francis, there was a good reason.’
‘That’s right. He’d squeezed your arm and your shoulder and made them red.’ He made another note on his pad. ‘Sexual relations? What were they like?’
Eileen blushed. ‘Not very nice.’
‘Not … very … nice.’ He wrote the words down slowly. ‘In what way were they not very nice?’
‘He hurt me.’
‘Every night?’
She looked down at her shoes, embarrassed. ‘No. He … we only did it on Saturdays when he was drunk.’
‘Did you ever refuse his attentions?’
‘I tried to, but he didn’t take any notice.’ By now, Eileen knew she was wasting her time and wished she had the nerve to get up and leave. The solictor’s response was almost predictable. He seemed to see things from Francis’s side, not hers.
‘In other words,’ he said pleasantly, ‘although you and your husband had sexual relations just once a week, you would have denied him the privilege completely if you could?’
‘Only because he hurt me,’ she said defensively.
‘I see.’ He smiled again. ‘There is a saying, isn’t there? “If rape is inevitable, just lie back and enjoy it.” I think it’s a matter of relaxation.’
‘I don’t know,’ she whispered, praying the interview or the consultation, whatever it was, would soon be over and she could escape. But it seemed there were still more questions to be asked.
‘Did your husband keep you short of money?’
‘Oh, no, he was generous with money, except that …’ she paused.
‘Except that what?’
‘He insisted on choosing everything himself; the furniture, even my clothes. He always came with me and told me what to buy.’
‘I always accompany my wife when she goes shopping for dresses,’ the man said pleasantly.
‘Do you always tell her what to buy?’
‘Of course not, but she relies on my advice.’
Eileen didn’t bother to respond. The solicitor picked up his notes, swung round in his swivel chair and began to study them, whilst she glanced about the office, for the first time taking in the faded carpet, the vast wooden desk with its leather top, the shelves and shelves of dusty leather-bound books.
Eventually, the man finished reading. He laid down the notes, leaned on the desk and looked directly at Eileen. The expression on his face told her all she needed to know. His words, when they came, were almost predictable.
‘From what I have heard,’ he said, in a voice that was no longer pleasant, ‘I find no good reason why you should divorce your husband on the grounds of cruelty. What is more, I have a son in the Royal Tank Regiment, presently, like Mr Costello, in Egypt. There is no conceivable way in which I, or any member of this firm, would serve divorce papers on a man risking his life on foreign soil for his country.’ He stood, saying dismissively, ‘I’m afraid, Mrs Costello, that I can be of no assistance to you at this time. Or any other time, come to that.’
As Eileen went wordlessly towards the door, he said coldly, ‘That will be one guinea. Pay my clerk if you wish. Otherwise, a bill will be sent.’
Eileen virtually ran home. The way he’d spoken to her! She felt like an insect that had crawled from beneath a stone. She blamed herself for not explaining things more clearly. On the other hand, the solicitor seemed determined not to see things her way. He made her feel a fool. She burst into her sister’s house, close to tears.
There was a three-sided clothes maiden in front of the fireplace, full of nappies and bedding. It was Monday, washing day, and Sheila was in the kitchen dressed in a wrap-round pinny, her brown hair hidden underneath a scarf, rolling more sopping nappies through the mangle. The rack was half down, already packed with children’s clothes, and the house was clouded with steam and smelt of soap and bleach and boiling washing. Siobhan had started school in January and Caitlin was playing with Ryan underneath the table. There was no sign of Mary, who was presumably asleep upstairs.
‘Jaysus, Eil! What’s the matter?’ gasped Sheila when she saw her sister’s face.
‘That solicitor! He made me feel this big!’ Eileen held her thumb and a finger an inch apart.
‘It’s no good then?’
‘No bloody good at all. I’ll tell you all about it in a minute when I’ve calmed down. Fancy stopping for a cuppa?’
‘If you make it.’
As Eileen began to fill the kettle, Sheila said, ‘You’ll never guess what happened this morning. Aggie Donovan came round and gave me most of her meat coupons.’ Meat had been rationed the previous month.
‘She never!’
‘She said the kids needed meat more than she did.’
‘Most people are nice, deep down,’ said Eileen. ‘Rosie Gregson always gets pushed to the front of the queue as soon as they see she’s in the club.’
‘I don’t know what to do with these!’ Sheila stared down at the bowl full of washing. ‘The rack’s full, the maiden’s full. Where am I going to dry them?’
‘I’ll put them on my rack for you,’ Eileen offered.
‘Will you? Ta, Sis.’
‘Though it’s your own fault for having so many children. You need a private laundry all to yourself.’
‘Well, actually …’ Sheila stopped and looked at her sister, half smiling.
‘Oh, Sheil! You’re not up the stick again?’
‘I’m a few days late.’
‘For Chrissakes, girl! If you go on at this rate, you’ll have twenty kids by the time you’re forty.’
‘I wouldn’t mind,’ Sheila said serenely, ‘and neither would Cal. He’ll be tickled pink when he finds out.’
Cal had gone back to sea on the freighter Bird of Paradise, which was sailing in a convoy to the United States to pick up a cargo of food. God willing, he would be home again in two weeks’ time.
Eileen made the tea, and when they sat down she described in detail her encounter with the solicitor.
‘When you put it into words, Francis doesn’t sound so bad at all,’ she said ruefully. ‘I began to feel as if I was being dead unreasonable.’
‘Perhaps I should have come with you, like. If I’d told this solicitor what I saw, he might have believed you.’
‘Huh!’ Eileen snorted. ‘He believed me all right, but seemed to think it was all me own fault. According to him, he might have done the same thing if his wife had changed the locks. Lords knows what Miss Thomas and Nick will have to say when I tell them what happened.’
In fact, Miss Thomas merely shook her head resignedly. ‘It’s no more than I would have expected. We’ll just have to find someone more appropriate. I’ll ask around, Eileen.’
Nick said airly, ‘The man’s an idiot. If it comes to it, we’ll just have to get someone in London, the best man in his field – money’s no object as far as this divorce is concerned. A good solicitor is always on the side of the client, even if the client is a thoroughly bad lot.’
‘Thanks very much!’ Eileen said indignantly.
He kissed her forehead. ‘My dearest girl, you are the most adorable lot in the entire world.’
That night, Eileen had scarcely been home a few minutes when there was a tap on the back kitchen window, and she opened the door to find Annie outside.
‘Come in,’ she said stiffly. She felt slightly annoyed with her friend, whom she’d scarcely seen since the day they’d cleaned Freda Tutty’s house. Every weekend, Annie’s time was totally taken up with Barney Clegg. It had been a whirlwind romance. Eileen wondered if she’d come to say they were engaged, though Annie’s pretty, delicate face was glum as she came into the house.
‘He’s ditched me,’ she said immediately. ‘Barney gave me me marching orders at work this morning.’
‘I’m sorry, Annie.’
‘You don’t sound it,’ Annie snapped.
‘You knew before you went out with him he was a womaniser,’ Eileen said reasonably. ‘You said yourself he had a string of broken hearts behind him.’
‘Yeh, but I thought it would be different with me. He made out he was madly in love.’
‘I expect all the other broken hearts felt the same. Anyroad, I thought you intended playing hard to get?’
‘Oh, you’re full of sympathy, aren’t you?’ Annie said bitterly. ‘You can’t play hard to get forever.’
‘I truly am sorry, Annie, but,’ Eileen decided it was best to be completely honest, ‘to tell the truth, I feel a bit hurt. One minute, it seemed we were the best of friends. Next, I hardly see you for months.’
Annie burst into tears. ‘Oh, Eil! I’m at me wits’ end worrying about Terry and Joe. I can hardly get them out of me mind for a minute when I’m stuck at home by meself. It was lovely going out with Barney. He took me to all sorts of places; North Wales and Chester and Southport. We even had best red salmon once for our tea. He was such a gentleman and couldn’t do enough for me. I felt like a proper woman for the first time since Tom died. It took me mind off me lads for a while when I was with him.’
‘Oh, Lord, Annie!’
‘Then I went and slept with the beggar, and that was it! The chase was over. He’d caught me. Now he’s after this new woman at work,’ Annie sniffed.
‘You slept with him!’
‘Yeh! Ask me what it was like?’ To Eileen’s relief, there was a suspicion of a grin on Annie’s face.
‘What was it like?’
‘It tickled all the time. I kept on wanting to giggle.’
The two women burst out laughing. Annie said, ‘I’m sorry I neglected you, Eileen. Barney just swept me off me feet, but now I’m down to earth with a bump.’
‘You’re better off without him, luv,’ Eileen said.
‘That’s what I keep telling meself,’ Annie said wryly. ‘But I take a bit of convincing. Anyroad, that’s not why I’m here, though it did me good to get it off me chest. I came to tell you there’s a rumour going round you’re having an affair.’
‘Jaysus!’ gasped Eileen. ‘Who told you that?’
‘Ellis Evans heard it from Mrs Henderson who got it off you-know-who.’
‘Aggie Donovan?’
‘Who else? She’s seen you coming back late on Saturday night with a feller in a motorbike and sidecar.’
‘He usually leaves it parked around the corner.’ Eileen wasn’t sure whether to laugh or cry.
‘You mean it’s true? And there was I, insisting Aggie Donovan was off her rocker.’
‘Some of it’s true, but I’m not having an affair.’
‘Who is the “he” you’re not having an affair with?’ Annie probed.
‘Nick Stephens. I told you about him once.’
‘It’s coming along then!’ said Annie delightedly.
‘It’s more than coming along,’ Eileen said shyly. ‘Once I divorce Francis, Nick and I are getting married.’
‘Divorce! Oh, luv!’ Annie clapped her hands together delightedly, seemingly back to her old self. ‘To think what I’ve been missing, ’cos I was so wrapped up in that rotten Barney!’
‘Me and Tony are going to London with him at Easter,’ Eileen said, adding, ‘As for the neighbours, I’ll get Nick to park his bike further afield from now on, else I’ll be the scarlet woman of Pearl Street if it becomes common knowledge I’m seeing another feller.’
Chapter 12
‘Is that really where the King and Queen live?’ Tony asked in an awed voice.
‘Of course it is, luv.’
‘Are they in right now?’
‘Well, I’m not sure about that. They might have gone on their holidays for Easter, same as us.’
The three of them, Eileen, Tony and Nick, were standing at the gates of Buckingham Palace, where the windows glinted blankly in the late March sunshine. The guards, in their black busbies and red uniforms, stood motionless, one each side, staring unseeingly ahead.
‘I wonder what they’re thinking about,’ Eileen whispered to Nick. ‘It must be murder in those terrible hats.’
‘That’s probably what they’re thinking,’ said Nick. ‘“It’s murder in this terrible hat”. Or perhaps, “I wish the lovely lady with the long blonde hair belonged to me”.’
‘Oh, gerraway with you!’ Eileen poked him in the ribs with her elbow.
Tony noticed them whispering together and grasped his mam’s hand possessively. Eileen squeezed it warmly. There’d been a worrying atmosphere of jealousy between her son and Nick ever since they’d met early that Good Friday morning on Lime Street station. Both seemed to be vying for her attention. They spoke to each other rarely and then only with stiff politeness.
‘Well, we’ve seen Buckingham Palace. Where are we off to now?’ she asked cheerfully.
‘How about something to eat?’ suggested Nick. ‘Are you hungry, Tony?’
‘Yes,’ Tony answered briefly. ‘Can I have an ice cream, Mam?’
‘Not till you’ve had your tea.’
‘He can have one for his afters,’ said Nick. ‘We’ll go to Lyons Corner House. Then you can see Marble Arch.’
‘Can we go on the underground train?’ Tony asked, just as Nick raised his arm to hail a passing taxi.
‘There’ll be plenty of time tomorrow for the trains, luv. Gosh, isn’t this exciting,’ she said brightly, as they piled into the back of the big black cab. ‘Wait till you tell your mates at school you had a ride in a London taxi!’
‘I’d sooner have gone on the train,’ Tony said sulkily.
Eileen sighed. It boded ill for the future if Tony and Nick didn’t get on.
Conversation was forced throughout the meal. It wasn’t until Nick spilt a dollop of ice cream on the lapel of his jacket that Tony stifled a giggle. Eileen wiped off the offending mess with her handkerchief.
‘Lord knows when you get this suit cleaned. You never have it off your back,’ she said sternly. It was the same corduroy one he had been wearing when she met him in Southport.
‘What do you mean?’ Nick said indignantly. ‘I get both my suits cleaned regularly.’
‘Both? D’you mean you’ve got two suits exactly the same?’
‘No, they’re different colours. One’s browny-green and the other’s greeny-brown.’
Tony giggled again. Nick turned on him. ‘Is she always nagging you, too?’
Nodding solemnly, Tony said, ‘She’s got this thing about being clean.’
‘That’s women all over!’
‘Eh, youse two! Stop talking about me like I wasn’t there,’ Eileen said, delighted the atmosphere seemed to have lightened a little. She noticed Tony stifle a huge yawn. ‘What time is it?’ she asked Nick.
He glanced at his watch. ‘Just gone six.’
‘Perhaps we could make our way back to the hotel soon. I’ve no idea where we are. Is it very far away?’
‘Piccadilly. We could walk down Park Lane, if you like?’
‘That’d be nice. We might be back before the blackout. Come on, Tony, luv. Finish off your lemonade. It’s not long off your bedtime.’
‘But, Mam,’ he groaned. ‘He said it was only six o’clock.’
Eileen noticed he still couldn’
t bring himself to call Nick by name. ‘We’ve got to get back yet,’ she said briskly.
They strolled along Park Lane. On one side, the lush trees and grass of Hyde Park seemed to dim and fade before their eyes as dusk began to fall.
‘There’s an anti-aircraft battery somewhere behind those trees,’ Nick said.
‘Can we go and look at it?’ Tony tugged at Eileen’s hand.
But Eileen didn’t hear. They’d reached the Dorchester and she was too busy gaping into the still brilliantly lit foyer, and at the top-hatted doormen opening the doors of long, sleek black cars for elegantly dressed women in fur coats and men in evening dress or uniform.
‘See that chap?’ Nick pointed to a tall, khaki-clad figure going into the hotel. ‘He’s a Brigadier General.’
A couple came walking towards them, arm in arm; a plump young man in naval officer’s uniform and a pretty girl in a mauve chiffon dress with a little white fur cape around her shoulders. The young man stopped dead when he saw Nick.
‘Nick! Nicko Stephens! Is it really you?
‘Hello, Perry.’ Eileen sensed Nick wasn’t too pleased at the encounter. He looked rather sour as his hand was vigorously shaken and his shoulder slapped. ‘How are you?’ he asked stiffly.
‘Well – extraordinarily well, in fact,’ Perry said jovially. ‘Having a rattling good war so far, I can tell you. Got a forty-eight-hour pass and nipped up from Portsmouth in the old banger to see Belinda. Isn’t she a poppet? Shake hands with my old chum, Nick, there’s a darling.’
Belinda shook hands, pouting prettily. Eileen, feeling drab and very ordinary in her second-hand coat and the beret Brenda Mahon had made, shrank into the background. Nick would surely feel ashamed of her beside this beautifully dressed creature. Nick apparently did. He made no attempt to introduce her as Perry prattled on.
‘I couldn’t believe my ears when someone told me you were working in some Godforsaken place up north,’ he said. ‘I thought, it’s not like Nicko to chicken out of the action.’
‘I didn’t have any choice in the matter,’ Nick said shortly. It was only then he remembered Eileen and ushered her forward. ‘This is Eileen Costello, my fiancée, and her son, Tony.’
‘Fiancée, eh?’ Perry’s eyes raked Eileen up and down as they shook hands. ‘Nicko could always pick ’em.’
