‘Well, if you were given to noticing anything, Mr Bailey, but the requirements of your stomach and how quick you can get upstairs and act the goat with that lot you would have noticed that she never comes in at night unless it is to babysit; she wants us to have time to ourselves.’
‘Oh that’s thoughtful of her. But with regard to music lessons, they ain’t actin’ the goat.’
‘Music lessons I agree aren’t acting the goat, but to my mind tin whistles don’t come into that category.’
‘Well, it won’t be tin whistles any longer, I’ve ordered flutes, three different sizes.’
‘You haven’t! Oh, my God! Anyway, I wonder what’s happened to bring Nell round.’
‘Well the quicker you let her in the quicker you’ll find out. The back door’s locked I suppose?’
‘Yes, of course.’ Fiona now hurried from the room and through the hall and into the kitchen, and she was just opening the door when Nell appeared.
It was evident that she had been crying. But she didn’t immediately say anything, only sat down at the kitchen table, joined her hands together and sat looking at them for a moment. And then she said, ‘Bill’s in of course?’
‘Yes. Yes, he’s in the sitting room. Come on in there, it’s warmer.’
‘No, no.’
‘What’s wrong?’ Fiona drew a chair up close to her. ‘Had a row?’
‘Huh!’ Nell now jerked her head back and laughed, but it was a bitter sad laugh and, looking at Fiona, she said, ‘Do you know what it is to feel like dirt, of no consequence? No, you wouldn’t, dear, no. You’ve had your mother to put up with but she’s never rejected you, quite the reverse.’
‘What are you talking about? What’s happened? Something to do with Harry?’
‘Yes, something to do with Harry. He’s gone.’
‘Gone! You mean, left you?’
‘Just that. He’s gone, he’s left me. And he didn’t even tell me to my face, he told his mother. She and Dad are in a state. After all, he’s their son. But as Dad’s just said, he’s known for a long time he’s bred something rotten. He hasn’t been five minutes in that new job and he was supposed to be doing overtime. But Dad saw them out together and tackled him…’
‘He’s gone off with someone then?’
‘Yes, yes, Fiona, he’s gone off with someone.’
‘Oh. Oh, I’m sorry.’
‘I’m sorry too.’ Nell put her hand out and gripped Fiona’s. ‘I…I don’t know where I am at the moment.’
‘But…but as you say, dear, he hasn’t been five minutes in the job, he couldn’t have known…’
Nell was nodding her head now. ‘Oh, he was only five minutes in the job but he’s known her, as far as I can gather, for some time, and she got him the job. I’m stupid and mental, besides being blind. But then I’ve told myself it’s happening all the time, why should I be an exception to a man walking out on me? And that’s another thing. When I get meself sorted out I know that I’ll see it as just hurt pride because I haven’t lost love; love flew out of our window many years ago. But he was there and I saw to his needs and life had become a pattern you get used to…’
The kitchen door opened and Bill put his head round, saying, ‘Is there any room for a good-looking, interesting and successful man in his prime in here?’
‘Stop fooling, Bill.’ Fiona’s voice was flat.
‘Trouble?’ He came to the table and looked down at Nell, but Nell turned her head away and looked towards the window while Fiona said quietly, ‘It’s Harry. He’s walked out.’
‘No!’
Fiona and he now exchanged glances, and when she made a little motion with her head he said, ‘Bloody fool.’ Then taking Nell by the arm, he pulled her up from the chair saying, ‘Come on. What you need is a drink. And I repeat, he is a bloody fool, ’cos he doesn’t know a good thing when he’s on it. But I’ll say this an’ all: he wasn’t worth you, not your little finger from what I can judge, and I’m no mean hand at that, at least where blokes are concerned. So come on, let’s all get drunk.’
Nell resisted being pulled towards the door, saying now, ‘Thanks, Bill, but I must go back home; they’re upset, upset for me. They’re nice people, Bill. I can never understand why he was so different. I…I love them both, and…and she’s been a mother to me. You understand?’
‘Yes, lass. Yes, we understand. And the morrow night…look, bring them in for a meal. How about it?’ He now looked at Fiona, and she said, ‘Yes, that would be nice.’
When the door closed on Nell they looked at each other; then they walked slowly side by side into the sitting room again and, going straight to the drinks cabinet, he poured himself out a drink, saying, ‘You want one?’
‘No thanks.’
She watched him sip at his whisky before coming and sitting down beside her and saying abruptly, ‘How’s she fixed?’
‘You mean financially?’
‘Aye, I mean financially. Can’t you understand my language yet?’
‘It’s difficult at times, Mr Bailey.’ She pursed her lips. ‘But to answer your question in your own jargon, most of the time she’s on the rocks. She hasn’t said so much plainly, but I know she hasn’t bought a new thing since she came here, and the fact that she doesn’t like talking about clothes told me a lot.’
‘Well, we’ll have to see to things, won’t we? You could take her on in place of Mrs Thingumajig. I don’t like her anyway. Twice I’ve come up with her and she’s smelt of beer. Funny, but I don’t like women who smell of beer or spirits. Now what d’you think of that?’
‘I think you’re a very odd man, Mr Bailey. But I don’t know whether Nell would want to be a mother’s help.’
‘She likes being here with the kids doesn’t she, babysitting? Anyway, you can tap her, see what she says. I’ll make it worth her while.’
‘I know you will.’ Her voice was soft and she leant against him.
When the phone rang again she said, ‘What now?’ then added, ‘No; stay where you are; you’re an elderly man who needs his rest.’
He gave her a not too gentle slap across the buttocks as she passed him and she was still holding the offending part when she picked up the phone.
‘Hello, Mam.’
‘Oh, Mark. Mark.’ She turned her head to the side and actually yelled, ‘Bill! it’s Mark. Where are you? I didn’t think you’d be allowed to phone, I mean so early. Are you all right? Nothing the matter?’
There was a short silence before his voice came again, not very steady, saying, ‘I’m missing you all.’
Her own voice dropped now. ‘Yes, yes, of course you are. And we are missing you, terribly, but…’
The phone was snatched from her, and Bill, his voice hearty, now said, ‘Hello! there, boy.’
‘Hello, Mr Bill.’
‘How’s things?’
‘Oh, all right.’
‘You settling in?’
There was another pause before Mark’s voice came: ‘Yes; yes, I am.’
‘I didn’t think you’d be allowed to phone.’
‘Mr Leonard gave me leave. He’s…he’s my housemaster.’
‘That was nice of him. Well, stick it out, boy. Have you eaten all your tuck? Would you like another box?’
‘We…we are only allowed one a month, you know.’
‘Oh, yes, yes, I forgot. Anyway, boy, here’s your mam.’
‘Hello, darling. Oh, you’ll never guess who are pouring down the stairs? Can you have a word with them?’
‘My…my time is nearly up; I’ll just say hello.’ Bill had grabbed Mamie up in his arms; Willie and Katie had their hands on top of their mother’s holding the phone and they both yelled together, ‘Hello, Mark. Hello, Mark.’
His voice came back, saying, ‘Hello, Katie. Hello, Willie. Hello Mamie. I’ve got to go now. Mam, Mr Bill. Be seeing you.’
‘Yes, darling.’
She heard the click; then turning and looking at Bill, she swallowed deeply before
saying, ‘Wasn’t that nice? He must be a very understanding man, Mr Leonard. I…I didn’t think they were allowed to phone, except under special emergencies. You don’t think he’s sort of pining?’
‘No, no, no.’ He put Mamie down on the floor. Then, looking from one to the other of the children, he said, ‘Wasn’t that fine, hearing him?’ It was Katie who answered first, saying, ‘It didn’t sound like him.’ Then Willie, always to the point, muttered, ‘’Tisn’t the same as him being here. Why can’t he come home every night like us?’ He looked from Bill to his mother, and it was for her to answer, ‘It’s a different school, dear; they learn different things.’
‘We learn different things.’ Willie stared up at her. Then turning his gaze on Bill, he added, ‘He could learn different things here and save a lot of money and we could go on a holiday.’
With this statement of fact he walked towards the stairs; and as usual Mamie followed him, but she was snivelling now. And after a moment spent looking to the side as if considering the matter, Katie said, ‘Anyway, it was nice hearing him.’ And then she too went upstairs.
In the sitting room, Bill took another sip from his glass of whisky; then running his hand through his hair, he said, ‘The verdict of the family spoken by the now male head of the upstairs apartments.’ Then flopping down into the corner of the couch, he looked up at her, saying, ‘He could be right. What d’you think? Have I persuaded you into something that you really didn’t want to do?’
‘Oh, no, no. You’re doing for him what I would never have been able to do and what his own father would never have done even if he had had the money. He was against private schools, in fact, schools of all kinds. I think he’d had a rough time himself. No, no;’ and she moved her head from side to side as she said this; then, sitting down beside him, she took his hand in hers, saying quietly, ‘Anything you do for them, Bill, I know it’s for the best.’
After a moment he said on a laugh, ‘That Willie’s a character, isn’t he? He had thought it all out, even to the holiday. That’s a point: we’ve never had a holiday; what with one thing and another. And when I come to think about it, Mrs B, you’ve never mentioned it.’
‘Well now, if I had, what would you have said? I know exactly what your answer would have been: What! Go on a holiday with that so-and-so Brown breathing down my neck? He’s out to get me that fellow. It’s a good job I’ve got old Kingdom-come on my side. That’s exactly what you would have said, now isn’t it?’
‘No, Mrs Bailey, not exactly. You’ve missed out a number of adjectives such as’—he raised his hand now, palm upwards, almost blotting out her face—‘I’ll use the alternatives, budgerigar Brown and blue pencil neck.’
‘Oh’—she thrust his hand away—‘that’s what I wanted to have out with you.’
‘Oh my God! What now?’ He turned away and put a hand to his forehead, then sighed deeply as she said, ‘This is serious. You know what Master Willie came out with in the car coming home?’
‘No. Tell me; I can stand it.’ He thumped his forehead.
‘He was addressing his sister and called her a budgerigar bitch, and I nearly went into the back of the bus because it was a full-mouthed yelled retort.’
‘He didn’t!’ He was laughing at her.
‘Bill, I’m serious.’ Her voice was a plea now. ‘It’s a very nice school, as you know, and just imagine if he comes out with something like that.’
‘Well, you can’t blame me for the bitch, I never use that word. I know a lot of them but I never use it on them; with one exception, and you know who that is. As regards the other, who’s going to translate budgerigar into bugger? Aw, come on, don’t look so worried. Just think of poor old Nell next door. Now she has something to worry about.’
‘Yes, yes, you’re right. It must be a terrible feeling that, to be rejected, just left without a word…If you ever walked out on me, Bill…’
Her shoulders were suddenly gripped and his face came within an inch of hers as he said, ‘Don’t joke along those lines, Fiona; nothing could make me ever walk out on you. Nothing. Nothing. Do you hear? But I can tell you something and I mean this, as I meant what I’ve just said, if you ever decided to walk out on me you wouldn’t last long, ’cos I’d shoot you, by God! I would, and the bugger you went with. And with him I’d aim for the place where it hurts most.’
‘Oh, Bill. Bill.’ She fell against him, her body shaking with laughter, and as she did so part of her mind was thanking God once again for bringing this man into the narrow household life she had led for years.
Chapter Sixteen
The weeks sped by. Nell had gladly accepted the position of mother’s help. Her husband had asked for a divorce and she had willingly conceded. She and Fiona spent long coffee breaks talking about the past, the present, and the future. They had become very close during these weeks and Nell had expressed openly how grateful she was for the friendship and wondered what she would have done if they hadn’t come to live next door. She had definitely become as one of the family, and the children were fond of her, as was Bill. But, as he stated bluntly, she was a tactful piece for she knew when to make herself scarce, which was in the evenings when he was at home and most of the weekend, except on a Saturday night when he would take Fiona out to dinner and she would babysit.
But now it was November 9th and the night when Mark was coming home for his first leave from school.
On Monday they’d had a little bonfire in the garden when they’d eaten baked potatoes and sausages on sticks. Mr and Mrs Paget and, of course, Nell had come in from next door, and such was the success of the evening that before it was half over Katie and Willie, agreeing for once, said they were keeping some of their fireworks back so they could have a repeat performance on Saturday night. And now the two of them, together with Mamie, were bursting with excitement because Mark would be home and they’d have some fun.
They had left the children at home in Nell’s care as usual, and were now speeding towards the school. It was a forty minutes run from Fellburn and situated in its own extensive grounds in which were a covered swimming pool and two Rugby pitches. The house itself was an imposing structure, though not as large as great country houses were apt to be and apparently not large enough to provide all the classrooms necessary, for to the left were three fabricated buildings which were used as classrooms. It was close on four o’clock when they arrived and the façade was lit up. The forecourt was busy with boys getting into cars and parents calling goodbye to other parents.
As they entered the hallway a senior boy stepped forward and, smiling at them, said, ‘Good evening.’ And to this Bill answered, ‘Mr and Mrs Bailey.’
‘Oh, yes, yes.’ And the boy, nodding towards another standing some way back, said, ‘Take Mr and Mrs Bailey to Mr Leonard.’
They followed the boy across the hall, along a corridor, up a flight of stairs, and along another corridor, at the end of which he tapped on a door, and when he was told to enter he stood aside to allow Fiona and Bill to pass him.
‘How do you do?’ Mr Leonard sounded very hearty. He shook hands with both of them; then addressing Fiona, he said, ‘I know you are dying to see your boy.’
‘Yes. Yes, I am…we all are. We’ve missed him so much.’
‘How’s he been doing?’
Mr Leonard looked at Bill. ‘Oh, very, very well. He took a bit of time to settle in. It’s all strange, you know, coming away from a good home into a madhouse composed only of boys’—he laughed heartily—‘but as I said, he’s settling in. He hasn’t been very well this last week. Matron kept him in bed.’
‘He’s not…?’ Fiona began, and Bill put in, ‘He’s ill? What’s the matter with him? Why weren’t we told?’
‘Oh, it’s nothing serious, just a cold. Anyway I’m sure you’d like to see him.’ He pressed a bell on his desk and was about to say something when Fiona asked, ‘How do you find his work?’
‘Oh, well, varied, like most of them you know.’ He
again laughed. ‘But he’s very good on the maths and science side. He leans towards them, these subjects. History, art…well he’s improving in that quarter.’
‘What about sport?’
The housemaster now looked at Bill, saying, ‘Well, truthfully he doesn’t take too well to rugger. I think soccer was his favourite game. He’s good at running, too. He came second in the last cross-country. Oh, he’ll do nicely, never fear. And as for his character and disposition, I’m sure he must take after his parents.’
His smile encompassed his face, but Bill’s eyes narrowed as he stared at the man and said flatly, ‘I’m not his father.’
‘Oh. Yes, of course. Ah!’ The exclamation came as the door opened; and there he was, a pale-faced boy who seemed to have grown inches during the last few weeks. He hesitated somewhat before approaching them; and then he seemed to have difficulty in saying, ‘Oh! Mam.’ He kept an arm’s length from her but took her hands; then looking at Bill, he said simply, ‘Mr Bill.’
‘Hello, there.’ Bill put his hand on Mark’s shoulder, saying with forced heartiness, ‘By! you have sprouted. What have you been up to?’ He checked himself from adding, ‘Standing in manure?’ but said instead, ‘The gang won’t recognise you. We left them, yelling their heads off; they can’t wait to see you.’
Bill watched the boy gulp in his throat, then smile a little as he said, ‘I can’t wait to see them. It seems years.’
‘Well, now, if that’s the case don’t let’s waste time.’ And Bill turned to the housemaster, saying, ‘We’ll be off then.’
‘Yes, yes.’ Mr Leonard came and, bending his long length towards Mark, said, ‘Will you be all right, old chap?’
And Mark, looking into his face, said, ‘Yes, sir.’
‘That’s it then, away with you.’
There was more handshaking; and then they were outside on the drive, and Bill, turning to Fiona, said in an undertone, ‘Sit in the back with him.’
This she did, and they’d hardly got out of the gate when Mark suddenly leant his head against Fiona’s breast and put his arms around her waist; and she held him tightly to her, but neither of them spoke, nor did Bill who could see what was taking place through the mirror…
Bill Bailey Page 13
