‘Spring, of course.’
‘And Mr Collins’s wedding?’
Doris’s expression changed and she said with dismay, ‘I thought you said you knew? They’re already married, luv. By special licence yesterday.’
Molly’s heart seemed to turn to stone. Her whole body felt numb. It was all over then. Nathan didn’t love her and would not be claiming George. With Charlotte he could have another son. And where that would leave Jessica she didn’t want to think about.
Chapter Fourteen
Molly sat at her sewing machine, hands motionless on the white crêpe-de-chine chosen by Doris for her wedding dress. She imagined her daughter, who was celebrating her birthday today, one day walking down the aisle wearing something much more extravagant. Hopefully she would be marrying someone who could keep her in style.
‘You’ll never get that finished, sitting there like that,’ chided Frank.
Molly jumped and her hand moved the wheel. ‘Is there something you want?’
‘I’m taking George to Ma’s. Yer not much company at the moment and I don’t want him playing up at the McNallys’ all the time with their grandkids.’
‘He doesn’t!’ Molly was annoyed, feeling Frank had cast aspersions on her mothering skills. She knew he wanted her pregnant, guessed that he saw her failure to conceive as a black mark against his manhood, which was stupid when due to the miners’ strike and the shortage of coal the wash house was closed. The last thing they needed at the moment was another mouth to feed.
‘I’ll be bringing him in for bed soon,’ Molly murmured.
‘Why? It’s Saturday night. The streets are alive. He’ll enjoy the outing. It’ll be a real treat. You’d enjoy it too,’ he said gruffly. ‘Why don’t you come, Moll?’
‘I can’t – I’ve got to get this done. The wedding’s only a week away.’ Her voice softened. ‘But thanks for the thought.’
‘OK. Please yourself,’ he muttered. ‘See you later.’
‘Don’t keep George out too late!’
There was no answer and she heard the front door slam.
Molly eased her back before settling down to machining again but could not recapture her dream. Instead she thought of Jessica of whom she had seen little since Nathan’s marriage. According to Doris, Charlotte Collins had kept on her father’s house in Leeds and she and Nathan apparently went to and fro between the two houses, taking Jessica with them. At the moment they were staying in Blundellsands.
Molly finished her machining and settled down in front of the fire with the gown on her knee and a card of lace in her hand to trim the mandarin collar and the sleeves. Charlotte was still not pregnant either and Molly speculated about how Nathan must feel about that, him wanting a son. She wondered about her own ability to conceive, deciding that maybe George’s passage into the world had damaged her. If she couldn’t get pregnant that meant an end to her anxieties about childbirth and sex.
She began to set neat stitches, looking forward to the wedding and wishing she could afford a new hat. She planned on wearing the green suit she’d made for the lunch at the Angel, and had made herself a peach-coloured blouse with a crossover bodice from a remnant bought in the market. She was not charging Doris for making her gown. It would be her wedding gift.
* * *
To Molly’s relief the board outside the newsagent’s announced an end to the miners’ strike the following day. There was also news of the White Star liner Titanic. That evening Cath drew Frank’s notice to an article about the liner in the Echo. With coal now available to stoke Titanic’s boilers, the White Star line was taking on crew at hiring halls in the main ports of the British Isles. ‘What d’you think, brother? What wouldn’t you give to serve on such a ship?’
‘You wanting to get rid of me?’ Frank took the newspaper from her.
The two women watched his handsome face as he read the article. ‘You must miss the sea?’ said Molly.
‘It’d be bloody strange if I didn’t. It was my life for years.’ There was suddenly an air of excitement about him as he threw down the newspaper and made for the door. ‘I’m going out.’
The two women exchanged glances. ‘D’you think he’ll sign up?’ said Cath.
Molly shrugged, wishing he would, knowing the three of them would be happier if he went back to sea.
Frank made no mention of the Titanic when he returned and it sailed from Southampton without him on board. He was grumpy for days so Molly presumed he had tried to sign on but had been rejected. Poor Frank, she thought. It was a shame.
He would be working on the day of the wedding now, so could not attend the ceremony, but Ma was to be there as a friend of the bridegroom’s family. Naturally Bernie would also attend as sister of the bridegroom. Ma bought George a sailor suit in anticipation of the event and for his birthday in May.
Full of a pleasurable anticipation, knowing she looked her best, Molly entered the church holding George by the hand. She was brought up short on seeing the back of Nathan’s head. Her heart began to thud. Doris had made no mention of his being here. Molly sat down in the nearest pew, hoisting her son on to her knee. She lowered her head as if in prayer but her eyes were fixed on Nathan, and on Jessica sitting beside him. She looked for Charlotte but could not see her.
The service passed in a blur with Molly inwardly rehearsing the polite words she would say if she and Nathan happened to bump into each other. But when he came and stood alongside her as she kept an eye on George, who was playing with other children while the wedding photographs were being taken, the polite sentences died on her lips.
‘You look lovely,’ he said, as if the words were torn from him.
He had surprised her. ‘You-you don’t look so bad yourself. Wh-Where’s your wife?’ Molly hated herself for stammering. It was something she had not done for a long time.
‘In London.’ He smiled. ‘Where’s your husband? I believe he’s finished with the sea.’
‘Yes. He’s working at the moment. That – that’s why he’s not here.’
‘You must be pleased you’ve got him home all the time?’
Was he being serious? She could have told him the truth then. Instead she kept silent. Hadn’t she lied enough to the two men in her life?
‘Perhaps you’re not?’ murmured Nathan. Still she was silent. ‘I’ll take it that you’re not then. D’you know how long it is since I’ve seen you, Molly?’
She nodded, wondering why he didn’t appear to hate her. She kept her eyes fixed on the children, knowing she might betray how she felt if she looked at him. Jessica had joined them now in playing tig. Molly thought it was her daughter who was the lovely one in a primrose eyelet-embroidered frock and yellow ribbons in her hair.
‘Seven months, three weeks and four days,’ said Nathan.
At that Molly stared at him and then wished she hadn’t because he was looking at her in a way that made her feel breathless. ‘I thought you’d want to forget me,’ she said in a low voice.
‘I tried and I couldn’t. Even if Mother didn’t ramble on so about your mother and father and his brother.’
‘His brother?’ She hadn’t known her father had a brother.
‘Yes,’ said Nathan softly. ‘He’s the cousin Mrs Arkwright knew, the one who died of stomach trouble. I got the impression from her ramblings that she felt a lot for him. We could have been first cousins, Moll.’ He paused. ‘Why did you run away the way you did?’
She gazed down at the toes of the tan boots, heeled and soled twice now, thinking that didn’t answer the question why Mrs Collins had hated her mother. And what about the baby she had mentioned being taken from her? ‘You threatened to keep George. I couldn’t bear to lose him. Just like I didn’t want you to lose the factory. I knew it meant a lot to you.’
‘Is that why you said all those things? Because you didn’t want me giving up the factory?’
‘You might have lived to regret it.’
‘You meant more to me, Moll. You both stil
l do,’ he said, glancing at George. ‘But I suppose you did the right thing. I love the business. I’m sorry I got steamed up and frightened you.’
She smiled, her heart seeming to swell with love for him. ‘You should have told me you were going away the next day. I wouldn’t have been so frightened.’
He took her hand and squeezed it gently. ‘It won’t happen again.’
They were both silent, gazing at each other. Molly felt a fluttering in her stomach and slowly withdrew her hand. She cleared her throat. ‘Jessica’s growing into a proper little girl now.’
‘Lottie’s very fond of her. She takes her places, keeps her away from Mother.’
Jealousy stabbed Molly to the heart. ‘Does Jessica like her?’
‘I’m sure she does. Which is all to the good, don’t you think? Lottie’s a match for Mother anyday. She knows what she did to Jess so watches out for any sign of trouble on that front. That was one of the reasons I married her. The other—’
‘I can guess the other,’ Molly said swiftly.
There was silence.
‘How’s Frank with George?’
She wished he hadn’t asked. ‘Like any father with a son.’
‘Damn him!’ said Nathan savagely. ‘But he can’t give him money, can he? I could help you there.’
‘No, you mustn’t,’ said Molly hastily. ‘If Frank were to find out he’d get all suspicious again. As it is he’ll be at the party this evening. Are you going to be there?’ She wished he would be, thinking how lovely it would be to dance the night away.
‘No.’ Nathan grimaced. ‘Best I’m not, don’t you think? Jessica wanted to see the wedding because Doris and Cook have been going on about it. I’ve business to attend to and I’d best be on my way. I’m glad I’ve seen you again, Moll.’
She nodded, tightness in her throat. There were suddenly tears in her eyes. ‘Don’t look like that,’ he said quietly. ‘You make me want to—’
‘Go! Just go!’ She fluttered a hand in his direction.
He hesitated, then turned and walked away. She watched him swooping on Jessica and despite her yells of protest carrying her out of the church yard.
‘So who’s he?’
Molly spun round to find Bernie McGuire standing behind her. Her heart sank. Somehow she managed to pull herself together. ‘You don’t know your brother’s boss?’ she said in a mocking voice.
Bernie’s eyes widened. ‘So that’s him? You two seemed friendly.’
‘I used to work for him.’ Molly moved away, only to collide with Ma.
‘Did I recognise that bloke or not?’ demanded her mother-in-law. ‘Wasn’t he the vicar who baptised our George along with the priest?’
‘Molly’s just said he’s our Charlie’s boss,’ put in Bernie, almost eagerly.
I should have lied, thought Molly. I can see Ma’s brain ticking over. ‘Likenesses are strange, aren’t they?’ she said. ‘We’re all supposed to have a double somewhere.’
‘Yer don’t say?’ said Ma, eyes as cold as those of a dead fish on a slab. She put an arm through Bernie’s and drew her away.
Molly’s expression was grim as she collected George. She had little hope of Ma and Bernie keeping their mouths shut, but there was nothing she could do about it right now.
‘So how did the wedding go?’ asked Frank. ‘A couple of oddities they are, if you ask me.’
‘The bride looked radiant,’ said Molly, irritated by his comment. ‘Even your mother looked halfway to decent in a navy dress and a straw hat with an artificial rose. I think her eyesight’s going, though. She kept mistaking the guests for other people.’
‘Bernie’s not still wearing black, is she?’ said Cath, elbows on the table as she ate a jam butty.
‘She was wearing one of those new hobble skirts with buttons unfastened to the calf,’ said Molly. ‘Less dangerous than the first ones that came out but much more daring.’
‘Perhaps she’s already got a new man in her life?’ Cath turned to her brother. ‘What d’you say, Frank? You must hear things when you go to Ma’s.’
‘You don’t think I listen to women’s gossip, do you?’
‘Of course you do,’ said Cath, winking at Molly. ‘So tell us the latest?’
‘Why don’t you ask her yourself?’ he said abruptly, getting to his feet. ‘I’m going to have a shave.’
‘Ah! The party!’ said Cath with glee, pushing back her chair. ‘I’d best get ready, too. You’ll be going down the pub with all the men first, I suppose, Frank?’
‘That’s right. I’ll see you two later.’
It was much later and the party had spilt out on to the street where a piano was brought round on a handcart from the home of one of Doris’s relations. A tall, sharp-nosed woman was thumping its keys for all she was worth and people with drinks in their hands were singing along in various pitches. Molly saw Frank in the thick of it leading a chorus of ‘There I Was, Waiting at the Church’. It wasn’t long before he was having a word with the pianist and had launched into a solo rendition of ‘The Soldiers of the Queen’.
‘Our Frank’s in his element, isn’t he?’ drawled Cath, raising her eyebrows.
Molly agreed, swaying in time to the music with George in her arms. ‘That’s what he was doing when I first set eyes on him. I thought he was wonderful.’ She was just praying he would not take anything Ma said tonight seriously.
‘Then you got to know him,’ said Cath, squeezing her shoulder. ‘Here’s Jimmy. We’re going to dance as soon as our Frank shuts up.’ She moved off.
With a wide-awake George struggling to get down, Molly wandered around, greeting people and exchanging news. The gathering got louder and louder and from somewhere a fiddler and a youth playing a penny whistle appeared. People danced some more, and when they paused for breath Frank got up on a step and launched into another song. Molly wondered how much he’d had to drink but it wasn’t often he indulged. She overheard more than one woman saying he sang luv’ly.
There was a tap on her shoulder and she turned to see Jack Fletcher. ‘Hiya! I never thought to see you here,’ said Molly, smiling.
He pushed his cap to the back of his head. ‘I thought I’d just look in. Doris’s mam said to, seeing as how our Rob was here.’ He tickled George in the ribs and the boy giggled. ‘How’s my wee lad coming on?’
‘He can draw a duck that’s recognisable, thanks to you, as well as a boat.’
The man chuckled and dug into his trouser pocket, bringing out a ha’penny. ‘Here, lad, buy theeself some sweeties.’
‘That’s kind of you, Jack,’ she said softly. ‘But then, you’re a kind person.’ The words were hardly out of her mouth before Frank loomed up out of the crowd.
‘What are you doing, making up to my wife?’ He swayed in front of them.
Oh, no! thought Molly. ‘We’re only talking, Frank,’ she said quietly.
‘Only talking? You think I believe that?’ There was an ugly expression in his eyes. ‘This is the man you say is like an uncle to yer? Well, I don’t believe that. Like I don’t believe Mr Collins is a vicar as well as a factory owner. What was he doing in my bloody house when George was being born? You tell me that, girl?’ He grabbed a handful of Molly’s blouse, forcing her against him and almost hitting George in the eye with his elbow.
‘Stop it, Frank!’ she gasped, placing a protective hand over her son’s face.
‘Let her go!’ said Jack, seizing Frank’s arm. ‘Are thee crazy, man? I’m old enough to be her father.’
Frank released Molly and, turning, crashed a fist into Jack’s face, sending him flying. Almost immediately Rob appeared. ‘Who the hell do thee think thee’s hittin’?’ he demanded.
Frank shot out his fist again and caught him on the nose. Blood spurted from his nostrils but the younger man barely paused to wipe it away with the back of his hand before launching himself at Frank. With her heart hammering fit to burst, Molly bent to help Jack to his feet. Already a circle was forming and p
eople were taking sides. A man was offering odds and soon money was changing hands.
‘What’s going on?’ demanded Ma, accompanied by Josie.
‘As if you didn’t know!’ said Molly in an angry voice. ‘Why couldn’t you keep your mouth shut?’
Ma bristled. ‘Don’t you be blaming me, girl, for yer own sinning. Who’s this young fella my Frank’s fighting? Have yer been carrying on with someone else now?’
‘No, she hasn’t! That’s my son,’ said Jack, touching the side of his jaw gingerly.
‘And he’s my husband,’ said Doris’s sister Marie, bobbing up next to Molly. She was rolling up her sleeves and there was the light of battle in her eyes.
‘Is she goin’ for our Frank, Ma?’ said Josie, jutting out her bottom lip. ‘I’m not having that.’ She brought up a plump arm and caught Marie a clout across the face with the back of her hand.
There was a concerted gasp from those close by. The next minute there was a free-for-all. Molly was caught in the crush, George squashed against her breast. He struggled to lift his head, gasping for breath. She was reminded of that time in Lime Street and, panicking, dug an elbow into one of the pugilists and pushed and shoved her way through in an attempt to escape the crowd. In the distance she heard a warning shout and blasts from police whistles. It was enough to cause the party to break up and scatter.
She ran for home with George in her arms and managed to open the front door, giving it a backward kick to close it before hurrying through into the kitchen. Sitting her son on the table, she saw friction burns on his cheek and his lip was bleeding. ‘Mad, mad, mad!’ she cried. ‘I could kill him!’ She ran into the back kitchen for water and a cloth.
She was cleaning George’s face and whispering soothing words to him when Jimmy and Cath entered the room.
‘Holy Mary!’ said Cath, her eyes shining with excitement. ‘But it’s crazy out there.’
‘You don’t need to tell me,’ said Molly, still furiously angry with Frank, Ma and Bernie.
Another Man's Child Page 25
