Another Man's Child

by Another Man's Child (retail) (epub)

  Dead? The old woman’s dead at last! Molly thought frantically. Will Nathan sell the house and the factory? Cut all ties with Liverpool, live in Leeds and never come back? She had to see him. Even if it was just one last time. She would attend the funeral. After all, if his mother had never mixed up the babies in the first place she would not have loved and lost Nathan, and neither would she have George.

  Having made up her mind, Molly decided to give herself a whole new look. She had her hair cut shorter and for a change bought, instead of made, herself a shorter length frock and matching coat in grey trimmed with fur. She had sworn never to wear black again.

  On the morning of the funeral she inspected her face in the mirror and thought she looked washed out so applied the new cosmetics she had bought. Then she faced George. ‘How do I look?’

  ‘Not like you,’ he said frankly, porridge spoon halfway to his mouth. ‘More like one of those film stars you see at the cinema.’

  ‘Thanks, son.’ She smiled, ruffling his hair. ‘You get on straight to school after you’ve finished breakfast.’

  ‘Yes, Mam. Where are you going?’

  ‘A funeral. Jessica’s grandmother. Do you remember her?’

  He looked thoughtful. ‘Yee-es. She lives in that big house by the sands. Uncle Nathan’s her dad. Why is it we don’t see them anymore?’

  ‘People drift apart. Live different lives,’ Molly said lightly, pulling on her gloves.

  ‘I think it’s Dad. When he wasn’t around we saw them.’

  Her cheeks burned. ‘That was because I used to work for Mr Collins. Anyway, I’ll have to go now.’

  George shrugged on his jacket. ‘Mam, it’s Friday. Let me come with you. I’d like to see them.’

  She hesitated, thinking Nathan would probably like to see him too. ‘You’ve got school.’

  ‘You could give me a note on Monday, saying I was sick.’

  ‘That’s dishonest.’

  ‘Just this once,’ he pleaded.

  She thought how nice it would be to have his company. ‘OK! But you’ll have to hurry.’

  They were out of the house in minutes and made their way down to the canal. ‘Hello, you two!’ Molly called to the men.

  ‘Good, thee’s early and looking lovely as ever,’ said Jack, smiling. ‘We hardly recognised her, did we, Frank?’

  ‘No. Who is she?’ he said, chuckling.

  ‘Thee wife, dafty!’ Jack shook his head at

  Molly. ‘Don’t take any notice of him. He’s in one of his queer moods today, finding everything funny.’

  She pecked her husband’s cheek, pitying him.

  ‘Gerroff!’ he said, scrubbing his face with his knuckles and hunching his shoulder. ‘Ma won’t like it.’

  ‘You see little enough of her these days,’ she said, accepting a cushion from Jack and making herself comfortable on the wooden seat. ‘You’ll just have to put up with me. I am your wife, more’s the pity.’

  He chortled. ‘Got no wife. Live on the boat with Jack. No wife.’

  She gave up and contented herself with watching the bank slide by, imagining the moment she saw Nathan.

  Memory after memory trickled into Molly’s consciousness as they approached St John’s church. Why torture herself? There wasn’t a thing changed since last she had met him. Suddenly she was nervous, thinking he might be angry to see her there after the way she’d left him in Kendal. She might have turned back if George had not been with her.

  Then she caught sight of Nathan climbing out of a motor and was glad she’d come. He was as lean as ever, still drawing on that restless energy with which she had once been so familiar.

  ‘That’s him, isn’t it? That’s Uncle Nathan?’ said George.

  The man’s head turned. ‘Molly?’ From the expression on his face he did not quite believe the evidence of his own eyes.

  ‘Yes. It’s me,’ she said ungrammatically. ‘I hope you don’t mind us coming?’

  ‘Of course not.’ He walked slowly towards them, leaving those in the motor to get out without his help. ‘How are you?’ His eyes strayed to George and stayed there for several moments.

  A voice called, ‘Daddy!’

  He glanced over his shoulder and then faced Molly again. ‘Now’s not the time to talk. I’ve got to bury my mother. You’ll follow us in?’

  ‘Yes. I suppose I should have worn black after all. I’m going to stick out like a sore thumb.’ Her gaze fixed on the girl dressed in the black woollen suit with a large floppy black tammy set on top of her long brown hair.

  ‘That’s Jessica,’ whispered George, as they followed him in. ‘I remember she used to boss me about.’

  Molly sat in a pew where she had a clear view of the back of Nathan’s head. She gazed at his neatly cut hair. Despite its shortness it curled in the nape of his neck. As if in a trance she saw herself twisting those curls round her little finger and felt his head nestling in the palm of her hand. His lips were on hers and she was back in the nursery where they had made love on that golden August day the year Jessica was born. In a way it seemed a long time ago and yet in another no time at all.

  The congregation stood for a hymn and she rose, catching sight of her wedding ring as she opened the hymn book. The organ launched into ‘Crimond’ and she was thinking of Frank now and the grief and pain their relationship had brought them. But without their marriage there would have been no Jessica. Oh, what was she going to do? What was she to say to Nathan? She just did not know. Agitated, she knew it was going to be terribly painful, speaking to him again. Nothing had changed. She was still married.

  She decided not to wait for the coffin and chief mourners to leave first at the end of the service but pulled on George’s arm while the last hymn was being sung, whispering for him to come.

  ‘Why?’ he mouthed.

  ‘Just come.’

  ‘What’s up?’ he asked as soon as they were outside the church.

  ‘I don’t want to talk about it,’ said Molly, a tremor in her voice. ‘Let’s go and see if Jack and Frank are still at the bridge.’

  ‘But aren’t we going to talk to Uncle Nathan and Jessica?’ He sounded disappointed.

  She made no reply. George scowled. She tried to ignore him and carried on walking. They had almost reached the Packet House Hotel when she spotted Jack and Frank sitting in a patch of sunshine, supping a pint apiece.

  ‘Thee’s back quick,’ said Jack.

  ‘It’s that woman again.’ Frank’s thick eyebrows twitched as he stared at Molly over the rim of his tankard.

  ‘It’s thee wife, dafty,’ said Jack in long-suffering tones, getting to his feet.

  ‘I didn’t see any point in staying once the service was over,’ said a breathless Molly. ‘Mr Collins will have his guests to see to.’

  Jack wiped the bench with a red handkerchief. ‘Here, lass, sith thee down.’

  Gratefully, Molly sank onto the bench. ‘I’m feeling a bit shaky. I wouldn’t mind a sherry, Uncle Jack?’ She unfastened her handbag.

  Jack disappeared inside the pub and Frank, glancing at Molly, hurried after him. There was silence except for a thrush singing its heart out in a nearby sycamore and the faint quacking of ducks from the canal below. George wandered down to the canal bank. Molly was suddenly in no rush to move. She closed her eyes, tired, having had little sleep last night, working herself upcome to the funeral and see Nathan.

  Someone shook her shoulder. ‘I was nearly asleep then, Jack,’ she murmured.

  ‘It’s not Jack.’

  Her eyes flew open as she recognised the voice. ‘How did you know I was here?’ she whispered.

  ‘I didn’t. Although I did wonder where you’d run off to,’ said Nathan, a bitter note in his voice. ‘We’re having the funeral feast here. You and bloody Jack Fletcher! I should have guessed.’

  Molly was about to deny there was anything between them when Jack came out of the inn with Frank. They both stopped, staring at Nathan. She wondered if Frank rec
ognised him, but then, didn’t he have enough trouble recognising her as his wife?

  ‘Mr Collins, you know Mr Fletcher and my husband,’ Molly murmured.

  ‘Very funny, Moll,’ said Nathan, glaring at the two men.

  Frank dropped his head on one side. ‘People I dunno in the pub. Don’t like them. Boat. I’m going back to the boat.’ He ambled away in the direction of the steps.

  ‘I’d best go after him,’ said Jack, handing Molly her glass before hurrying in his wake.

  Molly made to follow but Nathan seized her hand and drew her inside the pub. ‘Think what you’re doing! People are staring! Haven’t we caused enough scandal?’ she said.

  ‘Never mind that! I see what you mean about Frank – but Jack Fletcher? Tell me the truth?’

  ‘It’s not what you think. He takes care of Frank for me. They live on the boat.’

  The anger died in his face. ‘Where’s George? I could help you with him.’

  She stiffened. ‘I don’t need your money. I’m building up a nice little business of my own.’ She had been a fool to come. It would be so much more difficult carrying on now she had seen him again.

  ‘I could still help you.’

  ‘I don’t want your money, Nathan. The dividends are enough. Please let me go?’

  He relaxed his grip but still kept hold of her hand. ‘Divorce Frank! Marry me?’ he urged. ‘You’ve got grounds.’

  ‘I’d have to have him committed and he’s happy with Jack.’ She sighed. ‘So that’s how my life is but at least I’ve got George to compensate me and you’ve got Jessica.’ She glanced around. ‘Where’s she?’

  As if in answer to her question Doris appeared in the doorway. ‘Mr Collins, come quickly! Miss Jessica’s fallen in the water. She ran away from me when she saw George and’s been messing about on the edge of the canal. He’s gone in after her!’

  Molly wrenched her hand out of Nathan’s and pushed past Doris. Once outside she raced for the bridge, pausing for a second there. The breath caught in her throat as she saw her son and her daughter thrashing about in the water and she was filled with fear. Then she saw a man swimming towards them.

  ‘You go down ahead,’ yelled Nathan, who’d followed her. ‘Damn this leg!’

  She fled down the steps and tore along the towpath. Suddenly she realised the man in the water was Frank. He was swimming on his back, with Jessica clutched to him, heading for the bank. George was swimming alongside them.

  Molly sank to her knees on the grass and took her daughter from her husband. The girl sobbed uncontrollably. Molly hugged her to her breast. ‘There now, sweetheart, you’re safe! Mammy’ll take care of you.’ She rocked her back and forth.

  ‘Mam?’ gasped George, dragging himself onto the bank. Water streamed from his clothes and his face was pinched with shock.

  She stared at him, wondering if he’d heard what she’d said.

  At that moment Nathan reached them. ‘Is she all right?’ he panted, face tight with pain.

  Molly could not have spoken to save her life as Jessica lifted a tear-stained face and held out her arms to him.

  Nathan took her and shook her. ‘Never bloody play the fool near water again!’ he yelled, before crushing her to him.

  Molly stumbled to her feet and drew George into her arms. ‘Well done, son,’ she whispered, pressing her lips against his wet hair. ‘You were very brave.’

  ‘Where’s Frank going?’ gasped Doris as she reached them.

  Molly had forgotten Frank for a moment but now she looked for him. He was swimming across the canal towards Jack’s boat – straight in the path of a flyer heading their way.

  ‘What’s he doing?’ said George. ‘Can’t he see that flyer?’

  ‘He-He saved my life.’ Jessica shivered in Nathan’s arms. ‘Who is he?’

  Molly released George. For a while she had looked upon her husband almost as an extra child. She must warn him. But something was blocking up her throat. She began to move but her legs felt peculiar. It was as if she was running through treacle.

  Jack was suddenly there on the deck of his boat. ‘What’s going on?’

  Molly found her voice. ‘Frank, look out!’ she screamed.

  The boat caught her husband such a blow on the head that the sound vibrated across the water. He went under. The other bargee suddenly seemed to realise something was wrong. Jack shouted to him. He was looking over the side of his barge. Frank’s arm surfaced for a moment then vanished. Jack dived overboard and so did the other bargee.

  Molly could not take her gaze off them. Nathan, Doris and the children crowded round her. She was dimly aware of onlookers shouting from the bridge. When the two bargees eventually found Frank’s body she knew without doubt that her husband’s luck had finally run out.

  Jack came over to them, a weary, sad expression on his face. ‘He’s gone, Moll. He ended up a poor bloody eejit but he made me laugh sometimes and I got used to having him around. I’ll see his body gets taken home.’

  ‘He was a hero, Mam,’ said George, face strained, bottom lip quivering. ‘Jess was struggling that much she was dragging me under.’

  ‘It was all my fault,’ said the girl, tears filling her eyes. ‘I was singing and dancing on the edge, daring George to copy me.’

  ‘You deserve a good spanking, young lady,’ said Nathan severely, his arm still round her. ‘As for Mr Payne, he deserved a medal.’ He turned to Doris. ‘Take the children up to the hotel. See they get hot drinks. Borrow blankets. I’ll see they’re returned.’

  Molly stared at him, glad he was making the decisions. She was starting to feel very odd. Her brain was buzzing with questions. Why had Frank done it? What had gone on in his poor, mixed-up head when he saw George struggling with Jessica in the water? She could understand his saving her son but he’d actually saved Jessica. Was it possible he could have seen something of herself in the girl? Or was it his old self, dancing and singing, he had thought of when Jessica messed about on the water’s edge? He must have been on the deck of Jack’s barge, watching them, to have dived in so quickly. Her vision blurred as tears filled her eyes. She remembered Frank as she had first seen him. She had mourned once for that Frank, now she would mourn for the Frank who’d saved her daughter’s life.

  ‘You OK, Moll?’

  She looked up at Nathan and nodded, wiping her eyes. ‘It’s been a bit of a day,’ she said shakily. ‘I want to go home. Could you take me, please?’

  ‘Whatever you say.’ He sounded weary as he put his arm around her. They leaned against each other as they walked towards the bridge. ‘Why do you think Frank did it, Moll? He couldn’t have recognised her, known she was his daughter, could he?’

  ‘How could he?’ Yet still she wondered, although she told herself it couldn’t be.

  ‘Dancing and singings acting the fool. She doesn’t get that from me,’ said Nathan.

  They were silent a moment, Molly deciding that he like she was probably thinking they would be reminded of Frank every time Jessica indulged in a song or a dance for a long time. ‘She’s still more your daughter than his,’ Molly murmured. ‘You’ve had the rearing of her.’

  ‘You’ve said that before.’

  ‘And I’ll go on saying it,’ she replied robustly.

  He smiled faintly and they were silent for the rest of the way.

  * * *

  It was not until the motor drew up outside her house after dropping off Jessica and Doris that Nathan said, ‘I was thinking of starting up something different here at the factory in Liverpool.’

  ‘Oh?’ said Molly, who was still feeling a bit odd despite forcing down several sandwiches and a couple of schooners of cream sherry.

  ‘Electrical fittings. Remember?’

  Of course she remembered. ‘We both thought it a good idea at the time.’

  ‘I still think it’s a good idea,’ said George, who was sitting in the back seat wrapped in a blanket. ‘Perhaps when I’m bigger and leave school, Uncle Nathan
, you can give me a job?’

  Nathan smiled at him. ‘I don’t see why not. Now get indoors and into some clothes.’

  ‘Yes, sir!’ The boy jumped out and hurried over the step, the edge of the blanket trailing on the ground after him.

  Molly watched him open the door with the key on the string, aware that Nathan was gazing after him too. Is he thinking, This is the child that’s really mine? she wondered.

  ‘The children,’ he murmured.

  ‘Yes?’ She stared at him.

  ‘I wish we could tell them the truth but how do we explain you’re Jess’s mam and I’m George’s father?’ He frowned, one lock of brown hair dangling over his forehead.

  ‘I don’t know,’ said Molly, kissing him and suddenly having a flashback to the moment on the bank when she had dragged Jessica out of the water. ‘We know the truth, surely that’s all that matters? We’ll just have to be the best parents we can be to both of them.’

  He nodded and they kissed again.

  Perhaps from this day on Jessica will always be another man’s child to him despite what I said earlier, thought Molly. She could almost feel the changeover being made. George his son, Jessica her daughter. Although perhaps it wasn’t going to be as simple as that?

  ‘If I come to see you in a couple of days, Moll, you won’t turn me away, will you?’ he said in a slightly mocking voice.

  ‘No, I won’t turn you away,’ she said with a faint smile.

  ‘Perhaps you might even say yes if I ask you to marry me?’

  ‘Perhaps,’ she teased, touching his cheek.

  Nathan caught her hand and kissed her fingers. ‘See you soon.’

  She stepped down from the motor and waved until he was out of sight, telling herself that George and Jessica probably couldn’t have distinguished between Molly and Mammy in the heat of the moment on the canal bank. Their secret was safe. She sauntered indoors, dreaming of the future when she and Nathan, Jessica and George, were living under the same roof, a normal, happy family.