A Cut Above

by Millie Gray

  *

  Long train journeys – especially if you’re travelling in the barely-occupied first-class compartments – are a great time to think things through, make plans for the future or promise yourself that you will take the bull by the horns and get things sorted out once and for all.

  Travelling home to Edinburgh, Freda was in a semi-awake state thinking about how, when she got home, she would reorganise her life so that she could spend more time not only with her first priority, her children, but also with Hannah. She truly loved Hannah and now, after the awakening of her own sexual pleasure, she realised what they had both missed and she wished to help Hannah experience the same fulfilment.

  She had just started to work out a master plan for Hannah, when Ewan snuggled closer to her and placed his hand on her knee. In the past, her reaction to such an intimate gesture would have been to brusquely brush the hand away, but she was so relaxed with Ewan, and so very much in love, that she just smiled and covered his hand with hers.

  ‘Freda, let’s talk. Let’s make plans,’ he said softly.

  In response, Freda sat bolt upright. She knew what he was going to ask. She accepted that this would be a ‘Meg Sutherland’ moment in her life – Meg Sutherland being the clairvoyant mystic she had consulted when she was fifteen. Meg had been truthful and told Freda that no one could really predict a person’s future, as we are all given choices in life. Sometimes, Meg had warned, Freda would find herself at a crossroads in her life; on those occasions, it was Freda, and Freda alone, who would decide which road to follow.

  Ewan was now holding Freda’s hand in his. He turned her face towards him with his free hand and pleaded, ‘Freda, we love each other, so what would be so very wrong with us being together? If you are worried about the children, don’t. I love you so much that I will take them on and we can become a family.’

  Derisive laughter echoed around the carriage. ‘Ewan, Ewan,’ Freda moaned, ‘if it was all as simple as that, wouldn’t it be wonderful? But it is not as simple as that – it never was and it never will be. Can’t you see? The children would be devastated. They would have to cope with losing their—’

  ‘But at this present time they are too young to understand.’

  ‘Ewan, don’t be a fool. Children are more sensitive than you think.’

  Ewan leant forward and entwined his fingers, trying to think of a positive argument that he could persuade her with. He was so engrossed in thought that he didn’t hear her say, ‘There is not only the children to think of! Have you thought of what my leaving would do to Robin? He was the rock that I clung to when I was sinking. Then there is my mother, and Robin’s parents. Dear, helpful, discreet Moira and rough-diamond Stevie – are you aware that my children absolutely adore them? Now, be honest with yourself. If I was selfish enough to break all those trusting, unquestioning hearts, would I be the person that you fell in love with?’

  A long silence fell between them. All that could be heard was the rhythm of the train as it click-clacked its way northward.

  When she could no longer stand the mounting tension between them, Freda said, ‘Ewan, you must forget me and what could have been.’ She was surprised that he did not react to her plea, but Ewan had very reluctantly accepted that there was no way that he could win. Blundering on, Freda said, ‘You know that Angela has spent her life waiting for you to show some interest in her. She loves you. Like Robin and I, it wouldn’t be a perfect partnership but it also wouldn’t be intolerable. And the bonus for you is that you would make your mother very happy – Angela is her choice for you.’

  Ewan shook his head. ‘Honest to goodness,’ he expounded, ‘is it not bad enough that my mother is always throwing Angela in my face, without you joining in too? As I have explained over and over again to my mother, I am not interested in Angela. She runs after me and I have never, ever given her any reason to think that I am interested in her.’

  Freda was taken aback by his emotional outburst. ‘But,’ she replied gingerly, ‘have you ever told Angela how you feel about her?’

  ‘No, not exactly. I’m not a sadist. But let me tell you this: you, and you alone, are the love of my life and as long as you live, I will never marry anyone else. Freda, don’t you understand?’

  Freda was now crying profusely as she pleaded, ‘Ewan, please, please don’t make it any harder than it already is for me. Remember, the bargain was that we would steal ten days. Yes, they were a blissful ten days of wine and roses. Lovely days that I would not have missed for anything, but we both knew from the start that they were always going to be short-lived.’

  When all the pleas and rejections had been made, there was nothing left to do but agree that at their journey’s end Freda should alight first from the train, as she was being met by Robin. Ewan would then wait on board the train until Robin and Freda’s car had left the station.

  Summoning a porter to assist her with her luggage, Freda sprinted up the platform. She reached the foyer and was met by faithful Robin, who smiled and called out to her that he had missed her.

  During the car journey home, Robin and Freda kept interrupting one other, as both wished to know how things had gone for each other in the last two weeks. Freda said that her holiday was so wonderful that she intended to treat the children and Hannah to a Mediterranean holiday the following year. She asked Robin how things had been while she was away, and he replied, ‘We had our moments and you are in for a surprise.’

  The hour was late when she arrived at her front door, but as soon as she was over the house’s threshold she started to sprint up the stairs.

  ‘Freda, the children are asleep,’ Hannah called after her from the front room.

  Freda already knew that Hannah would have put Harry and Jackie to bed, as they had school to attend tomorrow, but she was desperate to see them.

  Now it was Robin’s turn to say, ‘Hang on a minute, Freda, there is something I have to explain to you first.’

  His plea also went unheeded. Freda opened the door of her daughter’s bedroom. She could see by the light of the hall that Jackie was sleeping peacefully, and that she looked well. Freda leant over her daughter and brushed her lips across her forehead; in response, Jackie gave a slight shrug but did not awaken. Tiptoeing from Jackie’s room, Freda headed for Harry’s, but before she could enter, Robin grabbed her arm.

  ‘Look, sweetheart, two of Harry’s baby front teeth got knocked out when he fell down the back steps.’

  Without waiting for an explanation, Freda bounded into his room. At the sight of Harry’s head, she almost shrieked. ‘Robin, never mind him losing his baby teeth – after all, they were long overdue to come out – what on earth is that crowning his head?’

  ‘It’s just a—’

  ‘Puppy!’ she squeaked. ‘But why is Harry wearing the mongrel like a hat?’ She almost laughed when she saw that the pup’s legs were dangling down over Harry’s ears.

  ‘She’s not a mongrel,’ Robin retorted defensively. ‘She’s a Labrador. She’s just seven weeks old so is still pining for her mother.’

  The light from the hall was a bit on the dim side, but as Freda squinted at the pup she couldn’t make up her mind what colour her fur was. Then she remembered that Jackie had told Harry he was to have a brown-coloured dog.

  ‘Now, how much did that brown Labrador pup cost?’

  ‘She’s not brown, she’s jet black. When Harry saw her, he asked the breeder why they call it jet black instead of just black. The breeder explained that it was just a way of saying that something was very black. That being so, Harry decided that the pup should be called Jet, so we would all know that she was black – his choice.’

  ‘And what did Jackie have to say about that?’

  ‘Nothing. You see, my dad went with us to the breeders. He knew that Harry really wanted a black dog, so he told Jackie that the black ones were much cheaper than the brown ones and that if they got a black pup, he could probably afford to buy Jackie a couple of additional tap-danci
ng lessons.’

  Emotion began to choke Freda. She had only just got home but because of a black pup, her son, her daughter, her doting father-in-law and Robin, who was the best daddy a child could ask for, she already knew that her decision to reject Ewan’s proposal was the right and only one she could have made.

  Eleven

  December 1973

  The grand opening of Robin’s exclusive hairdressing shop on Frederick Street was on Thursday, 5 December. All those that Autumn thought should be invited, were. She also asked some of her personal friends along too, because she wished them to know that she was going to be the administrator and chief receptionist of the establishment.

  Freda did not raise any objections to Autumn being appointed at the new shop, whilst she remained at Elm Row. The Elm Row shop was where they had started out and it was where her long-standing customers – or ‘clients’, as Autumn referred to them as – felt most comfortable. It was also the shop that had exceeded all their expectations and one of the main reasons that Robin thought they should be branching out. Freda, on the other hand, had always been more cautious – a steadying hand on the tiller. She would have liked them to have further established themselves on Elm Row before they started up in opposition to the big boys.

  She did, however, concede that Robin had trained up four exceptional hairdressers for the new salon. However, they could leave at any time and with just one month’s notice. Freda feared that, despite being grateful for their excellent training, they might do just as she and Robin had done and start up on their own or – and this was perhaps more likely – Robin and Freda’s competitors would poach them.

  The other problem with the Frederick Street shop was Autumn. Robin’s mum, the ever-faithful and discreet Moira, had begged Robin to give his younger sister a job. Autumn had had more jobs in the eight years since she had left school than the Labour Exchange had had on offer. Yes, overindulged Autumn really believed that her employers should conduct their business around the hours that she was willing to work. She also required that her employers take her rather extensive social calendar into consideration . . .

  Not wishing for his mother to be further upset by Autumn’s failures, Robin had recently agreed to take her on in the business at Elm Row and train her up as a receptionist. He did, however, warn Autumn from the start that his employees – a group that would soon include her – had to put in a fair day’s work.

  To everyone’s surprise, Autumn became a first-class employee. She really liked working in the salon and every day without fail she offered to model for the apprentice hairdressers and beauticians.

  Anyone who looked at Robin and Autumn could not believe that a brother and sister could be so alike. It was not just that they both had dancing blue eyes, similar skin tones and blonde hair; they were also alike in the way that they walked, talked, charmed and smiled. However, there was one marked difference between them, and that was their appreciation of Freda. To Autumn’s annoyance, Robin always consulted Freda about any shop business, because he knew that she would give him good, solid advice. However, from the very moment that Autumn arrived to work at A Cut Above, she believed that she should be number two in command and co-owner of the establishment. She even went as far as to hint to the staff that Freda was a gold-digger and had deliberately got herself pregnant by Robin. Needless to say, an atmosphere developed between Freda and Autumn, and it became clear that eventually one of them would have to go.

  When Autumn became aware that Robin intended to open the more upmarket salon on Frederick Street, she was ecstatic – this was more than she had wished for. She started to work on Robin. Sweetly she simpered, ‘Robin, I have been thinking. I wouldn’t mind travelling a little further to and from work, so maybe I could transfer with you to Frederick Street? If I did, you would have the added advantage of someone with the right experience on reception when you first open up. It would also mean that Freda, who is so competent, could be left in charge here at Elm Row.’

  Robin was not sure if Freda would agree to Autumn’s offer, so he said, ‘Leave it with me. After I have discussed it with Freda, I will get back to you.’

  Autumn had to inhale deeply then, because she wished to shout at him, ‘Look, she is just pinned on to you, whereas I am your sister! You should be seeing to it that I have the position that I am entitled to!’

  However, whilst it was true that Autumn was not the Brain of Britain, she did have something that was more important: a good deal of animal cunning. Therefore, she said nothing in response to Robin, just meekly nodded her head.

  The next day, when Robin and Freda were having their weekly business chat, Robin asked Freda if she had any objections to Autumn’s proposal. Freda took her time to answer. It was true that she found Autumn overbearing and tiresome, and she could see difficulties arising if she was not reigned in. However, as Freda looked about their Elm Row shop, the thought of being the boss without having to put up with Autumn was just so appealing that she found herself smiling sweetly before saying, ‘Yes. What a good idea. And now we have settled that, there is a delicate family matter that I wish to discuss with you.’

  *

  A week later, Thursday evening saw the grand opening of the new branch of A Cut Above. To Freda’s surprise, Autumn laid on an excellent drinks and canapés reception for the invited guests. Naturally, it was also a family affair, and a smug smile came to Freda’s face when she saw her sister, Susan, who was now a good-looking, willowy seventeen-years-old, circulating with the other guests. Susan had been urged by Freda to start her hairdressing career as an apprentice at one of their competitors’ salons. Earlier that week, Freda had been advised by Robin that three of the hairdressers that had been trained up at Elm Row would be moving to Frederick Street because, according to Robin, they were the crème de la crème. Freda had raised no objections because it meant that there would be room for two promising new hairdressing apprentices at Elm Row, one of whom would be Susan.

  Freda’s delighted expression was a picture to behold as she watched her vivacious yet still-unspoiled sister mingle amongst the guests. However, when she noticed that Susan had stopped to engage in conversation with a handsome couple, a look of perplexity – or was it jealousy? – overtook Freda’s features. So, she thought to herself, Ewan and Angela have come as a couple. She froze in anger and hurt, before starting to argue with herself. After all, was this not what she had urged him to do – to find himself a mate and get on with his life? It was, but now that she was faced with Ewan and the sophisticated, elegant Angela as a couple, she felt a lurch in the pit of her stomach and had to quell a desire to rush up to Ewan and say—

  Freda’s thoughts were interrupted by the sound of Robin tinkling a small bell, which brought a hush to the room. He summoned Freda to his side and she plastered onto her face a wide smile that did not reach her eyes.

  ‘Ladies and gentlemen, family and friends, clients,’ Robin began. He paused, hunching his shoulders and chuckling before adding, ‘Especially those that I hope will become our regular clientele.’ He stopped again to let the spontaneous laughter of the audience die down. ‘We – that is my dear wife, Freda, and I – would like to thank you all for coming along tonight to assist us in the launch of our new venture. We are also grateful to everybody who helped make Elm Row the success that it is. Indeed, our customers and employees have become like our family – a strong, supportive system which gave us the courage to open up here, where the competition is exceptional.’ He halted again and sought for Freda’s hand. ‘You won’t believe this, but just before we opened up on Elm Row Freda whispered to me that she was pregnant with our twins, who are here tonight. At the time, we didn’t know how we were going to juggle the new business and parenthood.’ He stopped to tease the crowd before adding, ‘Now, tonight, I have to tell you that a few days ago Freda whispered in my ear again. She told me that we will have to juggle the twins, two shops and the patter of tiny feet again when our third baby is born in July next year!’
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br />   The room echoed with loud clapping and cheering, especially from Stevie, who had confided to Joey earlier that day that he didn’t wish to attend such a ‘ponsy affair’. Now he was so glad that he had. Freda, on the other hand, wished that the floor would open up and swallow her. When she glanced over at Ewan, the look of utter disbelief on his face told her that he was shocked and gutted that she had not confided in him about her condition.

  Within the next few minutes Freda would discover that Ewan was not the only one feeling aggrieved by the announcement; her mother also felt more than miffed that she had not been told before other people. ‘Freda,’ Ellen hissed, still keeping a smile plastered on her face. ‘I am your mother and soon to be the baby’s grandmother, yet I have to find out along with everybody else at this shindig that you are pregnant.’

  ‘Mum, I am sorry. Please try and believe that I was going to tell you tomorrow. Mum,’ Freda whimpered, ‘I am as angry as you are that Robin announced it tonight.’

  Before Ellen could reply and ask her daughter the burning question of the expected child’s parentage, Ewan had managed to manoeuvre himself over to Freda. As he bent forward to kiss her on the cheek and congratulate her, he whispered in her ear, ‘Your news tonight alters everything. We have to meet and I won’t be put off. No, Freda, this is not me trying to get you to speak to me on the phone and being told by one of your staff that you are too busy to take my call. You will talk to me or I will start shouting.’

  After Ewan’s warning, Freda could not think straight. She wished that the reception would come to a close, allowing her to go home and lie alone in her bed where she could think of what to do next.

  *

  Freda knew that Ewan would not wait any time before confronting her. So, when he arrived at A Cut Above on Elm Row just twenty-four hours after Robin had released the bomb, she was not surprised.