‘Don’t be like that, Mary. He’s just buried his friend. He knows how things stand. Otherwise I wouldn’t have agreed to have a coffee with him. I’ll be back within an hour. You see if I’m not.’
‘Aye, and I believe in Santa Claus.’ She carried on spooning cake mix into a tin. ‘Did yea remember to get me baking soda?’
Aileen nodded. ‘It’s in the bag.’
‘Did yea book a flight then?’
‘No, but the fare is cheaper than I expected. I’ll buy a ticket next week when I get my Christmas bonus.’ She felt Mary’s eyes on her, disapprovingly, as she snuggled into her warm beige coat with the fur hood that made her feel like an Eskimo. She placed her purse into the large pocket, just in case. ‘I won’t be long.’
* * *
‘New coat?’ Roy asked, as she got into the car.
‘Yes, I suppose it is.’
‘Thanks for being a friend, Aileen.’ He had replaced his black tie with a bright yellow one that didn’t look right with his black suit. She remembered the first time she’d met him at the office he had been wearing a yellow jumper. ‘I don’t know how I got through the funeral service,’ he told her. ‘I never expected to feel this emptiness.’
She nodded. ‘It will get better. How long had you known each other?’
‘Oh, years, we grew up together until he moved away. He was a heavy smoker. The doctors said it was his lungs.’ He shrugged.
‘I’m sorry.’
‘Never mind. I don’t want to make you sad. I know a coffee bar not far from here. Is that all right?’
She nodded. The coffee bar turned out to be a small restaurant on the Hagley Road that sold frothy coffee. She refused anything to eat. ‘I’ll be eating with Mary later and you can imagine how cross she gets if I spoil my appetite.’ She laughed. It was an exaggeration, but it worked.
‘Just two coffees,’ he told the waiter.
‘Has it been busy at the mill, Aileen?’
‘Are you joking? Orders are coming in faster than we can type them.’
‘That’s good. Is the old man pleased?’
‘I assume you mean, Mr Bill?’ No-one ever referred to the boss as anything other than Mr Bill, and she thought ‘the old man’ sounded a little disrespectful. ‘Well, I guess he is. How are you managing to get all these orders, Roy?’
‘It’s down to experience and know-how,’ he said jokingly. ‘However, it’s always busy coming up to Christmas.’
‘I guess so.’ She removed her coat and relaxed back in her chair. Roy appeared more cheerful and she hoped her being there was helping. ‘How is your brother? What did you say his name was?’
‘Harold. He’s gone away for a bit.’ He shook his head. ‘I’m sorry that I wasn’t around to protect you from him. Naturally, Mother was pleased to have him home, but he should never have been released.’
Released. The word stuck in her mind and she wondered if he was a criminal. Being polite, she said, ‘I’m sorry. That must be hard for her.’
‘Why should you be sorry? He’s caused you enough trouble.’ The waiter returned with their coffee, and Roy paid, telling him to keep the change. ‘How are things with you, Aileen? Have you decided to settle in Birmingham?’ He leaned forward and slowly stirred his coffee, then fiddled with his watchstrap.
‘I never intended to stay. I’m not living here through choice.’
He frowned. ‘I guess you’ll be going back at Christmas?’
She wasn’t sure she should tell him. ‘Well, maybe. I’d like to. I’ll have to ask for extra time off first.’
He leant his elbows on the table and pulled on his bottom lip. ‘Did you say you were flying?’
‘I didn’t.’
‘When were you thinking of going?’
‘I don’t know. When we break up, I guess.’ She sipped some of her coffee. It tasted delicious. ‘This is good coffee.’
‘I’m sorry, Aileen. I didn’t mean to pry.’
‘It’s okay.’ She remained nonchalant. ‘What about you, Roy? Have you any plans for Christmas?’ She drank the rest of her coffee.
He shook his head and looked pensive. ‘No. I’ll be working at home.’ He shrugged. ‘Just house maintenance stuff.’
‘You’re a workaholic. It’s Christmas! What about your family?’
‘That depends. Mother’s not awfully keen on Christmas.’ He sat forward. ‘Aileen, I’ve been thinking of some way to apologise for my brother’s behaviour that won’t be construed the wrong way. What I’m trying to say is, if you were thinking of flying to Dublin, I can take you to the airport. As a friend, of course,’ he added.
‘You don’t have to do that, Roy.’
‘It would be my pleasure.’ He ran his finger around the rim of his coffee cup. ‘I wish I could have stopped what happened.’
‘You can’t be responsible for your brother’s actions. I just hope he gets help.’ She stood up. ‘I must get back.’
‘Okay. I feel better already. Thanks for being a friend.’
‘I’ve a bet on with Mary that you’d have me back home in an hour.’
‘In that case,’ he got to his feet and helped her on with her coat, ‘don’t let’s disappoint her.’
* * *
Mary’s eyes widened and she dropped her knitting onto her lap when Aileen walked into the room. ‘Well, I’ll go to the bottom of our stairs.’ Mary glanced at her watch. ‘Maybe I was wrong. What did he want, then?’
‘Just a chat! He was feeling down about his friend dying. I mentioned about going to Ireland for Christmas, and he offered to take me to the airport,’ Aileen said.
‘Well, I’m not sure.’ Mary frowned. ‘Can you trust him?’
‘I’m sure it’ll be fine, Mary. He’s accepted how things are between us. I’m prepared to give him the benefit of the doubt, so to speak.’
‘What about the brother, then?’
‘Oh, he’s gone away. I gather he’s in some home or other. Roy still feels the need to make up for his brother’s actions.’
‘Too right! Did yea tell him about Dermot?’
‘No, but I will. He’ll be happy for me, I’m sure.’
Chapter Thirty-Four
Aileen had mixed feelings about her forthcoming flight to Dublin. She was looking forward to seeing Dermot and her da again—the two men she cared about most in the world. She hadn’t heard anything from Roy all week, and on the Friday as she was preparing to leave for the airport, Mary suggested that she make her own way there and not depend on him.
‘Now he knows there’s nought in it for ‘im, he might easily forget to pick you up,’ she said.
Mary was leaving the following day to stay with her sister for Christmas, and was ironing a skirt to take with her while Aileen was tying a label with her name and Dublin address to the handle of her suitcase. ‘The bus stops right across the road from the airport, me sister tells me.’
‘It’s all right, Mary. My flight is hours away yet. I’ll phone a taxi to take me to the bus depot if I need to.’
An hour later, when the phone rang, Mary hurried out to answer it. ‘Oh, it’s you!’ She glanced round as Aileen came into the hall. ‘Okay, I’ll give her the message.’
‘Was that Roy?’
‘Sez he’ll be outside in half an hour.’ Mary clicked her tongue and ambled back to finish her ironing.
When Aileen was ready, she stood in the hall, her luggage at her feet. She wore a warm black belted jacket over a cream woollen dress and knee-high black boots.
‘Well, I expect yea better get off then. Have yea got everything?’
‘I guess so. Happy Christmas, Mary.’
‘You too, love. Give my regards to everyone. Let me know when yea get there?’ She held open the door and glanced outside to where Roy was parked up.
It was a damp, miserable evening and Roy got out as Aileen approached, and placed her luggage in the boot.
‘All set then,’ he said, opening the passenger door.
Ailee
n nodded. She had butterflies in her tummy about the flight while feeling excited at the same time. ‘Thanks for doing this, Roy,’ she said, settling into the leather seat. ‘I hope it’s not inconvenienced you.’
‘Of course it’s not, Aileen. I’d never break a promise to you.’ He pushed the key into the ignition and switched his lights on full before moving away. ‘You look lovely,’ he said, glancing down at her new boots. ‘I wish you weren’t going.’
‘It’s Christmas, Roy. Besides, I haven’t seen my boyfriend for nearly six weeks, and I’m looking forward to seeing my da.’
Roy went quiet. He changed gear then drove faster, weaving in and out of the heavy traffic.
Aileen glared at him. ‘You’re scaring me, Roy. What’s the matter?’
‘Sorry, Aileen.’ He slowed down.
She glanced at her watch. ‘What’s wrong?’
He pulled into a layby and began to examine his inside pockets. ‘Dash it.’
‘What is it?’
Frowning, he stepped out and opened the back door of the car and began to search his briefcase.
‘Tell me! What’s wrong?’ What was he playing at? At this rate, she could miss her flight.
‘I’ve been so busy I forgot to fill the tank.’ He scratched his head. ‘I’ve forgotten my wallet.’ He placed everything back neatly into his briefcase and got in the car. ‘I must have left it at home.’
She tensed and felt a funny sensation in her stomach. She couldn’t miss her flight; not for anything. ‘Is there enough petrol to get us there?’
He restarted the engine so she could see the petrol gauge was low. ‘I can’t chance it,’ he said, shaking his head.
‘Can I help? How much do you need?’
‘Oh, I couldn’t let you do that.’
‘Well, I’ll get out here and catch a bus.’
He laughed. ‘I wouldn’t dream of letting you do that after I promised to drive you.’ He patted her shoulder. ‘Don’t worry, you’ve plenty of time. I’m just annoyed with myself. We’ll nip over to Warley. It’s not far and I can pick up my wallet. Trust me!’
Aileen was nervous enough about the flight, and Roy’s reassurance did nothing to make her feel less anxious. She couldn’t speak and, after what appeared an age, he swung onto a gravelled driveway surrounded by high trees. The house was Tudor style; black timber crossed over white lime ash.
‘You’re so lucky to live in a house like this, Roy.’
He nodded. ‘The house belongs to my mother. There’s just the two of us, except when my brother arrives home unexpectedly. Why don’t you come in?’
In spite of her curiosity to see inside, her mind was on her flight. ‘It’s all right, I’ll wait here.’
‘It’s cold. Come in a minute.’ He opened the passenger door and held out his hand.
Not wanting to appear rude, she stepped out onto the gravelled path and glanced up at the well-maintained house with its leaded light windows. A yellow night-light shone in the upstairs window, and a shadowy figure looked out then drew back and the curtains closed. She felt uneasy about going in.
‘What about your mother, won’t it disturb her?’
He shook his head. ‘She retires early.’
He unlocked the front door and ushered her inside, switching on the light. Aileen stepped into a gloomy square hallway with heavy oak doors that led into a room on either side. The walls were bare. Her eyes swept up along the matching oak staircase with an attractive galleria that overlooked the main entrance.
She swallowed. In spite of the rich wooden floors and carpeted staircase, a shiver ran through her body.
Chapter Thirty-Five
Aileen followed Roy into the dimly-lit sitting room, and he placed his keys down on the oak sideboard. The room was freezing. He frowned as if trying to recall something, then he walked across to the black marble fireplace, picked up his wallet, and slipped it into his pocket.
Aileen’s sigh was one of relief. A strange fusty smell hung in the air as if the room hadn’t been used for a while. The furniture was antique and undoubtedly expensive, but she could see no indication that it was Christmas. The walls were void of pictures or family portraits. It seemed odd that there were no ornaments anywhere. Then she remembered Roy saying he had maintenance to do on the house over the holiday. Could that explain why all the walls were bare?
Her throat felt dry, and an uneasy feeling settled in her stomach. ‘Roy, shall we get going now?’ She pulled the belt of her coat tighter around her waist.
‘We’ve got time for a drink. Just a small glass will warm you up.’ He opened a cupboard and took out a bottle of sherry, and held the stems of two glasses between his fingers.
‘No, thank you, Roy, I’d rather we got going. You still need to fill up.’
He glanced at his watch. ‘We’ve loads of time. It’s Christmas; you said so yourself. Don’t forget we have the motorway now. And I won’t see you again until New Year.’
He had his back to her, opening the bottle. She felt her knees begin to shake and glanced over to the table by the window and the black telephone. If she could only…
He placed the drinks on a side table. ‘Please sit down, Aileen.’
She remained standing and he picked up a glass and handed it to her.
‘Cheers,’ he said.
She gave him a watery smile, raised the glass to her lips and took a sip. She could have kicked herself for trusting him. Trying to keep her voice steady, she asked, ‘So, how long have you lived here?’ She glanced around her.
‘Does that matter?’
She remembered how he hated questions about his personal life, and wished she hadn’t asked. The ticking of the grandfather clock became more noticeable in the seconds that followed. She placed the glass down and glanced at her watch. ‘I think we should go now. I don’t want to miss my flight.’
‘All this could be yours one day, Aileen.’ He stretched his arms wide. ‘Stay here and marry me.’
The colour drained from her day. She felt sick.
Taking in her shocked expression, his eyes narrowed. ‘Oh, you’d prefer to run back to Ireland to what’s-his-name?’
Her heart raced. ‘His name is Dermot. What… What’s the matter with you? You… You agreed to be friends. You promised.’ Her hand rushed to her face. ‘I thought I could trust you.’
‘You can. You can.’ He moved closer.
She shook her head, anger and fear making her shout. ‘I’ll make my own way to the airport!’ She moved across the room and picked up the telephone receiver.
He snatched it from her. ‘I can’t let you do that, Aileen.’
‘You’re crazy.’ She hurried to the door, but he pressed his hand against it. ‘Let me out of here!’
He moved towards her. ‘Don’t you think it’s time you told this Dermot about us?’ He reached for her hand and she flinched. ‘Why do you think I got you to come here?’ he hollered, waving his arms. ‘I’m asking you to marry me, you silly cow.’
Trembling, she screamed, ‘Get away from me!’
‘Ah, come on, Aileen. You like me, I know you do.’ He took a step closer. ‘I can’t let you go, not now that you’ve been to my house.’ He grabbed her arm, and she screamed louder.
Suddenly there were several loud bangs on the ceiling. Roy loosened his grip and straightened his shoulders, his eyes furtive. He picked up the bottle and quickly placed it back inside the cupboard. Aileen’s heart raced.
The knocking grew louder. His face twitched. ‘I’ll see to it. You stay here!’ He hurried out and ran upstairs.
Aileen grabbed his car keys from the sideboard, but couldn’t stop herself from shaking. In the hall she heard Roy shouting, ‘What is it, Mother?’
‘Who have you got down there?’
‘It’s no-one. I’m all right. Go back to bed. I’m all right!’ he screamed.
Aileen shrank back against the wall, Roy’s keys gripped tightly in her hand. It was a reckless idea, yet her only means of
escape. She could hear their voices as they rose in querulous tones.
‘Shut up! Shut up, Mother. I’ve told you before, I don’t need medication.’
Fearful he would come back down before she could get away, she tiptoed through the hall, her fingers clawing at the door as she let herself out of the house.
With trembling fingers, she fumbled to get the correct key, dropping them onto the gravel. She scrambled to find them in the dark, grazing her hands on the sharp stones. Glancing up at the window, she saw a face looking down.
Inside the car, her body shook and her hands jerked across the dashboard. She pressed the key into the ignition and turned the key. It started. She put it in gear and pressed her foot on the accelerator; the car shot through the gate, knocking over a large planter. Her breath came in gasps. Sweat broke out on her brow. God help me!
She could see Roy in the mirror, waving his arms. If he caught her, she feared what he might be capable of. She pressed her foot on the accelerator to try and put distance between them as the car juddered down the road then suddenly picked up speed. She was driving blind without lights, and pressed various buttons until the lights shone on the road ahead.
In a state of panic, her eyes searched for directions. A sign loomed for Birmingham and West Bromwich. Oh, Jesus Christ! Which way should she go? Her only hope was to keep going until she ran out of petrol.
Her heartbeat quickened when she met heavy traffic coming towards her. Were they going to, or coming from the city? Roy was bound to have a map in the glove compartment, but she was too nervous to stop and look. A car behind hooted and overtook her. Other car drivers blew their horns. Blinded by tears, she realised she was putting others in danger. Her hands shook as she gripped the steering wheel, willing the car to keep going. She then hit the curb and the engine cut out.
A police car with flashing lights pulled up behind her. On shaky legs she stepped from the car to retrieve her case, and then looked up into the face of a police officer. He glanced down at her case.
Dublin's Fair City Page 17
