by Kitty Neale
‘She spoke to him? What did he say?’
‘I dunno, I wasn’t there, but he knows we’re getting married.’
Pearl’s eyes were moist. ‘He’ll never forgive me.’ Her voice rose. ‘Kevin, please, I can’t face him yet. I don’t want to work in the café, I … I’d rather stay here.’
‘Well, that’s too bad. Mum said something about damage control and she wants you back – so that’s that. Until we’re married, you can kip down here, but there’s no reason why you can’t return to work.’
‘No, please, Kevin.’
‘Look, you know my mother. If you don’t show up she’ll come over here and drag you back.’
‘She … she’d do that?’
‘I wouldn’t put it past her. Anyway, after your shift on Monday, we’re to go to the registry office in Wandsworth.’
‘That soon?’
‘Yeah, that soon. Pleased, are you?’ Kevin asked, his voice dripping with sarcasm.
‘I … I wasn’t sure that you’d marry me, so yes, but … but you don’t seem very happy about it.’
‘I’m being forced to marry you, so what do you expect?’
Pearl’s eyes widened. ‘I … I’m not forcing you.’
No, Kevin thought, she wasn’t. It was his bloody mother. Pearl was leaning forward, arms wrapped around her body. Gazing at her, he realised that it might not be so bad after all. Pearl was a meek little thing, the antithesis of his mother, and he found himself looking forward to having her under his control. She’d be on hand whenever he wanted her, the sex free. He’d teach her a thing or two, show her what he liked and, now smiling, he said, ‘Look, I know you’re not forcing me. It’s just come as a bit of a shock, that’s all.’
‘You … you don’t have to marry me if you don’t want to.’
‘Yeah, I know, but that’s my baby that you’re carrying so we’d better get spliced.’
She was obviously relieved, a sigh escaping her lips. ‘Oh, Kevin, do you really mean that?’
‘Yeah, of course I do, now come here and give me a kiss.’
Pearl stood up, about to walk into his arms, but then the door opened, Bessie Penfold coming into the room.
‘Is everything all right, Pearl?’
‘Oh, yes. Kevin knows about the baby and wants to marry me.’
‘I should think so too.’
Kevin hid a scowl. The last thing he wanted was to be in the company of this smelly old cow. He’d wanted Pearl on her own, to have a little taster, but there was no chance of that. ‘Right, Pearl, now that it’s all sorted, I’m off. I’ll see you on Monday.’
‘What about tomorrow?’
‘No can do, I’m busy,’ Kevin said.
Pearl looked disappointed, but she nodded, but it was Bessie who moved surprisingly quickly to show him out. He clattered down the stairs, the old woman saying before she closed the door behind him, ‘I’m glad you’re doing the right thing by the girl, and I hope you treat her right.’
She was looking at him expectantly, but tight-lipped Kevin said nothing. Bessie Penfold was an interfering old cow, sticking her nose in when he had wanted to be alone with Pearl. Christ, he thought. It would be just as bad living with his parents. He and Pearl would have no privacy and with his mother close by, there’d be no chance to indulge his fantasies. He needed to raise money, big money, to find a place of their own, and as soon as possible.
Pearl was sitting on the sofa when Bessie walked back into the room. ‘Well,’ she asked, ‘are you happy now?’
‘Oh yes, except that Dolly’s insisting that I return to work on Monday. Oh, Bessie, I dread facing her.’
‘She doesn’t own you and can’t give you orders. You don’t have to go back. There’s work for you here.’
‘I’d love that, Bessie, but it’s impossible. After our marriage we’re to live in Dolly’s flat and if I don’t do as she says, it will only make things worse. I have to go back. I don’t have any choice.’
‘There are always choices.’
‘Not for me.’
‘You don’t have to marry him.’
‘Oh, Bessie, I was an orphan and know what it’s like to be without parents. I know I said I can bring up my baby alone, but I don’t want to deprive it of a father.’
Bessie sighed. ‘All right. I can see you’ve made up your mind so I’ll say no more.’
As Bessie then took a seat, Pearl said, ‘I should get my stuff from Mo’s, but I dread seeing her.’
‘Leave it for now. You can find a few bits in my stock to tide you over.’
‘Thanks, Bessie,’ Pearl said, glad of the reprieve. ‘Shall I make us a drink first?’
‘No, you go and sort yourself out. I’ll see to it.’
Whilst Bessie went to the kitchen, Pearl went upstairs to the back room. It amazed her that Bessie kept so many clothes that were out of date, a lot now covered in mildew and unfit for anything but the dustbin. With careful sorting she managed to find a few things, her mind on the future now. She didn’t like the idea of moving into Dolly’s flat, but hopefully it wouldn’t be for long. Once Kevin found work they could find a place of their own. Her heart lifted. They’d be a proper family, her baby with both a mother and father.
An hour later, Pearl and Bessie were sitting companionably in old, threadbare chairs by the fire. Though Pearl was happy, she still dreaded facing Dolly on Monday morning. She glanced across at Bessie, seeing that the old woman was staring into the flames.
Curious, she asked, ‘Bessie, you said our paths would cross again and you were right. Can you really see into the future?’
Bessie turned, gazing at Pearl as though looking into her soul. ‘Yes, but not at will.’
‘But Derek’s gran …’
‘Go on, girl.’
‘No, it’s nothing.’
Bessie chucked. ‘I can guess what Connie Lewis said. Like many bitter women, she thinks I’ve done her out of money. I suspect she said my powers are false too, but truth be known it’s because I didn’t tell her what she wanted to hear. Am I right?’
Pearl avoided Bessie’s eyes. ‘She didn’t mention that, but she wasn’t happy with the amount you gave her for her husband’s clothes.’
‘Christ, that was during the war. Connie must have a memory like an elephant. I can’t remember how much I gave her, but times were hard then and a lot of men died in action. When that happened I was offered their clothes, but there was a glut and it was stuff I knew I wouldn’t be able to shift. Still, I did the best I could to help out, even if I could only offer peanuts. Women’s clothes were a different matter. There was a shortage and knowing I could sell them easily, I always gave a good price.’
Pearl digested Bessie’s words, deciding that the old lady wasn’t the skinflint that Connie had portrayed. The woman’s psychic powers intrigued her and she asked, ‘Do you make things up when you tell fortunes? I mean, you said we would help each other, and though you’ve helped me, I haven’t been able to do anything for you.’
‘The time will come, you can be sure of that, and somehow I know you and I will draw close.’
‘But how?’
‘Gawd, I don’t know everything, girl, and sometimes I know nothing.’
‘I don’t understand.’
She looked deep into Pearl’s eyes again. ‘I rarely talk about my powers, but I feel I can trust you to keep your mouth shut. If you must know, I learned the art from my mother. She had the gift of second sight but, like with me, it didn’t come at will. In fact it rarely does. My mother taught me how to read people, and you’d be surprised at what you can glean just by studying someone. When women sit in front of me they don’t realise how much they give away, just by their actions. For instance, they sit up straighter when I hit on the subject that’s worrying them, be it money, health, their husbands or children. There are things to look out for too: a wedding ring, or a white mark where there was one. Signs of illness can show up on the skin, eyes, and even the palms.’
&n
bsp; ‘So you make it all up.’
‘Don’t look so disgusted, girl. The women who come to me are mostly desperate and looking for hope – sometimes searching for a reason to carry on. I give them that hope. When in despair they fail to realise that all things pass in time, be it sadness, pain or debt. The circle turns and, looking back later, they’ll find that somehow they got through it.’
‘Do you ever use second sight?’
‘If it’s given to me – yes, but even then it may not be what the person wants to hear so I soften it as best I can. Sometimes I make mistakes, and when I do it isn’t always pleasant. Let’s get back to Connie Lewis as an example. Many years ago she came to me for a reading. When I mentioned her daughter she suddenly stiffened, giving me the clue. I’d heard on the grapevine that her daughter had left home, but not why, and thought perhaps Connie wanted to hear that she was coming back. Instead I had a sudden flash of intuition and knew she would never see her daughter again, but I also saw a child, one that would be living with Connie. Now there was the quandary. How could I tell the woman that she would never see her daughter again?’
‘What did you do?’
‘I just said that I saw a child and she might become a grandmother. Well, Connie went mad. She accused me of listening to gossip, said I had heard on the grapevine that her unmarried daughter was pregnant. She said I’m a fake, a shyster, one who takes money from people who can’t afford it. With that she marched out, and has never spoken to me since.’
‘So you saw into the future and knew her daughter was going to die?’
‘Yes, but not the details. It doesn’t work like that, but I saw the darkness.’
‘Do you always see bad things?’
‘No, thank goodness.’
‘How often does it happen?’
‘Blimey, I don’t know. Sometimes every few days, but then it might be weeks before I get another one. Now enough. This is becoming like an inquisition. Put some milk on and we’ll have a cup of cocoa before going to bed.’
Pearl made the drinks, thinking about Bessie and her fortune-telling. She wasn’t sure that she approved of her methods, but surely it was all right to offer people hope when they were in despair.
Her mind gave her no answer, yet Pearl knew as she poured milk into two cups that she had clutched at this problem to avoid thinking about the café. It wasn’t only Dolly she didn’t want to face, it was the others too. There was Gertie, Madge, Mo, and worse, Derek. She would have to see him every day – see the hurt she had caused him – and it was going to be awful. The costermongers, the locals, had taken her to their heart, but what would they think of her now?
She and Kevin were to be married, and she was happy about that, but she wished Bessie could turn on her second sight to tell her what the future had in store.
Chapter Twenty-Five
Pearl still hadn’t gone to Mo’s to collect her things; instead she spent the whole of Sunday indoors. She felt ill with nerves, her stomach churning every time she thought about returning to the café and, after a restless night, woke heavy-eyed on Monday morning.
She forced herself to get ready, Bessie sympathetic and telling her she could still change her mind. Finally, with her head down, she emerged from the shop, feeling as though every costermonger in the market was looking at her. She didn’t look towards Derek’s stall, couldn’t bear to see his face, and was relieved to scuttle into the cafe.
‘Morning, love,’ Bernie said. ‘Dolly wants to talk to you before the others arrive, but listen, there’s something I want to ask you first. Kevin said that you threw yourself at him. Is that right?’
Pearl’s eyes rounded. ‘No, I … I didn’t throw myself at Kevin, but I do like him. When I was living in my bedsit, he came up to my room and … and it just sort of happened.’
‘Did he force you?’
She shook her head in denial, but then Dolly’s head emerged from behind the kitchen door. ‘Pearl, get in here!’
With a swift, frightened look at Bernie, Pearl hurried to do her bidding, but instead of yelling in anger, Dolly’s voice was surprisingly calm. ‘Right, to start with I’ve managed to talk Derek Lewis into keeping his hands off Kevin.’
‘Oh, I hadn’t thought of that, but I … I didn’t tell him the baby was Kevin’s.’
‘Well, he knows now, and if it wasn’t for me he’d be looking for blood.’
‘What … what did you say to him?’
‘I had to convince him that my son isn’t to blame.’
‘But—’
‘If Derek thinks that Kevin took you down against your will, he’ll give him a beating. Anyway, the truth of the matter is that Kevin didn’t force you, and you can’t deny that.’
Pearl lowered her head. Dolly was right. She had allowed it to happen. She should have been more forceful in her protest, yet in reality she hadn’t really wanted Kevin to stop. She had given in too easily, and what did that make her? Self-loathing made her stomach twist. ‘No, Kevin didn’t force me, and I don’t want Derek to hurt him.
‘I should think not. Derek knows you weren’t forced, but he still wants to give Kevin a hiding. I had to concoct a story, lay the blame on you, and if you want to keep Kevin safe, you’ll just have to go along with it. It ain’t gonna be easy for you. Derek is well liked around here and you’ll probably face some aggravation, but for Kevin’s sake, keep your mouth shut.’
‘All right,’ Pearl whispered, wondering what story Dolly had come up with. She was about to ask when the woman spoke again.
‘Now, there are other things to sort out. A lot of people around here would like to see me brought low, so I don’t want them thinking I’m against this marriage.’ Her lips tightened. ‘I ain’t happy about it, but nevertheless we will all put on a happy front. Is that clear?’
Pearl bent her head in acquiescence, but then, hearing voices, Dolly spoke quickly. ‘That sounds like Madge and, despite being my cousin, she’s another one who would like to see me brought low. Mind you, I know how to put her straight. Now get that look off your face and replace it with a smile. We’re about to put on the show of our lives and make sure you follow my lead.’
With that, Dolly beckoned Pearl to follow her, and together they emerged into the dining room. ‘Morning, Madge. Have you heard the wonderful news?’
‘What news is that?’
‘Blimey, you must be the only one around here who hasn’t heard that I’m to be a grandmother. I can’t tell you how thrilled I am. Of course, it’s a shame that Pearl and Kevin aren’t married yet, but that’s the way things seem to be happening nowadays and can soon be remedied.’
‘What … you’re pleased?’ Madge sputtered.
‘Why shouldn’t I be? I’m dead chuffed that Pearl is to be my daughter-in-law and, as I said, I can’t wait to be a grandmother.’
‘Well, stone the crows. I thought you’d go barmy.’
‘Oh, so you had heard?
‘Well … yeah … and I can’t believe you’re taking it so well. After all, Pearl’s engaged to Derek Lewis.’
‘Oh, that was just a fleeting thing,’ Dolly said, beaming as she placed an arm around Pearl’s shoulders, hugging her with affection as she told a few more lies. ‘You see, Pearl went out with Kevin first – in fact she threw herself at him, but they had a falling out. She didn’t think he’d take her back and that’s why she agreed to go out with Derek. Isn’t that right, Pearl?’
‘Er … yes.’
Madge frowned. ‘Going out with him is one thing, but getting engaged is another. If you ask me, it was a bit quick.’
‘Pearl tells me that she was heartbroken when she and Kevin broke up and she agreed to marry Derek on the rebound.’
‘Oh, yeah?’ Madge said, her voice registering disbelief.
Dolly’s face darkened. ‘Madge, you of all people should understand. After all, when that bloke you were courting ran off, you married Eddie almost immediately.’
Madge reddened, but before she could say an
ything, Dolly spoke again. ‘When Pearl found out she was carrying Kevin’s baby, she told Derek and broke off the engagement. She didn’t try to pass the child off as Derek’s, unlike someone I could mention.’
Madge’s colour deepened. ‘I can’t believe you’re bringing that up after all these years. If you want to start mudslinging, I could say a few things about your hasty marriage too.’
Dolly gasped, eyes narrowing in anger, but thankfully Bernie stepped in. ‘Now come on, you two, there’s no need for this. We’re all family and should stick together.’
Obviously fighting to stem her fury, Dolly heaved in a great gulp of air. ‘Yes, Bernie’s right. I shouldn’t have said that, Madge, so let’s forget it and start again. As my husband has pointed out, we are all family, and as your marriage worked out well I’m sure you wish the same for Kevin and Pearl.’
‘Of course I do, but what you’ve told me is a different story to the one on the grapevine.’
‘What have you heard?’
‘Most people are saying that Pearl is a nice girl, and if Kevin got her pregnant it must have been against her will.’
‘That’s rubbish and I won’t stand for my son being blamed! As I said before, Pearl threw herself at Kevin. All right, he shouldn’t have taken things as far as he did, but you know what men are like, Madge. They’re not going to turn it down when it’s handed out on a plate.’
Pearl had listened quietly, but now gasped. She’d agreed to take the blame, but Dolly was making her sound awful.
Madge looked at her disdainfully, her lips curling. ‘I’m surprised at you, Pearl.’
‘Now then, Madge,’ Dolly rebuked. ‘Pearl is to be a part of this family and I don’t want you being funny with her. All right, what she did was wrong, but what’s done is done. From now on I want us all to put on a united front. I want everyone to see that we’re happy about this baby, and the forthcoming marriage.’
‘Right – if you say so, Dolly.’
‘There’s one other thing, Madge. You’ve heard what happened from the horse’s mouth, so if you hear any further gossip that Kevin is to blame, I hope you’ll put them straight.’
