A Sister's Duty

by June Francis

  He laughed. ‘No, thanks. I told you the kind of stories I like.’

  ‘So you are having a go? Of course you are,’ she mumbled, pleating the cotton bedspread. ‘I’ve seen you writing. You mustn’t overdo it, though. Isn’t that what the doctor said?’

  ‘Yes. Mumps can cause complications in a man.’ He took the cup from the tray and drank thirstily.

  Amelia picked up a slice of bread and butter and dunked it into one of the bowls of soup, remembering reading about those complications in one of her father’s medical books.

  ‘Not that it matters in our case,’ said Peter softly. ‘But at least you’ve got a good excuse to give to the priest if he asks you why he hasn’t heard the patter of tiny feet yet.’

  ‘I’ve already told him that God has decreed I can’t have children,’ she responded.

  Peter drew in his breath sharply. ‘I didn’t think he’d be that quick asking. Why did you tell him that?’

  ‘Because it’s true.’ She avoided his eyes, glancing round the room, feeling the colour rise in her cheeks. ‘It does happen that women can’t have children.’ She got up from the bed. ‘If there’s anything else you want, just bang on the floor with the tray. I’ll leave you in peace now.’

  She did not wait for his response but picked up one of the bowls and scooted out of the room. As she went downstairs, she could hardly believe she’d come out with it like that. Her periods came and then often did not come again for three or four months. A doctor had told her it would make having babies difficult to say the least, so she had not really told the priest or Peter a lie. But, as he said, infertility was hardly going to make any difference to them.

  Chapter Fifteen

  ‘How is Uncle Pete today? And when d’you think you’ll be back?’ said Rosie.

  Amelia placed a wad of cotton wool in the wicker basket, which already contained toilet rolls, Brylcreem, shampoo, soap, olive oil and Aspirin. ‘I think that’s everything,’ she murmured.

  ‘Did you hear what I said?’

  ‘Yes. I don’t know. Perhaps not properly ever again.’

  Her answer almost took Rosie’s mind off the letter. ‘You mean that?’

  Amelia squeezed the packet of cotton wool. ‘Your Uncle Pete really wants and needs me at home and I see the sense in that now. What news have you got? How are you getting on with you grandfather?’

  Rosie almost told her about the fancy woman but changed her mind and said instead, ‘Fine. I’ve had a letter from Babs.’

  Amelia’s eyebrows rose. ‘It’s more than I’ve had from Iris. What does she say?’

  ‘They’re in Chicago. And guess who they’ve met up with?’ Rosie leant across the counter, eyes sparkling. ‘Sam!’

  ‘Who?’

  ‘Sam the Yank,’ shesaid patiently. ‘He wrote to them in Canada and now they’re staying with his family.’

  Amelia put the basket on the counter, resting her chin on her hand. She gazed thoughtfully at Rosie. ‘You’re behind this. Did you give him their address?’

  ‘Anything wrong with that?’ said the girl as casually as she could, running a finger along the edge of the counter.

  ‘No. But what was the thinking behind it?’

  Rosie grinned. ‘Daft, really. I thought he would go and visit them and persuade them to come home. Tell them how much we’re missing them. I didn’t realise how far away it was. Hundreds and hundreds of miles. England could easily fit into one of their lakes.’

  ‘So they went to him,’ murmured Amelia, lifting the basket. ‘I wonder—’

  ‘I know!’

  ‘I think you’ve been watching too many films,’ said Amelia dryly. ‘But I’m glad you’re not unhappy any more about them being over there.’

  ‘That’s because one day I plan to visit them,’ said Rosie promptly. ‘I’m saving as much as I can.’

  Amelia nodded. ‘Understandable. Anyway, I’d best be going. I’ve loads to do.’

  ‘Whoah, Aunt Amelia!’ Rosie reached across the counter and seized her shoulder. ‘You can’t go without telling me what’s going to happen here. Are you selling the shop?’

  Amelia’s eyebrows lifted in that familiar supercilious way. ‘Of course not, I’ve told you that before. But I am thinking of finding someone to help you out. I’ll put in a few hours a week to do the ordering and that. Keep my eye on what’s going on.’

  ‘What about Uncle Pete taking charge here? Did you ask him? It would be the perfect solution. Keep it in the family.’

  Amelia’s expression altered and for a moment Rosie thought she looked positively shifty. ‘He’s in no fit state to do anything right now, although he’s determined to go back to work on Monday. Men!’ Her mouth softened.

  Rosie thought, So she does care for him. ‘Have you told him he’s not fit?’

  ‘D’you think he’d listen to me? I’ve told him he looks a funny colour and frankly he’s got me worried. He’s finding it really hard to throw this off, although he’s not contagious any more. Drop in if you’ve time after you’ve finished here. Dotty’s home for the weekend. She’ll enjoy seeing you.’

  Amelia made for the door and Rosie hurried to open it for her. ‘Thanks, I’ll do that,’ she said warmly, thinking she needed to talk to someone about Granddad, and her sister was probably the right person.

  Rosie met Dotty as she was coming out of the newsagent’s on Eaton Road with that evening’s Echo. She linked arms with her, telling her about Babs’s letter before mentioning Walter and his fancy woman.

  ‘You’re joking?’ said Dotty, eyes looking enormous behind her metal-rimmed spectacles.

  ‘I tell you, I’ve actually seen her. Real brassy blonde and sexy with it. I followed him home the other day and saw them come out of the house half an hour later. I don’t know what his landlady thinks.’

  ‘Perhaps they’re related?’ said Dotty.

  ‘Who? Her and the landlady?’

  ‘Yes. Or maybe she’s his sister?’

  Rosie shook her head. ‘Granddad’s never mentioned having a sister. If he had one, I’m sure he would have said. He told me about Great-grandmother having been a milliner and about his younger brother emigrating to Australia in the twenties.’

  Dotty looked perplexed, then her face brightened. ‘How about going to the house and asking the landlady who she is?’

  ‘It’s a thought.’ Rosie screwed up her face. ‘Perhaps I’ll go tomorrow when he’s with Gran. I’ll say I’m going to visit Dad’s grave. I haven’t been there for ages.’

  ‘Did you go to Mam’s on the anniversary?’ asked Dotty, changing the subject. ‘I wasn’t able to but Chris went to his mam’s on hers.’

  ‘You two still friends then?’ said Rosie with a smile.

  ‘He’s OK.’ Dotty flushed. ‘He was telling me Uncle Pete’s always swearing, at the moment. He swears at the chairs, at the wireless, at the cats. I haven’t heard him myself but—’

  ‘Cats? You’ve only got one.’

  ‘We’ve two now. One’s a stray and Uncle Pete took pity on it. He said it looked as down in the mouth as he felt. Chris said Aunt Amelia wasn’t pleased, said they had enough mouths to feed and if he felt that bad he should be in bed. That he was a fool.’

  ‘She called him that in front of Chris?’ said Rosie, startled.

  Dotty nodded. ‘She’s been flaring up a lot lately.’

  ‘What did he say?’

  ‘That fools were prized in the old days and she should read Hamlet.’

  Rosie stifled a laugh. ‘And what did she say to that?’

  ‘That he was a Smart Alec. And then he collapsed.’

  ‘What?’ The smile was wiped from Rosie’s face. ‘Aunt Amelia didn’t tell me that!’

  ‘It only happened this afternoon. The doctor’s been and says Uncle Pete’s got something called pancreatitis. One thing’s for sure – he won’t be going back to work on Monday and neither will Aunt Amelia. She’s got him exactly where she wants him, Chris said, in a bed in he
r room.’

  Rosie stared at her.

  Dotty smirked. ‘That’s surprised you, hasn’t it? They’re in single beds but even so Chris doesn’t like it. Says he thinks Uncle Pete and Aunt Amelia have fancied each other for years and are glad his mother’s dead. That as soon as Uncle Pete’s better, he wouldn’t be surprised if they tried to get a double bed.’

  ‘You talk to each other about things like that?’ said Rosie, even more surprised.

  Dotty’s eyes avoided hers. ‘He’s got to talk to someone.’

  ‘Well, it shouldn’t be you,’ said Rosie firmly. ‘You’re too young. Anyway, I don’t believe all that he said. They married because it was convenient. Aunt Amelia had that other fella, Bernard whatshisname, years ago.’

  Dotty pouted, pushing open the gate to ‘Eden’. ‘I don’t know whatshisname. Anyway, Uncle Pete could have lied to Chris about it being a marriage of convenience to put him off the scent. His mam died from taking too many pills. And who provided them?’

  Rosie had thought a few things about her aunt but never that. ‘Don’t be daft! She couldn’t force them down her throat!’ Irritated, Rosie slammed the gate behind her.

  ‘How do we know?’ said Dotty with a sniff.

  ‘She was with us, dummy! Chris’s mam died a couple of days after ours.’ Rosie’s tone was scathing.

  ‘But she could have given her extra strong sleeping pills,’ cried Dotty defiantly. ‘And with his mam being half blind . . .’ She stopped at the look on her sister’s face. ‘Anyway, if not that, his mam could have suspected they felt something for each other and that thought drove her to commit suicide. Chris says—’

  ‘I don’t care what he says!’ said Rosie, walking up the path behind her sister. ‘And if he had any sense, he’d keep his mouth shut. Where’s his sense of loyalty? Aunt Amelia’s provided him with a roof over his head. He should be grateful.’

  ‘No need to blow your top,’ said Dotty, looking offended. ‘I’m surprised to hear you defending her. There was a time when you didn’t have a good word to say about her.’

  ‘Well, I know her better now. And I know old Brownie doesn’t make mistakes and it’s him who’d have made up the pills.’

  ‘OK, OK!’ muttered Dotty. ‘But Chris isn’t the only suspicious person round here. You think Granddad’s up to something.’

  ‘That’s different. I’ve seen the evidence. Anyway, I’m not against him. He and Gran have been living apart for years. He was probably lonely and needed a woman to look after him. Not that I agree with him having a fancy one, of course!’

  ‘I should hope not,’ said Dotty in a hoity-toity voice. ‘It’s a mortal sin.’

  ‘So what?’ said Rosie crossly, wishing she had kept her mouth shut.

  The next day, Rosie made her excuses to her grandparents but was completely unprepared when Maggie said, ‘I’d like to come with yer, girl. I’ve been wanting to visit our Joe’s grave for ages but I didn’t know where it was.’

  ‘I’d like to come too,’ said Walter, nodding. ‘Pay me respects, like. Me and your gran mightn’t have been together when he went, but I think he’d like it that we’re sort of together in his death.’

  Maggie beamed at him. ‘Yer right. We’ll get some flowers when we reach the cemmie.’ And with that she linked her arm through Walter’s and walked out with him.

  Rosie could not help being moved when the three of them stood by the graveside in Anfield Cemetery. ‘I hope Dad does somehow know we’re all here together,’ she said, clearing her throat. Then she decided to make the most of this moment. ‘But wouldn’t it be lovely if we could live together as well?’ She hugged Walter’s arm, forgiving him his duplicity. ‘You’re not getting any younger, Granddad. Won’t you come and stay, please?’

  ‘I’ve explained, queen,’ he said, looking uncomfortable. ‘Me landlady’s old man did me a good turn when I was at sea. Saved me life.’

  ‘I thought you said it was her son you knew?’ said Rosie, fixing him with a steady eye.

  ‘I knew them both,’ he said hastily, taking his pipe from his pocket and ramming it in his mouth.

  ‘Doesn’t she have any other lodgers?’ said Rosie, determined to push him into telling the truth.

  ‘No, no room, only me.’ He sucked his pipe then patted his pockets and brought out a baccy pouch.

  ‘Don’t go on about it, girl,’ said Maggie, taking Rosie’s free hand and tapping it. ‘Men hate women who nag.’

  ‘I’m not nagging, Gran,’ cried Rosie. ‘But the way housing is she’d have no trouble finding another lodger. She really needs a woman, anyway, if she’s that decrepit. Perhaps I should go home with you, Granddad, and suggest it to her?’

  ‘Hey, hey! There’s no need for that. You’re taking too much on yerself, queen. You listen to yer gran,’ he said, fingers quivering as he packed the bowl of his pipe. ‘Anyway, it’s time I was going,’ he mumbled. ‘She’ll have me tea ready.’

  ‘She’s not too decrepit to cook?’ said Rosie, an innocent expression on her face.

  ‘She’s determined to struggle on,’ said Walter, pecking Maggie’s cheek and then Rosie’s before hurrying off.

  His words and actions only served to make Rosie more determined to get rid of that woman and have him living with them. As she and Maggie sat on a tram rattling along Sleepers Hill, Rosie listened with only half an ear to what her grandmother was saying.

  ‘I did him a great wrong, girl, as I did my poor lad.’ The head on the fox fur she wore round her neck bobbed towards Rosie. ‘I should have been a better wife and mother, but he was a good few years younger than me and I’d known him since he was in short pants. It wasn’t good for our Joe and it wasn’t good for me. I thought I could always have me own way.’ She sighed gustily, and the fox’s head rose again. ‘When I goes, will yous and Walt see I’m buried with me lad?’ She dug Rosie hard with one elbow. ‘Are yous hearing me, girl?’

  ‘Yes, Gran.’ Rosie gathered her thoughts together. ‘But you’re better now. You’ll live to ninety.’

  ‘Maybe I will and maybe I won’t,’ said Maggie, looking sad. ‘It’s not often yous gets a second chance in life. But the unexpected – yer never know when it’s going to happen.’

  ‘You’re right, Gran,’ said Rosie, a tremor in her voice. It was a comment she felt sure Davey would appreciate. The unexpected happening unexpectedly. Well, perhaps she could make it happen?

  ‘You’re mad,’ said Davey when they met the following evening. He clasped Rosie’s cold hand tightly in his and shoved them both into his pocket to keep them warm. ‘Why can’t you leave things as they are? Your gran’s happy. Your granddad’s happy. It might all go wrong if they start living together again.’

  ‘But they should be together,’ said Rosie, rubbing her cheek against his shoulder as they walked past Barker & Dobson’s sweet factory. ‘Marriage is about facing things together and being a support to each other.’ She lifted her head and gazed at him. ‘Come with me? It’ll be easier for me if you’re there.’

  He kissed the tip of her cold nose. ‘I’d rather go to the flicks and sit on the back row. It’ll be comfy cosy there.’

  She agreed that that was a much nicer idea and, standing on tiptoe, brushed his lips with hers.

  He pulled her against him. ‘Then let’s have no more arguing,’ he whispered against her mouth.

  ‘Who’s arguing? I’ve said I’ll go to the flicks, haven’t I?’ She toyed with a button on his jacket. ‘But I’ll go on my own to that house if I have to. I mightn’t always be able to be there for Gran. Especially if she lives to be ninety. I could be in America.’

  ‘America!’

  That made him sit up and take notice, thought Rosie, smiling. She told him about Babs’s letter.

  ‘They’re staying with that Yank?’ Davey scowled. ‘And you want to go out there? Is he the attraction?’

  ‘Don’t be daft,’ said Rosie, frowning. ‘What are you thinking? He’s my stepfather. He was married to
Mam!’

  ‘Then why go?’ said Davey moodily. ‘What about us? I’ll be getting my call-up papers this year. I want to see as much of you as I can.’

  ‘I won’t be going yet. I haven’t the money. I’m talking about in a few years’ time. After you’ve done your National Service and I’ve finished my training. I want to see Babs and Harry and I thought you might want to come as well?’

  ‘And what about Ma?’ His voice was tight and his dark brows hooded his eyes so that she could only imagine their expression. ‘What is it you’re suggesting exactly? Us getting married and living there?’

  ‘Don’t you want to marry me?’ she said, removing her hand from his. ‘I thought you—’

  ‘Loved you? I think I do. But that doesn’t mean I can forget about Ma and go and live thousands of miles away just because you want to be with Babs and Harry.’

  ‘So you’d put your mother before me?’

  ‘I’m not saying that. But what’s the difference between me doing that and you wanting to be near Babs and Harry? If they lived the other end of the country, yeah, that would be OK. I’d be willing. But to be divided by an ocean – I couldn’t do it to Ma permanently. It’s bad enough me doing my National Service. I’m all she’s got! And what about your Aunt Amelia? Does she know you’re planning on living out there?’

  ‘She knows I want us Kilshaws to be together. But OK, OK! I get the message,’ said Rosie, meeting his gaze squarely. ‘If I go, it’ll have to be while you’re away, and you’d want me to come back.’ She stared at him. ‘You would, wouldn’t you?’

  He said with an intensity that thrilled her, ‘Need you ask?’ Reaching out, he caught her to him, pressing her body so hard against his that she knew just how much he wanted her. ‘I do love you. If you’re not here when I return, I’ll come over there and drag you back by the hair.’

  He kissed her passionately and she responded just as passionately. But at the back of her mind was the thought that she still wanted to go to America and had to persuade Granddad to come and live with them when that time came. She was just beginning to realise how difficult it must have been for her aunt to put duty first and give up her fiancé.