A Sister's Duty

by June Francis

  Peter snatched the letter from her hand, read it and swore. Both women stared at him. ‘It says here they’ve eloped! That’s clear enough.’

  ‘I know, but I can’t believe it,’ said Amelia.

  ‘What do we do?’ said Rosie, tense as a coiled spring. ‘They can’t have had much of a start.’

  ‘That depends on when they left,’ said Peter, face darkening, clenching his fists. ‘One thing’s for sure, we’re not going to get to Gretna Green tonight. We’ll have to bring in the police.’

  ‘She’s underage. Chris could be sent to prison,’ said Amelia.

  ‘Did you see what she wrote?’ said Rosie wrathfully. ‘She’s snaffled Babs’s birth certificate and is going to go under her name. When did she do that? I could kill her!’

  ‘It’s Wednesday afternoon. Early closing. But what do they think they’re going to live on?’ said Amelia, exasperated. ‘And how could they believe they could get away with it?’

  ‘She probably hasn’t thought it through,’ said Peter.

  ‘I don’t know,’ said Rosie, shaking her head. ‘If she’s thought of taking Babs’s birth certificate, she’ll have thought about the rest.’

  ‘I never thought she had it in her,’ said Amelia. ‘I think we’d better all check our rooms.’

  ‘You do it. I’ll go and phone the police,’ said Peter.

  ‘No. Wait,’ said Amelia, gazing at him. ‘Do we want Chris arrested? Imagine the scandal.’

  He hesitated. ‘Perhaps I should go up there?’

  Amelia nodded. ‘If they’ve got that far.’

  ‘I can’t understand why she left the letter,’ muttered Rosie, treading heavily on each stair as she went upstairs to search her room. She did not really believe her sister would steal from her but changed her mind when she discovered her jet beads were missing and in their place was a pawn ticket and another letter.

  Rosie was so angry she rushed into Amelia’s bedroom. ‘Is Uncle Pete going to go after them? Because if he is, I want to be there when he confronts them,’ she said, fuming. ‘I’ll have her hide for this!’ she said, brandishing the pawn ticket and the letter which said Dotty had never thought it fair that Rosie should be given some of Gran’s jewellery when she had got nothing.

  ‘I wonder what happened to the nervous, retiring girl she was a few years ago?’ said Amelia, sinking on to the bed. ‘When I said I thought she should be more independent, I never meant this!’

  ‘Dotty’s not so dotty after all,’ said Peter.

  ‘No,’ said Rosie in a hard voice. ‘Perhaps she never was. Perhaps she learnt her lessons from Mam only too well.’

  Peter turned to Amelia. ‘What do you want me to do? Go racing after them? They can’t get married yet. They have to live in the area for three weeks before they’re allowed to get hitched over the anvil.’

  ‘We’ll both go,’ she said, fearing what her husband might do when he caught them.

  Rosie sat down next to Amelia. ‘They must know that if she read it up in that encyclopaedia.’

  ‘What are you saying?’ said Peter, eyes narrowing.

  ‘That they might be sending you on a wild goose chase.’

  ‘And be somewhere else completely?’ said Amelia, eyebrows raised.

  Rosie nodded. ‘Where, though? That’s the thing. They could be anywhere.’

  There was silence. For a moment, the three of them could not think what to do next.

  ‘By the time we find them it’s going to be too late,’ said Peter heavily.

  ‘They’ll have spent the night together, you’re saying,’ said Rosie, drooping against Amelia, who slipped her arm around her.

  He nodded.

  She got to her feet, feeling angry, frustrated and a complete failure. Somewhere along the line she had let down her sister. ‘I’m going to bed,’ she said.

  ‘You might as well,’ said Peter, a grim expression on his face. ‘But I think I might go and have a word with the police.’

  Rosie left them.

  ‘I should have suspected something,’ said Amelia, feeling worn out. ‘I’ve failed our Violet.’

  Peter took her in his arms. ‘How were you to know? You couldn’t be watching her every minute of the day. She kept it quiet, though, about Chris coming back, didn’t she? It’s obvious he doesn’t want anything to do with us.’

  Amelia nodded, snuggling up to him. ‘I wonder what she told him about us?’

  ‘Does it matter? They’ve gone. And why is it I have a feeling we’re never going to see them again?’

  She made no answer, fearful all of a sudden that the runaways might have made a suicide pact. God only knew what was going on in Chris’s head! Then she thought, I’m not thinking straight. Why take the birth certificate and money? Still, they had to be found.

  Rosie did not have the heart to go into college the next day and went to the shop instead to tell Babs what had happened.

  She was flabbergasted. ‘The nerve of her, rooting through my stuff!’ she squealed. ‘I know what I’d like to do to her.’

  ‘The police have been brought in and alerted those up north just in case they’ve gone to Gretna Green.’

  ‘If she’s been crafty enough to keep this whole thing a secret then she’s not going to make it easy for you to find them,’ said Babs, frowning in thought. She tapped a pencil against her teeth. ‘I don’t think she’s there. She might be in London. You could get lost there easily. How’s Aunt Amelia coping with it all?’

  ‘She’s blaming herself.’ Rosie grimaced, fiddling with a card of hairslides on the counter. ‘One thing she said was that when we two decide to marry, we must tell them, even if the fellas have green hair and wear earrings.’

  ‘I’ll remember that,’ said Babs, smiling as she turned to deal with a customer.

  When Rosie returned to the house she told Amelia what Babs had said about London but her aunt shook her head. ‘Who’s going to take them in without a marriage certificate?’

  ‘They could pretend to be brother and sister.’

  It was a thought that Amelia passed on to the police.

  By this time, the twins knew that Dotty had run away but not the whole story. They were torn between admiration and surprise that whinging Dotty, as they called her, had actually done anything so adventurous.

  ‘We know what we’d do if we ran away,’ said Tom to Rosie as she ladled soup into bowls.

  ‘What?’ she said in a vague voice, having received a letter from Davey in the afternoon post saying he would be back in England in a fortnight. She was desperate to see him, needing to know that their feelings had not changed.

  ‘We’d stowaway on a ship,’ said Jimmy.

  ‘In a lifeboat,’ said Tom. ‘It was in the Echo a few weeks ago about some lads from Bootle doing that. I’d go to America and become a cowboy.’

  ‘We’d shoot all the redskins and stop them scalping people,’ said the twin.

  ‘They don’t do that now,’ said Rosie absently.

  Jimmy made a disappointed face. ‘But we could still stowaway.’

  Rosie’s hand stilled and soup dripped on to the tablecloth. ‘Stowaway, stowaway,’ she murmured, putting down the pan.

  Without another word to the twins, she hurried upstairs. Amelia was having a lie-down but listened as Rosie told her what the twins had said. ‘I don’t know why we didn’t think of it,’ she said, sitting up against the pillows. ‘But I’m sure the police will have done.’

  ‘Not if they think they’re in Gretna Green or London,’ said Rosie ruefully, perching on the side of the bed.

  Amelia nodded and got up. ‘It’s going to take some time, checking all the liners that left Liverpool round about then, but I’m sure they can do it.’

  *

  Amelia had been right about it taking some time and they all decided there was nothing for it in the meantime but to try and put the runaways out of their minds and get on with their lives. It was not easy but they went through the motions.


  Rosie decided it was time she and Babs took Harry to a pantomime and called in at the shop on the way home to suggest it to her sister. But Babs was not there, having been sent on a message by Mr Brown.

  ‘You’ll be lucky to get her to go out with you one night,’ said Irene, smiling. ‘I asked her out but she was seeing her boyfriend.’

  Rosie laughed. ‘Which one’s this? I thought she had several.’

  ‘I think she’s played the field a bit since she’s been home but she seems to be sticking with Eddie more than the rest,’ said Irene.

  ‘Which Eddie’s this? Do I know him?’

  ‘Of course you do. Eddie Rossiter! He works at the drug firm she’s gone to visit. They’ve been seeing each other on and off since she’s worked here.’ Irene rested her elbows on the counter and brought her head closer to Rosie’s. ‘In fact, she was only saying to me today that she was taking him to see your aunt this evening. Meeting him somewhere in town first . . . She’s decided it’s time they got engaged.’

  ‘No! She can’t do that,’ said Rosie, gazing helplessly at Irene. ‘Where’s her commonsense? Besides—I’ve got to warn her,’ she gulped, and rushed out.

  Rosie was in luck and caught a tram straight away. She hurried into the house and was just about to take off her coat when the letter box rattled. She opened the door immediately. On the step stood Babs and Eddie. ‘You can’t come in,’ said Rosie, closing the door behind her. ‘You’ve got to give each other up,’ she said, getting straight to the point.

  ‘You’re joking?’ said Babs, laughing.

  ‘No, I’m not. There’s no way Aunt Amelia and Uncle Pete will allow you to get engaged to Eddie.’ Rosie stared at him. ‘You know who my aunt is?’

  ‘Sure I do. She’s Mrs Hudson.’

  ‘You know Babs is my sister?’

  ‘Sure, but—’

  ‘You won’t know, though, that your father and Aunt Amelia went out together and she jilted him. There was a lot of bad feeling. I don’t think there’s any way your father and my aunt will allow you two to get married.’

  ‘Hang on here,’ said Babs, frowning. ‘That’s all in the past.’

  ‘Not to his father, it isn’t. He’s never forgiven Aunt Amelia. So it’s not going to happen, is it, Eddie?’ said Rosie, not taking her eyes off his face.

  ‘No,’ he said unhappily. ‘Dad wouldn’t allow it.’

  ‘Never mind your dad,’ cried Babs, poking him in the chest. ‘What about me? Don’t you love me?’

  ‘Of course I love you, but me dad – you don’t know him.’ Eddie’s face crumpled. ‘Since Mam died, he’s been terrible. All hell would be let loose.’

  ‘I don’t care,’ said Babs, grabbing him by the hand. ‘I’ll speak to him. He’ll soon see that it’s stupid to keep an old feud going.’

  ‘It’s not a feud exactly,’ said Eddie.

  She said firmly, ‘If I say it’s a feud, it’s a feud. Just like in Romeo and Juliet. Well, they’re not keeping us apart. Come on! We’re going to see your dad.’

  Rosie just wanted her off the step so gave her a push in the right direction. ‘You go and visit his dad then – and see if he’ll make you welcome.’

  They went and Rosie sagged against the door jamb.

  ‘What’s going on?’ It was Amelia. ‘I thought I heard Babs’s voice.’

  Rosie sighed. ‘It’s Eddie. Babs brought him here, talking about getting engaged. I told her to forget it.’

  Amelia looked as if she was going to faint. ‘Don’t mention this to Peter! What next with you girls? Where’ve they gone?’

  Rosie hesitated. ‘To see his father.’

  Amelia put a hand to her head. ‘I don’t believe this. What does Babs know?’

  ‘Only that you and Eddie’s dad were engaged once.’

  ‘Right. Don’t let them into this house if they come back,’ said Amelia, reaching for her coat.

  She was hardly out of the door when Peter came into the hall. He stared at Rosie, who by now was wondering whether she should have gone with her aunt. ‘What’s up with you?’ he said. ‘Where’s Amelia? You look like you’ve had a shock.’

  ‘It was only Babs and her boyfriend. They came and went,’ she babbled.

  ‘So where’s Amelia?’

  Rosie’s heart seemed to stop beating for a moment. ‘Er – I don’t know.’

  ‘What? Why don’t you try telling me the truth. Has she gone with them?’

  ‘Er, I wouldn’t say that exactly.’

  Peter’s eyes did not shift from her face. ‘You’re hiding something. What’s wrong with the boyfriend. Eddie, isn’t it?’

  ‘You know him?’ gasped Rosie.

  ‘Mr Brown mentioned Babs was seeing some young salesman when I called in there for the books to save Lee’s legs. The shock over Dotty is taking a lot out of her.’

  Rosie breathed more easily. ‘So you’ve never met him?’

  ‘No. That’s a pleasure I haven’t had yet,’ he said dryly. ‘But I think I might remedy that.’

  Rosie gnawed on her lip. ‘What are you going to do?’

  He hesitated then seemed to come to a decision, opened the front door and went out.

  Peter hurried and caught up with Amelia just by Brook Farm. He seized her arm. ‘Where d’you think you’re going? Rosie was just telling me about Babs and her boyfriend, Eddie the young salesman. Where are they? I’d like to meet him.’

  The colour drained from her face and she clutched at his jacket. ‘What did Rosie tell you?’ she whispered.

  ‘Nothing much,’ he rasped. ‘She’s very loyal to you. But you’d better tell me what’s going on or I’ll think the worst: that you’ve been carrying on with Bernard and she’s found out.’

  ‘You couldn’t possibly believe that?’ said Amelia, shocked. ‘I told you, I haven’t seen him for ages.’

  ‘I don’t want to believe it. But I know his wife’s dead and you’ve always had a misplaced compassion for him. I only have your word for it you haven’t been giving him tea and sympathy.’

  She gasped. ‘I can’t believe you’ve just said that.’

  ‘Tell me what’s going on then?’

  Only for a moment did she hesitate, then with a sigh she said, ‘Babs has been seeing Bernard’s son. They want to get engaged. I can’t allow that and Rosie told Babs I wouldn’t. But she’s as determined as Dotty to have her own way so she’s gone to Bernard.’

  Peter smiled and said sarcastically, ‘He’s really going to make her welcome.’

  Amelia released her grip on his jacket, smoothing it as she did so. ‘I’ll have to go. I’m wasting time. God only knows what he’ll say to her.’

  ‘You know where he lives?’

  She hesitated.

  ‘Come on, Lee!’ He scowled at her. ‘It’s you that’s wasting time now. And you’re stupid if you think I’d let you go there alone. Do they have to get a tram?’

  ‘No. He lives with his mother. His wife moved in with her after being bombed out of her own house.’

  ‘That close!’ Peter’s face darkened and his hand tightened on her arms. ‘You go home, I’ll handle this.’

  ‘No!’ she said fiercely. ‘You might fight him and then God knows what he might do. He hates you and I couldn’t bear it if anything happened to you.’

  Peter stared at her. Then he kissed her gently on the lips. ‘We’ll have a talk when we get back. You’re not to worry. I don’t think it’s good for you in your condition.’

  Her mouth opened but no words came out. He turned her round and patted her gently on the bottom, pushing her in the direction of home. Then he strode on, past Moor’s Hay deliverers, along Eaton Road in the direction of Knotty Ash.

  Bernard was slumped in an easy chair, a glass of beer in his hand. He had chased his mother out, telling her to get him some cigarettes, and now through narrowed disdainful eyes was taking in Babs’s well-rounded appearance. ‘So you’re another of Amy’s nieces and you want to marry my son?’ he said.
>
  ‘That’s right,’ she said, keeping a tight hold on Eddie’s hand. He had argued against this meeting all the way here, saying she had no idea what his father was like. Now she had seen him, she was not impressed.

  ‘What does your aunt have to say about it?’

  Babs hesitated. ‘My sister seems to think she wouldn’t approve because you and she were once engaged. I don’t think that’s much of a reason. After all, you did both go on to marry someone else. I love Eddie and he loves me and that’s all that matters.’

  ‘Is it?’ Bernard let out a bark of laughter. ‘You’re not like your aunt, are you? Family duty! That’s what came first with her. I’m almost tempted to give you my blessing. That would be one in the eye for Lee.’

  Babs stared at him with interest. ‘You still feel like that after all these years?’

  His smile faded and he did not answer her, saying instead, ‘And what does Mr Hudson have to say about all this?’

  ‘I don’t see why he should say anything,’ said Babs, tilting her chin. ‘It’s Aunt Amelia who’s my guardian.’

  ‘Then you’re mistaken. She’s not going to go against his wishes.’

  For the first time since she had set out, Babs felt a moment’s doubt about getting her own way. It was in those few seconds that there was a rat-a-tat at the door.

  Eddie went to open it. Peter stared at him. There was no mistaking the likeness to Chris and he waited for the anger that he had felt realising the person Dotty had mistaken Chris for was Bernie’s son, but nothing happened. ‘Your father in?’

  ‘Yeah, who are you?’

  ‘He knows me.’ Peter brushed past him.

  Bernard stared at Peter as he entered the kitchen. ‘I take it this isn’t a social call?’ he sneered.

  ‘Too right it isn’t. Babs, out!’ ordered Peter with a jerk of the head. ‘Mr Rossiter and I have things to say to each other.’

  ‘If it’s about us, I want to hear,’ she said defiantly.

  Peter gave her an exasperated glance and at that moment there was another rat-a-tat on the door. He took advantage of it to hustle her out of the room. She struggled but he was stronger than her. He opened the front door and on the step stood Amelia. ‘No!’ he yelled before she could open her mouth, and thrust Babs at her, closing the door.