The Mersey Girls

by Sheila Riley

  She hurried to his bed near sister’s large windowed office and kissed Henry’s cheek. ‘Does this mean you are getting better?’ Meggie said taking a white coned paper bag of humbugs, which she had used her own sweet coupons to buy, and put them on the polished wooden locker at the side of his bed.

  ‘Aye, Love,’ Henry said and although he still looked a bit wan, he was much brighter than he had been since his collapse. ‘I was moved here last night after visiting hour, and the sister said if I carry on making good progress, I could be home next week.’

  ‘Oh Henry that is good news, Love,’ Meggie said sitting in the green leather fireside-type chair with polished wooden arms and settled herself. After catching up with each other’s news, Henry asked his usual questions about how the haulage yard was faring without him.

  ‘You’ve not to worry yourself about the yard,’ Meggie said patting his hand, ‘Danny is doing a grand job and so is Evie – in fact, I think you will be surplus to requirements when you get home.’ Meggie gave a small chuckle, but the laughter died in her throat when she saw her husband’s grim expression. ‘I didn’t mean they can’t manage without you. Obviously, everyone was worried sick when you collapsed and…’

  ‘That’s the point, Meg,’ Henry said solemnly, ‘I’ve been told I’ve got to take it easy from now on, the old ticker is not as robust as it once was.’

  ‘That’s a good thing, surely?’ Meggie said. ‘You were working every hour God sent, you did the work of ten men.’

  ‘I had to.’ he said, examining his fingernails in concentrated detail. ‘You see…’ he paused. ‘There’s something I’ve got to tell you, Meg.’

  She found it wise not to interrupt when Henry was trying to find the right words to tell her something important. A couple of times he opened his mouth to speak and then closed it again without speaking, and when he still said nothing, she could wait no longer.

  ‘Visiting time will be over by the time you finish your goldfish impersonations.’ Meggie decided a little levity was called for and she saw her husband smile, but the smile did not reach his mellow eyes. ‘It’s about time you slowed down, let Danny take the strain – he is doing a sterling job.’

  ‘Funny you should say that, Meg,’ Henry wanted to tell her what he was going to do, but first he had to tell her why.

  ‘We’ve still got the money from the land sale.’ Meggie tried to make it easier for him to tell her this thing that was obviously so hard to talk about. ‘Business has been good…’

  ‘That’s what I need to tell you, Love,’ he said, ‘there isn’t much money in the pot – and I’m not talking about your money…’

  ‘Our money, Love,’ Meggie said, and he waved away her words.

  ‘I’m being blackmailed, Meg,’ he blurted out the words so rapidly she only just managed to catch them, ‘and I have been for some years.’

  Henry aged before her eyes and Meggie reached for his large work-worn hands that now looked so unnaturally clean. Whatever had happened she was going to stand by him, because not for one moment could she imagine her Henry doing something so bad he wanted to keep it hidden.

  ‘Come on, Love,’ Meggie said in that quiet persuasive tone he could never resist. ‘No matter what, I will always be here, we will get through this no matter what.’ Isn’t that what Henry always told her when she worried, or when the nightmares of the past came back to haunt her. And didn’t he always make sure she was protected and cared for. Now it was her turn to stand by him.

  After he had given her a chance to let the information settle, Henry told Meggie about the regular blackmail letters and the telephone demands.

  ‘What are you going to do?’ Meggie asked. The danger of her past becoming public knowledge had not only brought Henry to the brink of bankruptcy it nearly killed her beloved husband. ‘I couldn’t blame you if you want me to leave, I have brought you nothing but bad luck.’

  ‘Don’t say that, Meg,’ Henry said reaching out to grasp her withdrawing hand gently but firmly. ‘You are the love of my life. I am nothing without you.’

  ‘Then what are we going to do?’ Meggie asked. ‘This cannot carry on any longer.’

  ‘Well, that’s what I wanted to talk to you about.’ Henry brightened, and Meggie was hopeful. If need be she would forsake her long kept secret for the sake of his health.

  ‘What do you say to me selling the business to Danny?’

  ‘I think it is a wonderful idea,’ she answered, ‘I can think of nobody better to take over from you… There is just one thing’ Her eyebrows pleated, and her caring eyes lost their sparkle momentarily. ‘Danny may not have enough put by to afford to buy the yard.’

  ‘You leave that up to me, my love.’ Henry sighed, giving her one of his little winks.

  Meggie was beyond thrilled when Sister informed her Henry was on the mend, and ready to come home, but only on the strict understanding he was to take things easy and not rush back to work. The news put a new spring in Meggie’s step, filling her heart with joyful gratitude.

  ‘I give you my solemn word that I will keep a strict eye on him,’ Meggie told Matron, ‘and I certainly won’t let him do anything strenuous. He’ll be lucky if I let him lift a cup to his lips.’

  Evie and Danny, who were there with Meggie, smiled at each other knowing she would not let a gentle breeze tickle one hair on her beloved husband’s head.

  ‘I know I haven’t been working in the firm as long as everybody else,’ Evie told Danny as they left the long ward so Meggie could say goodnight to Henry with a promise to bring everything he needed for his discharge the following day, ‘but I feel as if I've known the Skinners all my life.’ She was thrilled that Meggie had some good news at last and that Henry was coming home.

  When she looked at Meggie as she came out into the corridor where she and Danny waited, she could see the worried frown had melted from her face.

  ‘It’ll be good to have him back,’ Meggie said as they crossed Stanley Road to walk back to Reckoner’s Row, ‘the place has been far too quiet without him. Noisy bugger that he is.’ They all laughed, relieved that Skinner was growing stronger.

  When they reached the house, Meggie invited Evie and Danny in for a bite to eat and, suspecting she didn’t want to be alone, they agreed.

  ‘Mr Skinner was so decent to us when we needed help the most,’ Evie said, enjoying the ham sandwich and a fresh cup of tea, ‘you both were. And I will do anything to help if I can,’ Evie would never forget their kindness, and was so grateful for the food parcels that appeared as if by magic on their doorstep when they had nothing in the cupboards to eat. ‘Especially after…’ Evie still couldn't bring herself to talk about those awful, dark days three years ago.

  ‘I know, queen,’ Meggie said, patting Evie’s hand, ‘you didn’t have it easy, that’s for sure.’

  ‘I’m not begging sympathy, honestly,’ Evie said, giving Meggie’s careworn hands a gentle squeeze, ‘I just wanted to say, I understand the worry you’ve been going through.’

  ‘Uncle Henry is so well liked by everyone,’ Danny said, ‘I’m glad he’s coming home tomorrow.’

  ‘Me too,’ Meggie said. Her voice was laced with love and they were all so pleased that Henry had recovered enough to be allowed home under the strict supervision of his adoring wife.

  ‘Something tells me Uncle Henry is in for a terrible time.’ Danny laughed.

  ‘Well, this isn’t getting the wages done,’ Evie said, rising from the table, ‘I’ll get lynched if they are late.’

  ‘Susie hasn’t got a clue about timesheets and hourly rates,’ Meggie said, and Evie said nothing. Realising that Susie might have had more idea than Meggie gave her credit for. Who else could know exactly where those mysterious payments were going each month.

  Evie left to go back to the office and Danny was locking up the big double doors on the yard when Meggie beckoned to him from the house.

  ‘Is something wrong, Aunty Meg?’ Danny asked as he entered the spacio
us lobby.

  ‘There's something I have to tell you.’ She pushed a cup of tea his way. ‘When Henry comes out of hospital, he's not going to be able enough to run the yard.’

  ‘I know,’ Danny answered, ‘he needs to build up his strength again.’

  ‘That’s not going to be as easy as it sounds, you know how stubborn he can be.’

  ‘Aye.’ Danny nodded, knowing Henry was not known for being idle, he had to be doing something all the time. ‘I suppose we could find him a jigsaw somewhere.’

  ‘Seeing as you have done such a good job with the yard,’ – Meggie’s thoughts were working double shift and Danny’s little joke went unnoticed – ‘I was wondering if you would do me a kindness and carry on managing the place until Henry is back to his old self.’

  ‘We want him much better than his old self,’ Danny said. ‘Of course I’ll run the yard. That goes without saying, but you know the auld fella, he'll be up and out ten minutes after he gets home from hospital.’

  ‘Over my dead body,’ Meggie said, ‘I'm not going through all that worry and upset again – not for a very long time.’ He smiled when he saw the determination in Meggie’s eyes and knew she meant every word. ‘The most he will do is polish the horse brasses for the parade.’

  For the next couple of weeks, everybody, including Jack, Lucy and Evie, along with Henry, Meggie and Danny were preparing the horses for the Netherford Parade. The most prestigious among the North West carters.

  Everybody had their own tasks to perform in the Skinner’s front room and Meggie was in her element, cooking tea as a thank you to everybody for helping out. Susie told them she had a prior engagement and couldn’t possibly help.

  Evie suspected Susie’s fingernails were far too precious to risk ruination with blacking polish on horse brasses. However, Evie could see that not being so close to Danny was eating Susie up.

  Each evening after they finished their evening meal and everything had been washed up and cleared away, they would all gather round the big table, where they would bring out all the beautiful coloured silks and ribbons, which had to be stitched and fringed into different shapes to decorate the bridle, collar and breeching.

  Lucy had her own tasks to do. Henry and Danny only trusted her to polish the small buckles and straps. Jack was trusted to do the bigger jobs, such as linking the brights. The chains, crank and hame all shone like silver when Jack finished cleaning them, although Henry refused to sit doing nothing.

  ‘I might as well kick up my heels now as sit here doing nought,’ Henry said handling the brasses with the same care and attention as he would a newborn kitten knowing nobody was allowed to touch them when they were finished.

  Then, when he set to doing all the leather work, he was scolded like a schoolboy by Meggie.

  ‘But Meg, I’ve got to do something. What good is winning the cup going to be to me if I’ve done nothing to help?’ A practised leather polisher, Skinner even made his own special blacking and kept the secret ingredients to himself, always carrying a tin of it in his working jacket, along with a large washed cloth used to cover lamb and beef carcases, which Meggie got from the butcher.

  She boiled the cloths to a pristine white and they were nice and soft, perfect for buffing and polishing. Meggie knew he was right. Her Henry would feel like a fraud if he were to win the cup and hold it aloft after doing nothing to help. ‘Here,’ she said, ‘I’ve saved this one big cloth to cover the cleaned gears and newly made flowers, it will be your job to keep them perfect until show day.’

  Evie looked round the table, happy that everybody was in good spirits, laughing and sharing their hopes and dreams of the future. Their plans and expectations. Danny wanted his own business, everybody knew that, although Jack was putting his plans on hold, knowing he could be called up for National Service when he turned eighteen in September.

  ‘I’m looking forward to getting some service in,’ Jack said, polishing away.

  ‘You’ll love it,’ Danny answered, knowing Jack never shirked his duties to his family or his work. He also knew the lad had been through the toughest of times and had still come through smiling. He was the kind of strong, bright young man this country needed.

  ‘I’ll put the kettle on. I think we all deserve a nice cup of tea,’ Meggie said, clearing away the silk roses she had been making and rising from the table.

  ‘You look tired, Aunty Meg, let me help you,’ Evie said, busying herself getting the cups and saucers down from the Welsh dresser and following her to the kitchen. Since Henry went into hospital, Meggie invited Evie and her family to call her Aunty.

  Everybody who worked for Mr Skinner called Meggie Aunty it seemed, except Susie, who appeared to have a sneering disregard for the older woman, although nobody knew why.

  ‘Aye, I am a bit tired,’ Meggie admitted, heaving a sigh. ‘It’s the worry I suppose. But everything has turned out for the best, as far as Henry’s health goes, so the burden of worry is much less now.’

  She gave Evie one of her bright smiles, but Evie could see there was still something wrong. Aunty Meg was one of those strong dependable women who could withstand any of life’s struggles, but when it came to her beloved husband, that was a different matter altogether.

  ‘He’ll be brand new in no time,’ Evie said, pulling out a straight-backed kitchen chair from the table and easing Meggie into it, ‘especially now he’s home and being given the best care possible from you.’

  ‘That’s kind of you to say so,’ Meggie answered, ‘it’ll take a while for him to get back to his old self.’

  ‘I’m sure the attack gave him quite a scare,’ Evie answered, scooping loose tea from the caddy into the pot and Meggie put her hand on Evie’s arm and looked quite subdued.

  ‘If I tell you something,’ she said in a low voice, ‘you won’t mention it to a soul, will you?’

  Evie shook her head, honoured to be taken into the older woman’s confidence. She would never dream of betraying her. Nobody had been as kind to her and her family as Meggie – and Connie of course. And she was proud to look upon both women as an extension of her own beloved family.

  ‘You know there has been a huge amount of money going out of the business every month, of course you do.’ Meggie faltered slightly. ‘The worry of it brought on Henry’s heart attack. He’s worried sick that if it carries on he won’t be able to pay the men’s wages, or the firm that supply the food for the horses.’

  ‘I know,’ Evie said, pulling out another chair and sitting down. ‘I have tried to tell him that the business is in much better shape than he first thought.’ She could only imagine the worry they had both been going through. ‘The accounts were in chaos when I started working here. It was hard to know what shape the yard was in. But, after chasing up all the unpaid bills, the bank balance is looking much healthier.’

  ‘I’m so grateful for what you have done for Henry, for both of us.’ Meggie had an affinity with this girl, who had no mother, knowing if she had ever been fortunate enough to have a daughter, she would have wanted one just like Evie. ‘Although, I fear it won’t be long before the yard goes into decline again.’

  ‘What makes you say that?’ Evie asked, knowing Susie had not given a moment’s thought to chasing up money that was owed to the business, which was a lot – enough to cripple most of them.

  Meggie looked round to make sure there was nobody to hear her and, leaning forward, she said in a hushed whisper, ‘Henry has been getting these letters.’ Meggie took a large bundle of envelopes from the kitchen drawer. ‘I only found them when he was in hospital, after he told me what had been going on. He never said a word to me before that.’

  ‘What are they?’ Evie asked and Meggie handed her the bundle. Taking out a note from the top one, she was horrified to see that it was a demand for money. A lot of money, which was to be put into a post office account every month.

  Evie had to bite her lips together to stop her jaw from dropping in shock. She could not believe the
disgusting claims written in a spidery scrawl. This could not be true. The letter stated that if the money was not delivered by the due date, the whole of Liverpool was going to find out exactly what kind of harlot Henry Skinner had taken as a wife. Evie looked up to see the torment in Meggie’s eyes and she knew the words were true. But it did not make them acceptable. And Evie felt her anger rise. How dare this feckless filth write such a thing.

  ‘Have you been to the police?’ Evie asked and Meggie shook her head.

  ‘Henry wouldn’t hear of it,’ she said. ‘You know as well as me, we settle our own scores round here.’

  ‘Do you have any idea who is sending these vile letters?’ Evie asked, dropping the envelopes onto the table, unable to read another word, and Meggie shook her head again.

  ‘Nobody knew I had a child except Henry,’ her voice cracked. ‘I came here looking for a place when I left the Isle of Man. His mother would not have given me a job or a roof over my head, if she had known I was an unmarried mother.’

  ‘Oh, Meggie.’ Evie’s voice was full of concern, she knew there were many women who lived a life of struggle and want because they had hidden the result of a man’s lust. ‘Do you know where your child is?’

  ‘Yes, I do, but I don’t know who is sending these.’ Meggie’s eyes were glassy with unshed tears, although she didn’t seem keen to divulge any more and Evie’s heart ached for her.

  ‘Thank you for taking me into your confidence.’ Evie said, knowing how evil some people’s tongues could be. ‘I will do everything to help you and Mr Skinner. Your secret is safe with me.’

  17

  Grace trudged from Scotland Road to Knowsley Road in the early hours and when she got to the three banks near the North Park, she turned and went back the same way she had come. Her mind in turmoil, she had a lot of thinking to do.