Brow of the Gallowgate

by Doris Davidson

  ‘I didn’t know how you’d feel about being a grandmother.’

  ‘Oh, Ellie, I’d just love to be a grandmother. It’s the best news I’ve had for ages.’

  Knitting for her grandchild took up Bathie’s spare time now, and her suspicions about Albert were forgotten. She tried not to worry about her sons, but still put up a nightly prayer for them, adding Vena’s name when she, too, was sent abroad.

  When Mary wrote from New Zealand that Will had joined the ANZAC forces, Bathie felt a great sympathy for her. Mothers all over the world were having to worry about their sons, so Bathia Ogilvie wasn’t unique.

  Chapter Twenty-five

  Little Kathleen Lornie, born on the third day of May, 1915, gave Bathie something other than the war to think about. It was good to have a baby around the place again, even if it was only for one or two afternoons a week, and she was happy that Ellie and her husband were both besotted by the child, too, but who could help loving the tiny red-headed infant who was so like her mother?

  She was all the more angry, therefore, when Ellie appeared one afternoon in late October, to tell her that Jack Lornie had enlisted in the army. ‘What possessed him to do that? There’s plenty of younger, single men who could go.’

  ‘He felt he had to, Mother.’ Ellie cradled her five-month-old baby in her arms. ‘He says he only waited till Kathleen was born, and I was back on my feet properly, so he’d know I could cope on my own, but he thinks people are saying he’s a coward. He’s probably wrong, but there it is.’

  ‘He’s no business to leave his wife and child,’ Bathie raged. ‘He’s got a responsibility to you both.’

  Ellie shrugged in resignation. ‘I knew he’d have held it against me if I’d tried to stop him, and he leaves next Friday. Don’t worry, Mother, I’m not going to go into a decline, or anything like that.’

  Her own anger evaporating in the face of her daughter’s calm acceptance, Bathie said, gently, ‘Maybe the war won’t last much longer. It’s been more than a year, already.’

  ‘There’s no sign of it stopping,’ Ellie remarked, sadly. ‘And I’m not the only wife who’s had to let her husband go. Men want adventure, I suppose, and if I hadn’t had Kathleen, I’d have joined the V.A.D. like Vena, for I’d have liked a bit of adventure myself.’

  One Saturday evening in November, Bathie was knitting at the parlour fire, the hailstones battering against the window and the wind howling down the chimney. Hetty and Ishbel were squabbling over their game of Ludo; Flo was laboriously sewing a button on to a blouse, stopping occasionally to suck blood from a pricked finger; Gracie was reading, her mousey head bent over her book, her legs curled under her on the couch.

  Albert was out, and although she knew that it couldn’t be council business, not on a Saturday night, his wife was so used to his absences that she accepted them as quite normal, having swept her previous suspicions to the back of her mind.

  When a loud knock sounded on the outside door, Hetty ran down to open it, and returned with a broad, khaki-clad figure who was smiling shyly. Bathie stared blankly at the young man’s tanned face for a moment, until the New Zealand flash on his sleeve made her realize who he was.

  Jumping up and flinging her arms round him, much to the amazement of the four girls, she cried, ‘Oh, Will! I didn’t recognize you straight away, but it’s good to see you again.’

  When she stepped back, she saw that he was gazing at Flo, whose astonished face had turned a deep shade of pink at the sight of her old playmate. Turning to her younger daughters, who were either too young to remember, or hadn’t been born when Mary and Willie had taken their son to the other side of the world with them, Bathie introduced him.

  ‘It’s Will Dunbar, girls, Mary Wyness’s son. She used to be our nursemaid, and Will was born in this very house on the same day as Flo.’

  Gracie and Hetty sat down again after they shook hands with him, but Ishbel plied him with questions about life in Wanganui, while Flo stood to the side, her eyes following his every gesture and blushing each time he looked at her.

  At last, Bathie said, ‘Leave the poor boy alone, Ishbel, you’re an awful torment. And Will, take off that wet coat, for goodness sake, or you’ll catch your death of cold.’

  Laughing, he unbuttoned the heavy greatcoat, and slipped it off. ‘Thanks, Flo,’ he murmured, as the girl took it from him to spread over the back of one of the chairs.

  ‘You’ll be staying a while, of course?’ Bathie motioned to him to sit down. ‘We can easily put you up, because we’ve a few spare beds nowadays.’

  Seating himself on Albert’s chair, he said, ‘Thank you very much, but I don’t want to inconvenience you.’

  ‘Its no inconvenience, and Albert’ll be wanting to see you. How long leave do you have?’

  ‘Ten days, but . . .’

  ‘You’re more than welcome, for ten days or a hundred and ten. Gracie, go and make something for Will to eat, ham and eggs or something. I’m sure he must be hungry.’

  He chuckled. ‘Does it show? To be honest, I haven’t had anything since seven o’clock this morning.’

  Remembering suddenly about Willie Dunbar’s death, Bathie said, ‘I was very sorry about your father, Will. It must have been a terrible shock to your mother.’

  ‘She was heartbroken, but she took a job in a hotel, and Father’s boss was very kind and gave her a pension, although he didn’t need to, then he let me start as an apprentice joiner when I left school.’

  While the young man ate what Gracie had cooked for him, Bathie asked more about his mother, about his Aunt Jeannie and Uncle Robbie, and he told her all she wanted to know while the girls listened eagerly.

  Before very long, however, it became apparent to everyone in the room that something was building up between Will and Flo. They had eyes only for each other, and, watching them, Bathie couldn’t make up her mind whether to be glad or sorry.

  Flo had never taken an interest in boys – not like Ellie, who had hardly ever gone out with the same boy twice running until she met Jack Lornie – so could it be that she was going to turn out to be a one-man girl like her mother?

  Flo and Will had been very close when they were children, of course, but this was different, and they didn’t really know each other now. If it became serious, Flo would worry about Will when he went back to the fighting, and, if he came through the war, she’d want to marry him and go off to New Zealand.

  This did make Bathie feel rather sad, but the happiness shining like a bright light from Flo’s eyes made her decide that she wasn’t really sorry about this possible new romance.

  The younger girls, who had been allowed to stay up until ten o’clock in honour of the visitor, were in bed before their father came home. Bathie was shocked to notice that it was almost half past eleven, but kept her questions to herself.

  Albert monopolized the young man for the next twenty-five minutes, then Bathie had to say, ‘You can ask him everything in the morning, Albert. Flo, take Will up to Donnie’s room.’

  ‘Do you want me to come back and tidy up, Mother?’

  Bathie stood up. ‘No, we can leave it till tomorrow. It’s nearly twelve o’clock, for goodness’ sake.’

  When Flo took Will upstairs, Albert followed his wife through to their bedroom, slackening his tie as he went. ‘What a surprise, young Will turning up like that.’

  ‘Yes, I didn’t think we’d ever see him again, not even after what Mary wrote last Christmas.’

  ‘What was that?’

  ‘She said Will was with the ANZACs, but I never dreamt that he’d turn up here.’

  Holding the bedknob, Albert kicked off his shoes, then thumped down on the bed to remove his socks, but in the act of rubbing his feet, he looked up accusingly. ‘I can’t remember you ever telling me that young Will was in the army.’

  Bathie’s old suspicions had reared up again at the smug expression he’d worn on his face when he came home. It had changed quickly to surprise when he saw Will, bu
t it had been there, that look of being satisfied – satiated, even. Now her anger boiled over. ‘You’re never here to tell you anything,’ she snapped.

  ‘I can’t help it if the council meetings go on so late.’

  ‘Till nearly midnight on a Saturday?’ She couldn’t keep the sarcasm out of her voice. ‘I’m not a complete fool.’

  When he couldn’t meet her eyes, she knew for certain that what she’d suspected for so long had been true, after all.

  ‘You’ve been seeing another woman.’

  His breath came out slowly, but he didn’t attempt to deny it, and she was astonished at her own calm. Now that she knew the truth, knew that he’d been unfaithful to her, she wasn’t heartbroken as she’d thought she would be. She wasn’t angry. She wasn’t even hurt. She was just numb.

  She did feel a grim satisfaction when she noticed his trembling hands. ‘How long has it been going on?’

  ‘I met her about two years ago. She was on a committee for the soup kitchen, and we . . . er . . . took to each other right away, so I walked her home to Queen’s Road.’

  ‘Queen’s Road? The west end?’ Her voice was harder now. ‘You were aiming high, but then you always did. She’s not just an ordinary whore, then?’

  ‘Bathie, I didn’t want you to find out, but I had to have a woman, and she was willing.’

  ‘I’m sure she was. I was willing, too, Albert, but you . . .’

  ‘You know why I couldn’t touch you, Bathie.’ His eyes were regarding her sadly now. ‘She’s different. She’s a bit older than me, but she and her husband never had any children.’

  ‘He is another blind fool like me, I take it?’

  ‘He died a few years back. She’s a lusty woman and since I knew there was no chance of putting her in the family way, I could let myself go. You’re too . . .’

  Bathie was silent. He’d used another woman to satisfy his needs because he was afraid of making his wife pregnant – but that didn’t really excuse him. If he’d loved her, as he used to swear he did, he’d have forced himself to be careful. A knife turned in her heart when she thought that he couldn’t have loved her for herself, right from the beginning, and that he’d only married her to gratify his own desires.

  Looking penitent, he murmured, ‘I’m sorry.’

  ‘It’s too late to be sorry,’ she said, as she turned away from him, her voice as icy as the wintry elements outside. ‘I understand, but I don’t want you to share my bed again, ever.’

  He paused for a moment, then muttered, ‘I’ll sleep in the attic till you cool down.’

  ‘I told you once that I couldn’t live with you if I knew you’d been carrying on with another woman, so you’d better go and live with that whore in Queen’s Road for good.’

  His face suffused with dark colour as he jumped to his feet. ‘I worked hard to pay for this house, and it’s you that can get out. Go to Gavin McKenzie. He’s loved you for years, though he didn’t think I suspected, and he could be the father of some of your children, for all I know.’

  She whipped round to face him. ‘Gavin has never . . .’ She bit her lip to keep from shouting. ‘He told me he loved me, but that’s all. I wouldn’t have had anything to do with him, anyway, because it was you I loved. It was, Albert, but not any more. You’ve proved how worthless you are.’

  She struggled to control her rising voice. ‘Every single one is your child, because I, at least, remembered my marriage vows and remained faithful. Let me past.’

  Albert had tried to block her from reaching the chair where her clothes were folded, but he dropped his arms at the look of contempt on her face, and watched her dressing.

  She took longer than usual, her hands were shaking so much, but at last she opened the cupboard door to take out a valise. She had meant to pack some clothes to take with her, but he stepped in front of her.

  ‘You’ll go in what you stand up in,’ he shouted, harshly. ‘Gavin McKenzie can bloody well clothe and feed you, as I’ve had to do for more than twenty-six years.’

  Without a word, Bathie went out and took her coat off one of the pegs on the landing. Closing the outside door softly behind her, she stood, breathing quickly, until she felt capable of carrying on. Her heart was thumping erratically and deep pains were shooting across her head. She had no idea of the time, but it must be after one, and she was glad that no one would see her in this state.

  Turning up her coat collar, she went down the metal steps and through the close, but her feet were soon squelching inside her already saturated indoor shoes, the only pair that had been available to her. The sleety snow soaked through her clothes, too, before she had gone very far, but she carried on in a kind of daze, her teeth chattering, her whole body shivering in the freezing cold.

  Barely conscious of what she was doing, she crossed to the other side of the street when she came to the foot of the Gallowgate, and had taken only a few short halting steps when something seemed to explode inside her head.

  Chapter Twenty-six

  After breakfast on Sunday, Flo and Will went out for a walk, having turned down Ellie’s suggestion that they should accompany the family to church. The snow was crisp underfoot, but the girl and boy were happy to be on their own, and wouldn’t really have minded if it had still been snowing. As it was, the sun was shining, but giving little warmth.

  Flo glanced at her companion. ‘Do you ever get snow in New Zealand?’

  ‘Not often.’ Will laughed suddenly. ‘Our winter’s your summer, of course. Um . . . Flo, I must ask you this. Is there a boy in your life?’

  She was confused by the abrupt change of subject. ‘I’ve never been out with any boys. Have you got a girlfriend?’

  ‘I’ve had a few, but nothing serious. I always knew I’d come back to Aberdeen some day. I often thought about you, and was saving up so I could come home.’

  ‘Come home? But Wanganui’s your home, Will.’

  ‘Nearly all the Scots over there talk about Scotland as home, and I was determined to come.’

  ‘Was that why you joined the army? So you’d be able to come home to Scotland?’

  ‘Not really. I enlisted without thinking, you see, so I could hardly believe it when they sent me to England for some extra training. I was near enough to come and see you.’ He gripped her arm as she slipped on an icy patch.

  Flo was pleased when he let his hand remain where it was. ‘I often thought about you, too, but I never imagined I’d ever see you again. I’m really happy you’re here, Will.’

  ‘Are you, Flo?’ His voice was serious.

  ‘Yes. Truly happy.’

  ‘We’ll have nine whole days together.’

  ‘I’ve to work in the shop, though, so I’ll only see you in the evenings.’

  ‘Won’t your father let you have a few days off?’

  ‘He’s not there, most of the time. He’s on the Council, you see, so there’s just Gracie and me.’

  ‘I’ll come and help you. I used to serve in Uncle Robbie’s store to help him out, before I started my apprenticeship.’

  ‘Will you go back to being a joiner when the war’s over?’

  Their eyes met and held, then he whirled her round and hugged her. ‘This might sound crazy, Flo, but I might not have another chance to come back to Aberdeen, so there’s no time for a proper courtship. I’ll only go back to New Zealand if you’ll promise to come with me, my dearest.’

  ‘Just try to stop me,’ she laughed, surprised by her lack of shyness with him.

  He hugged her again, but it was far too cold to stand in the street, and they walked on, with Will’s arm tightly round Flo’s waist now.

  ‘Where will you have to go when you finish your training?’

  ‘I don’t know, but probably France or somewhere.’

  ‘Will you write to me after you leave Aberdeen?’

  He smiled down at her. ‘I’ll write as often as I can.’

  ‘I’ll write every day.’ Flo’s eyes suddenly clouded. ‘I’
ll worry about you.’

  ‘Don’t worry about me, I’m indestructible.’ Will hated to see her so sad. ‘Being born the same day, in the same house, makes a bond between us. I always felt very close to you.’

  She regarded him seriously. ‘I feel closer to you than I do to my own brothers and sisters.’

  ‘We were meant for each other, so nothing can ever come between us. Not even war.’

  ‘Not even war,’ she echoed.

  They were silent for a moment, then Will said huskily, ‘I love you with all my heart, Flo dearest. I always have, ever since I was a little boy.’

  ‘I love you, too, Will.’

  ‘I’ll come back and marry you after the war, and we’ll go to Wanganui as husband and wife.’ Will pledged this with a kiss, then put his hand in his breast pocket and pulled out a small jeweller’s box.

  ‘It’s my great-grandmother’s engagement ring. My mother gave it to me when I left home. Do you know what she said, Flo? She told me she knew that I’d my heart set on you, and that I should take her grandmother’s ring with me, just in case I was lucky enough to come to Scotland. I believe she thought it would bring me luck.’

  ‘Dear Mary,’ Flo murmured. ‘What a wonderful thing to do.’

  He lifted her hand, pulled off her glove and slid the ring on to the third finger of her left hand. ‘I’ll buy another one for you if you’d rather, but this one means quite a lot to me.’

  After studying the heirloom sparkling on her finger, she whispered, ‘It means a lot to me, too, Will, and I’ll always wear it.’

  He kissed her quickly, then said, ‘I think we should go back now, to tell your parents we’re engaged.’

  ‘They’ll be pleased about it, I’m sure.’

  ‘I certainly hope so. I know my mother will.’

  They’d been strolling aimlessly before, but turned with purpose in their steps, and even the flakes of snow which began to fall couldn’t mar their happiness. When Flo saw Dr McKenzie’s motor car coming towards them, she waved to him vigorously, so he braked carefully, and walked across the street to speak to them, surprised at seeing young Flo Ogilvie with a boy’s arm round her waist. He hadn’t known she had a young man, and it was easily seen that they were in love.