A Sister's Shame

by Carol Rivers

  Rose turned on her spitefully. ‘Trust you to think the worst!’

  ‘Well, I don’t like the sound of it neither,’ Sal said cautiously.

  ‘Only because Pedro offered me the job and not you,’ argued Rose, throwing back her head and studying herself in the mirror. ‘Sorry about that, but all’s fair in love and war, girls.’

  Marie was tired of hearing Rose repeat this. And when she saw Shirley and Sal glance at one another behind Rose’s back, she knew they were too.

  It was half past eleven when Pedro let them go. The club was cold and empty. The air stank of stale booze and damp. The girls complained bitterly about not being paid and were only pacified when Pedro promised to pay them the following Saturday.

  Benny had already left by the time Marie made her way out. She was relieved to see the shape of Bing’s car drawing up in the darkness.

  He rushed to meet her and pulled her into his arms. ‘You’re early,’ he whispered. ‘I was prepared to wait until after midnight. Sort out the drunks who pester you.’

  ‘The drunks went home early.’ She was so happy to be safe in his arms.

  ‘Shall we wait for your dad?’

  ‘No. He could be a long time clearing up.’

  As he drove Bing turned to her. ‘Any mention of the Blue Flamingo?’

  ‘The girls spent all their time complaining about drunks and not being paid. No one said anything much about the club. And Rose has got herself another job.’

  ‘Doing what?’

  ‘Keeping company with a rich man, she says. Someone Wally knows. All he wants is to dance with her.’

  Bing’s eyebrows shot up. ‘Then she ain’t the savvy sort she thinks she is.’

  ‘She wouldn’t listen to Shirley either, who tried to warn her.’

  Outside the house, Bing turned off the engine and drummed his fingers on the steering wheel. ‘Tonight I went round to see Charlie as he ain’t been at work. His arm is broken and in a sling.’

  ‘Did he have an accident?’

  ‘After a few jars one night before Christmas, he went round to the Blue Flamingo. Course, the Scoresbys’ heavies stopped him and Charlie cut up rough. He decked a couple of ’em and gave them a mouthful.’ Bing hesitated. ‘On his way home a car pulled up and some blokes got out and returned the favour.’

  Marie gasped. ‘Poor Charlie!’ She shuddered at the memory of Vesta saying she wanted to make Charlie jealous.

  ‘He’ll live. But his pride is dented.’

  ‘What’s he going to do now?’

  ‘Stay out of trouble, I hope.’

  ‘Can he get his girl back?’

  ‘Dunno if she’ll have him.’

  They sat in silence, until Bing looked at his watch. ‘Happy New Year, Mrs Brown.’

  ‘I’m not Mrs Brown yet.’

  ‘Give me a kiss. No one is looking.’ As he pulled her close, a light flooded out from the front room. He groaned and sat back. ‘Caught in the act.’

  Marie sighed softly. She wanted to be kissed too. ‘Come in, if you like.’

  ‘Don’t think I will. See you tomorrow, sweetheart.’

  Reluctantly, Marie left the car. She watched it turn the corner and listened as the engine noise died away. Touching the ring on her finger, she felt close to Bing. One day they wouldn’t have to part. And on this happy thought she went inside to Ada.

  Marie woke in the middle of the night. Her nightdress was stuck to her skin and her heart was thumping. She turned to the place beside her, only to find it empty. Then, as the nightmare came back with full force, the pictures seemed clearer than ever: a brute of a man standing over a small woman cowering against the wall. Her arms were folded protectively across her bump to shield her precious baby. Then, as he struck her, a piercing cry echoed in Marie’s head.

  Marie waited for the drumming of her heart to slow as she sat up in bed. This time there was no one to share the dream with. Images kept forming in her mind: the red-veined eyes of the monster about to attack a defenceless woman; her screams and feeble protests as he grabbed her and threw her across the room.

  Marie pushed away the bedclothes, desperate to free herself from the cold fear still chilling her skin. She drew back the curtains, hoping to see the dawn lighting the sky above the roofs. But it was still dark. The stars twinkled in a vast, ebony universe. She pulled on her dressing gown and went to the front room. Once again her heart leaped. For a moment she froze as she saw a figure in the chair.

  And then, in the light of the embers, she saw who it was. ‘Dad, what are you doing sitting there?’

  ‘I don’t want to disturb your mother.’

  She could smell the musty odour of the club on his coat. ‘You look all in.’

  ‘I am a bit.’

  ‘The work at the club is too hard for you.’

  He nodded. ‘You’re right, love. I’m not the young man I once was.’ Pausing, he asked in a muffled voice, ‘Is there any news of Vesta?’

  ‘No, the girls didn’t say anything. Nor did Benny.’ Marie placed a blanket over him and poked the embers. Quickly she added a little kindling. When the dry wood caught, the fire flared into life. ‘You’ll soon be warm.’ She saw his head droop sideways. Very soon he started to snore. Marie gazed at the hunched figure in the chair. If only Vesta would come home. She always put a light in his eye; the light that had seemed to have gone out these days.

  She sat in a chair too and gazed into the flames of the fire. It was now Tuesday, the first day of January 1935. The New Year had begun. What lay in store for the Haskins family? Would it bring Vesta home? As the warmth made her drowsy, Marie thought of her twin and hoped Vesta was thinking of her.

  By dawn’s early light, Marie washed and dressed and trod softly back to the front window. There was no one about.

  Her father still slept, so she went to the kitchen. Here she prepared a saucepan of milk ready to mix with the porridge oats, together with two generous slices of bread and dripping. After a good breakfast he would feel more like his old self. Placing Hector’s shaving soap and blade on the draining board, she folded a clean vest and shirt from the ceiling rack over the chair. With luck there would be time for him to wash and shave before Ada got up.

  Returning to the front room, Marie heard the first signs of life outside. From the window she could see children playing on the cobbles: the girls with their skipping ropes and the boys their footballs. One little girl was chalking lines on the pavement for hopscotch. An older boy threw a rope over the lamp-post to swing on.

  Another tiny girl fell over. Her knickers had fallen round her ankles. Had she wet herself? Nobody seemed to care. Plonking herself on a doorstep, she let out a loud bawl. Eventually the door opened and she was hauled inside.

  Marie smiled at the familiar sight. She and Vesta had done just the same when they were younger. Though their favourite game had been dressing up and putting on little shows, they loved playing out in the street. Sometimes all the kids would come in the back yard and watch them. It was nice when they clapped, but the boys often made rude noises. She smiled. Vesta had got very annoyed at the disturbance and told them to go away. Marie sighed. Their childhood had been very happy.

  She thought of Bing. He had called her ‘Mrs Brown’ last night. What would it be like to be a wife and mother? Gazing at the ring on her finger, and the pretty red stone in its clasp, she knew her life was about to change. The ring was a sign of her loyalty to Bing, not to a career on the stage, although he’d said she could still have one if she wanted. What did she want? If she married him, one day her children would be playing in the street too. She knew so very little about babies. Would she be a good mother?

  ‘Is that you, Marie?’ her father mumbled.

  ‘Yes, Dad.’

  He gazed up at her, scratching the stubble on his chin. ‘What happened? Why am I sitting here?’

  ‘You came home late.’

  ‘Ah, yes,’ he nodded, and sat back with a sigh. ‘I remember now. I didn’
t want to disturb Ada.’

  ‘Dad, if I left the Duke’s, would you leave with me?’

  He looked at her sadly. ‘They wouldn’t let me.’

  ‘The brothers aren’t there now, just Pedro.’

  ‘Yes, but they still have a finger in the pie.’

  Marie sat beside him. ‘Don’t worry, we’ll find a way out.’

  He nodded and patted her hand. ‘I hope so. Happy New Year, love.’

  ‘The same to you, Dad.’

  Once again he looked at her with sadness in his eyes. She knew he missed Vesta as much as any of them. Was he staying at the Duke’s because it was close to where Vesta might be? But Marie was worried that the work might eventually kill him.

  Elsie knocked later that morning. ‘Happy New Year, everyone.’

  ‘The same to you, Elsie.’

  She held up a bottle. ‘I’ve brought a nice drop of port to celebrate.’

  ‘Come in,’ said Marie softly.

  ‘How are your mum and dad?’ Elsie asked.

  ‘There’s been no word from Vesta.’

  Elsie rolled her eyes. ‘That girl needs her bottom spanking.’

  ‘Even if she didn’t visit,’ agreed Marie, ‘she could have sent a card.’

  Elsie touched Marie’s shoulder. ‘Come on, chin up, gel.’

  In the front room there was silence. ‘Happy New Year, everyone!’ Elsie stood the port on the table and went over to Ada. ‘Let’s have a smile, Ada. And Hector, for Gawd’s sake stop poking that fire. You’ll put it out if you’re not careful. Now where are the glasses?’

  ‘I don’t want a drink,’ Ada said.

  ‘No thanks, Elsie.’ Hector sat on the couch.

  ‘Blimey, what long faces this morning! You’ll have a drink whether you like it or not,’ Elsie decided. ‘Look at the pair of you, you’d think there’d been a death in the family.’

  ‘There has in a way,’ Ada sighed. ‘I don’t suppose I’ll ever see my daughter again.’

  ‘Rubbish!’ exclaimed Elsie. ‘Your Vesta will be round. The trouble is, Ada,’ she continued firmly, ‘you spoiled that girl and now you’re paying the price.’

  Marie saw her mother sit up in the chair. ‘I never spoiled her. There was no money to spoil her with!’

  ‘I don’t mean with money.’ Elsie flipped her hand at Marie. ‘Go on, girl, get some glasses. The bottle won’t pour into thin air.’

  Marie hurried to the kitchen and returned with the glasses. Elsie was still lecturing Ada. ‘Vesta knew how to wind you and Hector round her little finger. When she couldn’t get something she wanted, there would be tears and tantrums. You’d always give in, because you didn’t want to get on the wrong side of her. Now, if that ain’t spoiling, I don’t know what is!’

  Ada stood up, her cheeks flushed. ‘You’ve no right to speak to me in that way.’

  Marie put down the tray. ‘Mum, Elsie is only trying to help.’

  ‘A fine way of helping,’ Ada said bitterly. ‘I don’t need advice from someone who ain’t ever had kids.’ Ada’s hands trembled. ‘Have you ever looked after a husband and children and worked all the hours God sends?’

  At this, Hector stood up. ‘Ada, think what you’re saying. Elsie has been a second mother to our girls.’

  ‘And you!’ Ada exclaimed, turning on her husband. ‘Call yourself a good father? Our Vesta would still be here if it wasn’t for you!’ She sank down on the chair and wept.

  Quietly, Elsie sat beside her. ‘Come on, love, it’s New Year’s Day.’

  Ada shook her head, sniffing. ‘I’m sorry. I didn’t mean what I said.’

  ‘I know you didn’t.’

  ‘I dunno what come over me.’

  ‘We ain’t going to let a few cross words come between us.’

  Ada sniffed loudly again. ‘No, course not.’

  Elsie lifted her glass. ‘Well, here’s to us all, old friends, good and true.’

  Ada wiped her cheeks. ‘Elsie, I could bite my tongue out.’

  ‘Don’t do that, love.’ Elsie chuckled, smacking her lips as she sipped the strong spirit. ‘I’d miss our long chats.’

  Ada glanced at Hector. ‘I’m sorry, Hector.’

  He gave her a grin under his moustache.

  Marie listened to the loud tick of the mantel clock. Though peace reigned again, none of them could think of much to say as the minutes dragged by. It was Vesta who was on their minds.

  When there were footsteps in the hall, they all looked up. The door opened. Dressed in a beautiful coat, with a pill-box hat sitting on the side of her head, as if by some miracle Vesta appeared and smiled widely.

  ‘Happy New Year, everyone!’

  Marie jumped up and ran into her arms. It was as though their thoughts had brought her back home.

  Chapter 29

  Bing looked around his small gaff in Blackwall. It was just one room full of his clobber. When he was married, their home would be very different from this. His boss at the PLA had a house on Manchester Road, with rooms for rent. Though not having discussed the date of their wedding yet, Bing fancied the spring. Last week, his mum and dad had offered them two rooms upstairs. But he’d seen too many of his docker pals start married life that way and regret it. Not everyone got along with each other. He loved his mum and dad dearly, but he liked his independence better.

  Bing thought of the mid-Victorian house he had earmarked. Two ground-floor rooms, a scullery and back yard, with basement rooms that could be let out to lodgers to earn a few extra pennies. Manchester Road was acknowledged to be a cut above the rest of the island districts. Its broad width and elegant houses, accessed by flights of steps, and clean-cut black-painted railings were not dissimilar to Sphinx Street.

  He knew Marie would feel at home here. And he would do all he could to see she was happy; she meant the world to him and, if he could, he would make her the happiest girl in the world.

  He took a brand-new sheet of music from his pile by the bed. He had sung ‘Let Me Call You Sweetheart’ a few times at the pub. It was easy to carry off the famous crooner’s drawl. Not that the patrons of the Cubby Hole gave him any credit. They preferred the livelier tunes. But this was special. ‘Sweetheart’ was his favourite word; one he would only use for the girl he loved. And that, of course, was Marie.

  With a smile on his face and tucking the papers into his breast pocket, he glanced in the mirror and gave himself a wide grin. For a docker, he scrubbed up well. Nodding his approval and humming a few bars of ‘Let Me Call You Sweetheart’, he left his room, hurrying down the flight of concrete steps, setting off to call on his new landlord before seeing Marie.

  ‘Well, how do I look?’ Vesta twirled around, happy to have her family’s full attention. She had dressed for the part and, showing off the brown velvet fur-trimmed coat that Teddy had bought her, she felt confident and sophisticated. The coat was a gift from Teddy to make up for the way he had left her at the manor. For this, she had Bill to thank. He had brought her home in his chauffeur-driven car. True to his word, he had told Teddy that he’d arranged an overnight room for her at the manor. To her surprise, Teddy had thanked him, then when Bill had gone, said their quarrel had been a storm in a teacup. He wanted to forgive and forget.

  And, when Teddy bought her the coat and a beautiful evening dress to match, she had given in. She had also felt guilty about Bill. But, as no more was said about that night at Ossmingley Manor, she was trying to forget it.

  ‘You look beautiful,’ said Ada, as she helped her daughter off with the expensive coat. Vesta pressed her hands down over the slim-fitting green dress and looked at her sister. After her initial welcome, Marie didn’t look very pleased to see her. Nor did Elsie.

  ‘We thought you’d come on Christmas Day,’ said Marie in a flat voice.

  ‘Yes, it didn’t seem the same without you,’ added Hector as he took the coat from Ada and folded it carefully over the couch.

  ‘Teddy took me somewhere special, a party, in fact,’ Vest
a said quickly. ‘I meant to visit, but time just flew.’

  ‘We missed you,’ said Ada. ‘But now you’re here, it doesn’t matter.’

  ‘Is there anything to drink?’ She didn’t want a lecture. After all, she wasn’t to blame for what happened on Christmas Day.

  ‘Yes,’ said Ada eagerly. ‘I’ll go and put the kettle on.’

  Vesta was about to say it wasn’t tea she wanted when Elsie said, ‘I’ll see to that, Ada. Vesta, your mother has one or two questions she’d like to ask you. She hasn’t seen you since you walked out, remember?’

  ‘It wouldn’t have happened if you’d been nice to Teddy.’

  ‘He hurt Kaiser,’ Elsie reminded her.

  ‘He didn’t mean to.’

  ‘Let’s forget all that,’ Hector reasoned, plumping the cushion on the couch. ‘Come and sit down. Tell us all your news.’

  Vesta sat close to her father. She knew he was her ally and always had been. To her, he was the voice of reason in this family.

  ‘So, are you happy at this new club?’ said her mother as she sat down beside the fire.

  ‘Yes.’ She didn’t say that she hadn’t sung at the club since before Christmas. Teddy had got another act to sing there for the New Year celebrations. Her guilty conscience had caused her to wonder if he was punishing her for the embarrassment she caused him at the manor. ‘I’m certainly not missing the factory,’ she said instead. ‘In fact I can’t believe I stuck it out so long. My nails are actually growing.’ She held out her long red nails that she’d taken hours to manicure and colour last night. ‘The Blue Flamingo is very choosy. The members are all rich people who are never rowdy and always applaud.’ She glanced at Marie. ‘It’s not a bit like the Duke’s.’

  Marie smiled. ‘I’m glad you’re happy.’

  ‘What’s been happening here, then?’ Vesta hoped Elsie would hurry up with the tea. This was more difficult than she’d thought. Expecting to find everyone pleased to see her, she was surrounded by critical faces.

  ‘Well, your sister got engaged,’ Ada said.

  ‘What?’ Vesta felt her insides tightening as she looked across the room to where Marie sat.