Love or Duty--A saga set in 1920s Liverpool

by Rosie Harris

‘I’m afraid it has,’ Miss Grimshaw stated firmly. ‘As you have already reminded me, Captain Forshaw is one of the governors and as they all agree it is imperative that we maintain the high reputation of the school.’

  ‘You mean that having Kelly here will affect your high standards?’

  ‘Parents are paying very substantial fees for their children to attend this school and as I have already said they will not want them associating with a child who comes from the slums of Liverpool.’

  Before Penny could reply someone knocked on the door calling out Miss Grimshaw’s name. When she told them to enter one of the prefects came into her office.

  ‘Miss Grimshaw, there’s been an accident. That new girl has been knocked … I mean fallen down in the playground and seems to have hurt her arm.’

  Together Penny and Miss Grimshaw rushed out into the playground to find out what had happened. A group of children were already gathered round Kelly who was lying on the ground clutching her arm and sobbing noisily. When one of them tried to help her up she screamed and lashed out wildly with her good arm.

  Penny knelt down beside her and spoke to her quietly and gently stroked her hair back from her tear-stained face until she was calmer. Then she gently touched her arm to try and see if it was broken or merely badly bruised. From the angle of her hand it was pretty certain that she had broken either her wrist or one of the bones in her arm.

  ‘You’d better take her along to the hospital and have it checked out,’ Miss Grimshaw ordered when Penny looked up and told her this. ‘Where is your car parked? Do you need any help to get her into it?’

  ‘I’m afraid I don’t have my car, I’m not allowed to drive it since the accident,’ Penny said in a tight voice.

  ‘Oh, that is irritating,’ Miss Grimshaw frowned. ‘I’m not sure the child’s injuries justify calling an ambulance. I’ll try and see if anyone is prepared to drive you to the hospital.’

  ‘No, please don’t do that, I would prefer to call a taxi,’ Penny stated firmly.

  Kelly was still sobbing noisily as Penny and one of the other teachers helped her to stand up. Because of her injured arm she was unable to use her crutches so between them they carried her into the school building and put her on a chair.

  She sat there hunched up and crying, her thin shoulders heaving spasmodically, until the taxi arrived.

  While they were waiting Penny tried to comfort the sobbing child. She decided that the most sensible thing to do would be to take her straight to the Liverpool Infirmary rather than the local hospital. She hoped that if they went there they would be able to see the same doctor who had dealt with Kelly’s broken leg.

  Two hours later it was confirmed that Kelly had broken her arm and that it would have to be in plaster and that in all probability it would take about six weeks before she would be able to use it again.

  Penny’s spirits sank; with her arm in a plaster cast Kelly would be unable to use her crutches and so once again it would mean taking her everywhere in the pushchair. It also meant there would be an even longer delay before Kelly could return home to her own mother.

  Ten

  Kelly was very subdued as they travelled back to Wallasey in a taxi. She huddled up as close to Penny as she could, sniffling back her tears but not speaking. She had still not explained exactly what had happened out in the playground or how she had come to fall over.

  While she’d been waiting for Kelly’s arm to be attended to Penny had wondered if she ought to alert Mrs Murphy about this new accident. In the end she’d decided that it would be futile to do so. Kelly was now even more in need of some loving care and understanding and she was pretty sure she wouldn’t get that from her mother.

  Miss Grimshaw listened in silence as Penny gave her a detailed report about what had happened at the hospital. She frowned forbiddingly when Penny said it meant that she now had no alternative but to bring Kelly to school with her each day.

  ‘I’m sure it will work out all right,’ Penny said confidently. ‘I will leave her sitting in her pushchair in a corner of the classroom so she will be no trouble at all,’ she added.

  ‘That is completely out of the question. I am very surprised that you have even suggested it. It would be far too disruptive for the rest of the class and, as I have already told you, it would be going against Captain Forshaw’s instructions.’

  Penny squared her shoulders determinedly. ‘I’ll talk to my father as soon as I get home; I’m sure he will reconsider his decision when he hears what happened today.’

  ‘I very much doubt it,’ Miss Grimshaw said sternly. ‘The other governors were in full agreement with him. The only thing I can advise you to do Penelope is to take an extended holiday. I will do my best to reinstate you at a later date after you have returned the child to its mother.’

  As the taxi approached Penkett Road Penny became apprehensive about how her own family would react when they heard the news about Kelly’s latest accident.

  She blamed her father; if he hadn’t interfered none of this would have happened, she told herself. She knew she daren’t say that to his face but she felt very resentful because by discussing Kelly with Miss Grimshaw he had made her life so much more difficult.

  Arnold would also be furious when he heard the news, she thought worriedly. He had made it clear from the outset that he wanted nothing to do with Kelly and he’d kept his word. Penny knew he couldn’t wait for Kelly to recover and to go home to her own family.

  Even so she found it very hurtful that she had barely seen anything of him over the last month. She was aware from the many rumours that her mother heard and seemed to delight in reporting back to her that he had been carrying on almost as if she didn’t exist.

  According to her mother’s reports Arnold spent most of his evenings and also his weekends at the tennis club. Whenever he attended any other social function or dance he escorted one of the girls from the tennis club.

  ‘People are talking and wondering what is going on between the two of you,’ her mother repeatedly told her. ‘The next thing you know he will be breaking off your engagement and I dread to think how upset your father would be if that happened.’

  ‘There’s nothing very much that I can do about it since you won’t look after Kelly in the evenings. If you did that then I could go out with him occasionally,’ Penny had pointed out rather tersely.

  ‘Your father has strictly forbidden me to do so,’ Mrs Forshaw stated primly. ‘Not that I want to have anything to do with the child anyway.’

  ‘I know you don’t want to help with her but Mary or Mrs Davies would do so if only you would let them,’ Penny reminded her.

  ‘That is completely out of the question. Both Mary and Martha Davies are employed to work for us, not spend their time looking after some child from the Liverpool slums.’

  ‘What on earth has happened now, Leonora Forshaw demanded as Mary ran to tell her that a taxi had pulled up outside the house and Miss Penny was helping Kelly out of it.

  ‘I don’t know but the little girl seems to have her arm in a sling,’ Mary said breathlessly.

  As Penny helped Kelly into the house Mrs Forshaw frowned. ‘Another accident?’ she asked in an icy accusing tone.

  ‘Yes, Mother. I’m afraid Kelly has had another accident and has broken her arm.’

  ‘How very careless. First it was her leg and now it’s her arm. Does she do it on purpose?’

  Penny bit her lip to stop herself from answering and entering into an argument with her mother. She knew it would be pointless to do so and only antagonize her mother even more.

  It had been a long day for both of them and Penny felt quite relieved when Kelly asked in a tired little voice if she could go to bed and have her supper brought up to her.

  ‘Of course you can if you are sure you want to do that,’ Penny agreed.

  She had to admit that Kelly did look tired and exhausted. There were traces of tears on her face and whether these were as a result from all she had gone
through at the hospital that day or because she was upset because she sensed that she wasn’t wanted back at Penkett Road, Penny wasn’t sure.

  ‘I want to go straight to bed because I feel so tired and now my arm is hurting as well as my leg,’ Kelly said in a piteous little voice.

  ‘Yes, I’m sorry about that,’ Penny said gently. ‘It was my fault for leaving you out in the playground while I talked to Miss Grimshaw.’

  ‘It wasn’t your fault,’ Kelly defended. ‘It was them two girls that did it.’

  ‘What do you mean?’ Penny stared down at Kelly in surprise. ‘You still haven’t told me exactly what happened, have you?’ she added gently.

  ‘They pushed me so hard that I fell over. They said they didn’t want any slum kids in their class.’

  ‘They did what!’ Penny felt indignant. The two girls she had asked to look after Kelly were the best behaved in her class. She could only surmise that they had overheard their parents discussing the reason why she was looking after Kelly following her accident.

  An hour later when Penny came back down the stairs, after consoling Kelly, taking up her supper tray and then tucking her into bed and making her as comfortable as possible, she could hear Arnold’s voice and then her mother’s coming from the direction of the sitting room.

  They seemed to be deep in conversation about something but they both stopped abruptly the moment Penny entered the room.

  Arnold stood up and walked over to greet her and gave her a light peck on the cheek.

  ‘I popped in to tell you some good news and to remind you that there is a meeting of the Drama Society tonight.’

  ‘I’m afraid I won’t be able to come,’ Penny said apologetically, ‘I have to stay with Kelly.’

  ‘I thought that you were taking her back to her own mother in Liverpool once you started back at school,’ Arnold responded with a frown.

  ‘Yes, that was the plan but the situation has changed. I took Kelly into school with me today and there was an accident in the playground and she has broken her arm and is now in a worse state than ever.’

  Arnold frowned as if he didn’t understand what she meant.

  ‘Because of her broken arm Kelly can’t use her crutches and she isn’t able to walk without them so she will be staying in my care until she is better,’ Penny explained.

  Arnold’s handsome face darkened. ‘This really is too bad of you, Penny. I’ve been without a partner at the tennis club all through the summer season because you didn’t bother to come out with me and now you’ve found another excuse.’

  ‘From what I’ve heard you’ve managed to find yourself plenty of partners so I hardly think you have noticed my absence all that much,’ Penny retorted spiritedly.

  Arnold’s scowl deepened. ‘It is very important that you attend the Drama Society tonight. We are putting on a Shakespearean comedy and as I was telling your mother I have been given the lead part and of course I insisted that you should star opposite me. The rest of the cast are being selected tonight and we will be starting rehearsals next week as soon as we’ve had a chance to learn our parts.’

  ‘Oh, Arnold, how wonderful,’ Penny exclaimed delightedly, knowing how keen he was on amateur dramatics. Then her face clouded. ‘But I’m afraid my accepting a part is out of the question because of Kelly.’

  He stared at her in disbelief, his dark eyes narrowing. ‘Surely, once you have put her to bed at night that is the end of the matter until next morning. You don’t have to be here or stay with her,’ he snapped.

  ‘That’s not quite right. If Kelly needs anything or has to get out of bed to go to the bathroom then I must be here to help her.’

  ‘Absolute rubbish, Penny! Surely one of your maids can see to her?’

  Penny shook her head and looked appealing at her mother. Leonora Forshaw’s mouth tightened. ‘No, that is not possible, Arnold. I’m afraid Captain Forshaw won’t countenance it,’ she said primly.

  ‘I’m sure you wouldn’t mind keeping an eye on the child during the evenings once she is in bed?’ he said in a persuasive tone.

  Leonora Forshaw squared her shoulders and shook her head firmly. ‘No, Arnold. I have already told you that it is quite out of the question. We made it quite clear when we permitted the child to stay here after the car accident that she was Penelope’s responsibility.’

  ‘I know, but do you realize that Penny is my fiancée and that she hasn’t been out with me for the whole of August,’ Arnold pointed out in an exasperated voice.

  ‘I am well aware of that, Arnold, and it is one of the reasons why I have begged her to take the child back to its mother. In fact, if she had done this when I asked her to do so a couple of days ago then the child would never have fallen over and broken its arm.’

  ‘Mother, her name is Kelly; I do wish you would stop referring to her as “the child”. As for taking her back to her home I did try to do that before the new term started as you very well know.’

  ‘In that case why was she still here with you when your new term started?’ Arnold asked irritably.

  ‘Her mother said she was unable to cope until Kelly is capable of walking unaided.’

  ‘Absolute rubbish! She would have managed well enough if you’d left the child there,’ her mother asserted. ‘As it was you brought her back here and took her with you to school even though you were asked not to do so – and look what happened. You’ve brought all this on yourself, Penelope, because you are so stubborn and won’t listen to reason or to what we tell you. I have nothing more to say on the subject,’ Mrs Forshaw added in an indignant voice as she swept out of the room.’

  ‘I can’t believe that you can be so obstinate, Penny,’ Arnold said tetchily the moment they were on their own. ‘You’ve ruined my summer and now it looks as if you are intent on spoiling all my chances with the drama group as well.’

  Penny bit her lip. ‘As I said before, you managed to find someone to partner you at tennis all through the summer so I’m quite sure you won’t have any problems finding someone to take on the leading lady role in the play,’ she stated.

  ‘That’s true enough,’ he agreed. ‘Katy Wilson was hoping for the part so I’m sure she will be delighted to step into the breach when she hears that you have let me down.’

  Penny felt hot colour staining her cheeks. Katy had been her rival in most things when they were at school and even now whenever they met she always took a special delight in flirting with Arnold. In the past she had always ignored this but now, remembering some of the gossip her mother had said she’d been told by some of her friends, Penny felt a surge of jealousy because she wasn’t too sure about Arnold’s feelings for Katy.

  ‘I’m sorry, Arnold; I would have loved to have played opposite you but I’m afraid that it is out of the question,’ she repeated reluctantly.

  She laid a hand on his arm and reached up to kiss his cheek but he shook her hand off irritably and pulled away from her.

  ‘Well, that’s it, isn’t it? You prefer to put this child before me. Since the situation looks like lasting for some considerable time I can see it is a complete waste of my time trying to make any plans for our future together.’

  Penny stared at him in stunned dismay. ‘What are you implying, Arnold?’

  ‘I would have thought that I was making myself crystal clear,’ he said abruptly. ‘Since it appears that you intend to make your own arrangements about this child without any consideration for me—’

  ‘That’s not true, Arnold,’ Penny interrupted him. ‘As soon as Kelly is well enough to go back to her own home then I will be free and ready to fall in with any plans you wish to make, the same as I’ve always done.’

  ‘Until the next lame dog comes along and demands all your attention!’ he sneered.

  ‘Arnold!’ Penny’s voice caught in a sob but he was unrelenting.

  ‘I’ve pandered to your whims for long enough,’ he went on in a hard voice. ‘Our engagement is at an end; it’s all over between us, Penn
y. You can keep the diamond engagement ring I gave you as a memento of how foolishly you’ve behaved.’

  As the front door slammed behind Arnold, Mrs Forshaw came rushing into the room.

  ‘Was that Arnold leaving?’ She frowned. ‘I invited him to stay to dinner.’

  ‘He’s gone, Mother and what is more he won’t be coming back.’

  ‘What on earth do you mean, Penny. Have you two had a lover’s tiff?’

  ‘Rather more than a tiff, Mother. Arnold has broken off our engagement.’ Penny said, clenching her hands into fists at her side to stop herself from crying.

  ‘Don’t be so ridiculous! I never heard such nonsense. Why on earth has he done that?’ she asked in disbelief.

  Penny walked over to the window and stared out unseeingly. She couldn’t believe that after all this time Arnold had simply walked out of her life. She wasn’t sure what she felt about his rejection; possibly more angry than heartbroken, she mused.

  ‘It’s because of that dreadful child, isn’t it?’ her mother exclaimed in an ‘I told you so’ voice before Penny had a chance to answer. ‘I warned you that this could happen but would you take any notice – of course you wouldn’t. No man is going to like being pushed to one side simply because you decide to give all your attention to a slum child.’

  Penny put her hands over her ears but it didn’t shut out her mother’s nagging voice.

  ‘What your father will have to say I dread to think. He and Arnold’s father had great plans for your future together. They even talked about merging their two companies when they both retire in a few years’ time and putting Arnold in charge as managing director.’

  ‘You talk about us as if we were a couple of puppets and you simply pull the strings and we dance to your tune,’ Penny retorted bitterly. ‘If you were so keen on me marrying Arnold then why didn’t you let Mary look after Kelly some evenings so that I could go out with him?’

  ‘You know the answer to that,’ her mother retorted. ‘If you had done as Arnold and your father wished and put the child in a nursing home then there would have been no problem. As it is you’ve made a rod for your own back and now your engagement is broken off as a result. I have no idea what your father will say when he comes home and hears about it. It wouldn’t surprise me if he turned you out.’