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

by Rosie Harris

‘You shouldn’t have let that stand in your way,’ Penny said sadly.

  ‘I know but it was a very tricky predicament. I thought you were in love with him and I couldn’t bear for your heart to be broken. Nor did I want it to come to light that you were marrying a chap who was such an out and out scoundrel.’

  ‘So if I had gone ahead and married Arnold you would have continued to keep quiet,’ Penny said reflectively.

  ‘Of course I would. I hoped that Arnold had learned his lesson and that it was something he’d never do again. I hadn’t even told your mother about it until a few days ago and I forbid you to mention it to anybody,’ he said firmly, his mouth hardening into a tight line.

  ‘That means that Arnold will get away with his misdeed and at the same time this wretched secret will always give him a hold over you,’ Penny mused. ‘So what happens about it now?’ she asked when her father remained silent. ‘You really ought to do something to stop him making accusations about you.’

  Her father shrugged. ‘I’m not sure. At the moment I’m not going to do anything. I need time to give the matter some deep thought.’

  ‘Surely, since Arnold’s father is your oldest friend and a business associate, then you ought to tell him what has been going on.’

  ‘That is the problem,’ her father admitted. ‘The matter has lain dormant for quite a while so I am not sure if it is wise to disclose all the facts. To do so might upset the harmonious relationship I have at present with William Watson.’

  ‘Can you trust Arnold to remain silent, though? He has already falsely accused you and he may do so publicly if he ever thought that it might be to his advantage to do so.’

  ‘I doubt if he would risk doing that because he would be afraid that I would retaliate by informing his father of the true situation.’

  ‘That’s all very well but which of you would William Watson believe; you or Arnold?’ Penny frowned. ‘Blood is thicker than water you know, especially when it comes to something as serious as that.’

  Marcus Forshaw shook his head. ‘I don’t know, Penny. You are probably right in what you are saying but I wish to leave the matter in abeyance for the moment as there are more important things to deal with.’

  Penny’s face brightened. ‘You mean the problem over Kelly’s future?’

  Marcus Forshaw sighed deeply. ‘Yes; I am not at all sure what the outcome of that will be. To be truthful I think you are going to have to reconcile yourself to the fact that she will have to go back to St Saviour’s. Furthermore I think that her sentence will be extended as a punishment because she tried to abscond.’

  ‘Oh no! That would be terrible. You have no idea how badly they treated her when she was in there. I couldn’t believe that nuns could be so harsh and cruel.’

  ‘You mustn’t believe everything she told you,’ he admonished.

  ‘It’s not what Kelly has said. As I have already told you I went there and I saw how things were for myself. I also experienced how unfeeling the nuns could be,’ she told him hotly. ‘I can quite understand why she ran away.’

  ‘Kelly was caught breaking the law and appeared before a magistrate so the nuns no doubt believed that it was necessary for them to be strict with her,’ her father murmured.

  ‘You may be right about that and it is why they treated her as they did,’ Penny conceded, ‘but the whole place was so grim and forbidding.’ Penny shuddered at the memory. ‘Promise that you really will do all you can to persuade the authorities to let me look after her,’ she begged.

  ‘Yes, of course I will but I feel I should warn you that it may not be successful. In all probability they will consider you to be far too young for such a responsibility.’

  Penny was grateful that her father was being so cooperative, but she was even more astounded at the change of heart her mother seemed to have about Kelly.

  She remembered how antagonistic her mother had been when she’d brought Kelly home immediately after the accident. She had always referred to Kelly as ‘that child’ or ‘the little guttersnipe’ and had wanted nothing at all to do with her.

  She had even insisted that Kelly took her meals in the morning room, yet now she insisted that she should eat with them. They not only ate breakfast and lunch together but Kelly now had dinner with them except when they had important guests.

  On those occasions orders were given to Mrs Davies that a ‘special tray’ was to be taken up to Kelly after she was in bed.

  Kelly responded well to this pampering and sought Mrs Forshaw’s company whenever possible. She was eager to sit on a footstool at Leonora’s feet or hold her hand as they walked round the garden together.

  As she watched them from the window, Penny wondered what they talked about so earnestly on these occasions, but as long as they were enjoying each other’s company she thought it wisest not to interfere and so she said nothing.

  Kelly was not so reticent. She explained that Mrs Forshaw was teaching her the names of all the flowers growing in the garden and that she was going to let her pick some of them and bring them indoors and then she would show her how to arrange them prettily in a vase.

  Mrs Forshaw also schooled Kelly into shutting doors quietly, how to greet people politely when they called and to be helpful in a dozen small ways.

  Penny was amused when her mother showed off her little protégé when friends called. Kelly was allowed to hand around the plate of cakes or biscuits to them and even encouraged to entertain them by reciting one of the little poems that Leonora had taught her.

  Mrs Forshaw took a great delight in brushing Kelly’s hair each day and she bought her a supply of different coloured hair ribbons. Kelly loved them and listened patiently as Mrs Forshaw taught her how to either match or contrast the ribbons with whatever dress she was wearing.

  She also insisted on buying her some new clothes and took her shopping herself. They came home with two new dresses, several pairs of socks, some black patent leather shoes and some new pyjamas.

  This had not only surprised Penny but saddened her a little. She wondered if her mother was regretting that she had done none of these things with her when she’d been a child. It had been left to Nanny to buy her new clothes, to teach her manners and how to behave in company.

  It was five weeks before Captain Forshaw was informed that Kelly’s case was due to come to court. Penny and Bryn both assured him that they intended to be there and if possible they wanted to speak on Kelly’s behalf.

  ‘I’ll do my best to make it possible for you to do so,’ he promised, ‘though I’m not at all sure that it will do any good.’

  The days leading up to the court appearance were fraught for Penny. She thought very carefully about how Kelly ought to be dressed as well as about what she would wear. She even asked her mother’s opinion on the matter and was amazed that her mother was so concerned.

  ‘The more sensible and plainly dressed you both are the better,’ her mother stated. ‘Kelly’s such a dainty little thing that you don’t need to put her in frills to make her look pretty or to create an impression.’

  ‘That’s exactly what I thought,’ Penny agreed. ‘I thought she would look best in her pink print dress, white socks and the black patent shoes you bought her.’

  ‘No, I think we should buy her a new dress and that it should be dark red and quite plain,’ Mrs Forshaw stated after a moment’s consideration. ‘Dark red with perhaps a little white lace collar sounds quite sensible. Have you decided what you will wear?’

  ‘I’m not too sure. Something tailored. A navy blue dress and matching jacket perhaps.’

  ‘That sounds admirable but we must focus on Kelly. Make sure that her hair is newly washed and shining and that she looks well cared for,’ Mrs Forshaw fussed. ‘Oh, and make sure that she has a clean handkerchief in case she is reduced to tears,’ she added.

  ‘I also think we ought to take her through what might happen when she is taken into court and perhaps try and coach her on how she should behave if the magis
trate asks her any questions.’

  ‘What do you mean?’ Penny said with a frown.

  ‘Coach her; tell her what she ought to say, for one thing,’ Mrs Forshaw said sharply.

  ‘How can we do that? We don’t know what sort of questions they will ask her.’

  ‘Your father will have a pretty good idea. Leave it with me and I’ll have a word with him.’

  ‘I suppose it might be worth a try,’ Penny said hesitantly.

  ‘Of course it is,’ Leonora Forshaw said firmly. ‘How she answers any questions that are put to her will go a long way to helping them decide what is best for her. If she speaks out clearly they will be more receptive to what she says. If she speaks politely it will also convince them that she is not the sort of child who should be put in a place like St Saviour’s Remand Home. They will see that she will benefit far more from the kind of home life we have been able to give her.’

  ‘Yes, Mother, I am quite sure you are right,’ Penny agreed fervently.

  ‘In my opinion she is far too young to be put through such an ordeal as having to appear in court,’ her mother went on. ‘It’s enough to scare her out of her wits.’

  ‘I know and I agree with you but I am sure she will cope with it all right. She has been to court before,’ Penny reminded her.

  ‘What a tragic life the poor little thing has had,’ Leonora Forshaw sighed. ‘From what she has been telling me there are so many younger children in the family that even her mother appears to have neglected her dreadfully.’

  Penny nodded in agreement but said nothing. Her mother’s change of heart and her acceptance of Kelly continued to surprise her.

  In view of what her mother had been saying she was tempted to ask her if she could bring Kelly back there if the court gave her custody but the thought that might be pushing things too far restrained her.

  It might be better to wait and see what the outcome of the hearing was. If, as her father feared they decided to send Kelly back to St Saviour’s then perhaps she could appeal to her mother to intervene and ask her father to speak again to his fellow magistrates.

  Now that her mother was so fond of Kelly she might even be able to persuade her to apply for Kelly to be released into her custody. She felt sure that if Captain Forshaw’s wife offered to give her a home the court would not only listen but immediately agree to such an arrangement. After all, she reasoned, they had been quite happy for her father to be responsible for Kelly while they waited for the hearing so why not let him have her permanently.

  It would mean, of course, that her parents would no doubt expect her to return home and look after Kelly. She quite liked the idea now that things were so different at home but she wondered what Bryn’s reaction would be. If only she knew what his feelings about her really were she thought uneasily.

  Thirty

  Kelly’s appearance in the court was a nail-biting time for all of them. Penny was up extra early to make sure that as well as being dressed up in her new clothes Kelly was looking her best in every other respect.

  Before they left Penkett Road Mrs Forshaw inspected them both like a sergeant major marshalling troops for battle. Kelly had to hold out her hands so that Leonora could see that her nails were clean and she even checked to make sure that Kelly had a freshly laundered handkerchief in her pocket. Then she hugged her and wished her well.

  Captain Forshaw insisted on driving them to Seacombe Ferry and kept reminding Penny how important it was to be at the court in good time. Repeatedly he asked where Bryn was going to meet them and worried about whether he would arrive in good time.

  ‘I sincerely hope he doesn’t get held up by some emergency or other at the hospital,’ he said loudly, trying to make them hear above the clatter of the gangplank being lowered from the Royal Daffodil when it pulled alongside as they reached the terminal.

  ‘Why don’t you come with us just in case he does?’ Penny invited but her father shook his head. ‘I don’t want to be seen actively influencing my fellow magistrates,’ he mumbled as he bid them goodbye and wished them good luck.

  Once they reached the court Penny and Kelly were shown into a side room that was far less intimidating than the main courtroom had been, and it was agreed that Kelly could sit beside her. Bryn, however, was asked to sit in a separate row which made it impossible for them to speak to each other during the hearing.

  Penny felt her spirits sinking as the magistrate, a middle-aged man with a bald head, sharp features and gold-rimmed spectacles, took his seat and started shooting question after question first at her and then at Bryn.

  His expression was inscrutable but he kept making copious notes on a pad in front of him. It was like being interviewed for a job, Penny thought uneasily. She half turned and glanced sideways at Bryn to see how he was taking the interrogation and saw the puzzled look on his face.

  When it came to Kelly’s turn to be asked questions by the magistrate Penny’s heart sank even more. She gave Kelly’s hand a reassuring squeeze because she was so frightened that she was visibly shaking, and she was sniffing and snuffling trying hard to keep back her tears.

  Although they had spent a long time coaching Kelly on what to say and telling her to make sure she spoke up clearly, Penny was very aware that her replies were often disjointed or hardly audible.

  By the time it came to the summing up Penny felt in a complete turmoil. She was sure the magistrate hadn’t understood the case as well as he might despite all their efforts to make him see how much Kelly needed to be with them and how keen they were to do the very best they could for her.

  Penny waited in growing trepidation as he looked up from the copious notes he had made on his pad. ‘This child is in need of strong supervision and needs to be in a very stable background,’ he pronounced solemnly in a hard voice as his stern gaze fixed on Kelly.

  ‘That is exactly why we want you to let us take her into our care,’ Bryn stated. ‘Miss Forshaw and myself are both very concerned about Kelly’s future and we can assure you that we are determined to give her all the support, guidance and love that she needs.’

  ‘How are you proposing that you will be able to do that, Dr Cash?’ the magistrate queried, looking at him from over the top of his glasses. ‘You are both single people. You live and work in Liverpool and Miss Forshaw’s home is in Wallasey. Exactly where will Kelly Murphy be living since, as I have already said, she needs to have a very stable background?’

  Bryn paused and took a deep breath. ‘For the present Kelly will be living at Penkett Road in Wallasey with Miss Forshaw and her family. I can assure you that there will be no problems of any kind. She will be well looked after and supervised by them and I will be keeping in close touch and visiting them every day.’

  When there was no comment at all from the magistrate who was shaking his head as yet again he read through his notes, Bryn cleared his throat and added earnestly, ‘There is one other extenuating point that we have not yet mentioned.’

  The magistrate looked at him over the top of his glasses. ‘Well, go on, Dr Cash what is it?’ he asked testily.

  ‘Miss Forshaw and I are planning to be married quite soon so it will only be a matter of a few weeks before Kelly has the permanent home background with us that you feel is so important for her,’ he stated. ‘In the meantime as I have already said, she will be in Miss Forshaw’s care and they will remain living with Captain and Mrs Forshaw in Wallasey.’

  ‘I see! So you and Miss Forshaw are soon to be married? Well, that does put a different complexion on the case,’ the magistrate conceded as he made further notes on the pad in front of him. Then he looked directly at Bryn, his brows drawn together in a frown. ‘Why didn’t you mention any of this sooner, Dr Cash?’ he asked with growing impatience.

  ‘I didn’t want to embarrass Miss Forshaw by making a public announcement. We haven’t completely finalized all our plans,’ Bryn said crisply.

  ‘I see.’ The magistrate took off his gold-rimmed spectacles and pulled out a
large white handkerchief and concentrated on polishing them. ‘Well,’ he said after he had replaced them, ‘in that case my decision must be that Kelly Murphy returns to St Saviour’s Remand Home until you have done so and you and Miss Forshaw are married.’

  ‘Kelly is extremely unhappy about being at St Saviour’s because some of the older girls there are bullying her,’ Bryn persisted. ‘Miss Forshaw is so concerned about this, as well as worrying about Kelly’s welfare and her future, that she is finding it extremely difficult to concentrate on the preparations for our wedding.’

  The magistrate pursed his lips in a silent whistle and once again referred to the copious notes he had made, shaking his head from side to side as if perplexed.

  ‘I did intend to make a ruling right away, but as a result of this additional information I now need to talk the case over with some of my colleagues. You will be informed of my decision in due course. In the meantime Kelly Murphy may remain in the care of Captain and Mrs Forshaw.’

  Penny had been very taken aback when Bryn had informed the magistrate they were about to be married, but she said nothing as the three of them left the courtroom. Although she was relieved that they still had Kelly with them she was anxious to sort matters out with Bryn as soon as it was possible to do so. She had been completely stunned by his remark and couldn’t put it out of her head.

  She wondered if she had heard correctly or perhaps misunderstood exactly what he’d said but decided to wait until the two of them were alone, rather than discuss the matter in front of Kelly.

  Kelly was jubilant that she was going back to Penkett Road. She skipped along the pavement between them, holding their hands and chattering away happily. All traces of the nerves she’d been suffering from while she had been in court had vanished. Penny didn’t have the heart to point out that once the magistrate had reconsidered the case she still might have to go back to St Saviour’s.

  Bryn was due at the hospital at midday so Penny decided to take Kelly straight back to Wallasey to let her mother know what had been decided so far. Bryn promised to join them for dinner at Penkett Road that evening after he had finished work.