by Rosie Harris
The lift was only a short way down the passage but when she pressed the button to summon it and stepped into it there was already a woman in there. She greeted Jenny with a tight smile that didn’t reach her eyes and automatically assumed that Jenny was going down to the ground floor, the same as she was.
The woman was dressed in a dark brown skirt and a brown and white check jacket over a pale blue blouse. She had tightly curled dark grey hair, a sharp nose and high cheekbones, and looked so formidable that Jenny said nothing.
When they reached the ground floor the woman strode away, straight through the reception and out into the street.
Jenny looked anxiously at the reception desk hoping the concierge was there but the door into her office was closed. Indecisively, she turned and looked into the communal room. It was a very big room with a cream carpet and numerous brown and grey leather armchairs grouped round low tables. Bookcases lined one wall and people reading newspapers occupied several of the armchairs. There were wide windows at the far end and a double door leading out into a small landscaped garden.
Jenny was still hovering, wondering whether or not to pluck up the courage and push open the door and go into the room when a voice behind her boomed in her ear.
‘You the newcomer?’ a man’s voice demanded. ‘Heard you were moving in this weekend, what! Are you settled in or still unpacking confounded boxes?’
Jenny turned to find a tall, very upright man dressed in grey flannels, dark grey shirt and a green tweed sports jacket that had the elbows reinforced with leather holding out his hand in greeting. He was grey-haired with a ruddy complexion and sported a crisp grey moustache.
‘I’m Major John Mitchell by the way. Retired of course. Been living here for the last six months, so if there is anything you need to know, then I’m your man.’
‘Very pleased to meet you.’ Jenny held out her hand. ‘I’m Jenny Langton and yes I have only just moved in and I don’t feel at all settled, not yet.’
‘Quite, quite.’ He ran a hand over his moustache. ‘Make sure you come to coffee morning next Wednesday; meet all the troops at one go then, what!’
‘Yes, I’ll remember to do that,’ Jenny murmured as abruptly he gave her a salute and continued along the passageway.
Jenny watched his retreating back for a couple of seconds and then with a tiny shrug made her way from the main reception area to the outside lobby where the postboxes were located to see if there were any letters waiting for her.
Two women were already there; both were grey-haired, one small and tubby and dressed in a green patterned blouse and plain green skirt, the other, tall and angular, was wearing a very smart mid-calf dark red dress.
The tubby woman was about to unlock her mailbox, the other one was taking the key out of hers and grumbling about the amount of junk mail she had found in it.
‘Well, I suppose it’s better than bills.’ The tubby woman laughed as she extracted a sheaf of leaflets and quickly scanned through them before screwing them up.
They both looked at Jenny enquiringly as if not too sure who she was or what she was doing there.
‘Hello, I’m Jenny Langton, I’ve just moved in,’ she said, smiling first at one and then at the other.
‘Second floor? I heard all the banging and noise and I knew the flat had been sold so I thought it must be someone moving in. My apartment is right under yours.’
‘Oh dear, I’m so sorry if the removal men disturbed you,’ Jenny said apologetically.
‘That’s all right; you can’t help making a bit of noise at first. I’m Beryl Willis and this is Sandra Roberts,’ she added, nodding in the other woman’s direction.
‘I live on the same floor as you,’ Sandra told her in a quiet voice.
Beryl looked at her watch. ‘If we are going to be over in Liverpool on time we’d better hurry,’ she stated.
With a quick ‘see you again sometime’ they both scuttled off, and once more Jenny found herself alone and wondering what to do.
She went back to her flat and looked around. It was tidy but felt strange, almost as if she didn’t really belong there. She looked out of the window at the neatly laid out communal garden and sighed. She was already missing her own garden and the pleasure of wandering out of the back door, strolling down the path, smelling the freshness of the soil as she pulled out the odd weed that had sprung up overnight and took note of what needed attention.
On impulse she reached for her outdoor coat, her hat and gloves and then picked up her keys. A brisk walk along the promenade was what she needed, she told herself.
It was no good moping or hankering for what had been. A good walk would blow away her feeling of depression. On the way back she would find out where the nearest shops were and buy some milk and bread and anything else that caught her fancy.
It would give her a chance to plan what she intended doing in future. She would have to find something to fill in her days. Perhaps she could help out at a charity shop, or even get a part time job, she told herself.
It was a bright day but the wind had a biting edge as it swept in off the Mersey. It was the sort of morning she loved; a morning to peg out the washing and watch it blowing as she rewarded herself with a cup of coffee.
Thinking of coffee reminded her about the coffee morning at Merseyside Mansions. Did she really want to go to it? Certainly it would be an opportunity to meet the other residents; but did she want to do that? Was it a good idea to make friends with the neighbours, or would it be better if she kept herself to herself, she wondered.
Up until now she had always led a very private life. After William died she had been too busy looking after Eddy and later on Karen to have much time for a life of her own. She had been perfectly happy with that arrangement and never craved outside interests.
Now, though, with both William and Eddy dead and Karen living independently, it was all so different, and there were times now when she had to admit that she felt lonely; very lonely.
The walk revived her spirits. Who could be downhearted on such a lovely morning she asked herself, as she watched boats plying up and down the Mersey, gulls swooping and screaming overhead and the first of the day-trippers already taking up their favourite spots on the beach.
As she left the promenade and made her way up Victoria Street she remembered her shopping needs. As she added bread, milk, meat from the butchers and some fresh vegetables from the greengrocers she found that her shopping bag was becoming rather heavy and it was quite a long walk back to Merseyside Mansions. She’d have to organize daily shopping trips or arrange for heavy items to be delivered, she decided.
Since she wasn’t living all that far from Wallasey Village she wondered if it would be worth asking her previous suppliers if they would still be willing to deliver.
That would mean waiting in for them to come, she reminded herself. When she’d been living in Warren Point the delivery men had known that they could always leave whatever they had brought just inside the porch and that it would be perfectly safe there. Could they leave deliveries in reception if she was out, she wondered. That was another thing she would have to find out.
She wished Karen had been there to help her settle in. She would have found out the answers to all these questions for her.
She decided to phone Karen as soon as she got home to see if she was back from her trip yet and invite her over. She must be curious to see what the flat was like and she was quite keen to show her around it even though that wouldn’t take very long.
Twelve
It was three weeks before Jenny heard from Karen and then it was to say that she hoped she’d settled in to her new home at Merseyside Mansions but she was too busy at the moment to visit.
Jenny felt disappointed but by then she felt quite settled and very much at home in her new surroundings. She had met a number of the residents at the Wednesday coffee mornings and could even remember most of their names and in some cases where they lived.
They were certa
inly a very mixed bunch of people, she thought wryly. As far as she knew only four of the residents were still working and went out at regular hours each day. The rest were retired and filled in their time in a variety of ways.
Some of them, like Clare and Peter Green, had a very regular routine. Clare was a very large lady and so severely incapacitated that she was unable to walk more than a few steps at a time. Even so she went out every morning at eleven thirty in a wheelchair with Peter pushing her.
He was the exact opposite of his wife; small and weedy. It took every ounce of his strength to manoeuvre the wheelchair and his face was usually a bright red with exertion by the time they came back from their walk.
Clare was extremely demanding. Jenny felt sorry for Peter. She saw the way he was constantly berated and belittled when he was obviously doing his utmost to please her.
Clare always seemed to be particularly aggressive towards him at Wednesday coffee mornings. Peter would leave her wheelchair in a convenient alcove and then help her out of it. She would lean heavily on him as she took the few steps necessary to reach the nearest chair.
On the second Wednesday she’d been there Jenny had rushed to help and offered her chair to Clare because it was the nearest one but Clare had waved her hand dismissively.
‘He’s quite capable and he’ll be the one who decides which chair I am to sit in,’ she stated imperiously.
Jenny felt her colour rising and quickly returned to her own chair as she saw several people trying to hide amused smiles.
‘Take no notice, she’s always like that. We put her rudeness down to her not feeling very well,’ Sandra Roberts whispered.
Jenny nodded but made a mental note that in future she would avoid Clare Green as much as possible.
It was not difficult to do so; Jenny found that there were many other residents who were extremely friendly. Several times she was invited to go shopping in Liverpool or for a walk along the promenade with one or other of the ladies.
Some of the men were attentive but Jenny was guarded. She knew from various conversations that some of the other women hoped for an invitation to take a stroll or go out for a meal either from the Major or one or two other bachelors who resided there and she had no intention of causing any jealousy.
Jenny found her time fully occupied and although as the weeks slipped by she missed Karen, she never really felt lonely. There was always a great deal going on in Merseyside Mansions in addition to the Wednesday coffee mornings.
If she felt she needed outside stimulus she could always take a walk along the promenade to New Brighton. She also enjoyed going to Vale Park to listen to the band and did so most Sunday afternoons, whether on her own or with one of the other residents.
As the summer faded and the crisper days of October were followed by the fogs and rains of November, Jenny spent more and more of her afternoons in the communal lounge enjoying the company of other residents.
As she listened to the tales about their families and the get-togethers they’d enjoyed with them, it made her more and more aware that she hadn’t seen Karen for months.
She knew that since she had sent Karen her share of the money that had resulted from the sale of the house in Warren Point, she had moved to a new flat on the outskirts of Liverpool and, one Sunday afternoon, feeling rather bored, Jenny decided on impulse to pay her a visit.
She might be out or entertaining some friends, she thought, as she caught a bus to Seacombe and from there the Royal Daffodil ferryboat over to Liverpool.
When she reached Liverpool Pier Head she checked on the address and then asked one of the bus drivers if he could tell her which bus she ought to take to get to Calderstones Park.
As the bus travelled through the city and out into the suburbs the houses grew bigger and looked more and more expensive. When she reached her destination the house seemed to be so grand that Jenny began to wonder if she had the right address.
Having come so far I may as well ring the doorbell and find out, she thought resignedly.
The young girl who answered the door looked surprised when Jenny asked for Karen. After Jenny explained who she was the girl invited her to step inside. She showed her into a beautifully furnished lounge and told her to take a seat, saying that she would let Miss Langton know that she was there.
Jenny looked round in amazement. Everything was top quality and beautifully coordinated; almost like a show house. The deep pile cream carpet on the floor, the dark red velvet drapes at the large bay window, the plush cream upholstered settee and matching armchairs and the numerous little tables with their elaborately carved legs were all top quality. It was far grander and more expensive than Karen could possibly afford and Jenny assumed she must be sharing with someone.
When Karen finally appeared, Jenny could hardly believe her eyes. Karen was looking extremely glamorous in a midnight blue velvet housecoat, her hair piled high on her head in a very sophisticated style. She looked astonished to see her grandmother and her greeting was cool rather than exuberant.
‘Is something wrong?’ she asked as she gave Jenny a brief peck on the cheek.
‘No, not at all.’ Jenny smiled. ‘It is such a long time since we saw each other though that I thought I’d better come and see if you were all right.’
‘Yes, of course I am,’ Karen said with a frown, ‘but I am very busy.’ She looked at the expensive diamond studded gold watch on her wrist. ‘I’m packing at the moment; I have to catch a plane in less than an hour on a business trip.’
‘On a Sunday!’
‘Yes, I have to be somewhere first thing tomorrow morning, which means leaving now. I’m sorry, Gran, but I really must go; my taxi will be here at any minute. You should have telephoned and let me know you were coming,’ she added half apologetically.
‘Mmm, I’ll remember to make an appointment next time,’ Jenny said quietly. She picked up her handbag from the small table beside the chair she had been sitting in. ‘When will I see you?’ she asked as Karen walked with her down the hall towards the front door.
‘I have a very busy schedule for the next month or so but I’ll try to be in touch before Christmas,’ Karen murmured. She kissed Jenny on the cheek. ‘I’m so sorry I can’t stop and talk to you now, Gran. It’s just unfortunate …’ Her voice faded away.
‘I understand,’ Jenny said quietly. ‘Make it as soon as you can because I really do want to know how you are getting on, Karen, and what your plans are for the future and so on, my dear. I also want you to come across to Wallasey and see my flat. I thought you would have done so long before this.’
‘I know, I know,’ Karen said contritely, ‘but I have been very busy. Really I have Gran.’
By this time they were at the door and Jenny found herself once more in the street and the door closed behind her. She hesitated for a moment, feeling bewildered. Karen hadn’t shown her round her new home or even offered her a drink, yet she knows how far I’ve come to see her, she thought, feeling slightly resentful. She didn’t even ask me if I knew the way home, she thought, as she made her way back to the bus stop.
Jenny felt very curious about the house where Karen was living; it was not only in an expensive area but extremely tastefully furnished. She was also puzzled about the young girl who had answered the door. She wasn’t old enough for her to be the person Karen was sharing with so who was she? Was she a maid? Surely such a luxury as having a servant was well out of Karen’s pocket.
Jenny felt concerned and hoped that Karen hadn’t let her inheritance go to her head and was living beyond her means. It wasn’t only the grand house but Karen’s appearance.
She realized that she probably had to look glamorous when she was at work but the watch she’d been wearing and the diamond stud earrings looked to be very expensive.
As the ferryboat ploughed its way across the Mersey, cutting through the heavy fog that had come down suddenly, Jenny felt both worried and despondent. Perhaps she should have tried harder to keep their house beca
use it had been Karen’s home as well as hers. Selling it and not keeping more of an eye on Karen was letting Eddy down she thought guiltily.
She really must ensure that she kept in closer touch with Karen so that she knew more about what was happening in her life. She might be twenty and independent but she had led quite a sheltered life while she’d been growing up and she hoped she wasn’t moving into the wrong sort of company.
Then she had a brilliant idea. They were having a Christmas party at Merseyside Mansions in December and they’d been told they could invite a friend or relative. If Karen hadn’t paid her a visit before then she would send her an invite to the party.
Thirteen
The Christmas party at Merseyside Mansions was planned for Friday the seventeenth of December. So many people were eager to help with the preparations and to decorate the communal lounge that Jenny held back.
She knew she no longer felt confident about going up ladders or standing on steps to fix the decorations or put up the fairy lights and thought that the men were more capable of doing that sort of thing anyway.
She would have been quite willing to help to decorate the Christmas tree but so many of the other ladies were already intent on doing so that she felt it was better to keep out of their way.
Outside caterers had been hired to supply a spread of sandwiches, cakes, mince pies, biscuits and cheese and other seasonal titbits. They would also be there to pour out the mulled wine and soft drinks and hand them around. The concierge would be there to supervise them.
There was really nothing at all for her to do except send an invitation to Karen and hope that she would come. She’d already written a letter telling her the anticipated date and she had phoned her several times since and left messages on her answerphone to let her know that it was fixed for the seventeenth. So far there had been no reply, so she assumed that Karen must be away somewhere.
