Moving On

by Rosie Harris

  He was always there though when she needed him and he made sure that weather permitting they went out for a walk each day. Sometimes it was along the promenade; at other times, if the weather was particularly rough, they went up Victoria Road, looking in the shop windows and stopping at one of the cafes for a coffee on their way home. Or they took a bus to Liscard Village where there was a better selection of shops and a cinema which they went to occasionally.

  When he took her back to the hospital for a check-up she was delighted to be told that they were discharging her. Her hands and arms had recovered completely and they didn’t want to see her again.

  Tom was extremely pleased at the news. ‘What about seeing if we can get into a matinee?’ he suggested. ‘We’re not often in Liverpool so it would be a lovely way to celebrate.’

  Jenny pulled a face. ‘I’m not very keen on pantomime and that’s what’s on at all the theatres at the moment.’

  ‘No.’ Tom said, shaking his head. ‘I’ve checked it out; there’s a new play on at the Royal Court Theatre, so why don’t we see if we can get tickets for that?’

  It turned out to be a romantic comedy and Jenny found it was like a tonic after the pain and stress of the last few weeks.

  She took a sideways glance at Tom and thought how lucky she was to have found such a stalwart friend. He might be in his late sixties and his hair might be beginning to go grey but he was still strong-featured, gentle and kind.

  When the show was over and they emerged into the busy city streets again, Tom suggested that they finish off such a memorable day by having dinner at the Adelphi.

  ‘It sounds wonderful, but I am really not dressed for such a glamorous venue,’ Jenny told him with an apologetic smile.

  Tom frowned. Then his face lightened. ‘We can soon put that right,’ he told her.

  Taking her arm he steered her through the crowds towards George Henry Lees and into their fur department.

  Excusing himself for a moment, he walked away and spoke quietly to an assistant who looked over to where Jenny was waiting and nodded her head understandingly.

  The next minute Tom was back at her side and within seconds the assistant appeared with a pale cream wrap which she held out to Tom for approval.

  ‘Do you want to try it on or wait until we get to the Adelphi?’ he asked.

  Jenny looked nonplussed. ‘You mean it’s for me?’ she said, wide-eyed.

  ‘Of course.’ He smiled at her.

  ‘I can’t accept a present of that sort,’ she protested.

  ‘Think of it as a late Christmas present,’ he told her with a broad smile. ‘Now, do you want to put it on or have it wrapped and take it with us.’

  When she looked bemused and didn’t answer he told the assistant to ‘pop it in a bag’ and they would take it with them.

  When they reached the Adelphi, Tom handed over the bag to her and directed her to the ladies’ room.

  For a moment Jenny was on the point of refusing but it seemed so ungrateful and he seemed to be deriving such pleasure from giving it to her that she accepted graciously.

  When she took the wrap out of the bag she drew in her breath sharply. It was palest cream fur, exotically soft to the touch. She slipped off her winter coat and when she draped the wrap round her shoulders it transformed her rather plain dark red dress and made her look extremely elegant.

  She stared at her reflection in the mirror and marvelled at her appearance. She looked so happy; her hazel eyes looked larger, her mouth lifted at the corners in a smile and there was a look of contentment on her face.

  Tom’s obvious pride as he escorted her into the dining room filled her with happiness. She caught sight of herself in the mirrored walls and felt delighted by their reflection. They looked the perfect couple. Tom was a few inches taller than her and looked quite distinguished in his dark suit, white shirt and discreet tie. The gorgeous cream fur stole transformed her own plain red dress, making it look chic and expensive.

  It was a wonderful meal; the perfect ending to a day Jenny would never forget. She had left home feeling nervous and apprehensive about what she might be told and returned radiant.

  In the taxi on the way home Tom told her how much he had enjoyed the evening and the past few weeks.

  ‘You mean playing nursemaid?’ she’d asked teasingly.

  ‘I’ve enjoyed being needed and having someone to care about. We seem to get on so well that it has been a pleasure rather than a chore or a duty,’ he said gravely, his blue eyes shining warmly.

  ‘Yes, I agree. It has been rather comforting to know that someone cared so much about me. I really am grateful to you,’ Jenny admitted.

  ‘I don’t want gratitude. As I’ve said, I’ve enjoyed it. In fact,’ he paused, reaching for her hand and almost stumbling over his next words, ‘since we are both on our own and such good friends then perhaps we should think about moving in together.’

  ‘I don’t mean right away,’ he said hastily as he saw the look of surprise and consternation on Jenny’s face. ‘I’d like you to give it some thought though,’ he said, earnestly squeezing her hand.

  Twenty-Eight

  Tom’s suggestion was still ringing in Jenny’s head when she went to bed that night. It had been such a momentous day, so packed with surprises that she wondered if she had misheard or misunderstood what he had said.

  She stroked the beautiful cream fur wrap then buried her face in its softness. It felt so luxurious and was such a personal gift that she wondered if she should have accepted it. By doing so had it given Tom the wrong impression, she wondered?

  It was thirty-five years since William had died. Her marriage had been such a happy one that she had never wanted to marry again. She had lived on her own for so long now that she wasn’t sure she’d welcome the restrictions that could result if she was living with another person. That was selfish, she reflected, when Tom had been so good to her while she had been ill.

  Living with Eddy and Karen had been different because she had been the one in charge, even though Eddy had always considered himself to be the man of the house.

  They had been a good team. He had been someone to talk things over with and he had helped her to crystallize her thoughts whenever there were important decisions to be made. He had also taken care of any of the heavier jobs around the house and garden.

  Bringing up Karen had been a shared duty and Karen knew from a very young age that her father and her grandmother agreed on all major decisions so it was no good trying to play one off against the other. It was an amicable arrangement; one which suited them all.

  Eddy had been dead now for seven years and although she still missed him she had come to terms with life and no longer grieved or felt lonely.

  Moving in with Tom Fieldman, however, would be a major decision, not one to be taken lightly.

  She cared a great deal for him but there was no question of being in love like she had been with William. Rather, he would be a replacement for Eddy’s companionship. Would he accept that she still felt responsible for her granddaughter?

  She was still worried about Karen’s present disappearance and went over and over in her mind what had happened to Karen since Eddy had died. If only she had kept her job at Premium Printing, she thought sadly.

  Things had started to go awry, Jenny reflected, from the moment Karen had met Jimmy Martin. He had made her discontent with her ordered life; he had agreed with her that there were more glamorous ways of earning a living and had encouraged her to try her luck.

  That had been Karen’s undoing. It had led to her disastrous relationship with Hadyn Trimm and the possibility of being arrested as a drugs courier.

  Marrying Lionel Bostock had been an even greater calamity. Jenny still believed that Karen had only done that because she felt the need of a father figure in her life; not as a scheming little money-grabber like so many of the people in Merseyside Mansions seemed to believe.

  Jenny sighed. She certainly couldn’t contemplate
making any changes in her own life until she knew where Karen was and that she was safe. She would also need to know what her plans were for the future.

  On Wednesday morning she decided to put a brave face on things and to go along to the coffee morning. She hoped Tom would be there to boost her confidence if people started questioning her about Karen.

  It was a bitterly cold day even for the middle of January, so she put on a high-necked red woollen sweater and black trousers. She arrived before Tom and was immediately greeted with a babble of news about Karen.

  ‘What a windfall for your granddaughter! You must both be over the moon!’ Beryl Willis chuckled, her plump round face creased in a smile.

  ‘Lucky girl! She really was “an old man’s darling” and it has paid off,’ Lorna Hill commented acidly.

  ‘Where is she now?’ Dan Grey questioned.

  ‘Off making the most of it if I know anything about her,’ someone said with a laugh.

  ‘Probably taken herself off on a luxury holiday?’ Lorna Hill mused. ‘I know that’s what I would do if I was lucky enough to have an unexpected windfall like that.’

  ‘Surely, it wasn’t that much of a surprise. I imagine she’d thought she would do a lot better than that. Old Lionel was very well heeled, remember.’

  ‘She could have waited for you to come home and taken you with her. You might have found her another rich old man to marry,’ Sandra Roberts commented rather sarcastically.

  There were jests and jibes from so many that Jenny’s head felt in a whirl; especially since she didn’t really know what they were talking about.

  She had no idea what the ‘windfall’ was, but it was not long before Jane Phillips’s comment, ‘so generous of Edwin Bostock,’ gave her a clue what it was all about.

  She took a seat next to Mavis Grey and after she’d been served with her coffee asked her tentatively if she knew what the windfall was that they were all talking about.

  Mavis looked rather startled, then smiled nervously. ‘I thought you looked rather bewildered. They’re referring to the very generous settlement Edwin Bostock has made on your granddaughter of course,’ she said quietly.

  ‘Settlement?’ Jenny looked even more puzzled.

  ‘You really don’t know, do you?’ Mavis murmured.

  ‘I don’t. Do you know the details? If so then please tell me.’

  ‘I can tell you what I’ve heard. It does come from Jane Phillips,’ she said in an apologetic tone, ‘but I gather it was Edwin Bostock who told her.’

  ‘Edwin Bostock?’ Jenny’s eyebrows lifted in surprise. ‘I didn’t know Jane was that friendly with him!’

  ‘Apparently he told her ages ago when she asked him what was happening about Lionel’s flat. If Edwin sold the flat then it meant that Karen would have to find somewhere else to live.’

  ‘Yes, I knew that was his intention,’ Jenny murmured.

  ‘Edwin then went on to explain to Jane that although his father had changed his will in Karen’s favour when they had got married he hadn’t signed it before he died so Lionel’s previous will, in which he left his entire estate to Edwin, was still valid.’

  ‘I see.’

  ‘However,’ Mavis went on, ‘Edwin said that as a goodwill settlement he was giving her ten thousand pounds. He hoped that by doing this it would save them going to court about his father’s estate. He said that if they did that then probably they’d both lose a great deal of money in the process.’

  ‘Ten thousand! Good heavens!’ Jenny put her half empty coffee cup down on the table, her hand shaking as she stared at Mavis astounded. ‘So do you think all this is true?’

  Mavis picked up her own coffee and took a sip. ‘I imagine so. You mean Karen hasn’t mentioned any of this to you?’

  ‘No; she hasn’t said a word. Mind you, I haven’t seen her since the night I scalded myself and had to go into hospital. I couldn’t understand why I hadn’t heard from her and I have been very worried but now you’ve told me this it begins to make sense.’

  Jenny picked up her coffee cup again and pondered over this unexpected news as she drank what remained. She wondered why Tom had never mentioned it.

  When he arrived a few minutes later and came and sat in the chair next to hers it was the first thing she asked him.

  ‘I heard rumours but I didn’t attach any importance to them; I didn’t for one minute think they were true and it seemed pointless repeating them to you.’

  ‘It could account for why she is missing and why I’ve not had any news of her,’ Jenny said rather sharply.

  ‘True. If she was going away on a holiday, though, I would have thought she would have told you or at least left you a message,’ he mused.

  ‘Perhaps she thought I wouldn’t approve. I might have told her she shouldn’t waste the money but do something useful with it. In fact,’ Jenny added more brightly, ‘probably that’s what she has done, put it to some good purpose.’

  ‘Like what?’ Tom asked dubiously.

  ‘Now Edwin has sold Lionel’s flat then Karen must have found somewhere else to live.’

  ‘You mean you weren’t willing to let her move back in with you?’ Tom said in a surprised voice.

  ‘As everybody keeps reminding me, it’s breaking all the rules if I let her stay with me,’ Jenny pointed out. ‘According to Jane Phillips, even as a guest you have to be over fifty-five to stay here more than a couple of days.’

  ‘I think Jane may have been exaggerating,’ someone murmured. ‘Perhaps you should have a word with the concierge and get a proper ruling.’

  ‘Well, Karen’s not here now so it doesn’t really matter,’ Jenny stated rather sharply. ‘Anyway,’ she added, ‘it’s not convenient.’

  ‘Not for you perhaps, but she didn’t seem to mind,’ Tom reminded her cryptically.

  ‘She had to sleep on the sofa and you can only do that for so long; it’s not comfortable and you don’t get a proper night’s sleep,’ Jenny pointed out.

  ‘Yes, I suppose that’s true,’ Tom agreed.

  ‘I think she’s found herself somewhere else to live and is waiting until she has found a job and is back on her feet before letting me know anything because she doesn’t want me to be worried,’ Jenny stated loyally.

  Tom nodded but made no comment. He hoped she was right even though from what he knew of Karen it seemed to him to be highly improbable.

  He didn’t pursue the subject. The conversation all around them was now focused on the impact Margaret Thatcher was having on the country. She had been elected the previous May and because she was the very first woman prime minister the men in particular were dubious of her ability to carry off such a role.

  Jenny listened to the heated arguments and comments going on all around her for a few more minutes and then made an excuse to leave. She wanted to get away and be on her own. She needed the seclusion of her own flat, where she could digest the information she’d learned about Karen.

  She needed to be alone to try and work out what Karen might have done or where she might be without listening to other people’s theories. She also wanted to telephone Edwin Bostock and hear the details direct from him. She was still wondering why he had changed his mind and why he was now being so generous.

  Twenty-Nine

  It was August before Jenny heard from Karen. Eight long months during which she had grown thin and nervy with worry; eight long months without giving Tom an answer to his proposal.

  Gossip about Karen was no longer a topic at the Wednesday coffee mornings apart from one or two genuine enquiries from some of the more kindly and friendly residents. So many other things had taken their interest. Since Christmas there had been two deaths, three people had moved away, several new people had moved in. Life went on. Jenny and Tom were the only ones who were really concerned about Karen’s welfare and anxious about her whereabouts.

  Jenny kept telling herself that ‘no news was good news’ but it did nothing to set her mind at rest. Lurid details abo
ut the fate suffered by victims of the Yorkshire Ripper filled her mind. Karen was young, pretty and vulnerable, so had she fallen prey to this evil man? she kept asking herself.

  When she answered the telephone early one Tuesday morning and a woman’s voice said, ‘Hello, Gran, I’m back in England,’ Jenny thought she was hallucinating. ‘I’m on my way to see you but I was just checking that you were still living at Merseyside Mansions,’ the voice went on.

  Jenny pulled herself together. It sounded like Karen’s and yet it didn’t. It had an odd twang. Jenny wasn’t sure if it was because she was speaking on the phone and it was a bad line or if it was someone impersonating Karen.

  ‘Where are you?’ she asked.

  ‘London; Heathrow Airport. Can’t you hear the planes?’

  ‘What are you doing there?’

  ‘Just flown in from Australia. We’re going to take a train to Liverpool, so we will see you later in the day if that is all right. I wanted to make sure that you would be at home.’

  ‘We?’ Jenny asked.

  ‘That’s right, Bill and me.’

  ‘Bill?’ Jenny knew she must sound simple but things were moving too fast for her. After all these months of worrying, just hearing Karen’s voice was sending her blood pressure spiralling.

  ‘His name is Bill Walsh. I met him while I was in Australia. You’ll like him, Gran. Look, I’ve got to go now or we’ll miss our train. I’ll see you later in the day. All the news then.’

  Karen had rung off before Jenny could ask any more questions. She stood holding the receiver for several seconds before she replaced it in its cradle. Had that really been Karen? She said she’d been in Australia. And who was Bill Walsh?

  She picked up the phone again and dialled Tom’s number. He was as taken aback by the news as she was. Like her he was curious to know more about Bill Walsh.

  ‘We had better wait until later today and see what she has to say for herself when she gets here,’ he said thoughtfully.