by June Francis
When she reached her doorstep, Grace entered the house in a rush because she could hear Fergie barking inside. Then she caught the sound of raised voices from the kitchen. The sound of one voice shocked her so much that for a moment she froze. Then she pulled herself together, and despite her rapidly beating heart, strode into the kitchen.
Dougie stood in front of the fireplace, threatening Fergie with a poker. The dog was in front of Norman’s chair and was obviously determined to defend his master come what may. If the torn material on the leg of Dougie’s trouser was anything to go by, Fergie had made his move before Dougie had seized a weapon.
‘What are you doing here, Dougie?’ Grace cried. ‘Put that down at once!’
‘And let that animal attack me again?’ he yelled. ‘Not bloody likely. Anyway, don’t you be giving me orders – it’s your shilly-shallying that’s messed up my life and caused this!’
‘Don’t blame me for your mistakes,’ said Grace. ‘Now put that poker down before you hurt somebody.’
‘You heard my daughter, lad,’ Norman raised his voice over the noise of the dog who was dancing and yelping around Grace now she had arrived home. He was struggling in vain to stand unaided, but Grace could tell from just looking at him, how much pain he was in.
‘I’ll put it down once one of you gets control of that dog.’ Dougie struck the brass fender with the poker.
Grace seized the back of Fergie’s collar and lifted him up against her chest. ‘I suppose Marion gave you this address,’ she said through pursed lips.
‘You suppose right. Then you did me a favour of leaving the front door open so I came in to say hello.’ He grimaced, as he said it. ‘I came round earlier today, but when I saw the two babies in the pram, I realised your friend Milly was visiting.’ He looked at her bitterly. ‘Mum wrote to me about the twins, hinting about grandchildren and whatnot. Not that that is likely for us now, is it, Gracie…’
‘So, you decided to get her out of the way by playing that stupid trick with the young girls in the street,’ said Grace accusingly. ‘You’re a dangerous idiot.’
His eyes flashed angrily. ‘It wasn’t my fault the girls let the pram run away from them. Anyway, Milly’s husband should have read out my telegram. Marion told me all about how you didn’t get my message – Milly and her husband stuck their noses in where they weren’t wanted.’
‘A telegram of lies! How dare you try and ruin my reputation like that and send a horrible letter to Dad! Get out of my life, Dougie and stay out of it. I’ve made a new life for myself and I was of the opinion you’d done the same.’
‘But you b-belong to m-me! If I can’t have you, no one can!’ he roared.
‘I do not! I never did. I’m not sixteen anymore, Dougie. I can make my own decisions now. You can’t bully me. Now, leave!’ Grace ordered, pointing to the door.
Dougie moved forward, but only to brandish a fist in Norman’s face. ‘This is your fault, old man! Why couldn’t you have got sick a year ago and died! Instead of keeping us waiting around!’
Fergie scrambled down from Grace’s arms and went for Dougie again. He raised the poker and aimed a blow at the dog, but already Grace was there to block it as she grabbed his arm. The blow went wide and caught her on the hip.
The pain was so bad that she felt faint and lost her grip on his arm. She slid to the floor. She tried to get up, but Dougie kicked her to the ground. Norman roared with frustration and anger and managed finally to push himself upright out of the chair. He took a couple of steps forward and aimed a fist at Dougie, only to miss his target and lose his balance. Dougie thrust the poker into his groin and Norman screamed in pain and blacked out.
Then the poker slid from Dougie’s grasp and he covered his face with his hands for a second. As he made to pick up the poker again, Fergie went for him. Grace managed to drag herself to her feet while Dougie screamed in pain, his hand clutched to his chest, the poker lying on the floor where he had dropped it.
‘You’ve done it now, Dougie,’ she said. ‘You’re for it.’ Dougie stared wildly at her, his face white and strained, before he stumbled out of the room. Grace heard him trip down the lobby. She quickly picked up the poker and hid it in the sideboard, before she bent over her father and checked his pulse. Then she gathered up her skirts and ran.
Chapter 19
When Grace returned to the house after using the telephone at the corner shop, it was to find her father slowly coming around, a little dazed and confused. She made him as comfortable as she could on the floor, having told him she had sent for their doctor. She then made a pot of weak tea for him, and feeling sick and headachy, settled down to wait beside him.
Half an hour later the doctor arrived, and it was only when he had inspected them both, did he demand answers to how they had come by their injuries. If it had only been herself who had a severely bruised hip, Grace might have said less for the sake of her aunt, but she was furious at the way Dougie had treated her father.
Immediately, the doctor became grim-faced and said this was a matter for the police, as it was assault. Of a sick man, to boot, he added in a disbelieving voice. He left the house, and told them he would call for an ambulance on the way to the police station, leaving orders that Norman must have an X-ray to check for further damage.
* * *
When Ben arrived home, he was in complete agreement with the doctor’s assessment. When a constable turned up on the doorstep a while later, Ben invited him in and made a cup of tea while the copper took statements from Grace and Norman and asked if they wanted to lay charges.
Norman replied in the affirmative immediately, and Grace hesitated because she was thinking how it would affect her aunt and uncle having their son arrested for assault and battery. But then aware of Ben’s stare and how not so long ago she had wanted to kill Dougie for his spitefulness, she said, ‘Yes!’
Fortunately, before they had to face her relatives, Norman was carted off to the hospital in an ambulance; Grace promised to follow him as soon as possible.
Polly and Marion arrived an hour or so later and they were so angry that Grace would not have been surprised to see smoke coming out of their ears. As it was, it was Ben who asked them in icy tones what Dougie had to say for himself. Polly replied that he had arrived home earlier and set about packing his suitcase. He had told them he had to get back to London in a hurry.
‘So, he didn’t tell you that he attacked Dad and me with a poker!’ cried Grace.
‘I don’t believe it, not of our Dougie,’ said her aunt. ‘The policeman only told us that they needed to speak to him about an incident here, which is why we came round straight away to find out what wicked falsehoods you’ve been spreading about him.’
‘So, he’s run away back to London,’ said Ben, in a scornful voice.
‘He was very hurt when Grace threw him over for you. They’ve been together for years, promised to each other since she was sixteen – all Dougie did was work hard for her and their future, like the good lad he is, only to be disappointed by her flightiness as soon as she had to show some backbone and wait for him for a few months—’ said Polly, turning on Ben.
‘That’s no excuse for his behaviour,’ put in Grace wearily.
‘Did you give the bobby his address in London?’ asked Ben.
Mother and daughter were silent.
‘No matter,’ said Grace. ‘I can give it to them. He’s not getting away with the way he treated Dad, me, and even Fergie! Family or not. Dad’s had to go back in hospital, you know. He had only come out today. Now he needs an X-ray to see what damage Dougie has done.’
‘I can see we’re not going to get any satisfaction here, Mam, only a host of lies from this one,’ Marion burst out. ‘Come on, let’s get home.’
No sooner had they departed, than Ben insisted on Grace telling him Dougie’s London address. He put on his coat and hat.
‘I’m going to the police station to give them this address straight away. You can bet that Mari
on will be in touch with Dougie without delay to warn him about the police wanting him.’
Grace nodded. ‘Simon’s not home yet. What do I tell him when he arrives?’
‘The truth, of course. I wonder why he’s late.’
‘Yes, I left the door open for him. He could have gone to a friend’s and be playing out in the street,’ said Grace.
As it was, Simon came in a few minutes after his father left, sounding breathless, with his knees scratched and slightly bloody. ‘Sorry I’m late in, but me and some of the kids in Alec’s street were playing Truth, Dare, Command and Promise.’
‘And what were you dared to do?’ she asked.
He hesitated. ‘You don’t want to know.’
Grace frowned. ‘Did you see your dad on the way here?’
‘I waved to him. He was on the other side of the road.’
‘Well, you’re going to have to tell him what you’ve been up to, because he’s bound to ask you when he sees those knees.’
‘Couldn’t I put my pyjamas on ready for bed?’ Simon said persuasively. Grace decided that she and Ben had had enough to cope with that evening and agreed Simon could put his pyjamas on.
‘But not until I’ve had a look at those cuts.’
Simon agreed with a sigh, so after she had cleaned the cuts and put iodine and plasters on them with trembling hands, he washed his face and hands and put on his pyjamas, while she served up his dinner. He gobbled the food down and then suddenly seemed to notice that Norman was missing.
‘Where’s Granddad?’ he asked.
‘He had to go back to the hospital for an X-ray.’
Simon scrambled to his feet. ‘Why, has his condition got worse?’
‘My cousin Dougie sneaked into the house because the door had been left open and he attacked Dad, me and Fergie with a poker,’ she replied in a trembling voice.
‘Why?’ His voice was pitched high with shock.
‘Because he was furious that I rejected him and married your father,’ she said. ‘The doctor called in the police, but Dougie has already scarpered back to London. Your dad is on his way, now, to the police station to give them his London address.’
‘I hope they catch him,’ snarled Simon. ‘If Grandad dies because your cousin hit him, he’ll really be in trouble.’ The boy went over to Grace and placed his arms around her waist. ‘He’s wicked.’
‘Yes, he is, and a selfish bully. I should have realised it a long time ago.’ She rested her cheek on her stepson’s head and sighed deeply, thinking what a fool she had been to hero-worship Dougie for all those years. At least she had not gone with him to Australia – thank God.
When Ben arrived home later, he told her that the Liverpool police were going to phone through to the Met in London and they would act as quickly as possible to arrest Dougie.
‘He’ll be brought back to Liverpool to face charges here,’ he added.
‘It means Dad and I will have to go to court, doesn’t it?’ Grace said fretfully, wondering what the neighbours would think.
‘Of course, you’re not regretting bringing charges against him, are you?’ said Ben.
‘No, he deserves to be punished for how he threatened us and for using a poker to hurt Dad. And how careless he was with Milly’s babies…’ she answered. ‘I just can’t help thinking of how I used to be part of the family and how they’ll suffer. Polly was good to me when my Mum passed.’
‘Don’t worry about them, they only care about protecting Dougie now,’ said Ben bluntly. ‘They’ll disown you quick as – I know they’re your relations, but Simon and I and your dad are the only family you need now.’
Grace did not argue with him, even though she knew she would always care about her aunt and uncle and Beryl. She decided to go to bed early as her hip was hurting and she wanted to rest. Ben followed her up the stairs, ready to catch her if she fell as she was still unsteady on her feet. She slipped once and he prevented her from falling, whispering that he would always be there for her. Grace felt comforted because at this moment, all she wanted to do was cry, as she felt almost overwhelmed by a sense of panic. She knew rationally that Dougie needed to be taught a lesson, and she had been badly frightened at how vengeful he was.
Ben left her to rest, but Grace could not get comfortable – she could not clear her mind of Dougie’s accusations that everything was all her fault and that she had ruined his life. At last she drifted off, and despite waking up the following morning in Ben’s arms, she had no recollection of him coming to bed. She stayed as still as she could, not wanting to disturb Ben’s sleep. She thought of how hard he worked to support her and Simon, and to provide a home for her father and counted her blessings. She was also pleased that his having put his arms around her meant that he must have forgiven her for hesitating about bringing charges against Dougie. The last thing she wanted was her husband thinking she had any warm feelings still towards her cousin. Although she was dreading having to go to court and be a witness in a process against a member of her family.
Gradually, Grace relaxed and fell asleep. She was wakened by Ben attempting to get out of bed without rousing her. Immediately, she said in a whisper, ‘I’m already missing your warmth.’
‘I make a good hot water bottle, do I?’ he said hoarsely.
‘The best, because you’re not made of stone.’ She stretched out a hand to him. ‘I’m sorry to bring trouble to you and Simon.’
‘You more than make up for it by the way you warm my bed and care for Simon.’
‘So, I’m a handy hot water bottle too.’ She chuckled, throwing back the bedcovers. ‘I’ll come down with you and cook breakfast.’
‘You don’t have to,’ he said. ‘The bed is still warm. You could have a further rest. The coming days are going to be difficult.’
‘But we have to celebrate Simon’s birthday on Friday and Christmas next week,’ she said.
‘So we do,’ he said, catching her to him and kissing her. ‘He told you when it was?’
‘Yeah, he wanted to have some friends here for cake, crisps and pop. I was shopping for them yesterday when Dougie called round.’
He kissed the top of her head. ‘I’d best make a move, or I’ll be late.’ He released her.
A quarter of an hour later she followed him downstairs. He had lit the fire and the kettle was on. She made scrambled eggs and toast. They sat across the table from each other and she poured the tea.
‘I thought I might buy some balloons for Simon’s birthday. I’m sure he and his friends will have fun with them.’ He delved into his pocket and produced some coins, but she shook her head.
‘The balloons and crackers will be my treat.’ As she collected their plates and cutlery, she said, ‘I wonder when the trial will be.’
‘It’s a straightforward case, so I imagine, as long as Dougie doesn’t do a disappearing act, it’ll be soon.’ He hesitated a moment before saying, ‘I hope they put him away for years for all he’s put our family through. Our family, Grace, that’s you, me and Simon and your dad, not your aunt Polly, Dougie and Marion. I like your uncle and Beryl and will be okay with you keeping in touch with them.’ He took a deep breath and held up a hand as she was about to speak. ‘Dougie sent me a copy of the telegram he wanted read out on our wedding day. I threw it on the fire and your father told me about the letter he received from Dougie. So, you have a straight choice, Grace. When you think of your family it has to be this one who live under our roof. I care for you and for better, for worse, I want our marriage to last and that means us being honest and loyal to each other. Not for a moment did I believe your cousin’s insinuations because I’ve got to know you so much better since we wed – I think we can make our relationship be a blessing to us both, Simon and Norman.’ He paused. ‘So, what do you say?’ By the time Ben had finished speaking, Grace could not answer as she was choked by tears.
Eventually, she was able to pull herself together and said, ‘I say that I already feel blessed being your wife, and I
love you and our family and the home we’ve made together.’ She hiccoughed, accepted a large white handkerchief from him and wiped away her tears. ‘Can I have a big huge and a kiss now,’ she added shakily.
He enveloped her in his arms and kissed her long and sweetly.
Ben was right about the case, and as soon the police had consulted with Norman’s doctor, Dougie was apprehended and transferred to Liverpool, and the trial was fixed for the coming Monday morning, which was Christmas Eve.
Grace steeled herself for the forthcoming ordeal as she focused on welcoming her father back home. Luckily the X-ray hadn’t shown further damage, but Norman was increasingly frail and Grace worried about him having to take to the witness stand. Norman was determined to go through with it, though. He had said little about her cousin when Grace had first started spending more time with Dougie, trusting her to see sense; however, she suspected that he had disapproved of his nephew for a long time and now some of his long-held resentment towards Dougie’s bullying behaviour and lack of respect towards himself and Grace was finally coming out. Norman was adamant that Grace should at last put Dougie in his place and speak out in court of his shocking behaviour.
Chapter 20
Simon’s birthday turned out to be a happy day, although he and his friends mourned the absence of snow. Even so, they enjoyed themselves indoors, playing various games and eating the party food.
By keeping her ears open as she served the treats, Grace discovered how her stepson had come by the scrapes on his knees. Apparently, he had accepted a dare to climb a street gas lamp and hang a rope over one of the bars to make a swing. Unfortunately, he had slipped on the way down and landed on his knees. Grace was a bit annoyed to hear this, given his recent broken bones, but she didn’t want to spoil his birthday, so resolved to take it up with him later. The boy certainly knew how to survive various scrapes.
