by Anna King
James sat upright on Amy’s lap. ‘But, Daddy, you said that if I asked, Amy would…’
Jimmy coughed, a little too loudly, and a little too quickly. Plucking the boy from Amy’s hold, he said firmly, ‘Now then, James, I didn’t say any such thing. I merely said it wouldn’t do any harm to ask, but like I’ve just explained, Amy has her own home to go to.’
James opened his mouth to protest further, But Jimmy, striding out onto the landing, shouted down, ‘Bessie, Bessie, get up here, will you.’
Puffing and panting, Bessie arrived and took the child from Jimmy’s arms. Glaring at him, she snapped brusquely, ‘I ain’t a bleedin’ magician, yer know, mate. You’ve already got me doing half a dozen things at once. I’ll ’ave an ’art attack if I carry on like this.’
Jimmy laughed. ‘Get off. You’re as tough as old boots, and you know it.’ Then, in a softer tone, he added, ‘Just look after the boy while I have a quick word with Amy, will you, Bessie?’
With a great deal of muttering, Bessie departed with the child under her arm.
‘Sorry about that, love. I didn’t mean to put you on the spot. Everything’s happened so fast, I don’t know whether I’m coming or going.’ Picking up the brandy decanter, Jimmy poured himself a drink before continuing. ‘The thing is, love, I won’t feel safe until I get James away somewhere his mother can’t find us. I know I can’t keep him away for ever, but I want to be able to enjoy Christmas with him without constantly worrying that Heather might show up and spoil it for him. She’s spiteful enough to do it, just to get her own back at me. I thought by giving her the money, it would satisfy her, but I should have known better. A hundred pounds would have been enough for anyone else, but I could have given her a thousand, and she still wouldn’t have been satisfied.’
Amy dropped her gaze to her lap. The mention of the money brought back the memories of the afternoon. And she still had the money in her bag. With all that had happened, she’d forgotten all about it. It seemed a hundred pounds was the going rate for buying the rights to another human being. Jimmy had paid that amount to get James, and Richard had imagined the same amount would entitle him to use her as he wished.
She didn’t realise she had made any sound until Jimmy asked, ‘What? Did you say something, Amy?’
Shaking her head, Amy replied. ‘No. Nothing important, Jimmy. Look, I’d better go. You’re busy, and I want to get off home.’ She stopped, then raised her eyes to Jimmy, and in that moment she dropped her guard, and Jimmy experienced a jolt to his system at the mute appeal mirrored in the lovely blue eyes.
‘Amy! What’s wrong. Tell me, please. And don’t bother lying. Something’s upset you, I can see it in your face. Who was…’
Instantly Amy’s guard was back in place. She had done well so far, much better than she had expected of herself, she mustn’t lose control now, for to do so would be fatal. And not only for Richard, but for the sake of all those dear to her.
‘Nothing’s wrong, Jimmy. Except that I’m tired and missing Becky, and not looking forward to this wretched party that’s been forced on us. If Becky was well, we’d go out for the night, but Dr Barker’s told her she has to stay indoors for at least another week, unless she wants to risk another bout of influenza.’
Jimmy clapped a hand to his forehead. ‘Good Lord! I’d forgotten all about that.’
At the look of puzzlement on Amy’s face, Jimmy explained, ‘Tom came round while you were out and asked me if I’d like to attend this party. Normally I’d be only too pleased to come, especially as Rebecca issued the invitation.’ A warm smile touched his lips. ‘At least, not in so many words, she didn’t. But Tom gave me the distinct impression that I’d be very welcome.’ The smile vanished as Jimmy realised the opportunity he was being forced to miss. Hell! This was the first real sign that Rebecca had some feelings for him, and he was going to have to let her down again. But that didn’t mean he couldn’t see her and explain the reason why before they left.
A loud knocking from downstairs was followed by equally loud laughter.
‘That’s Charlie at long last. He’s been looking after the punters since your brother’s hasty departure. He had to wait until the last race was over in case he had any winnings to pay out. Still, he’s here now, so we might as well be off. I’ll give you a lift home, and drop in to say hello to Rebecca, and explain why I can’t attend the party.’
Twenty minutes later, with the parcels of food delivered to grateful neighbours, the cases loaded onto the top of the carriage and the occupants settled inside, Charlie directed the horses towards what was becoming a familiar journey to Hackney.
Chapter Twenty-four
All afternoon Rebecca had sat in her room, refusing to go downstairs where a small army of caterers was busily setting up tables and preparing food. She had also ignored Maude’s calls for assistance, until, goaded beyond endurance, Phil had finally left his room to see what Maude wanted.
Staring down onto the gas-lit road, Rebecca waited patiently for Amy to arrive home; they had a lot to talk about. Amy wasn’t going to be pleased when Rebecca told her they were leaving just as soon as she felt strong enough, but leave they would. After witnessing Maude’s miraculous recovery, and the hoard of money secreted beneath the bed she’d spent the best part of her life in, there was no way Rebecca would ever lift a finger to help her again. What with Maude’s deceit, and nursing a deep suspicion that Richard was up to something, and that something wouldn’t be to their advantage, Rebecca was determined to leave as soon as humanly possible. Amy might protest at first, but after she had heard what Rebecca now knew, she’d do as she was told. As for Phil… Rebecca sighed. He was a grown man, and she’d looked after him for far too long. It was about time he learnt to stand on his own two feet, instead of expecting other people to look after him and sort out his problems. Even so, Rebecca felt guilty about leaving her brother. She was still angry with him, but having had time to mull things over, she had decided to let the matter drop. What was done was done, there was nothing to be gained by holding onto a grudge. Not now, when she wouldn’t be here for much longer. And despite her anger, she still loved Phil. He was her brother after all, despite his many faults. And he wasn’t bad, just very weak, selfish and immature. She had done all she could over the years to make him into a strong man, but his character was too weak, and always would be. Phil’s best chance in life was to marry a strong woman who would look after him, because he’d never be able to manage on his own. The matter of the money he owed played heavily on Rebecca’s mind, for she knew that until that debt was paid off, Phil would be too scared to leave the house. And once she and Amy had gone, what would Phil do? He had no one he could call a real friend, no other real family except her and Amy. She couldn’t just walk out and forget about him. But if he could pay off his debt and find a decent job, then she wouldn’t have him on her conscience.
Up until last night, Rebecca had thought there was no way out of Phil’s mess – that was until she had unwittingly stumbled upon Maude’s secret hoard, the memory of which still rankled. If Rebecca was the kind of woman to call in her dues, then she would certainly think that money was owed her for her years of servitude, and being an unpaid skivvy. But Rebecca wasn’t that sort of woman. More’s the pity, she rebuked herself silently. It was good to have a conscience, but it could be a real nuisance at times. But once Phil learnt about the cash Maude had hidden, Rebecca doubted he would have any such scruples about helping himself to the money he so desperately needed. That decision, though, would be up to Phil. As long as she didn’t know if he had taken enough to pay off his debt, then she would have no cause to feel guilty.
Hearing a carriage pull up outside the house, Rebecca looked down again. She had been expecting Amy, and wasn’t surprised to see Charlie helping her down from the vehicle. She was surprised, however, to see Jimmy and the child follow her sister into the house. Her hand flew to her mouth in alarm. Good Lord! She had been hoping Jimmy would arrive some time thi
s evening with Dr Barker, but she hadn’t expected to see him here as early as this. She wasn’t properly dressed, nor had she had time to arrange her hair. The nurse had kindly washed and dried it for Rebecca before leaving a few hours ago, and had offered to dress the long tresses into the style Rebecca normally wore, but this further kind offer Rebecca had refused, preferring to do her hair herself. The nurse had been reluctant to leave until Amy arrived, but Rebecca had convinced her to go. Now she was wishing she hadn’t been so hasty. She had attempted to do her hair, but after only five minutes her arms had felt like lead and she’d had to give up the effort, thinking she would let Amy do it when she got home. Then she drew herself upright. There was nothing for it but to greet her visitors as she was. Smoothing down her red workdress, she peered into her dressing-table mirror and groaned. Goodness, her hair was all over the place. She looked like a wild woman. But it couldn’t be helped. She had neither the time nor the energy to make herself presentable.
‘Becky, Becky, I’m home.’ Amy’s voice filled the house, bringing a smile to Rebecca’s lips. Even though the house was teeming with catering staff, it had still felt empty without Amy’s presence. Now she was home at last. But Rebecca wasn’t the only one to have heard her arrival. Within seconds Maude let out a shout for assistance, but for once Amy ignored her elderly cousin and came straight in to Rebecca.
‘Hello, Becky. I gather by Maude’s screeching that the nurse has already left. Well, she’ll just have to wait a while, because I’ve brought home some company. I hope you don’t mind, Becky, but I couldn’t really stop him.’
Rebecca grinned. ‘No, I don’t suppose you could, love. Though I wish I’d had more notice. I’m hardly dressed for visitors.’ She grimaced down at her appearance, but Amy’s mind was clearly elsewhere. ‘Oh, Jimmy won’t mind. He’s not exactly one to stand on ceremony, is he? Anyway, he’s off on holiday and he wanted to say goodbye before he went.’
The happiness Rebecca had experienced at knowing Jimmy was downstairs waiting for her vanished in a puff of smoke. ‘Going away,’ she whispered in disappointment. ‘But Dr Barker never mentioned them going away when he visited me this morning, and he’s a close friend of Jimmy’s.’
‘Dr Barker doesn’t know… Look, Becky, let’s sit down a minute while I tell you what’s been happening today.’
When Amy had finished recounting the events of the day, carefully glossing over her visit to Richard, Rebecca’s eyes clouded.
‘I see. In the circumstances I can’t say as I blame him. The woman sounds a thoroughly nasty piece of goods.’ A glint of humour broke through Rebecca’s sorrowful mood. ‘You mean you actually pulled her hair then knocked her down? That doesn’t sound like the Amy I know. You must have…’
But Amy seemed a million miles away. Looking closer at her sister, Rebecca noted the flushed cheeks and glittering eyes, and for an awful moment thought Amy had caught influenza.
‘Amy, love, what’s wrong? Are you ill? You look dreadful.’
Amy’s eyes darted around the room, refusing to meet Rebecca’s, because she knew, knew without doubt, that this awful strain she was under wouldn’t withstand Rebecca’s penetrating gaze.
‘No, I’m fine. Just a bit off colour. I mean, it’s not every day you have a brawl in the street, is it? It upset me a bit, then there’s Charlie going away and not knowing when I’ll see him again. I was looking forward to spending time with him over Christmas, but it can’t be helped.’ Keep on talking, she told herself, just keep rambling on. Don’t say anything that might make Rebecca suspicious. ‘I’ll miss James too. I’ve grown very fond of him, and he’s very upset I can’t go with them. But like I explained to Jimmy, I—’
‘Hang on!’ Rebecca held up her hand. ‘What do you mean, the child was upset you weren’t going with them? Did Jimmy ask you to?’
Still refusing to look at her sister, Amy dropped her head and nodded. ‘Yes, but I told him I couldn’t leave you, especially not at Christmas, and you not being well. Jimmy was very understanding, but the boy, I mean, James, well… children don’t understand, do they? Anyway, I’d better go and see what Maude wants, before she shouts the house down.’
Rebecca stared hard at her sister. So that was the reason for Amy’s distress. She obviously wanted to go with Jimmy and the child, and Charlie of course; instead she was tied here because of her. Her conscience tugging at her, Rebecca thought furiously. Christmas without Amy. It didn’t bear thinking about. Neither did the idea of spending the festive season stuck here with Maude and Phil. It certainly wasn’t going to be a merry Christmas for her if Amy wasn’t here. Amy was the only thing in her life that kept Rebecca sane. At the same time, it would be selfish of her to deny Amy the chance of a holiday away from the gloom and despondency of the house, when she could be with her sweetheart. If Amy went, then she, Rebecca, would be miserable. If Amy stayed with her out of loyalty, then they would both be miserable. There was nothing else to do but to let Amy go. But, oh, she would miss her, she would miss her dreadfully.
Swallowing hard Rebecca asked, ‘Do you want to go, Amy? The truth now. If I wasn’t still recovering from the influenza, and had somewhere else to go myself, would you go with Jimmy and the child?’
Tears sprang to Amy’s eyes. Of course she wanted to go. Wanted it more than anything else in the world right now. But not just for Charlie’s sake, or anyone else’s, just her own. She was so afraid. Afraid that if she were to come face to face with Richard, and that must happen sooner or later, then she wasn’t sure she would be able to keep quiet, and then all hell would be let loose. That, and that only, was the real reason she wanted to get as far away from this house as possible. If this afternoon’s incident hadn’t taken place, then she wouldn’t even have considered leaving Becky. The notion wouldn’t have entered her mind. But her world had been turned upside down, and things weren’t the same any more, nor would they ever be. When she felt Rebecca’s arms encircle her shoulders, it took all of Amy’s willpower not to break down and spill the awful truth. But she must keep quiet, she must. For everyone’s sake, no one must ever know what Richard had tried to do.
‘If you want to go, love, then go. I doubt I’ll be much company anyway, not the way I’m feeling. In fact Dr Barker suggested I stay in bed over the holiday, and the nurse is only too willing to come back and stay with me. So you see, love, there’s nothing to stop you going. And you do want to go, don’t you?’
‘Oh, yes, Becky, yes.’ The words tumbled from Amy’s lips. ‘But I can’t leave you alone at Christmas. I’d feel so guilty, I wouldn’t be able to enjoy myself anyway.’
Rebecca held her close. Ignoring her own pain, she murmured soothingly, ‘Don’t be silly. It would be different if I was well and we’d made plans, but as I’ll probably spend the holidays in bed, then you might as well go off and have a good time. There’s no sense in both of us having a miserable Christmas, is there?’
Holding a tear-stained face up to Rebecca’s, a ray of hope sprang into Amy’s reddened eyes. ‘Do you really mean it, Becky? You’re not just saying it to make me feel better, are you? Because you know I’d never leave you if you needed me.’
Forcing a laugh, Rebecca chuckled, ‘I know you wouldn’t, silly. Now why don’t you pack a few things while I go down and greet our guests? I’m sure Jimmy won’t mind waiting while you pack. And I’m sure a certain young man will be delighted you’re going with them.’ Giving Amy a gentle squeeze she added playfully, ‘And I’m not talking about James either.’
The look of relief on Amy’s face was painful to see, and suddenly Rebecca was suspicious. She knew how fond Amy had become of Jimmy and Bessie, then the child, and especially Charlie. Yet even with all that taken into consideration, Amy still wouldn’t leave her – unless there was some other reason she seemed so desperate to leave the house. Her eyes alert, she tilted Amy’s chin upwards and demanded, ‘Is there something you’re not telling me, Amy? Has something happened I should know about? Come on, Amy. We’ve ne
ver had any secrets, have we? And if there’s something troubling you, then I want to know about it.’ She could feel the trembling of Amy’s body and hugged her tighter, her mind racing, as she imagined all sorts of terrible things that Amy might be keeping from her.
‘AMY! AMY!’
Maude’s voice yelled across the landing, and in a tone that belied her physical state, Rebecca yelled back, ‘Shut up, you old cow. If you want something, then get it yourself, you’re not helpless.’
The anger in Rebecca’s voice jerked Amy back to her senses. Good Lord. Another minute and she would have crumbled. If Becky could get that angry because Maude wanted her to fetch and carry, then what would she do if she found out about Richard? A new strength entered Amy’s body. She knew that Rebecca would give her life for her if need be, and Amy wasn’t prepared to take the risk of Rebecca hanging over that fat, old swine of a man. Her mind clearing, she knew what she must do.
‘No, Becky, there’s nothing I haven’t told you. It’s just like I said. That fight this morning really upset me, and then finding out I wouldn’t be seeing Charlie over Christmas.’ She shrugged and tried to smile gamely. ‘It just got to me a bit, I suppose. But if you’re absolutely sure you’ll be all right, then I will go with them. If you were all right, Jimmy would ask you along too, I know he would.’
Rebecca gave a shaky laugh. ‘I’m not so sure about that, love. Phew! You had me worried for a minute. I thought you were hiding some terrible secret from me. Now, go and pack, or else we’ll both be stuck here for Christmas, and like I said, there’s no point in both of us being miserable,’ she added jokingly.
Leaving Amy to her packing, Rebecca took a deep breath and prepared to greet her guests.
*
As soon as Rebecca had left the room, Amy darted across the landing and knocked on Phil’s door.
