The Runaway

by Grace Thompson

  When he did appear he smelled of perfume and his eyes were glazed with alcohol.

  Wordlessly she handed him the note she had written earlier on which she had noted the time.

  ‘She’s lost the baby, you say? I’d better go and see her.’

  ‘Not till you’ve washed and sobered up,’ Olive said. ‘Who was she this time? The woman from the greengrocer’s, was it? Beryl Thomas? She never was fussy who she went out with.’

  He seemed not to have heard. All his mind had picked up was the news that the baby was no longer a problem. ‘She’s definitely lost the baby?’ Olive was sickened by his smile.

  More than a week had passed when Ian saw Tessa. He was alarmed at how ill she looked. He invited her to a café where he ordered tea and cakes.

  ‘You look a little tired,’ he said. ‘It’s all right, you can talk to me. Faith told my mother and she told me that you and Nick are going to have a baby.’ She looked startled and he went on, soothingly, ‘She also told me that you and he are not really married, so I’m here if you want to talk about it. I’m sure there’s nothing that can’t be sorted.’

  He obviously knew nothing about her emergency visit to the hospital, so she hotly denied that she was expecting a child or that she and Nick were not legally married.

  ‘Faith is spreading rumours again. It’s what she does best, isn’t it, Ian? First about Nick being a cheat, then Matt, now me. I am definitely not expecting a child. And do you really think I’d be living with Nick and calling myself his wife if it weren’t true?’

  Humiliated by his embarrassing mistake, he paid for the snack and left her there, after apologizing and promising to tell Faith and his mother they were wrong.

  Tessa went home along the back lanes, hoping to avoid meeting people while she was unable to control her tears.

  Ian rarely felt real anger, disappointment was his usual response to unkindness or misbehaviour, but today he was more than disappointed. He had been humiliated and so had Tessa. When he went into the baker’s shop just as it was closing. Faith could see he had something on his mind. He waited while she collected her things, then, as they walked to the car he said:

  ‘Where did you hear that Tessa was expecting a baby?’

  ‘She told me herself. I told your mother but I didn’t think you’d want to know. Why do you ask?’

  ‘It isn’t true. I’ve just seen her and when I mentioned it she was very upset. It isn’t true that she and Nick aren’t legally married either. Why spread such stories?’

  ‘Ian, Tessa came here and we had lunch together. She was upset and told me that she and Nick weren’t married and she was carrying his child. A child he didn’t want. Now why should she tell me that if it weren’t true?’

  ‘She denied telling you anything of the sort.’

  ‘Then you have to decide who to believe, Tessa or me.’ They had reached the car but she didn’t get in. She stared at him for a moment, hurt and disbelief in her eyes. ‘This is the end, Ian. Without trust there’s nothing worth holding on to. Goodbye.’

  ‘Wait, I have to think about this.’

  ‘No you don’t. Your mind was made up the moment Tessa said her piece. I believed her when she said she and Nick didn’t marry, so she’s still free for you to make everything right.’

  She forced herself not to run and even though the temptation to turn and run back to him was almost overwhelming, she kept on walking until she had closed the door of No 3 behind her.

  The following day she would make an appointment with a solicitor and an estate agent and start preparing to move. She loved Ian but he could never love her. She was unlovable. Friendships, yes, but never love. Paul needed her and hadn’t even pretended to love her. Even her recently found sister Verity disliked her, regretting the day she had found them. Joy was kind but no more than she’d be to a stranger. She had to leave. There wasn’t an alternative.

  Paul would cope and Ian would go back to Tessa, live with her here in this town. She would meet them often and the pain would never leave her. Running away was the only thing to do.

  She made appointments for later in the week and every time she thought of starting again it was like a wound to the heart. She was cheered by a letter from her sister Joy telling her she was coming for the weekend. Preparing food, making sure the bedroom was as comfortable as she could make it took her mind from her misery.

  Joy came on Friday afternoon and on Saturday Mrs Palmer told her she could leave early. At half past two she and Joy caught the train into Cardiff for some shopping. During the journey Faith told her sister that she was moving.

  ‘You’re a wild goose, always on the move. Are you sure it’s the right thing to do?’ Joy asked. ‘Why don’t you let the house and come to stay with us for a while? Making a decision too fast isn’t a wise thing to do. Parting from Ian is enough to cope with for the moment. You might find after a while that your life settles and you’re happiest here where you have friends, and a job you like.’

  ‘That’s the other reason I want yet another fresh start. I do enjoy working for Mrs Palmer but I’m a teacher and I want to run a nursery for three- and-four-year-olds. If I can find a house suitable to convert into a day nursery with accommodation for myself, in a suitable position, then I don’t mind where I live. There are some advantages to being a wild goose.’

  ‘Is Verity a part of the reason? I know she hasn’t been exactly welcoming.’

  ‘She thinks I’ve searched for you for some ulterior motive, that I want to claim some inheritance. Well, I don’t.’

  ‘The money to start the business came from our grandmother, you see, and in the will the money was to be shared between the three of us. We had given up all hope of finding you. So you turning up like that was a shock.’

  ‘Get a solicitor to draw up the form stating I want nothing from you and I’ll sign it.’

  ‘There’s no need for that and anyway, our mother would never agree. Just be patient. Verity will soon realize how happy your arrival has made our mother.’

  Faith and Joy had been invited to visit Kitty, Gareth and their new baby at the hospital on Sunday, so when a small boy came with a message asking Faith to go to the workshop where Matt had something special to show her, she shook her head and declined. ‘Matt is the last person I want to see,’ she whispered to Joy.

  ‘Why don’t I go instead?’ Joy said. ‘I can tell him you’re busy. I don’t know Kitty and Gareth, they’re your friends.’

  ‘There’s no need for either of us to go. Matt isn’t a part of my life.’

  ‘But it is odd and I am curious,’ Joy admitted.

  Olive was catching up on her collections and when she called on Vivienne Ian was there. This was one of the houses where she was usually offered refreshments and she sank into a chair. ‘Terribly sad about poor Tessa, wasn’t it?’ she began.

  ‘What about Tessa? She isn’t ill, is she?’ Ian asked.

  ‘Not ill, but losing the baby like that was very distressing, specially as that Nick was out as usual. Knowing she was ill he disappeared for seven hours! Can you believe that? I got a taxi went with her to the hospital.’ Getting into her stride she was interrupted by Ian asking:

  ‘She was expecting a baby?’

  ‘Yes, and Nick didn’t want it. D’you know he couldn’t disguise his relief when I told him she’d lost it, poor little mite.’

  Ian reached for his coat. ‘I have to go out.’

  ‘You’re not going to see Tessa, are you?’ Vivienne asked.

  ‘No, I need to see Faith. I owe her an apology.’

  Ian went to No 3 and asked Mrs Gretorex where he could find Faith.

  ‘I think she’s gone to see Matt. A young lad called and said Matt wanted to see her. I’m not sure of the reason, but I heard the young boy say something about Matt having something to show her and she and Joy went straight out.’

  ‘Thank you.’ Ian wasn’t sure what to do. If Faith was talking to Matt he couldn’t burst in on a conver
sation. He turned away. He had been so stupid. Accusing her of lying, making her believe that Tessa was more important to him. Would she listen to him? He knew he had to try and put things right without delay. Turning again he walked towards Matt’s workshop.

  Wondering what Matt could possibly want, Faith left Joy at the corner of the road from where they could see the entrance to the yard. ‘There’s no van outside, that’s curious,’ Faith said.

  The yard was empty when Joy reached the gate. She knocked on the door of the house but there was no reply. Curiously she went towards the workshop. Everywhere was completely silent as she walked across the yard, so quiet her footsteps seemed to echo. She stopped halfway to the workshop and looked around her. There had obviously been a mistake. She began to retrace her steps, then stood at the entrance and looked up the road for the sign of a van approaching.

  Faith was about to get on to the bus when she stopped and turned away. She shouldn’t have agreed to Joy going to see Matt. What could he want? And where was the van? Something was odd and she didn’t trust Matt enough to ignore it. Increasing her walk to a run, she headed back to the yard.

  Superficially, Joy and Faith were alike. Their height and build and even the way they dressed were similar. Only the colouring was different. The day was dull and as a fine drizzle was falling, Joy had pulled her hood over her head and when Ian saw her standing there in the distance, for a moment he thought it was Faith. He didn’t call. He tried to decide what to say, the first words would be very important, his happiness depended on them.

  Joy decided that Matt must be inside the office and she walked across the yard towards the entrance. Above the entrance stood the beautiful statue and behind it, Gwenllian was holding the ropes – twisted around a metal sign – that held it in place.

  Joy stopped just a few yards away when she heard a sort of whimpering sound that seemed to be coming from the workshop. Standing just outside the doorway, she called, ‘Is there anyone there?’

  The sound was repeated and she was about to go inside when another noise above her made her stop directly under the statue, which seemed to be moving, rocking slightly on its plinth. Ian reached the gate at that moment and he gave a shouted warning. ‘Faith! Look out! Run! She’s up there!’

  Joy hesitated and looked above the door, then the statue tottered more wildly and she was pushed aside and knocked to the ground by Ian. She rolled inside the doorway and as she tried to stand she lost her balance and tripped and fell. She lay directly beneath the statue, stunned and confused.

  Ian ran up the ladder that leaned against the overhanging porch. Then Faith appeared. She looked at Joy crouched near the doorway and then up to where Ian was struggling with Gwenllian. ‘Get the police!’ he shouted. Instead she climbed up to help Ian hold the statue in place. Joy then rose to her feet and walked unsteadily, pressed tightly against the wall, to the house on shaking legs.

  ‘The phone is in the office!’ Faith shouted as she held on to the ropes beside Ian, while Gwenllian screamed and tried to push her over the edge.

  Joy reached the phone on the office desk and dialled 999, then went out to stand near the workshop.

  Grunts and groans filled the air interspersed with Gwenllian’s screams. They hardly knew why they were trying to save the statue as they wrestled to get Gwenllian’s hands off the ropes. The strength of the woman who had removed the heavy chain and replaced it with several loosely fastened ropes was terrifying. Releasing just two more half-hitches would cause the statue to fall; the real danger was that one of them would fall with it. Ian and Faith were unaware of the pain of the struggle, their concentration was on grabbing hold of Gwenllian.

  Joy went back to where the ladder stood and climbed up, intending to add her strength to Ian’s and Faith’s and stop the statue from falling. She grabbed Gwenllian and tried to drag her away from the ropes but Gwenllian kicked her and she staggered back to the top of the ladder, lost her balance and hung over the edge. In spite of the chaotic situation Joy became aware again of the whimpering sounds and realized they were near by. She picked herself up and went down the ladder.

  She turned back as a cry from Faith made her look up to where a violent effort from the half-crazy Gwenllian had caused Faith to lose her balance and slip over the edge. To Joy’s horror Faith was hanging by her hands, while Gwenllian tried to stamp on her fingers to make her fall.

  In sheer panic Ian punched Gwenllian. She gave a small sigh and folded into a sitting position. Panting with the exertion, he tied the ropes around the hook that had held the statue in place. Then he ran down and helped Joy to rescue Faith by moving the ladder to allow her to descend. Then he held her as though he would never let her go.

  Joy ran up the ladder on trembling legs and stood over the slowly recovering Gwenllian, holding a length of wood over her, as though it were a bat in the hands of a very determined cricketer.

  When the police arrived Gwenllian was held with some of the rope she had used in her attempt to drop the statue on the woman below. When she had been told she had almost killed Joy, not Faith, all the fight had gone out of her.

  ‘There’s someone else in there.’ Joy pointed at the workshop. ‘I heard strange muffled sounds.’

  Cautiously, one of the policemen went into the dark area and moments later carried out Matt’s terrified mother. She was tied with parcel-tape and a rag had been placed inexpertly over her mouth, fastened with more of the same tape. Carol had managed to move it slightly by rubbing her face along the ground.

  ‘It was a miracle she didn’t suffocate,’ one of the policemen told them as they comforted the terrified woman.

  ‘Gwenllian Hughes?’ Joy asked. ‘Who is she and why did she want to kill me?’

  ‘She didn’t, she thought you were Faith.’

  ‘Why did she want to kill Faith, then?’

  ‘Because she believes I’m the cause of everything that is wrong in her life.’ Faith said.

  ‘I’m certain now that the wrecked garden and the ruin of my Christmas were down to Matt’s mother, and Gwenllian felt it necessary to do something even worse, to show her support for Matt and convince Carol she had been right to do those terrible things. Only her ideas for revenge went too far.’

  When Matt arrived home he ran to his distressed mother and demanded an explanation, glaring at Faith, obviously convinced she was responsible. He was horrified when he learned the truth.

  ‘He’s been to talk to the doctor and he’s going to get help to control his temper,’ Carol said tearfully, as the police led a subdued and frightened Gwenllian away.

  ‘Something I should have done years ago, after I forced myself on Ethel Holland,’ he said, admitting it for the first time.

  Faith sobbed with relief. Walking away from the baby had been the right thing to do. Almost every night she dreamed of holding baby Dorothy in her arms even though that could never happen. She had given her away. And nothing could change that. Her daughter called someone else ‘Mummy’. That was her punishment and it would last for the rest of her life.

  Her thoughts then turned to Winnie’s children, without their mother. She gasped. ‘Ian! I have to tell Paul, he’ll be expecting Gwenllian to meet the children from school!’

  ‘I’ll come with you.’ Ian took her hand.

  ‘I’ll have to tell Gregory of Verity’s part in all this,’ Joy said quietly. ‘Better than him hearing stories about his wife from the police.’

  Carol was crying and being comforted by Matt. Looking around Faith likened it to a strange battleground; there was no blood, the wounds were invisible but they were life-threatening in their way.

  Faith ran with Ian to the car; her thoughts were on the children, everything else was secondary. They met the children and took them home, where Paul was waiting. At first he thought it was some made-up story to discredit Gwenllian but when a policeman came and he realized they were telling the truth he collapsed into a chair.

  Faith went next door to ask a neighbour to tak
e the children for an hour and the kind lady promised to look after them until Paul had found someone suitable to take over their care. ‘My children are grown up and it will be lovely to share someone else’s little ones,’ she told Faith.

  Paul looked like a broken doll with the stuffing half-removed. Faith was aching with the need to help but she left him in the hands of the neighbour and the constable and walked away. This was for Paul to cope with. Much as she loved the children and wanted to help Winnie’s family, it was better to give Paul the firm understanding that it was his problem and he must deal with it in his way.

  Much later the friends were sitting in the garden of No 3, a bonfire burning, potatoes tucked into the edges. Ian and Mr Gretorex were taking turns to add fuel to the burning pile. Joy and Faith were sitting close together, aware of how easily the day could have ended in tragedy. Vivienne was making yet more tea in the kitchen and searching in the bags she had brought for more cakes.

  ‘Before this awful day ends, I have to apologize, Faith,’ Ian said. Joy got up and went to help Vivienne in the kitchen. ‘I should have believed you. I realized today that I’ve been unable to let go of the years with Tessa. Afraid to admit to how much I feel for you. She walked away from me when I believed everything was perfect and I was afraid of it happening again, with you. Can you forgive me?’

  ‘I have to admit I was seriously thinking of running away again, but Joy helped me to realize that would have been a mistake. It’s here in Barry Town where I’ve been happiest, but I didn’t think I could stay if it meant seeing you and Tessa happily together again.’