A Sister's Sorrow

by Kitty Neale

  ‘OK,’ Tommy replied, then rolled over to sleep.

  Sarah climbed into bed, and though she felt exhausted, her mind raced. It made no sense. Why would George say he’d sold the jewellery if he hadn’t? There was only one way to find out. She’d confront him tomorrow after work.

  Chapter 26

  The next morning, George was whistling a happy tune and found himself once again thinking about Sarah. She had looked beautiful last night and they’d had a right laugh. Sarah told him about Mrs Coombs coming into the shop and asking if she had any sponge fingers. They had all roared when Sarah told them she’d squeezed each of her fingers and said to Mrs Coombs, ‘No, they’re all real.’

  He smiled again at the memory. As much as he tried to dismiss thoughts of Sarah, he couldn’t. He thought she was fabulous – beautiful, clever and funny. Everything a man would want in a woman.

  ‘You’ve seen Sarah,’ called Roger from his stall, ‘that’s the reason you’re whistling that bloody tune like one of the seven dwarfs – “Whistle While You Work”.’

  ‘Yep! She came round last night,’ George answered, then carried on whistling, and ignored Roger pulling faces at him.

  Hours passed, and George was becoming restless. Tuesdays were always a bit quiet in the market, so he decided to pack up early, eager to call into the shop to see Sarah.

  ‘You off, mate?’ Roger asked.

  ‘Yeah, things to do, places to be and people to see,’ George said.

  ‘You mean you’re off to see Sarah. Good luck, mate.’

  ‘Cheers,’ George called, but he knew it would take more than luck for Sarah to fall for him.

  A while later, George pulled up outside the corner shop and took a few deep breaths to calm himself. Then he walked in with his stomach churning. Sarah was stacking some shelves, but when she heard the bell above the door ring, she spun around and looked at George. He saw her smile turn into a frown then watched her stomp across the shop and stand behind the counter with her hands placed on top. ‘What a coincidence,’ she said with a sarcastic tone, ‘I was going to come to see you later, but you’ve saved me the bother.’

  ‘Oh, what was you coming to see me about?’ George asked, perplexed.

  ‘Turn that sign round to “closed”. I don’t want anyone hearing this.’

  George did as he was told, but couldn’t work out why she sounded so angry with him.

  ‘Would you like to explain to me how Tommy found the bracelet, watch and ring that you told me you’d sold?’

  George could feel himself instantly deflate, and struggled to find an answer.

  ‘Well?’ Sarah pushed.

  He chewed on the side of his mouth, reluctant to tell her the truth, but the mood she was in, he felt he had no other options. ‘I couldn’t sell them, Sarah, not round here. They’re too fancy, so I bought them and kept them.’

  ‘Why would you do that? And why lie to me about it?’

  ‘I don’t know … you seemed to be struggling, and I wanted to help you out. I thought I was doing you a favour.’

  ‘So, you thought I was a charity case.’

  ‘Yes … no … I …’ George spluttered.

  ‘You gave me a lot of money for those pieces, and seeing the state I was in, more than you needed to.’

  George was beginning to feel exasperated. He wasn’t very good at being put on the spot, and blurted out, ‘Isn’t it obvious why, Sarah? I’m in love with you. I have been since I first set eyes on you, sat on the kerb like a little lost stray.’

  Sarah bit her lower lip for a moment, but then said, ‘I’m sorry, George, but I can’t return your feelings and though I’m grateful that you helped me out, you shouldn’t have lied to me. When I told you about the jewellery being stolen and that I wanted to give it back, you said I couldn’t because other than the ring it had been sold. I’ve not been able to see Jenny since – I’d never be able to look her in the eye – and all this time you had the jewellery stashed away.’

  ‘I thought I was doing the right thing. I was trying to protect you.’

  ‘Protect me! How?’ Sarah asked, her voice high.

  ‘I was worried that you’d be implicated in the robberies, so I thought if I hid the stuff away, the Old Bill could never connect you to it.’

  ‘I need a minute to think,’ Sarah said and sat on a stool behind the counter, her shoulders drooping. ‘Go and put the kettle on.’

  George did as instructed. He stood in silence, waiting for the kettle to boil, but his mind was in turmoil. He’d really upset her. Tentatively, he took two cups of tea through to the shop, and placed one on the counter close to Sarah. ‘I’m sorry. I’ve really messed up, haven’t I?’

  ‘Yes, you have, but I realise you had good intentions. I’m just disappointed that you let me so feel awful about my friend, when really you could have helped. Still, at the end of the day you’ve paid for the stuff, so I suppose it’s yours to do as you please with, but if it was me …’

  ‘What are you getting at, Sarah? Are you implying that I should give all the jewellery back?’

  ‘Yes, of course you should. You know it’s stolen and you know who from. I do realise it would leave you significantly out of pocket, but it would be the right thing to do.’

  George rolled his eyes. He knew she was right, and it wasn’t as if he would ever do anything with the items. They’d probably be sitting in the bottom of his wardrobe for years. If it got Sarah back on side, it was worth the loss of a few bob.

  Sarah watched as George left the shop without saying another word. She was still reeling, still unable to believe that he’d kept the jewellery. She turned the sign to ‘open’ again and managed to carry on working, but between customers her mind kept going back to the jewellery.

  At closing time, George came into the shop again. ‘Here, have it back,’ he said, handing her the jewellery wrapped in one of his large handkerchiefs.

  ‘Oh, George, thank you,’ Sarah said, ‘I’ll give—’

  George turned abruptly and walked out, leaving her unfinished sentence hanging in the air. Sarah quickly locked up then hurried home, where she tucked the still wrapped jewellery in a drawer under her underwear. She didn’t feel relaxed about having the items in her home, but it would only be until Saturday when she had a day off and could go to see Jenny. She was grateful to George for returning them, and was determined that one day, somehow, she would pay him back the money he had paid her for them.

  Tommy was coughing again. The thick pea-soupers that plagued London didn’t help his chest, and though she was constantly scrubbing the walls, she thought the mould added to the problem. Now that she was earning money regularly, Sarah had thought about moving into something nicer, but she enjoyed sharing the house with Mo and Samuel. Tommy’s best friend lived three doors down and she didn’t think he’d want to leave either, so though the room wasn’t ideal, she’d stay put, knowing that at least with the cheap rent she’d be able to save a bit each week to pay George back.

  Later that evening, with Tommy tucked up in bed, Sarah picked up her book from the coffee table. She was going to read for half an hour before going to bed herself, but her eyes were tired and she was having difficulty focusing on the small print in the dim light of her table lamp. The street outside was quiet, and she couldn’t hear any noise from her upstairs neighbours. Then her peace was suddenly disturbed when the window shattered, and something landed on the floor with a loud thump.

  Sarah stifled a scream and jumped from her chair. She looked at the shattered window, then her eyes followed the broken glass to a large brick.

  ‘You fucking slag,’ she heard a man’s voice shout from outside. She wanted to run to the window to see who had thrown the brick, but fear stopped her, and instead she checked on Tommy. He had stirred, but she was relieved to see him still asleep. Her heart was in her mouth when she heard a bang on her door and froze on the spot, unable to move.

  ‘Sarah, it’s me,’ she heard Mo say, and felt instant re
lief when she realised it wasn’t the man from outside. She dashed to the door, grateful to see her friend.

  Mo walked in and looked stunned at the scene. ‘I’m so sorry, Sarah, it was my brother. I heard his voice. This was obviously meant for me. Are you both all right?’

  Sarah was shaking and on the verge of tears. It had all happened so quickly and had been a shock. ‘Yes … Tommy slept through it. Bloody hell, it made me jump though. I can still feel my heart pounding.’

  Samuel came into the room panting for breath and said, ‘I gave chase but I lost him down one of the alleys. Are you all right, Sarah?’

  ‘Yes, I’m fine, just a bit shaken up, but nothing to worry about.’

  ‘I’ll get that window boarded up for tonight, then I’ll make sure it’s fixed before Mr Terence comes knocking. Mo, get a brush and sweep up the broken glass,’ Samuel instructed.

  ‘It’s all right, I’ll clean it up,’ Sarah said.

  ‘We’ve got to get out of here,’ Mo said pleadingly to Samuel. ‘They’re never going to leave us in peace, can’t you see?’

  Samuel walked across the room and took Mo into his arms. ‘It’s OK, darling,’ he soothed.

  ‘But it isn’t! What if it had been worse and they’d put petrol through the letterbox or something? It’s not fair on Sarah and Tommy. My family are putting them at risk too. Please, Sam, we’ve got to move away,’ Mo said, beginning to cry.

  ‘Sarah, I think you should call the local police,’ Samuel said over Mo’s shoulder.

  Sarah stared wide-eyed at Samuel. She had seen the threatening look Ron Lyons had given her, and the last thing she wanted was for him to find out where she lived. ‘No, it’s fine. I doubt they’d do much anyway. You know what they’re like, they shy away from getting involved in family stuff.’

  Mo sniffed and pulled away from Samuel. Black blobs of mascara were smudged on her face. ‘She’s right, the police have never bothered to help me before. I was black and blue from a beating my dad gave me, but once I told them who did it, they turned a blind eye.’

  ‘They can’t get away with this. I won’t allow it. I’ll go and sort them out myself,’ Samuel ground out, his nostrils flaring and his eyes wild with anger.

  ‘Please don’t go round there, Sam, it’ll only make matters worse and there’s more of them than there are of you. I couldn’t stand the thought of you getting hurt,’ Mo pleaded. ‘Tell him, Sarah. I’m right, ain’t I?’

  ‘I’m afraid to say I think she is, Sam. I wouldn’t be surprised if this was done to goad you. They’ll probably be waiting for you, so don’t play into their hands. I’d stay well clear if I was you.’

  Samuel heaved his shoulders. ‘I refuse to be chased out of my own home by those thugs. We’re not budging, Mo, and that’s an end to any more discussions about it.’

  Tommy stirred again, and began to slowly wake up. ‘What’s going on?’ he asked in a drawl.

  ‘Nothing love, go back to sleep,’ Sarah said, then turned to Samuel and, speaking softly, said, ‘Don’t worry about the window tonight. It isn’t cold and I was going to open it anyway to get a bit of fresh air, so let’s all try and get some rest now, eh?’

  Mo gave Sarah a small hug, then followed Samuel back upstairs. Sarah swept up the glass, and moved the brick so it was on the floor next to her bed before climbing in. She could feel the cool breeze coming through the broken window. It wasn’t so bad, but what Mo had said about petrol had scared her. A brick through the window was bad enough, but the thought of them setting fire to the building was terrifying.

  Sarah turned over and pulled the blankets up to her chin. Maybe she should think about moving after all.

  Chapter 27

  Sarah hadn’t had a chance to thank George for returning the jewellery, so the next day she went to see him. She couldn’t love him, but she was fond of him and didn’t want to lose their friendship. It had mended bridges and three days later, on a Saturday, Tommy was at Larry’s little brother’s birthday party. Mo was spending some time with Samuel after she’d managed to persuade him to take a weekend off. That suited Sarah well as she didn’t have to fib to anyone about what she was doing. She had thought about telling Mo her plans, but it was none of her business, and she was sure her friend would try and talk her out of it. As much as she liked the woman, she knew Mo would try to convince her that she was mad to return the jewels, and she had a niggling feeling that Mo wasn’t entirely an honest person.

  She stood staring up the concrete stairs that were so familiar to her. It felt strange to be back at her old block of flats, but with her mother not there. A couple of young boys came running down, and their laughter echoed through the stairwell. She remembered how she’d heard her mother’s scream echoing the day Tommy had been born.

  She began the arduous climb to the third floor, and hoped Jenny would be home. The ring, watch and bracelet, still wrapped, were tucked in the bottom of her handbag. She hadn’t got used to carrying a handbag around with her, but Lena had encouraged her, saying she was a working woman now and should look like one.

  Sarah fretfully knocked on Jenny’s door, and smiled warmly at her old friend when she answered it.

  ‘Sarah! What a lovely surprise. Come in,’ Jenny offered and pulled the door open wider.

  ‘Actually, I need to speak to you in private.’

  ‘That’s all right, no one’s home.’

  Sarah entered the flat and noticed it was much quieter than normal.

  ‘Mum’s taken all the kids over to my cousins for the day and Dad’s at work. Do you want something to drink? Tea, orange squash?’

  ‘Squash, thanks.’

  ‘So what brings you here?’ Jenny asked.

  ‘It’s a long story and I’m not sure where to begin.’

  ‘Tell you what, let’s take the drinks through to the front room then we can get comfy on the sofa and you can tell me all about it.’

  Sarah arranged herself in the cosy front room and kept her handbag close by her side. ‘You’re looking really well,’ she said, admiring Jenny’s long blonde waves.

  ‘That’s ’cos I ain’t getting up at the crack of dawn any more to go and clean up for Mrs Alderton-Steele. I’ve got a job round the corner as a trainee seamstress. The pay is crap, the hours are long and it’s boring, but my mum said it’s good to learn a skill so you don’t have to rely on your husband for every penny.’

  ‘Husband? Surely you’re not getting married.’

  ‘No, of course not,’ Jenny said, and giggled. ‘She’s just talking about my future. Mind you, ’cos I work such long hours I think she misses me helping out here with the little ’uns, especially now she’s got another bun in the oven. What about you? You’re looking very grown up.’

  ‘I’m working in a grocery shop up near the High Street. I’m really enjoying it. It’s good your learning a trade, but what happened with Mrs Alderton-Steele?’

  ‘She sacked me, just as I thought she would. She wouldn’t believe it wasn’t me who nicked her precious jewellery and, the worst of it, she called the cops on me. You should have seen the smug look on Godfrey’s face when they marched me off. The bastard. I wanted to swipe the smile off his face. I didn’t need to though. The police came here and searched the place but of course they didn’t find anything so no charges were brought.’

  ‘Blimey, Jenny, I’m so sorry you had to go through that!’

  ‘It’s not so bad, and I feel sorry for the poor girl who’s got my job now. I heard through another mate of mine that Godfrey is getting his leg over whenever it suits him, and there’s nothing the girl can do about it ’cos he’s blackmailing her. He reckons he can prove she’s nicked stuff and threatened her with prison. I’m in half a mind to go round there and tell the poor mite the truth, but, well, it ain’t really any of my business any more.’

  ‘Blinking ’eck, he sounds like a right horrible git.’

  ‘He is, and I’d love to get my own back on him, but what chance have the likes of us got
against the toffs?’

  ‘Well, Jenny, as long as you don’t ask me any questions, I might be able to help you to get your revenge.’

  ‘Oh, yeah? How?’ Jenny asked, looking intrigued.

  Sarah reached into her handbag and pulled out the wrapped package. She placed it on her lap, and gently unfolded the handkerchief to reveal the missing jewellery.

  ‘Oh, for the love of God, where on earth did you get that lot from?’

  ‘I found them down on the river banks, nearly buried in mud, so I reckon that Godfrey was pinching the stuff then throwing it over the bridge.’

  ‘Sarah, you’re a genius. I always said you was clever. Are you thinking of giving it to me to take back?’

  ‘Yes, well, sort of,’ Sarah answered.

  ‘But how can I get them back to Mrs Alderton-Steele without her thinking I nicked them in the first place?’

  ‘Don’t worry, I’ve got a plan. I just need you to give me a good description of Godfrey and, if this works, I promise you he’s going to get his comeuppance,’ Sarah said, going on to tell Jenny what she had in mind.

  An hour later, Sarah was knocking on the door of a terraced house not far from her own. A timid-looking young woman poked her head around. ‘Yeah?’ she said.

  ‘Hello, I’m Sarah. Are you Doreen?’

  ‘Yes.’

  ‘Doreen, do you mind if we have a little chat? I believe you work for Mrs Alderton-Steele and you’re having a bit of bother with her son Godfrey?’

  ‘I don’t want to talk about it,’ Doreen said, and looked scared as she went to close the door in Sarah’s face.

  ‘Wait,’ Sarah said, and pushed against the door, ‘I’m here to help you.’

  ‘You can’t help me, nobody can,’ Doreen said.

  ‘Trust me, I really can,’ Sarah insisted, ‘but you’ve got to let me in and talk to you first.’

  Doreen slowly opened the door, and Sarah followed her up the hallway and into the kitchen. A baby was sleeping in what looked like a drawer placed on top of the kitchen table, and the sink was overflowing with dirty dishes. Wet washing was hanging on the back of the door and on a line which stretched across the room. Sarah’s eyes settled on several empty beer bottles, and she thought of her mum.