by Kitty Neale
‘Well, just in case you don’t bite, I’ll give you the heads-up. It’s my niece Julie. You’ve got to ask her out. She wants you to take her to a dance on Saturday, so make sure you’ve got your shoes polished and a comb in your inside pocket. She’s ever so keen to meet you. You’ll like her, George, she’s pretty and clever too. See, I told you to leave it to me, didn’t I?’ Kath said and winked at him again.
‘Yes, you did, but I wasn’t expecting a date. I’m not sure, Kath. I mean, I’m sure your niece is a lovely girl, but—’
Kath interrupted, ‘George, you’re going on the date so shut up. You can’t let Julie down. She’s been looking forward to this dance for ages, and anyhow, when was the last time you went out?’
‘OK, OK,’ George said, but glanced at Sarah. He’d much rather be taking her out, but she would always be out of his reach and he’d resigned himself to the fact they would never be anything more than friends.
‘Good, see you tomorrow then,’ Kath said firmly.
George reluctantly nodded and got out of the van to open the other door for his mum to get in.
‘See, my Albert ain’t the only bloke with good manners,’ Lena said as she climbed in. ‘See you soon, ladies, and thanks for a good laugh tonight.’
George opened the back doors for Sarah. ‘Sorry, it ain’t very comfortable for a lady in the back of my van but I have made you a wooden bench to sit on.’
‘It’s fine, George, thanks. Tommy used to love riding in the back, and I’m sure I will too. It beats walking home at this time of night.’
They set off. Lena relayed funny bits of the evening’s conversation, but George noticed that Sarah seemed very subdued. He hoped she hadn’t been overwhelmed by the women. After all, they could be quite boisterous when they all got together. ‘Are you OK in the cheap seats at the back there?’ he asked.
‘Yes, I’m just tired,’ Sarah answered.
He could see she wasn’t tired and knew something was bothering her, but he’d have to get to the bottom of it when his mother wasn’t around.
On Friday morning George found Sarah quiet over breakfast. His mum was acting a bit odd too, smiling and winking at him as he left for work.
He was now busy on his stall, but his heart was hammering in his chest as he kept an eye out for Kath. Thankfully, the first part of the morning whizzed by. Then, when he was showing a customer a dress that had caught her eye, he heard a voice say, ‘Hello, George.’
George turned to see Kath, and beside her a diminutive, pretty young woman. ‘Hello, Kath. None the worse for wear this morning then?’
‘Cheeky. I only had a couple glasses of booze. George, this is my niece Julie. She’s training to be a nurse.’
‘Hello, Julie, pleasure to meet you,’ George said nervously. She was much better-looking than he’d been expecting.
‘Nice to meet you too,’ she replied, looking straight up at his face with none of the usual horror or shock that George was used to.
Suddenly finding himself stuck for anything to say, he stammered, ‘So … so you’re training to be a nurse?’
‘Yes, and I love it. I’m on a children’s ward at the moment,’ she said, seeming to study his face again. ‘One young lad was in a house fire, and will have facial scarring like you.’
‘Poor kid,’ George murmured.
‘You seem to have learned to live with your disfigurement, and plastic surgery has come a long way.’
‘When you’ve got a mug like mine, you ain’t got a lot of choice,’ George said, though he kept his voice cheery.
‘Oh, it’s not so bad,’ Julie said, smiling coquettishly up at him.
Her smile looked flirtatious, but as that was highly unlikely, George decided he was misreading her expression and said, ‘Nice of you to say that, but I know I ain’t pretty.’
‘You’ll do,’ Julie said softly.
‘It sounds like my niece is smitten with you, George. There’s a dance at the Town Hall next week. You should ask her if she’d like to go with you,’ Kath said bluntly, with one of her familiar winks.
‘Aunty Kath!’ said Julie, her face flushing.
‘There’s no need to be coy. You’d go, wouldn’t you?’
‘Well, yes, if George would like to take me,’ Julie answered, and looked shyly at George.
‘Go on then, George, ask her,’ Kath demanded.
George couldn’t believe this was happening – that this lovely young woman would want to go out with him. ‘Er, well … would you—’
‘Yes, I’d love to,’ Julie interrupted.
‘Right then, that’s sorted,’ Kath said. ‘I’ll leave you two to make the arrangements while I go to that stall over there to buy myself a new wooden spoon. It might come in handy for any more stirring I have to do,’ she laughed.
George still felt a bit bemused, almost bamboozled into asking Julie for a date, but when she smiled at him again, he was glad that he was taking her out, pushed into it or not.
Chapter 48
November drew in. One day, at closing time, Sarah was about to lock up the shop when the bell over the door chimed. She felt a little irritated, but plastered a smile on her face, one that dropped as soon as she saw that the customer was Mo, looking sheepish. ‘Get out,’ she snapped. ‘I’ve got nothing to say to you.’
‘Sarah, please, hear me out. I’m so sorry for what I did. I’ll never forgive myself for being such a terrible friend.’
‘I’ll never forgive you either, and you was never my friend. Real friends don’t do what you did. Just bugger off. I want nothing to do with you.’
‘Please, Sarah, I wouldn’t have come but I’m desperate,’ Mo pleaded, looking on the verge of tears.
Sarah walked behind the counter, feeling better about putting a barrier between her and Mo. She wasn’t scared of the woman, but seeing her had reopened her wounds, and Mo’s pleading was rubbing salt into them. ‘What you did is unforgivable. Tommy had just died, and you saw the state I was in, but it didn’t stop you from sleeping with Roger. Now you’ve got the audacity to come here and stand in front of me, say you’re sorry and expect me to say, oh, that’s OK. Well, it’s not. You’re a bitch, I hate you and I wish I’d never met you,’ Sarah spat.
‘I know, and I know all that,’ Mo said as she sniffed through her sobs, ‘but I don’t have anyone else to turn to. What I did was the lowest of the low, and I’ve regretted it every day since. If I could go back and do things differently, I would, but I can’t and now … now … I’m pregnant.’
Sarah sat down on the stool behind the counter as the shock of Mo’s words sunk in, but it didn’t change how she felt about the woman. ‘What do you expect me to do about it?’ she said. ‘Go back to your family, they’ll take you in now you’re not with Sam.’
‘I can’t … I don’t know who the father is. If the baby comes out with dark skin, they’ll disown me. It could be Roger’s child, but he won’t have anything to do with me, and I can’t find Sam. I’ve been modelling to earn some money, but I can’t do that for much longer, not with my belly starting to swell. I’ll have no money, Sarah, and if I can’t pay the rent, I won’t have a home.’
Sarah didn’t like to see anyone in this sort of state, and she knew how it felt to be all alone in the world with a child, but her heart was hard towards Mo. ‘You brought this on yourself. You cheated on a good man who loved you, and that worked out well for you, didn’t it?’ Sarah said sarcastically. ‘If you think I’m going to help you, then think again. You’re not worth the dirt on the bottom of my shoe. Now get out.’
Mo’s persona suddenly changed. She stopped crying and glared at Sarah with a look of pure hatred. ‘I made a mistake, Sarah. I’ve put my hands up to it, guilty as charged, but it was one mistake, that’s all, and boy, I’m paying the price for it. I’m going to lose everything because I’ve got this … this … this thing growing in my stomach. Look at you though. You’ve got it made now with this cushy job and the Neerlys have taken you in as
one of their own, yet you stand there looking down on me, and you think you’re so much better. Just remember, I know where you came from. Your mother was a tart and you once slept rough, scavenging on the Thames for stuff to sell. You had help when you needed it most, so I thought you of all people would understand.’
‘Don’t put this at my door, Mo. When Tommy died, and I needed you the most, you was too busy sleeping with my boyfriend to give me a second thought. You had it all, but it was never enough for you. You wanted more, and well, now you’ve got it, only a baby wasn’t what you had in mind, was it? An unmarried mother, goodness, what will people say? Go and look for sympathy elsewhere ’cos you won’t be getting any from me.’ Sarah strode from behind the counter, past Mo, and swung the door open. ‘Get out,’ she said calmly.
Mo walked past Sarah and spat in her face. ‘All right, I’m going, but I’ll leave you something to think about. If you’d been more of a girlfriend to Roger and not a cold fish, he wouldn’t have been in my bed,’ Mo snapped, then left.
Sarah rushed to lock the door and leaned against it, then took a hanky from her pocket and wiped the spit from her face. She was relieved that Mo had gone. She just hoped she would never came back. Mo seemed to think she had it made, but the truth was that she still grieved for Tommy. He was still her first thought when she woke up every day, and her last before she fell asleep at night. She put on a front, a mask to hide her pain, but sometimes it slipped, especially when George took Julie out. She wanted him to be happy and hated her selfishness, but if they became serious, she worried about her future. If they eventually married, not only would she lose her home, she would lose her best friend too.
‘Hello, anyone home?’ George called an hour later as he walked through the door.
‘In here,’ Sarah shouted back from the kitchen.
‘Hello, love, where’s Mum?’ George asked.
‘She’s having a last fitting and won’t be home for an hour or two. You’ll have to put up with my culinary skills tonight. Mushroom omelette?’
‘That’ll do. I hope you’ve had a better day than me. I bloody hate working next to your ex-boyfriend all day, the smug git. You’d think after getting a good hiding from Samuel that he would have changed his ways, but no, not him. He’s playing the girl from the café and another from the library.’
‘If they’re anything like I was, they’ll fall for his lies. Talking of Roger, you’ll never guess who showed up in the shop today.’
‘Go on,’ George said.
‘Mo, asking me to forgive her before telling me she’s pregnant.’
George nearly spat his mouthful of hot tea out across the table, but gulped it down. ‘Blimey, she’s got some nerve. Are you all right?’
‘Yeah,’ Sarah said with a sigh. ‘Mo doesn’t know whether the baby is Sam’s or Roger’s. She has no idea where Sam is, and Roger doesn’t want anything to do with her.’
‘So what was she after? Money?’
‘I think so.’
‘I hope you didn’t give her any. I know how bloody soft-hearted you can be,’ George said.
‘No, I didn’t. I stood my ground and told her to get out.’
‘Well done. It can’t have been easy for you and let’s hope that’s the last you see of her. I wish I could say the same about Roger, but unfortunately, unless another pitch comes up on the market, I’ll have to look at his lying mug every day.’
It was just as bad for her. She wasn’t forced to look at Roger every day, but there wasn’t a day that passed when she didn’t think about him.
Chapter 49
‘You look nice, love,’ Lena said to George as he walked into the front room the following evening. ‘Does this mean you’re seeing Julie again?’
‘Yes, we’re going to the pictures.’
‘Have a nice time,’ Sarah said, trying to sound upbeat but thinking she had failed.
George had only just left when Lena said, ‘Sarah, I need to talk to you, but it’s not good news, I’m afraid.’
‘It’s all right, Lena, whatever it is. Me and bad news are well acquainted,’ Sarah said. After losing Tommy and the deceit of her best friend and boyfriend, Sarah felt as if nothing could touch her emotionally any more.
‘The thing is, love, Albert and me,’ Lena said, coming to sit on the edge of her armchair, ‘we’ve been talking about a honeymoon. He wants to take me travelling. I’ve only ever been as far as Brighton, so I’m a tad nervous about it, but Albert wants me to see Europe and meet his family in Italy.’
‘That’s wonderful, Lena. I didn’t know Albert had Italian relatives.’
‘His parents moved here before he was born, and his real name is Alberto. He hasn’t seen his extended family in years and now wants to visit them.’
‘So, what’s the bad news?’ Sarah asked.
‘Well, as we’ll be travelling around Europe too, the only way we can really afford it is by selling the shop. Albert thinks he’ll get a good price for it, and he’s already had a couple of interested parties so I don’t think it’ll be on the market for long.’
‘I see,’ Sarah said.
‘I know this isn’t good for you, but there’s always the possibility that the new owners would keep you on. If not, with a glowing reference from Albert I don’t think you’d have a problem finding another job.’
Sarah’s mind raced. With the reward money that she still had squirrelled away, and her good salary from Bosco’s, she’d managed to save a decent amount. Maybe this was just the push she needed to set her original plan into action.
‘I really am sorry, love,’ Lena said.
‘Don’t be silly. Your honeymoon sounds like it’s going to be wonderful and there’s no need to worry about me. I have plans of my own.’
‘Really? What plans?’ Lena asked.
‘I haven’t told you, or George, but a while ago I came into a bit of money. I had planned to do something with it, but then Tommy died and my life sort of got put on hold. Now, though, I think I’m ready to do something with it.’
‘I’m intrigued,’ said Lena. ‘Tell me more.’
‘Well, when I first started working in the shop, do you remember telling me that I was a natural?’
‘Yes, you picked everything up so quickly.’
‘Do you think that George loves working on the stall?’
After a moment’s thought, Lena answered, ‘I wouldn’t say he loves it. I don’t think he minds it in the summer, but he hates the winters. And he’s made it more than clear that he can’t stand working next to Roger. I don’t think there’s a night that’s gone past that he ain’t come home and moaned about it.’
‘Right then,’ Sarah said with a rare smile. ‘I’m thinking of renting some premises and setting up a second-hand shop. I’d like it to be in partnership with George. He’d do all the stock acquisition, and I’d run the shop. We know there’s no shortage of demand for good quality second-hand gear around here, so what do you think?’
‘That’s a smashing idea! If anyone can make a shop run well and turn a good profit, it’s you. With George doing the buying, well, we know he’s got a good eye for that sort of thing. Funnily enough, he’s always wanted to expand into stuff other than clothing, but he’s never had room on the stall.’
‘Lena, don’t say anything to George yet. I want to make sure I can find affordable premises first and, if I can, I’d like to put it to him myself.’
‘Mum’s the word, but thinking about it, there could be a problem. You said you want a partnership with George, but I don’t think he’s got much in the way of savings.’
‘Some of the cash I have rightfully belongs to him,’ Sarah said.
‘How come?’
Sarah told Lena about the jewellery. ‘So you see, I want to repay him for the money he spent on it.’
‘Well then, it sounds like you’ve got it all worked out.’
‘I hope so. If George agrees to a partnership, I’ll start looking for premises straight away.’
‘I can’t see him turning such a good opportunity down. I think this calls for a bit of a celebration! Get the sherry glasses out and there’s a box of posh chocs in the top cupboard that Albert bought me,’ Lena said.
Sarah hoped that Lena was right and felt a surge of excitement. She’d had her own doubts and didn’t really believe she’d be capable of pulling it off. After all, she’d had little schooling, and had never run her own business before. But she trusted Lena; the woman was wise, and her belief in Sarah gave her the confidence boost she needed.
It would be wonderful to be her own boss, to have her future in her own hands, and at last some of the deep sorrow that plagued her lifted a little.
The next morning, George was sitting in the kitchen and, when Sarah joined him, he noticed that she looked different, brighter somehow. He knew mornings were difficult for her. It was the waking up followed by the realisation that Tommy wasn’t there, and he’d heard her crying many times as the sun rose. But this morning he could see there had been no tears.
Sarah poured herself a cup of tea from the pot, then sat opposite him at the table just as his mum walked into the room with a silly grin on her face. When she exchanged looks with Sarah and winked, George knew they were up to something.
‘Did you enjoy your date with Julie?’ his mother asked.
‘Yes, it was fine,’ George answered, his voice flat.
‘Is it getting serious between the two of you?’
‘Serious? No, it’s a bit early for that.’
Sarah abruptly stood up and said, ‘I’m just going to the bathroom.’
No sooner had she left the room than his mother said, ‘How do you feel about this girl, George? Do you like her?’
‘Yes, she’s all right, Mum … but she ain’t Sarah,’ George replied honestly.
‘I thought as much. Give it time though, Julie may grow on you.’
‘What, like fungus?’ George asked and chuckled. In all fairness, he liked Julie. She wasn’t bothered about his scars, and they got on well. He’d had the impression that she’d been expecting a good-night kiss when he’d dropped her home, but he couldn’t bring himself to make the move. It didn’t seem right, not when the only woman he really wanted was Sarah.
