‘She was fully aware of what was happening. She said she was contented and she told the surgeon if it came to it, and he had to make a choice between saving her or her baby, he was to save her child.’ Maeve took a shuddering breath. ‘It did come to it, and the surgeon saved the baby.’
Maeve lowered her eyes and silently cried. When she lifted her head, she said, ‘Goldie told me on the day I arrived at the hospital, if the baby was a boy, she was going to call him Charles, after her father. But if it was a girl - and Goldie was sure it would be - she was going to call her, Nancy Margaret, after her two friends in the theatre where she worked who had saved her life by getting her away from David Sutherland and out of London.’
The two women sat in silence. Maeve, Bess thought, was reliving the pain she had felt eight years before, and Bess, wishing she hadn’t brought the subject of Goldie up, was riddled with guilt because she was powerless to help her. ‘Bess?’ Maeve looked at Bess, her eyes filling with tears again.
‘What is it?’
‘I have to go back to Ireland. My mother is ill, as you know, and she needs me. My young brother, Callum, has been looking after her, but Mum is so embarrassed that her boy has to do private, personal things for her. It isn’t fair on her, she feels she’s losing her dignity. It isn’t fair on Callum either. He says he doesn’t mind, because she’s his Ma, but it isn’t right. A young man shouldn’t have to do those things for his sick mother.’
Maeve smiled. ‘He’s engaged to the sweetest girl and had put a deposit down on a lovely little cottage before Mother had her stroke. He says as soon as Mother is better, or I go back to Ireland to live with her, they’ll be married. My brother has done a lot for our mother. Now it is my turn.’
‘I shall be sorry to lose you, Maeve, as a friend and as a work colleague, but I understand.’
‘I’m not sure you do understand, Bess,’ Maeve said. ‘You see, I’d like Nancy to stay here and live with you and Mr Donnelly.’
Shocked by what Maeve had asked of her and Frank, Bess was unable to speak.
‘Seeing Nancy every day would break my mother’s heart. You see, she blames herself for not being able to keep Goldie safe. And the school?’ Maeve shook her head. ‘It’s fine, don’t get me wrong, but it’s a village school with children of all ages clumped together in two classrooms. Nancy is brighter than average for her age. She needs to go to a school where she’ll grow, reach her full potential, and I believe she’ll do that at the school in Kirby Marlow. There are few children of Nancy’s age or her intelligence at home.
‘Then there are the gossips. Some of them even said, when Goldie came home from London so badly beaten up, that she had got no more than she deserved. And when she was pregnant? Well, you can imagine. I don’t think anyone from the village had ever visited London, let alone lived there and worked in a theatre as a dancer. Small village with small-minded people. When Nancy was little, she didn’t understand what some of the children said about her mother - and to be fair it wasn’t their fault, they were only repeating what they’d heard their parents say.’
‘But she’s older now and you don’t want her hearing malicious gossip about her mother,’ Bess said.
‘That’s right. So, will you at least consider taking Nancy?’
‘I would love to look after her. She’s an adorable child. Frank would too, I know he would.’ Bess lowered her eyes. ‘Because I can’t have children, I’ve tried talking to Frank about adopting a child, but he has never warmed to the idea.’ An involuntary smile brightened Bess’s face. ‘But, after spending time with Nancy, I think he might come round.’
‘Then will you ask him?’
‘I will, but--’ Bess saw the relief in Maeve’s eyes, but she had to ask, ‘What about Nancy? It’s all very well you and I talking about what’s best for her, but what does she want? Have you asked her? She missed you so much when you were in Ireland, she literally counted off the days.’
Maeve looked across the room to where the wall calendar hung above Bess’s desk, her eyes sparkling with tears. ‘She told me.’
Bess reached out and took hold of Maeve’s hands. ‘I’ll talk to Frank. I’m sure he’ll agree to Nancy staying with us again, while you’re in Ireland looking after your mother.’
Maeve looked questioningly into Bess eyes, as if she was searching for something. ‘What is it?’ Bess asked.
‘There are reasons why I might not be able to come back to England.’ Maeve took a deep breath, as if she was plucking up the courage to go on. ‘I want Nancy to have a good life, a happy life. She needs a mother and father, not someone who is constantly looking over their shoulder. Bess, I want you to adopt Nancy.’
CHAPTER TWENTY-FOUR
It was less busy in the hotel, so Bess and Frank had started taking the occasional Monday evening off. After six o’clock or thereabouts, if they’d done everything that needed to be done, they would go into Rugby and see a film at the Granada. If they were too late to drive the seven or so miles, they’d go to the Ritz at Lowarth. And on one occasion, when there was nothing playing at either cinema that they fancied, they went to the Denbigh in Lowarth and had dinner. As much as they both loved the hotel, getting away from it for a couple of hours to recharge the batteries was necessary.
On the Monday Maeve asked Bess if she and Frank would adopt Nancy, Bess made sure she worked until it was too late to go out. After dinner, she and Frank retired to their private quarters. Bess went straight through to the bedroom and kicked off her shoes. After taking off her clothes and hanging them up, she went into the bathroom, had a wash and cleaned her teeth, before putting on her nightdress, dressing gown and slippers.
Returning to the sitting room Frank said, ‘Wireless or gramophone?’
‘Do you mind if we don’t have either?’ Bess dropped onto the settee, tucking her legs under her.
Frank sat next to her and took the newspaper from the occasional table at the side of the settee. He didn’t open it. ‘What is it, love, you’ve been preoccupied all day.’
Bess blew out her cheeks. There was no way of telling her husband what Maeve had asked of them, other than to come straight out with it. ‘Maeve wants us to adopt Nancy.’
‘Good God!’ Frank said. Neither of them spoke for some time. Bess thought it best to let the idea percolate in Frank’s mind. ‘We enjoyed having Nancy here while Maeve was in Ireland,’ he said at last, ‘but adopt her? What did you say?’
Bess took her time to answer. Frank was the kindest, the most understanding man, but he could be stubborn. Bess knew him too well to think she could coerce him into anything. ‘I said I’d ask you, of course,’ she replied, her voice as steady and impartial as she could make it.
‘She’s asking us to adopt Nancy because she has to go back to Ireland to look after her dying mother. Apart from thinking we’d make good parents, Maeve said because Nancy is bright, the village school wouldn’t be good for her. And if she took Nancy back there the gossips would stir up all the stuff about Goldie again. She said when she lived there before Nancy was too young to understand, but now she’s eight, she’ll understand every word.’
‘Looking after a child for a week is one thing, but adopting?’
‘You said you’d consider adoption after Nancy had stayed with us,’ Bess said, impatience creeping into her voice which she hadn’t intended.
‘I said I would think about it! But that isn’t the point.’
‘Then what is the point?’ Bess snapped.
‘Nancy is David Sutherland’s child!’
‘She is also sweet, dead Goldie Trick’s child,’ Bess cried. ‘But who her real parents are isn’t important. She’s a little girl who needs looking after and her aunt, her only relative other than her dying great-aunt, can’t do it.’
‘Can’t do it?’
‘All right, she doesn’t think it would be fair on Nancy to take her back to Ireland.’ Maeve had also said she couldn’t look after Nancy because she would be looking over her shoul
der all the time. What she meant by that Maeve didn’t say and Bess didn’t ask. She wished she had now.
Frank put his arms around Bess. ‘You want this, don’t you?’
‘I want a child-- We want a child, and Nancy needs a mother and father.’
‘I know, love. I just can’t get past the idea of Nancy being David Sutherland’s daughter.’
Bess pushed herself away from Frank, astonished by what he had said. ‘I can’t believe I’m hearing this. Do you think that innocent little girl will have any of Sutherland’s wickedness in her?’
‘No! What do you take me for?’ Frank was angry, but Bess could see he was more hurt by what she had said. ‘I was thinking of you. Worried that because Nancy is Sutherland’s child, she would remind you of him, and what he did to you in London.’
Bess hauled herself off the settee. ‘I’m going to bed.’
‘Bess?’ Frank leapt up. He checked the door was locked and switched off the light. By the time he got into the bedroom, Bess was in bed. ‘Darling, don’t be angry with me.’ Frank sat on the bed and leaned into Bess. She turned over so her back was to him. ‘I’m sorry. I’m just frightened for you. Frightened that seeing Nancy every day would be a constant reminder of what Sutherland did - and that you would never be free of him.’
Bess turned back to face Frank and sat up. ‘If I had been pregnant after Sutherland raped me, I would not have gone to live with a distant relative in outer-Timbuctoo until the baby was born - like so many young unmarried women are made to do - and then give the baby away. I’d have kept her, as Goldie did. And if it came to it, if I had to decide between my life or my baby’s, I would have made the same decision as Goldie.’ Frank started to protest, but Bess put her forefinger to his lips.
‘When we met again after James had been killed and you asked me to marry you, you said you had always loved me and no matter what had happened in my past you always would.’ Bess searched Frank’s face. ‘Would you have taken me and my baby on, if you had known the circumstances in which she had been conceived?’
Frank held Bess’s gaze. His brow creased in pain and thought. ‘It might have taken me a little time, but yes. I would like to think that I too would have made the right decision.’ Frank stood up and undressed. ‘We’ll talk more tomorrow,’ he said, getting into bed. ‘But before we make a decision that could change our lives for ever, we need to ask Nancy if living with us, being adopted by us, is what she wants.’
The following morning when the telephone rang, Bess turned over expecting Frank to be lying next to her, but he wasn’t there. He must have got up, she thought and, as she couldn’t hear any sound coming from either the bathroom or sitting room, assumed he’d gone down. Heaving herself out of bed, Bess draped her dressing gown round her shoulders and stumbled still half-asleep out of the bedroom. ‘Morning,’ she said, picking up the receiver and yawning.
‘Bess, can you come down straight away?’
‘I’m not dressed, where’s the fire?’
‘You’re needed in the office. Detective Inspector Masters is here. He’s talking to Katherine Hawksley.’ Bess gasped. ‘He needs a woman, a chaperone for Katherine, before he can begin an official interview.’
‘Isn’t Ena down there?’
‘No, she’s gone to collect…’ Frank paused, ‘someone up north.’
Bess knew exactly who the someone was and took off her dressing gown. ‘I’m on my way,’ she said, dropping the receiver onto its cradle.
‘Mrs Donnelly. Thank you for coming down so quickly,’ DI Masters said, shaking Bess’s hand.
‘Inspector? Katherine, are you all right?’ Bess said, going over to the girl who stood shaking by the window.
‘I’ve told the inspector it was me who killed David Sutherland.’ Bess groaned inwardly. ‘I thought about what you said, Mrs Donnelly, but when I hit him I saw him stumble backwards. He was right on the edge of the lake. His body was found in the very same place, so it must have been my fault.’ Katherine began to cry. ‘I can’t live with what I did any longer.’
‘You know you didn’t kill him, Katherine. We’ve talked about that night. You couldn’t have killed him, you’re not strong enough.’
The Inspector walked round the desk to Frank’s chair, ‘May I?’
‘Yes.’ Bess pulled out the chair in front of the desk for Katherine and fetched her own chair from under her desk.
When the three of them were seated, the inspector took a pen and a notebook from his briefcase. ‘Why don’t you start from when you and Sutherland left the hotel, Miss Hawksley?’ Bess knew the policeman from London was a good man. He had shown Bess understanding and compassion, she hoped he would show the same to Katherine.
Katherine took a deep breath. ‘We were waiting for my father to bring the car round to the front of the hotel. David was getting impatient. He wanted to start walking. He kept on about it, so I gave in to him. We started down the drive and just before the bend he began to laugh really loud. He said he wouldn’t mind--’ Katherine cast her eyes down and shook her head.
‘It’s all right Katherine,’ the Inspector said, sympathetically. ‘Take your time.’
Katherine cleared her throat. ‘He said he wouldn’t mind giving Bess Dudley one, again.’ Katherine’s cheeks flushed scarlet and she looked up at Bess. ‘I’m sorry.’ Bess shook her head and gave Katherine an encouraging smile. ‘But it wouldn’t be as much fun now she’s married, he said. It’s the first bite of the cherry that’s the sweetest.
‘I shouldn’t have said anything, but I asked him if he had raped Miss Dudley - Mrs Donnelly - and he went crazy. I should have known better than to ask. He was so angry I thought he was going to explode. “She was begging for it, like you are!” he shouted in my face. “You’re all the same. You’re all stupid bitches.” He grabbed my arm and dragged me across the field to a big clump of reeds. He jerked me to him. He was holding my bottom and rubbing up against me. I tried to get away. I tried to hit him, but he’d pinned my arms down at my side. He was kissing me so hard, so roughly, that my lips were hurting. Then he let go of me with one hand and started forcing it up my dress. I was so frightened, I pushed him as hard as I could, but he just laughed. “And when I’ve had you,” he shouted in my face, “Daddy will pay me to keep quiet like Bess Donnelly’s husband does.”
‘It was then that I saw my father’s car pull up. I cried out, but David put his hand over my mouth. “Call out again and I’ll kill you,” he said, in a horrible scratchy voice. He would have done too, so I closed my mouth. I watched my father’s car drive off and I thought, this is it, I’ll never see him again.
‘David’s face looked like thunder. His eyes were narrow slits. He grabbed my wrist and dragged me to the edge of the lake, then he held my neck by the skin at the back, the way you hold a puppy or a kitten, but he held it really tight.
‘I was terrified. I thought he was going to kill me. He forced me to look down at the frozen lake. I closed my eyes and he eased his grip on my neck. But instead of letting go of me, he pulled my hair until I lifted my head. I knew if I didn’t do something, I’d end up dead in the woods, or drowned in the lake.’
Katherine put her hands up to her face and shook her head. ‘I saw another car stop on the drive. I couldn’t see it properly because it was snowing hard. I thought it was Dad come back for me, but it wasn’t. Then I saw Mrs Donnelly and Mrs Burrell. I called out to them and he slapped my face. He went to hit me again, overreached, lost his balance and fell down. This is my chance to escape, I thought. So, while he was on all fours scrambling to get to his feet, I hit him as hard as I could with my handbag and I ran.
‘I heard a crack. I thought it was a branch, because we were so near the wood, but now!’ Tears fell from Katherine’s eyes and she put her hand over her mouth. ‘Now I know it was the ice giving way beneath his weight.’
Bess took hold of Katherine’s hand. ‘At the time, I didn’t think about the lake,’ she said, ‘I didn’t think about anything,
I just ran crying.’
The inspector, his head tilted on one side, looked at Katherine quizzically ‘And you’re sure it was your handbag that you hit him with?’
Katherine looked from Bess to the inspector. ‘Yes. Why?’
‘No reason, I just need to be sure of the facts.’ The inspector made a note on his pad and said, ‘Carry on, Miss Hawksley.’
‘Well, I saw Mrs Donnelly and Mrs Burrell. They were halfway across the field. They were calling my name, telling me to come to them because it wasn’t safe on that side of the lake. I knew it wasn’t, but it was snowing really heavily, and I couldn’t see properly. I was confused. I didn’t know which way to turn, so I turned back. It was then that I spotted the headlights of a car through the trees of the small wood that borders the lake and main road, so I made a run for it. The car was my father’s and to my relief he was on his own. I opened the front passenger door and as soon as I sat down we sped away.’
‘Did you see anyone else besides Mrs Donnelly and Mrs Burrell?’
‘A man got out of a car, but he couldn’t have been anything to do with David Sutherland, because the car was going to the hotel, not from it, and he didn’t come anywhere near the lake or the woods.’ Katherine paused. ‘There was something. It was only for a second, but I thought-- well it was more of a feeling really - that someone was watching me from the woods, or from the other side of the lake.’
‘The mind plays tricks on us when we’re frightened, Miss Hawksley.’
‘I suppose… What’s going to happen to me? Will I go to prison? Will they hang me?’
Before the inspector could answer, there was a sharp knock at the door and Maeve burst into the room.
‘Good Lord, Maeve,’ Bess said, jumping up and going to her. ‘You look as if you’re going to faint.’ Bess stuck her head out of the door, ‘Find Frank, Jack, ask him to help you on reception.’ Jack nodded that he would. ‘Here,’ Bess said, motioning to the chair at the side of the fire. ‘Sit down.’
Foxden Hotel (The Dudley Sisters Saga Book 5) Page 24
