A Woman's Fortune Read online

They cuddled up on the park bench and Billy put his arm around Evie and held her close. After a few minutes Evie remembered she had plans, and only this afternoon to carry them out. Tomorrow she would be busy helping the Sullivans prepare for Geraldine’s party.

  ‘I could stay here for ever, Billy, but I ought to go and say hello to Mrs Marsh, and leave my things there. She’s expecting me this afternoon and she’s so kind to put me up. And then I’ve got a shopping list for the mill shop from Grandma.’

  ‘Then we best get on.’

  Billy balled up the empty chip paper, lobbed it into a nearby waste bin, then picked up Evie’s case and they set off in the direction of Shenty Street and Dora Marsh’s pristine house next door to the Sullivans.

  They’d just got to the top of Shenty Street – which looked to Evie as if time had stood still and was exactly as she had known it all her life – when they heard a voice calling out behind them.

  ‘Evie! Billy!’

  They turned. ‘Mary!’ exclaimed Evie in delight, setting down her bag and running to meet her old school friend.

  ‘Brilliant!’ said Mary, who was wearing her school uniform and holding a bulging satchel of books. ‘I hoped I’d see you sooner than later. Me and Gerry were going to come round and find you at Mrs Marsh’s later. This is even better, though. Come in and have some tea with Ma and me now and tell us all about everything. You, too, Billy.’

  ‘Oh, Mary, I’m right glad to see you,’ said Evie, giving her friend a hug. ‘But I need to get off to the mill shop when I’ve said hello to Mrs Marsh. I’ve a shopping list from Grandma and the shop is only open until the end of the afternoon.’

  ‘I remember Ma getting that box of fabrics, and how pleased your gran was with them,’ said Mary. ‘But don’t they have nice things in …’ she turned her head furtively to check all round in an exaggerated gesture, ‘… you-know-where?’

  ‘Not like they do in Bolton. It’s not the same quality, and the prices are higher, too. Of course, we can’t get all our fabrics here but it makes sense to stock up a bit today.’

  ‘Then we’d best get on,’ said Mary, and she took Evie’s arm at one side while Billy held her hand at the other.

  So Evie arrived at Dora Marsh’s house surrounded by friends, and it felt just like coming home.

  Geraldine’s birthday party was in full swing and the noise was unbelievable. The party-goers seemed to include everyone Evie had ever met in her beloved home town, and she couldn’t have been happier. There was so much news to share with her family when she got home that she was anxious she’d forget half of it.

  Geraldine was the centre of attention, of course, and was looking particularly lovely in a silky bias-cut dress that showed off her fabulous figure and made her look very grown-up indeed. Evie thought she remembered Sue running it up for Marie a couple of years before, but it fit Geraldine perfectly and looked as good as new.

  ‘Scrubs up well, doesn’t she?’ laughed Mary, who couldn’t care less about her own appearance, though she had pinned back her hair with a couple of diamanté clips she’d borrowed from her sister in honour of this being a party. ‘I think she’s sweet on Colin Fraser, who works with Billy at the postal depot.’

  Brendan appeared with a glass of beer for Stephen and proffering a bottle of dandelion and burdock to replenish the girls’ glasses.

  ‘Now, Evie, m’darlin’, how’s your dad getting on these days?’

  Evie politely outlined how Michael’s job was going at Clackett’s, making no mention of the upsets caused by his drinking, of course. Then she told Brendan, Mary and Stephen about the misshapen vegetables that had been the Carters’ staple diet for the first few weeks, and everyone was soon roaring with laughter.

  Marie was handing around plates towering with sandwiches, which she and her girls and Evie had made that afternoon, and Billy came over to join Evie, putting his arm around her.

  Evie and Billy soon found themselves cornered by Mr Amsell, who was getting quite emotional on the beer he’d drunk. He was loudly declaring Gerry to be the daughter he’d never had, and the greatest asset a man who ran a busy corner shop could wish to employ, when Evie looked up and her eyes met those of Billy’s mother. Ada was sitting with some of the other older ladies, including Dora Marsh and Harold Pyke’s wife, and she was staring straight at Evie with an expression that could have chilled a summer’s day.

  Evie quickly looked away. The hostility was unmistakable, yet what could possibly be the matter? When she dared to look up again, Ada was talking to Mrs Pyke and her face was quite amicable.

  I surely can’t have been seeing things …

  ‘You all right, love?’ Billy asked, feeling Evie’s tension.

  ‘Yes … yes …’

  Mr Amsell was now singing Geraldine’s praises to her father, which was undoubtedly a sound diplomatic move to any proud father on his beautiful daughter’s birthday, and Evie and Billy went to find Colin Fraser, as Evie said she’d heard he was a sight to behold with his Brylcreemed hair and his shiny shoes. To herself she admitted that she needed a distraction from wondering about the look she’d seen on Ada Taylor’s face.

  ‘Come on, my girl,’ Billy playfully punched Evie on the arm.

  ‘My girl’? Is that how he sees me? Yes, I reckon I am Billy’s girl, but I would bet on it that his mum doesn’t like to think so. Again Evie wondered what could be behind that black look on Ada’s face.

  ‘… Evie?’

  ‘Oh, sorry, I got distracted. It’s quite hot in here, isn’t it?’

  ‘I’ll get you a glass of lemonade, if you like,’ said Billy.

  ‘Thank you.’

  He disappeared and left Evie with Colin Fraser.

  ‘I was just saying, I gather you used to live around here?’ asked Colin.

  ‘Yes, that’s right,’ Evie replied. ‘But it’s grand to come back and see everyone, especially with Gerry’s birthday to celebrate.’

  ‘Aye, the Sullivans know how to hold a party,’ Colin nodded. ‘Where is it you live now, Evie?’

  ‘Oh, it’s … it’s a long way away,’ she said, alarm bells suddenly ringing. This man was a stranger to her. What had Mum said as she saw her off at Redmond yesterday morning? Don’t forget to keep quiet about where we are. We don’t want Hopkins’ man turning up on the doorstep at Pendle’s. ‘Not anywhere you’d have heard of,’ she added with a smile to soften the words.

  She was surprised when Colin Fraser came straight back at that. ‘And how would you know whether I’ve heard of it or not, Evie?’

  Now she felt cornered and she had to think fast. ‘Because it’s on the south coast,’ she lied. ‘Such a long way away … near Dover,’ she improvised, remembering the name of a place on the coast from a well-known song. ‘It’s a very long way from here,’ she repeated.

  ‘Dover? That’s nice … good sea views,’ Colin said.

  So maybe he did know Dover. Oh Lord, that was bad luck. What if he asked her about it? Evie had never been anywhere near Dover in her life! She’d simply picked the first place that came to mind.

  ‘I think I’ll just … go and see where Billy’s got to with that lemonade,’ she muttered, and backed away, leaving Colin looking puzzled until Gerry sashayed up to him and whispered something in his ear. His eyes lit up and they moved to a cabinet at the side. Soon the scratchy sound of a gramophone record rose above the already high level of conversation and a few people took partners in the centre of the room, to dance as best they could in the crowded space.

  ‘Oh, Billy, that was difficult,’ Evie murmured, joining him in the kitchen. She repeated the conversation she’d just had. ‘I don’t want to be unfriendly, like, but I can’t be too careful.’

  ‘You’re right, of course, love,’ said Billy, giving her arm a squeeze. ‘I’ve said nowt at work about where you’re living now – not to anyone – and although I’ve known Colin a while, and I think he’s a good fella, the fewer people learn where you are, the less likely …’ he lowered his v
oice, as everyone at home always did, ‘… Mr Hopkins is to find your dad.’ Then he started laughing. ‘Dover, though! That’s a good one.’

  ‘Shush,’ said Evie, glancing towards the door. ‘I hate lying.’

  Suddenly Ada was standing in the doorway, looking fierce and disgruntled. ‘Hello, Evie Carter,’ she greeted her, looking spiteful. ‘I think it’s time we went home, Billy.’

  ‘What, now, Mum? But it’s barely nine o’clock. Party’s just getting started, and I think I see a cake to cut on the side, there.’ He indicated an upturned tin centred over a cake board, a pile of candles and a box of matches by the side.

  ‘But it’s that noisy now, and I’m sure I’ve got another of my heads coming on.’

  For one terrible moment Evie felt inclined to snigger as she pictured Billy’s sour-faced mother with two heads. She decided it would be wise to keep quiet and leave this to Billy.

  Evie was close enough to Billy to hear him take a deep breath. ‘I’m sorry to hear that, Mum, but maybe if you have a glass of water you’ll soon feel better.’

  ‘I don’t think so,’ she replied. ‘I don’t feel up to eating cake, either.’

  ‘Well, that’s a shame, Mum, because you don’t often get to celebrate birthdays with your friends, and Gerry did invite us both to join her tonight.’

  ‘Well, Gerry Sullivan is a lovely girl, there’s no doubt about that,’ said Ada. ‘She looks beautiful in that dress, what with her figure and her pretty hair. Always one to make an effort,’ she added, giving Evie a sideways glance to dismiss her girlish party dress, which was, of course, nothing like as grown-up as Geraldine’s.

  ‘So are you staying to see her cut her cake, then, Mum?’ asked Billy, trying to jolly her out of her bad mood.

  Ada briefly looked again in Evie’s direction and seemed to make up her mind. ‘No, I reckon we’ve both had enough company for one evening, Billy, and it’s time to go home.’

  ‘You may well have, Mum, and I’m sorry your head’s aching—’

  ‘Oh, it is, Billy. It’ll be fit to split by morning if I don’t go and lie down soon.’

  ‘—but I shall be staying a while yet. I don’t want to miss Gerry cutting her cake—’

  ‘Oh, I can understand that, you and Gerry being so close,’ said Ada, changing tack. ‘But—’

  ‘—so I’ve already spoken to Mr Amsell and he’s said he’ll walk you to the door when you’re ready to go, Mum.’

  For a moment Ada looked furious. ‘But, Billy—’

  ‘That way, I get to enjoy seeing Geraldine enjoying her party on her birthday,’ said Billy with exaggerated tolerance, ‘and you get to walk home with someone who’ll make sure you get there safely, and then you can have a little lie-down. I feared something like this might happen so I left some aspirins on the kitchen side,’ he added.

  Mr Amsell appeared at the kitchen door with remarkably good timing.

  ‘Mrs Taylor, dear lady, do I gather you’re ready to go home?’ he asked. He leaned in close as if confiding in her. ‘We old folk can’t stay up so late dancing and carousing as we used to, can we?’

  ‘Dancing and carousing …?’ spluttered Ada.

  ‘Let me help you find your coat, Mrs Taylor, and I’ll escort you to your door.’

  ‘I— I don’t—’

  ‘It’s really no trouble,’ Mr Amsell added graciously, holding out his arm to her. ‘Come, my dear, the night is young for some, and we don’t want to spoil Geraldine’s party, do we? We’ll just thank Marie discreetly and slip away.’

  He took Ada’s arm and escorted her out of the kitchen, calling, ‘Goodnight, Billy and Evie,’ cheerfully over his shoulder.

  ‘All right, Billy, what’s going on?’ Evie asked when they’d gone.

  ‘Let’s make sure they’ve left and then I’ll tell you,’ he said, helping himself to a beer out of the crate Brendan, always a generous host.

  ‘Yes, please. Why not?’ said Evie.

  Billy led her through to the main room and then out into the quiet of the passage just as Mr Amsell closed the front door behind him, Ada on his arm.

  ‘What’s the matter with your mum?’ demanded Evie. ‘She’s been looking daggers at me and I can’t think why. And how did you know she’d have a headache this evening?’

  ‘Because I’m learning she always has a headache if she thinks things aren’t going her way,’ Billy replied impatiently.

  ‘I don’t understand, what’s not going her way?’

  ‘We aren’t, Evie.’ He took her hand in his and gave it a squeeze of reassurance. ‘She thinks we’re not suited and that it’s hopeless if we … if we have feelings for each other and we live so far apart.’

  ‘Not suited? Of course we’re suited. We’ve known each other for ever,’ said Evie. ‘And we can’t be the first folk who’ve been apart. I know it’s difficult, and I miss you all the time—’

  ‘And I miss you – you know I do.’

  ‘But we write and we can meet up as often as … Just one minute – it was one of your mum’s headaches that stopped you getting that train a few months ago, wasn’t it?’

  ‘I’m afraid it was, Evie. And I know what you’re thinking. Oh, I’m that sorry. I’ve learned a lot these last months and I can see what her game is now. If I’d realised at the time I’d have just got the train down to see you and left her there, playing the invalid.’

  Evie stood quiet for a few moments, taking all this in. ‘I can’t pretend I’m not angry, Billy, but I reckon you couldn’t have left her. I’m trying to be fair and think if it had been my mum that felt ill, what I would have done. I can’t blame you for staying to make sure she was all right.’

  ‘But it wasn’t your mum, Evie. It’s my mum who’s being difficult and I won’t have her being nasty about you.’

  ‘Why, what’s she been saying?’

  Billy realised he’d led the conversation in a direction he’d really rather avoid.

  ‘Come on, Billy. What’s she got against me? I’ve known your mum as long as I’ve known you, and she’s never had cause for complaint, so far as I know.’

  Billy sighed. ‘It’s your dad,’ he said quietly. ‘She thinks he’s unreliable.’

  ‘We all think my dad’s unreliable, he’s the reason we had to leave Shenty Street, after all. Most of the people in that room know about him getting the sack from the brewery, and quite a few must know about …’ she lowered her voice, though both were speaking softly, ‘… about the gambling debt. Why’s your mum making a fuss about him now?’

  ‘Because she thinks I’m in love with you, of course,’ said Billy, in a rush.

  Evie looked at him, startled.

  ‘And are you?’ she asked quietly.

  ‘Oh, I don’t know, Evie. I think so. You’re the best girl ever, and the prettiest, and I’ve never set eyes on anyone half as good and kind as you are …’

  ‘But you can’t be sure,’ Evie finished for him. She knew that was true because she felt exactly the same. She loved him but was it a forever kind of love? She wanted it to be, but she couldn’t yet be sure. He, too, was good and kind, but maybe he missed her so much because she was far away now. Maybe if she was nearby he wouldn’t have the same yearning to be with her. She had to ask herself, of course, if the same couldn’t be said of herself.

  ‘It’s all right, Billy, I do understand,’ she said. ‘But why should your mum mind so much if we’re fond of each other?’

  ‘I reckon she’s frightened that I’ll go away from here to be with you, and leave her by herself,’ Billy said. ‘She’s trying to make out it’s because your dad begrudges going to work … well she says he’s no good and thinks you may take after him.’

  ‘Billy!’

  ‘Shush, love. Hear me out. I know that’s not true. She just wants me to stay with her.’

  ‘But she must want you to have a life of your own?’ said Evie. ‘Children do go away from their parents sometimes – often, I suppose.’

  ‘I
know, and she does, too, but she’s frightened of being left alone. She can be difficult and selfish, and she doesn’t have any close friends, even though she’s lived here all her life. I’m all she’s got and she doesn’t want to share me and she doesn’t want to lose me.’

  ‘But you can’t stay in her house in Fawcett Street for ever, Billy. How old is your mum – mid-fifties? Younger than Grandma Sue. She may live for twenty or more years yet.’

  ‘I expect she’ll want the girl I marry to move in with her – with us – and look after her.’

  ‘Good heavens, Billy, it’s a good thing you’ve warned me,’ said Evie before she could stop herself.

  ‘Oh, so it isn’t the same for your dad, living with his mother-in-law?’ Billy asked angrily.

  ‘No, Billy, it isn’t the same at all. There’s no one like Grandma Sue. She’s kept my family on its feet through thick and thin – and it’s mostly been thin, let me tell you – and she’d never stand in the way of anyone’s happiness.’

  ‘I know—’

  ‘She’s not at all like your mother. Do you think Grandma Sue would pretend to be ill to get her own way? Do you think Grandma Sue would even admit she was ill if she was? She’s nothing like your mother.’

  ‘Evie, please don’t speak about my mother like that,’ he said dangerously.

  ‘Like what? Like she talks about me, you mean? Feckless? Unreliable? I’m obviously not good enough for her boy, am I?’

  ‘Evie, please …’

  ‘Well, you mustn’t disappoint your mother, must you, Billy? I’m only amazed you didn’t go trotting off home with her as soon as she started moaning. I wouldn’t want to be in your shoes tomorrow because you’ll be getting it in the neck for sure.’

  ‘Right, I reckon it is time I went,’ said Billy, ‘before I hear any more of your rubbish.’ He turned away and disappeared into the crowded sitting room where the heat and the noise had risen to new levels.

  Evie stood breathing heavily, trying to calm her anger. Where had all that come from? She was like a woman possessed. She couldn’t even remember half the awful things that had come out of her mouth. Stupid, stupid …