Many a Tear Has to Fall, page 14
Jared looked at Emma who nodded. ‘All right. That sounds fair enough,’ he said.
With that settled, Maggie could only hope that Tim would get in touch before then. So it came as a pleasant surprise when he arrived on the doorstep later that day with what she could only regard as a scruffy mongrel. As Emma had gone shopping and Jared had returned to work, leaving Owen with Maggie, she invited him into the kitchen, but suggested he leave the dog tied up in the back garden.
‘Not only might the cat go for it if you bring it inside, but Emma is a bit house proud and definitely won’t want dog hairs on the furniture,’ she said, aware that Owen was eyeing the dog with interest. ‘It doesn’t bite, does it?’ she added uneasily.
‘I hope he does. I’m thinking of using it as a guard dog,’ said Tim.
‘Owen, don’t go near it,’ warned Maggie.
‘He’ll be all right once I introduce them to each other,’ said Tim.
Maggie was not convinced. ‘Where did you get it from?’
‘He turned up earlier today.’
‘You mean he’s a stray?’
He nodded, deciding to keep quiet about taking the dog for a rat and throwing a wrench at it. ‘I felt sorry for it.’
Looking at the disreputable creature, Maggie said, ‘I can see why, but I think you’re daft. A dog ties you down in a way a cat doesn’t. What does your mother think?’
‘He’ll be living at the yard. I told you I’m going to keep him as a guard dog. Mam won’t have anything to do with him.’
Owen asked, ‘Won’t he get lonely?’
Tim looked down at the lad. ‘He’s a stray and is used to being on his own. He’ll be that made up having regular food and a warm place to sleep that the only worry he’ll have is if any burglars try and break in.’
Maggie hid a smile. ‘He doesn’t look what I’d call ferocious. You should have got yourself an Alsatian.’
‘No, Fang will do me.’
‘Fang!’ She laughed and put on the kettle. ‘I bet you got that name out of a comic.’
He nodded. ‘An old one. Anyway, what’s wrong with comics? There weren’t any books in our house when I was a kid, but Mam would buy me the odd comic. I loved the Dandy and Beano, as well as the Hotspur, which I used to pinch from my … friend.’
‘My brother used to read the Eagle,’ Maggie said, pouring milk into cups.
‘That was more for the posh lads than us.’
‘We weren’t posh. Although maybe Emma’s father was, because I’m sure Jared mentioned once that it was he who started him off reading the Eagle. I think I might have told you that he was an artist and had money.’
‘So your brother married a rich wife.’
She shot him a glance. ‘Not rich, rich, and she didn’t realize he’d left her money because he died during the war when she was a little girl. The cottage belonged to her mother’s parents. Did you have a good Whit bank holiday, by the way?’
‘I was busy working. What about you? How did your time up at the cottage go?’
‘Fine! So you didn’t take your son out?’
She thought that for a moment he looked uncomfortable. Then he said, ‘Only to the park to kick a ball around.’ He changed the subject. ‘How are you for next Saturday?’
Her spirits soared and then sank. ‘I don’t know. I’ll have to speak to Emma. Why, what’s happening?’
‘I’ve tickets for a jazz concert in the afternoon. It’s in the open air, so I’m praying it doesn’t rain.’
Maggie smiled as she spooned coffee into mugs. ‘I should be all right.’ She hesitated. ‘There is something I feel you need to know.’ She proceeded to tell him about Emma and Jared’s plans for her weekends and during the summer.
It was gratifying that he looked dismayed. ‘Does this mean we’ll see hardly anything of each other during the summer?’
‘If I agree to their plan, yes.’
He frowned. ‘You’d be crazy to turn them down. You’ll be living rent free, with no one watching your every move – and getting paid as well.’
‘That’s true, but there’ll be times when I’ll be lonely because I know hardly anyone up there. But if you—’
‘If I what?’
She hesitated, took a deep breath, and burst out, ‘You’re your own boss, so you could come and visit me and I’d have something to look forward to. As I’ve told you, it’s lovely countryside up there. Your dog would enjoy it and so would Jerry. As long as you don’t let Fang roam free and chase sheep, because he could get shot if he did.’
A slow smile lifted the corners of Tim’s mouth. ‘I’d like that. When would be the best time to come?’
‘A weekday, and you can do the journey there and back easily in a day if you can borrow or hire a car. Otherwise it means changing trains. If you can come you can phone me. I’ll give you the number.’
He frowned and then his brow cleared. ‘All right! Let’s talk about it next Saturday. That’s if you can make it?’
‘Where’s the concert taking place?’
‘Sefton Park. You know where that is, don’t you?’
She frowned. ‘I can’t remember ever going there, but I know it’s the other side of Liverpool.’
He paused. ‘Shall we go for a walk after we’ve had our coffee while I work out the best place for us to meet?’
She agreed, and over coffee he suggested they meet beneath the clock in Lime Street Station at twelve o’clock.
‘And if I’m not there by twelve thirty, you’ll know I’m not coming.’ She added hastily as his face fell. ‘But I’ll definitely try to be there.’
Soon after, they set off with Owen and Fang for the beach. Tim had parked the car round the corner and decided not to mention it, knowing he would have to return it to its owner later that day. He didn’t want Maggie asking him about it if he didn’t arrive in it another time.
Maggie asked Tim whether he had been doing anything other than fixing cars and going to the park with Jerry. He shook his head and talked about the motors he had fixed and the people who had moved in next to the garage. She listened while keeping her eye on Owen. He was running along the sand with the dog, which appeared to be limping.
They parted on the corner of the avenue, near Emma and Jared’s house. ‘Hopefully I’ll see you soon,’ said Maggie.
He nodded, kissed her, and walked away with the dog on a length of rope.
Maggie and Owen arrived back at the house to find Emma and Dot talking on the front step. Owen ran up to his mother and tugged on her skirt. ‘I want a doggie,’ he said.
Emma shook her head and glanced in Maggie’s direction. ‘What’s this about a dog?’
‘We’ve been to the beach with Tim.’
Owen said, ‘He has a dog to guard his garage from burglars.’
Dot raised her eyebrows interrogatively. ‘Where does he live?’
‘In Liverpool.’
‘So why didn’t he see you home?’ asked Dot. ‘I’d have liked a look at him.’
‘He had to get back to Liverpool.’ Maggie glanced at Emma. ‘He’s asked me to go with him to a jazz concert next Saturday afternoon.’
‘Well, that puts the kibosh on our plan, Emma,’ said Dot.
‘What d’you mean?’ asked Maggie.
‘We thought Billy could take the three of us up to the cottage with Owen, and we thought of also taking Georgie from the children’s home as well,’ Dot informed her.
‘There’s nothing stopping you all going without me,’ Maggie said. ‘Why don’t you take Deirdre and Irene and some of the other kids as well? I presume Emma has told you her plans for me?’
‘Yes, and I told her she must be crackers trusting you,’ said Dot frankly. ‘Your suggestion about the kids isn’t a bad idea, though. Although we’d have to persuade either our Jared or Marty to come as well as we’d need extra transport.’
‘I’m glad you think I’m good for something.’
Emma said hastily, ‘She’s only kidding you about being crackers. She really thinks it’ll be good for you having some responsibility.’
‘It’ll certainly stop you feeling sorry for yourself,’ said Dot.
Maggie said sweetly, ‘Why should I feel sorry for myself when I have my family sorting my life out for me? Anyway, if I’m going to be working at the cottage for most of the summer, I’m going to need some workaday clothes, so I might as well get them next Saturday when I go into town to meet Tim.’ On those words she hurried into the house, determined to make the most of her day out next week.
Sixteen
Irene hurried across the bridge holding Jerry and Josie by the hand. She should not have dropped in at Nellie Gianelli’s, but she had received a letter from Betty and so had wanted to tell the older woman the latest news from California. They had got talking about other matters, such as the phone call she had received from Dot asking if she, Marty and the children would like to go up to Whalley on Saturday. The time had passed so swiftly that it was half past five before Irene realized it. If she didn’t get a move on, there would be no meal on the table for Marty when he arrived home from work.
How she wished they would hear from Tommy, as it would make such a difference to their lives. She would be living with Marty and would not have to be going backwards and forwards from the Marshalls’ house in Bootle to Litherland. Where the hell was he? It just wasn’t blinking fair, leaving them to look after Jerry when he was really Tommy’s responsibility. It was no good thinking, like Pete’s mother, that maybe his casual attitude to Jerry was due to Tommy being unaware that he had a son until eighteen months ago. He was just irresponsible; unlike Marty who, despite having doubts about his being Jerry’s father, had treated the boy as if he were his son.
‘Irene!’
At the sound of her name, and recognizing that voice, Irene looked in the direction of Marty’s works van as it drew up outside the Red Lion.
‘Were you looking for us, love?’ she asked. ‘Sorry, I haven’t got the dinner on yet, but there was a letter from Betty and so I took the kids and went to visit Nellie.’
‘Never mind that, we can go to the chippy.’ He grinned at her as he climbed down from the van. ‘I’ve some good news.’
‘Tommy!’ she cried.
‘Mam rang me at work. He dropped by at her house with a box of chocs for her and sweets for the kids.’
‘Did she ask him about Bernie’s death certificate?’
‘Yes! He said that he’ll post it.’
‘Well, that’s a turn-up for the books,’ said Irene, smiling.
‘You know what this means?’ he said, seizing her by the waist and kissing her.
She released the children’s hands and returned his kiss. When they drew apart she said, ‘I can’t believe it’s going to happen at last.’
‘I reckon we could be married in a couple of months’ time. We can go on honeymoon. I’m sure Peg or Mam would look after the kids.’
‘I’m sure they would. We’ll have to book the church. There’s a hundred and one things that need to be done,’ Irene said excitedly.
‘Come on, let’s get home,’ said Marty, grabbing her by the hand. ‘We can talk better there.’
Jerry tugged on Marty’s jacket. ‘What about the chippy?’
Marty smiled down at the boy. ‘We’ll go to the chippy. Don’t you be worrying, and I’ve some sweeties for you from your other daddy.’
‘What about me?’ asked Josie, her attractive little face turned up to his.
‘There’s some for you too,’ Marty said, giving her a hug.
‘Your Tommy’s generous all of a sudden,’ murmured Irene, tempted to be catty and ask whether he had stolen them. But what was she thinking of? That would upset the children.
‘Where is my other daddy?’ asked Jerry.
‘I don’t know, but I’m sure he’ll be in touch again,’ Marty said.
‘D’you think we’re going to see more of him now?’ Irene asked as she ushered Jerry and Josie into the van.
Marty dropped his voice. ‘He didn’t tell Mam where he was living, but apparently he is working.’
‘Perhaps we shouldn’t be counting our chickens until we have the death certificate in our hands,’ Irene said, her mood changing. ‘I’m not going to make any plans until we do.’
‘Don’t start looking on the dark side again,’ Marty said, frowning. ‘He hasn’t anything to lose by letting us have the certificate. In fact, he has more to gain.’
Irene could not see how that could be, but kept quiet. She would believe Marty’s brother had turned over a new leaf when he took responsibility for his child and she and Marty were man and wife at last.
Two days later an envelope plopped through the letterbox and was picked up by Irene when she arrived home from the nursery with the children. It was addressed to Marty but, convinced that he would not mind her opening it, she slit it with the butter knife and took out the two enclosed sheets of paper. One was the death certificate, and the other was an official form detailing where and when Bernie’s body had been interred.
Instantly Irene wished she had left the envelope for Marty to open, because seeing the details of Bernie’s death in stark black and white made her wonder if they might cause Marty grief. After all, he had once been in love with her, and he and Bernie had lived as man and wife for four years, much longer than he and Irene had known each other. Irene had only met Marty about eighteen months ago. She had been going into town on the train with her brother Jimmy and Peggy had got on the same train with her father and Marty.
Slowly she replaced the forms in the envelope and placed it behind the clock before setting about peeling vegetables and frying mince. When Marty came in she told him about opening the envelope and apologized.
‘That’s all right, love,’ he said, putting an arm around her. ‘I can understand you being impatient. I’ll take the certificate to show Father Francis on the way home from work tomorrow.’
She noticed he did not pick up the envelope straightaway, but went and washed and changed before doing so whilst she dished out their evening meal.
‘Sad, isn’t it?’ he said, after reading the contents of the envelope and putting it back behind the clock, before sitting at the dining table.
‘Yes!’ Irene was relieved that he was prepared to talk about how he felt. ‘She wasn’t much older than me. I was sad when Mam died, but at least she had lived almost twice as long as Bernie.’
‘The sad thing is that it needn’t have happened. If only she and Tommy had been honest from the beginning about getting married. Even when he disappeared a few months after their secret marriage, she could have told the truth instead of tricking me into marrying her because she was pregnant. The whole thing was crazy.’
Irene agreed, adding, ‘But you wouldn’t have Josie if he had told the truth, and you wouldn’t want to be without her, would you?’
He smiled. ‘No. Even so, I still believe honesty is the best policy, and I’ll tell my brother that when I get to see him again. In the meantime, at least we can start planning our wedding instead of just dreaming about it.’
‘What about Saturday?’ she asked. ‘Can you get time off for us to go up to Whalley? It would be great to have a day out with the kids and some of my family and friends. Jimmy’s going to be home, so he’ll be able to come too.’
‘I’ll do my best,’ said Marty.
Maggie was humming to herself as she walked hand in hand with Tim beside the lake in Sefton Park. She had never thought she would feel so happy when it was only a few months since she had received the letter from Norm. She was beginning to believe that she had never really loved him after all. Her feelings for Tim were so much stronger, and she so wanted to be with him.
‘You’re humming out of tune,’ said Tim, grinning. ‘But I’m glad you enjoyed the concert.’
After the concert, they had been to see the peacocks and other birds in the aviary, as well as the statue of Peter Pan. He had told Maggie how he had swarmed up it when he was a kid, and how he planned to bring Jerry here when he had time. Now they were making for the nearest exit to St Michael’s Railway Station.
She smiled at him. ‘Jazz musicians often seem to play out of tune to me, but you’re right, I enjoyed the concert, and I’m glad I came and it didn’t rain. I’d have hated getting this outfit wet.’
He gazed at her in her peach-coloured slacks, beige and orange-flowered blouse and peach jacket. ‘I don’t blame you. Some women look terrible in trousers, but you look really peachy.’
‘Thanks!’ Maggie took a deep breath. ‘It’s great being out in the fresh air listening to music. Much better than a smoky old cellar.’
‘Are you saying you don’t like the Cavern?’ he said, sounding disappointed.
‘Only because it affects my chest,’ said Maggie hastily. ‘I’m really pleased with myself for managing to quit smoking.’
‘You’ve done well.’
‘I know. I’ve surprised myself,’ she said with a giggle.
He squeezed her hand and they walked on in silence until they arrived at the train station.
‘If you don’t mind, I’ll have to say tarrah here,’ said Tim, sounding regretful.
Maggie looked at him in dismay. ‘Have you had enough of me already? I thought you’d be coming into town with me.’
‘Don’t be daft! I could never have enough of you. It’s just that the owner of the car I’m working on lives nearby and I want to have a word with him.’
‘Oh, I see.’ She sighed. ‘I suppose work has to come first.’
‘Of course it does, because I have to make a success of the garage.’
‘D’you think you’ll be able to come to the cottage during the summer?’
Tim hesitated. ‘I hope so. I can’t promise, but I’ll do my best. I’m going to have to work really hard. But if I can make it, I want you to promise me that there won’t be any of your family there, so we’ll be able to spend time on our own,’ he said, drawing her close.
