A Sister's Shame (39 page)

Marie looked hard at her sister. ‘Vesta, life won’t be the same as when you were with Teddy. He might have spent lots of money on you, buying you things, but remember it was for a
reason. You were just a clothes peg, and worse,
his
clothes peg.’

Vesta nodded. ‘He knew my weakness was clothes.’

‘And make-up, and shoes, and jewellery and—’

‘All right, don’t go on.’

Marie laughed and Vesta, after pouting, also laughed.

‘It’s nice to see you smile.’

‘I haven’t for a long time.’

Marie had an idea. ‘I could bring some of my things round. I do have a few nice outfits. And we’re still about the same size.’

‘Would you?’

‘Yes, it would be nice to talk about things like that again.’ Marie twisted the two rings on her finger, recalling the hope she had had for Vesta turning up for her wedding.
‘Your bridesmaid’s dress is still in the bottom drawer of my wardrobe.’

‘Did you really buy one for me?’

‘Of course. I said I would.’

‘But what would I want a bridesmaid’s dress for now?’

‘It can be altered,’ Marie suggested quickly. ‘When you start to go out again and begin a new life, it could be made very pretty.’

Vesta’s eyes grew misty. ‘I can’t believe I’ll have a new life. And as for the dress, it would always remind me that I’ll never be a bride, or have a husband like
you’ve got, or babies.’ She got up and clutching her stomach, made her way back to the bedroom.

Marie knew she shouldn’t have mentioned the dress. The next time the rag-and-bone man came round, she would get him to take it away. After all, Vesta was right. It would always be a
reminder to them both and was no use to either of them now.

Another week went by and it was suddenly June. The Saturday afternoon was warm and dry, and Bing had suggested that, after their visit to Vesta, they could drive up West.

‘It’ll be a flying visit today,’ Marie said. ‘I’ll give these clothes to Vesta and then we can go for our drive.’ She had promised him that today they would
do something nice on their own.

‘Can’t wait,’ he grinned as he drove them to Sphinx Street. ‘We’ll go to Lyons for tea, then, take a walk along the Embankment.’

Marie was wearing her best floral dress for the occasion. She hoped she didn’t look too bright and breezy; she still felt guilty for being happy when Vesta was sick. She was hoping the
clothes in the bag might cheer her up.

When they climbed out of the car, the summer breeze lifted her newly washed hair and flapped at her frock. The air was filled with the promise of summer. It was just a week to go to their
birthday. Marie hoped that in a week’s time Vesta would feel like eating the cake that Marie planned to bake.

Bing slipped his arm around her waist as they went up the steps. She thought Vesta might be up today, as the doctor had told her she needed to exercise now the bleeding had stopped.

‘I see you’re still using the key to get in,’ Bing said as Marie rummaged in her bag.

‘Yes, just to be sure.’

‘Don’t reckon Teddy would chance setting the cat amongst the pigeons. What he made Vesta do was a crime. If Old Bill was told, he could be prosecuted and he knows it. And she
ain’t no use to him as an invalid, is she?’

‘No, but Mum is happier this way.’

‘Suppose it can’t hurt,’ Bing agreed as they went in.

Marie smiled at Nina, who was coming down the stairs. As usual, she wore a smart dark suit and high heels, but her face was hidden under a short grey veil that dropped from her pill-box hat.
When she reached the bottom of the stairs, Wippet appeared on the half-landing above. ‘Nina, don’t go! Please listen to me.’ He looked distraught, trying to hurry down the stairs
on his short legs. In his haste, he tripped and fell, and Bing hurried to help him.

Nina turned and Marie gasped. Under the veil, Nina’s face was bruised and battered. ‘Oh, Nina, what’s happened to you?’

‘Nina!’ Wippet struggled out of Bing’s grasp. But by the time he got to the door, Nina had gone.

Wippet’s body trembled. ‘Oh, Nina, Nina, my love,’ he whispered.

‘Wippet, what happened? What’s wrong?’ Marie asked.

‘Everything,’ he groaned as he gazed up. ‘Did you see what they did to her? They beat her up.’

‘Who?’ asked Bing in a bewildered voice.

‘The man she called her uncle.’

‘You mean he’s not her uncle?’ Marie asked.

‘No. Nina wants people to believe he is. He met her when she was a cloakroom attendant and keeps her with his money. Whenever she tries to get away from him, he threatens to kill
her.’

‘So he’s the one who did that?’ Bing growled.

‘Oh, no,’ Wippet muttered bitterly. ‘He’s too much of a coward. He paid the Scoresbys to do his dirty work.’

Marie’s mouth fell open. ‘The Scoresbys? Are you sure?’

Wippet nodded. ‘If only I could have protected her! But look at me. I’m useless.’ Suddenly he put his hand on his chest and clutched the banister.

‘Wippet, are you all right?’ Bing asked as the little man tried to stand up.

‘It’s my heart,’ Wippet gasped. ‘I need my medicine. Will you help me back to my room?’

Just then, Elsie’s door opened. ‘What’s going on?’ Elsie blinked her eyes. ‘I was just having forty winks. Oh my Gawd, what’s wrong with Wippet?’ She
watched Bing lifting him up the stairs.

‘He’s got a bad heart,’ Marie said sadly.

‘I knew something was up,’ Elsie breathed. ‘I found him sitting on the stairs the other day, out of puff. What was all that commotion I heard?’

‘It was Wippet chasing after Nina.’

‘What’s up with her?’

Marie quickly told Elsie what happened.

‘I always thought there was more to the girl,’ Elsie nodded, seeming unsurprised as Bing came down the stairs.

‘Is he all right?’ Marie and Elsie asked together.

‘He ain’t in the best of health,’ Bing told them quietly.

‘I guessed he was pining over Nina,’ Elsie commiserated. ‘That old sod who she called her uncle is just a dirty old man. And those Scoresbys – they are at the bottom of
it all again.’ She sighed. ‘There ain’t nothing that can be done about it either. While all these young girls fall into the trap of wanting the good life and thinking they can get
it with sods like Teddy, then they’ll go on doing what they do.’ She looked at Marie. ‘Sorry, love, don’t mean to speak out of turn, but it’s the truth.’

‘If only there was something we could do,’ Marie nodded. But everyone knew that Teddy and the Scoresbys held a power in the East End that no one would challenge.

When Marie and Bing walked in to Ada’s, Vesta was standing in the middle of the room. She was in her nightgown and barefoot, wearing her old resentful expression.

‘Ah, now, here’s your sister,’ Ada said as she hung Vesta’s dressing gown round her shoulders. ‘I’ve been trying to persuade her to put on a dress from the
wardrobe. But she don’t like any of them.’

‘I’ve got some nice things here.’ Marie opened the bag. ‘A couple of dresses that will be nice for the summer. And a little jacket for when you go out.’

‘I don’t know when that will be,’ Vesta shrugged.

‘It won’t be long now.’

‘The doctor says the infection is still there.’

‘Yes,’ said Ada, ‘but he also said it’s getting better.’

‘Come into the bedroom and we can try some on,’ Marie suggested, hoping it wouldn’t be long before she could cheer Vesta up and get away.

Ada gave a big, bright smile. ‘That’s the ticket, girls. It’s just like the old days, ain’t it? The family’s all together again. Now, Bing, Hector’s just gone
for a couple of ales, to have with our meal.’

‘Mum, we don’t want to put you to the trouble of cooking—’ Marie began, intending to say this was just a short visit. But Ada waved her hand.

‘It’s no trouble, love. There’s shepherd’s pie in the oven and we’ve got sponge and custard for afters. Now run along, you two girls, and enjoy
yourselves.’

Just then, Hector walked in, carrying a brown raffia shopping basket. The tops of four bottles stuck up and gave a little chink. ‘Ah, everyone’s here,’ he grinned, giving Bing
a slap on the shoulder and going to peck Marie on the cheek. ‘This is wonderful, just like old times. All we need now is the grub, Ada.’ He smiled, looking round him. ‘I might
even pour me and Bing a tipple now.’

Marie glanced quickly at Bing. He gave a quick roll of his eyes. Then as Hector took his arm and led him over to the dining table, Marie had a sinking feeling. Their plans for a romantic day
looked set to be ruined.

In the bedroom, Marie put the bag on the bed and took out the two dresses and the jacket. She had also brought stockings, bra, slip and knickers, all of which were quite new.

Vesta sat down beside them. ‘You weren’t going to stay, were you?’

Marie blushed. ‘Course we were.’

‘You could never tell lies. Not like me.’

Marie looked into her sister’s thin face. ‘That’s not a nice thing to say about yourself.’

Vesta pulled the dressing gown round her. ‘I got very good at it when I left home.’

Marie sat on the bed beside her. It squeaked loudly. They turned to each other and smiled. ‘The bed ain’t changed, even if we have,’ said Vesta, brushing her greasy hair from
her eyes.

Marie laughed. ‘Shall we put a record on?’

‘I don’t know.’ Vesta glanced at the Victor phonograph, with its great brass horn and soft, velvety turntable. ‘I’ve not played it since I came home. There are too
many memories.’

‘Let’s share one together then.’ Marie got up and lifted the top. She found the record she was looking for, and giving the handle a wind, she lifted the heavy arm. As the
needle touched the record there were lots of jerks and bumps. The machine was very old now, but it still played. As she sat down on the bed again, a girl’s voice began to sing ‘In My
Sweet Little Alice Blue Gown’.

After a while, the twins began to sing the words together. Words from their childhood. They still remembered them and when the music ended, Marie turned off the record.

She looked at Vesta, who wiped away a tear. ‘That was meant to cheer us up.’

‘I know. And it did.’

‘A fine way of showing it.’

‘It’s just that I don’t feel meself And when I hear that, I think of who I was once. I won’t ever be that person again.’

‘No one is. We all grow up.’

‘Yes, but you were sensible and grew up the right way. I even blamed you once for not following our dream. And look where it got me.’ She put her hands on her stomach. There could be
a baby in here and not an infection.’

Marie gave her a little shake. ‘You have to stop this or you’ll never get well.’

‘Sometimes I don’t want to. Sometimes I—’

‘That’s enough of that,’ said Marie sternly. ‘We’ve had all the dramatics. They don’t work any more. Not even on me.’ She stood upright.

Vesta stared up at her, looking astonished.

Marie couldn’t keep a straight face. She burst into laughter. Suddenly they were laughing together. Marie felt so relieved. She had finally got through to Vesta.

‘Now come on, try this dress and put on some make-up.’

‘Yes, Mum.’

Marie helped her sister undress and put on the new underwear. She tried not to think about how thin and bent she looked. Instead, she kept talking about the shopping trips they were going to
take when Vesta was well and, to her surprise, Vesta eagerly joined in.

‘We never got to Lyons,’ Bing sighed later that evening as he took off his jacket and threaded it over the back of the chair. They had just got back from Sphinx
Street, where the meal had been shared by all, including Elsie, who had brought with her the usual bottle of port. ‘I’ll put the kettle on,’ he told her, but Marie went to the
fireside chair and sat down.

‘Come and sit with me first.’

‘Reckon it wasn’t a bad day, after all.’ He stretched out his long legs and grinned.

‘Vesta looked pretty in that dress. And with a bit of make-up on, almost as good as new.’

‘And your mum and dad and Elsie all perked up.’

Marie nodded. ‘Do you think everything will be all right now?’

Bing looked into the empty grate. ‘I think your sister’s going to get well again, at least on the inside.’ He glanced up at Marie. ‘I don’t know what’s going
on in her head, though.’

‘She misses the things she got used to with Teddy.’

‘Yes, but they came at a big cost.’

‘She knows that now.’

‘As for living back home again,’ he continued, ‘only time will tell. Your dad told me there have been a few ups and down between Vesta and your mum. That much ain’t
changed.’

‘Mum is only trying to look after her.’

‘Yes, and you’ll do the same for our kids one day.’

Marie looked into his eyes. ‘I hope so.’

‘Any news on that front yet?’ Bing asked, going a little red.

She knew he meant was she expecting. And she would have loved to have said yes, but she’d had her periods and was impatient herself. She shook her head.

He stood up and lifted her against him. ‘Don’t matter. Just gives me the excuse to try harder.’ He laughed.

‘I love you so much,’ Marie whispered.

‘I’d like that in writing, please.’

‘Get the paper and pen then.’

She held his face between her hands. ‘Do you really think we’ll have kids?’

‘Are you joking? We’re going have a football team at least.’

‘Vesta got pregnant quickly.’

‘You’ve had a lot of things to worry about. That can’t help.’

‘I’m not worried any more.’

He kissed her passionately. ‘No better time to give it another go than now.’

‘You’re a good kisser.’

‘Is that why you wanted to marry me?’

‘I don’t know. But it didn’t take me long to fall in love with you.’

‘I told you, I’d always have kept trying.’

‘If only Vesta can find someone like you.’

Bing’s eyebrows rose. ‘She could have had Charlie if she’d wanted.’

‘Yes, but she never really liked him.’

‘He gave up his girl for her. But it was Teddy she wanted.’

‘I don’t want to talk about any of that now.’

‘Let’s get cracking on that football team, then.’ As their lips touched, she was glad they hadn’t gone to Lyons. She wasn’t going to feel guilty for having Bing as
her husband. As he’d reminded her, Vesta had won Charlie’s affections and it was Charlie who had suffered for it. Today Vesta had shown a glimmer of her old self, and Ada and Hector
were happy once more. Now, all she had to think about was giving Bing his football team.