Home Is Where the Heart Is (16 page)

‘You have my address,’ Barbara reminded her.

Davina pulled it from her pocket to wave it in the air. ‘I do,’ she laughed, tucking it back in as a wind blew up.

‘Good luck.’

‘You too.’

‘Stay in touch.’

‘I will.’ Then each went their separate ways, Davina running hotfoot to meet the man of her dreams. How gloriously easy that had been. She was free at last.

Alex was waiting for her down by the canal in the shadow of the bridge, as planned, constantly glancing at his watch with a degree of impatience and anxiety. But when he saw her come running towards him, he smiled to himself and
gathered her close as she flew into his arms. ‘My darling, how wonderful to see you,’ he cried, instantly smothering her with kisses.

‘Oh, Alex, I can’t tell you how I’ve longed to see you too. I’ve had the most dreadful time, locked up like a criminal, all thanks to that prissy landlady.’

Wrapping her arms about his neck, she responded with equal passion, so much so that Alex couldn’t resist savouring her beautiful body one more time. Despite the slight swell in her stomach, she looked as gorgeous as ever, even if the rest of her was a little thinner. Perhaps she’d hadn’t been very well fed in this so-called Unmarried Mothers’ Care Home.

Pulling her on to his lap, he eagerly set about kissing her, feeling no inclination to waste too much time caressing her, or any desire to lick her nipples as she stank of dust and washing powder. But, locked in his tight embrace, she arched her back in ecstasy, clearly relishing the passion of the moment as he thrust himself inside her, pounding hard and fast. His intention had been to pay her off with a large wad of cash, then put her on a train back to where she’d come from. But, as a climax burst within him, he rose from the bench to lift her high, her legs still wrapped about his waist. Then, taking a step forwards, he jerked them free and flung her backwards into the canal, almost out of instinct.

Her scream echoed for some moments as she flapped and floundered in the water, madly splashing about with
her arms, legs, feet and hands. Not that there was anyone to hear at this time of the evening, and Alex knew full well that she couldn’t swim. He made no attempt to save her, any more than he had when so-called mates had treated him like dirt back in the desert. Disposing of them during a war had been easy too, and the canal was deep at this spot so close to the lock. She sank very quickly. Once she’d entirely vanished from sight, he gave her a final salute of farewell.

A sound from behind made him glance quickly around, anxious for a second or two, but all he saw was a cat stalking a mouse and Alex chuckled to himself. He wished the animal as much success with catching its own prey as he’d had with his.

Now life could return to normal.

Carefully straightening his tie, which she’d loosened, he walked away, whistling, and headed straight over to Rona. And she, dear lady, welcomed him with open arms.

O
ne evening in early April, Cathie arrived home following a meal with her Aunt Evie to find Alex yet again seated with her mother. More significantly, on this occasion, they weren’t simply chatting over a cup of tea by the fire in the kitchen. They were seated on the couch in the parlour and Alex had his arms about her, with Rona resting her head against his chest as she gazed up at him with adoration in her eyes. Just looking at them cuddled up together like that made Cathie want to vomit.

‘What are you doing?’ she cried, struggling to disguise the catch of a sob in her voice.

‘Ah, there you are, chuck,’ Rona said, gently disentangling herself from his hold. ‘Why are you looking so cross? I thought you’d be pleased to see that he’s back.’

‘
I
certainly am,’ Alex agreed with a grin. ‘Not only have I happily returned with money in my pocket and the prospect of earning a good income, but I’ve actually moved in.’

‘What?’ Cathie stared at him in shocked disbelief.

‘Having suffered further dispute with my parents, and unable to find anywhere else to live, Rona has suggested
that I stay here, with both of you. I was just thanking her, as it is so kind of her to offer. But don’t fret, I’m quite content to sleep on the couch here in the front room, as is only right and proper,’ he said with a laugh. ‘It’s so good to see you again, sweetie.’

But, as he reached for her, Cathie slapped his hand away. ‘Stop it! Davina has told me all about your plans to marry her instead of me, so go and live with her, why don’t you?’

His smile instantly vanished, and he was silent for some moments as he slowly drew in a breath. ‘Ah, I hadn’t realised she’d told you. However, she’s very much mistaken. I’ve no intention of marrying that girl. It wouldn’t be right, as it’s you I love.’

‘Utter rubbish!’ Fury rose within her as Cathie recognised an expression of guilt mingling with embarrassment in his face.

‘Never listen to gossip when …’ Rona began, but Cathie put up a hand to silence her.

‘Don’t take me for a fool, Alex. Whether or not you marry Davina is of no concern to me. But it’s perfectly clear that you have been lovers for months as she is apparently pregnant with your child. So it’s Davina you should be moving in with, not
me
! And if you also fancy an affair with my mother, then feel free to do that too. I really couldn’t care less, but I refuse to have you living in this house, so please leave.
Now
!’

‘This house is mine,’ Rona snapped. ‘At least, I’m
responsible for paying the rent, so
I
decide who lives here. And if this lovely young man wants to stay, he can.’

‘Right, then I’ll be the one to leave.’

It took only moments for Cathie to pack an overnight bag, and a few essential things for the baby, then saying she’d call back for the rest of her belongings later, she gathered little Heather up in her arms and walked out. It was only when she was standing outside on the pavement in the cold of the evening that she stopped to ask herself where on earth she could go.

Alex found it strange to be sleeping in his ex-fiancée’s bed, and really rather irritating that she wasn’t lying beside him, as he’d planned. Wasn’t it around now that they’d planned to marry? If only he’d managed to persuade Cathie into bringing forward the date of their wedding then things may not have gone so badly wrong. But having spent some weeks sleeping in what could only be termed a rubbish dump that stank of urine, alcohol and vomit, he was at least grateful to be cosseted in a warm bed between sheets that smelled sweetly of her.

He’d certainly no intention of letting the girl go, not when she had so much to offer, and felt highly confident that he could win her back with a few kisses. He’d always found women easy to seduce.

Over the coming days, he set out to acquire more cash, which he’d need if he was to successfully win her back,
if only to take her to the Ritz. Trying to think of a way to do that he recalled his visit to the release centre, very much like a quartermaster’s store with bundles of clothes stacked everywhere as men were kitted out in preparation for their demobilisation. He’d walked away to be instantly approached by a spiv. The fellow had offered him ten quid for the box of clothes and shoes he’d been issued with. It was a tempting sum, but Alex had declined to accept. Later, watching some of his mates smugly pocket the money, he’d come to regret his refusal, particularly considering he’d been fobbed off with a demob suit that didn’t even fit.

Taking a leaf from their book, he now stationed himself close to Victoria railway station in Manchester. Trains arrived daily, packed to the gunwales with soldiers, sailors and airmen, some of them obliged to sit on their suitcase in the corridors for lack of space. As they poured off the train, he made similar offers to these returning ex-servicemen, who were equally desperate for hard cash. Alex forked out fifty pounds on purchasing parcels of clothing from them, some of which included trilbies and greatcoats. But he then went on to double his money by selling them off to folk who were in desperate need of clothes but short of coupons. You needed sixteen points just to buy a coat these days.

Following the success of that little scheme, he then bought a stack of clothing coupons from Eddie, asking no questions about whether or not these were legal or perhaps stolen. He bought a couple of thousand for fifteen quid, and happily went on to sell those too at a good price. He
bought other kinds of coupons, as the demand was insatiable, telling potential customers that it shouldn’t trouble them in the slightest what they were actually intended for, as clothes coupons could be exchanged for sugar and eggs, if their grocer or butcher was of a mind to be flexible.

‘You are so kind,’ people would say, not only grateful for the opportunity to buy extra coupons, but excited at having to pay a pittance for them as they could cost as much as two shillings per coupon on the black market. Kindness played no part in his character, but Alex settled for one shilling, and still made a tidy sum.

Back in Cathie’s bed, he would tuck the wad of cash he’d earned that day into the envelope that he kept under the mattress, then turn over with a contented sigh to sleep. Not only was he at last free of his dictatorial father, and other irritations in his life, but had also found a way to make easy money. Long may it last.

As for Cathie, he’d win her round in the end, he was quite certain of that. And marriage with her would provide him with the opportunity to acquire even more. He really was much more clever than people gave him credit for.

That first evening Cathie had returned to Aunt Evie, who kindly offered her a bed, or rather a blanket and pillow on the floor in the living room. The night had seemed endless, and although little Heather slept contentedly in her pram beside her, Cathie herself had barely slept a wink.
She felt that her much-hoped-for future was at an end, as if all her dreams and hopes were dead, along with her sister. How could she have been so naïve as to trust Alex? Why hadn’t she exercised a little more common sense instead of fussing about wedding plans, gowns and baking cakes?

Even making a Christmas cake and buying a goose had been a complete waste of time, as those plans too had been ruined. She really must stop being so trusting and learn to rely upon that sense of independence Steve had told her she’d acquired during the war. If only she’d listened to him more. Oh, how she missed him. His absence had left an unexpectedly great hole in her life. Who was left for her to turn to for help and support?

At least her aunt loved her, even if her own mother couldn’t give a toss what happened to her. Finally, Cathie had fallen asleep out of sheer exhaustion. But the following morning her aunt confessed that she was not in a position to offer her permanent accommodation.

‘Sorry, love, but things are a bit tricky for me right now with Donald and the kids back home at last, and none of them getting on too well. Even accepting me as their mum after years living as evacuees in the Lake District is not proving easy for them. But they don’t seem to remember that he’s their father, and after years as a POW I confess he doesn’t look or act like the same man.’ She paused, distress all too evident in her woeful expression, so that Cathie put her arms around her aunt to give her a warm hug.

‘I’m sorry to hear that. Then I won’t get in your hair, Aunty, I promise.’

‘So where will you go, love?’

‘Don’t worry, I can stay with a friend,’ she said, explaining about the key Brenda had sent her, and insisted she keep. ‘I’m deeply grateful for her generosity.’ As she fed Heather her breakfast porridge, Cathie risked repeating a question she’d asked several times before, with little success. ‘I can see why it will feel odd for your children coming home to a father they haven’t seen in years and probably have little memory of. You have my sympathy over that, Aunty. I remember feeling equally deserted when Dad left home. Do you have any idea what happened to him?’

Evie let out a sigh. ‘I wish I did. Frank just vanished one day. He told me he’d had enough of Rona’s cavorting and was leaving her. You were about six or seven at the time, I seem to recall. He gave me a hug then just walked out. I haven’t seen or heard from him since.’

‘Why is that? I thought you two were close. And why did he have no wish to contact me, his own daughter?’

Evie plonked herself down in the chair beside Cathie to stroke and tidy her somewhat unruly hair. ‘He did love you to bits, but had a strong yearning to emigrate. I suspect he went to Australia, or maybe Canada. He did promise that he would send for you once he was settled. The fact we haven’t heard from him since must mean that he never did settle. He’s no doubt spent his entire life roving around
the world. But then he too was a soldier during the First World War, and it affected him badly. He never settled back home in Manchester. His best mate was shot for desertion, and Frank himself suffered from shell shock. He was riddled with problems, and as a result it was never a happy marriage.’

‘So there’s not much hope of me ever seeing Dad again?’

‘I very much doubt you will, love.’ Glancing at the baby with porridge pasted across her chubby cheeks, Evie gave a soft little chuckle. She began to wipe them clean. ‘My advice, Cathie, would be don’t look back, look forward. Plan a lovely future for little Heather here. She’s such a darling.’

‘She is indeed,’ Cathie agreed, brushing away the start of tears from her eyes. She’d lived most of her life without a father, and with a witch of a mother, so it would be a joy to provide a more loving home for this little one. Wishing her aunt well and offering every hope of recovery from her own troubles, Cathie took herself off to what Brenda always dubbed as her ‘miserable little bedsit’.

It proved to be actually quite a pleasant little flat overlooking the canal, with two bedrooms, a combined kitchenette and living area, and a small bathroom. Perfect, if rather sparsely furnished with only the odd chair, no wardrobe or set of drawers. But each bedroom possessed a comfy bed, and there were hooks on the wall to hang
her clothes on. It looked rather in need of a good clean as her friend had been absent for a week or two, constantly being called back by her late husband’s family. Cathie set to at once to give everywhere a good sweep and polish, a task with which she’d had plenty of practice since taking on her new job as a cleaner at the umbrella factory.

Once that was done, she wrote a quick letter to Brenda to explain that she was here in her flat, and to thank her for her generosity.

‘Do hope you’ll be home again soon, as I miss you greatly,’ she finished. Then as a PS, added, ‘And Steve too, of course. I called on his parents to ask where he was and they said he was working at a printing works in Birmingham. They gave me his address so I do intend to send him an apology, once I decide what to say.’

It took her a few days to settle in and pluck up the courage to write to Steve. Having finally done so, she decided to post it there and then. Knowing that Rona would be at the cotton mill, and Alex hopefully out looking for a job, this might be the ideal moment to slip back home for the rest of her belongings. After that she’d collect Heather from the nursery around lunchtime, as usual.

Carefully checking that the house was indeed empty, Cathie let herself in and hurried straight upstairs. Flinging open her wardrobe doors and dressing table drawers, she quickly gathered up clothes, shoes and other personal
possessions to stuff them into a small brown suitcase and a large carpet bag.

When she was done she glanced about her, just in case she’d missed anything. Seeing the rumpled sheets, she realised that Alex must have actually slept in her bed last night, and her throat tightened with pain. It could well have been their wedding night, in which case she should have been here with him. Or had her mother joined him instead? She felt sick at the thought.

Instead of celebrating their wedding she’d had no option but to walk out, finding herself all alone in a bleak world.

It was bad enough that in recent weeks just walking up the street pushing the pram would bring forth sly, disapproving glances from neighbours and so-called friends. Some had begun to avoid her, clearly assuming little Heather to be her child, and with no ring on her finger they considered this quite shocking.

Sal would be heartbroken if she knew.

Cathie almost wished that she’d never met, let alone fallen in love with Alex Ryman, but sadly he’d captured her heart and nothing could reduce the pain, as it seemed to disintegrate within her. But if he’d truly felt the same way about her, why had he betrayed her? Did he chase any woman who winked or smiled at him? Or was she being unreasonable to expect a man to be faithful through such difficult times? Remembering what Aunt Evie had said about how her own father had suffered badly as a result of the First War, perhaps she was. Fighting a war
thousands of miles from home, family and loved ones, could not be easy.

Wiping the blur of tears from her eyes, Cathie tossed her last few precious belongings into the bag. Whatever the reason, she had to put all this behind her and think of the future, as Aunt Evie had advised. She needed to be strong and determined, and not allow herself to be put down by gossip.