THE BONDAGE OF LOVE (40 page)

you haven't brought any things with you, one of my shorties will likely fit you. "

The girl now brought herself from Fiona's arms, and when she rubbed her wet face with her hands, Fiona said, "Here, dear," and handed her a handkerchief.

Then Mamie, turning to Katie, said, Thank you," and slowly she pulled herself to her feet; then, about to walk down the room at Katie's side, she suddenly turned and, going back to Fiona, who was sitting as if still unable to take all this in, she said, " I. I can . can stay then? I can st. stay for good? "

"Yes, dear. Yes, you may stay; you're back home."

"Oh."

Fiona watched the girl, this strange girl who carried no semblance of the Mamie she remembered, draw in a long breath before saying, "I... I can help, m ... m ... make myself useful."

"Go along, dear, and don't worry any more. Go along."

When the door closed on them, Fiona brought her hands together and pressed them against her lips, and again she wondered what they had done. What had she done? Because she had been adamant that she couldn't and wouldn't stand that girl any longer, that not one of the family could stand her. But what had happened to her in those short two years? She had the appearance of a frightened animal. The door opened again and when Bill reached the couch and sat down beside her, he did not speak for a moment, nor did she; and when he said, "My God! Did you ever see such a change in a human being like there is in that child?" she immediately said, "She's been badly treated."

"Badly treated! Not only has her brain been washed, but her body's been mauled."

"No!"

"Yes. And I mean to get to the bottom of it, after the doctor's had a look at her. And by what that couple said, I shouldn't be surprised if her

money's nearly all gone. Why did those two abscond of a sudden?"

"Will you go down to see?"

"I can't. I can't at the moment, but what I shall do is get my solicitor to write to hers. And another thing: I'm sending my accountant down there for a couple of days. Gerry's a very astute fella. If there's anything fishy, he'll dig it out. But first things first, I'm ringing Dr. Pringle. I know it's Sunday, but I'll put him in the picture and he'll likely come in first thing tomorrow morning, if not tonight. If she's so afraid of men as not to let them near her, well..." He nodded at her and left the sentence unfinished. But Fiona ended it for him, saying, "Oh, dear Lord! I hope not that. I feel bad enough as it is."

He now took Fiona's hand, saying, "Look, dear, I know you are feeling just the same as I am at the moment; part of you is riddled with guilt, but we've got to look at it this way. What we did was necessary at that time. Anyway, dear, her presence won't spoil your plans, will it?"

She stared at him for a moment. She would have wanted to answer, definitely no, dear. Neither she

nor anything else will spoil my plans. But now she wasn't so sure. And

that is what she said, "I'm not so sure, dear. Just let things hang; we'll see how she behaves. " Then she added, " Have you put the others in the picture? "

"Yes, as much as I can. I related what that garrulous lady told me.

But garrulous or not, it was good of her, and the mother, to take all this trouble. And I must write to her. Anyway, we'll wait a bit and see how

things turn out. "

"Her clothes are dreadful. That dress she had on looked as if it had been made out of brown sacks. She's having a bath and Katie's trying to fit her up now. Then I think she should come down into the recreation room and see how she reacts."

"Yes. Yes." And he nodded at her.

"And anyway, we must stay for a while and watch Sep doing his stuff. And, of course, Willie showing off his prowess too. Presentable young fella, that Sep, isn't he?"

"Yes. Surprising: and in a way he was as entertaining as Daisy. It's odd, isn't it, that you should have three of her family working for you now?"

"And you know what she said to me the other day ... Daisy? She said, "

Life's funny, isn't it? If I hadn't met Willie, we'd all be still living on short commons in our house. " And I haven't heard that expression for years.

But there she came out with it; short commons."

They were moving towards the door now when he stopped and, putting his hand on her shoulder, he said, T wish you liked her. "

"I do. I do," she was quick to protest.

"Aye, you do, but you wouldn't like her in the family, would you?"

"Oh, Bill, that's another subject."

"Yes, it's another subject, dear. But you've got a tenacious son, and you wouldn't want to lose him, would you?"

"Bill!"

"I'm stating a fact, Mrs. Bailey. He'll go where his heart beckons. It might tear him apart, but he's set on her. If anybody was ever set on a lass, he's set on her. The same as he was on Sammy; clings like a limpet.

And in the last year I've noticed that she's somehow changed her opinion about him being just a young kid; and from what he's let drop to me he makes himself quite at home in her house, and he seems to have been accepted.

Although he's burning the midnight oil here working for his A levels he still spends time, I hear, helping the twin with his homework. And he's a very bright boy, I'm given to understand. Well, he proved that, didn't he? With our Sammy's business. Anyway, how have we got on to this subject? Let's get along and see what's happening at the far end."

They had entered the corridor when Katie's running steps down the stairs halted them. And she, leaning over the bottom of the banister, said, "I've left her ... she's had a bath ... I've left her in my room, trying things on.

Mam," - she shook her head 'she's all marked, on her back and her thighs, and she's as thin as a rake. But. but I really do think the doctor should see her. "

"He's going to, dear. Yes, your father's going to phone him."

"And ... and she's got bruises on her arms. You remember, she was plump and white."

"I'll be up in a minute."

"No. No, I'll see to her. She's nervous. All the time she's nervous.

There's something wrong with her, Mam. "

"Yes, we know, dear. Anyway, once she's dressed bring her down into the recreation room and see how she reacts." . Sep and Willie were in the midst of a game and they did not turn to look at Fiona and Bill as they entered the room. But both Sammy and Daisy came up to them, and it was Sammy who asked,

"Is she all right?

Is there anything wrong with her? "

"She isn't well, dear, that's evident. Anyway, she'll be down in a minute.

But Willie, don't touch her. If you talk to her, just don't touch her."

"No. No, I won't." He shook his head.

Fiona closed her eyes for a moment, saying, "It's ... it's because something has happened that we don't know about."

"Well, is it she doesn't want any male to touch her, Mam? It seems pretty evident."

Fiona looked at her son, thinking, Willie would speak his thoughts, wouldn't he?

Daisy now said, "I've never seen her before today. How old is she?"

Fiona and Bill exchanged glances as if asking a question of each other, then Bill said, "Just on sixteen."

"Well, she looks older in one way, yet younger in another."

"Who's winning?" put in Bill, looking towards the table where Bert was standing at the far side, umpiring.

"Willie's one up," Sammy answered, 'but I think Sep's going easy with him. "

"He's not! He's not! Not that our Sep wouldn't, but Willie's playing brilliantly."

"All right, all right, if you say so." Sammy laughed at her. Then they all went back to the table to watch the game in progress.

Fifteen minutes later, after Willie had, in fact, been allowed to win the game, the recreation room door was thrust open, and Katie entered, calling behind her, "Come on. Come along in, dear, it's all right."

When she drew Mamie into the room, the transformation in the girl surprised them all. She was wearing one of Katie's dresses, held up round the waist with a belt so that the bodice part appeared like a blouse. Her hair was combed out from the tight bun at the back and hanging loose on her shoulders.

And on her feet were a pair of open sandals.

"Oh! well." It was Bill who broke the silence.

"Oh, now you look more like yourself."

As he made to go towards her, Fiona gently restrained him, and it was she who advanced halfway down the room to where Mamie was now standing close to Katie; and smiling at her, she said, "Oh, you do look nice, Mamie... like your old self." And without hesitation, she indicated Daisy,

saying, "This is Daisy, Katie's friend, and that young man," she pointed to Sep, 'is Daisy's brother Sep. Now let's all sit down and watch the

champions. "

And so it was that Sammy and Willie took up the game, and the rest sat round watching them, making favourable and unfavorable comments on their actions.

It was as if they all knew now that everybody was in a game, and the game was to put this strange girl at her ease.

It was leaving time. They were all in the hall, and it should happen that Willie was standing next to Bert Ormesby, when Bert, his head lowered, said under his breath, "When you get to Daisy's, don't keep bragging about winning, because Sep let up on you."

Willie's head jerked and he stared at Bert for a moment before saying, "He didn't! Did he?"

"Oh, yes, he did. He's a good fellow, is Sep." Then nudging Willie with his elbow, he said, "But you're not bad yourself, you know."

Willie's voice was very low as he muttered, "I feel an idiot, and that's what I am most of the time."

"Well," - and Bert was also whispering now "God has a special place for idiots of your type."

Willie glanced sideways at this good man who rarely pushed his religious belief and he grinned at him now as he whispered, "You'll be there ushering us specials in."

"I hope so. I hope so."

"What d'you hope?" Bill demanded loudly.

"Oh," - Bert laughed "I was just saying that I hope the council grant you the building licence for the fields tomorrow; with one exception, of course, they'll cut out the cemetery."

"So do I," Daisy called back from the step, 'those poor souls shouldn't be turfed out of their basement flats. They likely had enough of that when they were alive. "

"Get on with you." Bill pushed Daisy forward.

"No cemetery, no work for your three brothers. Just think of that, madam."

"Aw, you!"

"And you, miss! And you."

And on this note they drove away. But the door had hardly closed on them when Nell said, "We too will have to be on our way; Andrew is getting whingy."

"He's always whingy, because he's spoilt."

Nell rounded on Bill now, "He's not spoilt, and he's not always whingy.

Anyway, if he was spoilt, I haven't very far to look for the cause of it, have I? Give him this; let him have that; leave the child alone." She turned now to where Mamie was standing next to Fiona, and she said, "He's ruined Andrew. D'you remember Andrew?"

Mamie nodded, and Nell went on, "Every time he comes here, all the good we do at home is undone."

Fiona laughed and said, "Well, not quite. Remember Bill taught him a grace before meals."

"Yes," put in Bert, 'but one that shouldn't be heard. "

"Oh, you're a couple of old fogies," said Bill as he turned now and made for the drawing-room; and Bert, winking at Fiona, said quietly, "But we must be off. I'll go and bring the car round." And Nell said, "Do that and we'll go upstairs and get the children ready. Will you come and help us?" She looked at Mamie; and Mamie turned quickly towards Fiona as if she were asking

permission, and Fiona said, "Yes, let's all go up. It's far past Angela's bedtime," and to Mamie she added, "You'll be surprised how she's grown."

Mamie said nothing, but just walked with them up the broad stairs and into the nursery. But there, she didn't speak to the children or take any part in their dressing; and Fiona was reminded of the defiant silence Bill had

encountered; and yet this wasn't of the same kind, she was sure; this was a fearful silence, and it was frightening in itself.

Willie's room lay at the end of the long corridor from which a shorter one went off at right angles and in which were the three guest-rooms.

It was in one of these, and next to the one known as her room that Nell had made up the bed for Mamie.

Later in the evening, after Willie and Bill had gone to their rooms, Fiona took Mamie up to hers. She had one of Katie's shorty night dresses with her and, handing it to Mamie, she said, "This will certainly fit you."

She stood aside and watched the girl take off Katie's dress, fold it and lay it over a chair. Then what followed next caused her eyes to widen and her mouth to gape; first, the girl brought her arms out of the taped shoulder straps of what looked like a rough linen petticoat; then picking up the nightie from the bed, she pulled it over her head and began to wriggle out of her underclothes.

But then she stopped and said, "I needn't, need I?"

"You needn't what, dear?"

"Undress under my nightie," and with a swift movement she pulled the nightdress back from her head and almost savagely now she tore off the

knickers which were apparently of the same material as the petticoat.

And she stood for a moment looking down at her thin body before again picking up the nightdress, when Fiona gasped, "Oh, my dear, wait! Wait a minute,"

and she gently turned Mamie about, only to mutter, "Oh no!

No! Oh, my dear! Who did this to you? "

Now she recognised the old Mamie, for the girl bowed her head and remained mute; and it came to Fiona that the action was the only characteristic she had brought over from her childhood.

After Mamie had put on the nightdress, Fiona sat down on the side of the bed with her and put her arm around her shoulders before drawing her gently to her, saying, "We'll get to the bottom of this."

The head came up quickly now as Mamie muttered, "No, no! He may come."

"You were going to say that somebody might come back? Well, you're not going back there, so