The Wild Seed (50 page)

‘Yes, I am expecting our baby, the doctor has confirmed it. Go to him, ask him if you don’t believe me.’ She took a deep breath. ‘Say you’ll come back to me, live with me here at Ty Craig and I will drop this case at once.’

Boyo sighed and rubbed his hand through his hair. He must agree to her terms, at least for the moment. Lull her into a false sense of security. ‘Bethan, I am back, to all intents and purposes,’ Boyo said. ‘As you point out, I came to look after you because you weren’t well and most nights I have stayed, what more can I do?’

‘You can be a proper husband again, Boyo, that’s my price.’

He knew what she meant, she wanted him in her bed, in her clutches, a man chained for ever. ‘You are asking a great deal,’ he said and he saw Bethan flinch. She paled and then the rich colour flooded her face as she grew angry.

‘Very well, I shall take this matter all the way, I will not rest until I see the lot of them pay for what they have done to me. Don’t think I have played my final card, Boyo, I have much more ammunition and I am ready to use it, your precious fancy piece will rue the day she tried to take you away from me.’

Boyo had risen to his feet but now he sank into his chair. There was a crazy look in his wife’s eyes, a look that boded ill for Catherine. He felt instinctively that, so far, Bethan had only been playing with revenge; now, she was mad enough to do anything.

‘All right,’ he said, ‘I’ll do anything you want, Bethan, anything.’

He saw her settle back into her chair with a smug smile on her face and in that moment, he felt he could take her by the throat and throttle the life from her.

‘That’s good,’ she was magnanimous now, ‘I’ll write a note dismissing Fitzgibbon … I’ll write it tomorrow.’ She was simpering like a young girl. ‘For tonight, there are matters of far greater importance to deal with and I am looking forward to our second honeymoon with great anticipation. Now, Boyo, ring the bell, we shall have a drink of porter to celebrate the occasion.’

Controlling his anger, Boyo rose to his feet and pulled the bell-cord, he was putting on the greatest act of his life and he was not sure he could sustain it for very long. When the nervous little maid brought the wine, he managed to smile as he raised his glass. ‘To you, Bethan,’ he said softly.

Liam climbed from the train at Swansea Station and looked around him, taking in the dingy buildings that sprawled along the track. He had become used to making the journey from Ireland across the sea to Wales and each time he hoped that he would be able to persuade Catherine to return to Ireland with him. When he told her what had happened back home she would agree to making the trip, he was sure of it.

He began to walk towards Watkin Street, a mixture of anticipation at seeing Catherine again mingled with a sense of apprehension. There, hidden below the surface, was the fear that she would have gone back to Boyo Hopkins, a fear he could never quite conquer.

The house was one of a terrace, tall houses built about fifty years earlier, grimed now with dust and smoke, the stone changed from mellow warmth to a dingy grey. The curtains fluttered in the breeze, they were worn but clean, the flowery pattern almost lost by much washing. He knocked on the door and waited in a fever of impatience for someone to answer.

‘Catherine.’ She looked pale and there were dark shadows beneath her eyes. ‘Catherine, are you all right colleen?’

‘Liam, I didn’t expect to see you.’ Was there a tinge of disappointment in her tone. ‘You look beat, you shouldn’t be making the long journey so often just to see me.’

‘I wanted to see you, I needed to see you, Cam, I want you to come home with me to Ireland.’

‘I can’t, Liam, don’t let’s go through all that again.’ Catherine spoke quickly.

‘Can I come in or do I have to stand out here on the step?’ Liam tried to force a smile.

‘Doreen is in bed, she’s not well, she … well, it’s a long story.’

‘Has something happened to her?’ Liam asked, forcing himself to sound calm. He wanted to take Catherine and shake some sense into her.

She led the way into the kitchen and without asking poured him a glass of lemon water. ‘There’s no tea left, sorry.’ She sat down opposite him and cupped her chin in her hands. She was thinner than when he’d seen her last but achingly beautiful with her red-gold hair coming loose from the pins.

‘Tell me this long story, from the beginning, Catherine.’ He realized that something was very wrong. He saw her look down at her hands. Her face was crumpled as though she was going to cry.

‘Sure now don’t go upsetting yourself, however bad it is, we can sort it out, I’m sure.’

‘Doreen shot her husband. Meadows is dead.’ Her voice was muffled.

Liam felt a shock of anger. ‘It’s probably what the old bastard deserved.’

He listened to Catherine’s account of the scene up on the hill near Summer Lodge. His fists bunched, it could just as well have been Catherine with Doreen that day.

‘You should have sent for me at once,’ he said when she had subsided into silence. ‘What’s happening now, is Doreen being charged with murder?’

Catherine shook her head. ‘That’s the funny thing, it’s all gone very quiet.’

‘Go on,’ Liam said.

‘Well, Mrs Hopkins got the best lawyers down from London, we thought Doreen would be convicted for sure and then, suddenly, the whole thing was hushed up. Doreen got off with a plea of self-defence. Even the judge could see that Doreen had been beaten to within an inch of her life but we all expected this London man to get a conviction for murder.’

‘Did Hopkins have a hand in this?’

‘I don’t know.’ Catherine shook her head. ‘I just don’t know what happened. All I’m glad about is it’s over, Doreen is free.’

‘How is Doreen?’

‘Not too bad, her wounds have healed but she’s not getting the nourishment she needs to get her strength back. We are both out of work. We have no money left and Mrs Grenfell can’t help, she is practically ruined.’

‘So Mrs Hopkins got what she wanted then by the look of it.’ Liam shook his head. ‘The woman is insane.’

‘It’s not fair!’ Catherine said hotly. ‘This all happened because Mrs Grenfell wouldn’t sack me. Now her name is being bandied about town, people are saying she is the one who pulled the trigger, it was her gun that was used to shoot Meadows. Folks won’t shop with her any more.’

‘Bethan Hopkins is dangerous,’ Liam said heavily. ‘Catherine, you’d better stay out of her way, she wants revenge, she hates you, she won’t let it rest, not if she lives to be a hundred.’

‘Well, if she wants me dead she needn’t stir a finger to do it, I’ll starve to death if I don’t find work soon.’

‘And Hopkins, what does he have to say, I expect he’s been round here?’

Catherine shook her head. ‘No, I haven’t seen him, not for a few weeks.’

So that was the real reason for her distress: she was hungry, she was afraid, but most of all Catherine was longing to be with Boyo Hopkins.

‘I’m sorry, Liam,’ she said after a moment. ‘I’m sure you haven’t trudged all this way just to listen to my problems. Is everything all right back home?’

Liam forced a smile. ‘Aye, your mammy is fine, sends her love,’ he said. He looked down at his hands.

‘Liam, what is it?’ Catherine asked. ‘There’s something wrong back in Ireland and I’ve been prattling away about my problems.’

‘It’s Patricia,’ Liam said. ‘The baby is fine but …’ He paused.

‘Your sister, is she sick?’

‘Patricia began to bleed … we … no-one could do anything.’ He swallowed hard. ‘She’s gone, God rest her.’

‘Liam, I’m so sorry.’ Catherine touched his hand and he curled his fingers around hers.

‘I want you to come back with me, Cath, to look after the child just for the time being.’

He saw Catherine’s eyes grow large, her face was drained of colour. He could see the thread of a blue vein beneath her eye and he knew he was asking too much of her.

He thought Catherine would protest that she could not leave Swansea but she just sat there, cold and pale, her hands listless in her lap.

‘Catherine, Maeve is managing the baby fine, I can’t expect you to live in Ireland, not when I said I’d stay here with you.’

She rose and stood near the table as though uncertain what she should do next. ‘I can’t think.’ She rubbed her eyes. ‘I can’t offer you anything to eat, Liam, I’m sorry but there is nothing in the house.’

He could see that, the fire was dead in the grate, no water could be boiled, even if there had been food in the pantry to cook.

‘Will you put me up for the night, Catherine? I can’t stay more than a day or two, I’m needed back home. Maeve is too old to chase round after a young baby and I’m not needed here, am I?’ He looked at her questioningly, ‘Am I?’

‘You can stay,’ she said quickly, ‘of course you can, if you can manage on the old sofa in the parlour.’

‘That will be fine.’ He rose to his feet and moved closer, though he did not touch her. ‘I couldn’t bear it if anything happened to you.’

Catherine did not look at him. ‘I know, Liam, I know.’ She lifted her hands as if to ward him off and he took a pace back.

‘I have some errands to do,’ he said briskly, ‘some business in town. I’ll be back later.’

Catherine did not look up as he left the room, it was as though he had ceased to exist for her. Had he really held her in his arms? Made love to her? It was like a lost dream now. He felt, with a heaviness in his heart, that she would not come with him to Ireland, not even now when he needed her so badly.

Still, he must put his own feelings aside, there were things he could and must do for her, practical things like stocking the larder and getting in coal. He must insist that she took some money from him, otherwise she would not live to see another summer.

As he left the house, Liam saw Danby coining towards him, a bag in his hand. There was something furtive about the way he looked over his shoulder as though he was afraid he was being followed.

‘Jerry, how are you?’

The policeman’s eyes flickered away. ‘I’m fine, aye, fine. I’ve plucked up courage to come and see Doreen. Been too scared of losing my job to come here before.’

‘It looks as if Meadows got what was coming to him from what I’ve just heard.’ Liam’s voice was hard.

‘That’s as maybe, I could have killed him myself for what he did to Doreen but he was a copper after all and coppers stick together.’

‘The man was corrupt, you know it and I know it.’

Jerry nodded. ‘Most of my colleagues thought Peter Meadows was a bastard when he was alive but you’d think he was their bosom pal now that he’s dead.’

‘From what I heard, Doreen had no choice but to shoot the man,’ Liam said. ‘Surely even his fellow coppers could see that?’

‘I expect they can but speaking for myself, I’m keeping my mouth shut. It’s no good me being all heated about it and getting the sack. The way things are, at least I can bring a bit of bread and cheese to the girls when I get the chance.’

‘Well, you haven’t had much chance so far because, from what I can see, they are near starving to death.’

‘Look, it’s not my fault, man, I can’t be responsible for all the bad things that happen, at least I was here in Swansea.’

‘I know.’ Liam was suddenly ashamed of his anger, Jerry Danby was right, Liam had no room to criticize when he had been far away in Ireland.

‘Anyway, what my mam always says is that if you see your best friend falling in a pond, you don’t jump in after him unless you got a stout rope around your waist.’

‘I get the point.’ Liam smiled for the first time. ‘What have you got there?’

‘I got some bread and a bit of beef and some veggies, it’ll help a bit anyway.’

‘It certainly will, especially when I get them some coal to light the fire.’ Liam smiled at the chagrin on Jerry’s face. ‘
Duw
, I never thought of that and me a bobbie, not very bright, am I?’

‘Don’t worry, you go on in, I’m sure seeing you will cheer Doreen up a bit.’

‘How is she?’ Jerry was already moving towards the door.

‘Don’t know, didn’t see her but I bet she’ll see you all right.’

As he walked away towards the town, Liam felt pain and disappointment rise like a lump in his throat. What he had hoped for was that Catherine would fall into his arms, agree at once to go with him back to Ireland. But Catherine was still besotted with Hopkins, probably always would be. As the breeze blew into his face it was salt from the sea, salt that tasted like tears.

To Bethan’s bitter disappointment, Boyo was still distant from her. Not even the knowledge that she was pregnant again with his child seemed to matter to him. Indeed, he felt she had tricked him into her bed. Well, so she had in a way, a small potion in his milk had made him so easy to manipulate.

Lately, though, she was not herself, she stayed in bed, eating little, feeling aggrieved at what she felt was Boyo’s failure to keep his side of the bargain.

She recognized all too easily that Boyo was happy about her indisposition, it put off the day when he would have to come to her bed and prove himself.

Today, she had ventured downstairs, tired of being alone. She looked at him now, sitting a short distance away from her, his feet stretched towards the fire, a book in his hand. To an outsider, they would appear as any normal married couple, used to each other, slightly bored from familiarity, but no-one could see the storm that was building within her.

She was bitter about the way she had needed to bargain with him in order to bring him back to her. Boyo could be bought, oh, not with money, but with promises that involved that bitch of a girl.

There was some comfort in the fact that the girl was half starved and beaten down by poverty. There was no way out for Catherine O’Conner, Bethan had seen to that. Now that Hari Grenfell had been brought to her knees, there was no work and no money.

Following the scandal involving the shooting of Sergeant Meadows, no other inducement was needed to keep the affluent folk of the town clear of Hari Grenfell and her so-called emporium. Well, the woman knew her place now, knew that it did not pay to cross Bethan Hopkins.