Living a Lie (27 page)

There was a short silence. Then, “All right… put the kettle on. I’ll be down in a minute.”

Kitty went about her duties singing. After a few minutes seated at the breakfast table with Mildred, who carped and moaned that at her age she needed a good night’s sleep, Kitty washed the breakfast cups, ran a Hoover round the house, and polished every surface in sight, singing all the while and thrilled at the prospect of seeing Georgie.

“She’s back before the board on Monday,” she reminded Mildred.

“I hope they release her this time.”

Mildred had lost patience with Georgie.

“She would have been released long ago, if only she’d learned how to curb her temper.” She sighed.

“Who am I to talk anyway?” she asked.

“I’ve done exactly the same with that greedy ex-husband of mine. Now he’s after my blood.” Reaching behind her, she plucked a brown envelope from the dresser. With a shrug she threw it across the table.

“It came yesterday.”

Concerned, Kitty opened it and drew out the letter. As she read her expression changed from curiosity to anger, then to anxiety.

“It says here you have to sell the house and contents.” She was so shocked she fell into a chair.

“He can’t really make you sell this house, can he?”

Pointing to the letter, Mildred explained, “As you see, that letter is from his solicitor. They don’t usually issue those instructions unless they’ve done their homework.”

“But it’s your house!” Kitty was certain her aunt had the right to refuse.

“It was left to you by your parents. It was he who cleared off. It was he who set up homa with another woman. And even then you haven’t shirked your responsibilities because, since you started work, you’ve done your bit to support the children. Doesn’t that count for anything?”

“It seems not. He says it’s not enough. He wants his share of everything… including this house.” Mildred sighed wearily.

“I’m tired of fighting,” she said. Clenching her fists together, she banged them on the table.

“Damn the man! I’m beginning to think it might be better if I do sell the bloody house, just to get him off my back once and for all.”

Kitty was appalled.

“Is that what you want?”

“Course it isn’t! As you said, this house was left me by my parents.

It’s where I was born. It’s where I grew up . where I got married from. ” She grinned.

“That was a mistake if ever there was one.”

Coming round the table, Kitty bent down to hug her.

“Don’t let them take it from you,” she urged gently.

“There has to be another way.

Perhaps you could get a mortgage to give him his share? “

“I’ve thought of that, but I’m not too keen. It would be a millstone round my neck.” Touching her hand against Kitty’s she apologised.

“It’s not your problem. I shouldn’t have told you.”

“Oh?” Kitty was disappointed.

“I thought we’d agreed to look after each other?”

Mildred gave her a look of love.

“You’re a blessing to me,” she said.

“Now get off and see that wayward friend of yours. Tell her what I said. If she’d learned how to curb her temper, she’d have been out of there long ago.”

A few minutes later, Kitty was hurrying down the path, kicking the snow beneath her feet and thinking what a wrench it would be for her aunt to part with this lovely old house.

Watching from the window, Mildred was thinking the same. When Kitty turned to wave, she waved back.

“I wish

I had your strength,” she said under her breath.

Surprisingly, the bus was on time. In fact, if Kitty had been just one minute late she might have missed it.

“I thought the weather would hold you up,” she told the conductor as she clambered onto the platform.

“Did you now?” He was only two months away from retirement. Completely bald beneath his cap, he had a long narrow face with thin arched eyebrows and lips you could slice a loaf with. His hands trembled as he rolled out the ticket, and when he smiled, as he did now, his false teeth played a merry tune against his gums.

“Off to the borstal again?” Taking off his cap he scratched his pink head.

“I should have thought she’d been out of it by now.”

Kitty crossed her fingers and winked.

“Next week … if all goes well,” she whispered. She had confided in this old man some time back, on an empty bus when returning from a visit to Georgie. It was the first time her friend had had hopes of being released, and the first time she had had her hopes dashed. Kitty had been softly crying when the conductor sat beside her, and she’d told him everything. Since then he had taken a keen interest in what he believed was a strange relationship between his ‘respectable passenger, and a convict who couldn’t stay out of trouble, even in jail.

After paying her fare and thanking him for his concern, Kitty made her way down the aisle. Other passengers marked her out of the corner of their eyes; they had overheard the remarks made by the conductor and were curious. More than that, they were drawn by Kitty’s dark beauty.

In her long boots, calf-length coat and black beret, she made a striking figure. Her smiling brown eyes shone from her face and her long dark hair made a striking contrast with the cream-coloured collar of her overcoat.

When she sat down, taking off her beret to shake the snow from it, she smiled at one young woman, who made a sour face and quickly looked away. Must have got out of bed the wrong side this morning, Kitty thought, pulling the beret back over her thick wild hair. After that she concentrated on the journey ahead. If she was to be let out on Monday, Georgie would need all kinds of help. To that end, Kitty had been to a local letting office, where she’d acquired a list of rented properties for Georgie to glance through.

Taking the list from her bag, Kitty perused it for most of the journey. There was one place in particular she hoped Georgie might like. It was a one-bedroom, ground-floor flat, in a street not too far from Mildred’s house.

“You’ll like this one,” Kitty whispered hopefully. Marking the place with a pencil, she noted; “The rent’s reasonable too.”

Georgie was all smiles when Kitty showed her the list, “You’re a good mate,” she said.

“But I don’t want to tempt Fate by looking at it. Put it back in your bag. If they let me out on Monday, the two of us can go and inspect the place. If it’s good enough for a lady like me self then I’ll be glad to take it.” Her face broke into a grin.

“I’m glad you’re here,” she said.

“Give us a fag, and I’ll tell you me life story.”

“I don’t know if I could stand it,” laughed Kitty, ‘but I’ll give you a fag anyway. ” Taking out a packet of Players, she deliberately held them at arm’s length.

“Have you stayed out of trouble since I saw you?”

“I haven’t punched anybody’s face if that’s what you mean.” Stretching her arm out as far as she could, Georgie still couldn’t reach the cigarettes.

“Aw, come on, gal! Have a heart!” she pleaded.

Kitty narrowed her eyes.

“Will you keep out of trouble until Monday?”

Til try me best. “

Unimpressed, Kitty returned the cigarettes to her bag, “Not good enough,” she declared.

Georgie was frantic.

“All right! All right! I ain’t been in no trouble, and I ain’t got no intention of spoiling me chances before Monday. Cor, bleedin’ hell, gal!” she cried indignantly.

“Anybody would think I were all us fighting!”

Kitty’s eyes opened wide as she said with disbelief, “Now why would anybody think that?”

Groaning, Georgie dropped her head to the table and folded her arms over it. From the depths of her soul came a pitiful wail, “Give us a fag, for pity’s sake!” When Kitty put the packet into her hand, she looked up, an elfin grin spreading from ear to ear.

“You’re a good ‘un,” she said.

“What are you? A bloody good ‘un!” Taking a cigarette out of the packet, she put it between her lips and waited for Kitty to hand over a box of matches. She lit the cigarette and slid the packet into her pocket. Making smoke-rings, she settled back in her chair and eyed Kitty with some apprehension.

“Are you all right, gal?” she asked.

“Never better.” Kitty didn’t reveal she had been sleeping badly.

“You’re a bleedin’ liar, Kitty Marsh.”

Kitty’s smile broadened.

“Is that any way to treat someone who’s come out in the snow and travelled on a crowded bus to bring you a packet of fags?”

Georgie laughed.

“You bugger! You won’t put me off like that.” Pulling her chair closer to the table, she said in a softer voice, “You ain’t fooling me, gal. I know sum mat up.” Suspicion dawned.

“It’s that bleedin’ aunt of yours, ain’t it?” Clicking her fingers she exclaimed, “I knew it! What’s she been up to now, eh? Stolen the fillings out of your teeth, has she?”

“That’s not fair, Georgie. Mildred has nothing to do with it. Besides, she has her own troubles at the minute.”

“So what’s wrong with you then?” Drawing on her cigarette again, Georgie blew the smoke out through her nose.

“It’s a man, ain’t it?”

Her face fell. Then are all us trouble. “

“You’re never far wrong, are you?” Kitty hadn’t told Georgie about Jack. She wondered if she ought to.

“You can tell me, gal,” her friend assured her. Her eyes scanned Kitty’s face.

“It isn’t Harry Jenkins, is it? He hasn’t tracked you down and asked you to marry him?”

“No, it isn’t Harry,” Kitty revealed.

“You know that I sent him away.”

“I said you were crazy then, and I haven’t changed my mind… Harry was good for you. I told you no man would ever love you like he did, and they never will.”

Kitty couldn’t speak for a minute. She was thinking of Harry, and her heart was heavy.

“If it isn’t Harry, who is it?” Georgie wouldn’t let it drop now.

“I

know it’s a bloke, so you might as well own up, gal. “

“Wait until you come out, then we’ll talk about it.” Kitty thought it best not to say any more.

“You’ve enough on your mind at the minute.”

Georgie was adamant.

“Bugger that, gal!” She even nipped her cigarette out in the ashtray.

“If you don’t tell me, I’ll be going mad wondering. Come on, out with it.”

Kitty knew there would be no peace until she’d told her.

“It’s my boss. He’s asked me to marry him.”

Georgie was speechless, mouth wide open and eyes like saucers.

Suddenly she was laughing, then she was deadly serious.

“How can you marry him when it’s Harry you love?”

“That’s just it, I can’t.” Kitty couldn’t get Harry out of her mind.

“In fact, I’ve been thinking of finding Harry and asking if he still feels the same way about me.”

“Course he does, gal.”

“I don’t think so. I think he’s forgotten all about me.” It hurt to think that, but it was a very real possibility.

Georgie was already on another track.

“This boss of yours? Rich is he?”

“Rich enough, I suppose.”

“Does he really love you?”

“Yes, I think he does. He says he does.”

“How does he treat you?”

Kitty smiled.

“Like I’m made of china. He’s generous and kind, always wanting to please.”

“Sounds like a dog!”

“Jack’s all right, but he won’t take no for an answer.”

“Have you slept with him?” Georgie was nothing if not bold.

Kitty confided everything; about how they had gone to look at a cruiser he wanted to buy, and how they had to stay overnight at a hotel. She told how Jack came into her room and they made love. And when it was told, she felt much better.

“What was it like?” Georgie’s eyes glittered.

“Was he any good?”

Kitty blushed.

“He was gentle.”

Georgie groaned.

“That don’t sound very exciting, gal!” She saw Kitty was getting agitated and decided to change the subject.

“If he’s kind and gentle like you say, and if he’s rich enough to keep you in comfort for the rest of your life, maybe you should marry him.”

“Maybe.” Kitty was shocked by her own answer. If she was beginning to lose hope, there would be little point to anything.

Georgie knew she was thinking of that first and only love.

“When do you mean to talk to Harry?”

Kitty brightened.

“I thought I’d invite him to my eighteenth birthday party.” In fact the more she thought about it, the more she saw it as the perfect opportunity to find out whether he still wanted her.

Georgie thought it was a brilliant idea.

“I’m invited too, ain’t I?

That bleedin’ aunt of yours won’t shut the door in me face? “

“You don’t have to worry. Mildred wouldn’t do that. All you need to worry about is curbing that temper of yours, at least until Monday.”

“I ain’t worried about that, gal, ‘cause one way or another, I’m getting out of here.”

“What’s that supposed to mean?” Kitty had no illusions where Georgie was concerned.

Georgie’s expression gave nothing away. She lit her cigarette again, took a long drag of it, and with each word emitted smoke in little spurts.

“I miss my fella,” she said evasively.

“The bugger’s been out these past months and only visited once. I’m sure he’s got another woman.” Her eyes sparked.

“She’d better watch out, because if I get me hands on her she’ll know it!” Suddenly her mood changed and she was chuckling.

“It’s like I said, gal, men are trouble.”

After that they reminisced about Miss Davis.

“I had another card from her,” Kitty said.

“She’s staying in Blackburn for a while, then she’s off to the Canary Isles for Christmas.”

Georgie remarked, “It’s all right for some, ain’t it!” and they both recalled how kind Miss Davis had been to them.

They talked again of Jack, and Georgie said she wished some rich bloke would whisk her off on a cruiser.

“That’d show my bloody fella where to get off!” she grumbled. Harry was mentioned several times. So was Kitty’s eighteenth birthday party. Georgie promised she would be there come hell or high water, and when she had finished her fourth cigarette, it was time to say goodbye.