Arthur opened his door on Sunday morning, surprised to see Joe. He looked worried and said, ‘Hello, mate, can we talk?’
‘Of course,’ Arthur agreed, getting the man a beer before they both sat down. ‘Now then, what’s the problem?’
‘I found something out yesterday, but I’ve only just plucked up the courage to tell you.’
‘Spit it out then.’
‘Arthur, Patsy isn’t all she pretends to be.’
‘What’s that supposed to mean? Never mind, it doesn’t matter anyway, if you must know I’m getting fed up with her. I keep telling her that I don’t want to take things further, but she won’t listen and is constantly pressuring me to move in. It’s getting on me wick, and I don’t know why she’s in such a hurry. She’s got a decent flat upstairs and we see a lot of each other, but she’s getting more and more possessive.’
‘Yeah, well, I know why.’
‘All right, tell me.’
Arthur’s jaw dropped as he listened to Joe, at first unable to believe what he was hearing. ‘All right, she sees me as a meal ticket, but I can’t believe she’s a prostitute. That bloke told you a pack of lies.’
‘Arthur, he was as bald as a coot and she certainly wasn’t there to cut his hair.’
If Arthur had any strong feelings for Patsy, he might have been deeply upset, instead he only felt bewildered. His stomach churned. He’d been sleeping with a prostitute. Bile rose in his throat and he stood up abruptly. ‘I’m going to have it out with her.’
‘Do you want me to join you? I’d love to see the look on her face.’
‘All right.’
It wasn’t long before Arthur was thumping on Patsy’s door, glowering when she opened it. ‘You bitch!’ he spat. ‘Thanks to Joe, I’ve found out what you do for a living.’
Her eyes widened and she poked her head out to look up and down the terrace, saying quickly, ‘Look, you’d better come upstairs.’
‘What’s the matter? Don’t you want the neighbours to hear this?’ Arthur asked sarcastically as they followed Patsy up to her living room.
‘Right, what’s all this about?’ she asked.
‘You’re a prostitute.’
‘How dare you! I’m no such thing.’
‘Don’t bother to deny it,’ Joe said. ‘I followed you, spoke to one of your clients, the daft old sod took me for CID and spilled his guts.’
‘Who the fuck are you to spy on me?’ she screeched, her veil of innocence dropping. ‘What I do for a living is none of your business.’
Patsy’s mask had well and truly slipped and once again bile rose in Arthur’s throat. ‘It make me sick to think that I slept with you. How many men have been there before me? No doubt hundreds, you filthy bitch.’
‘Yes, and all of them were better at it than you. Now get out of my sight, you bloody cripple, and take your so-called mate with you.’
Arthur blanched and as soon as they were back in the flat Joe asked, ‘Are you all right?’
‘She’s the first person to call me a cripple and it wasn’t pleasant.’
‘Patsy’s just ignorant and what she says isn’t worth worrying about.’
‘Yeah, I know,’ Arthur said, yet despite his bravado her words kept echoing in his head. ‘I’m well rid of her.’
‘You sure are, mate, and I had a lucky escape too.’
Arthur only nodded. Yes, he was well rid of Patsy, and Sally too for that matter. Women, he was sick of them. Patsy had turned out to be a prostitute, and his wife a bloody liar.
‘I’m sorry, Arthur, but I’ve got to go. My mother’s expecting me for lunch, but I can ring her to put it off if you need me to stay.’
‘There’s no need, I’m fine,’ Arthur insisted, his anger calming and when Joe left he sat pondering all that had happened. It wasn’t long before he found himself thinking differently. Yes, Sally had turned his parents and sister against him, but she had probably done it out of a need for revenge. He couldn’t blame her for that, and let’s face it, he could have put his family straight. Instead he’d let his stubborn pride get in the way.
It was time to mend bridges with his parents, to tell them the truth, but there was no way he was going to admit why he’d broken up with Patsy.
They arrived an hour later, and after listening to what he had to say, his mother cried, ‘Why didn’t you tell us this before?’
‘You all chose to believe Sally, and I was angry, Mum. You condemned me without a trial.’
‘What do you expect?’ his father snapped. ‘You’d hardly been home for five minutes before you slept with that girl, you can’t deny that.’
‘I’m not denying it, Dad, but despite what Sally told you, I didn’t move her in.’
‘You carried on sleeping with her though.’
There was no way Arthur could refute that, but how could he tell his parents that the sex with Patsy had become like an obsession, that for a while he couldn’t get enough of her? A wave of nausea made him gulp. ‘Anyway, I’ve broken up with Patsy now.’
‘What? But Sally said you’re going to marry the girl.’
‘It’s another one of her lies, and as I said, it was her idea to get a divorce, not mine.’
‘I can’t believe it. It’s so unlike Sally.’
‘I think it was her way of getting revenge.’
‘But that isn’t like her either,’ Elsie said, as she ran a hand through her hair. ‘It was Patsy who said to Sally that you’re getting married.’
‘What? I didn’t know that.’
‘Well she did, and let’s think about something else. Did Sally tell you that she wants a divorce, or did that come from Patsy?’
At his mother’s words, Arthur hung his head, his thoughts racing. ‘Come to think of it, Mum, yes, it came from Patsy.’
‘Bloody hell, son,’ his father snapped. ‘It sounds like that girl has been stirring things up, probably to keep you and Sally apart, and you were a mug to believe her.’
‘I’m starting to realise that, Dad.’
‘Then get yourself round to Candle Lane and sort things out.’
‘She’ll be bringing Angel round this afternoon, so there’s no point in going there.’
‘You can’t talk properly in front of Angel.’
‘Dad, what’s the good of trying to sort things out? Sally still finds my leg repulsive.’
His mother leaned forward, speaking earnestly. ‘She denied that and I’m sorry, son, but I’m inclined to believe her. I think you must have been imagining things.’
‘I don’t think I was.’
‘Talk to her, son. The least Sally deserves is an apology.’
‘She’d only throw it in my face. We’re getting a divorce and our marriage is in the hands of our solicitors.’
‘Come on, Elsie. If this is his attitude we might as well go,’ Bert snapped.
Arthur was relieved to see them leave, yet thinking of all that had been said, he had to face the truth. Patsy wasn’t just a prostitute, she was a mischief maker too, and he’d been too wrapped up in anger and pride to see it. What had happened to him since he’d come out of hospital? What sort of man had he turned into? He’d let Patsy manipulate him and looking up at the ceiling he scowled, hating that she was living just above him.
Unable to settle down, Arthur went to the pub for a lunchtime drink, finding that he couldn’t get any of it out of his mind. He had to go to Candle Lane, and speak to Sally alone. Swallowing the last of his pint, Arthur set off.
When he knocked on the door, Sally opened it, looking shocked to see him, but she quickly recovered. She stepped beyond the door and pulled it almost closed, blocking off any view of the hall. ‘If you’ve come to collect Angel, it’s too early. She’s still eating her dinner.’
‘It’s you I’ve come to see. I want to apologise and to ask you to come home. I’ve finished with Patsy, and though I know she told you that she’d moved in and that I wanted a divorce, it was all lies.’
‘You’re forgetting that I walked in on you. I saw you together with my own eyes.’
‘I can’t deny that, but I promise you, she didn’t move in.’
‘So you say, but you still carried on with her, still slept with her.’
Arthur lowered his eyes, fighting to find words. ‘Sally, please, I’m sorry. I really did think that you couldn’t stand the sight of my leg, and well, Patsy threw herself at me.’
As soon as he saw the expression on her face, Arthur knew he’d said the wrong thing and braced himself as her lips curled.
‘That’s rubbish and something you’ve conjured up as an excuse for carrying on with Patsy. As for her throwing herself at you, why didn’t you say no? You may have lost part of your leg, but you’ve still got your tongue! Go away, Arthur.’
‘Angel . . .’
‘You can forget seeing her today,’ and at this Sally abruptly went back inside.
Arthur found the door slammed in his face. For a moment he stood motionless, but then he turned and walked away. Sally would never forgive him, had made that plain, and with sickening clarity now, Arthur knew it was no more than he deserved.
What was taking Sally so long at the door? Ruth wondered. She rose to her feet when she heard the door slam, just in time to see Sally dashing upstairs.
Ruth followed her and as Sally threw herself across her bed she asked, ‘What’s wrong, Sally? Who was that at the door?’
‘It was Arthur. He’s finished with Patsy and came round to apologise.’
‘What did you say to him?’
‘I told him to clear off.’
‘Good for you,’ Ruth said, ‘but isn’t he supposed to have Angel for the afternoon?’
‘Yes, but I told him to forget it,’ Sally said, her eyes filling with tears.
‘Don’t let him get to you,’ Ruth urged.
‘Mum, please, I need to be on my own for a while.’
‘Sally, you’re forgetting that your father is downstairs, and so is Denis. We’re supposed to be talking to the children after dinner.’
‘All right, I . . . I’ll be down in a minute.’
Ruth shook her head but as she returned downstairs her mother was waiting at the bottom.
‘What’s going on?’
Quietly Ruth said, ‘Arthur just called round to see Sally and she’s a bit upset.’
‘What did he want?’
‘He’s finished with Patsy and came to apologise. Huh, as if that’s enough to get Sally back.’
‘If Sally still loves him maybe the marriage is worth saving.’
‘After what he’s done you can’t expect Sally to take him back.’
‘Angel adores him, Ruth, and she needs her father.’
‘What for? Sally did all right when Ken left, in fact she was better off without him, and with Arthur sleeping around she’s better off without him too.’
‘Ken wasn’t Sally’s father, and before you condemn Arthur, you should think about the old saying. Those who live in glass houses shouldn’t throw stones.’
‘What’s that supposed to mean?’
‘Are you forgetting that you had an affair, and the man who fathered Sally has just turned up again? He’s sitting in our kitchen as bold as brass and sharing our Sunday roast.’
‘Shush, Mum, he’ll hear you,’ Ruth hissed, and as her eyes flicked towards the kitchen, Andrew appeared on the threshold.
‘Is there a problem?’ he asked.
‘Sally’s husband has been round and she’s a bit upset. She just needs a bit of time on her own, that’s all.’
‘Where’s Mummy?’ Angel asked.
‘She’s got a bit of a headache and she’s having a lay down,’ Ruth said. With her dinner now cold she cleared the table, and then cut up the apple pie into portions before serving it with custard. ‘Here’s your pudding.’
‘Cor that looks good, Ruth,’ said Denis, tucking into his, sober so far, but Ruth wondered how long it would last.
When they had finished, there was still no sign of Sally, and as the children left the table Andrew said quietly, ‘Perhaps we should put off talking to them until later.’
Ruth nodded her agreement. ‘It wouldn’t hurt to leave it for an hour.’
‘Well then, Denis, I don’t know about you, but after that wonderful dinner I could do with a walk. It might be nice to get the children out from under Ruth’s feet. Is there a park or something nearby?’
‘Yeah, but I ain’t in the mood for walking. I’d rather have forty winks.’
‘I think you should spend some time with your son for a change.’
‘I just have, but now I’m off for a kip.’
Andrew looked less than pleased, but with the children looking on he said, ‘Right then, bairns, let’s find the park.’
‘I know where it is,’ Tommy told him. When they left, Sadie sighed with relief. ‘Thank Gawd for that, a bit of peace at last. Maybe I should go up to have a word with Sally.’
‘No, leave her,’ Ruth said quickly. She didn’t want her mother advising Sally to go back to Arthur. She wanted to keep her close, Angel too.
Ruth was washing up when she heard the rattle of the letterbox, and sighing at the intrusion she went to see who was at the door.
‘Ruth, can I have a word?’
‘Yeah, come in, Nelly.’
‘Blimey, bang goes our bit of peace and quiet,’ Sadie complained. ‘What do you want, Nelly?’
‘Now then, Sadie, there’s no need for that. I’ll be leaving the lane soon and as I can only take a few bits and pieces to Osborne House I’ve popped along to see if Ruth wants any of me furniture.’
‘Sorry, Nelly, take no notice of me. It’s just that we’ve had a houseful and they’ve only just left. Sit down, love.’
Sally came into the room, her face blotchy from crying, and Nelly asked worriedly, ‘Are you all right?’
‘She’s fine,’ Ruth said, answering for her. ‘It’s just that Arthur’s been round and she’s a bit upset.’
‘Did he ask you to go back to him, Sally?’
‘He came to apologise, but it’s too late for that.’
Nelly sat quietly for a moment, but then said, ‘I felt like that too, but I’m glad I forgave George.’
‘What!’ Sadie spluttered. ‘You’re not saying that George had another woman!’
‘Yes, he did. We’d been married for about six years at the time and he had it off with the barmaid in the George and Dragon.’
‘Never! I can’t believe it.’
‘It nearly broke us up, but I’m glad it didn’t. It was my old mum that talked some sense into me.’
Ruth listened in amazement. Nelly had been married for over forty years and her husband had been devoted to her. It seemed impossible to believe that he’d been unfaithful. ‘What did your mum say, Nelly?’
‘She said I had two choices. I could chuck him out, or I could take him back. Then she made me look at the alternatives. I loved George, but if I chucked him out I’d be miserable, my marriage over. On the other hand, George had made one mistake, and if I could forgive him we could go on to have a happy marriage.’