When Wishes Come True (28 page)

How well you lie, the voice in Bessie’s head was saying. It would take more than a fifty-five-year-old married man to put that sparkle in your eyes. But it hasn’t anything to do with me, so good luck to you. ‘So I’ll know about food for the weekend, is Amelia still sleeping over on Saturday night? And d’yer want me to give her a dinner on Sunday? It would be no trouble, just a few extra roast potatoes.’

Evelyn averted her eyes as her brain ticked over. Oh, how tempting the offer sounded. It would mean she could lounge around that luxurious apartment with Philip until the afternoon. Then she sensed her daughter standing nearby, waiting for her reply, and didn’t want her neighbour to think she was neglecting the girl. ‘Oh, it’s kind of you, Miss Maudsley, but I don’t think I should leave Amelia so often. You’ll be thinking you have no mother, won’t you, dear?’

As usual the girl kept her face straight and her voice flat. ‘I don’t mind, Mother, if you want to stay at your friend’s house. Miss Bessie looks after me very well. She plays cards with me, and Snakes and Ladders.’

‘So you would prefer to stay with Miss Maudsley, would you?’ Evelyn managed to keep the eagerness from her voice, but her fingers were crossed. ‘I told you she’d taken a fancy to you, Miss Maudsley, but you mustn’t let her put on you, it wouldn’t be fair. I am quite prepared to come home on Sunday morning and cook a meal for us both.’

Bessie shook her head. ‘No, we’ll leave it that she has dinner with me. I enjoy her company. So you come home when yer like. Yer may as well enjoy yerself while yer can.’

‘I must admit I am enjoying the first bit of freedom I’ve had in eight years,’ Evelyn said. ‘And it’s thanks to you.’ She stood up, and for the first time in Bessie’s presence, reached for her daughter’s hand. ‘Come along, Amelia, I’m sure Miss Maudsley is sick of the sight of us. Let’s leave her in peace.’

When mother and daughter were going out of the kitchen door, Amelia turned to say, ‘Thank you, Miss Bessie, I’ll see you tomorrow.’ And gave a wave with her free hand.

Bessie watched through the kitchen window as they walked down the yard. She was glad she was going to have the girl overnight on Saturday, and probably until Sunday afternoon. She was really good company for a woman who had lived a lonely life for so many years. Rita was only being sensible when she’d told her not to get too fond of Milly, and Bessie appreciated her mate’s concern. But how could she not be drawn to a child who hugged her tight while gazing up with wide green eyes that were crying out for affection? Oh, she might be storing up heartache for herself, as Rita said, if Mrs Sinclair ever decided to move away from the street. Bessie had warned herself about this on several occasions, and each time, a little voice in her head had told her that at least the girl would leave knowing what love and affection were. And another thing, she would be old enough by then to come and visit. As Amelia grew older, she would have a mind of her own and Bessie had a feeling they would always be in touch with each other.

Reg Wells lowered the evening paper to watch his wife hopping from one foot to the other as she kept watch through the window. ‘In the name of God, woman, what’s the matter with yer? Anyone would think it was a matter of life or death, instead of you just being nosy.’

Rita grinned at him. ‘It
is
a matter of life or death, sunshine, but I don’t expect you to understand, ’cos ye’re too busy reading the ruddy paper to notice that yer poor wife is bored rigid. It’s the same every night! Yer come in from work, have yer dinner, then all I see of yer for the next few hours is the top of yer flaming head. Yer never think of asking yer dear wife what sort of a day she’s had. Oh, no, the
Echo
comes first. Then, when yer’ve finished, if it’s not bedtime, yer might condescend to notice I’m still here.’

He grinned back. ‘If yer feel that way inclined, love, I can always fold the paper, put it under the cushion, and we can have an early night. D’yer think that would bring a bit of excitement into yer life? Make yer more content, like?’

Still keeping an eye on the house opposite, Rita told him, ‘I’m waiting to nip over to Bessie’s, sunshine, and if she hasn’t anything of interest to tell me then I’ll come back and take yer up on the offer. That’s if yer’ve had a shave. Otherwise ye’re not on ’cos that stubble of yours isn’t half rough on my delicate skin.’

Reg rubbed a hand across his chin. ‘I’d have a shave if I was sure I was on a real promise, otherwise I’ll leave it till in the morning.’

Rita, who loved her husband dearly, pretended to be giving it some thought. ‘Ooh, er, decisions, decisions. Ooh, heck, it’s a hard one. I’ll tell yer what, sunshine, you have yer shave and work yerself up into a state of excitement while I ask Bessie if she’s got any news. And if she has, I’ll tell her to speak quickly ’cos my feller is on a promise and the waiting won’t be doing him no good.’

Reg chortled. ‘Bessie’s a spinster, yer shouldn’t be putting those sort of thoughts in her head. She probably doesn’t know what it means to be on a promise.’

The clock told Rita it was ten minutes now since Bessie’s visitors had left, and as she reached for the coat hanging on a hook behind the door, she said, ‘Yer think Bessie’s education’s been lacking, do yer, Reg? Shall I ask her if she’d like yer to tell her about the birds and the bees? Ye’re very good at explaining things, you are.’

He knew his wife was quite capable of repeating what he’d said for a joke, and shook his fist at her. ‘You do that, Rita Wells, and I’ll never be able to look the woman in the face again. Now get over there and don’t spend too much time jangling. Just remember, I’ll be having a shave for your benefit, and one good turn deserves another. I’m on a promise, and if ye’re not back by the time the kids are in bed, I’ll come over and carry yer home. This is one promise I won’t let yer break.’

Rita bent to cup his face in her hands. ‘Ooh, I do like masterful men, yer’ve got me heart all of a quiver. The strong silent type … yer remind me of Rudolph Valentino. Remember that picture we saw him in, where he picked his women up and laid them down on satin sheets in the big tent in the desert? Ooh, it wasn’t half romantic.’

Reg’s rich chuckle filled the room. ‘While you had yer eyes fixed on the screen, with yer mouth wide open, thinking how wonderful he was, I was busy trying to figure out how he never used to get sand in his eyes. And where the hell he could get satin sheets from in the middle of the ruddy desert! Not a shop for hundreds of miles, but he had everything to hand.’ Again he chuckled. ‘You women are daft enough to fall for anything.’

Rita pulled a face. ‘Yeah, I know, we’d fall for the ruddy cat. We tell lies, too, which yer forgot to mention. Tell lies and break promises, that’s us women.’

He was off the chair like a shot. ‘Give me yer hand, love.’

‘What d’yer want me hand for?

He made a grab and caught her wrist. ‘Come on, I’m taking yer across to Bessie’s.’

‘Don’t be daft, I can take meself across there.’ Rita was still protesting when her husband opened the front door and pulled her down the steps. Her two sons were playing with their mates, and they all stood like statues as Reg dragged Rita across the cobbles and knocked on Bessie’s door.

There was a look of surprise on the little woman’s face when she saw Reg with Rita in tow. She’d been washing some clothes in the sink, and wiped her wet hands down the side of her pinny. ‘Well, this is a surprise. When I heard the knock I thought it would be Rita, but I never expected you, Reg.’ She stood back. ‘Come on in.’

‘No, I won’t come in, Bessie love, but thanks for asking. I’ve just brought the wife over, and in half an hour I want yer to remind her not to forget the promise she made. She’s got a head like a sieve, and she’ll forget all about it if someone doesn’t remind her.’

Now Bessie might be a spinster, but that didn’t mean she was totally out of touch with married life. Although she kept her face straight, she was shaking with laughter inside. ‘Oh, I won’t forget to remind her. On a promise are yer, Reg?’

The man didn’t know where to put himself. The only face-saving thing he could think of was that the boys were on the other side of the street with their noisy mates, and wouldn’t have heard. His face the colour of beetroot, he dropped Rita’s hand and hurried back across the cobbles with his wife’s laughter ringing in his ears. But as he was stepping on to the top step, he heard her call, ‘Half an hour, sunshine, I promise.’

It was then he forgot his red face and embarrassment for he had more pressing things on his mind. First he would bring the boys in and make them a hot drink before seeing they gave themselves a good wash. Left to their own devices they’d be going to school tomorrow with a huge tidemark round their necks and dirt behind their ears. Then, when they were settled in bed, he would set about giving himself a very close shave. He would hate to be rough on his wife’s delicate skin.

Bessie closed the door, tittering to herself. ‘Your feller will kill yer when yer go home. His face was like thunder. And me putting me foot in it didn’t help. I should have had more sense.’

Rita knew her husband too well to be afraid. He’d never really lost his temper with her in all the years they’d been married. And she had to admit there were many times she’d given him cause to. ‘It was a bit thoughtless of yer, sunshine, especially as I’d asked him if he’d explain to yer about the birds and the bees, and he didn’t refuse. So, yer see what yer’ve missed, eh? I’d have sat in on that conversation meself, ’cos I’d love to hear Reg trying to explain how babies are made. It would have been hilarious.’

‘Oh, aye, and I’d have been expected to sit here with me eyes open in amazement and acting the picture of innocence! Oh, yeah, that and cut me throat would be the last thing I’d be doing.’ Bessie pointed to the couch. ‘Sit yerself down, sweetheart, but don’t expect me to make a cup of tea, not while your feller is pacing the floor waiting for yer.’

‘Nah, he’s just called the boys in, and it’ll take him half an hour to get them ready for bed. But I won’t have a drink, anyway, ’cos it wouldn’t leave us much time to talk.’

‘Sorry to let yer down, Rita, but there’s not a lot to tell yer. Except Mrs Sinclair is going to her old school friend’s again on Saturday and sleeping over. And I’ve told her she needn’t rush home on Sunday, I’ll give Milly her dinner.’

‘Ooh, er, Bessie, yer might not have much to tell me, but think how much we can read into those few sentences. I mean, d’yer still think she’s telling fibs about the old school friend? If she is, then where is she going to spend Saturday night, and who with?’

‘I have no way of finding that out,’ Bessie told her. ‘She’s more open than she used to be, more pleasant, like, but she still doesn’t give anything away. If yer were to ask me to guess, I’d say she has a man friend, and he’s a wealthy one. I am to get an extra shilling a week from this Saturday for having Milly more often, and she must be getting the extra money from somewhere to pay me so much.’

‘It’s a good help that, two bob a week. But it’s not the money ye’re doing it for, sunshine, is it? I bet yer’d mind Milly even if yer didn’t get paid for it.’

‘Of course it’s not the money I do it for, I can live very comfortably on me wages. I’ve always paid me way and never owed anyone. But I’m not going to refuse the two bob a week, that’s for sure. I’d be daft to when she’s out enjoying herself. Anyway, I can spend it on Milly. I don’t think she’s ever been into town, so I might take her down on the tram on Saturday to look around the shops. It’ll be an outing for me as well.’

Rita tilted her head. ‘Would yer like another companion? It’s years since I’ve been into the city, I’ve never had the money. Yer don’t mind me asking, do yer, don’t think I’m being pushy?’

‘Of course I don’t, yer daft ha’porth, I’d be glad of yer company. And Milly will be over the moon, walking between the two of us.’

‘Ooh, that hasn’t half cheered me up, it’s something to look forward to. And tonight is a very good time to scrounge the two pence tram fare off my feller. If I get him at the right time he’ll promise me anything.’

‘That sounds like blackmail to me,’ Bessie said, with a shake of her head. ‘A married man is entitled to his rights, yer know, he shouldn’t have to pay for them.’

‘Bessie, I feel in such a good, generous mood now, thanks to you, my feller will think he’s got a strange woman in his bed. By the time I’ve finished with him, he’ll be thinking two pence is a small price to pay.’ Rita pushed herself to her feet. ‘In fact, when it’s over and he’s got his breath back, he’ll probably ask when we’re going into Liverpool again.’

‘Have you no shame in you, woman?’ Bessie followed her mate to the door. ‘I feel really sorry for Reg.’

Rita stepped down on to the pavement. ‘No need to, sunshine, ’cos in half an hour’s’ time my feller will be the happiest man in this street. And that is my solemn promise.’

‘Oh, I believe yer, sweetheart,’ Bessie said. ‘Just remember, though, he has to go to work tomorrow.’

It was only after Rita had left that Bessie realised it might not be possible to take Milly in to town on Saturday afternoon after all, for she didn’t know what time Mrs Sinclair would be going out. If she was meeting a man, it would probably be in the early evening, and that would dash any hope of Bessie and Rita taking Milly into town. Bessie felt really disappointed because she’d been looking forward to giving Milly a surprise, and Rita would feel let down, too! But there was no point in waiting and wondering what Saturday was going to bring, she may as well come right out and ask her neighbour. She could always tell a little white lie and say she was thinking of taking Milly to the park. Yes, that’s what she’d do, she’d ask her neighbour tomorrow night and get it over with. After all, the woman couldn’t expect an eight-year-old girl to spend all her time in the house, it wasn’t healthy.

Bessie was late getting in from work the following night, and found Milly sitting on the kitchen step waiting for her. ‘I’m sorry I’m late, sweetheart, we had an order to get out in a hurry and there was nothing I could do about it. Come on in, yer must be freezing. I’ll put the kettle on and put a light to the fire. It won’t be long, I’ll soon have you warmed through.’