The dover cafe at war, p.14
The Dover Cafe at War, page 14
‘Hmm. You might be surprised. He’s a stickler, but he’s a loyal stickler. Think about it. He’s a good person to have on your side.’
Marianne drew back and looked at her friend in surprise. ‘Since when have you had a good word to say about Rodney?’
Marge smiled. ‘He’s not so bad, really. And he’d do anything for his family.’ She threw the cigarette on the ground and looked at her watch. ‘Blimey. Better get going or old Molloy will have me on report.’ Giving Marianne a swift kiss, Marge jogged back up to the castle.
‘Oy, Marge!’ the sentry shouted up to her. ‘Fancy a drink sometime?’
Marge turned around, laughing. ‘You should be so lucky, Frank!’ Then carried on running.
Shaking her head and wishing she had half the confidence her friend did with the opposite sex, Marianne turned and ran down the road, feeling if not relieved, at least reassured that she wasn’t on her own.
Chapter 14
Edie was lying under a green army transport truck, trying to tighten some bolts, when she heard a very loud, very posh voice ring out.
‘Excuse me! I need some help!’
Assuming Mr Pearson would deal with her, Edie stayed where she was. Soon, though, Mr Pearson’s head peered at her under the chassis. ‘Umm, Edie. There’s a woman wants to speak to you.’ He looked uncomfortable and, puzzled, Edie pushed her way out and blinked up at him enquiringly. He gestured weakly towards the forecourt and she turned her head to see who it was.
A beautiful, platinum-haired woman strode over to her, her smart, maroon high-heeled shoes clicking on the concrete. Her hair was perfectly curled and a small dark green hat was perched on the side of her head. Underneath her unbuttoned fur coat, Edie could see a tailored dress in dark green with a slim skirt that reached to mid-calf.
‘You!’ She pointed down at Edie, who stared at her blankly.
‘Stand up, I want to talk to you, you tart!’
Edie blanched and looked over at Mr Pearson, who looked away. Slowly, she rose to her feet.
‘I’m sorry, I don’t think we’ve met?’
The woman was standing in front of her, arms crossed, her eyes scathing as she looked Edie up and down. They could not have looked more different, Edie thought self-consciously as she adjusted her headscarf.
‘What the hell did my husband see in a dirty little scrubber like you? I mean, look at you!’
Edie was getting more confused by the minute. ‘I’m very sorry, but I don’t think I know you or your husband.’
‘Don’t know him? Well, well. Not just a filthy whore but a liar too.’
Edie stepped back in shock. ‘I-I-I don’t know what you’re talking about.’
‘And stupid as well! He really is scraping the barrel.’
‘I promise you, I don’t know who you mean.’
The woman looked over at Mr Pearson, who was shuffling from foot to foot, not sure whether to leave them to it or stay to protect Edie from this madwoman. ‘Does she lie to you too? You should dismiss her immediately. You can’t have a nasty, lying, filthy SLUT working for you!’ She screamed the last few words directly into Edie’s face, so close that flecks of spittle landed on her cheeks. Edie, her mouth hanging open in shock, wiped them away, unaware that her hand left a trail of dirt across her face.
The woman fished in her bag and took out a compact. Opening it, she held the mirror towards Edie. ‘Just look at yourself! You disgust me! Sneaking around, sleeping with other women’s husbands. Well, I’ve got news for you, he’s already moved on to the next.’ She laughed at Edie’s shocked expression. ‘What? Did you think you were the only one? He’s got a string of women around Kent all happy to spread their legs for him.’ She put her finger to her chin. ‘Let me see . . . how many have there been now?’ Mockingly she held up her hand and started to count on her gloved fingers. ‘Oh look! I seem to have run out of fingers. Believe me, there’s nothing special about you!’
Edie felt a surge of anger. ‘Look, I don’t know who you are, and I can promise you I am not sleeping with anyone’s husband! And if he’s cheating, then perhaps you need to take a look at yourself. All the fancy clothes in the world can’t hide the fact that you’re a nasty cow!’ Breathing heavily, she turned away. Lily would have been proud of her. Perhaps she was more like her mother than she realised.
A hand grabbed her shoulder and whirled her around. ‘So it wasn’t you simpering and giggling upstairs at Elizabeth Crescent?’
Edie paled at her words. ‘But . . .’
‘I know very well it was you. Do you know how? I heard you. And then I found your filthy overalls at the foot of the stairs.’
Edie’s mind went back to the day they’d heard someone in the house.
‘My husband’s told me all about the woman who fixes his motorbike and suddenly it all made sense.’
Edie’s thoughts whirled. There was only one man she knew with a motorbike. ‘His motorbike? D-d-do you mean Robert Stafford,’ she stammered, desperately hoping there’d been a terrible mistake.
‘Oh, is that what he’s calling himself these days?’ she sneered. ‘I can assure you his name is not Robert Stafford.’
Over her shoulder, Edie suddenly saw Marianne’s face staring at her in puzzlement.
‘Edie. What’s going on? Who’s this?’
She closed her eyes, praying for the ground to open up and swallow her.
The woman whirled around. ‘Who the hell are you? Don’t tell me you’re another one!’
‘Another what?’
‘Another one of my husband’s women,’ she spat the word out.
Marianne looked over at Edie again. ‘Edie?’
It was too much for Edie. The reality of what she’d just learnt, and the fact that she had been so horribly humiliated in front of not just her boss but also her sister, caused her to whirl around and run into the office.
There was a tense, awkward silence, until finally Mr Pearson spoke up. ‘I think you’d better leave, madam. You’ve caused quite enough upset. And kindly tell your husband to take his business elsewhere. Good day to you.’
‘You can tell him yourself. I won’t be speaking to him any time soon.’
As the woman marched to her car, Marianne watched in bemusement. She shook her head. Surely not. She didn’t believe it. She knew Edie had been seeing someone, but a married man? There was no way Edie would do that. But then she remembered how easily she had been seduced all those years ago. How could she blame Edie for falling for a man’s lies, when she’d done exactly the same?
She could hear her sister’s heartbroken sobs coming from the open door of the office. Oh God. Poor Edie.
Marianne walked slowly over to the office. She had no idea how she could possibly make it better for her sister. But she would try. Edie was always so hard on herself that even being told off by her mother for a minor transgression used to send her into a deep depression. But this? She knew Edie would blame herself.
Stopping by the door, Marianne took a deep breath, trying to compose herself, then walked in. Edie was standing hunched over the desk, her shoulders shaking. Marianne grasped her arms and pulled her around into a hug. Her sister was nearly a head taller than her, but she didn’t resist and dropped her head on to Marianne’s shoulder and wept as she had when she was a confused little girl who’d just lost her father.
Mr Pearson hovered in the doorway uncertainly. When Marianne raised her eyes to his, he gave her an enquiring look and she shook her head. He got the message and disappeared to the tiny kitchen, and soon Marianne heard the welcome sounds of tea being made.
‘Hey, Edie. Look at me,’ she said gently after a while.
Edie shook her head.
‘Ah, love. Whatever’s happened, you know I’ll never think badly of you. Come on, look at me.’ She pushed Edie back and took hold of her shoulders. Edie refused to meet her eyes, instead rubbing the tears away with the palms of her hands, smearing more grease across her face in the process.
‘Oh, sweetheart. Come on. Tell me what’s happened. Is this about the man you were seeing?’
Edie nodded miserably. ‘I didn’t know. I promise I didn’t know. I would never . . .’
‘I know you wouldn’t, love. He deceived you and it’s not your fault.’
‘I should have realised. Mr Pearson warned me. But he never said he was married. It was a lie . . . It was all a lie, and I thought . . . I thought . . .’ She dissolved into tears again and Marianne led her to one of the two chairs by the wall and sat down beside her.
‘Listen to me, Edie. None of this is your fault. It’s his. God, if I could get my hands on him! And how dare that woman come here and insult you. If anyone knows what her husband’s like it’s her! How could she take it out on you?’
Mr Pearson came through then with a tray and three mugs of tea. He handed one to Marianne, then tried to give one to Edie, who refused to look at him.
‘Come on, Edie. I put plenty of sugar in. You need this, love.’
‘Do you want me to leave?’ she asked in a small voice.
‘Leave?’ He gave a short burst of laughter. ‘And how would I manage without you? Look around you. The forecourt’s packed and you an’ me are the only people working. You’re staying put if I have to lock you in.’
She looked up at him then and took his hand. ‘Oh, thank you. And I’m sorry. I should have listened to you.’
Mr Pearson squeezed her hand. ‘Well, I wish I could say I’ve not made mistakes in my life, but then I wouldn’t be human. Now, come on, drink your tea, then I need you back out there.’ He looked over at Marianne. ‘I’ll leave you to it, then. Ten minutes is all you’re getting, mind. Then I’ll be back in here to drag her back to work.’
The sisters sat in silence after he’d left, drinking their tea. Finally, Edie spoke. ‘I feel like such a fool. How could I have been taken in? Maybe deep down I knew he wasn’t right, that’s why I didn’t want you to know about him.’
‘It’s not your fault, Edie. If anyone knows about making mistakes, it’s me. And yours isn’t so bad, really, provided there’s not likely to be any consequences . . . ?’
She left the question hanging, but Edie knew what she was asking.
‘No. It’s all right. He was careful.’ She blushed.
Marianne knew from experience that that didn’t always mean anything, but the last thing she wanted to do was worry Edie, so she just nodded.
‘Good. But if you feel strange or unwell, come and talk to me.’
Edie gave a short laugh. ‘And what will you do about it? Look, I’m not pregnant, all right?’
‘Fine.’ Marianne finished her tea and stood up. ‘I need to get back.’ Looking down at her sister’s bent head, her heart contracted. ‘Don’t blame yourself. Men like that are clever. You won’t be the only one he’s deceived.’
‘And that’s meant to make me feel better? Well, it doesn’t. If anything, it makes me feel worse.’ Suddenly Edie looked at her sharply. ‘What the hell are you doing up here anyway? You never leave the café!’
Marianne looked away. ‘Oh, Marge left her lipstick in the flat on Saturday, and you know Marge . . . Can’t live without it.’ She laughed unconvincingly.
‘You could have waited and I’d have brought it tomorrow.’
‘I needed some air,’ she said evasively. ‘Anyway, never mind that, I’m more worried about you.’
‘Well, don’t be. I’ve been through worse. We all have.’ Edie scrubbed at her eyes and stood up, squaring her shoulders. ‘And if I want to keep this job, then I’d better get to it.’
Marianne sighed. There was nothing she could say that would make her sister feel better. Time was the only thing that would help, and even then there was no guarantee. Not with Edie, who always brooded over everything.
‘I’ll see you later, all right?’
Edie nodded, but as Marianne reached the door, she called out, ‘Marianne! Don’t tell anyone about this, will you? Not Lily and especially not Mum.’
‘Don’t worry. I won’t breathe a word. But I’m always here if you need me, Edie. You know that, don’t you?’
Edie gave her a weak smile. ‘I’ll be all right. Don’t worry about me.’
Marianne nodded briefly and left, but as she made her way back down towards the town, her mind was in turmoil. For a while, her sister’s problems had pushed her own worries aside. But now they all came rushing back. Edie wasn’t the only one who needed to keep secrets; somehow she was going to have to keep behaving as if nothing had happened, because the last thing she needed was her mother asking questions.
Nellie slammed down her knife and fork and looked around the small table in the living room. The meal had passed mostly in silence, the only noise being the sound of the wireless burbling quietly in the corner. Lily had gulped down her food, then excused herself to go upstairs to do her homework, while Donny had shovelled his food down in two minutes flat and was now sitting staring hungrily at his mother’s plate. Nellie looked at her two daughters. Marianne was pale as a ghost while Edie’s eyes were red and swollen; she’d clearly been crying.
‘Are you two going to tell me what’s going on? You disappear for hours, Marianne, leaving me in the lurch today, while you’ – she pointed her knife at Edie – ‘have been sitting there with a face like a slapped arse. So, come on, spit it out.’
Nellie saw Marianne shoot a swift glance in Edie’s direction, but Edie ignored her. Something was definitely up between these two, and she intended to get to the bottom of it.
‘Well? You haven’t touched your food, and if there’s one thing I can’t abide it’s waste. Food’ll be scarce enough once rationing comes in.’
‘I’ll eat it if they don’t want it,’ Donny said eagerly.
‘May as well, Don. Way those two are poking and prodding at it anyone would think it’s poisoned.’ She passed Marianne’s plate of cold meat and bubble and squeak made with the leftovers from lunch the day before to Donny and he tipped the food on to his plate.
‘I’m just feeling a bit tired, is all,’ Marianne said weakly. ‘And I’m worried about the boys.’
‘Tired? Is that what you call it these days? You must take me for a fool. No, you girls are hiding something, and I want to know what it is. Well?’ She glared at Edie.
Edie refused to meet her eyes and instead pushed her chair back and stood up. ‘Just leave it, will you, Mum.’
Nellie stared at her daughter’s swollen eyes. Edie had always been the most emotional of her children, and the most difficult to read. But unless she was very much mistaken, that was the face of a girl who’d just had her heart broken.
‘Has this got anything to do with that man you’ve been mooning over? The one you think I don’t know about.’
At Edie’s startled expression, Nellie huffed. ‘Like I thought. It’s always a man.’ She paused then. ‘You’re not bloody pregnant are you?’
‘Mum!’ Edie glanced at Donny, whose cheeks were bulging as he chewed his food, listening intently to this fascinating adult conversation.
‘Well?’
‘No, I’m not pregnant! I’m not stupid.’ She shot a look at Marianne and grimaced. ‘Sorry.’
Marianne gave her a small smile and shrugged.
‘So he’s dropped you, has he? Perhaps if you’d introduced him to your family then he’d have taken you a bit more seriously.’
‘If he’d met you, he’d probably have run off sooner.’ Edie threw her napkin on the table. ‘And that’s what I’m going to do. I need my privacy, so I’m moving out.’
Nellie stared at her daughter with her mouth open. ‘Moving out? Where to?’
‘To the garage. The flat above it has two bedrooms and as Mr P. needs me seven days a week at the moment. It’ll be easier all round if I just stay there.’
‘You will do no such thing! Living with an unmarried man, indeed. It’d be different if his wife was still alive. But she’s not. So, you are staying here. I won’t have people whispering about my daughter.’
‘Really, Mum? It wouldn’t be the first time, would it?’
‘Exactly. And I won’t have it again. We’ve had enough scandal in this family, and what with the war, I want you where I know you’re safe.’
‘Don’t you think she’s old enough to decide for herself, Mum?’ Marianne stepped in to back her sister up. She understood perfectly why Edie felt she needed to go.
‘She’s nineteen years old! And until she’s twenty-one or married, my word is final. She stays.’
‘No, Mum. You can’t make me stay, and my decision is final. I’m packing my bag and I’ll leave in the morning. I’m sorry.’ With that, Edie turned and left the room, running up the stairs and slamming the door of her bedroom.
‘But why does Auntie Edie have to go?’ Donny piped up. ‘I hate this war! There’s hardly anyone left as most of my friends have gone to Wales . . .’ Donny’s lip trembled.
‘Would you like to go to Wales, Don?’ A thought had suddenly occurred to Marianne. Much as she hated the idea, if he left Dover, then that man couldn’t take him away from her.
‘NO! I told you, Mum. If you make me go, then I’ll just run away.’
‘If your mum says you have to go, then I’m afraid you’ll have to go, Don. But not yet.’ Nellie patted his hand reassuringly. ‘Your mum will only send you away if there’s real danger for you here.’
‘NO! I’m not going!’
Marianne put her hand to her head. She couldn’t take much more today. ‘Donny, I promise not to send you away unless there’s a very good reason to. How about that?’
‘Not even then, Mum. Unless you come too.’
‘We’ll see.’
The chimes of Big Ben rang out for the seven o’clock news and Nellie hushed her family. The news was sacrosanct, and no matter what was being discussed, it was put on hold until the broadcast was finished. Even a momentous announcement like the one Edie had just made would have to wait.
Nellie nodded in approval on hearing that Canada had declared war on Germany, but then the newsreader reported that Warsaw was surrounded by the Nazis with little hope of driving them away. She shook her head. It could so easily happen here; if the Nazis managed to defeat France it would leave just a small body of water between them and her family. And with her children spread out around the country, how could she keep them all safe?
