It Had To Be You (26 page)

Elsie placed a bowl of scouse on the table in front of her son and then sat down opposite him. ‘I thought you’d have been home earlier,’ she said.

‘I saw Betty back to her bedsit and then went to the yard and spoke to the boss. I needed a favour from him,’ said Jared, letting out a yawn. ‘I’ll be going back to Emma’s tomorrow. Her roof’s leaking and I promised I’d fix it for her.’ He reached for the bottle of HP sauce and unscrewed the top.

‘That’s generous of you,’ said Elsie, reaching for a cigarette. ‘But don’t forget you’ve got a family here who needs you.’

He frowned. ‘I haven’t forgotten, Ma. Has there been any sign of Teddy?’

‘No, but even so, who’s to say that he mightn’t suddenly turn up?’ said Elsie, lighting up. ‘I’d prefer it if you were here when he does.’

‘So would I,’ said Jared, his eyes darkening.

‘I don’t think he’s going to come back,’ said Maggie.

‘Wishful thinking,’ said her mother, without looking at her. ‘So, who does Emma look like?’

‘I’d say Uncle William,’ said Jared, ‘but then I never met her mother. Emma has his colour hair and his eyes.’

‘William had lovely brown eyes,’ murmured Elsie. ‘I remember he was good with you. It would have been nice for him to have had a son. His first wife was in digs with a neighbour of ours in Liverpool, you know, so we knew his first wife, Mary, before he did. Our Lizzie used to lodge with us and she and Mary got quite friendly, with our Lizzie loving the theatre and doing a bit of singing herself. Mary invited us along to the Royal Hippodrome on West Derby Road when it was still a theatre. She had a lovely singing voice and did a bit of dancing and acting, as well. We were invited backstage and that was when we met William for the first time.’ She paused to have a quick puff on her cigarette before continuing. ‘Our Lizzie got friendly with a member of the cast, but he was only there off and on. Like a lot of actors and actresses, he was often on tour or out of work.
It could be months before she saw him again. This went on for ages, and then one year he didn’t come back.’ She fell silent.

‘Carry on, Mum,’ said Dorothy, glancing up from filing her fingernails. ‘This is really interesting. Why didn’t you tell us about it before.’

Elsie’s eyes narrowed and she waved the cigarette smoke away. ‘Because it was the past and didn’t involve you. Where was I?’

‘Aunt Lizzie’s bloke didn’t come back,’ said Maggie.

Elsie flicked ash from her cigarette. ‘Well, never mind that for now. We were really talking about Emma’s parents. Anyway, William married Mary but they weren’t happy for very long. She had to give up the stage when she started with Emma. She resented having a baby, wasn’t at all well during the pregnancy. She liked you, though. You were a good-looking little lad. You had such lovely curls and she thought you were just like the little boy in the painting of
Bubbles
. Your hair was fairer then. Strange the way it can change as one grows up.’ She paused. ‘Where was I?’

‘Our Jared having lovely curls,’ said Dorothy, smiling at her brother.

‘Right. If Mary had to have a baby, she wanted a boy just like our Jared. Only she didn’t have a boy, did she? She had Emma. So what did she do?’

‘What?’ asked Jared, listening intently.

‘She couldn’t cope. Still hadn’t got her health back after the birth. We didn’t realise then that she really was ill. Anyway, I remember our Lizzie telling me that Mary had told her that she and William had had this big row. Apparently, he wanted her to go and stay with his grandmother who had a big house in Formby within a mile of the pinewoods. But Mary wasn’t having any of it, because she didn’t like the old lady, so she left him and went home to her parents, taking Emma with her.’

‘I think we know what happened next,’ said Jared.

Elsie gave a wry smile. ‘Then tell me what happened.’

‘William found out where they were and he visited them, only to discover that Mary really was ill and dying. Emma’s grandparents blamed him and told him to go away. He felt sorry for them because it looked like they were soon going to lose their daughter. He didn’t like taking Emma from them, so he left her with them.’

‘You’re near-enough right,’ said Elsie. ‘What happened was, his grandmother also became very ill at the time and his sister was trying to cope with her all on her own. She wasn’t a well woman herself. Anyway, he went and stayed with the grandmother and his sister. The old woman died and then the sister was ill and he needed to look after her. He did
get in touch with Mary’s parents, only to be told that she was dead.’

‘I suppose that’s when Aunt Lizzie tried to console him,’ said Dorothy.

Elsie nodded. ‘It was a difficult time for everyone, but especially William and our Lizzie.’ She fiddled with her cigarette. ‘Her young man, whom she hadn’t seen for about two months, died of blood poisoning: caught his hand on a rusty nail in a tea chest containing stage costumes. Anyway, she and William consoled each other and were married within the year. There were rumours of war flying around even then and they only had a few years together.’

‘It’s a really sad story,’ said Dorothy in muted tones.

‘Yes,’ said Elsie, sighing, ‘but this century has seen a lot of sad stories and heartbreak.’

‘Now I’ve listened to all this, Ma,’ said Jared thoughtfully, ‘how about inviting Emma to stay here for a weekend? I’m sure she’d be interested to hear whatever you have to tell her about her parents. It would be a good opportunity, too, to have Betty here and to break the ice, seeing as how you haven’t seen her since May.’

Elsie was silent for what seemed ages to her waiting children. Then she said, ‘OK, if you really believe that Emma will come.’

‘I’m sure she will, if I tell her you’ve invited her,’ said Jared positively.

Elsie took a deep breath. ‘All right. You tell her that I’d like to meet her and she doesn’t have to wait for Christmas as the girls suggested.’

‘No?’

‘No, best to get it over with,’ said his mother.

‘Then, how about this weekend?’ urged Jared. ‘I could bring her back tomorrow evening in the boss’s van.’

‘You don’t think that’s too soon?’ said Elsie, suddenly looking nervous and puffing her cigarette.

‘It’s never too soon to make things right,’ said Dorothy.

Emma was in the middle of totting up a column of figures, when she heard a knock on the back door. She got to her feet and hastened to open it. As she hoped, it was Jared. ‘You’re earlier than I thought,’ she said, trying not to appear too overwhelmingly delighted to see him.

‘That’s because I want to get the job done as soon as I can,’ he responded with a smile.

‘You’ll have a cup of tea first?’ she asked.

‘You should know now that builders never say no to a cup of tea.’ He watched her cross the floor with a grace of movement that really pleased him. He bet that she would be a good dancer and couldn’t wait to hold her in his arms. Perhaps they could go dancing tomorrow night if she agreed to come home with him. ‘I’ve
something to ask you,’ he said.

Emma glanced over her shoulder. ‘What is it?’

‘Ma has invited you to stay for the weekend,’ said Jared.

Emma’s face lit up, and then her mouth drooped and she said slowly, ‘That’s really kind of her, but I don’t think I can.’

Jared placed a hand on her shoulder. ‘It won’t cost you anything. I can take you in the van and bring you back. It’s much quicker by road than having to change trains several times.’

‘But won’t it be a bother to you having to make the journey so many times in a few days?’ asked Emma, hoping he would say that it was no bother at all.

‘I’ll have your company on two of them and I’ve a lot to tell you,’ said Jared, squeezing her shoulder gently. ‘Things that my mother told me about your parents. She was keen to talk about the past last night, and I didn’t want her to stop once she got going. I won’t tell you now because I must make a start on the roof. I need the daylight to work.’

‘I won’t keep you, then,’ said Emma swiftly, despite wanting to hear what he had to tell her. ‘Do you need my help with the ladder?’

‘It would make it easier for me.’

She nodded, pleased that he hadn’t turned her offer down. ‘Can I help you get the materials out of the van, too?’

He shook his head. ‘No, they’ll be too heavy for you to lift and I’d rather you made the tea. I’m parched.’

He let her go and went out the back way.

After he had drunk his cup of tea, she helped him fetch the ladder and then stood at the bottom, holding it steady, while he carried all he needed up onto the roof. ‘Now, Emma, you don’t have to stay there,’ he called down. ‘Go back to doing what you were doing when I came and I’ll shout for you when I need you.’

She would much rather have remained there, making certain he was all right, but she did have her own work to do, so she went indoors, having decided that she would make some warming lentil soup.

It was beginning to get dark by the time Jared finished the job, and he’d only had a short break to eat the steaming soup with a couple of slices of crusty bread. ‘Best soup I’ve ever tasted,’ he had said, placing the crockery and cutlery in the sink. ‘You’re good.’ He had brushed his lips against hers and then went outside again.

Emma was still thinking of that kiss when he was washing his hands at the kitchen sink, promising he would come back and sort out the damage the water had made to the ceiling and wall once they had dried out, although it could take some time.

‘Thanks, I really appreciate what you’ve done,’ she said reaching for her handbag. ‘How much do I owe you?’

He told her a price that appeared ridiculously low in comparison to the one she’d been quoted a few weeks ago. ‘That seems really cheap,’ she said. ‘Are you sure you’re not robbing yourself?’ she asked, counting out the money.

‘Not at all. As you said the other day, I’m family,’ he said easily, reaching for a towel and drying his hands.

‘Does your mother think of me like that?’ asked Emma.

‘I don’t think she’s thought about it,’ he said, taking the money and pocketing it. ‘How soon can you be ready? I’d like to be on our way as soon as possible.’

‘Aren’t you tired? Wouldn’t you like a rest first?’

‘No, what I need is a bath and I can have one of them at home.’ He rolled down his shirtsleeves and buttoned them, before reaching for his jacket. ‘Have you packed for the weekend yet? I hope you’ve included a dress suitable for dancing.’

‘Dancing?’ she asked, her eyes startled.

He smiled. ‘I thought we could go tomorrow evening if you feel in the mood.’

‘Oh, I’m sure I’ll be in the mood for dancing,’ she said, her eyes sparkling now. ‘Just let me go and pack a dress and shoes and stockings.’

She vanished up the stairs, before he could add that in the morning they could drop by at Betty’s place and see if she’d like to go to the Walker Art Gallery with them. The afternoon could take care of itself.

It was not until they were driving south along the A59 that Emma asked Jared what his mother had told him about her parents. He told her, but was careful to avoid mention of Mary resenting getting pregnant and having a daughter when she had wanted a son.

He caught the gleam in Emma’s eyes as she turned her face towards him. ‘I must go to the Royal Hippodrome. I’d just love to sit in the auditorium and imagine both my parents being there. Mam on the stage and Dad in the stalls admiring her.’

‘We can go there tomorrow afternoon if you like,’ suggested Jared. ‘I thought that in the morning we could visit Betty and the three of us could go to the Walker Art Gallery and see if we can find your dad’s painting.’

‘Oh, Jared, I’d love to do that!’ she cried, wanting to fling her arms around his neck and kiss him.

‘I’m dead chuffed that you do,’ he said, his voice warm with pleasure, ‘because I’m really looking forward to it, myself.’

‘I’m so glad that your mother decided she wanted to see me and invited me to stay,’ said Emma happily.

‘You tell her so, because I reckon she’s still going to feel awkward about meeting you.’

‘Well, I’m prepared to forgive her anything.’

‘You do realise that she must have known you when you were a baby?’ said Jared, aware of the flashing headlights of cars coming towards them on the other side of the road, so not looking at her.

Emma had gone very still. ‘I never thought of that, but I suppose she must have. Do you think she might have an idea what happened to Dad’s painting of me?’

‘I could ask.’

Emma thanked him. ‘I do feel sorry for your Aunt Lizzie, though. For her first sweetheart to die of blood poisoning and then for her to lose my father in the war. It must have been really tough for her.’

‘She was only in her thirties when she was killed,’ said Jared. ‘Terrible.’

‘Aye, terrible,’ murmured Emma, glancing at his shadowy, lean profile and feeling a catch at her heart. It seemed impossible that she had known him only a short time. ‘How different mine and Betty’s lives would have been if that actor she loved hadn’t caught blood poisoning. She would never have married Dad. Betty wouldn’t have been born and you and I would never have met,’ she said in a low voice.

‘But Aunt Lizzie did and you found her letter, so
here we are, together,’ said Jared, glancing at her.

‘It must have been fate,’ murmured Emma, knowing she had probably given her feelings for him away. She remembered her and Billy McElroy’s conversation about love at first sight and what she’d said about a couple waiting a decent length of time before getting married, so they could really get to know each other. Yet here she was in love with Jared after only three days. She was so happy to be in his company and was already dreading Sunday when he would deliver her to her front door and leave her all alone.

Elsie looked at herself in the mirror and wished she didn’t feel so depressed and nervous. Her children were being really nice to her because she was behaving in a way they wanted her to behave. They believed she had been completely honest with them about the past, but she hadn’t and it lay on her conscience. Yet it would really put the cat among the pigeons if she told the whole truth. She supposed it all depended on what she, herself, thought of Emma.