Lost & Found (13 page)

Edith heard the doorbell and frowned as she glanced at the clock. Alec wasn’t due home for nearly an hour, and, anyway, he had a key.

She struggled to her feet, groaning in pain. When Mavis had left after cleaning that morning, the house had felt so empty, and, feeling that the walls were closing in on her, Edith had ventured out to the library, trying to find more information on word blindness. So far she hadn’t had any success in helping Mavis to read and was hoping to find out what methods Samuel Orton used. She had scoured the reference section without success, but, unwilling to return home to the deserted house, she had ventured to the shops. Of course, she had overdone it, and, though she had since rested, had listened to
Mrs Dale’s Diary
and
The Archers
on the wireless, Edith’s body still screamed in protest as she slowly made her way to the front door.

One thing Edith knew for sure, it wouldn’t be a friend calling round to see her. She had none. Friends would gossip, would want to pry into her past, and that was something she could never allow. To that end Edith had kept herself remote, and it had been fine while she was working, her days full and busy with the school activities, but nowadays, though she hated to admit it, she was sometimes swamped by loneliness.

At last, Edith reached the door, and opening it her eyes widened as Mavis staggered inside. ‘Mavis, what is it, my dear?’

‘Oh, Mrs Pugh…Mrs Pugh…’ she cried, gasping and unable to carry on.

It was obvious that Mavis was in deep distress so, gently urging, Edith said, ‘Come through to the kitchen.’

Mavis followed her, and taking a chair Edith gestured Mavis to sit down too. She took a breath, tried to ignore her pain as she asked, ‘Now, my dear, tell me why you’re so upset.’

Mavis ran both hands over her face, and then stammered, ‘It…it’s my mum. She…she said we’re moving, and…and away from this area.’

‘What?’ Edith cried, shocked and bewildered by this turn of events. No, no, this was the last thing she wanted. ‘When, Mavis? Did your mother say when? Or, come to that, why?’

‘She…she said we’re moving in with Pete, and
I think as soon as possible. I don’t understand, Mrs Pugh. I don’t like him, but why can’t he just move in with us?’

‘I should think that’s obvious.’

‘What do you mean?’

‘Mavis, how do you think your father would feel, or react, if he came home to find your mother living with another man?’

‘But…but Pete would only be a lodger.’

‘I doubt that,’ Edith said, struggling to think. The girl was so naïve, so innocent, and obviously had no idea what was going on. ‘I must admit I’m shocked by your mother’s behaviour. She must be the talk of the street.’

Mavis looked puzzled, but then said, ‘I bumped into Sandra, the girl who lives next door to us, and she said something about gossip.’

‘There you are then. Your neighbours have obviously found out and no doubt your mother will be ostracised. No wonder she wants to move.’

‘Found out what?’

‘What your mother and this Pete are up to.’

‘Up to? But they aren’t up to anything and I don’t know what ostracised means.’

‘It means cut out, shunned.’

‘But why would they do that? All right, I know my mum once kissed Pete, and though she should only do that with my dad, surely it isn’t that bad?’

‘I think there’s a little more to it than that.’

‘My mum hasn’t done anything wrong, and I don’t want to leave Battersea. My dad might come back, and if he does he won’t know where we are.’

‘In the circumstances, I should think that’s for the best.’

‘For the best? Why?’

Edith sighed. This was harder than she’d anticipated, but somehow she had to make Mavis understand. If she could turn the girl against her mother, there still might be a chance to bring her plans to fruition. ‘Mavis, hasn’t your mother told you about the facts of life?’

‘Er…er…she told me to keep away from boys, said that I mustn’t let them touch me, but that’s all.’

Edith dreaded this, but it had to be done. She closed her eyes for a moment, gathering her thoughts, and then began to explain the facts of life.

Mavis listened without interruption, gulping at points, and she was red-faced with embarrassment when Edith finally stopped. ‘But that’s awful,’ she gasped. ‘Disgusting…and…and my mum’s doing that with Pete!’

‘Yes, I’m afraid so, but between a man and wife it isn’t awful, Mavis. It’s a part of marriage, of love, and, as I explained, it’s what brought you into the world. However, between your mother and Pete, it’s called adultery, and no wonder the
neighbours are gossiping. If they leave this area, Pete and your mother can live as man and wife. They can pretend to be married, but to keep up this pretence you will probably have to tell anyone who asks that Pete is your father.’

‘Oh, God, I remember now,’ Mavis cried, ‘and it all makes sense. My mum said something about Pete taking care of us, of taking me on too. I won’t go. I’ll find somewhere else to live, that’s what I’ll do.’

‘Yes, I suppose you could, but it won’t be easy, my dear. You’d have to pay rent, your bills, buy food, and tell me, do you earn enough to do that?’

‘I’m not sure. My mother takes all my wages and…and I don’t know how much it costs to rent somewhere to live.’

‘It isn’t cheap, and as you’re so young you may not find anyone willing to rent you a flat, or even a room.’

‘Oh, Mrs Pugh. What am I going to do?’

‘I don’t know, my dear, but let me think and maybe I can come up with something. In the meantime, why don’t you make us both a cup of tea?’

Mavis nodded; then dashed the tears from her cheeks as she went to fill the kettle. Edith closed her eyes. Why had this happened now? Things were just starting to go her way, but now she would have to move her plans forward. It was too
soon, with neither Mavis or Alec ready—yet what choice did she have?

‘Here you are,’ Mavis said, breaking Edith out of her reveries as she held out a cup and saucer.

‘Lovely,’ Edith murmured as Mavis sat down again, and after taking a sip of the tea, she asked, ‘Mavis, do you like Alec?’

‘Er…yes, he’s nice.’

‘He likes you too. Very much, but I think I’ve already told you that.’

‘Yes, you did.’

‘When you think about it, Mavis, my son is a good catch and would make some lucky girl a fine husband.’

‘Yes, I’m sure he would,’ Mavis said.

Edith sighed. Mavis hadn’t taken the hint, and with time of the essence she would have to be more forthright. ‘If, for instance,
you
married my son, you could live here with us.’

‘What? Me! Marry Alec?’ Mavis spluttered.

‘Yes, and wouldn’t it be wonderful? I’m so fond of you, Mavis, and you’d be able to give up work, all those cleaning jobs. It would give us more time for your reading lessons, and I know we’d get along so well together.’

‘But…but…’

‘All I’m asking is that you think about it,’ Edith interrupted as she glanced at the clock. ‘I know this is all a bit sudden, but I’m sure you’ll come
to realise that it’s the ideal solution. You won’t have to live with your mother and Pete, or pretend that he’s your father. Instead you’ll be able to stay here, in comfort, with people who care about you.’

‘Yes…but…’

‘Mavis, my son will be home soon, and until you’ve come to a decision, I’d rather we kept this little conversation to ourselves. I don’t want to raise his hopes only for them to be dashed.’

Mavis jumped to her feet, eyes wild as she said, ‘I…I’d better go, Mrs Pugh. I…I’ll see you in the morning.’

‘All right, and after you’ve given it some thought, perhaps you’ll have an answer for me.’

Mavis barely nodded, and then as she called a quick goodbye she ran from the room. Edith heard the front door close, sighed, and then sank back in her chair. She had planted the seed, but would it be enough? Mavis hadn’t looked very keen on the idea, but surely the girl would realise that it was the best choice. That it was, in fact, her only choice.

Mavis was walking rapidly, heading for home. Marry Alec! No, no, she didn’t want to marry him. So much had happened—so much had been said in such a short time that her head was reeling.

Thanks to Mrs Pugh, she now knew how babies were made, how an egg from her mother and
father had brought her into the world, but the rest of it sounded awful. Mrs Pugh had said it was a part of marriage, that it was nice between a husband and wife; but the thought of doing
that
with Alec made her stomach crawl. Surely he wasn’t the man who kept appearing in her dreams? No, he couldn’t be. Alec didn’t arouse that curious yearning, the need for the man to overcome all to reach her.

As she neared Cullen Street, Mavis slowed her pace. When she thought about her mother and Pete, what they were doing, she felt sick inside. She didn’t want to go home, didn’t want to look at her mother, but there was no other choice.

If only her dad would come home, he’d sort them out, and on that thought Mavis almost stopped walking. Her dream! The man in her dream could be her dad! Was he trying to come home, but something was stopping him? Oh, if only she could find him, help him, but how?

Wait! Thinking back, it all stemmed from Pete turning up, and on that same night she’d seen her mother in his arms. Bile rose. Friends! She’d believed her mother when she said that she and Pete were just friends. God, what an idiot she’d been. They must have been carrying on before Pete turned up, and somehow her father had found out. No wonder he hadn’t come back. It was her mother’s fault, Pete’s fault. They were the barrier
that kept her away from her father. Livid now, Mavis found her pace picking up as she almost marched the rest of the way home.

Lily glared at her daughter. ‘Now you listen to me, my girl. I’m fed up with you running off without telling me where you’re going and it’s got to stop. When we move I ain’t having you carrying on like this, and I doubt Pete will stand for it either.’

‘I don’t care. He ain’t me dad, and you…you’re disgusting, that’s what you are!’

Lily paled. This wasn’t her daughter—this girl who stood in front of her, the innocence gone from her eyes. ‘What did you say?’ she yelled.

‘You heard! I know about you and Pete, what you’ve been up to. Dad must have found out and no wonder he left you.’

‘What are you talking about?’

‘I’m talking about you carrying on with Pete behind Dad’s back.’

‘I did not! I don’t know what’s put this daft idea into your head, but it ain’t true.’

‘Yes, it is. As soon as Pete turned up I saw you kissing him.’

‘It wasn’t like that and I explained it all to you at the time.’

‘Yeah, but now I don’t believe you. Dad won’t come back because of you, but when you’re gone,
he’ll turn up again, I know he will. He’ll take me to live with him.’

‘You’re out of your tiny mind. Your father buggered off without a word and it had nothing to do with me and Pete. Turn up again! Don’t make me laugh.’

‘He will! He will, and I’m gonna wait right here for him.’

‘Don’t be stupid. I’m giving up this place, and I don’t doubt that someone else will soon move in. Now get this into your thick head. We’re moving, and you, my girl, are coming with us.’

‘I won’t. I won’t go and you can’t make me!’

Lily puffed with exasperation. This was more like it, Mavis acting like a child again, one who was having a tantrum. Not that Mavis had ever been prone to tantrums, the girl too docile for that, but at least Lily felt in control again. ‘You’ll do as you’re told.’

‘No, I don’t want to live with you and Pete!’

Lily’s temper rose again. ‘You ain’t got any choice, you daft cow!’

‘Yes, I have.’

‘Oh, yeah. Like what?’

Mavis went mute then, staring at her stubbornly, and Lily had had enough. ‘I said you’re coming with us and that’s that. Now get out of my sight! Go to your room and bloody well stay there until I say you can come down!’

With a final glare, Mavis turned on her heels to run upstairs while Lily angrily slumped in a chair. Pete said that when they moved in together, there’d be no need for her to work, but she still wanted a bit of independence. Pete was a good man, and Lily doubted he’d go the same way as Ron, but there were no guarantees in this life. She’d relied on a man before and look where that had got her. She’d make sure Mavis found work in Peckham, other cleaning jobs, and hand over her wages as usual. Lily intended to save as much of this money as she could, build up a nice little nest egg, and if things didn’t work out with Pete, she’d have this money to fall back on.

Of course, without Mavis it wouldn’t be possible, but Lily wasn’t worried. There was no way she was going to let her daughter scupper her plans. Mavis would go with them because, despite her act of bravado, the girl had no choice—like it or not.

Kate took her ear from the glass she had placed against the wall. It had gone quiet next door now, but she’d heard enough and her face was livid with anger. So, Lily was moving, no doubt hoping to sneak off without a word.

‘Sandra, you’re not going to believe this,’ she said, placing the glass down.

‘Mum, if Dad saw you doing that, he’d go mad.’

‘If I want to find out what’s going on next door, I ain’t got any choice. Lily has always been close-mouthed, but she was my friend and I put up with it ’cos I liked her. Not now though, not after what she’s been up to. She lied to me, Sandra, told me that bloke was only a friend, and like a mug I believed her.’

‘She could hardly tell you the truth.’

‘I don’t see why not. I wouldn’t have said anything.’

Sandra’s brows rose, her tone sceptical. ‘Really?’

‘Yes, really, but listen, I just heard Lily rowing with Mavis. Like I said, you ain’t gonna believe this and I couldn’t catch it all, but they’re moving.’

‘Moving! When?’

‘I dunno, but Mavis doesn’t want to go. I’ve always felt sorry for the girl, and I’ve lost count of the times I’ve tried to tell Lily that she ain’t as daft as she makes her out to be.’

‘I don’t think she is either,’ Sandra agreed, ‘but she had a rotten time of it when we were at junior school. The kids used to take the mickey out of her all the time and I saw the way Mavis reacted. She used to try to hide away, keep herself to herself, but I stuck up for her when I could.’