Lost & Found (29 page)

Nearly two weeks had passed since Mavis had left Alec, and on Friday, rent day, Lily opened her door to the agent, her book and the money held out.

‘Well,’ she said impatiently as he marked the rent book, ‘have you spoken to Mr Pellerman again?’

‘What about?’

‘The house next door.’

‘Oh, yeah. He’s still thinking about it.’

‘What’s to think about? He can’t be making money on an empty house.’

‘Look, he isn’t happy about a woman and two kids living there without a husband. I mean, what if she can’t pay the rent?’

Lily thought quickly. ‘Tell Pellerman she’ll pay six months in advance. That should keep him happy.’

‘Six months you say? All right, I’ll have
another word with him, but I ain’t making any promises.’

‘When will you let me know?’

‘I dunno, but as soon as I can. I’m a busy man and no doubt there’ll be others wanting to talk to me about that house,’ he said, giving Lily a pointed look as he handed back the book.

Lily’s eyes narrowed. ‘Wait there a minute,’ she said, puffing as, with Bobby in her arms, she hurried upstairs. In her bedroom Lily placed Bobby on the floor while she pulled a tin box from the back of her wardrobe, and, after taking out a five-pound note, she swept Bobby into her arms again.

‘Here,’ she said, thrusting it at the young agent when she was back at the front door. ‘Will that help?’

‘Yes, missus, it certainly will,’ he said, giving her a swift cheeky wink. ‘I’m sure I can persuade Mr Pellerman to let your daughter have the house now. In fact, she can move in on Monday.’

‘Thanks,’ Lily ground out through clenched teeth, and as the agent walked away she almost slammed the door. Bastard, she thought. He must have been waiting for a backhander all this time—but at least she had the money to pay it.

She lifted Bobby in the air, grinning now as she looked up at his face. ‘I’ve done it, darling, and now your big sister will be moving in next door. I’ll ring her to pass on the good news.’

There was another knock on the door and, settling Bobby back in her arms, Lily went to answer it.

‘What did he say?’ Marilyn asked as she stepped inside. ‘Can Mavis have the house?’

‘Yeah, I think so, but it took a backhander.’

‘When that new agent took over, I didn’t like the look of him. The last one was all right, firm if you got a bit behind with the rent, but fair, and I never heard of him taking a bribe. You should report this one to Mr Pellerman.’

‘No, I’m not risking it, not until Mavis has moved in. Even then it might be dodgy. It’s his word against mine and I don’t want him finding ways to get her out again. She needs to be settled, Marilyn, to feel secure, safe.’

‘Yeah, the poor girl, and after what she’s been through, she deserves a bit of happiness.’ Marilyn tickled Bobby under his chin. ‘And you, darling, will have James and Grace to play with. I’ll be off, Lily. I’ve got a cake in the oven and only popped round to see if there was any news.’

Lily closed the door behind her friend and then rang Mavis. ‘It’s good news, love,’ she said as her daughter answered. ‘You can move into the house on Monday.’

‘Mum, that’s wonderful.’

‘Get packing, girl, and first thing on Monday morning me and Pete will be over to pick you up.
Hang on, have you got enough food to get you over the weekend?’

‘Yes, I’ll manage.’

‘That’s good, and you’d better tell Tommy Wilson that he can have his flat back. I still can’t get over that it’s his place, and it was nice of him to let you stay there.’

‘Yes, it was and I’ll ring him now.’

‘All right, and I’ve already scouted around for some furniture. It ain’t much, but it’ll see you through for now.’

‘I don’t care what it’s like, anything will do.’

‘It ain’t that bad, but I’d best ring off. I need to shoot down there to arrange delivery for Monday.’

‘Thanks, Mum.’

‘There’s no need to thank me. I’m just chuffed to bits that we’ve got the house sorted out at last,’ Lily said, saying a quick goodbye before ringing off.

Lily smiled with happiness. As Marilyn said, it would be lovely for Bobby. He’d grow up with family around him, and once Mavis had settled, no matter what it took, she’d see to it that it was a happy, loving environment.

Tommy picked up the telephone, his stomach doing a flip when he heard Mavis’s voice.

‘Tommy, it’s Mavis.’

‘What’s wrong? Has something happened?’ he
asked anxiously. If that bastard Alec Pugh had found Mavis, if he’d laid a finger on her…

‘No, everything’s fine. I’m just ringing to let you know that we’ll be moving out on Monday. You can have your flat back at last.’

‘I see. Well, thanks for letting me know.’

‘What shall I do with the keys?’

‘I’ve got a spare set. Once you’ve locked up, just shove them back through the letterbox. Hang on though, do you need a hand? I’ve got my van.’

‘No, it’s all right. Pete’s got a van too and he’s picking us up.’

‘OK, as long as you’re sure,’ he said, his thoughts all over the place. Mavis was leaving the area. She was going to Peckham, and he’d never see her again. ‘Er…Mavis, I’ll tell Jenny, but she might like to see you before you go. If that’s the case, is it all right if I bring her over, perhaps tomorrow?’

‘Yes, that’s fine. I’d like to see her too.’

‘What about me?’ Tommy blurted out but could have kicked himself. Bloody hell, talk about making it obvious.

‘Yes, Tommy, it’ll be nice to see you too. I can’t thank you enough for letting me stay in your flat.’

‘It was nothing. Bye for now, Mavis,’ Tommy said, hastily ringing off. God, he’d made a right fool of himself, but at last he admitted the truth. He liked Mavis, more than liked her, and, though
he hadn’t thought of her in years, now he’d seen her again, he suspected that he always had.

It wasn’t his ex-wife who’d been the girl of his dreams, it was Mavis, and he’d been unconsciously looking for her since she left Cullen Street. Belinda had just been a substitute, and maybe that’s why the marriage hadn’t worked. He’d never really loved her and she must have sensed that.

Jenny looked up as her cousin came home from work, saying, ‘Stan’s taken Greg to football practice. But why the long face, Willy?’

‘Stop calling me that! My name is Tommy, Tom, or even Thomas, but not Willy.’

‘All right, keep your hair on.’

‘I’m sorry, Jenny, I didn’t mean to snap. It’s just that Mavis rang me this morning. She’s moving out on Monday.’

‘Well, that’s good news, isn’t it? You’ll be getting your flat back.’

‘Yes, I suppose so.’

‘You don’t sound too happy about it,’ Jenny said, and as he sat down she moved to sit opposite, leaning forward to ask, ‘Tommy, is there something going on between you and Mavis?’

‘No, of course not,’ he protested. ‘She’s your friend, that’s all, and as I thought you’d like to see her before she moves out, I said I’d run you over there tomorrow.’

‘Don’t worry, I can get the bus.’

‘There’s no need,’ he said quickly.

‘I thought you’d say that, but why pretend, Tommy? I’ve seen the way you look at Mavis and I know you like her.’

‘Yes, all right, Jenny, I like her, but I can’t do anything about it. She’s only just left her husband and the last thing she’ll want is another bloke sniffing around.’

‘Now, maybe, but all you’ve got to do is give her a bit of time. I’ve seen the way Mavis looks at you too, and even if she doesn’t know it yet, I reckon she feels the same way.’

‘Really?’

‘Yes, really. Look, I know she isn’t ready yet, but leave it until she settles and then you can find an excuse to go to see her.’

‘What if she doesn’t want to see me?’

‘Trust me, she will.’

‘I hope you’re right, Jenny.’

So do I, Jenny thought. Tommy had been badly hurt by his ex-wife and the last thing she wanted was to put him in line for more heartbreak. Yet when she had seen Tommy and Mavis together, she had felt the sparks between them, even if Mavis wasn’t aware of them yet. Surely she just needed some time?

Mavis had decided to leave the packing until Sunday morning, but now, as she pulled a case from under the bed, she saw her son’s eyes darken with fear. ‘No, Mummy, I don’t want to go home.’

Mavis hadn’t wanted to tell them about their new home until it was assured, but now cursed herself for keeping up the pretence that this was just a holiday. Poor James, he looked terrified at the thought of returning to Ellington Avenue and, calling Grace, she sat down, pulling her daughter onto her lap. Grace may not understand, but hopefully James would. Patting the bed next to her, she said, ‘James, come and sit next to me.’

With an arm around Grace, and one now around James, Mavis gently said, ‘We’re not going back to our old house. We’ve got a new one and it’s next door to Granny, Pete, and Bobby.’

Grace clapped her hands, smiling with delight,
but James frowned. ‘Is Daddy coming too?’ he asked.

‘No, darling, we’re not going to live with your daddy any more. It’ll just be us, you, me and Grace.’

‘Just us?’

‘Yes, darling.’

‘We won’t have to live with Daddy?’

‘No, I promise, it’ll be just us.’

At last James looked reassured, slumping against her as he said quietly, ‘Good.’

Mavis could have cried. Her son was only six years old, punished too harshly by his father, and then had witnessed her own abuse. No wonder he didn’t want to go home, and she hoped she would never have to see such deep fear in his eyes again.

‘See Bobby now?’ Grace asked.

‘Not today, but tomorrow we’ll be moving into our new house and you’ll be able to see him every day. Now come on, you can both help me to pack.’

Grace scrambled from her lap and James was quick to follow, both dashing around madly to grab armfuls of toys. ‘Whoa, there’s no need to rush,’ Mavis said as she found them a box. ‘We’ve got all day so leave out some of your favourite toys to play with.’

Mavis left them to it as she began to put clothes into a suitcase. After the house in Ellington Avenue, and then this spacious flat, the children would find the new house rather cramped. Not only that, they
would have to share a tiny bedroom, and that was sure to cause problems. Yet what did it matter? They’d be close to their gran, surrounded by love, and that was the most important thing.

Mavis paused. Edith Pugh had once said that she would grow to love Alec, but she never had. Instead all that had grown was hate; but at last she was free.

It was after three and, with his stomach full of Jenny’s wonderful Sunday roast, Tommy was driving her to his flat to see Mavis. Greg was with them, the boy excited that he was going to see James again, and Tommy knew he was equally excited at the thought of seeing Mavis.

Everything Jenny had said made sense, Tommy thought as he drove around a corner. It would be hard, he knew that, but he would have to give Mavis space and time before he contacted her again.

For now he had to play it cool, and, as Tommy pulled up outside the flat, he turned to grin at Jenny. ‘If I look like I’m drooling when I see Mavis, give me a dig in the ribs.’

‘I’d love to,’ she quipped. ‘Can I make it two?’

‘If you must,’ he said before they climbed out of the van.

Tommy’s stomach did a somersault when Mavis opened the door, and once again he marvelled at
the effect she had on him. He’d noticed that she looked like his ex-wife, but now Belinda paled in comparison as Mavis’s lovely, blue eyes met his.

‘Hello, come on in,’ she invited.

‘He’s seen her, Mummy. Is he drooling?’ Greg asked.

‘Shut up,’ Tommy hissed, cursing that he’d said anything in front of Greg. He should have realised the boy would be all ears, and now he felt an absolute fool.

‘Go and play with James,’ Jenny ordered as she almost shoved the boy inside.

‘But…’

‘But nothing,’ she said dismissively

Mavis looked bemused, but led them into the living room, where Tommy was glad that Jenny led the conversation. ‘I see you’ve been packing,’ she said.

‘Yes, and it’s almost finished. Pete’s picking us up first thing in the morning.’

‘Greg, I’m going to live next to my granny,’ James said, his face animated.

Jenny smiled softly. ‘Bless him, he looks dead chuffed.’

‘Me going too,’ Grace cried.

‘Yes, aren’t you lucky?’ Jenny said.

‘Come on, Greg, let’s play with my trains again,’ James urged.

Grace wasn’t going to be left out and joined the
two boys on the floor. For a moment Tommy watched them, but then Mavis spoke, her voice soft.

‘Tommy, thanks again for letting us use your flat. I’m sorry it dragged on for two weeks.’

‘No problem,’ Tommy said as he and Jenny sat down. ‘Anyway, look at this place, talk about a spring clean.’

‘Once you move back in, I doubt it’ll stay like this,’ Jenny said. ‘Men. They’re hopeless without a woman to clean up after them. I bet Alec is finding that out too.’

‘Have you seen him?’ Mavis asked.

‘Yes, but he ignored me. It’s funny really. I sort of expected him to call round asking if I know where you are.’

‘Oh, Jenny, I hadn’t thought of that.’

‘Don’t worry, if he does get round to it, I’ll tell the smarmy git that I haven’t got a clue.’

‘I’ve been frightened that he’ll find me.’

‘Well, he hasn’t, and you’re safe now. You’ve been safe here, and you’ll be safe in Peckham too.’

‘I know, but it won’t be over until the divorce comes through and that could take ages.’

‘Once you’ve seen a solicitor you’ll be legally separated and that’s a start.’

‘Yes, it is, isn’t it?’ Mavis said, obviously brightened by the thought. ‘Thanks, Jenny, you always manage to say the right thing.’

‘I’ll give you a chance to settle in and then, if it’s all right with you, I’ll get Tommy to run me over to see you.’

‘Of course it’s all right with me. I’d love to see you.’

Tommy had to hide a smile when Jenny turned to wink at him. Yes, he’d see Mavis again, but, as Jenny said, she needed time, and for now he had to be content with that.

It was two hours later when Jenny and Tommy left, and though Mavis could see that James was sad to see his friend leave with them, he soon brightened up when she suggested they finish the last of the packing.

With an early start in the morning, Mavis wanted the children to have an early night, and was relieved when she finally closed the last suitcase. There’d be so much to do once they were in Peckham. A new school to sort out for James, and with any luck a nursery for Grace, but none of this worried her.

From now on she’d be in charge of her own life, free to make her own decisions, and one thing Mavis was sure of, she’d never allow herself to be ruled by a man, or anyone, again. She’d been an idiot, a meek and biddable idiot, and though she had once tried to assert herself, to stand up to Alec, he’d used her fear for James against her.
Yes, Alec had won, but she was free of him now and her new life was beginning.

Mavis looked around the flat, satisfied that she had left it clean and tidy. With a wide yawn she turned out the lights before going into the bedroom, where she carefully climbed into bed. James was on the other side, Grace in the middle, but neither stirred as she laid her head on the pillow. Content, Mavis closed her eyes, almost immediately falling asleep.

It was early in the morning when Mavis woke up again, the dream still vivid in her mind. It was the same one that had haunted her for years, but this time it had been different. The man had still been there, and she had felt the same yearning as he reached out for her, but this time she had seen his face. No, no, it couldn’t be him!

‘Mummy,’ Grace murmured.

Mavis reached out to pull her daughter into her arms. No, she didn’t want him. She might have to rely on her mother for now, but one day she’d find a way to be independent. She would do it on her own too, run her own life, without any man taking control of her again.