Love or Duty--A saga set in 1920s Liverpool (25 page)

‘You will,' Penny said grimly.

‘Do you mean that this woman is someone from the circus; someone Bilkie has sent?'

‘No!' Penny shook her head emphatically. ‘I'm pretty sure she's not from the circus. I think from the description the sister gave us that the woman was Marcia Miller, who is Arnold's secretary. I think she's collected Kelly under instructions from Arnold; who in turn has been put up to this scheme by my father.'

‘Penny, none of this makes any sense to me,' Bryn protested as she raised a hand to hail a passing taxi and hurried towards it.

‘I'll tell you on the way,' she promised as he opened the door and she scrambled inside.

‘So where are we going?' the cab driver asked, half turning in his seat and looking at Bryn.

‘Watson's Dock,' Penny told him crisply. ‘Hurry please, it's urgent.'

‘Now do I get an explanation?' Bryn asked, as they settled back in their seats and the cab took off in the direction of the Pier Head.

‘Arnold's company have boats that travel regularly to Spain and I think he is going to put Kelly on one of them to get her out of the way.'

‘What makes you think that? How could Arnold know, or for that matter care, about Kelly.'

‘After what happened at the circus they probably read about it all in the newspaper.'

Bryn frowned. ‘I don't understand. I know it said that the circus people were going to take her with them when they went back to their winter quarters in Spain at the end of the season, but why would Arnold want to take her over there now all on her own.'

‘Do you know very much about Spain?' Penny questioned.

‘I know it's warm and sunny with some lovely beaches.'

‘Ships from the Watson company visit all the main ports there and many of their crew come from Spain,' Penny went on, ignoring what Bryn had said. ‘My father took me over to Almeria and showed me the hill villages just outside where most of the crew come from. Many of their homes were caves dug into the sides of the mountain. The poverty and slums in that part of Spain are far worse than what we have here around the Scotland Road area.'

‘And you think that is where they are going to take Kelly? To leave her with one of the families over there.'

‘Either that or turn her loose and leave her to fend for herself.'

‘They couldn't do that; it would be criminal!' Bryn exclaimed in a shocked voice.

‘Who would know? They have only to say she ran away when they docked. I remember Arnold once saying that they often get stowaways on board and when they reach Almeria they disappear up into the hills.'

‘Surely not children as young as Kelly,' Bryn stated.

‘No, that's true. They're usually boys of thirteen or fourteen,' Penny admitted.

Bryn shook his head contemplatively. ‘You know, Penny, we should have informed the police the moment we knew where Kelly was and then none of this would have happened.'

‘No; she'd have been put straight back into St Saviour's Remand Home.'

‘At least she would have been safe in there and if we'd gone through the right channels she may well have been released and back in your care again by now.'

Bryn told the cabbie to wait when they reached Watson's Dock. A cargo ship bearing the Watson insignia was lying at anchor and gangs of stevedores were busy loading it.

Penny and Bryn hurried towards it. As they made their way up the gangplank a burly seaman shouted at them to stop but they ignored him.

The commotion that resulted brought a uniformed man on to the deck and he barred their way.

‘We wish to speak to Arnold Watson; we understand he is on board,' Penny stated.

The man hesitated. ‘He is with Captain Parker and they cannot be disturbed because we are about to sail …'

‘I know and we must see him immediately before you leave.'

‘I'm afraid that is impossible, miss. The captain has issued an order that they are not to be disturbed.'

As they made to push past him the officer grabbed hold of Bryn's arm but Penny managed to slip by. She had been on the ship before and knew exactly where the captain's quarters were and headed straight for them.

Arnold and Captain Parker were deep in conversation but they broke off abruptly when she burst into the cabin without knocking.

‘Why did you take Kelly away from the hospital this morning?' she demanded hotly looking directly at Arnold.

‘Well, hello Penny, this is an unexpected pleasure, I had no idea you were on board' Arnold said coolly.

‘What are you planning to do with her?' she went on, ignoring his sarcastic greeting.

‘I'm arranging for Captain Parker to take her to Spain. As I understood it this was where she was going anyway,' he announced pedantically.

‘And once he reaches Almeria I suppose you have told him to abandon her!'

‘No! As a matter of fact one of the crew has volunteered to give her a home. I am finalizing the necessary arrangements right now with Captain Parker.'

‘How dare you! You have no right to do this,' Penny exploded.

‘Saint Penny to the rescue once again,' he mocked. ‘So what are you intending to do this time. Are you going to go to Almeria with her and live in a cave?'

‘If I have to; if it is the only way of protecting Kelly,' Penny told him, squaring her shoulders and facing him boldly.

He stood up and came over to her and put a hand under her chin, tilting her face up. ‘Isn't it time you grew up and stopped trying to be a do-gooder?' he sneered, his grey eyes boring into hers.

‘Take your hands off me,' she railed, using both her own hands against his chest to push him away. ‘Everything is over between us.'

His eyes hardened. ‘Your father has begged me to forgive and forget,' he said softly.

‘You might be prepared to do that but I never will,' Penny told him contemptuously.

‘Not even for the good of your family? Not even for your father's sake? Perhaps you didn't know,' he went on, ‘his future depends on it.'

‘What do you mean?' Penny's heart thudded and for a moment her attention was distracted from Kelly's welfare.

Arnold lowered his voice. ‘He's in trouble, Penny, extremely serious financial trouble, but you have the power to save him from disgrace.'

Penny raised her brows. ‘I have no idea what you are talking about.'

‘No, he hasn't told you has he. How do you think he has managed to provide such a beautiful home, run a very expensive motor car, pay for you to attend a private school, buy you your own motor car and to be a member of so many exclusive clubs?'

‘You know quite well that my father has always run a very successful business and that he has always had a good income,' she said, her voice full of pride.

Arnold puffed out his cheeks. ‘Yes,' he said softly, ‘that is where the problem lies.'

‘I don't understand what you are inferring.'

‘It's come to light that your father has been embezzling money from the company for a good many years.'

‘What absolute rubbish! What grounds have you for saying such a thing,' she asked, flustered.

‘When he ran into financial trouble my father and I took some shares in his company to help him out. Now he says he is unable to pay any dividend, so as shareholders we have to take a decision about what to do next. The obvious answer is to prosecute and take him to court. Can you imagine the headlines? “Respected magistrate sued for swindling his own company”.'

The colour drained from Penny's face. ‘Your father wouldn't do that, surely. You must intervene, Arnold. If you are also a shareholder then surely you have a say in how the matter is handled.'

‘Oh, I do,' he agreed. ‘What's more, my father will listen to my advice.'

‘Then for heaven's sake give my father a chance to explain how it has happened and time to repay you. I am sure there must be some way he can do so.'

Arnold shrugged. ‘I need some inducement. He is the one in trouble not me.'

Penny felt the colour creep into her face. ‘You mean …' She hesitated not knowing how to put it into words.

‘I mean that I need to have our wedding plans restored. Once you have fixed a date then his debt to us will be wiped out completely.'

‘And what about Kelly?'

‘Kelly?' He stared at her for a moment as if he didn't know what she was talking about. ‘Oh, you mean the slum kid.' He laughed sneeringly. ‘Agree to my terms and you can take her with you; you'll find her in that cabin opposite.'

As she pushed open the door of the cabin Arnold had indicated Penny's heart sank as she saw Kelly huddled up on the bunk. She was white-faced and it was obvious from her red eyes that she had been crying. Her face lit up when she saw Penny and she spread her arms in greeting.

‘You're here at last, that other woman said you wouldn't come,' she sobbed as Penny hugged her close.

Penny looked across at Arnold who was now standing in the doorway observing what was going on with a cynical expression on his handsome face.

‘She's all yours for the moment so take her with you,' he ordered. ‘Don't forget about what I've asked you to do,' he added cryptically.

Penny looked at him with loathing in her eyes. ‘And if I don't obey your orders?'

‘Then remember that your father and the kid will both suffer.'

Bryn, looking very disgruntled as if immersed in an attack of deep Celtic gloom, was waiting on the quayside when Penny and Kelly came down the gangplank.

‘They virtually threw me off the boat,' he said angrily as they joined him. ‘I was afraid they were going to set sail for Spain at any moment with you two still on board.'

‘Well, we are all here now safe and sound,' Penny assured him as she gave him a warning look.

Bryn understood immediately. ‘Come on then, let's all go home,' he said taking hold of Kelly's other hand. ‘The taxicab's still here waiting.'

As they travelled back to Scotland Road, Penny reported the conversation that had taken place on board between herself and Arnold.

‘That's blackmail,' Bryn said in an angry voice,

‘I know,' she agreed quietly.

‘The best thing you can do is take no notice and ignore everything Arnold has said,' Bryn told her. ‘You've got Kelly back safe and sound so be content to leave it at that.'

‘I'd like nothing better than to forget everything Arnold said but can I do that? I'm quite sure he meant it when he said he would take my father to court on a charge of embezzlement if I didn't comply with his wishes.'

‘I think you should speak to your father first to find out if there are any grounds for that. He may be making it all up merely to frighten you.'

‘I don't think that even Arnold would go that far,' Penny said in a dubious voice.

‘Well, it's entirely up to you, of course,' Bryn said stiffly, his square jaw jutting ominously. ‘If you want to go ahead with your original plans and marry Arnold Watson then I can't very well stop you.'

Penny stared at him in silence. She wanted to tell him that of course he could stop her. He had only to confirm that he really was in love with her and to tell her that he wanted her to marry him and she would know immediately what was the right course of action.

There was so much she wanted to say but with Kelly clutching tightly at her hand she felt it was wisest to remain silent. She wasn't sure how much Kelly understood. The child had suffered enough for one day. She was afraid that if she started going into details or the two of them began arguing over the matter it might worry Kelly more than was necessary.

Anyway, at the moment Kelly was jabbering away telling them all about the circus.

‘Why did you run away like that and give us all such a fright,' Bryn asked her.

‘I heard you and Penny arguing about telling the police that you'd found me and that I was with you,' she said in a contrite whisper.

‘I see.'

‘I was afraid you were going to send me back to St Saviour's.'

‘You probably will have to go back,' he told her solemnly, ‘but as we keep telling you it will only be for a very short time because we will go to the court and ask for you to come and live with us,' he added quickly.

‘You did that before and they took no notice of you,' Kelly said in a sulky voice.

‘Yes, I know, but I am quite sure it will be different this time. Now promise you won't worry about it and please don't run away again,' he added firmly. ‘If you are found by the police and taken back to St Saviour's by them it will be much harder for us to convince the court that it would be all right for you to come and live with us.'

Although he spoke to Kelly in a very reassuring manner, inwardly Bryn knew that it wasn't going to be that simple to persuade the court to release her.

He also felt that it would be in Kelly's interest as well as their own to notify the police right away that she was with them. In fact, he was puzzled that the police didn't already know about it and had come to find out for themselves. However, he decided to delay discussing the matter with Penny until after Kelly was in bed.

Penny focused her attention on Kelly when they reached Bryn's flat in Scotland Road. Kelly looked almost as bedraggled as when she had first met her, Penny thought. Her dress was dirty and torn and she looked as though she hadn't had a wash or had her hair combed for days.

‘Now, what are we going to do first?' Penny asked with a bright smile. ‘Would you like a nice warm bath or something to eat?'

‘A jam butty and then a bath,' Kelly said after a moment's hesitation.

‘Strawberry jam?' Penny asked knowing that this was Kelly's favourite.

Kelly's face brightened. ‘Yes, please.'

‘Milk or lemonade?'