Love or Duty--A saga set in 1920s Liverpool (28 page)

The rest of the day passed fairly amicably. When Penny told her mother that Bryn would be coming over later in the day with some of their clothes, and all the other things they'd had to leave behind because she hadn't had time to pack them, her mother insisted that she should telephone Bryn and invite him to have dinner with them.

‘I think he was going to try and come early so that he could see Kelly. She will be in bed if he comes as late as that,' Penny demurred.

‘Surely not! Is it really necessary for her to go to bed before seven?' Leonora Forshaw asked in a surprised voice. ‘I'm sure Kelly can manage to stay awake until we have finished eating dinner. In fact, why not let her join us at table.'

‘At dinner!' Penny couldn't keep the surprise out of her voice.

‘Yes, that is what I said. You'd most certainly like to stay up and have dinner with us wouldn't you, Kelly?' she asked in a tone that made refusal impossible.

Kelly shot a scared look at Penny and waited for her to say something.

Momentarily Penny felt at a loss for words. Everything was so different this time. She realized that her mother was trying to make amends for how badly she had treated Kelly in the past, so she went along with the idea.

She smiled encouragingly. ‘Bryn will be here as well so you will enjoy that won't you, Kelly?'

Nevertheless she was concerned in case Kelly disgraced herself in some way. At Bryn's flat they had always eaten at the same time and there had never been any problem but a more formal dinner with people she was not at ease with was quite another matter.

Penny could hardly believe the change in her parents' attitude and the way they were accepting Kelly's presence in their home.

Her mother was continually fussing over Kelly and making sure that she was being well cared for. There was none of the uncomfortable atmosphere she and Kelly had experienced when she'd brought her home before.

Her mother had even suggested that Kelly should have the guest room but Penny decided that for the first few nights at any rate it would be best for Kelly to sleep in her room.

‘She is probably feeling very unsettled and nervous and if she wakes up in the night and finds herself in a strange bedroom she might be frightened,' Penny explained.

‘Yes, you are probably right,' her mother agreed. ‘Once she has settled down though if you would like Kelly to have a room of her own then let Mary know and she can make the guest room ready for her.'

Penny had a quiet hour with her father in his study the morning after she returned home and he told her in strictest confidence the truth behind Arnold's allegations.

‘There has been a case of fraud, or embezzlement, as Arnold described it but it concerned the Watsons' company, not mine,' he told her. ‘I won't bore you with the details but Arnold had been wrongfully taking money out of his company and by so doing defrauding the shareholders. He came to me and asked for my help in covering the matter up because he was so worried. It was not only the disgrace it would bring down on their company, but he was also concerned about his father's wrath if he ever found out what had been going on.'

‘So you let him have money to help replace what he had taken,' Penny said thoughtfully.

‘Yes, but it was the wrong thing to do. At the time, however, I felt I had no option because you two were engaged and planning to be married,' her father told her.

‘You shouldn't have let that stand in your way,' Penny said sadly.

‘I know but it was a very tricky predicament. I thought you were in love with him and I couldn't bear for your heart to be broken. Nor did I want it to come to light that you were marrying a chap who was such an out and out scoundrel.'

‘So if I had gone ahead and married Arnold you would have continued to keep quiet,' Penny said reflectively.

‘Of course I would. I hoped that Arnold had learned his lesson and that it was something he'd never do again. I hadn't even told your mother about it until a few days ago and I forbid you to mention it to anybody,' he said firmly, his mouth hardening into a tight line.

‘That means that Arnold will get away with his misdeed and at the same time this wretched secret will always give him a hold over you,' Penny mused. ‘So what happens about it now?' she asked when her father remained silent. ‘You really ought to do something to stop him making accusations about you.'

Her father shrugged. ‘I'm not sure. At the moment I'm not going to do anything. I need time to give the matter some deep thought.'

‘Surely, since Arnold's father is your oldest friend and a business associate, then you ought to tell him what has been going on.'

‘That is the problem,' her father admitted. ‘The matter has lain dormant for quite a while so I am not sure if it is wise to disclose all the facts. To do so might upset the harmonious relationship I have at present with William Watson.'

‘Can you trust Arnold to remain silent, though? He has already falsely accused you and he may do so publicly if he ever thought that it might be to his advantage to do so.'

‘I doubt if he would risk doing that because he would be afraid that I would retaliate by informing his father of the true situation.'

‘That's all very well but which of you would William Watson believe; you or Arnold?' Penny frowned. ‘Blood is thicker than water you know, especially when it comes to something as serious as that.'

Marcus Forshaw shook his head. ‘I don't know, Penny. You are probably right in what you are saying but I wish to leave the matter in abeyance for the moment as there are more important things to deal with.'

Penny's face brightened. ‘You mean the problem over Kelly's future?'

Marcus Forshaw sighed deeply. ‘Yes; I am not at all sure what the outcome of that will be. To be truthful I think you are going to have to reconcile yourself to the fact that she will have to go back to St Saviour's. Furthermore I think that her sentence will be extended as a punishment because she tried to abscond.'

‘Oh no! That would be terrible. You have no idea how badly they treated her when she was in there. I couldn't believe that nuns could be so harsh and cruel.'

‘You mustn't believe everything she told you,' he admonished.

‘It's not what Kelly has said. As I have already told you I went there and I saw how things were for myself. I also experienced how unfeeling the nuns could be,' she told him hotly. ‘I can quite understand why she ran away.'

‘Kelly was caught breaking the law and appeared before a magistrate so the nuns no doubt believed that it was necessary for them to be strict with her,' her father murmured.

‘You may be right about that and it is why they treated her as they did,' Penny conceded, ‘but the whole place was so grim and forbidding.' Penny shuddered at the memory. ‘Promise that you really will do all you can to persuade the authorities to let me look after her,' she begged.

‘Yes, of course I will but I feel I should warn you that it may not be successful. In all probability they will consider you to be far too young for such a responsibility.'

Penny was grateful that her father was being so cooperative, but she was even more astounded at the change of heart her mother seemed to have about Kelly.

She remembered how antagonistic her mother had been when she'd brought Kelly home immediately after the accident. She had always referred to Kelly as ‘that child' or ‘the little guttersnipe' and had wanted nothing at all to do with her.

She had even insisted that Kelly took her meals in the morning room, yet now she insisted that she should eat with them. They not only ate breakfast and lunch together but Kelly now had dinner with them except when they had important guests.

On those occasions orders were given to Mrs Davies that a ‘special tray' was to be taken up to Kelly after she was in bed.

Kelly responded well to this pampering and sought Mrs Forshaw's company whenever possible. She was eager to sit on a footstool at Leonora's feet or hold her hand as they walked round the garden together.

As she watched them from the window, Penny wondered what they talked about so earnestly on these occasions, but as long as they were enjoying each other's company she thought it wisest not to interfere and so she said nothing.

Kelly was not so reticent. She explained that Mrs Forshaw was teaching her the names of all the flowers growing in the garden and that she was going to let her pick some of them and bring them indoors and then she would show her how to arrange them prettily in a vase.

Mrs Forshaw also schooled Kelly into shutting doors quietly, how to greet people politely when they called and to be helpful in a dozen small ways.

Penny was amused when her mother showed off her little protégé when friends called. Kelly was allowed to hand around the plate of cakes or biscuits to them and even encouraged to entertain them by reciting one of the little poems that Leonora had taught her.

Mrs Forshaw took a great delight in brushing Kelly's hair each day and she bought her a supply of different coloured hair ribbons. Kelly loved them and listened patiently as Mrs Forshaw taught her how to either match or contrast the ribbons with whatever dress she was wearing.

She also insisted on buying her some new clothes and took her shopping herself. They came home with two new dresses, several pairs of socks, some black patent leather shoes and some new pyjamas.

This had not only surprised Penny but saddened her a little. She wondered if her mother was regretting that she had done none of these things with her when she'd been a child. It had been left to Nanny to buy her new clothes, to teach her manners and how to behave in company.

It was five weeks before Captain Forshaw was informed that Kelly's case was due to come to court. Penny and Bryn both assured him that they intended to be there and if possible they wanted to speak on Kelly's behalf.

‘I'll do my best to make it possible for you to do so,' he promised, ‘though I'm not at all sure that it will do any good.'

The days leading up to the court appearance were fraught for Penny. She thought very carefully about how Kelly ought to be dressed as well as about what she would wear. She even asked her mother's opinion on the matter and was amazed that her mother was so concerned.

‘The more sensible and plainly dressed you both are the better,' her mother stated. ‘Kelly's such a dainty little thing that you don't need to put her in frills to make her look pretty or to create an impression.'

‘That's exactly what I thought,' Penny agreed. ‘I thought she would look best in her pink print dress, white socks and the black patent shoes you bought her.'

‘No, I think we should buy her a new dress and that it should be dark red and quite plain,' Mrs Forshaw stated after a moment's consideration. ‘Dark red with perhaps a little white lace collar sounds quite sensible. Have you decided what you will wear?'

‘I'm not too sure. Something tailored. A navy blue dress and matching jacket perhaps.'

‘That sounds admirable but we must focus on Kelly. Make sure that her hair is newly washed and shining and that she looks well cared for,' Mrs Forshaw fussed. ‘Oh, and make sure that she has a clean handkerchief in case she is reduced to tears,' she added.

‘I also think we ought to take her through what might happen when she is taken into court and perhaps try and coach her on how she should behave if the magistrate asks her any questions.'

‘What do you mean?' Penny said with a frown.

‘Coach her; tell her what she ought to say, for one thing,' Mrs Forshaw said sharply.

‘How can we do that? We don't know what sort of questions they will ask her.'

‘Your father will have a pretty good idea. Leave it with me and I'll have a word with him.'

‘I suppose it might be worth a try,' Penny said hesitantly.

‘Of course it is,' Leonora Forshaw said firmly. ‘How she answers any questions that are put to her will go a long way to helping them decide what is best for her. If she speaks out clearly they will be more receptive to what she says. If she speaks politely it will also convince them that she is not the sort of child who should be put in a place like St Saviour's Remand Home. They will see that she will benefit far more from the kind of home life we have been able to give her.'

‘Yes, Mother, I am quite sure you are right,' Penny agreed fervently.

‘In my opinion she is far too young to be put through such an ordeal as having to appear in court,' her mother went on. ‘It's enough to scare her out of her wits.'

‘I know and I agree with you but I am sure she will cope with it all right. She has been to court before,' Penny reminded her.

‘What a tragic life the poor little thing has had,' Leonora Forshaw sighed. ‘From what she has been telling me there are so many younger children in the family that even her mother appears to have neglected her dreadfully.'

Penny nodded in agreement but said nothing. Her mother's change of heart and her acceptance of Kelly continued to surprise her.

In view of what her mother had been saying she was tempted to ask her if she could bring Kelly back there if the court gave her custody but the thought that might be pushing things too far restrained her.

It might be better to wait and see what the outcome of the hearing was. If, as her father feared they decided to send Kelly back to St Saviour's then perhaps she could appeal to her mother to intervene and ask her father to speak again to his fellow magistrates.

Now that her mother was so fond of Kelly she might even be able to persuade her to apply for Kelly to be released into her custody. She felt sure that if Captain Forshaw's wife offered to give her a home the court would not only listen but immediately agree to such an arrangement. After all, she reasoned, they had been quite happy for her father to be responsible for Kelly while they waited for the hearing so why not let him have her permanently.