Mother’s Ruin (20 page)
For Sally the days were filled with moments of agonising pain at Arthur’s betrayal, interspersed with moments of anger. She knew that Angel was confused and she constantly asked to see her father, but so far she had fobbed her off with excuses.
It was the first Sunday in April, but the day had started bleak, the sky dark and heavy to match her mood. Then, by three in the afternoon, the sun broke through and Angel begged to be allowed outside to play.
‘No,’ Sally said, her eyes fixed on the sparse fire burning in the grate.
‘Pleeease, Mummy!’
‘Sally,’ Ruth urged, ‘she’s been cooped up all day and it won’t hurt to let her go out for a while.’
She sighed heavily, too caught up in her own misery to fight. ‘All right then.’
Angel squealed with delight, but Sally hardly heard her. Her gran’s words kept going round in her mind, but they failed to comfort her. So men could sleep with women without becoming emotionally involved, but to her that was no excuse. When she fell in love with Arthur, she’d found real love, deep love, and had thought he felt the same. How wrong, how blind she’d been.
Time ticked by slowly and desperate for diversion, Sally listened to her mother and gran as they talked about Tommy.
‘That boy seems to be staying away.’
‘Yes, and when I saw him playing outside earlier he looked all right. To be on the safe side I’ll go on keeping an eye on him, and if he turns up at my door again, whether Laura likes it or not, I’m taking him in.’
‘That’ll just get her back up and make things worse for the boy.’
‘What choice is there? If I don’t take him in he’d be out on the streets all night.’
Sadie sighed heavily. ‘Yeah, I suppose you’re right.’
Half an hour had passed since Angel had gone out to play and Sally decided to check on her. She scanned the lane but there was no sign of her daughter. Tommy Walters was there, playing with a couple of other boys and she called, ‘Have you seen Angel?’
‘Yeah, she was with us till a little while ago, but then she said she was going to see someone.’
Sally’s stomach did a somersault. Angel had been whining for days that she was missing her dad, and not stopping to think about it she chased after her daughter, hoping to catch up with her before she reached Maple Terrace.
There was no sign of Angel and breathless, Sally stopped outside the flat. She didn’t have her handbag and without keys she was forced to ring the bell, shocked when Patsy opened the door.
‘Hello, Sally. Have you come round for your daughter? We were a bit surprised when she turned up on her own.’
‘Yes, I’ve come for Angel,’ Sally said, fighting the urge to dig her fingernails into Patsy’s face. Holding her head high and hardening her voice, she added, ‘Tell her that I’m here to take her home.’
‘Don’t you want to come in?’
‘No, I don’t! Now please tell my daughter that I’m waiting.’
‘But she wants to see her daddy and there’s no harm in her staying for a little while.’
Sally’s back was rigid. She wouldn’t give Patsy the satisfaction of seeing how upset she was. Instead she spat, ‘I don’t want my daughter associating with the likes of you.’
‘There’s no need to be nasty. We’ve just had our dinner, and I was about to start rearranging the furniture when the kid turned up. Arthur was dead chuffed to see her.’
Sally felt the blood drain from her face. So, Patsy was already making herself at home. She was planning to shift the furniture, change the room that Sally had so carefully arranged, and what was more, it seemed Arthur was allowing it. ‘Get my daughter,’ she demanded. ‘I’m taking her home.’
‘I think you’ll find that Arthur has a right to see Angel.’
‘No, he hasn’t. He lost any claim on her when he had it off with you!’ Sally knew she sounded coarse, but didn’t care; in fact, if she had to look at Patsy’s smug face for much longer she’d go for her, she really would.
‘If that’s your attitude it seems your divorce will be nasty. I think you’ll find that Arthur’s solicitor will insist that he has access to Angel.’
Sally’s mind reeled. Divorce! It had come to that. Her teeth clenched. ‘A divorce suits me,’ she ground out. ‘Now, as I said, tell my daughter I’m waiting!’
‘All right, keep your hair on,’ Patsy said, as she turned to go back inside.
Only moments later Angel appeared and seeing Sally she held back. ‘No, Mummy, I don’t want to come home yet.’
‘Come here!’ Sally demanded and, grabbing her daughter’s hand she pulled her over the threshold and along Maple Terrace.
Angel was dragging her feet, still protesting, but Sally hardly heard her. Arthur wanted a divorce and, at the finality of the thought, Sally’s shoulders slumped.
Patsy smiled happily as she closed the door on Sally. What a bit of luck. She had popped down to see Arthur, only to find that he was talking about getting Sally back and inwardly she had fumed.
Hiding her feelings she told him that the time wasn’t right. It was too soon and it would be better to give Sally a bit of space, she’d advised. Despite this, he still wanted to go to Candle Lane, but thankfully Angel had forestalled him by knocking on the door.
By calling round to collect her daughter, Sally had played right into Patsy’s hands and she felt a surge of glee. It hadn’t taken much to hint that she was living with Arthur and the silly cow had taken the bait. Now, with a few choice words to Arthur, she could push the pair of them even further apart. Her lips curled with satisfaction. Yes, with luck, she’d be able to snare Arthur soon. They were already having sex frequently, the man insatiable, but he’d baulked at her sharing his bed. Well, that was about to change, Patsy decided.
She composed her face, looking sad as she walked into the living room. ‘I’m so sorry, Arthur. I did try, but Sally refused to let Angel stay. In fact she was really annoyed that Angel came round here on her own and said that she’s going to see a solicitor first thing in the morning.’
‘A solicitor! What for?’
‘She’s going to file for a divorce, and not only that, she intends to make sure that you never see your daughter again.’
Arthur’s face flushed with anger. ‘I’m not standing for that! I’m going to see her, and right now!’
‘You’d be wasting your time. She won’t talk to you and made that plain. I did try to persuade her to come in, but in no uncertain terms she refused. If you want to make sure you get access to your daughter, you’ll need to see a solicitor too, and as soon as possible.’
‘Are you sure she’s filing for a divorce?’
‘Yes. She said that the next time you hear from her, it would be through a solicitor.’
‘She can’t keep me away from Angel!’
‘I know, but you’ve got to face it. Sally won’t take you back and you must take steps to see that you don’t lose your little girl too.’
Arthur slumped back on the sofa, his eyes dark with anger. ‘The bitch! If this is the way she wants to play it, fine. I’ll see a solicitor first thing in the morning.’
Patsy sat beside him, hiding her triumph. Arthur was a proud man, and now there was no way he would crawl to Sally begging for forgiveness. He suddenly grabbed her, fury still evident in his eyes and, as his teeth sank into her neck, Patsy groaned with pleasure. He was taking his anger out in sex, but she didn’t mind. Thanks, Sally, she thought, smiling wickedly.
Later, they lay back, both spent, Patsy nestling close to Arthur. Maybe tonight, she thought, maybe tonight he’d let her stay and in the morning she’d be there to see Joe’s face when he came to pick Arthur up for work. She pictured the special underwear she had upstairs, imagined wearing it when she opened the door to Joe, and smiled. He would see what he’d let go and it would serve him right. It wasn’t that she was interested in him now, after all, Arthur was the one who could please her, but if Joe was jealous it might stir things up a bit between the two men. They might be in partnership when it came to work, but she certainly didn’t want Joe calling round socially.
‘Won’t you give Arthur another chance?’ Elsie asked, as she and Bert sat in the kitchen.
‘He has Patsy living with him now,’ Sally told them, the events of the afternoon still vivid in her mind. She loved her in-laws, yet when they had called round less than ten minutes ago, she had been in no mood to talk.
Angel was still upset, wanting to go back to see her daddy, but had brightened up when Elsie and Bert arrived, especially when they’d given her a present. She had looked at the new box of paints and colouring book with delight, almost immediately beginning to fill in one of the pictures.
‘Sally, I’m not defending what my son has done,’ Bert said, ‘but you’ve only just broken up. I can’t believe that he’s moved that girl in already.’
‘He has. I saw it with my own eyes.’
‘You must be mistaken,’ Elsie protested. ‘I’m sure it was only a one-off thing with Patsy.’
‘Don’t like Patsy,’ Angel said, her brush poised as she abandoned the painting to listen to the conversation.
Sally frowned, recalling that Angel had said that before. Had her daughter foreseen this happening? She saw how Angel’s ears were pricked, and not wanting her to hear any more of this conversation, she said quietly, ‘Elsie, I’d rather not talk about this in front of Angel.’
Bert frowned, and then crossed the room to Angel. ‘How about coming for a ride in Granddad’s car?’
‘Can we go to see my daddy?’
Sally tensed, relieved when Bert said, ‘Maybe another time, but right now I thought we might go to the park and you can have a ride on the swings.’
Angel scrambled to her feet. ‘Will you push me really high?’
‘Of course I will. Now run and get your coat.’
‘Thanks love,’ Elsie told him, smiling warmly at her husband.
‘Sally’s right, we shouldn’t talk in front of the child. I’ll be back in an hour and then I’m going to have a word with my son.’
Angel ran back into the room, her coat clutched to her chest. ‘I’m ready, Granddad.’
Bert leaned down, his huge form towering over his granddaughter as he helped her put on the coat. ‘Right, see you later.’
‘I dread to think what Bert will have to say to Arthur,’ said Elsie when the coast was clear. ‘He was furious when I told him and wanted to see Arthur straightaway. I managed to talk him out of it, telling him that we shouldn’t interfere. Now, though, I doubt there’s much chance of keeping them apart.’
‘Sally, what’s this about Arthur moving that girl in?’ Ruth asked. ‘I know you were upset when you came back with Angel, but I thought you were just annoyed that she’d gone round there.’
‘I didn’t want to talk about it, Mum, and I still don’t.’
Elsie shook her head. ‘I still think you’re mistaken, love.’
‘No, I’m not. Patsy was there when I went to get Angel, but I don’t want my daughter anywhere near the likes of her. Arthur wants a divorce, our marriage is over, and as far as I’m concerned, now that Arthur has moved Patsy in, he’s forfeited any right to see his daughter.’
‘Sally, I know you’re angry and I understand, really I do, but you can’t keep Angel away from her father.’
‘You just watch me.’
Sadie leaned forward in her chair, speaking for the first time. ‘Sally, listen to me. I know you’re hurt and at the moment swamped with bitterness, but Elsie is right and no matter what Arthur has done, you can’t keep Angel away from him. Little girls cling to their fathers, and if you stop her from seeing him it’ll rebound on you. She’ll come to blame you. Surely you realise that.’
Sally reared to her feet. ‘I don’t care! Just leave me alone, all of you,’ she cried, fleeing the room. She was deeply shocked by Arthur’s betrayal and wanted him to suffer too. To that end she would use the only weapon she had. Angel.
‘She’s in a terrible state,’ Elsie said, distressed, as the door slammed behind Sally.
‘What do you expect?’
Sadie exhaled loudly before speaking. ‘To save the marriage I was prepared to have a go at talking Sally round, but not now, not when he’s moved that girl in.’
‘I still think that Sally is mistaken. In fact, I think I’ll walk round there now. When Bert comes back, will you tell him where I am?’
‘I think I’ll come with you,’ Ruth said.
‘It would be better if I spoke to Arthur on my own.’
‘Maybe, but I want to see for myself if that girl has moved in. If she has, then as far as I’m concerned, Sally has made the right decision.’
‘All right, come on then. You’ll see it’s a load of rubbish.’
‘Sally!’ Ruth called. ‘Me and Elsie are popping out for a while. You’d better come down and sit with your gran.’
Both women now marched along Candle Lane, hardly speaking during the walk to Maple Terrace.
It was Elsie who banged on the door and when Arthur opened it she barged in. ‘What’s this about you and Sally getting a divorce?’
Arthur’s half smile was more like a sneer, his voice sardonic. ‘Hello, and it’s nice to see you too, Mum.’
‘Don’t be funny with me,’ Elsie spat, and indicating that Ruth should follow her, they made for the living room.
Arthur followed behind and as he took a seat, Elsie spoke again. ‘Now, son, I asked you a question. Are you getting a divorce?’
‘Yes, I am, and I don’t appreciate you barging in here as if you own the place.’
‘Got something to hide, have you?’ Ruth scowled. ‘Are you frightened we’ll catch you with your fancy woman?’
Arthur’s chin rose. ‘Your daughter left me. What I do now is none of her business, or yours.’
‘She had good reason to leave you.’
‘Maybe, but if she’d been a proper wife when I came home from hospital, I wouldn’t have slept with Patsy. I’ll tell you something else – she has no right to keep my daughter away from me.’
‘I don’t blame her, not when she saw that you’ve moved that tart in.’
‘Is that what she told you? And I suppose the lying bitch said she’d caught us at it again.’
‘Don’t you dare call my daughter a bitch!’
‘If the cap fits,’ he drawled.
‘That’s enough, Arthur,’ Elsie said sharply. ‘Are you trying to tell us that you haven’t slept with that girl again?’
Both women saw Arthur flush, his guilt obvious, but it was Elsie who now spoke, her voice high with shock. ‘My God, son, you should be ashamed of yourself.’