Winners and Losers (12 page)

‘My fiancé,' Megan confirmed, too worried to add the ‘sir.' She instinctively reached for the engagement ring around her neck. ‘Has he had an accident?'

‘Nothing like that.' The sergeant nodded to two constables who joined them. ‘He's been arrested.'

‘What for?' Megan asked in alarm.

‘I can't discuss police matters with people who are not officially involved.' He beamed as Joyce carried in a tray that held two large, steaming beef pies. ‘If they taste as good as they smell, Mrs Palmer, we're in for a treat.'

Joyce set the pies on the sideboard. ‘Fetch the vegetables please, Megan. As soon as we've served the gentlemen, you can go.'

Realizing she must have heard the sergeant talking to her, Megan flashed her a grateful smile before dashing to the kitchen.

Billy Evans left his chair next to the stove and picked up his cap and muffler from the table. ‘I'm off to the County Club to see if I can find out what really went on at the corner of Primrose Street this morning.'

‘I'll come down to the court with you tomorrow,' Lloyd offered.

His father nodded. ‘But there's no need for you to come, Sali, you have the soup kitchen to run and Harry to take and pick up from school. If the magistrates have a heavy workload there's no saying what time the boys' case will come up.'

‘I could ask Mr Richards if he can help Joey and Victor. You know he was my father's solicitor for years before he started advising me about Harry's trust fund.'

‘Thank you, Sali, but this is best left to the union solicitor. I may be late so don't wait up for me.' He closed the door quickly behind him to keep in the heat. A few seconds later the front door slammed.

‘You think the police are out to get Victor and Joey whatever the facts, don't you?' Sali asked Lloyd.

‘They're the sons and brothers of strike leaders, and we all know what management think of those.'

‘But the police aren't management and they can't prosecute Victor and Joey unless they have a case against them.'

Lloyd lifted his eyebrows.

‘You don't think that they would fabricate evidence ...'

‘There's no point in talking about things we can't do anything about.'

‘You're beginning to say that more and more these days,' she complained irritably.

‘We could waste an entire evening discussing “what ifs” and be none the wiser at the end of it.' He took the shirt she was mending from her hands, set it on the table, pulled her back towards his chair and on to his lap. ‘That's better.' He wrapped his arms around her waist. ‘As for my brothers, there's only one thing I want at the moment and that's both of them out of the cells in time for our wedding. Now can we talk about that, please.'

‘You know why I don't like talking about it.'

‘Owen Bull is going to be executed,' he said flatly, ‘and as soon as it happens, we are going to be married, Sali.'

Although they both avoided mentioning Owen's impending execution, Lloyd knew Sali scoured the papers for news of the appeal his solicitors had made against his sentence as thoroughly as he did. ‘It's time to put Owen, his cruelty to you and Harry, and how he got away with Mansel James' murder for over four years behind you, sweetheart.'

Sali bit her bottom lip until it bled. ‘I know but -'

‘And as I'll be wearing my best suit to our wedding, I'll expect you to get something new from Gwilym James.'

‘I can't buy new clothes when there are people starving in the valley.'

‘Yes, you can,' he contradicted. ‘And don't say that you can donate the money to the soup kitchen instead, because I happen to know that you can't draw cash from either your own or Harry's store accounts.'

‘I'll think about it. But I will get some flowers. It's an extravagance but I'd like to put them on my father's grave afterwards.'

‘You can afford extravagances.'

‘Not living here in the middle of a strike I can't.'

‘I'm not exactly offering you a life with prospects, am I, sweetheart?' he said bleakly. ‘Your father would turn in his grave if he knew his daughter was about to marry the man who had once been the assistant manager of his pit, and that's even if I was in work.'

‘My father always thought a person's character more important than their status,' she rejoined swiftly.

‘That attitude wouldn't have extended to his darling eldest daughter and you know it.'

‘My father never said anything unless he meant it.'

‘Come on, Sali, everyone knows you're taking a massive step down in the world by marrying me.'

‘In my eyes I'm taking a step up. Marrying into a kind, and although they wouldn't thank me for saying it, loving family, who back one another against the world, no matter what.'

‘And how many of your family will be at the wedding to see you take this “step up”?'

‘I don't know,' she prevaricated.

‘Have you invited them?'

‘We haven't had formal invitations printed.'

‘Don't change the subject, Sali.'

‘I've written to Gareth and Llinos at their schools.' She referred to her fifteen-year-old brother and sixteen-year-old sister. ‘I know they both intend to spend the Christmas holidays in Pontypridd.'

‘In Harry's house.'

‘The house Harry will inherit when he's thirty, yes.'

‘Have either of them written back?'

‘Not yet.'

‘And although they are happy to live rent and expense free in your son's house, I doubt they will. Have you invited Geraint?' When Lloyd had worked for Sali's father, he and her eldest brother Geraint had frequently discussed engineering problems, and Lloyd had felt that Sali's brother had, if not exactly liked, at least respected him. But Geraint's attitude towards him had changed on the day that Sali had told him they intended to marry.

‘I've mentioned it to him and written to Mother, Mr Richards and Mari –our old housekeeper. You know that Mother is ill -'

‘With acute hypochondria that has prevented her from doing anything that requires effort or her leaving her bed in years.' He looked keenly at her. ‘Do you realize just how much you are giving up to marry me? At the moment all I can offer you is the trouble that comes from being a union leader, member of the strike committee and having two brothers in jail. Not to mention a life lived at starvation level.'

‘You having second thoughts?' she asked seriously.

‘I am selfish enough to say absolutely not.'

‘In which case, a wise man told me that there's no point in discussing things that can't be altered.' She kissed him. ‘This is decadent. With only the two of us in the house we should put that fire out and go to bed.'

‘If that's an invitation, I'm accepting.'

‘I've saved a candle stub if you want to read,' she teased.

‘Since we started sharing a bed I haven't finished a single page outside of this kitchen and you know it.' The front door opened and closed. ‘My father must have heard something in the club.'

The kitchen door burst open and Megan rushed in, her cloak open, her clothes and hair soaking wet.

Sali jumped up and helped her off with her cloak. ‘A rat in the sewer would be drier.'

‘I've just heard about Victor. Is it true? Is he in gaol?' Megan blurted in between gasping for breath.

Lloyd outlined the facts as far as they knew them, while Sali opened the hob, set the kettle on to boil and lifted cups down from the dresser. ‘We may as well have a cup of tea while the fire's still hot enough to boil a kettle.'

‘Not for me.' Megan retrieved the cloak that Sali had shook out and hung over the back of a chair to dry. ‘Mrs Palmer wants me to serve first breakfast tomorrow, and I'm exhausted.'

‘How's it going?' Sali asked.

‘It's hard work but I'll manage,'

‘I'll see you back.' Lloyd left his chair.

‘Don't be silly, it's only round the corner.'

‘I was thinking of stretching my legs anyway,' he lied. ‘Be back in a few minutes, Sali.'

‘Here, come closer so I can put the umbrella over both of us,' Lloyd ordered Megan, as they left the house.

She took the arm he offered her. ‘Thank you.'

‘You look as though you're sleeping on your feet.'

‘I am. I can't believe my life has changed so much in one day.' She glanced back at the house that had been her uncle's.

‘My father told us that you'd accepted an engagement ring from Victor.'

‘Yes.' She clutched it through the folds of her dress. ‘I'm afraid of damaging it when I do housework so I wear it around my neck during the day, but I put it on my finger when I served the meals earlier tonight so all the lodgers could see it. I wish Victor and I could marry right away.'

‘So does Victor –and Sali and me. You'll make a perfect sister-in-law, Megan.'

‘I don't know about perfect but I will be your sister-in-law as soon as I'm old enough to marry without my father's permission,' she said determinedly.

‘I see Victor's been giving you Evanses lessons in stubbornness.' They rounded the corner and walked down the hill. Sergeant Lamb was standing outside the lodging house in company with two other constables.

‘Goodnight, Lloyd.' Megan pulled the hood of her cloak down to conceal her face.

‘I'll walk you to the door.' Lloyd had seen her glance at the sergeant and sensed her nervousness.

‘It's all right.'

‘No trouble.' Lloyd led her to the front door. The street lamp shone down on to his face. ‘Goodnight, Megan, I'll let you know what happens with Victor tomorrow.'

‘Thank you for walking me home, Lloyd.' She stood on tiptoe and kissed his cheek.

‘Mr Lloyd Evans, the famous strike leader?' Sergeant Lamb stepped forward.

‘Sergeant.' Lloyd nodded acknowledgement.

‘We've saved ourselves a trip, constables. Lloyd William Evans, I am arresting you for the attempted murder of Constable John Lamb. Constables, escort Mr Evans down the station. I'll be along shortly to question him, Miss Williams.' He tipped his helmet to her, as Megan watched the officers handcuff a stony-faced Lloyd and lead him away.

‘Mrs Palmer!' Megan dashed into the kitchen where Joyce was making cheese sandwiches for the night shift's break. ‘I have to go -'

‘Where to, child?' Joyce interrupted. ‘You've just this minute walked in through the door.'

‘Sergeant Lamb has arrested Lloyd Evans.' The kitchen spun around her and Megan gripped the edge of the door to steady herself.

‘Lloyd Evans! Whatever for?' Joyce dropped her knife.

‘The sergeant said attempted
murder.
'

‘Lloyd Evans! I don't believe it!'

‘Sali Jones doesn't know. I have to tell her.'

‘I don't doubt someone else has told her by now. If you sneeze in Tonypandy, people at the top end of Clydach Vale ask about your cold five minutes later.'

‘I won't be long.' Megan opened the back door.

‘You're soaked to the skin, girl. You need to get into some dry clothes before you catch your death -'

‘I'll be back in ten minutes.' Megan darted into the alleyway before Joyce could stop her. Lifting her sodden skirts to her knees, she put her head down and ran as fast as she could. The hood of her cloak fell back and water streamed from her hair into her eyes, blinding her. She heaved for breath and her throat dried, but she didn't stop until she reached Victor's front door. She turned the key, opened it and ran through to the kitchen where Sali was talking to Mr Evans and Ned Morgan.

‘Megan, whatever's wrong?' Sali led her to the fireplace, relieved her of her wet cloak for a second time and proceeded to dry her hair in the kitchen towel while Megan blurted out the details of Lloyd's arrest. Before she'd finished, Mr Evans was putting on his coat.

‘I'll go down to the police station and find out exactly what's going on. I'll walk you back to the lodging house on the way, Megan.'

‘Megan should stay and dry out,' Sali protested, trembling uncontrollably as the import of Megan's news sank in.

Megan shook her head, spraying water droplets into the air. ‘Mrs Palmer didn't want me to leave the house a second time as it was.'

Billy Evans opened the basement door and picked up the old umbrella Victor used in the garden when it rained. He closed the door, and bolted it from the inside. ‘Leave this door as it is until morning, Sali. I'll lock the front door behind me and take the key.'

‘We never lock the doors.'

‘No one in this family has ever been arrested before, and three in one day is three too many. Some of the boys have had the police in and out of their houses at all hours of the day and night. I don't want them coming in here when you and Harry are alone. And take that worried look off your face,' he ordered. ‘You know as well as I do Lloyd's innocent. Attempted murder, my ... eye!'

‘Cells and courts round here are full of innocent men these days, Billy. I think I'll take a walk down to the station with you.' Ned put on his own coat.

‘Why stick your head in the lion's den when you don't have to, Ned?'

‘I like to hear their growls,' Ned replied.

Sali draped Megan's soggy cloak around her and walked them to the door. She hugged Megan, despite her damp and dripping state. Mr Evans opened the door and removed the key from the lock.

‘That will make a hole in your pocket.' Sali eyed the six-inch iron key.

‘Can't be helped.' He turned up his collar. ‘Try to sleep.'

‘You know I won't.'

‘If it's not too late, I'll knock on your door when I get back.'

‘Will you, no matter what the time?' Sali begged.