A Woman’s Fortune

‘It’s the way her hand brushes mine when she counts out the change,’ Patrick Finlay had joked. ‘Gives a man hope.’ Patrick Finlay was sixty if he was a day, and was sweet on half the women in the neighbourhood, including Evie’s mum.

‘I hope Ma’s got something nice saved for my tea,’ Geraldine was saying. She laughed and added, ‘That’s if Da, Stephen, Jamie, Paddy, Niall and especially Cormac haven’t scoffed it all.’ Cormac was her youngest brother, aged five, who of all her siblings resembled her most. Plump and cute, he looked like a dark-haired cherub.

Billy joined in her laughter. ‘Aye, you want to watch out for the little ’un. I reckon he’s got the appetite of a brickie.’

Geraldine offered the open packet of cigarettes but Billy shook his head.

‘No, thanks. That’s one vice I haven’t taken up,’ he smiled.

Geraldine lit her cigarette, tipped her head back with a flick of her hair and blew a plume of smoke into the air. ‘Why, Billy, what vices have you taken up, then?’ She looked him directly in the eye. ‘Do tell. I’m interested.’

‘Ah, man of mystery, me,’ Billy replied.

‘I like a mystery,’ Geraldine said. ‘That’s what we need round here, a bit more excitement, don’t you agree?’

‘Mmm …’ Billy nodded, unsure quite what he was agreeing with. Still, it was pleasant strolling down to Evie’s in easy and attractive company, and fortunately, before Geraldine’s flirting got too much for him, they reached her house.

‘Thanks for walking me home, Billy. Always nice to see you.’ She gave the merest wink, produced her key from her bag and opened the front door. ‘See you soon,’ she promised with a glamorous red smile over her shoulder, and closed the door behind her.

Phew, that Geraldine is getting to be quite a girl, Billy reflected. Not many round here had her style. She reminded him of Elizabeth Taylor in that comedy he’d seen with Evie at the cinema – Father of the Bride. Evie’s prettiness was more homely, with her short brown hair clipped back behind her ears, her natural complexion and her girlish figure.

Reluctantly his thoughts turned to the task ahead of him at the Carters’. Best get it over with, and he’d be pleased to help allay Evie’s worries if he could. She was a darling girl and she shouldn’t have to be worried about her father owing money. He crossed over the road, went up the side to the back door and was surprised to find it closed. He gave a knock and Evie came to open it. Her eyes were red and it was clear she’d been crying.

‘Oh, Billy, thank goodness you’re here.’ She pulled him inside and closed the door. ‘It’s worse than I thought. Dad’s lost his job and there’s all this money to find to pay that Mr Hopkins and we don’t know what to do now.’

‘Sit yourself down, love.’ Sue poured Billy a mug of tea. ‘Michael’s told us the worst and it’s twenty-five pounds he owes.’

‘It’ll never be paid,’ sobbed Jeanie, wiping her eyes with an already sodden handkerchief. ‘How on earth will we ever get that much?’

‘We need to know a bit about this Mr Hopkins,’ said Sue. ‘Evie says you’ve heard of him.’

‘I have, Mrs Goodwin.’ Billy glanced around to see if Peter and Robert were within earshot but there was no sign of them.

‘I’ve sent the boys to their bedroom,’ said Sue, correctly understanding him.

‘It’s not good news, I’m afraid. Mr Hopkins runs a card game upstairs at the King’s Head. I’ve heard the stakes start low, but once you’re drawn in they soon get a lot higher.’

‘The King’s Head?’ gasped Jeanie. ‘Michael, you told me you went to the Lord Nelson with Brendan as usual. I thought this was something to do with the horses. How many other lies have you told me?’

‘I did go to the Nelson with Brendan,’ said Michael. He added in a small voice, ‘But I hadn’t had much luck with the horses lately so when I heard there was a card game at the King’s Head I thought I’d give it a go. I didn’t mean to get in deep. I thought if I went on a bit longer my luck would change and I’d be on to a winning streak.’

‘Pathetic!’ said Sue wrathfully. ‘Go on about this Hopkins, lad.’

‘Well, he tends to win at the cards and then he makes a point of collecting his debts.’

‘You mean by force?’ asked Michael, looking even more worried.

‘By any means he can. He’ll bring in bailiffs to take your furniture, and he’s been known to be violent if he thinks you’re withholding what you could be paying him. And I’ve heard that once he starts adding on the interest it’s difficult to clear the debt.’

‘What are we going to do?’ sobbed Jeanie. ‘We’ll be ruined …’

Billy looked down at his hands, reluctant to agree that this was exactly the situation. A miserable silence settled on the five of them as they tried to think of a solution.

‘When did you say the money is due?’ asked Billy.

‘Friday,’ said Michael, nervously.

The silence resumed. Billy was beginning to see the only possible course of action but it seemed so drastic that he was unwilling to suggest it.

‘Nothing for it but to leave,’ said Sue.

Billy was glad she had been the one to voice what he was thinking.

‘What, leave our house and the washing and everything, and go right away?’ said Jeanie, aghast.

‘It isn’t our house, it’s rented,’ said Michael. ‘And we’ll be out of here anyway if we can’t pay the rent.’

‘So whose fault would that be?’ Jeanie screamed. ‘I married you for better or for worse, Michael Carter, but I never thought the worst would be this bad. You’ll have us all homeless. I can’t believe what you’ve brought us to.’

‘C’mon on, love. No need to get hysterical.’

‘What do you expect me to be when it looks like I’m going to lose everything I’ve got and it’s all your fault?’ She had bitten her tongue for years but now everything was pouring out. ‘Where were you when Mum and I were washing and ironing half the night to make ends meet? I’ll tell you where: down the Nelson, drinking your wages and putting bets on half-dead three-legged nags that should have been at the knacker’s. Or was it down the King’s Head, playing some card game you probably didn’t understand against some crook with marked cards?’

‘It was bad luck—’ Michael began.

‘It was bad luck all right,’ screeched Jeanie. ‘It was bad luck for me that I ever set eyes on you!’

She got up and rushed out, slamming the kitchen door behind her. The others heard her stomping upstairs and then the bedroom door crashing shut.

Evie and Billy exchanged embarrassed glances.

‘I’ll go up when she’s had a chance to calm down,’ said Sue.

‘I’ll go …’ said Michael, rising from his chair.

‘You’ve done enough. Sit down and stay here until we’ve sorted this out,’ Sue barked, and Michael slumped in his chair, defeated.

Evie cleared her throat. ‘What do you think, Billy? Is Grandma right? Is running away the best thing to do?’

‘I’m afraid it is. If you can’t pay Hopkins what you owe, he’ll dog you until you do, Mr Carter. The only way to be free of him is to leave and go somewhere he doesn’t know. That means right away from here, to another part of the country.’

‘Leave not just our home but all our friends? But this is all we’ve ever known,’ said Evie, looking pleadingly at Billy.

‘It’ll be hard, love, and I wish I could say different, but I think it’s the only way. Is that what you’re thinking, Mrs Goodwin?’

‘I’m afraid so, Billy. We’ll have to keep quiet about it, too, as we don’t want Hopkins after us where we’ve gone. And we’ll have to go soon before word gets round about Michael losing his job or Hopkins’ men will be here to take what they can sooner rather than later, if they think that’s all they’ll be getting.’

Billy nodded. Evie’s grandma had grasped the situation exactly.

‘But where will we go?’ Evie asked. ‘We don’t know anywhere but here. We don’t even have any relatives we can go to.’ She looked as if she were about to cry again and Billy passed her his clean handkerchief.

‘Don’t fret yourself, Evie. At least you’ll all be together.’

‘But I won’t be together with all my friends, and if it has to be a secret I won’t be able to tell them where we’ve gone either,’ Evie sniffed. ‘I won’t be together with you,’ she added.

‘I know, love, but I won’t lose sight of you, I promise. I’ll know where you are and I can keep a secret. Your gran’s right: it would be better to tell as few folk as possible and to go as quickly as you can before Hopkins gets to hear.’

‘Then it had better be straight away,’ Michael said, getting up and prowling around the kitchen worriedly. ‘By Monday all the folk at the brewery will know I’ve been sacked.’

‘Right, well, I’ve been thinking,’ Sue declared, ‘and I think we should decide where we’re going this evening. We can’t just set off empty-handed and with no idea where we’re heading.’ She took a lined writing pad and a chewed pencil of Robert’s from a drawer behind her. ‘Let’s make a list of what we know.’

Evie looked blank. ‘I don’t know anything, Grandma.’ Michael was shaking his head, too.

‘Nonsense,’ said Sue. ‘Buck up, the pair of you. And you, Billy. Let’s put our heads together and see what we can manage.’

‘Right,’ said Billy, determined to rise to Evie’s grandma’s expectations. ‘As I say, it’ll have to be somewhere far enough away that Hopkins doesn’t know it. You’ll have to sort of … disappear. North is what Hopkins knows. So that means going south.’

‘Good thinking,’ Sue muttered, writing it down. ‘And we’ll need to find somewhere to live and then some work.’ She looked up and gave Michael a meaningful stare.

‘We don’t know about those things, but I’ve an idea who might be able to help,’ said Evie. ‘Mr Sullivan.’

‘Aye, Brendan can be trusted to keep quiet and he has family all over the place,’ Michael said. ‘I’ll go over and get him, shall I?’

‘You do that,’ said Sue, ‘but remember not to say anything while you’re there. The Sullivans are good folk but you don’t want to let slip our business to the entire houseful in case it accidentally gets passed on.’

Michael collected his boots from where he’d thrown them out of the back door, put them on and went to fetch Brendan.

It was late that night that Evie let Billy out through the back door and the Carters went wearily to bed. To Evie it felt as if years had passed since she’d gone to Mrs Russell’s that morning with Grandma Sue.

There wouldn’t be another wash for Mrs Russell, though. When Annie came with the bundle on Wednesday she’d find the house empty and the family gone. Evie felt sorry to be letting down the kindly widow and the other loyal customers.

Brendan had shown himself to be a true friend that evening. He’d listened to Michael’s account of how he’d been kicked out so unfairly from his job and commiserated wholeheartedly. He’d been less sympathetic about the card game and the debt to Mr Hopkins – ‘I told you not to go near the King’s Head, Michael. You may as well be playing cards with the devil himself as that Hopkins fella’ – and then he got down to practicalities in a way that made Evie think how lucky Mary was to have such a clear-thinking and sensible father.

Not only had Brendan got a cousin with a big van, who could transport them and as many of their belongings as could fit in it, but he also had a friend who lived well over a hundred miles south. Brendan’s friend Jack knew of an empty property that he thought the Carters would be able to rent, at least until they found something better. Jack had his ear to the ground and he said he’d look out for any jobs going for Michael, too.

Brendan fixed all this up from the public telephone box outside Mr Amsell’s shop, waiting for incoming calls to learn the facts and confirm the details, and writing them all down. The arrangements for renting the empty place were hazy, to say the least, but the Carters had the address and Brendan’s word on the reliability of his friend. In the circumstances, even such vague progress felt like something to be positive about.

Not long after Brendan came over, Jeanie had been persuaded to come downstairs and she’d brought the boys down with her to join in the discussion.

‘They’re in this with us. It affects all of us, and Peter and Robert need to know what’s going to happen … and why,’ she said, looking at Michael with her eyes narrowed.

‘You’re right, lass,’ said Michael. ‘It’s all going to be an exciting adventure, eh, fellas?’

Robert nodded dumbly, not really understanding. Peter, his mouth a tight line, looked away, ignoring his father.

Brendan had brought a couple of bottles of Guinness across with him ‘to help things along’, which pleased Michael, who emptied and refilled his own glass with remarkable speed.

By the end of the evening Sue’s bold handwriting covered several pages of the writing pad and the plan for the Carters to move had a timetable. Fergus Sullivan, Brendan’s cousin, was bringing the van at dawn on Sunday morning and the family were to have everything they wanted to take packed ready and piled by the front door, to be loaded quickly and discreetly.

‘I’ll come over and give you a hand,’ Billy said. ‘It’s my day off and I’m used to getting up early.’

‘Thank you,’ Jeanie said. ‘What will we do without you?’

‘Oh, Mum …’ Evie’s heart was heavy with her grief. ‘We’re going to have to find out, that’s for sure.’

Now, as she climbed into bed in the stuffy attic room and wished Grandma Sue a goodnight, she felt hot tears running down her face. One more day in this house, the only home she had ever known. Even now she could hardly believe it. And in about … she totted it up quickly … thirty hours she would be parted from Billy.

Please, let it not be for ever, she whispered.

CHAPTER THREE

‘It’s here,’ said Peter, who had been looking out of the front window for Fergus Sullivan’s van.

It was four o’clock on Sunday morning, the summer daylight pale. To the Carters, the air felt unusually clear. All the previous day they had packed their belongings, choosing carefully what was essential and what could be left behind. Even some of the furniture was to remain here because, as Sue reminded her family, the van would need to be loaded as fast and as quietly as they could do it so they could make their escape.

‘Escape’ – as if from a prison, Jeanie thought. As if staying here would be a punishment instead of the life she had made for herself and her family. She was finding it difficult to be civil to Michael even now, though she’d tried to encourage her children to pack up their belongings and clothes with light hearts and a sense of adventure. Evie and Peter were old enough to pretend they were excited for Robert’s sake, but as Robert was not a naturally light-hearted child anyway they soon abandoned this pretence.

Evie was in charge of extracting suitcases from under beds and she helped Robert to fold his clothes into one of them. There was so much to do in so little time, and keeping busy helped prevent her from becoming more upset. She knew Mum and Grandma Sue were furious about the move but it was no good stoking the flames of their anger with her own.

Peter had been very quiet since the decision to go had been made. He’d packed a duffel bag with his few treasured possessions, and silently helped bring items downstairs until the front room was full of boxes, cases and bagged-up bits and pieces, mainly chosen by his mother.

Sue, with Evie’s help, had been busy finishing the washing. Luckily, it was the end of the week, so they weren’t due to take in any new bundles. All that remained was collected by the owners, who came to the back door, so there was no need to hide the evidence of the approaching early morning flit piled high in the front room. It was an uncomfortable lie to call a cheerful ‘See you next week’ to loyal customers, but there was no alternative.

Now, as a large dirty white van pulled up in front of the house, it was time to move. Evie had imagined a huge removal lorry but this was half the size and had no name painted on the side.

Fergus was let in through the front door and greeted Michael, Jeanie and Sue with a friendly handshake and a smile.

‘Right, let’s be having you,’ he said, speaking softly so as not to disturb the quiet of the sleeping street. ‘Beds first and we’ll see what else we’ve got room for after that.’

‘What! I’m hoping to take the settee and the chairs and table, at least,’ said Jeanie. ‘And the mangle has to go.’ She was realising it was the size of the van that would dictate what went with them and what was left, not the speed of loading it.

‘I’ll do what I can, Mrs Carter, don’t you worry,’ beamed Fergus.

During the next hour it became clear to Evie that this was his answer to everything, and his smile never faded.

Brendan came over to help and the men began to load the heavy items while Sue supervised them and ticked items off her list. Evie packed up some smaller things that they’d needed the previous day, and Jeanie got weepy and wrung her hands.

As Evie was wrapping the last of the crockery in newspaper, being extra careful with Grandma Sue’s precious cup and saucer, there was a tap at the back door and Billy let himself into the kitchen.

‘Hello, Evie. Let me take that box through to the front,’ he said quietly, coming over and giving her a hug. ‘You all right?’

‘Oh, Billy, thank you for coming to help. I’m that glad to see you.’

‘Now don’t get upset. You know why this has to be done.’

‘We’re going away from everything and everybody that we know and care for.’ Her heart felt as if it was going to burst.

‘You’ve still got all your family around you. That’s what your grandma always says, isn’t it: it’s family that’s important. As long you have each other, nothing else matters.’

‘And you, Billy. You matter to me. I won’t have you where we’re going.’

‘I’ll be waiting for your return, never fear, Evie.’

‘You mean that, Billy? You’ll wait for me to come back? But what if I never do?’

‘You will. Here is where you belong, Evie. You’ll know where to find me when you come home to Lancashire. But even supposing you don’t return here, you can be sure that I’ll come and find you where you are. We won’t be apart for ever.’ He wrapped her in his strong arms and kissed her tenderly. ‘In the meantime, we can write to each other. We’ll write often. I’ve never been south and I should like to know what it’s like,’ he smiled.

‘Yes … of course. I’ll send a letter with the address when I know we’re going to be staying there and not moving on at once.’

‘Then do it as soon as you can, my darling, ’cos I’ll be looking for that letter every day.’

He gave her another hug and wiped a treacherous tear away from her face with his thumb.

‘Now, to work. As I came past I saw all the beds are stowed, and your gran and mum are organising the men moving furniture from the front room. I’ll take this box while you make sure you’ve got a couple of pans packed up, and the knives and forks.’

‘Gone already,’ said Evie with a brave smile. ‘Come on, you can help Dad, Brendan and Fergus with putting the big stuff in the van and I’ll help Grandma tick off what’s done on her list. Remember, keep your voice down. We don’t want half the road in on the act.’

As the van got ever fuller, final decisions were made about what had to be left, and the time to depart grew closer, Evie dreaded having to say goodbye to Billy. She was taking a last look round upstairs when she heard the voice of Brendan’s wife, Marie.

‘Just wanted to wish you luck, me darlin’,’ said Marie. ‘You’re in safe hands with Fergus. Don’t forget to let us all know how you’re doing. It won’t be the same round here without you.’

‘Thank you. We’ll miss you too, Marie,’ sniffed Jeanie, who was looking sadly at all the furniture left behind with no room in the van.

‘Thanks for everything,’ said Sue, hugging each of her neighbours, including Brendan. ‘You’ve been right good friends to us and I won’t forget that.’

‘Yes,’ said Michael. ‘Thank you. I’m sorry to have put you to all this trouble.’

‘Go on with you,’ said Marie, just as Sue said, ‘I should think so, too.’

‘Goodbye, Mary,’ Evie whispered to her friend, hugging her close. ‘You’re the best friend a girl could ever have – and the cleverest. I’ll write, I promise.’

‘Dear Evie, there’ll be a hole in my life when you’ve gone. I shall miss you dreadfully.’

‘And I’ll miss you, Mary.’ Evie tried to smile. ‘Who’s going to teach me long words now?’

‘Come on, we’d better get going.’ Sue gathered up her handbag, which was bursting at the seams. ‘We’d better get off now before we attract unwelcome visitors,’ she added meaningfully.

As Michael pulled the door to and posted the key back through the letterbox, the family moved towards the van and their neighbours went back over the road. Billy and Evie turned to one another for the last time.

‘Goodbye, Billy,’ said Evie, hugging him tight. ‘I’ll be in touch very soon, I promise.’

‘Bye, my Evie,’ Billy said, his voice raw with emotion. Then he bent down and kissed her mouth and their tears mingled.

‘Don’t forget me, will you?’ she pleaded.

‘I said I’ll be waiting,’ he reminded her as they drew apart.

‘I love you,’ Evie whispered, but he’d already turned away to hide his tears and she wasn’t sure he’d heard.

It was a terrible squash to fit everyone in the van, although there were big extra seats that folded down behind, sideways on to the front ones. Sitting there meant finding room for your legs around the luggage, however, so it was hard to get comfortable. Peter and Evie were sharing a seat and Robert had to sit on Jeanie’s knee. Fergus started the engine and all the Carters waved to their friends congregated outside the Sullivans’ house to give them a silent send-off.

Evie fixed her eyes on Billy’s face, but within a few seconds it was lost from her sight. The van turned the corner at the end of the road and Shenty Street was gone.

As Fergus happily negotiated the streets heading to the road that would take them south, the Carters sat nursing their regrets. Jeanie was openly sobbing and even Sue was tearful, which set off Evie, and Robert was crying, too. Michael was subdued but, wisely for once, decided to say nothing. Evie, squashed up beside Peter, took his hand in hers to comfort him, but when she looked into his face she saw not sadness but such fury that she felt a strange and terrible foreboding and withdrew her own hand in shock.

The van reached the southern outskirts of the town and the blackened industrial buildings gave way to houses with gardens and, soon, green fields. The Carters dried their eyes, made themselves as comfortable as they could and accepted the inevitable. The old life was gone and a new one, whatever it held, lay ahead of them at the end of this journey.

‘I still wish I’d been able to say goodbye to Mrs Russell,’ said Grandma Sue over her shoulder to Evie, who sat behind her. ‘And Dora Marsh. I’ve known Dora … must be forty years. We were young brides together.’

‘There are a lot of folk I’d like to have said goodbye to. Seems rude just to go, like they meant nothing to us,’ Jeanie agreed. She paused for a few moments and then added: ‘I wish I’d been able to say cheerio to Harold Pyke.’ Then she started laughing rather shakily and soon everyone joined in, even Robert, who didn’t know what was funny.

The mood lifted as they drove on and the sun rose higher on the promise of a beautiful day.

After a while Robert piped up: ‘I spy with my little eye something beginning with …’

Sue and Evie caught each other’s eye in the wing mirror and pulled faces. It was going to be a long journey.