So Long At the Fair (31 page)

Mrs Morris shrugged. ‘The girl’s made up her mind. You can see that.’

‘Oh, Mother . . .’ Abbie shook her head in despair. She turned to Iris who was taking her own coat down from the hook. ‘Iris, tell her to come back. She mustn’t leave like this.’

Tears glittering in her own eyes, Iris said, ‘She won’t come back now, Abbie. You must know that.’ She glanced across at her mother. ‘And I don’t blame her either.’

Mrs Morris looked at her coldly. ‘If you’re going too, then get going.’ To no one in particular she said, ‘A fine day this has turned out to be.’

‘Yes,’ Iris said, ‘and whose fault is that?’

Abbie looked in surprise at her sister – she who was usually so reticent.

‘Oh,’ said Mrs Morris, ‘so the little mouse has got a voice after all.’

Iris and her mother faced one another across the room. ‘Yes, I’ve got a voice,’ Iris said. ‘And I don’t mind telling you that if you don’t see Lizzie again you’ve only got yourself to blame.’

Mrs Morris was silent for a moment, then she said coldly, ‘Aren’t you going? Your sister will be waiting for you.’

Iris shook her head in sorrow. ‘Mother, you don’t know how nervous we were about coming to see you today. We weren’t hoping for a great deal. Only that we could – well – that perhaps we could make a new start together.’

Mrs Morris turned her face away.

‘It was easier for me,’ Iris went on. ‘You can’t imagine how difficult it was for Lizzie. Not only were we seeing you again after so long, but she had her – her news to tell you.’ Her voice was coloured by her tears. ‘You don’t know how she dreaded it – how worried she’s been. If there had been a better time for you all to know then it might have been easier, but you can’t plan these things. You had to know today. But Lizzie loves Adam and he loves her. And he’s a good young man. It might be true that they’ve got nothing, but they’ll manage somehow.’ She took a step forward. ‘Don’t you see? She needed your understanding at a time like this. She wanted your love, not your condemnation. But how should we expect you to understand that?’

‘Don’t let me hold you up,’ Mrs Morris said.

Buttoning her coat, Iris gazed at her. With a shake of her head she said: ‘Oh, why should we have expected anything different from you? You haven’t changed at all.’

While her mother visibly stiffened at the words, Iris went on, ‘You never cared for any of us – never. You proved that ten years ago and you proved it again today.’ She put on her bonnet and tied it beneath her chin. Stepping to Abbie, she put her arms around her and kissed her on the cheek. ‘Thank you for a lovely dinner, Abbie. I’m sorry it all ended like this.’

Abbie held her. ‘Iris – don’t go.’

‘I’ve got to.’ Iris broke away. ‘Lizzie’s upset. She won’t come back here today. When we’ve seen Eddie we’ll start on back to Lullington.’

Without a further word or glance at her mother she crossed to the door and left the room. A moment later Abbie saw her hurrying away along the lane. After the briefest hesitation Abbie herself was reaching for her coat.

Her mother watched as she did up the buttons. ‘You’re leaving too, are you?’

Abbie took down her bonnet. ‘I must. I can’t let them go like that.’

Abbie could hear Eddie bellowing as she knocked and entered the cottage in Green Lane. In the kitchen she found Lizzie sitting with her face in her hands and Iris standing beside her. They both still wore their coats and bonnets. On the settle nearby sat Violet with Sarah in her arms. Eddie stood with his back to the window, glaring at Lizzie. He had just heard her news. Red in the face, he clenched his teeth over his indrawn breath. ‘Adam Woodward’s his name, is it?’ he said. ‘Well, I’ll be going to see Mr Woodward! ’E ain’t treatin’ my sister like that and gettin’ away with it.’

‘Oh, Eddie, please,’ Lizzie said, raising her tear-stained face. ‘Don’t go making trouble for us. We got enough to think about already.’

‘I should damn well think you ’ave,’ he said. ‘I’ll give ’im bloody trouble when I gets ’old of ’im. He’ll be bloody sorry ’e laid ’ands on a sister o’ mine. Well, I’ll tell you summat, ’e better do the right thing by you – else ’e’ll know what trouble really is.’

‘Eddie,’ Iris broke in, ‘she already told you they’re getting married next month.’

‘And so they better be.’ He glared at his, as if somehow it was now her fault. Turning back to Lizzie he said, ‘And you tell ’im, your Mr Woodward, that I wants to know the date and the time of the weddin’. And you tell ’im too that ’e better be there. Cause if he ain’t there ’is life ain’t gunna be worth nothin’. You tell ’im that. ’E ain’t playing.’ fast and loose with no sister o’ mine and that’s for sure.’

‘He’s not like that,’ Lizzie said. ‘He loves me.’

‘Just as well for ’im, then.’ Eddie looked around at Abbie as if seeing her for the first time. ‘What d’you think about all this, then, our Abbie?’

Abbie sighed and spread her hands. ‘Oh, Eddie, does it matter what I think? Does it matter what any of us think?’

‘Oh, ah.’ He nodded. ‘I might o’ guessed you’d take that attitude.’

‘It’s only important that Lizzie does what she wants to do,’ Abbie said. ‘And if she wants to marry her Mr Woodward and he wants to marry her then I don’t see what’s wrong with that. Anyway, there’s nothing we can do about it.’

‘Oh, you think not, do you?’ he said belligerently. ‘Well, you just wait and see.’

‘Oh, Eddie, for goodness’ sake,’ Abbie said impatiently. ‘Stop behaving like this. It’s always the way with you.’

‘Well, with Father gone I’m the ’ead o’ this family now. And I’m responsible for you girls.’

‘Well, that’s very commendable,’ Abbie said.

He looked at her sharply at this, as if suspecting sarcasm.

‘No,’ Abbie said, ‘I mean it, I do. But that being the case you’ve got to act responsibly. It’s no use you going charging about like some dratted bull in a china shop. That’ll only make things worse. Leave Lizzie and her young man to sort it out for themselves. She’s a sensible girl; she’ll be all right.’

‘Sensible!’ he said with a snort. ‘She ain’t got the sense of one of White’s cows. If she’d ’ad any sense she wouldn’t’ve got ’erself in this mess in the first place.’ He snorted again. ‘Sense, my arse.’

Iris spoke up again now. ‘Eddie, listen,’ she said gently, ‘I’ve met Lizzie’s young man and I tell you he’s a right nice young fellow.’

‘Yes, he is,’ Lizzie said. ‘He is.’

‘It’s true, Eddie,’ Iris said. ‘And he’s that fond of her, really. And I know he’ll do right by her.’ She put a hand on Lizzie’s arm. ‘Come on, dry your tears, Lizzie. Everything’s going to be all right, you’ll see.’

‘Well,’ Eddie said grudgingly, ‘it damn well better be.’

A little silence fell in the room, broken only by the sound of the clock and Lizzie’s sniffs while she dabbed at her eyes with her handkerchief. The wind was going out of Eddie’s sails now and he was growing calmer. Though not quite ready just yet to give in completely, he added, ‘Anyway, I’ll be keepin’ my eye on things and at the first sign of trouble I’ll be in Lullington faster than Mr Woodward can spit. I ’ope ’e understands that.’

Iris and Abbie exchanged brief glances. Things would be all right now. Abbie looked at Eddie and gave an inward sigh – not untouched by affection. His reaction had been exactly what she might have predicted.

Eddie remained standing with his back to the window for a moment longer, then clapped his hands hollowly together and crossed the room. Bending, he took the baby from Violet’s arms. ‘Come on, babby,’ he said. ‘Come on to your dad.’ After a moment or two, looking over Sarah’s head, he said gruffly to Lizzie, ‘You wants to take your coat off, my girl, or you’ll catch a chill when you goes out. It’s bitter cold out there.’

‘Well,’ Violet said into the silence, rising from the settle, ‘how about a cup o’ tea, then?’

Iris, Lizzie and Abbie, taking off their coats and bonnets, murmured their thanks. As Violet turned to the kettle on the range Eddie held Sarah out in his muscular arms.

‘Would one of you aunties like to ‘old your niece for a minute . . . ?’ He addressed all three of his sisters, but held the baby out towards Lizzie. Lizzie gently took the baby from her brother.

‘Am I the only one who knows?’ Eddie said.

Lizzie looked up questioningly, while Abbie frowned and said, ‘The only one who knows what? What do you mean?’

‘Our mother,’ he said. ‘Do she know about Lizzie’s baby comin’?’

Lizzie, nodding, said grimly, ‘Yes, she knows.’

‘What’s up?’ Eddie said. ‘Why d’you look like that?’

‘I’ll tell you later, Eddie,’ Abbie said quickly. ‘Leave it for now.’

‘Why?’ he said. ‘What ’appened?’

Abbie frowned at him. ‘There was a – a bit of a scene.’

‘A scene? You mean over our Lizzie and her baby?’

‘Yes,’ Abbie said, while Lizzie shook her head despairingly and said with a little groan, ‘Oh, please, don’t start it all again.’

‘We ain’t startin’ nothin’,’ Eddie said. ‘What’s the matter, then?’

‘It was Mother.’ This came from Iris as she looked up over the cups. ‘Well – she said some very cruel things to Lizzie. I don’t like telling tales, but it’s true. They were very cruel.’

‘Tell me.’ Eddie leaned forward ominously. ‘What did she say?’

‘Please,’ Lizzie said, ‘just leave it, can’t you?’

‘I wants to know.’ He turned to Iris. ‘Tell me what she said.’

Iris sighed, looked from Lizzie to Abbie, and then back to Eddie. ‘She told Lizzie she was nothing but a fool and that she’s wasted her life. That’s why Lizzie came here. Mother told her she’s going to spend the rest of her life in misery.’

‘She what!’ Now Eddie’s outrage was back. ‘I don’t believe it!’ He looked at Lizzie. ‘She ’ad the gall to talk to you like that – to say that to you?’ His eyes were wide as he looked one by one at his three sisters. ‘Well, I’ll go to blazes! She goes off, leavin’ ’er ’usband and five children to fend for theirselves. She don’t send a single word to one of ’em in more’n ten years, and then when she’s on ’er uppers she comes crawlin’ back. And she’ve got the nerve to talk to you like that? Well, I’ll be damned if that don’t take some beatin’, eh?’ He shook his head, whistling through his teeth. ‘You listen to me, our Lizzie’ – he jabbed the air to punctuate his words – ‘if our mother says anything else to you about it you just tell ’er to mind ’er own damn business. Because it ain’t no bloody business of ’em no more. She give up all right to what you does with your life when she went off all them years ago. And now it’s no concern of ’ers what you do.’ He shook his head again, still unable to believe what he had heard. ‘Well, I’ll be damned,’ he murmured. ‘That’s the pot callin’ the kettle black and no mistake.’

Abbie remained with Eddie and Violet and her sisters for a further hour or so, until it was time for Lizzie and Iris to set off back on the road to Frome where they would catch their ride to Lullington.

Abbie walked with them to the edge of the village and there came to a halt. A chill wind flicked at the girls’ clothes. Taking Lizzie in her arms, Abbie embraced her.

‘Don’t you worry about anything,’ she said. ‘Eddie’s right – it’s not important what Mother thinks.’ She hugged her sister to her and kissed her cheek. ‘Let me know when the wedding is, won’t you? You know I’ll be there if I can.’

Lizzie nodded. ‘I will. And thank you, Abbie.’

‘There’s nothing to thank me for.’

‘I shan’t come back again, Abbie. Well, to see Mother, I mean. I’ll come and see you, but I don’t want to see ’er.’

Abbie sighed. ‘Well, that’s up to you, my dear. But perhaps in time things will be easier between you both.’

‘I can’t see how.’

‘Well – wait and see how things go on.’ Abbie looked into her eyes. ‘In the meantime you just look after yourself. And don’t bother about what people say. If you and Adam are happy together then that’s all that matters.’

She released Lizzie, stepped to Iris’s side and put her arms around her. ‘And you too, our Iris,’ she said with a smile. ‘You look after yourself too.’

Iris smiled back at her. ‘I will.’

‘And try to eat a bit more, will you? Hugging you is like hugging a sparrow.’

Iris laughed. ‘It’s the way I am, Abbie.’

‘I know – and I won’t quarrel with that.’ Abbie bent, and as she pressed her cheek to Iris’s she murmured, ‘And keep an eye on Lizzie for me, will you? She confides in you.’

‘I will.’

‘Good girl. You let us know if she’s in trouble or needs anything, won’t you?’

‘Don’t worry.’

Abbie gave Iris a final hug and released her. ‘Now you girls get back as soon as you can, won’t you? Don’t hang about on the road. And don’t talk to any strangers.’

Lizzie and Iris nodded concurrence and then, calling out their goodbyes, started away. Abbie stood watching as they set off together along the road, waited until they had gone out of sight round a bend, then turned and walked off in the direction of School Lane.

On her return she found the schoolhouse empty and her mother’s coat gone.

Mrs Morris returned just after eight that evening. As she entered the kitchen Abbie put her book aside and watched as her mother took off her coat and made her way unsteadily to her chair by the fire.

‘I wondered where you were,’ Abbie said.

‘That’s very thoughtful of you,’ her mother said without looking at her. Her voice was slurred.

Silence, then Abbie said, ‘Lizzie and Iris have gone back.’

Her mother nodded. ‘I assumed they would have. Not that it makes any difference to me.’

‘Oh, Mother –’ Abbie shook her head and said sadly, ‘It could have been such a lovely day – the four of us all together again.’

‘If all you’re going to do is reprimand me,’ her mother said, ‘then you can save your breath. I don’t want to hear it.’

‘No,’ Abbie said, ‘you only ever think of yourself, don’t you. Lizzie was so upset. Why did you do it – talk to her in that way?’