The Leaving Of Liverpool (48 page)

She went into the nearest bathroom and examined her thirty-four-year-old face in the gold-tinted mirror. It was unlined but, somehow, producers could tell she was no longer young. ‘You’re too old,’ she’d been told bluntly when she’d auditioned for some crummy job in the chorus.

Her hand curled around the bill. A hundred dollars! Maybe it was about time she left New York and started again somewhere new like Hollywood. The weather would be better and she could lie on the beach and get a tan. Thirty-four wasn’t all
that
old. She’d ditch her American accent for a posh English one. Brits did well in Hollywood.

There was a knock on the door and the maître d’ shouted, ‘Are you in there, Miss Raines?’ Without waiting for an answer, he went on, ‘You know staff are forbidden to use the residents’ bathrooms. You have your own downstairs.’

Olive opened the door and resisted the urge to spit in his snooty French face. ‘I’m not staff any more,’ she said in her coldest and haughtiest voice. ‘I’m a professional actress and I’m on my way to Hollywood.’

 

Mollie had arrived in Duneathly just in time for tea. ‘I’d like to go to Kildare tomorrow or the next day to get some more Christmas presents for the children,’ she said to Hazel, who was washing the dishes while she dried. ‘I’ve already got a few bits and pieces, but there’s not much of anything to be had in Liverpool - I’ve got a list of make-up as long as my arm I promised to buy for people.’ Lipstick and face powder had virtually disappeared from the shops, as had decent stockings, hairclips, and elastic.

‘I’ll come with you,’ Hazel declared. ‘I’ve bought most of me presents, but it’d be nice to have a day out and I wouldn’t mind buying a couple of brassieres. You can’t buy anything with a bit of uplift in Duneathly and me breasts have dropped down as far as me waist.’ She put a thoughtful finger to her chin. ‘I wonder if they could fit me in at Quinlan’s for a shampoo and set?’

‘Give them a ring first thing in the morning and see,’ Mollie suggested.

Hazel finished the dishes, untied her apron and folded it neatly, then placed it on the back of a chair. ‘Aren’t men lucky?’ she remarked, smoothing her hands over her broad hips. ‘No one looks at Finn and thinks to themselves, “That boyo’s lost his figure, I wonder how many kids he’s had?”’ Apart from me drooping breasts, I’ve enough pleats on me belly you could make a skirt from, and me right leg’s so full of swollen veins it looks like a map of Ireland.’

‘I think you’re exaggerating, Hazel.’ She was as beautiful as ever, if a bit larger than on the day she’d married Finn.

‘Whatever.’ Hazel shrugged. ‘I’ll buy some slap too while we’re in Kildare, otherwise people’ll start taking me for Finn’s mother. There’s no need to grin, Mollie. Your Finn’s always had an eye for a pretty face. I’ve never minded him looking, but I don’t want him touching.’

Mollie went to bed that night feeling totally at peace with the world. She was home for Christmas as she’d promised: Megan and Brodie were asleep in the bedroom on one side of her, and Joe and Tommy in the other. Tommy, of all people, had asked her to read him a bedtime story. She hoped he wasn’t missing her.

The festivities here would be very different to those in Liverpool. Garston Electrics were having a dance in the canteen on the day before Christmas Eve, she’d been invited to loads of parties, and virtually everyone she knew had asked her to Christmas dinner, but the only place where she’d wanted to be was with her family.

Tonight, the children had put on a little concert for their parents in the parlour. Eoin had juggled three of his mother’s old plates, Sean had played the spoons, Kieran had sung ‘Show Me the Way to Go Home’ wearing a top hat he’d found in the loft, and Finola and Bernadette had recited a nursery rhyme each. Patrick must have decided he was too old to play a part and acted as master of ceremonies. At that point, he came in to announce there was now an interval and refreshments were available in the kitchen. After a jam tart and a glass of lemonade, the audience had returned to hear Joe tell a very creepy ghost story while Tom supplied sound effects by banging the dustbin lid on the floor several times. Noreen played
Minuet in G
on the piano for Brodie and Kerianne to dance to.

Finally, Megan had sung ‘Danny Boy’ in a light, sweet voice, and Mollie and Finn had glanced at each other because it had been Annemarie’s favourite song and she’d sung it to Mammy when she became ill. ‘Well, if that didn’t made me feel a whole world better, I don’t know what would,’ Mammy would say when the song had finished.

It had all been very innocent and charming, particularly when you considered the horrors taking place in other parts of the world.

 

Finn had opened an office in Kildare where he spent most of his time nowadays. He asked if Hazel and Mollie wanted a lift in to do their Christmas shopping.

‘It depends if Hazel can get an appointment at the hairdresser’s,’ Mollie told him. ‘It’s possible we might go tomorrow. Anyway, she’d sooner see the children off to school before we leave.’ Even Bernadette, who was only four, attended the nursery class at the convent.

‘Give us a ring if it’s today and we’ll meet for lunch,’ Finn said, and Mollie promised that she would.

Quinlan’s had had a cancellation at midday and could fit Hazel in then, so the women hurriedly caught the little bus that trundled merrily along the narrow lanes and up and down the hills on its way to Kildare. It was a sunny, icy-cold day and the fields and the bare trees glittered with frost.

After Hazel had bought two well-boned brassieres and Mollie a bagful of cosmetics, Hazel disappeared into the hairdresser’s and Mollie made her way to her brother’s office to arrange meeting for lunch. She hadn’t phoned as promised, but couldn’t see that it mattered.

So far, she hadn’t seen the new office. It was situated over a smart dress shop in Silken Street. Finn must be doing well, she thought, when she entered the reception area with its white walls, thick grey carpet, and comfortable black chairs. A low table held an assortment of magazines, an ashtray, and a little gold bell. Typewriters clattered in the neighbouring room. Mollie jingled the bell and a girl emerged.

‘I’d like to see Finn Kenny, please,’ Mollie said. ‘Say it’s his sister.’

‘He’s gone to lunch, I’m afraid. You’ll find him in The Moon and Sixpence or Jock’s Place. They’re just around the corner from here.’

Mollie thanked her and the girl returned to her office. Before she left she heard a voice, not that of the girl she’d just spoken to, say, ‘You eejit, you shouldn’t have told her that. You should’ve said you had no idea where Finn had gone.’

‘I didn’t think.’

She was still puzzling over the words when she arrived at The Moon and Sixpence, a creaky old pub with the menu written in chalk on a board outside. She went in, did a quick inspection, but there was no sign of her brother. She remembered eating in Jock’s Place with Mammy and Annemarie once when they’d come to Kildare to do their Christmas shopping. She was twelve and Annemarie ten, and it had seemed desperately exciting. They’d sat at the back in a booth only big enough for four people. Annemarie had remarked how private it was. ‘We could get up to all sorts here and no one would know,’ she’d said.

And now, twenty years later, her brother, Finn was getting up to something or other in the same place, possibly in the very same booth, where he was sitting opposite a dark-haired woman, holding both her hands across the table. What worried Mollie more than anything was that the woman wasn’t young or more than averagely good-looking, and was modestly dressed in a plain black frock. This wasn’t just an office fling, a moment of madness, with Finn, who was going on for forty and more handsome than ever, having his head turned by some young girl. From the way the pair were looking at each other, she could tell that this was serious.

‘Hello,’ she said loudly to Finn. Then to the woman, even more loudly, ‘Hello, I’m Mollie, Finn’s sister. I’m in Kildare with Hazel, she’s Finn’s
wife
, but she’s just gone to get her hair done. We’re meeting up in about an hour for lunch and I came to ask Finn if he’d like to have his with us.’

The woman immediately got to her feet. ‘I’ll be seeing you, Finn.’ She gave Mollie a little nod and hurried away. Mollie sat in the seat she’d just vacated. ‘What’s her name?’ she asked.

‘Yvonne.’ Finn licked his lips. The expression on his face was a mixture of shame and annoyance. ‘I thought I asked you to telephone if you were coming today?’

‘I forgot. We left the house in a rush to catch the bus. I didn’t think it was all that important. Where did you meet her?’

‘She manages the dress shop below the office,’ he replied sullenly.

‘How convenient. Is she married? Has she got children?’

‘She had a husband once, but they didn’t have children.’ He had the nerve to glare at her, as if
she
was in the wrong! ‘Are you going to tell Hazel?’

The question irritated her. ‘Do you really think I would?’

‘I suppose not.’ He refused to meet her eyes.

Mollie had never had a reason to be so cross with her brother before and the situation felt very odd. ‘And I suppose you’re going to tell me it’s not serious and that Hazel doesn’t understand you?’

His reply shocked her. ‘It
is
serious and Hazel is the best wife in the world. I love her dearly, but not as much as I love Yvonne.’

A waiter came with steak and chips for Finn and chicken salad for Yvonne. Mollie absentmindedly picked up a piece of chicken and began to eat. Finn didn’t touch his food.

‘What’s brought this on, Finn?’ Mollie asked. ‘You and Hazel always seemed the happiest couple in the world. You’ve got eight children, for God’s sake.’

‘We
are
happy, we were . . . ’ He stumbled over the words. ‘I didn’t mean for this to happen, Moll. I wasn’t looking for an affair, but it just did - happen, that is.’

An affair! She took it for granted they’d slept together. The idea of her prim and proper brother having a mistress made her feel funny inside. She did her best to dismiss images of him and Yvonne in bed together. ‘Do you realize everyone in your office knows what’s going on?’ Finn groaned and hid his head in his hands. ‘Let’s hope none of them sees fit to pass on the news to Hazel because it would kill her.’

‘Nothing would kill Hazel. She’s as strong as an ox.’

This was said so flippantly that she lost her temper. ‘Don’t you dare say things like that, Finn Kenny. Hazel’s had eight kids and she had to be strong for that, but that doesn’t mean she won’t crumble to pieces if she finds out you’re having an affair.’

‘I’m
not
having an affair,’ Finn said flatly.

‘But you just said—’

‘From this moment on, I’m not having an affair. I’ll tell Yvonne I can’t see her any more. It’s over. I’ve been meaning to finish it for months and now I will.’ As he and Yvonne worked in the same building, there was little chance of them not seeing each other again, but Mollie sensed he’d meant what he said and felt relieved.

‘That’s the best way, Finn,’ she said. ‘You owe it to Hazel.’

‘I know.’ He appeared close to tears.

Because he was her brother and she loved him, Mollie wanted to cry, too. She couldn’t bear anyone she loved to be unhappy. She leaned across the table and took his face in her hands. ‘You’ll soon get over her, darlin’. Hazel and the children are the only ones that matter, never forget that.’

She’d collect her sister-in-law from the hairdresser’s and tell her Finn was lunching with a client.

 

Mollie left. Minutes later, Yvonne returned to the table. ‘I saw her leave,’ she said. ‘She seems very nice.’

‘She is nice,’ Finn mumbled. ‘Hazel’s nice, my children are nice. The only person who isn’t nice is me.’

‘And me,’ Yvonne said sadly. ‘We’re sinners, Finn, the worst sort. I wish we had the will to give each other up, but I’ll never do it. The only way I’ll leave you is if you tell me to go.’

‘That I’ll never do, my darling girl.’ He almost choked on the words. She was older than Hazel, plainer, but there weren’t the words in the dictionary to describe how much he loved her. He’d just lied through his teeth to his sister. Yvonne hadn’t carried his seed inside her for nine whole months to produce his child, but if she went away he’d die.

Chapter 16

On Christmas Day, the Japanese captured Hong Kong. Esme’s husband was taken prisoner. It was a terrible and unexpected defeat for the British. Horrific rumours were beginning to circulate about the cruel and inhuman way the Japanese treated their prisoners of war.

Mollie had no idea what to say to Esme. ‘He’ll be all right, darlin’,’ didn’t seem enough, and was unlikely to be the truth. She just hugged the girl and didn’t say a word.

‘We had a gear Christmas,’ Esme said tearfully; she lived in Wavertree with her parents and two brothers. ‘None of us realized what was going on in Hong Kong. I felt dead ashamed afterwards that I hadn’t sensed Peter was in danger.’