demanded, ‘Where’s he now? Living in the big house? Huh! Well, his stay’s goin’ to be short, isn’t it, Jimmy? He can’t have two wives, can he?’
‘He didn’t know, you can’t blame him.’
‘Can’t blame him? Huh! I was the only woman he’d ever wanted in his life, the only one he would ever love until he died. You . . . you know nowt about it. Can’t blame him, you say!’
‘You should never’ve gone; it was your own fault, you going on that holiday. I . . . I told him he shouldn’t have let you.’
‘But he did, he did let me, Jimmy. What he should have done the day I left was come after me and knock hell out of me an’ made me stay. But he didn’t, did he? He let me go.’
‘You know why he let you go. It was because of John George, that business, an’ you sticking out and wanting him to go and give himself up. You’re as much to blame as he is, Janie, about that. But he’s not to blame for marryin’ again, ’cos how was he to know? He waited a year, over a year.’
‘That was kind of him. Well now, what are we going to do, Jimmy, eh? You’ll have to go and tell him that his wife’s come back. That’s it . . . just go an’ tell him that his wife’s come back.’
He stared at her. This was Janie all right, but it was a different Janie; not only was she changed in looks but in her manner, her ways, and as he stared at her he couldn’t imagine any disaster great enough to change a woman’s appearance as hers had been changed.
She saw his eyes on her hair and she said quietly now, ‘I mean it, Jimmy. You’d better go and tell him. And . . . and tell him what to expect, will you?’ She put her hand up towards her head. I . . . I lost all me hair. I was bald, as bald as any man, and . . . and they rubbed grease in, fish fat, an’. . . an’ this is how it grew. And . . . and living out in the open in the sun and the wind I became like them, all brown ’cos of me fair skin likely.’
She sat down suddenly on a chair and, placing her elbows on the table, she lowered her face into her hands.
Don’t cry, Janie, don’t cry.’ He moved to the other side of the table. And now she looked up at him dry-eyed and said, ‘I’m not cryin’, Jimmy. That’s another thing, I can’t cry. I should cry about the children and the master and mistress and how I look, but something stops me . . . Go and fetch him, Jimmy.’
‘I . . . I can’t, Janie. It would . . ’
‘It would what?’
‘He’d . . . he’d get a gliff.’
‘Well, if he doesn’t come to me, I’ll have to go to him. He’ll get a gliff in any case, and he’d far better meet me here than . . . than up home . . . What’s the matter? . . . What is it now?’
‘Your grannie, Janie, she’s . . .’
‘Aw no!’ She dropped her head to the side and screwed up her eyes, then after a moment said, ‘When?’
‘Last year, after . . . shortly after she heard the news.’
‘And me da?’
‘He . . . he went to Jarrow to live with . . . he took lodgings in Jarrow. There’s new people in the house, an old couple. An’ the Learys have gone an’ll. I never thought they’d ever move but he started work in St Hilda’s Colliery, and it’s too far for him to trek in the winter. They live down here now in High Shields. It’s all changed up there.’ He wanted to keep talking in a hopeless effort against what she was going to say next, but she stopped him with a lift of her hand as she leant back in the chair and drew in long draughts of breath, then said, ‘I don’t think I can stand much more. And I’m so tired; I haven’t been to sleep for . . . aw, it seems days . . . Go and fetch him, Jimmy.’
The command was soft, but firm and brooked no argument. He stared at her for a moment longer; then grabbing his coat and cap from the back of the door, he dragged them on and rushed out. But once down in the yard he didn’t run; instead, he stood gripping the staunch post that supported the end of the house as he muttered to himself, ‘Eeh! my God! What’s gona happen?’
2
Charlotte straightened the silk cravat at Rory’s neck, dusted an invisible speck from the shoulder of his black suit, and finally ran her fingers lightly over the top of his oiled hair, and then, standing slightly back from him, she said, ‘To my mind you’re wasted on a gaming table.’
‘I’m never wasted on a gaming table.’ He pressed his lips together, jerked his chin to the side and winked at her.
Her face becoming serious now, she said, ‘Be careful. The more I hear of that man, Nickle, the more perturbed I become.’
‘Well, you couldn’t ask for a quieter, better mannered or refined gentleman, now could you?’
‘No; that makes him all the more sinister. It’s really unbelievable when you think of it, but I’m glad that he knows I’m aware of what he is. I wish I had been there when he put his tentative question: “Your wife, of course, knows nothing of our little . . . shall we say excursions into chance?” ’
He took up a haughty stance and mimicked, ‘ “Sir, my wife knows everything; she’s a remarkable woman.” And she is that.’ He put out his hand and slapped the raised dome of her stomach, and she laughed and tut-tutted as she in return slapped at his hand. Then her manner becoming serious again, she said, ‘Well, there’s one thing I can be assured of, he won’t try any of his underhand business on you, because if he wants to silence you he’ll also have to silence me. Who are you expecting tonight?’
‘Who knows! My, my! It gets more surprising. You should have seen the look on Veneer’s face when he saw me there, in the Newcastle rooms I mean. I thought he was going to pass out. I nearly did meself an’ all. I couldn’t believe me eyes. Him, a staunch supporter of the Temperance League! They would burn him at the stake if they knew. Just imagine the ladies of this town who wave the banners for temperance getting wind of what their Mr Veneer’s up to . . . And you know something? I’d gather the kindling for them; I never could stand him. I remember your father once sending me on some business to his office. He spoke to me as if I were so much clarts. Sorry, madam.’ He pulled a face at her. ‘Mud from the gutter.’
She was now standing in front of him holding his face firmly between her hands, and she said with deep pride, ‘Well, we’ve shown them. You’ve outwitted two of them already in business deals, and that’s only a beginning. What’s more, you’re the most fashionably dressed, best-looking man in the town, or the county for that matter.’ She tossed her head.
He didn’t preen himself at her praise, but he said, ‘I keep sayin’ you’re a remarkable woman, and you are. Every day that passes I discover something more remarkable about you. The very fact that you raised no protest at my gaming amazes me.’
‘What is one evening a week? As long as your failings only embrace cards and wine I’ll be content.’
He bent towards her now and kissed her gently on her hps, then said, ‘You can rest assured, Mrs Connor, that these shall be the limit of my failings. But now for orders.’ His manner changed, his voice took on a sterner note. ‘You are not to wait up for me, do you hear? Stoddard will pick me up at twelve, and when I get in I shall expect to find you in bed and fast asleep. If I don’t, then there’s going to be trouble.’
‘What will you do?’
He stared at her for a moment before replying, ‘I’ll take up the other vice.’
‘No, don’t say that.’ There was no flippancy in her tone now. ‘Not even in joke say you’ll take up the third vice. That’s something I couldn’t bear.’
‘You silly woman, don’t you ever believe anything I say?’
‘I want to.’
‘Well, what can I say to make you believe it?’
She looked into his eyes. They were smiling kindly at her and she only just prevented herself from blurting out, ‘Say that you love me. Oh, say that you love me.’
‘Go on.’ She pushed him from the room and into the hall. It was she who helped him into his coat and handed him his hat and scarf. Then she stood at the top of the steps and watched him go down them and into the carriage, and she waved to him and he waved back. Then stretching out his legs, he leant his head against the leather upholstery and sighed a deep contented sigh.
They were nearing the gate when the carriage was brought to an abrupt halt and he heard Stoddard shouting, ‘Whoa! Whoa, there!’ then add, ‘Who’s you?’
He pulled down the window and looked out, and there in the light of the carriage lamps he saw Jimmy.
