His Pretend Wife

‘Was it an accident that you went out there? What did you mean by going with him just before our wedding, anyway?’

‘I wanted to enjoy myself. No crime in that.’

‘That depends how you wanted to enjoy yourself.’

‘What do you mean by that?’

‘You know what I mean. We went there once ourselves, and I remember your idea of enjoying yourself. But I wouldn’t oblige, would I? I was thinking of you, but I don’t think that ever got through to you. Was he any more co- operative?’

How cold and dead his face was, as she’d never seen it before. He’d adored her, worshipped her. Now he was close to hating her.

She could have handled it differently, told him that she’d boxed Jack’s ears and forced him to keep his distance, which was the truth. And they would have made it up, and married next day.

Instead she’d defied him. ‘Believe what you like. If you don’t trust me, that’s your problem.’

‘Ellie, darling-’ he was still hers if she wanted ‘-I want to trust you, but you were there all night with him. Just tell me nothing happened.’

‘What do you think happened?’

‘Tell me!’

‘Leave me alone,’ she screamed. ‘Stop pressurising me. Stop trying to control my life, and telling me what to do. You’ve got it all planned, we marry this week, we have a baby next year, and I sit at home alone with a screaming kid while you work all hours trying to become the great doctor.’

‘But we agreed-’

‘You agreed. You decided, you told me and I was supposed to fall in line. I don’t like being bullied-’

‘I bullied you?’ Suddenly he was a sick man, his face the colour of death. ‘Is that all my love meant to you? Bullying?’

‘You don’t let me breathe. You’ve got my life planned out for me, but I want something more.’

‘Oh, yes, shampoos and make-up,’ he snapped.

‘You can sneer, but it’s my choice. I don’t want to live in a backwater. I want to go to London and work in a big store, and be someone.’

‘And you think you’re going to be someone with a pig like Jack Smith?’

‘He may be a pig to you but he believes in me-’

‘He’s probably hoping that you’ll support him.’

‘And he knows how to give a girl a good time.’

‘Tell me about that good time,’ he said dangerously.

‘What do you want to know?’ said a voice from the doorway. It was Jack, who’d forced his way past her mother and heard the last words.

‘Nothing from you,’ Andrew snapped. ‘Get out of here.’

‘No way. I’m part of this. I didn’t have to force Ellie to come with me. She needed a rest from you preaching at her. I just provided the light entertainment, didn’t I, darling? Very appreciative she was, too.’

The next moment he was on the floor, knocked down by a punch like a hammer. Ellie screamed, not for Jack but for Andrew, who yearned to be a surgeon but had risked his valuable right hand.

‘Don’t,’ she begged him.

‘Protecting him, Ellie?’

‘No, your hand.’

‘Do you think I care about that now?’

Jack had climbed to his feet, an ugly look in his eyes. She thought he was going to punch Andrew back, but he did something much worse.

‘C’mon, sweetie, let’s go. You won your bet, you don’t have to take it to the line.’

‘Bet? What bet?’ Andrew asked.

‘Nothing,’ she said hurriedly. A pit was opening at her feet.

‘Tell me about this bet,’ Andrew said quietly.

‘Ellie bet a whole gang of us that she could make you fall in love with her. Boy, was that a laugh! It’s been an even bigger laugh watching her at work.’

Andrew looked at her. ‘You-did that?’

‘No-’ she said desperately.

‘Are you saying it’s not true?’

‘No-that is-not like that-’

‘You mean the answer’s yes?’

‘It wasn’t like that. Just a silly joke-’

‘Don’t tell me any more,’ he said in a quiet voice that was worse to her than shouting. ‘I really only have myself to blame for loving you too much. I should never have lost my sense of proportion. Always a mistake, that.’

‘Andrew, please listen to me,’ she screamed. ‘Let me explain-’

‘Explain what? You never really wanted to marry me, did you, Ellie? Now I understand. After you’d made a fool of me there was nowhere else to take it. The trouble is I never had much sense of humour, although with you-’ He checked, and a spasm of pain went over his face. ‘Well, a lot of things were different with you.’

She’d flinched to see hate in his eyes, but now there was something far more terrible than hate. Disillusion.

‘I apologise for wasting so much of your time,’ he said politely, ‘and also for boring you. I won’t do so any longer. I wish you every happiness for the future. Good day to you.’

He walked out with a face of stone.

The following month she ran away to London with Jack Smith. They had a hurried marriage in a shabby register office and after that, as Andrew had foretold, she found herself supporting him. From then on nothing went right for her.

Elinor had awaited the call for so long that when it came one evening she didn’t, at first, take it in.

‘What-what did you say?’

‘This is the Burdell Hospital. We have a heart which would seem to be suitable for your daughter.’

‘You’ve got-?’

‘I must caution you not to get your hopes up too high. We need to do some final tests before a decision can be made, but an ambulance is heading for you, so will you-?’

Elinor barely heard the rest. Tears of relief poured down her face. She was shaking so hard that she could hardly move, but she forced herself to be calm as she went to find Hetta, even managing a brilliant smile as she called out, ‘All right, darling, we’re on our way.’

‘Really, Mummy? ’Cos last time-’

‘I know,’ Elinor said quickly. This had happened twice before and their hopes had soared, but in the end the operation hadn’t been possible. ‘Let’s just cross our fingers.’

In no time at all the ambulance was at the door. The news had spread through the boarding house and everyone who was at home came to wave them off. Daisy flapped about like a mother hen, pouring out concern and criticism alike.

‘Call me as soon as you know anything, love. Night or day. Jerry, I hope you went to the Job Centre, today. How are you, my pet? Have you got everything? Where’s Samson?’

‘Here,’ Hetta said, producing a disreputable object that had started life as a bear.

‘That’s fine, then. Elinor, you tell me if there’s anything I can do for you. Anything at all.’

During the short journey to the hospital she and Hetta held hands tightly. There were no words for their shared thoughts, but they didn’t need words. And then they were there, and nurses were coming to meet them, smiling, looking hopeful.

Cling to that hope, she thought. Don’t think about the other chance.

There were questions to answer. A nurse took Hetta’s temperature, which was normal. Her current state of health was good.

Except that she’s dying.