Chapter 31: Nelly Shuttleworth & Linda Booth

Ashford: Friday, September 26th

‘Don’t fuss, pet, I’m tons better than I was.’ Nelly unpegged the last of the washing and dropped a large pair of bloomers into the wash-basket. She pushed the clothes-prop under the line, raising it up out of the way. ‘Just a cough.’

Despite her words Linda thought she didn’t look at all well. ‘I can do a bit of cleaning for you now I’m here,’ she offered.

Nelly swatted away her words with a flap of her hand. ‘Good God no, pet. You’re working tonight, aren’t you?’

‘No, I’ve got a couple of days off and then I’m on days.’

‘That’s nice.’ Nelly reached inside her blouse and pulled at her bra strap. ‘I’ll be glad to get this off tonight. I don’t know why I wear it anyway; nowt’ll stop these buggers from going south.’ Breathing heavily she laboured up the doorstep and into the kitchen and flopped down on a chair at the table. ‘Shame our Richard had to go so soon. Still, that’s youngsters for you. Always on the go for the next thing.’

Linda smiled, wryly. She clearly wasn’t classed as a youngster any-more in her gran’s eyes. ‘S’pose. Think they said they were going to the pictures in Manchester. They’ll be making the most of it while they can – if he’s going home.’

‘He looked well, don’t you think? To say he’s been under the knife again…’

Linda winced at the image her gran’s words conjured up. ‘It was only a small operation, Gran.’

‘Stopped him coming up here when he should have.’

‘You’re right. Still, he’s through it now – he just has to wait to see if he’s been accepted.’

‘Aye. Make that brew, will you, pet?’ Nelly cleared her throat. Linda waited. But when her gran spoke it wasn’t what she expected. ‘And while you’re at it you can tell me what you decided to do about Martin.’

Martin wasn’t what Linda wanted to talk about. But, there again, nor was she keen to talk about George Worth – Shuttleworth, she corrected herself. Even worse, she needed to tell Nelly who Karen was.

She filled the kettle and turned the switch until the pilot light lit the gas ring with a whoosh. ‘I haven’t decided, Gran.’ Leaning against the sink, Linda fiddled with the buttons on her cardigan. It wasn’t worrying about her boyfriend that had caused her to lose sleep. ‘I do feel bad about it, Gran, but I don’t know what to say to him.’ Even as she spoke her thoughts weren’t on Martin.

‘How about a flat no? He might get the message then.’

‘It’s difficult.’

‘How, pet?’ Her gran lifted her bushy grey eyebrows.

Linda shrugged and changed the subject. ‘I’m thinking, if Victoria doesn’t turn up, I’ll go down to Auntie Mary’s after next week. I’ve got some holidays left.’ She glanced up and caught sight of herself in the fly-blown mirror above the fireplace. She looked tired.

‘I think that’s a grand idea, our Linda…’

The kettle boiled and Linda emptied the used teabags out of the metal teapot into the sink.

‘Mind you warm t’teapot, pet.’

‘I will.’ Linda swished hot water round in it.

Nelly nodded, satisfied. ‘It’ll do you good to have a break and it’ll be company for Mary. She must be worried sick, poor lamb.’ She watched Linda drop two more teabags in the pot. ‘I don’t know that I’m as keen on them PG bags as much as Tetley’s. They’re a bit piss-shacks. Give ’em a good stir.’ She watched as Linda did as she was told and then nodded in satisfaction. ‘Good. Now, park your bum for a minute while it brews and cut this cake for us.’

They’d been skirting around what both of them needed to talk about for long enough.

‘I wish you’d told me, Gran. About what happened… about everything…’

Nelly’s face clouded. She took her glasses off. Her face looked naked without them – naked and scared and old. ‘I couldn’t, pet, it wasn’t my place. It was up to your mum and … Ted … your dad. Ellen told me years ago not to open my gob about it to you.’

‘Well, I know now.’ Linda sucked on her lower lip. She didn’t know where to start, how to tell her gran exactly who Karen was. What a bloody mess.

The back door was still open and she heard the first clear notes of a blackbird. She glanced towards the yard; he was perched on top of the prop.

‘Beautiful, in’t he?’ Nelly said. ‘Comes every night to cheer me up.’ They listened for a few seconds before hearing an answering call. ‘That’s ’is missus. She’ll be down in a minute, just watch. Surprising what little things make you feel better when you’re old.’ She reached for Linda’s hand. ‘You’ve ’ad ants in your pants since you got ’ere. You’ve got something to tell me, ’aven’t you, pet? Besides the other stuff?’

It was a long night. Nelly knew she wouldn’t sleep so she built up the fire Linda had lit, shuffled upstairs, dragged the eiderdown off the bed and settled in her chair. The flames cast long shadows around the room. Ashy cinders clattered every now and then into the pan under the grate.

Eventually, groaning with the stiffness of her limbs Nelly made herself stand and stretch before flinging the back door open and breathing in the cold air. The sky was black, clouded over with dark grey rain clouds.

She’d made up her mind what to do if her youngest son thought he could start any bother again. She’d be ready for him.