Chapter 40: Nelly Shuttleworth

Ashford, afternoon: Sunday, September 28th

‘Why are you ’ere?’ Nelly settled back in the armchair and took a bite of the bacon butty she’d just made. A blob of tomato sauce, squashed out from between the two slices of bread, dropped onto her thumb and finger. She sucked at it. She was on her own territory and had no need to feel less than the woman sitting at the table in front of her. That’s not to say it hadn’t been a shock, five minutes earlier, to see Ellen Booth standing on her doorstep. And she could tell from the way the woman looked – as if she had a bad smell under her nose – that she was judging her and her house. As if she had any right.

‘Linda’s taken a week’s holiday and caught a train to Wales with Richard.’

‘She said she might.’

‘I thought Martin might go with her but when I asked if he was she didn’t answer. Something’s happened between them, I think.’ She stopped as though Nelly might enlighten her but after a moment added, ‘I don’t know what’s happened about Martin …’

Nelly clamped her mouth closed, wiggling her teeth with her tongue to get a bit of bacon from under them. She’d only just managed to put them in when the doorbell rang and they were rubbing her gums. But she was damned if she’d take them out in front of this snooty bitch.

‘Something has.’ Ellen paused.

‘Has what?’ Nelly was careful how she spoke, for some reason she‘d always tried to speak proper in front of this woman. She’d long since stopped hating her. Now she just disliked her intensely and hoped she wouldn’t have to see her too often.

‘Happened between Linda and Martin.’

Nelly jerked her shoulders. ‘Is that why you’re here? I know nowt … nothing about that.’ What she did know, she sure as hell wasn’t going to tell Linda’s mother; a confidence was a confidence. She nodded, agreeing with herself.

‘No, of course not. Why should you?’ Ellen unbuttoned her turquoise jacket and shook the lapels open to show a pristine white blouse. She looked rattled; Nelly pressed her lips together to stop the grin, yet dreading what Ellen was going to say. ‘No, I’m here because of…’

The hiatus between them lengthened, only the low tick of the clock on the mantelpiece and Nelly’s rasping breathing broke into the silence.

‘You know, I suppose?’ Ellen blurted the words out.

‘Know what?’

‘Oh, for God’s sake. About your son?’

‘Oh, that.’ Nelly wouldn’t let her know how that word made her heart race. ‘I know. Yes.’

‘Linda said last night she’d told you about—’

‘George? Yes, she did.’ Even saying his name made Nelly nauseous; years ago she could have handled this but now…

‘It was a shock when Ted told me, I can tell you that.’ Ellen pulled at the cuffs of her jacket, wafted her hair back from her face with a toss of her head. ‘Until this last week I didn’t even know Linda’d been having trouble at work.’

No, you wouldn’t. Nelly thought, studying her, ignoring the fact that Linda had only told her just before telling her mother.

Ellen was pronouncing her words so precisely Nelly wondered if she’d already been drinking, even though it was only early afternoon. ‘And about this girl Richard’s met?’

‘Yes?’ Nelly wasn’t going to help.

‘She’s his stepdaughter, I believe.’ Ellen shivered. ‘I felt sick when we found out who she was. We don’t know what to do except hope Richard forgets her once he’s home.’

‘I think that’s a lost hope. He’ll be coming back to Ashford, or at least, Manchester, if he gets that job at the hospital.’

‘What can we do?’

What did she mean, we? ‘Nowt. Nothing we can do.’ Nelly felt a wave of worry. ‘Has anybody told Mary?’ She sucked on her teeth. How was poor Mary going to deal with all this?

‘Well, no. We can’t at the moment. Obviously.’

‘What d’you mean … obviously? Why can’t she be told?’ She saw from the almost triumphant look on the woman’s face that Ellen knew something she didn’t.

‘With Peter having his heart attack last week.’

Oh, Lord. Nelly’s skin tingled with shock. ‘I didn’t know,’ she said, slowly.

‘I wanted to go to see her but Ted and Linda thought I shouldn’t. Not yet anyway.’

Quite right, Nelly thought – selfish mare. The last thing Mary needs is this one blubbering all over the place and making it all about her.

‘And anyway, I thought it better that I come to see what you intended to do.’

‘I don’t intendto do anything.’ Nelly’s thoughts were still on Mary. She wondered how she could get hold of her, speak to her. She’d never held with having one of them telephones in the house but now she regretted it.

The back gate opened and closed with the familiar squeaking of the hinges and then a tap on the back door, which was slightly open.

‘Mrs Shuttleworth? It’s Jackie. Are you there?’

‘Come in, pet.’

Jackie was clearly surprised by Ellen’s presence. The young woman who followed her in had her hand on Jackie’s shoulder. Must be her friend, Nelly thought: the one Linda had told her about. ‘Nicki, is it, pet?’ She was enjoying Ellen’s discomfort; she could tell Linda’s mam didn’t know what to make of the girl in her big boots and dungarees.

‘Yes.’ The girl smiled, holding out her hand to Nelly. Her grasp was warm and firm. ‘I’ve heard a lot about you, Mrs Shuttleworth.’

‘All bad, I ’ope.’ Nelly chuckled.

‘We popped in to say we just called at your house, Auntie Ellen, to make sure Linda and Richard had got off all right.’ Jackie glanced from one to the other of the two women. ‘Uncle Ted told me you were here, Auntie. I was a bit surprised.’

Ellen looked discomfitted.

‘’Ow’s Peter?’ Nelly asked.

‘Uncle Ted said you might let slip about Uncle Peter’s heart attack.’ Jackie glanced at Ellen.

Let slip my backside, Nelly thought; the woman gloried in telling me.

Ellen bristled. ‘How was I to know it was supposed to be a secret?’

‘Anyway he’s fine, Mrs Shuttleworth. Uncle Ted’s spoken to Auntie Mary and she said he was recovering brilliantly.’ She looked at Nelly. ‘She says she’ll write and let you know but, if Richard gets the placement at the hospital, they’ll be coming here anyway and she’ll see you then. She said she’ll ring you, Auntie Ellen.’

Ellen moved her head acknowledging Jackie, but didn’t take her eyes off Nicki.

‘Well, that’s all really. We’re just on our way out.’ Jackie gave Nelly a hug. ‘Linda asked me to keep an eye on you while she’s away, Mrs Shuttleworth. She says you have to behave yourself and take your tablets. So I’ll… We’ll call in tomorrow.’

Nelly had seen Jackie noticing Ellen’s gawping. She grinned as Jackie took hold of Nicki’s hand as they left.

‘Well,’ Ellen said, ‘Well. How extraordinary. What an odd way for a young woman to dress. And that hair. She might as well have been a bloke, it’s that short.’ She stood, fastening the buttons on her jacket and smoothing down her pencil skirt. Taking a long breath she stared down at Nelly who couldn’t stop the grin.

‘You’ll let me know if anything… If he turns up?’ Ellen’s lip was quivering.

The worry was instantly back. Nelly frowned. For once she felt sorry for the woman. ‘I’ll let you know, Mrs. Booth. But I wouldn’t fret. I doubt he’ll come here. I doubt you’ll get any hassle off him. From the sound of things…from what your Linda said, he’s got a new life now, as well as a new name. He won’t want to be found any more than we want anything to do with him.’

Ellen lowered her head. ‘I hope you’re right!’ Her mouth almost moved into a smile.

When the gate closed, Nelly blew out her lips in a long sigh. She pulled at her top set of teeth and put them on the table. She hoped she was right as well.