Hard rain splattered on the window. Mary drew the curtains against the night. ‘Everything’s okay then?’ she said.
Sprawled on the sofa, holding a cushion to her, Ellen glanced up at Mary. ‘Yeah, I’m going back with Ted on Wednesday. He’s promised to tell Hannah to leave me alone. I’ll be all right.’
‘Let’s hope she does then. And the other thing? What did he say about that?’ Mary perched on the arm of the sofa. ‘You did tell him what you thought was going on between him and that girl?’
‘Yeah, of course. He’s promised not to have Doreen in the shop ever again.’
‘So it was true?’ Mary looked incredulous. ‘I wouldn’t have believed it.’
‘Course it wasn’t true. I was being daft.’
Ellen wanted to tell Mary about Patrick but Ted had made her promise. ‘For the time being, we’ll keep out of it, wait to see what happens,’ he’d said. ‘Don’t say anything to Mary, she has enough on her plate.’
‘He’s going to give the job to Evelyn Stott,’ Ellen told Mary.
‘Who?’
‘Evelyn Stott. You know, lives in those old back-to-back houses on Church Road, due for demolition. Her granddad was that champion clog fighter in Bradlow, went round all the pubs. Remember, he once challenged Dad in the Crown. Little man with long straggly grey hair, big red nose, bow-legged…’
‘I remember!’ Mary exclaimed. ‘The one our Mam always said—’
‘Couldn’t stop a pig in a ginnel,’ Ellen laughed. ‘That’s the one.’
‘Our Mam … all her sayings.’
Ellen rubbed her hands over her face. She felt odd, strangely emotional. Through the laughter she could feel the quiver of impending tears. ‘She could be a right scream … until Dad came in the house.’ She suddenly calmed. ‘I do know what he was like you know, I wasn’t that daft. It was just that he…’
‘Let you get away with murder.’
‘Until Linda.’ Ellen would never forget her fear when their father found out she was pregnant.
‘Don’t.’ Mary pulled her closer, their heads together. ‘He didn’t remember … at the end, he didn’t remember. You were still his little girl.’ She rocked Ellen. ‘And, you know, our Mam, she loved him. I heard her once, at the end … just before he died. I heard her tell him she loved him. I didn’t understand it at the time. I only ever knew him as a nasty old beggar.’
‘Hmmm. Which reminds me.’ Ellen snuggled closer, her arm across Mary’s waist. ‘Did you have a word with Jean about Patrick?’
‘Yes.’
‘And?’ Ellen said. ‘Did you get anywhere with her?’
‘No, she won’t leave him. She said he’d only hit her the once … as though that was okay.’
‘Do you believe her?’
She felt Mary shrug. ‘I don’t know. I can’t get her to say anything else about him. Except she’s asked me not to tell anyone. You’re not to either.’
Ellen admitted to herself she wasn’t good at keeping secrets. She’d probably tell Ted. Avoiding having to promise she said, ‘She’s a fool.’ In more ways than one, Ellen thought, really tempted to tell Mary about Patrick’s messing about with Doreen Whittaker.
‘I’m thinking I should go back with her after … after the funeral. Make sure she’s all right.’
‘And tell him exactly what we think of him, I hope.’ Ellen pushed away the feeling that she should help Mary deal with Patrick. She sat back on the sofa pondering. If Mary was going to go back to Ashford, she was bound to find out about the affair anyway. ‘I think you should know something,’ she said, finally, ‘that Ted told me this afternoon.’ As soon as the words were out of her mouth she regretted it. Mary looked immediately concerned.
And yet she sounded irritated when she spoke. ‘What now?’ Mary got up and began to pace up and down in front of the fireplace. ‘What’s happened?’
Ellen pushed the cushion to one side and shuffled to the edge of the sofa. There was no going back now, and anyway, she persuaded herself, Mary should know. Jean wasn’t only their sister-in-law; she was Mary’s best friend. ‘Don’t tell Ted I’ve told you. Promise?’
Mary nodded resignedly. More secrets, she thought, more things to worry about.
‘It’s not him having the affair, it’s Patrick.’