Constance called down to the basement on Tuesday morning, ‘Penny, can you come up here?’
Kimberly was a bit fretful so Penny picked her up and called back, ‘I’m coming.’
Constance was standing at the top of the stairs and seemed nervous. ‘There’s someone here to see you,’ she whispered. ‘I wasn’t sure if I should have invited her in, but I didn’t like to leave her outside in the cold.’
‘Who is it?’
‘Your mother.’
‘I don’t want to see—’
‘Penny, please, I just want to talk to you,’ Ivy said as she appeared in the hall.
‘Why don’t you take her down to the basement where you can talk in private,’ Constance suggested.
Penny huffed, but Kimberly’s arms were waving in distress and she wanted to stay calm. ‘Yes, all right,’ she said shortly.
‘Can I hold the baby?’ her mother asked, pulling out a chair and sitting down before holding her arms outstretched.
Penny threw her mother a dirty look.
Ivy appeared awkward and glanced around the kitchen. ‘Is this where you sleep?’ she asked.
‘Yeah.’
‘It can’t be much fun living in a basement.’
‘It’s fine. We’re fine.’
‘Penny, I treated you badly and I’m sorry. Please, love, come home.’
‘I suppose that’s on condition that I give up my baby.’
‘No, love, you’re both welcome.’
‘What about the neighbours?’
‘Sod the neighbours.’
‘Huh, you’ve changed your tune, but it’s too late. I’m not bringing my baby to Kibble Street to be looked down on or spat on by anyone. I’d have their eyes out first.’
‘So would I, love. She’s beautiful,’ Ivy said. ‘Can I hold her?’
‘No, Mum, just go.’
‘Please, Penny, she’s my grandchild.’
‘A grandchild that you rejected. I had to take her to live in a dank, grotty bedsit ’cos you were ashamed of her, and of me. If it wasn’t for Constance I’d still be there now.’
‘I know, and I hate myself for what I put you through. Please, love, come home.’
‘No, I’m staying here.’
‘Can I at least come to see you now and then?’
‘I dunno, maybe.’
‘How about one day next week?’
‘I’ll think about it.’
‘I’ll have to be satisfied with that, but can I at least hold her, if only for a minute?’
‘I suppose so, but you don’t deserve to.’
Penny saw the tenderness on her mother’s face as she held her granddaughter for the first time, but she still couldn’t forgive her. As a mother herself, she shouldn’t have expected her to give up her baby, black or not. However, was it fair on Kimberly to cut her grandmother out of her life? There was her grandfather too, but no matter what, she wasn’t going back to Kibble Street. Not ever. ‘You can come to see her, and bring Dad too if he wants to come, but don’t make it more than once a fortnight.’
‘Oh, love, thank you,’ Ivy croaked.
‘I’m only allowing it for Kimberly’s sake,’ Penny told her, but deep down she knew it was for her own sake too. Despite everything her mother had put her through, she still loved her – she just didn’t want to live with her again. She had grown to like her independence, and wasn’t going to give it up.
Albie arrived at two that afternoon, and when Constance opened the door, he waved a document as he marched inside. ‘You’re going to pay for trying to do me out of what is rightfully mine.’
‘When you married me you had nothing, just the money my father bribed you with, and as we’ve been married for less than a year, what makes you think you’re entitled to anything?’
‘’Cos I’m your husband.’
‘Do you want me to chuck him out?’ Penny asked as she came up from the basement.
‘I’d like to see you try,’ Albie sneered. ‘It’s you who’s going to be thrown out.’
‘No, l don’t think so,’ Constance said, ‘and if you don’t want your secret to be heard, I suggest you come with me to my father’s study.’
‘What secret?’ Albie blustered, but there was something confident in Connie’s manner that made his stomach churn.
‘I think you know, but do you want me to spell it out here, in front of Penny?’
‘No,’ Albie said quickly and he followed Constance to the study, his bluster now replaced with fear. As she turned to face him, he braced himself.
‘I know about you, Albie.’
‘Know what?’ he said, yet knew he was wasting his breath.
‘That you used me, Albie, not only to get money from my father, but to cover your true nature.’
‘You was pregnant and I married you. You should be thankful for that.’
‘Thankful? You made my life a misery, and now I want the annulment you agreed to.’
‘What about the money?’
‘You don’t deserve a penny, but I’ll give you two thousand pounds – the same amount my father paid you to marry me. However, for that amount I will want sole custody of William, though of course I will still allow you and your mother to see him.’
‘I could fight for more.’
‘Very well, I’ll withdraw the offer and let it be known what you are.’
‘No, you can’t do that. It’s illegal and I could end up in prison.’
‘Then accept my offer.’
Albie knew he was beaten. He could guess how Connie found out – Melvin must have told her – yet it was impossible to pay him back for opening his mouth. After all, as far as Albie knew, Connie could be the only person Melvin had told. Melvin had too much to lose too, so Albie doubted he’d opened his mouth to anyone else. ‘All right, you win,’ he reluctantly said.
‘Good. I’ll talk to my solicitor tomorrow and get the papers drawn up. Once you’ve signed them and the annulment is granted, I’ll release the money.’
‘Make sure you do,’ Albie snapped with more bravado than he felt. He hated it that Connie knew, and would always fear she’d tell others though he couldn’t bring himself to ask her to keep his secret.
He turned on his heel and left, knowing that as soon as he had the money he’d leave Kibble Street. He’d give his mother enough to buy a new cooker, but the rest of the money would go to keeping his true love, Timothy, happy. As long as he had Timothy he’d be happy too, and maybe they could even think about living abroad. He’d heard that Thailand was liberal towards men like them, and that the cost of living was cheap.
Maybe one day homosexuality wouldn’t be illegal, and they wouldn’t be forced to live a lie, but for now, that seemed an impossible dream.
Dora listened to Ivy, pleased that she’d managed to mend bridges with her daughter. Once again Ivy was raving about how gorgeous her granddaughter was, and how she was going to see her regularly.
‘I should have listened to you, Dora. I shouldn’t have been so prejudiced or worried about what the neighbours might say. At the end of the day Kimberly is my own flesh and blood. She’s family and there’s nothing more important than that.’
The door opened and Albie walked in, his face pale.
‘Are you all right, love?’
‘Yeah, but I want to talk to you in private,’ he said, looking pointedly at Ivy.
‘I’ll leave you to it,’ Ivy said, bustling off.
Dora called a goodbye, and as soon as the door closed behind her, Albie sat down heavily opposite her. ‘What is it? What’s wrong?’
‘Connie’s father is dead.’
‘Yes, well, I sort of guessed that when she took Penny and Jill in.’
‘I’ve been to see her and agreed to the annulment in return for two grand.’
‘You surprise me. Now that she must have inherited that house, I thought you’d be after more.’
‘No, Mum. We’ve been married for less than a year, so I think two grand is more than fair.’
Dora frowned. This was unlike Albie, but she was pleased that he wasn’t being greedy. ‘It’s a great deal of money, son, just don’t go blowing it like you did with the last lot.’
‘Yeah, well, that’s what I want to talk to you about. I think it’s about time I left home and found my own place.’
Dora’s heart sank, but she’d known that one day it would come to this, and she’d always vowed she wouldn’t make it hard for Albie. ‘If that’s what you want, love, it’s fine with me.’
‘When I get the money, I’ll see you’re all right before I go.’
‘There’s no need for that.’
‘I think there is,’ Albie said. ‘Now I’m off out again.’
‘All right, love. I’ll see you later,’ she said, hiding her emotions until he left. She had always dreaded the thought of Albie leaving and of living on her own, but now it was soon to happen.
As she fought back tears, Dora recalled Ivy’s words. She had said there was nothing more important than family, and with the shock of hearing that Albie was leaving home, she realised that her friend was right. She thought about her own mother and how she had never forgiven her, yet Penny had found it in her heart to forgive Ivy.
Dora was unable to control the tears any longer, and they slid down her cheeks as she made a big decision. One day soon she would find out where her mother was and go to see her. It was time for her to mend bridges too.
‘So you ain’t gonna tell us what this secret of Albie’s is about?’ Penny asked.
‘No, I’m sorry, I can’t. But suffice to say that we haven’t got anything to worry about now. The house is mine and Albie won’t be making a claim on it.’
‘Well, that’s a relief ’cos I’ve told my mother that I ain’t going home.’
‘I’ll tell Denis the same if and when he turns up again,’ Jill said.
‘I’m glad you’ve found a bit of bottle,’ Penny said, grinning.
‘I have, and that’s thanks to you.’
Constance sat listening with a smile on her face. It was lovely to know that her future was secure now and that she could go ahead with her plans, but first there was Christmas to think about. She hadn’t expected to feel anything close to hopeful at this time of the year, but celebrations were in order and she was determined to make this Christmas a good one. ‘I’m going to buy the biggest Christmas tree I can find, and we’ll have such fun decorating it. I’m also going shopping for presents.’
‘Don’t go mad, love. I haven’t got much money to spend on presents and I doubt Penny has either,’ Jill said.
‘You’re right there,’ Penny agreed.
‘Well, then, I’ll just buy things for the children!’ Constance said with a grin.
‘I’ll have to go back to Kibble Street soon to pick up the rest of my things,’ Jill said.
‘Yes, but I’ll come with you and we’ll get a taxi.’
‘I’ll look after the kids,’ Penny offered.
Once again, Constance smiled. She would be forever thankful to Melvin for telling her the truth about Albie, and putting his own secret at risk of exposure – a secret she vowed never to reveal. Because after a year of so much unhappiness, it was thanks to Melvin that she now had plenty to look forward to.
Next year it would be 1967, and the refuge would be officially opened. Then, in May, there was Mary’s wedding. It was time to put the painful past behind her and look forward to the future, a future that was, at last, in her own hands. And with her little boy William, and friends like Penny and Jill beside her, Constance had a feeling it was going to be a happy one.
Did you love A Daughter’s Ruin? Why not try another of Kitty’s gripping family sagas, the bestselling A Family’s Heartbreak? Click here to find out more.