Chapter Twenty-Two

The following week the weather seemed to take a turn for the worse, which meant the canteen was even busier than usual. The women were settling down at their table. Angie was the last to arrive, having been waylaid by Muriel.

‘’Ere, listen to this,’ she said, putting her tray down and taking the spare seat next to Dorothy. The women were all ears – happy to listen to the latest gossip while they ate. ‘Yer knar that nursery that wouldn’t take Hope?’ She looked at Gloria, who nodded. ‘Well, it was closed down this morning.’

‘Really?’ Rosie said, surprised.

‘How come?’ Gloria asked, equally surprised.

‘Apparently, some official from the council was round there early doors ’n shut it down,’ Angie said, blowing on a spoonful of steaming hot stew.

‘I’m guessing this came from Muriel?’ Polly asked.

Angie nodded.

‘Well, I never,’ Dorothy said. ‘That’s a turn-up for the books, isn’t it?’

‘Serves them right for being so horrible to Glor ’n not having Hope,’ said Martha.

‘I agree,’ Hannah said. ‘Sounds like that woman who said those awful things got her comeuppance.’

‘What was the reason it was shut down?’ Rosie asked.

‘Muriel said summat about one of the bairns there not being looked after proper. And that there was some kind of “financial impropriety”. Anyway, whatever it was, it was enough to close the place down.’

‘Bet you Ma and Beryl have had their hands full this morning,’ Polly said.

Martha pulled a puzzled expression.

‘Because it means,’ Dorothy informed her, ‘that their little nursery they’ve just started up is going to get an awful lot bigger.’

‘And will that be a good thing?’ Hannah asked.

‘Well, they’ve got the room, so I doubt they’ll mind earning a bit of extra money,’ said Polly.

‘Good news all round then,’ said Rosie.

‘Yeah.’ Angie nudged Gloria, who was sitting on her right. ‘What goes around comes around, eh?’

‘Looks that way, doesn’t it?’ Gloria said, glancing across at Rosie. ‘You didn’t tell Helen, did you?’

Rosie shook her head. ‘No, of course not. You said not to.’ She hated lying, but sometimes needs must.

Later on in the afternoon, Rosie went to see Helen in her office about some issues relating to safety measures and pay. As she was leaving, she turned just before she reached the door. ‘Oh, I forgot to say …’ She looked at Helen. ‘I heard at lunchtime that the nursery which wouldn’t take Hope appears to have been closed down.’

‘Really?’ Helen did a good show of being surprised.

‘Apparently, it had a couple of complaints. About different issues. Something about the neglect of one of the children in its care – the other about its finances.’

‘Funny that,’ Helen said. ‘Just as well Hope didn’t end up going there.’

‘Yes, that’s what I thought.’ She looked at Helen and suppressed a smile. ‘Oh, well, I’ll let you get on.’

After Rosie had gone, Helen sat back in her chair and digested this latest news. She felt rather pleased with herself. Georgina had provided her with the necessary information within days of being asked, but she had sat on it for almost a month before she’d taken action and rung the council. She’d been rather surprised at herself for having the nerve to do what she’d done and the ability to sound like a proper east-ender – one benefit of working in a shipyard and being surrounded by strong north-east dialects day in, day out.

She just wished she’d also been able to track down the woman who had spat at Gloria and called her all those names. She’d asked Bobby if anyone else had been giving his mam any hassle, but he’d said not as far as he knew. The women had said the same. Helen wondered, though, whether Gloria would tell them if she had. She was pretty certain that Miriam would not have stopped at just the one verbal attack. She was sure there would have been more – and that there would be yet more planned.

Helen was right. Since that initial confrontation in the yard by the butch woman with a gob full of spittle, Gloria had continued to be harassed, name-called and spat at. Always when she was on her own. But Gloria wouldn’t tell anyone. Not even Jack. She had resolved to put up with it for as long as it took. As long as no harm came to Hope, it didn’t matter. She had a thick skin and broad shoulders. Sticks and stones and a bit of spit never hurt no one. That’s what she told herself, anyway. Words were nothing after what she’d endured during her marriage to Vinnie. The physical abuse she’d suffered at his hands had hardened her up.

But sometimes she didn’t feel so hard. These past few years she had been with Jack – and the love they had shared during that time – had softened her up. Which was why, sometimes, it wasn’t always so easy to shrug off the nasty comments as she wiped spit off her face.

Sometimes, just sometimes, she’d find herself a quiet spot where she could be on her own and have a quiet cry.