A Daughter's Choice (3 page)

Kitty, who was still looking at John, turned and smiled at him. ‘You do that, son. And you can tell us everything that's been happening to you and your plans in the morning. Perhaps after you've been home for a bit, you'll feel different about the ol' Arcadia?'

‘Don't depend on it, Ma,' he drawled and left the kitchen.

Kitty sighed as she gazed at Katie. ‘Time you were in bed, too, love. Early start in the morning. There's several new guests who'll be signing in and Eileen's expected.'

Eileen was her mother's cousin's daughter and lived in Kinsale on the west coast of Ireland where her parents, who had learnt the business at the Arcadia, now ran a hotel. The two girls had never met and Katie was looking forward to having her around, hoping that in the newcomer's company she would be allowed more freedom than she was now.

She went upstairs and for a moment stood on the landing up in the attics, which were well away from the guests' accommodation, with her ear pressed against the door of the room Ben shared with his brothers whenever they were home. She could hear movement but no voices. Perhaps one of them was in the bathroom? She knocked gently on the bathroom door but when there was no response, opened it and went inside, relieved that all was quiet on the bedroom front.

The room was tiny and had been wedged between hers and that occupied by Kitty and John when this part of the hotel had been rebuilt during the war. She looked at herself in the mirror and wished she looked more like her handsome half-brothers. How could Sarah possibly choose between them? Still, she was not going to think about
her
.

She gazed at her reflection and into eyes which were grey with just a hint of mauve ringed with a dark circle. She would have preferred them to be blue. Her face was a nice shape, though, being perfectly oval, but she hated her freckles. ‘The sun's kisses' were what Kitty called them when Katie moaned about nobody else in the family's having them, but that didn't make her feel any better. She wrinkled her nose, dabbed soap suds on her forehead, cheeks and chin, and wished for a peaches-and-cream complexion like the Lux toilet soap film stars.

Afterwards Katie went and stood on the landing again, listening for any sound of a quarrel, but all was quiet so she went into her bedroom.

She sat on the bed and began to give her hair a hundred strokes with the hairbrush, gazing out of the window as she did so at a couple of girls coming out of the YMCA building opposite. She remembered Ben telling her the Americans had taken it over during the war for their Red Cross headquarters. Pops had worked for the British branch and had often come home with doughnuts. Ma had filled them with apple and custard and apparently, according to Ben, Katie had loved them.

A couple came out of the building and she thought there must be a dance on. For a moment she wished she could have been one of those dancing away the evening to the latest rock and roll records: Elvis, Cliff or the Everly Brothers. Photographs of all four plastered her walls but it was Cliff she kissed every night before going to sleep because Katie had never had a boyfriend.

It was as she slipped between the sheets that she heard men's voices. Immediately she was across the room and had the door ajar. ‘I'm not having it,' she heard Ben say. ‘She's
my
woman so you keep your smarmy face away from her!'

‘I haven't been near her!' laughed Mick. ‘I've been away for eighteen months, for God's sake! If you haven't been able to fix her interest in that time then you haven't got it, kid!'

‘Don't call me kid,
old man
!' Ben's voice was vehement. ‘You think you've only got to turn on the charm and the women'll fall for you like nine pins.'

‘It has been known to happen – but you've got this all wrong, laddie.'

‘Don't call me laddie either. You're not Pops! Although you might think you can rule the roost now you're home.'

‘Again you've got me wrong,' said Mick, sounding weary. ‘I want to get away from this place as soon as I can. Find meself a little house and a nice little wife and settle down for life.'

‘As long as you don't pick Sarah for the role. There'll be trouble if you start making a play for her. I could tell her things about you …'

‘Is that a threat?'

‘Take it any which way you like, but keep away from her.'

‘It
is
a threat! Big mistake, Ben. I don't like being told what to do. Especially by a kid brother whose nose I used to wipe.'

‘I suppose
that's
a threat?'

‘Too right it is! If Sarah wants to play games, then, dear brother, I'm ready to play,' said Mick softly. ‘Now shut your mouth or you'll wake Katie and we don't want her upset, do we?'

Katie crept back to bed and it was a while before she slept, she was so upset her brothers had fallen out – and all because of Sarah O'Neill.

But Katie had little time to be upset the next morning as she was rushed off her feet cooking and serving breakfast to the guests, with the help of Ruth and Jennifer, the part-time all-purpose maids. John attended to Reception while Kitty was down at the Pierhead meeting the Irish boat bringing Eileen on her first visit to Liverpool.

It was several hours before Katie had a chance to grab some breakfast herself and she was just wiping round her plate with a piece of fried bread when Mick sauntered in with a towel round his shoulders, naked except for a pair of pyjama bottoms. His hair was wet and he needed a shave. She stared at him open-mouthed, thinking she had been determined to be annoyed with him but now found it impossible. ‘Ma'll have a fit if she sees you like that!'

‘I know.' He yawned and scratched his head. ‘Any coffee going?'

‘Mick!' She swallowed a laugh. ‘What about the guests? I don't know how you dare …'

‘Don't you, little sister? He who dares wins.' Mick grinned. ‘Have you seen any sign of our Ben? He got up awfully early this morning.'

‘Good golly! I hope he hasn't done anything stupid.' Katie got up and spooned Nescafe into a cup.

Mick stared at her from narrowed eyes. ‘What do you know?'

‘Don't ask.' Katie bit her lip and added milk to the Nescafe. ‘Sarah turned him down the other night,' she muttered. ‘And then I heard you arguing …'

‘Oh.' Mick gazed up at the ceiling and the sticky flypaper that hung there. ‘It's more likely he's gone to work than thrown himself in the Mersey even on a Saturday, you know. Our Ben's not one to give up.'

‘True.' There was a relieved expression on her face. ‘Even so, if he was out that early, what's he been doing?'

‘Probably walked the streets or went to the baths and had a swim. He'll be back. Now how about cooking me some breakfast?'

‘The works?' she asked, relieved that he could take Ben's being missing so casually.

‘Aye! Black pudding, too, if you've got it. The lot!' He'd picked up a morning paper and begun to read when the door opened and Sarah stood there.

Her face was pale and there were mauve shadows beneath her eyes. ‘Is Ben in?'

‘No, he's not,' said Katie coolly. ‘So if you don't mind getting out of the way? We've work to do in this kitchen.'

‘Temper, temper,' said Mick. ‘Hello, Sarah. You're looking gorgeous.'

‘I'm glad to see you home, Mick.' She sat down at the table. ‘Although you're looking a bit like something the cat brought in this morning, if you don't mind my saying so?'

‘Sarah, love, I've aged a hundred years since you last saw me.'

‘I didn't mean you looked old,' she stammered. ‘You're only seven years older than me. I just meant –'

‘I know what you meant. I need a shave and to get dressed.' He took one of her hands that rested on the table and lifted it to his lips. ‘Just let me drink my coffee in peace, have some breakfast, then give me an hour and I'll be a new man.'

‘And then what?' she said, her cheeks pink.

‘How about a spin in that motor of yours? That's if it's not going to fall apart on us.'

She hesitated. ‘That would be nice.'

‘Great!' said Mick. ‘Katie girl, make Sarah a coffee and then leave us alone to talk.'

Katie was not going to do anything of the sort and was about to make cooking his breakfast her excuse when there were voices in the hall. The next moment Kitty entered the kitchen accompanied by a girl wearing a blue coat, navy tammy and flat black lace ups. The older woman stopped abruptly and her eyes went to Mick and Sarah, widening in an expression of pure horror. ‘You're indecent! Go and get some clothes on, son, before the new guests arrive. I don't know what Sarah and Eileen must think …'

‘I have been married,' countered Sarah with a laugh.

‘That's beside the point,' said Kitty firmly, resting her hands on the back of a kitchen chair. ‘Upstairs with –'

‘I'm going.' Mick had risen. He kissed his mother's cheek and sauntered out, telling Katie over his shoulder to get on with cooking his breakfast.

There was silence and she was aware of a certain tension in the air, which wasn't surprising considering Mick and Sarah had been holding hands when Kitty entered the kitchen. Katie glanced at Sarah who flashed her a saccharine-sweet smile. ‘Still making me that coffee, Katie, my sugar plum?'

‘If I were a sugar plum, I'd hope you'd choke on me,' she retorted before turning her back. ‘Ma, are you having coffee? And does –?'

‘Eileen will. And, Katie, don't speak to Sarah like that!' Kitty softened the words with a smile, and putting an arm round the Irish girl, gently forced her further into the kitchen. ‘Say hello to each other.'

‘Hello,' said Eileen in an expressionless voice.

‘Hello back!' Katie thought the girl looked like she wouldn't say boo to a goose. She had extremely pale skin, a thin nose, limpid blue eyes and very dark hair – a strand of which was wrapped round one finger which she promptly stuck in her mouth. GREAT! thought Katie. It doesn't look like
she
's going to be much fun. Even so she leaned forward and planted a featherlight kiss on the girl's cheek. ‘It's nice having you here. I'll soon show you the ropes and we'll have fun. Have you had anything to eat? Do you want some breakfast?'

‘Sure, and wouldn't I like that! May I sit down, Aunt Kitty? My legs are threatening to go on me.'

‘Of course you can sit down. You must be tired after the overnight journey.' Kitty bustled round Eileen and soon had her sitting in a chair. ‘You'll have to excuse me, though, love. There's guests due and I must get my coat off and relieve Mr Mcleod and see what the maids are doing. Katie'll look after you.'

Kitty hurried out, remembering how Eileen's grandmother had been the one to deliver Katie, and how her daughter Annie had worked with Celia here at the Arcadia; she hoped the two women had kept quiet about that. When women got together they talked about all sorts but she would just have to take a chance that Eileen's grandmother had kept her mouth shut about Katie's birth, and hope Eileen knew nothing about it.

Katie glanced at Sarah, whose cheekbones had a line of high colour running along them, and hoped she was feeling really guilt-ridden for having been caught holding the wrong brother's hand. Sarah's parents and Kitty and John had known each other for years and Katie had heard all about Sarah having treated the Arcadia like a second home as a child, but realised she didn't want her treating it like that now or ever again. That she didn't want her having Mick, never mind Ben. Katie wanted to get to know him better, not have Sarah waltzing off with him and breaking Ben's heart. They were her menfolk, not Sarah's, and she liked them making a fuss of her. She gave Sarah a hard stare and abruptly the older woman stood up.

‘Tell Mick I've gone to do some shopping. I'll be back in an hour.' She strolled out without another word.

Katie thought, Like hell I will! And turning to the range, put on the frying pan and reached for the bacon. She placed a few strips in the pan, forgetting Eileen was there. Instead she wondered whether to tell Ben about Sarah when he arrived home. Although come to think of it, maybe it would be best to say nothing and wait to see what happened when he discovered she had been out with Mick in that smoky chariot of hers. ‘“Oh, what a tangled web –”' she murmured, only to be recalled to her surroundings when Eileen cleared her throat and asked did she plan on burning the bacon as the pan was smoking?

Mick came in and asked after Sarah, and with Eileen there Katie felt she had to tell him the truth. He went out saying a mate of his had telephoned. He worked for the Salvage Corps patrolling bonded warehouses where goods were stored before duty was paid on them. Hopefully Mick too would soon have a job with Her Majesty's Customs and Excise.

Kitty was not pleased by the news when Katie told her but murmured that she supposed she had to accept that he had lived away too long not to make his own decisions. As for Ben … she decided, like Katie, that the least said to him about Sarah and Mick the better.

The days soon fell into their normal routine: of cooking, cleaning, shopping and informing the guests where to find bargains and what was going on in Liverpool. The Queen Mother was visiting the city soon and that pleased two American guests.

Eileen was placed in Katie's charge and proved to be her constant shadow – something Katie was not too happy about. Eileen did not say much but somehow made her presence felt, and it was a gloomy presence. Katie was determined to escape the day before her birthday, as Ben and Mick had given her some money, and to leave the Irish girl in Ma's capable hands.

Kitty finished putting the shopping away and glanced at the clock on the kitchen wall. She had half an hour to find a place for herself and Eileen where they could see the Queen Mother. Her American guests had left half an hour ago to find a good spot to view the royal opening of the University's new School of Medicine. Not for the first time Kitty wished Jack could have studied here in Liverpool. The Royal Institute of Medicine had been opened early in the last century but had possessed scant facilities for medical education and so the school had been transferred to the Royal Infirmary earlier this century, and there thousands of lives had been saved by a doctor called Ross who discovered it was the mosquito that transmitted malaria. The curing of tropical diseases was important in a port which sent ships and men all over the globe. In those days, money for research had come from the great families and merchant princes of the city; now it came from the state.