Liverpool Love Song (6 page)

‘As a family, we couldn’t come to terms with it. Gran blames herself for not taking greater care of Marigold.’

‘What about Marigold’s father? Didn’t he help?’

‘No, I never knew him. Gran married a seagoing man, an officer in the merchant navy. All went well for the first few years, but when Marigold was four, he jumped ship in Australia and they never heard from him again.’

‘Oh my goodness! So they haven’t had a happy life.’

‘Anything but. Gran managed to find a job, but I know money was short and she found it a struggle to bring Marigold up. Then, just when she thought that job was done, she was landed with me.’

Rex felt full of compassion. Who wouldn’t be?

Helen gave him a wan smile. ‘They had me in chains from the age of fifteen and were deeply suspicious of any boy I looked at twice. They insisted I brought all boyfriends home for their inspection.’

Rex smiled, ‘I bet they grilled them all.’

‘Yes, and that embarrassed me and put them off. I had to stop taking them home.’

‘But you did marry.’

‘Yes, I was only eighteen when I met John, but I knew he was the one and I could trust him.’

‘But your family didn’t?’

‘No, they were over-suspicious, doubted everything he said.’

‘They were afraid the same thing would happen to you?’

‘Yes, I understood why. I explained to John that they were afraid he’d make me pregnant and then abandon me. Marigold gave me Marie Stopes’ books to read so I’d know what I had to avoid.’

‘What did John say to that?’

Helen pretended to assume his voice. ‘ “They’re bound to view me with a jaundiced eye.” ’ She laughed; it sounded hollow and mirthless. ‘Nobody could have had more honourable intentions than John. He didn’t lay a finger on me until our wedding night. He was ten years older than me and wanted us to be married. But we had to have their consent for that. I had to take him home.’

‘Surely that’s what they wanted for you?’

‘Yes, but they didn’t share my trust in John. He said, “The only way to deal with this is for us to be married as soon as we can.” He’d been offered a transfer to the London office. To start with, he’d been reluctant to go, but we decided that to get away might be the best thing for us.’

‘But time showed them his intentions were honourable?’

‘We were very happy together, but he was killed, so the result has been much the same. Except …’

‘He left you well provided for?’

Helen nodded. ‘That’s about it.’ He heard the catch in her voice; she was getting emotional again. Did she have more to tell him? He had to put a stop to this before she said too much of what was in her heart. He was afraid she’d bare too much of her soul and later regret it and feel she’d made a fool of herself.

As she pulled the front door shut behind her, Chloe felt Adam’s arm go round her waist and pull her closer. She put her lips up to meet his. They were both laughing with the joy of newly found love as he ushered her into his car.

He drove out on the Southport road. ‘Have you brought some shoes you can walk in?’ he asked. ‘I thought we’d spend the afternoon at Formby. It’s lovely amongst the sandhills on the beach and there’s the nature reserve and so much open space.’

When he parked the car, he tucked a couple of rugs under his arm and gave Chloe a windbreak to carry. It was a bright and blustery afternoon, too cool and windy for the crowds, so there was nobody much about. The sea was choppy and the wind was whipping up the sand and blowing it about. ‘It’s stinging my face,’ Chloe exclaimed.

‘Mine too,’ he laughed. ‘And it’s hard walking in such soft sand.’

‘It feels as though I have weights on my feet.’

‘Don’t worry, we’ll find a spot out of the wind and in the sun amongst these sandhills. Then we can sit down.’

Adam knew where to go, and spread his rugs on the sand. They lay down. ‘Don’t even need the windbreak here,’ he said, pulling Chloe closer. She gave herself up to the kisses he was raining on her face. His body felt firm and strong against hers and he made her senses race. They stayed until evening was drawing in and it had grown cold.

‘Back to Liverpool now,’ he told her. ‘I’ve booked a table at the Adelphi.’

‘I’m full of sand,’ she protested. ‘I need to go home to change.’

‘No, I’m starving.’ With the car boot sheltering them from the wind, he shook her coat and dusted her down. She combed the sand out of her tangled hair and replaced her Alice band.

‘You look great.’ He smiled at her. ‘I love that red dress. Now, where are your high heels? All you need is a few minutes in the ladies’ at the Adelphi and you’ll be the prettiest girl there.’

He was stripping off his pullover and replacing it with a jacket and tie. He’d taken her to the Adelphi Hotel last week, and Chloe had loved the formality of the dining room: waiters in dress suits, starched white damask tablecloths and napkins, sparkling cutlery and china and fresh flowers. She knew it was reputed to be the best hotel in the city. She’d told the girls at work about it and asked if they liked it.

‘It’s heavy on style,’ they agreed, ‘and the food isn’t bad, but it’s very traditional.’ They told her where she could get more exciting foreign dishes, but she knew formal and traditional were what Adam enjoyed.

After a wash, and a quick flick of her powder puff and lipstick, Chloe felt fine. Adam ordered wine and they lingered over the many courses while he talked of his career as an antique dealer.

‘You’re very young to have a house of your own,’ she told him. ‘Lucky to have achieved it so quickly.’ She wanted to know all about it.

‘It’s in Didsbury, a suburb of Manchester,’ he told her. ‘It was built in Victorian times but it’s in the Georgian style, which I like. You must come and see it.’

‘I’d love to, nothing I’d like more.’

‘Come home with me now. I could bring you back in time to go to work in the morning.’

Chloe laughed. ‘No, Mum would have a fit.’

‘You know you’d love to.’

‘Yes, but I daren’t.’

‘Then come on the train on Saturday morning and spend the day with me. I’ll meet you at the station.’

The prospect excited Chloe. Since he’d told her he had a house, she couldn’t stop thinking about it.

‘One day,’ he’d said, ‘I hope you’ll come and live there with me.’

Any thought of a future with Adam thrilled Chloe. She could feel his love; every day he telephoned her at work, and often he telephoned her again when she was back at home. He was always booking theatre and concert tickets for them as well as taking her to restaurants. When he came to pick her up, she frequently found he’d bought a little gift, sometimes chocolates and sometimes a book he thought she would enjoy.

Chloe was head over heels in love with Adam and knew it had been love at first sight for them both. He hadn’t yet mentioned marriage or an engagement, but she felt a more permanent relationship must be on his mind and that they were progressing rapidly towards it.

In order to distract Helen, Rex got up and took both their mugs to the sink and started to wash them. She gazed out of the window. ‘Marigold wouldn’t even come to look at my new summerhouse,’ she said sadly.

‘Now you’ve had time to try it, are you pleased with it?’ He thought perhaps she wasn’t.

‘It needs fixing up inside. I put the old garden chairs in, but it needs more furniture and something to brighten it up. Come and see.’

Rex followed her over. He could see what she meant. The inside smelled of new wood, but it looked bare. Helen’s wooden garden chairs were shabby, and the cushion covers looked faded.

‘At least I don’t have to bring them in every night to keep them dry,’ she said. ‘The summerhouse looks beautiful from the outside, and it’s quite easy to swing it round. But I need to buy new furniture for it, make it smarter. What sort of furniture would look good in here?’

Rex looked round helplessly. ‘I’m not much good at interior design,’ he said. ‘Doesn’t Chloe have any ideas?’

‘All Chloe can think about is her new boyfriend,’ Helen said, and looked quite depressed.

Rex would have liked to go home, but felt he couldn’t leave her if she was feeling low. ‘Do you feel like a bit of gardening this afternoon?’ he asked.

She sighed. ‘I’m in one of those moods when I don’t know what I want.’

‘What about a walk, then?’

She gave him another wan smile. ‘That would be nice.’

Helen had a lovely house and a magnificent garden, but there was no pleasant place to walk nearby. They could only pace the pavements.

He drove her in his van to Formby and they visited the nature reserve and walked for miles. Helen was fascinated with the red squirrels leaping through the trees and the number and variety of birds. When they got back to his van, her cheeks were glowing scarlet and Rex felt wind-tossed and full of fresh air.

It was early evening as he drove back. They’d mulled over next year’s plans for the garden. Helen wanted to get more spring bulbs, so he took her to his stepfather’s garden centre and she bought a sackful of daffodil bulbs.

The cafeteria stayed open until seven, so Rex suggested, ‘D’you fancy a Welsh rarebit and a pot of tea?’

‘Yes please, that sounds lovely.’ She seemed more in control now and had quite a long and cheerful conversation with Rex’s half-brother Simon.

When Rex ran his van on to her drive and carried the sack of daffodils to the back of her garage, she seemed happier than she had all day.

‘It’s been a lovely afternoon,’ she said. ‘I’ve enjoyed it. Thanks, Rex.’

He got back in his van and waited until he saw her door shut and the lights go on in the hall.

CHAPTER FIVE

W
HEN CHLOE GOT HOME from work on Friday evening, she said to her mother, ‘I’m going to Manchester on the train in the morning. Adam wants to show me his house.’

She saw the sudden tension on Helen’s face and knew she disapproved. ‘I thought you liked Adam,’ she said.

‘I do, but I don’t think it’s a good idea to go to his house.’

‘Why not?’

‘Just the two of you there, you could get carried away and do things you’ll later wished you hadn’t. I’ve explained all this to you.’

‘Mum, we won’t. Don’t worry.’

‘You’re rushing things,’ her mother cautioned. ‘You’re still very young, not seventeen yet. Take your time.’

‘I’m taking all the time I need. That’s not rushing.’

‘Enjoy this part of your life, Chloe. It’s your carefree youth. You need time to get to know Adam; let him take you out and about.’

‘He does, all the time.’

She felt her mother’s twitch of exasperation. ‘Will he drive you home, or do you want me to meet you off the train?’

‘I’m not sure. If it’s to be the train, I’ll ring and let you know.’

‘Just let him give you a good time . . .’

‘He’s giving me a marvellous time,’ Chloe said, but marriage was what she really wanted. Perhaps a white wedding in their local church? Mum would enjoy arranging all that for her.

‘Just be careful, Chloe.’

‘I will, Mum,’ she said, knowing Mum couldn’t forget what had happened to Aunt Goldie. That had ruled their lives ever since. It wasn’t as though it was relevant in today’s world.

On the train journey, she could think only of Adam. He was waiting for her in the crowd behind the ticket barrier, his hand raised to attract her attention. Her heart quickened to see him, and moments later he was crushing her in a hug of delight. His house was bigger than the one in which she lived with her mother, and it was furnished with antiques. Chloe was impressed.

‘It’s a gorgeous house and you have all this lovely old furniture.’

He laughed, ‘It’s partly my stock in trade. I haven’t got my house furnished exactly as I want it yet.’

She went from room to room, feasting her eyes. He had a better sense of how to make a room look its best than either she or Mum. She told him so.

‘You won’t think much of the garden, though,’ he said. ‘It isn’t a patch on yours.’

‘You don’t work at it as Mum works on ours. You have other things to do.’

He’d set the dining room table in readiness for their lunch, with more formality than Mum used when she was expecting company. He used old Doulton china, Bohemian cut glass and sterling silver cutlery, and the table looked fit for a queen. When they were ready to eat, he brought the cold chicken salad and white wine from the kitchen.

‘This is lovely,’ she told him. He’d even warmed the bread rolls and folded the damask napkins. ‘Is this how you live when you’re by yourself?’

‘I’d like to,’ he laughed. ‘But I haven’t the energy to set things up like this every day. Often, it’s a tray on my knee. Is that what you do at home?’

‘No, Mum likes to sit up to the table. The kitchen sometimes, for breakfast, the dining room for other meals.’

‘I want things to be nice because you’re here and sharing it with me. I always will, Chloe. I do love you.’

Afterwards he took her to his sitting room. He’d brewed coffee and served it in a Georgian silver pot on a matching tray. They drank from beautiful cups of eggshell-thin china. Just about the only pieces of furniture that weren’t antique were a pair of large super-soft sofas.

Chloe sat down in the corner of one and Adam occupied the other end of the same sofa. He never stopped talking, but somehow he moved imperceptibly closer until he could put his arms round her.

To feel him this close, his breath warm against her cheek, his lips on hers, was what she dreamed of at night in her own bed. The strength of his passion surprised her, even stronger than her own.

Half an hour later Adam whispered, ‘Will you come upstairs with me?’

‘No,’ she said; that was what her mother had been afraid might happen. But she couldn’t stop now. His hand moving against her bare skin was making thrills like fireworks explode in her body.

They were lying on a soft rug when he suddenly pulled away from her. She rubbed her cheek against his and tried to pull him back.

‘Chloe, are you sure?’ His voice was thick with desire.

That rang an alarm bell, she rolled away from him and tried to sit up. ‘Yes, but I’m scared we could make a baby. I’d be in terrible trouble, my mother would kill me.’