The Fall and Rise of Lucy Charlton (45 page)

Gemma and Edgar were to be married soon. They were hoping for a fine day, though this being the north the season didn’t make any difference. People picnicked on Boxing Day and huddled inside during August. Lucy had with some satisfaction and not a little jealousy watched her sister blossom. She watched also as Edgar lifted them so cleanly out of poverty that it might never have existed.

He was for once tactful, and since it seemed that Emily was definitely going to live in London, he decided to sell the house in Durham. If their mother didn’t mind he would move in with them.

Mrs Charlton shed ten years and all possible bad moods in the process, and though Edgar said that they could have a bigger house she didn’t want to move. Nobody cared for such trivialities, so they stayed where they were. Edgar put the Durham house on the market – Lucy felt a pang – and then he took on the bills and the repairs. There seemed to be a great deal of money for the general running of the household.

There was no betrothal ring, Gemma had insisted on that, but she had a great many gorgeous clothes, as did the
children. Gemma tried to get Lucy through the doors of decent shops, though Lucy said she had not the time.

It was a very small wedding. There were no bridesmaids and no best man. Edgar’s sole desire had been that Joe should be invited. Lucy had to stop herself from protesting. She was very often at the Durham office and had not failed to hear the rumours in the city that Joe had won a particularly lucrative deal from Mr Eve to do in England what Henry Ford had done in America. Lucy’s opinion was that if Joe wanted to do such things he should go south to do it so that she didn’t have to hear any more about it.

Rumour also persisted that Joe might be looking at some place just outside Sunderland for his car factory. If it were true, it would bring many jobs to the region. A lot of people were impressed with this, though Lucy couldn’t see why he couldn’t go at least as far south as Birmingham so that he couldn’t cause any more chaos in her life. She would be happy to be left alone now that she was reaching her life’s goal. She was a solicitor. Her name was on the door both in Newcastle and in Durham. She was grateful for that and would ask no more.

*

The wedding day dawned. It was warm and fair, much to everyone’s astonishment. Mrs Charlton tried not to fuss about the meal – it was to be very modest – and they were going back to the house on the river where there would be champagne, courtesy of Edgar (a lot of it for a few people). Mrs Charlton had made a fruitcake and there was a whole salmon, a big piece of beef, some salad and some Jersey
potatoes. Together with a chocolate pudding and a lemon pudding she said it must satisfy most people.

It was all set out for them coming back from the church. Gemma had not been happy at the idea of the cathedral, since she had been married there the first time and Lucy had been almost married there, but because it was near to their house and the bishop had been friends with their father they decided to do it anyway. Lucy thought of how the sunshine would fall softly on the stone through the stained-glass windows, blue and red, and they made themselves happy about it.

When they reached the church Joe was just arriving in a rather nice car, Lucy thought, though not knowing what it was, all black and gleaming silver. She could not help noticing how good Joe looked when he got out of it. His suit appeared so expensive that it could only have been made in London. She wasn’t sure whether that meant he would be spending most of his time there, but she admired what he looked like. He greeted them affably, kissed the bride on the cheek and shook Edgar’s hand.

He spoke to her mother and nodded at Lucy and merely looked at the children who were hiding beside Edgar. She liked the way that Edgar carried them into the church, one either side of him.

It was so casual, the way that they all went in together. The bishop was at the door to greet them and as he turned the choir began to sing. That was his surprise for them. The organ swelled and the children sang. They went inside and the sunshine cast its yellow glow upon the building.

The wedding service was brief and Joe left his car there, walking back with them to the house. There were to be no toasts, no speeches, nothing but champagne and food.

The children ran about outside while the adults took plates of food and sat either in the back garden or at the front where the river ran on regardless. Joe talked to Edgar about the new factory and Gemma was busy with the children. Lucy rearranged the food on the dining-room table and then went outside, beyond the garden down to the river, only to find that Joe followed her with a glass of champagne in either hand.

Lucy found that she must say something to Joe.

‘Congratulations. I hear things are going well. You’ll be heading back to London?’

‘Not at the moment,’ Joe said, paying particular interest to the far bank of the Tyne, ‘I’m starting up a place in Sunder-land. It’s useful for transport, but I daresay in time we may move to London or at least have a factory there if things work out.’

‘I’m sure they will. Have you see Angela?’

He didn’t answer immediately and took so long that she thought he wasn’t going to and her heart beat hard.

‘Yes,’ he said. ‘It was more of a shock the second time, I think. A married woman with two children is not the girl I fell in love with. When I got there I couldn’t believe I had spent all that time trying to find her when it should have been obvious that she hadn’t wanted me right from the first when the situation became so difficult. I just wish she could have brought herself to tell me so that I hadn’t gone
on believing something which wasn’t true. She seems fifteen years older than me now and I don’t love her one little bit, especially since she has given Erik Cuthbertson another son.’

‘Have you seen Dinah?’

Joe acted as though she were talking to someone else for a few seconds and then he said, ‘Yes.’

‘And is she well?’ Lucy persisted.

‘I think she is much too small to understand the concept of her mother not being with her father and I don’t want to confuse her or hurt her in any way – so I’m not going to see her any more. She needs two parents together and they have a very good marriage, so—’

He stopped there for a few moments.

‘She will have a happy childhood. She’s lucky. Perhaps when she’s older Angela will tell her, but if she doesn’t then – she’ll judge it, I expect.’

‘And you?’

‘I shall be busy bringing motor cars to the masses. The car will change transport forever, I daresay. People will be able to get about and communicate and it will move things on.’

‘You should be very pleased with it,’ Lucy said.

‘I’m still trying to persuade Mr Palmer to take charge of things here so that I can go and set it all up in London.’

‘How is Mr Toddington?’

‘They had a little boy. I am his godfather.’

‘That’s lovely, Joe.’

Joe looked straight at her possibly for the first time that day.

‘I understand that it is Bainbridge, Featherstone and Charlton.’

Lucy nodded.

‘So you have got what you wanted.’

‘I’m going to be running the Durham office. Edgar is coming to live with Gemma and my mother and the twins, so he will run my father’s office here.’

‘Your father would have been very proud of your achievements,’ Joe said.

‘I do hope so.’

‘Well, if you need somewhere to stay in Durham I daresay the Misses Slaters would be glad to have you at the tower house. I’m not really there much any more.’

‘Who is walking Frederick then?’

Joe paused.

‘Frederick died. He had a heart problem, bless him.’

Lucy stared at him.

‘Frederick died?’

Somehow she couldn’t believe it. Stupidly, it was just that bit too far. Frederick was always there and she and Joe were always at the tower house.

Lucy stared at him. Joe watched her in dismay.

‘But he wasn’t very old,’ she said.

‘No, well, sometimes these things just happen.’

‘They shouldn’t. Frederick was … he was lovely – even the cats liked him and he licked their ears.’

‘It’s very special when you can get somebody to lick your ears,’ Joe said.

‘Oh, shut up,’ Lucy said. ‘Did you have to tell me?’

‘I’m sorry. Would you like a handkerchief?’

‘No, I damned well wouldn’t,’ she said and she got up and moved nearer to the river for comfort.

When he followed her she avoided him altogether by turning to look at Gateshead.

‘Why don’t you just go away, back to your wonderful life and your cars and your brilliant future, and leave us alone? I don’t know why you came here today. You didn’t even have the decency to refuse.’

‘I wanted to see you,’ Joe said. ‘I behaved so badly last time we met.’

‘It was perfectly understandable,’ Lucy managed and she found her own handkerchief, tucked in the short sleeve of the dreadful pink dress which Gemma had told her looked wonderful and didn’t. ‘Why couldn’t Frederick be here? Why couldn’t just one thing go right? The Misses Slaters must be really upset.’

‘They’re older than we are. They accept things.’

‘Well, I don’t. I’m never going to accept anything. Don’t you go giving up on Dinah, Joe. You stay with it. She can do with more than one father, you know. I don’t think there’s a limit on parents. Don’t cut her out of your life. She’ll love knowing you and though Mr Cuthbertson is a very nice man he is a little bit countrified, you must feel, and she would benefit from the way that you live. You are her father. Don’t let anybody stop you.’

‘Do you think that next time I see her you might come with me?’ Joe said. ‘I would feel better about it if you were there.’

‘Oh God, Joe. You’re always asking me to go to places with you. You always say that and I don’t think it makes a ha’porth of difference.’

‘You’re so wrong about that,’ Joe said. ‘I need you to be there. I don’t seem to be able to do things without you. I give up when you aren’t there, pushing me on and telling me what to do.’

‘I do not tell you what to do.’

‘You tell everybody what to do.’

Lucy thumped him as he moved just a little nearer.

‘So will you come with me?’ Joe said. ‘I think if there were two of us Dinah would be a lot happier.’

‘Is she a nice child?’

‘No, she’s just like all the other women I’ve ever known. She’s impossible.’

‘I’m so pleased,’ Lucy said.

‘Can I get a bit closer?’

‘Why?’

‘Because.’ Joe put both hands around her waist then, very slowly and carefully, in case she didn’t like it, she guessed. She was about to tell him not to, but then she didn’t. She thought that in spite of Guy she wasn’t afraid of Joe. She didn’t think she had ever really been afraid of him and that was what made him so dear to her.

‘Joe—’

‘I do know.’

‘You do?’

‘I think so. It was Guy, wasn’t it?’

‘You—’

‘It’s never going to be like that. Not ever.’

‘You shouldn’t say such things.’

‘I have to now. You see I want to win you, Lucy.’

She laughed just a little but Joe didn’t. He looked serious.

‘I’m trying to get my promises right. They haven’t been too good up to now.’

‘I’ve witnessed a great many of your promises and they aren’t that bad,’ she said.

‘If I promise to be good to you and stay in Durham and live at the tower house, will you marry me?’

Lucy shook her head, but she moved in close and buried her face in his shoulder as she had thought she would not manage to do. She felt safe, though to her own surprise she didn’t stay there. She lifted her face and kissed Joe and he kissed her back – but it was very carefully, very gently.

‘Where did you get that suit?’ she said.

Joe lifted her chin with gentle fingers and cradled her face and smiled at her.

‘Don’t you approve of my tailoring?’

‘Savile Row, already? If you want me around I must tell you now that I have no intention of living in London. I have a job to do here and I’ve waited a very long time for it.’

‘All right,’ Joe said. And then he kissed her again and this time she put her arms around his neck and leaned in against him.

I don’t suppose Paddy’s taxis were operating in Durham City just after the First World War, but I like to think that they have always been there – the best cabs in town.

There is a church in Gateshead near the river called St Mary’s, but the one in this story is my creation.

I want to thank the librarians at Durham Clayport Library. I go there all the time, in search of chat and for the brilliant atmosphere they create and sustain. It is a pleasure for people to visit – a social occasion.

I am proud to have been patron of Books on Wheels in County Durham for several years. This is a service run by Durham County Council where volunteers travel to the homes of people who are unable to get to the libraries. It provides large-print books and audio editions so that they can be enjoyed at home. Until recently, Andy Raine ran the service, along with his excellent team. Andy was one of the most wonderful people I ever met. He died when I was writing this book, only weeks away from his retirement.

Andy was the best of men – kind, dedicated, modest, brilliant and a family man. He is missed by everyone who knew him. We are all the poorer because Andy is gone from us and count ourselves lucky that we did know him and had him on our side, fighting government cuts, so that the people of County Durham could have their books and their libraries to entertain them and bring joy.

A big bouquet of thank-yous to my wonderful editor, Jo Dickinson, and all the team at Quercus. Also to my agent, Judith Murdoch, who assured me that people did not sit on the riverbanks in Durham outside tower houses drinking chilled Chardonnay in 1920, so I took that bit out. I’m sure she’s correct, but we can all dream.