Gypsy - Lesley Pearse [32]
‘What will happen to her?’
‘Prison, of course,’ Mrs Craven said with relish. ‘And a long stretch too, I expect. I hope she rots there.’
Beth nodded in agreement. ‘Have you heard how Mr Filbert and the other two shopkeepers are?’ she asked. ‘It must be terrible for them to lose their businesses.’
‘I heard they was savage about it. A few looters got in the ironmonger’s before they got the window boarded up.’
Beth shook her head in disgust. ‘Any news of Ernest and Peter?’
‘They come and took their bicycles away this morning, and asked after you. Someone in Lord Street took them in last night and got them fixed up with some clothes, but they’ll be all right, they’ve got families with a bit of brass to help them.’
At that, Beth remembered she had brought back the dress and boots she’d borrowed. She handed them over and then drew out of the bag a large meat pie Mrs Cray, the cook, had given her.
‘I wish I had some money to buy you something to show how grateful I am for your kindness,’ she said, ‘but maybe we could all share this before we leave later, and when I come to visit you again I won’t be empty-handed.’
‘Bless you.’ Mrs Craven’s eyes lit up at the sight of the pie. ‘You’re a good girl, Beth, your mother would be proud of you.’
Sam turned up at half past six, carrying a brown paper parcel. He was still wearing the overlarge jacket and shirt, and said the other clerks had teased him all day. But the office manager had given him five pounds from the company relief fund intended to help employees in distressed circumstances.
‘I bought some clothes for myself in the second-hand shop,’ he said. ‘I was going to say you could take some of it and get yourself some clothes tomorrow, but it looks like you are all fixed up. That will leave us with more for rent for a new place.’
Beth told him her news then, and Sam looked staggered. ‘Why would she do that?’ he asked.
‘Because she’s kind and generous, so we’d better make sure we don’t make her regret it.’ Beth smiled.
It transpired that the perambulator left in the back shed was unscathed by the fire, just covered in soot. After supper, Beth and Sam tucked Molly into it, along with a small bag of baby clothes people had brought round for her, and the fiddle, and said goodbye to the Cravens and made their way to Falkner Square.
‘I can’t really believe we’ve lost everything,’ Sam sighed as they cut down a back alley which would bring them out on to Seel Street. ‘You said you didn’t like Jane Wiley the first time you met her. I wish I’d trusted your judgement.’
‘I can take no satisfaction in that,’ Beth replied grimly. ‘Maybe if I hadn’t been quite so hasty in throwing her out, she wouldn’t have done it. But let’s not dwell on that. No one died in the fire thankfully, and maybe a new start will be good for us.’
‘But we’ve got to toughen up,’ Sam said thoughtfully. ‘We can’t let things keep happening to us. We need to work out what we really want and strive towards that.’
‘What do you want?’ Beth asked. It was a beautiful warm evening, and though she was terribly tired, she actually felt she had everything she wanted right here: Molly asleep in the perambulator; Sam beside her, and a new home waiting for them.
‘To go to America,’ he said. ‘I don’t want to be subservient to others, sitting on a stool scratching away at ledgers and feeling I should be grateful for the pittance I get each week. Neither do I want you growing old before your time scrubbing other people’s clothes. America is a vast, young country, full of opportunity. We could do well there.’
‘I’m sure we could.’ Beth was afraid to ask whether he was including Molly in this dream. ‘But first we have to get back on our feet.’