me first,’ Amy urged.
‘All right, all right, I promise,’ Phyllis agreed.
‘Dad?’ Amy asked, looking at him.
‘I’m not interested in women’s gossip, but yeah, all right.’
Amy hesitated for a moment again, but then said, ‘Tommy’s dad has gone off with another woman. He said his mum’s in a terrible state.’
Phyllis’s stomach turned as she asked, ‘What woman?’
‘I don’t know,’ Amy said.
To Phyllis’s surprise, it was Stan who voiced her thoughts.
‘I can guess,’ he said. ‘I reckon he’s gone off with Rose.’
‘Auntie Rose?’ Amy exclaimed, her eyes widening with surprise.
‘I know I told you to call her auntie when you were a child, but you can drop it now. She’s your second cousin,’ Phyllis said. ‘But, Stan, what makes you think she’s gone off with Tommy’s dad?’
‘I’ve seen her flirting with George when he’s in the Park Tavern,’ Stan told her.
‘That doesn’t mean anything. My cousin flirts with anything in trousers,’ Phyllis said, though inwardly felt she was clutching at straws.
‘Yeah, that’s true,’ Stan conceded. ‘But if she isn’t behind the bar this evening, I reckon I’ll be proved right.’
Phyllis looked at her daughter and saw that the ramifications hadn’t sunk in yet. She dreaded to think how Celia Frost would react when she found out that her husband had run off with a member of their family. Amy had looked so happy lately, but now, thanks to Rose, all that was likely to change.
Frank Cole arrived home from work that same evening, hungry and ready for his dinner, but walked into a silent house. Daphne wasn’t in the kitchen, and he was puzzled to find that she wasn’t upstairs either. He was annoyed that she hadn’t left a note to say where she was going, but at least Carol would be home soon and she might know where her mother was.
When over half an hour passed with no sign of Daphne or his daughter, Frank began to worry. He hurried to the Millers’ house, saying when Amy opened the door, ‘Did Carol walk home with you?’
‘Err … no. She said something about having to go somewhere.’
‘Did she say anything about meeting up with her mother?’
‘No,’ Amy said, shaking her head.
‘All right, thanks,’ Frank said, suddenly struck by an idea. Perhaps Daphne’s mother was ill and they were both round there.
He hurried off and it didn’t take him long to reach his mother-in-law’s house, where he rang the doorbell. Daphne had been an only child, a late one, and his mother-in-law, Edna Newman, was in her seventies now. She looked a bit surprised to see him, but without preamble he asked, ‘Is Daphne here?’
‘No she isn’t and I haven’t seen her all day. Some daughter she’s turned out to be.’
Frank thought Edna must have gone senile. ‘Leave it out. Daphne’s always around here.’
‘That’s only because she prefers my company to yours.’
Frank’s jaws clenched, but he ground out, ‘What about Carol? Is she here?’
‘You must be joking. I haven’t seen her for ages. Now I’ve got things to do, so bugger off.’
With that the door slammed shut, leaving Frank both angry at the old witch’s attitude, yet bewildered too. Where the hell were his wife and daughter? He couldn’t think of anywhere else to try, so he returned home.
It was after nine thirty in the evening before one of them turned up; by that time Frank was so out of his mind with worry that he was about to go to the police station.
‘Where have you been?’ he yelled at his daughter when she walked in.
‘Out with a mate,’ was Carol’s terse reply.
‘Where’s your mother?’
‘I don’t know. Isn’t she here?’
‘No, she flaming well isn’t. Have you got any idea where she might have gone?’
‘She’s probably round Gran’s house.’
‘I’ve checked there and your gran said she hasn’t seen your mother today.’
‘That doesn’t make sense. Mum’s always round there.’
‘Your gran might be going batty, but it doesn’t change the fact that your mother wasn’t there,’ Frank said, running both hands through his hair in agitation.
‘Mum can’t have gone far; she’s sure to turn up soon.’
‘She’d better,’ he growled, then turning his anger on his daughter, ‘and as for you, my girl, what are you playing at? You went straight out from work and I had no idea where you were either. I’m not having it – in future I don’t want you disappearing without telling me where you’re going!’
‘Yes, all right,’ Carol said meekly. ‘Dad, I’m sorry, but I’m tired. I think I’ll go to bed.’
Frank frowned, noticing for the first time that his daughter looked a bit washed out and pale. ‘Yeah, yeah, all right, but aren’t you worried about your mother?’
‘No. Not really. As I said, she’s sure to be home soon, but in that mood you’re bound to have a row. I don’t want to stay up to listen to it.’
With that, Carol went upstairs while Frank sat down again. Yes, his daughter was right. When Daphne showed her face, he’d have a few things to say to her – and he wouldn’t be doing it quietly.
Carol was curled up in bed, hating what she’d done. Yet what choice had there been? She was sure that if she’d waited any longer her parents would have seen the tell-
tale bump that was starting to show. They’d have gone mad, but at least this way they would never know anything about it.
It had been awful to go to that woman’s house – terrifying to endure what had been done to her, but at least it was over now. The woman had said that there’d be pain later, but so far Carol felt fine, though she was mentally and emotionally exhausted. She closed her eyes, and at last drifted into a troubled sleep.
Carol had no idea how long she had slept, but she awoke with agonising pain ripping through her stomach. She drew up her knees and clenched her teeth, fighting the need to cry out. At last it abated, but soon after it started again and perspiration soaked her body.
She
