colour seemed to drain from Mavis’s face. ‘She … she won’t mind.’
Edith was puzzled. Mavis seemed reluctant to go home, in fact, almost afraid. ‘Is there something wrong, Mavis? Are you in some sort of trouble with your mother?’
‘No, but … but what about the cups? I could wash them up.’
Edith didn’t want the girl here when Alec came home and he was due in about fifteen minutes. Until she had sorted Mavis out, she wanted to keep them apart as much as possible, and it would be difficult enough at weekends. ‘Thank you, Mavis, but I’ll see to the cups. Off you go now.’
With reluctance, Mavis walked with Edith to the door. ‘Goodbye, Mrs Pugh.’
‘Goodbye, Mavis,’ Edith said, pleased when she closed the door behind the girl that her instincts had been right. Mavis wasn’t happy at home. And judging from the way she had worked, with more coaching, she was indeed the perfect choice.
Larry Barnet and his mother had been out and Lily had been forced to go back an hour later. This time they were home and without preamble she confronted Larry, told him what Kate Truman had said; but, like Tommy, he looked horrified, his large, brown eyes wide with innocence.
‘It wasn’t us! It was her,’ he protested, going on to tell a story that matched Tommy’s.
‘Now look,’ Jill Barnet said. ‘I know they shouldn’t have done it, but your daughter asked them to get their willies out. Boys will be boys and at this age they’re curious. With Mavis asking for it, you should thank your lucky stars that it didn’t go any further.’
‘But it did. They threw her on the ground, lifted her skirt, and if someone hadn’t come along I dread to think what would have happened. Mavis was able to run off, but she was frightened out of her wits and, if you ask me, she had a lucky escape.’
‘We didn’t do that, Mum, we didn’t,’ Larry cried. ‘It was her. She pulled up her skirt, wanted us to see that she was different to us.’
‘That isn’t true! You’re telling lies.’
Jill Barnet bristled. ‘Hold your horses, lady. You said earlier you heard about this from Kate Truman. If your daughter is so innocent, and was scared out of her wits when she ran off, how come she didn’t tell you about it herself?’
Lily floundered. Yes, why hadn’t Mavis told her? It had happened a month ago, but she had no memories of her running home frightened.
Jill spoke again, and Lily saw the pity in her eyes. ‘I think you need to talk to Mavis. If she keeps up this sort of behaviour, she could end up in trouble.’
With a gasp, Lily turned on her heel. She marched out, hurried home and slammed the door behind her. In the kitchen she began to pace, going over and over what she had heard.
Dark clouds gathered in Lily’s mind, a storm building, and when she came to a conclusion, it broke with ferocity. When she got her hands on Mavis, she’d kill her! It was bad enough that her daughter was backward, but to find out that she was a little slut was like a slap in the face.
Lily craved respectability. She wanted to be like the other women in the street, ones whose husbands provided for them, and had prayed that Ron meant all his promises this time. Yes, he was a known gambler, but if he really did change and start up his own business, she would at last be able to hold her head high. Lily fumed with anger. It was never going to happen, and now this! Mavis was acting like a tramp and the gossips would have a field day. She’d never live it down. Never! Lily’s eyes flew to the clock. Where was Mavis? It was after six, and though she was doing an hour’s cleaning for Edith Pugh, the girl should have been home by now.
By seven, Lily was almost at the end of her tether, her mind still dark with fury. She flung her coat on and stormed out of the house, determined to find Mavis.
It was a good walk to Edith Pugh’s house, yet it didn’t calm Lily. She banged loudly on the woman’s door, tapping her foot with impatience until it was opened, and saying bluntly, ‘Is my daughter still here?’
The young man frowned as he peered out at her. ‘Your daughter?’
‘Yes, Mavis—Mavis Jackson.’
‘Oh, Mavis. No, she isn’t here.’
‘Do you know where she is?’
‘No, I’m afraid she left before I arrived home.’
‘What about your mother? Does she know?’
‘Look, I don’t know what all this is about, but you’d better come in.’
Lily followed Alec Pugh to the large, spacious kitchen at the back of the house to see his mother sitting in a fireside chair. ‘Mavis hasn’t come home yet. What time did she leave here?’ she asked abruptly.
‘Oh, she left a long time ago, at around ten to six.’
‘Did she say where she was going?’
‘No, but I presumed home. What is it, Mrs Jackson? Is Mavis in some sort of trouble?’
Lily wasn’t about to wash her dirty laundry in front of this stuck-up, uppity woman, or her son who was looking at her as if she was something that the cat had dragged in. She floundered for a lie. ‘No, of course she isn’t in trouble. It’s just that it’s not like Mavis to stay out this late. I know she’s worried about my mother so I’ll try there.’
‘I must say she seemed upset about something when she arrived. Is your mother unwell?’
‘She ain’t been herself lately. Anyway, sorry to trouble you,’ Lily said.
‘It’s no problem, Mrs Jackson. Oh, and I must tell you that I’m pleased with Mavis. She worked really well today.’
Lily had to fight to hold back a scowl. Edith Pugh might be pleased with Mavis, but she certainly wasn’t. As she was shown out, another thought struck Lily, her anger returning in force. If Edith Pugh found out what Mavis had been up to, she’d get rid of the girl like a shot. Mavis would lose the job, any earnings, and worse, she doubted anyone locally would ever employ her. Wait till I get my hands on her, Lily thought, so incensed that she hardly noticed Alec Pugh’s curt goodbye before he closed the door firmly behind her.
‘Mavis, you’ll have to go home. Your mum will be worried sick.’
‘I can’t, Gran. I just can’t.’
‘Don’t be silly. It can’t be that bad. Come on, tell me why you’re too frightened to face your mother.’
‘No, no, I can’t.’
Doris sighed. Since Mavis had turned up she’d tried and tried to get to the bottom of things, but had failed. The poor girl looked so desolate, so unhappy that she’d even refused to eat the stew that Lily had brought round earlier. There must be something seriously wrong for Mavis to turn down food, but Doris
