they’d spoken on the telephone he’d been evasive. ‘I received a bit of a garbled phone call from him yesterday. It appears he’s up north, but I don’t know exactly where, and from what I can make out he has no plans to return,’ he told her in a rush. There, he had told it as it was. No sugar-coating it, but he immediately started looking for his handkerchief in anticipation of the tears that were bound to come next from Dorothy.
‘But I don’t understand. He … he never said anything to me … and … and we’re supposed to be getting married. Why has he gone up north?’
‘I have no idea. I’m so sorry, my dear, but that’s our Rob for you. He’s never had any consideration for anyone except himself and you’ll never change him.’
‘No, no, this can’t be right. What about our wedding?
Adrian stood up and walked round his desk to place his arm gently over Dorothy’s shoulder. It obviously hadn’t sunk in yet and he said gently, ‘I think you had better forget any ideas about weddings. We won’t be seeing Rob for a very long time. If ever.’
The handle on the mangle felt extra heavy today, and as Alice turned it she was surprised to hear the front door slam shut, followed by heavy footsteps running up the bare stairs, then the sound of Dorothy’s bedroom door slamming shut too.
Alice hurried upstairs and opened Dorothy’s door to find her daughter strewn across the bed, sobbing her eyes out. ‘Whatever’s the matter, love?’ she asked as she rushed to her daughter’s side.
‘Oh, Mum … he’s left me,’ Dorothy answered, hair streaked across her face and sticking to her tears.
‘What do you mean? Who’s left you?’
‘Robbie! Robbie has gone up north and his brother said he might never come back.’
‘What? But you two are engaged to be married. What’s he doing up north?’
‘I don’t know. He just left without a word to me or nothing. Oh, Mum, what am I going to do? I love him so much and I can’t live without him.’
It broke her heart to see her daughter so distressed, and instantly Alice wanted to wring the bloody young man’s neck. However, the last thing her daughter needed in this situation was sympathy, so pulling back her shoulders she said sternly, ‘Now you listen to me. You managed perfectly well before he came along and you’ll get on well enough without him. Look at you, you’re beautiful and can have your pick of any man around here.’
‘But I don’t want any man … I want Robbie. How could he do this to me? I thought he loved me.’
When Alice moved to sit on the bed Dorothy instantly clung to her, and Alice could feel her shaking with grief. The bastard, she seethed, upsetting my girl like this. If she ever got her hands on Robbie Ferguson, she knew she would quite happily swing for him.
The next morning, when it was time for Dorothy to get up for work, she turned over in bed and then all at once remembered. Robbie was gone. She felt her eyes prick with tears again and rubbed them, feeling how sore and puffy they were.
Dorothy didn’t know what time she’d eventually cried herself to sleep but her body and mind felt exhausted. The last thing she wanted was to go to work, and worst of all she would have to tell people about Robbie whilst the pain was so raw.
Alice quietly tapped on the door and pushed it open. ‘I thought you might like a cup of tea.’
‘Thanks,’ said Dorothy, taking the chipped cup and saucer, but the last thing she wanted was anything to eat or drink. Her stomach was in such a knot that she was bound to throw it straight back up.
‘Oh, Dottie, look at the state of your eyes. You can’t go to work looking like that. I’ll get you a cold flannel to put on them.’
‘All right, but I’d best get a move on or I’ll be late and you know what old Epstein is like if any of us are even a minute overdue,’ Dorothy said. Then she paused. ‘Truth is, I really don’t know if I can face going in today. Can I stay home, please, Mum?’
‘No, I’m sorry, love, we can’t afford for you to lose a day’s pay. I know you’re upset about Robbie, but at the end of the day he’s just a man. Maybe he’ll write to you with some sort of explanation, but if he doesn’t you’ve got to get over him. Weeping about at home won’t do you any good, so buck yourself up and get yourself off to work.’
Dorothy flopped back on the bed. She knew her mum was right, but that didn’t change the fact that she really didn’t want to go in.
Alice came back to the bedroom with a cold flannel. ‘You’re still not dressed?’
‘I can’t do it, Mum. I can’t face it.’
‘You can and you will. Now get yourself up and sorted. Anyhow, Nelly will be there and it’ll be good for you to talk to a friend.’
When Dorothy thought about it she decided that maybe Nelly could shed some light on Robbie’s disappearance. Affectionately known as Nelly the News, her friend always seemed to know about everything that was going on in Battersea.
Soon after, with a heavy heart and swollen eyes, Dorothy traipsed to work and, though she managed to hold herself together, the moment she saw Nelly the hurt within rose again and she broke down. Dorothy felt Nelly’s large arms engulf her, yet they brought little comfort, and the look of sympathy in her friend’s eyes just added to her pain.
‘Dottie, oh, sugar, I’ve heard about Robbie.’
Dorothy pulled away from her friend’s embrace and looked at her imploringly, hoping Nelly would have the answers she so desperately needed. ‘I don’t understand. We were planning on getting married, so why has he run off like this?’
Nelly bit her bottom lip, and as she lowered her eyes Dorothy got the distinct impression that the woman was hiding something. ‘Nelly, you’re supposed to be my friend, so whatever it is you know, please, you have to tell me.’
‘I’ve been hearing things over the last few days, but Dottie, it’s because I’m your friend that I don’t want to tell you. I don’t want to see you hurt.’
‘It’s too late for that,’ Dorothy pleaded. ‘Look at the state of me. I need to know.’
Nelly led Dorothy to a bench at the back of the bakery, her fat sausage fingers wrapped around Dorothy’s hand as she began to speak. ‘There’s been a lot of talk around about Robbie, things you obviously haven’t heard, and to be honest, now he’s gone, I think it’s best you hear the truth. I should have told you ages ago, but you were so happy and I thought that maybe there was a chance he might change his ways.’
Dorothy’s heart was pounding so hard that she thought it might burst out of her chest. Her stomach was in knots again and she held her breath as she waited for Nelly to continue.
‘The thing is, Dot, he’s a womaniser. He’s been putting it about with all and sundry and he’s led you a right merry dance. You know I’ve never liked him and now you know why.’
In
