Time to Say Goodbye Page 6

  Sunday smiled as George winked at her with an amused grin on his face. ‘She may well have but the prime minister has already told him that he will not be allowed to marry her while he’s king,’ she pointed out.

  ‘Huh! The man is smitten,’ Cissie snorted. ‘This won’t be the end of it, you mark my words.’

  Cissie was proved right when in December, witnessed by his three brothers – the Duke of York, the Duke of Gloucester and the Duke of Kent – the king signed an instrument of abdication at Fort Belvedere. Prince Albert, the Duke of York, then became King George VI.

  ‘It’s disgraceful,’ Cissie raged. ‘The whole country must be up in arms about it! An’ to make matters worse he’s cleared off to Austria wi’ that Wallis Simpson. You just mark my words they’ll be wed before yer know it.’

  ‘Actually, I think it’s quite romantic,’ Sunday said. ‘He must love her very much to give up the throne for her, and times are changing, Cissie.’

  ‘They may well be but not fer the better,’ Cissie grumbled as she expertly flipped the sausages she was frying. Then she remembered something and changed the subject. ‘By the way, when I went into the butcher’s yesterday, he mentioned that the bill hasn’t been paid this month. I got the same in the grocer’s.’

  Sunday frowned as she fetched some knives and forks and began to lay the table. ‘Oh dear, Ben must have forgotten to settle them up. Perhaps I should talk to him again about letting me take over the household expenses. He’s been so busy with the stables I bet he forgot all about it.’

  ‘That’s all very well but I don’t mind tellin’ yer I was embarrassed,’ Cissie huffed. ‘There were a queue o’ people behind me an’ all. What must they have thought of us?’

  ‘Don’t worry, I’ll mention it to him when he comes in for breakfast,’ Sunday promised. ‘And if he hasn’t got time to go into town and pay the bills, I’ll do it. I have a meeting with the councillors anyway later this afternoon about the new phase of council houses they’re planning to build so it wouldn’t be any trouble.’

  ‘Hm, well just see as yer do,’ Cissie said grumpily. ‘I’ve never known us to be in the red before in all the years we’ve lived ’ere!’

  Kathy breezed into the kitchen then, looking bright-eyed and happy, and for now the topic of the unpaid bills was dropped. Sunday ushered her to the table with a smile. It was lovely to see her looking so happy and as David was still a regular visitor to the house Sunday secretly hoped that it was because their relationship was developing. Kathy certainly showed all the signs of being in love, but Sunday had had enough young women in this house to know that asking about it would just cause Kathy to clam up, so she would have to wait and see and let nature take its course.

  As it turned out it was mid-morning before Sunday managed to have a moment alone with Ben. One of the horses had sprained a leg and Ben was spending a lot of time with him so he had missed breakfast.

  Cissie was working in the wash house tackling a pile of dirty sheets when he eventually came into the kitchen to grab a hot drink and she instantly asked, ‘How is Thunder? Any better?’

  Ben nodded curtly as he seated himself at the table. ‘The vet thinks he’ll be fine. We just have to make sure he rests it. We can’t afford to lose him, he’s one of our best studs.’ Ben had bred him and had a huge soft spot for the creature, but then he was fond of all the horses. In fact, Sunday sometimes wondered, particularly lately, if he didn’t prefer the company of them to people.

  She quickly made him a sandwich and a pot of tea and as it was mashing, she suddenly remembered the conversation she’d had with Cissie that morning and said tentatively, ‘Oh, Cissie told me that both the butcher and the grocer are waiting for payment.’ When he scowled, she hurried on, ‘Don’t worry about it. I know how busy you’ve been, but I thought I could pay them this afternoon if you give me the money. I have to go into town anyway. It wouldn’t be any trouble.’

  ‘I’ll see to it,’ he answered, his voice sullen. ‘I have to go into town an’ all so I’ll do it then.’

  She opened her mouth to object but then thought better of it and clamped it shut again. Ben was so temperamental these days she was in constant fear of upsetting him. For some time, she’d been thinking of suggesting she should have a look at the bank statements, but she had been too afraid of upsetting him. Her solicitor, who had also been a close friend of Tom’s, had suggested that she and Ben should have a joint account shortly after Tom’s death, but she had been so deep in grief back then that once it was set up, she had been more than happy to leave everything to Ben. But he had always kept a certain amount of cash in the safe to pay the bills and she couldn’t see why he wouldn’t just give her the money and let her pay them. As she removed the tea cosy and stirred the tea in the pot, she glanced at him to gauge his mood and seeing the frown on his face decided to leave suggesting it until he was in a better mood. If he ever was, she thought!

  Before they knew it, Christmas was racing towards them and Cissie said one afternoon, ‘I reckon I’ll ask Ben to go into town an’ pick us up a Christmas tree next market day. It’s only three weeks away now, it’ll come round afore we know it!’

  ‘Good idea, I might ask him if I can go with him to get some of my Christmas shopping done,’ Sunday agreed. So that evening, as they all sat at dinner, she put it to him.

  He shrugged as he bit into one of Cissie’s delicious steak and kidney pies. ‘If that’s what you want,’ he answered sulkily and Cissie and Sunday exchanged a glance.

  Cissie left immediately after dinner with a plateful of food for George, after Sunday and the girls assured her they would see to the washing-up. George had been confined to bed back at the cottage with what had started as a heavy cold but had swiftly turned to bronchitis and they were all concerned about him. It meant that for now Ben was running the stables single-handed, apart from when Kathy could help him on her days off, and he looked tired.

  ‘Why don’t you get yourself an early night?’ Sunday suggested, but he merely glared at her.

  Sunday flushed but didn’t push it. She had only been trying to be kind, but she was getting used to having her head bitten off by him. Sometimes she felt as if she couldn’t do right for doing wrong.

  ‘I’ll come over and help you settle the horses,’ Kathy volunteered.

  Livvy was happy to help too and piped up, ‘Yes, you do that and me and Mum can do the dishes.’

  So, while Kathy and Ben hurried over to the stables, Sunday and her youngest began to clear the table.

  ‘I don’t know what gets into our Ben lately,’ Sunday confided glumly as she piled the dirty dishes into the deep, stone sink.

  ‘I know what you mean.’ Livvy was keen to get the jobs out of the way as she had a date that night with one of the junior partners from her work. She had soon tired of Steven and was now on to her next beau.

  Sunday was again hoping something would come of their dating as Harry Townsend was a very personable young man indeed, although she wasn’t holding her breath. Livvy breezed from one young man to another and seemed to be quite happy to be footloose and fancy-free.

  ‘It’ll all change when she meets the right one,’ Cissie had told Sunday when she’d shared her hopes with her. ‘Some young bloke will come along when you least expect it an’ bowl her off her feet an’ I guarantee she’ll be wed in no time. Meantime, let her enjoy herself. You’re only young once, ain’t yer?’

  ‘You’re not wrong there,’ Sunday had agreed wryly. The bitterly cold wet weather had suddenly made her feel every year of her age. ‘That’s why I’d like to see both the girls settled. I’ve always imagined them walking down the aisle in a froth of satin and lace on their father’s arm.’ Tears pricked at the back of her eyes because that could never happen now. ‘And I’d like to see Ben meet a nice girl too, but he doesn’t seem interested,’ she added.

  ‘Hm.’ Cissie had pursed her lips. ‘Ben don’t seem much interested in anythin’ anymore from what I can make of it, ’
cept the horses, o’ course. I can’t believe how much he’s changed since his dad passed on.’

  ‘I know what you mean.’ Sunday had sighed as she wondered what she could do to reach him.

  Over in the stables Kathy almost pounced on Ben, and planted a kiss on his lips the second he shut the door behind them. ‘I’ve been wanting to do that all night,’ she admitted with a twinkle in her eye, but Ben gently held her away from him.

  ‘Hm, well we’ve animals that need seeing to,’ he told her grumpily and she pouted.

  ‘I never know where I stand with you,’ she complained. ‘We’ve been seeing each other like this for weeks now. When can we tell everyone that we’re a couple? We have nothing to be ashamed of!’

  Often she felt that their relationship was very one-sided. Ben had never once told her that he loved her whereas she told him all the time.

  He scowled. ‘I’m quite sure the rest of the family will not approve,’ he pointed out yet again. ‘We’ve been brought up as family and I think your mum will be shocked.’

  ‘So?’ She tossed her head defiantly. ‘It’s not up to my mum who I fall in love with, is it? She’ll just have to get used to the idea.’

  ‘Let’s see how things go for a time,’ Ben responded, then he went about his business as if she wasn’t even there, leaving her to quietly fume.

  Chapter Nine

  Sunday spent an uneventful and quiet Christmas and New Year at home with her family. Cissie and George had gone to spend it with their youngest daughter and her family who lived in a small village on the outskirts of Leicester. George was still far from well following a severe dose of bronchitis and as a result the majority of the stable work was still falling to Ben, although in fairness he never complained. As Sunday ruefully commented to Livvy, it seemed the only time he was happy was when he was with the horses. For the rest of the time he was still walking about like a bear with a sore head. In fact, she was becoming increasingly concerned about him but the closer she tried to get to him the further away he seemed to push her, until eventually she just kept her distance.

  And then on a wet and windy morning towards the end of January he didn’t come down for breakfast. At first, she thought he was over in the stables so when Kathy and Livvy had left for work she hurried over there, only to find there was no sign of him.

  ‘It’s unlike Ben to lie in,’ she commented to Cissie when she raced back into the kitchen out of the blistering rain. ‘I hope he’s not ill.’

  ‘Pour yourself a cuppa an’ I’ll pop up an’ give him a knock,’ Cissie volunteered.

  Minutes later she barged back into the kitchen, her face as white as chalk. ‘He ain’t there,’ she panted breathlessly.

  ‘What do you mean?’ Bemused, Sunday stared at her.

  ‘Just what I say – he ain’t there. His bed ain’t been slept in an’ all his stuff has gone out o’ the wardrobe.’

  Sunday shook her head. ‘So where is he then?’

  ‘Beats me,’ Cissie answered. ‘Did you see him last night?’

  Sunday tried to think. ‘Not after nine o’ clock. I had a slight headache, so I had an early night and he was in the kitchen when I went up.’

  ‘He must have gone off sometime in the night then, when we were all abed.’

  The two women stared at each other, confused.

  ‘But why would he just go off like that? Th-this is his home,’ Sunday stammered, then as a thought occurred to her she said hopefully, ‘Perhaps he’s taken himself off on a little holiday. God knows he deserves one.’

  ‘Huh! I doubt that. He’d have told us if that was what ’e were plannin’.’ Cissie shook her head, setting her chins wobbling. ‘We can hardly get him to go into town let alone take a holiday.’

  Their conversation was stopped from going any further when the sound of Bill Dewhurst’s coal wagon drew into the yard and Cissie bustled away to put the kettle on. She knew he he’d be glad of a hot drink today with the weather being as it was.

  When Bill had emptied the sacks of coal into the coal store he rapped on the door and came into the kitchen, looking ill at ease as he removed his cap.

  ‘Morning, ladies.’

  Cissie ushered him to the table and the reason for his discomfort soon became clear when he said, ‘I hope yer don’t mind me askin’, Mrs Brannin’, but do yer reckon yer could settle yer bill today? There’s eight months owin’ now wi’ the load I’ve dropped today.’

  Sunday’s eyes stretched wide as she stared at him in shock. ‘What? … But Ben should have paid you. He promised me he would!’

  Bill shrugged, looking mightily embarrassed as he took a swig of the hot tea Cissie had placed in front of him, nearly scalding his throat. ‘I know, missus, but he just kept sayin’ he’d settle up next time an’ I didn’t want to cause no fuss, what wi’ you bein’ such good customers.’

  ‘Oh, Bill, I’m so sorry!’ Sunday was mortified. She had always prided herself on her bills being paid on time and now more than ever she wished that she had insisted she take over the household accounts again. But Ben had been so against it, insisting that he could manage.

  ‘I shall go and get some money and pay you immediately,’ she told him, hurrying out of the door. Once inside the office, she swung aside the picture that hid the safe and gasped when she saw that the door to it was slightly open. Worse still, it was completely empty! Her hand rose to her throat as she stared at it in shock. But it couldn’t be, the stables had been doing well, so where was all the money? Yet even as she stared at the empty safe a terrible thought was taking hold of her. Ben was gone and so was the money. Surely he wouldn’t have taken it? Yet what other explanation could there be? And then it dawned on her. Ben must have paid all the money into the bank. Pulling herself together with an effort she made her way back to the kitchen to tell Bill in a shaky voice, ‘I’m so sorry, Bill. I can’t put my hands on the money right now but please leave your bill and I’ll come into town and settle up with you just as soon as possible. And I’m so sorry.’ She was finding it hard to force a smile and not panic, but somehow she managed it.

  ‘No problem at all, pet,’ he assured her with a smile, sensing how awkward she was feeling. She was a lovely lady and the last thing he wanted to do was upset her, which was why he had left the unpaid bill as long as he had. ‘Ben’s probably just been so busy he forgot all about it.’

  ‘Yes … yes that’s what it’ll be.’ Sunday was so embarrassed she could barely look him in the eye and as soon as he’d gone, she told Cissie in a wobbly voice, ‘Th-the safe was open and the money’s gone, Cissie.’

  Cissie paused and narrowed her eyes. ‘What do yer mean, it’s gone? He always kept enough back each week in the safe to pay for the bills an’ any emergencies that might crop up.’

  Sunday nodded as she wrung her hands together. ‘I know.’ Her tongue flicked out to lick her suddenly dry lips. It was clear what they were both thinking but neither of them wanted to put it into words. ‘Are you quite sure Ben hasn’t left a message for us?’

  ‘I didn’t see one but let’s go an’ check.’ Cissie dried her hands on her coarse work apron and hurried away to Ben’s room with Sunday close on her heels. Between them they systematically searched the room but apart from the furniture it was as if Ben had never lived there.

  ‘What are we going to do?’ Sunday asked in a tremulous voice.

  Cissie straightened and shook her head. ‘Well, from where I’m standin’ there’s only one thing yer can do. You need to get into town an’ check the bank account an’ if he’s taken the money out, you’ll have to ring Mr Dixon.’

  Mr Dixon had been Sunday’s solicitor for many years, as well as being a close personal friend. When Tom was alive, he had always advised him on any financial matters as well as keeping track of how the stud business was doing. Each month, Tom had submitted a list of his takings to him and at one time Mr Dixon had invested a certain amount of the profit for him in stocks and shares. Now that Sunday came to think of it,
she realised that they hadn’t seen him for some months, but she knew that Cissie was right. She would have to contact him for advice to see how much money was left tied up for them. But first she would check how much money was in the bank.

  ‘I’ll ring him straight away and ask him to come out to see me,’ Sunday agreed and hurrying down to the hall she lifted the phone and rang his office in Bond Gate.

  ‘He’s out at the minute but his secretary assured me she would pass on my message and get him to come as soon as possible. But what do we do now?’ she asked Cissie as she came back into the kitchen.

  ‘We wait,’ Cissie said, her lips set in a straight grim line. ‘Meanwhile I’d best get George to run you into town. You need to get some money out of the bank to pay Bill and he’ll have to see to the horses an’ all if Ben’s cleared off.’

  ‘But he still isn’t well,’ Sunday objected.

  ‘No, he ain’t, but I doubt the horses will care about that,’ Cissie answered as she hurried away to find him.

  Two hours later Sunday returned from town and as she entered the kitchen her chalk-white face told its own tale.

  ‘He’s cleaned you out, ain’t he?’ Cissie said softly and Sunday nodded, still too deep in shock to answer.

  When the girls returned that evening and Sunday told them what had happened, Sunday was shocked at Kathy’s reaction. Livvy was understandably upset but the colour drained out of Kathy’s cheeks and she was frantic.

  ‘What do you mean – he’s gone?’

  Her mother shrugged helplessly. ‘Just that. He didn’t come down for breakfast and when Cissie went up to see if he was all right, she found his room empty.’

  Kathy plonked down on the nearest chair and began to cry. ‘But he wouldn’t just go off like that … he wouldn’t!’

  ‘But he bloody well has! An’ the young bugger has emptied the bank account an’ all,’ Cissie snapped unsympathetically as she began to dish up the meal, not that anyone had much appetite. Ben’s disappearance seemed to have taken the wind right out of all of their sails, but she had noticed that there seemed to be more to Kathy’s upset than the fact that Ben could well have left them destitute