The Tangling of the Web, page 21
Maggie was unaware that Sally was thinking back to the time when she had stolen her husband, feckless Harry, from her. This uncaring act had left Sally financially crippled, so she had to go out to work to keep herself and her three bairns. However, if Sally was being truthful, which she didn’t like to be whilst dealing with Maggie, Harry deserting her and the children had been the best thing to happen to Sally in her troubled life. She was now wealthy, an acknowledged Leith businesswoman who had helped to clean up the Jungle pubs, a valued member of the Licensed Trade Association Committee and the owner of both this guest house, which the Scottish Tourist Board had awarded a ‘Highly Commended’, no less, and the brand-new car sitting at her door.
Her meanderings, however, were halted when Maggie, who was not as submissive as she had been when Sally had given in and hired her, pointedly said, ‘I know the car is brand new so it shouldn’t break down, but with you only passing your driving test last week, do you not think it’s being irresponsible to be driving all the way to Peterhead and back so soon? I mean, I would miss you if you got yourself killed.’
This backchat from Maggie put Sally’s back up. She knew that she now depended on Maggie to run the bed and breakfast whilst she attended to all the problems that arose in the pubs and in her family. She was also aware that Maggie was growing stronger in her self-confidence and had been questioning Sally’s judgements in a way that became more recalcitrant as time went by.
Sally knew she should shove Maggie right back into her shell where she belonged, and she was more than capable of doing that, but not today. Today she had to get to Peterhead Prison. Her brother Luke was depending on her to try to get Joe Kelly, or Irish, as Luke had nicknamed him, a lad he had befriended when he was a raw recruit police constable on the Shore beat in Leith, to talk about what he knew about the murder of his wife, Marie.
Luke had had mixed feelings when he had been selected, as a reward for coming first in Scotland in the police promotional exams, to be seconded for two years to the New York Police Department. This had meant he’d had to leave before Irish’s trial and it looked as if, at best, he was abandoning Irish or, at worst, stitching him up. In America, any thoughts he’d had had of enlisting for the Hong Kong Police were put on hold.
The American police experience had been good for Luke. Now he was returning to Edinburgh, and as his appraisals from America were excellent, it had resulted in him being promoted to Detective Sergeant. Unfortunately he would take up his duties in ‘C’ Division and not in Leith, where he wished to be.
‘Maggie,’ Sally found herself crooning, ‘now you will remember that you haven’t to let the single room at the front of the house, as that is where I intend to house Luke when he comes home.’
‘Are you sure he will be coming this soon?’ huffed Maggie.
‘Yes, I am,’ was Sally’s emphatic reply.
‘So you are thinking that as it’s Daisy’s wedding on Saturday that he won’t want to miss it?’ sniped Maggie.
Exasperated, Sally almost shouted, ‘Maggie, he can’t miss it. After all, Daisy postponed her big day until now so he could give her away.’
‘Right enough.’ Maggie conceded in a mellowing tone of voice.
‘Oh. Look at the time. I just have to get going. You get inside, Maggie, and do what you are good at: getting squared up and disinfecting the lavatories.’
Sally stood and waited until Maggie had gone indoors before she lightly tripped down the stairs and stood in front of her brand-new gleaming car. She still didn’t have the confidence of a seasoned driver; hence she’d sent Maggie inside. No way did Sally wish Maggie to see that the car, perhaps, had been filled up with kangaroo petrol.
Once the car was up and running smoothly, Sally drove it towards Lochend Road, where Nancy, who ran the Royal Stuart pub for her, had been allocated an Edinburgh Corporation one-bedroomed flat. She had just drawn up to a halt when Nancy appeared. Leaning over, Sally opened the passenger door of her brand-new red Ford Escort Estate car to allow Nancy to get in.
‘Well, if this isnae luxury you cannae afford,’ huffed Nancy as she struggled into the car, ‘then I dinnae ken what is.’
‘Aye, you’re right there. And do you know, I didnae get enough change from seven hundred to buy us a cup of tea.’
‘Dinnae tell me that here’s me thinking as I’m doing you a favour that you would be treating me to high tea,’ queried Nancy.
‘Oh, you’ll get that alright. And maybe bed and breakfast thrown in.’
‘Bed and breakfast, but why? We will have plenty of time to get back home.’
‘Aye, if we went straight home, but on our way back I’m going to detour over country to visit Flora and Shonag at Culloden.’
‘We’re going to Smithton, Culloden, why?’ expounded Nancy, who couldn’t keep the sense of incredulity out of her voice.
‘Know something?’ Sally got ready to confide to Nancy, a woman of the street who she had rescued and now trusted her to be an honest manager for her. ‘I’m no quite sure …’ Sally hesitated, ‘… but I feel in my guts there’s something far wrong there.’
‘Like what?’
‘Don’t know. But what I do know is that Sweet William landed back there a month ago …’
‘Another of his dalliances gone belly up. See, Sally, if he had been a male prostitute with the number of men he has had, he would be a millionaire.’
‘Millionaire?’ queried Sally.
‘Aye. Believe me, there’s no many, like William is who go about touting for business on the streets.’
Sally grimaced. ‘Anyway, what is different this time he has come home is that Flora, my darling mother-in-law, who of late wouldn’t have given him the time of day never mind a buckshee fiver, has gone all weepy when I ask her how things are. All she is saying is that Shonag, his mother, and herself will need to start putting themselves on Queer Street to keep him comfortable.’
Nancy didn’t answer for a minute or two, and when she did she slowly drawled, ‘Beggaring themselves to help him. But why?’ She allowed a long pause before mumbling, ‘Oh surely, good God, no.’
‘What are you talking about?’ Sally demanded.
Nancy shook her head and quickly changed the subject. ‘Aw, here, Sally we’re just about to cross the Forth Road Bridge. I’m always excited when I cross it, how about you?’
Sally did not respond. All that occupied her thoughts was that this was the first time she had driven over this imposing, magnificent structure, but instead of being elated, panic was growing within her. Glancing sideways, she noticed a train crossing the iconic rail bridge and she found herself thinking, Oh why, oh why did I not suggest that we travel by train? So engrossed in her deliberations was she that she was unaware of the multiple accident happening in front of her until Nancy screamed, ‘For heaven’s sake, Sally, ram on the brakes!’ Unfortunately, paralysing fear had now engulfed Sally so Nancy had no alternative other than to lean back as far as possible in her seat and then brace herself for the inevitable collision.
AUTHOR’S NOTE
This story tells of one family’s life in Leith in the early twentieth century. Although it echoes some of the writer’s experiences and personal feelings, the characters portrayed in the book are wholly fictitious and bear no relation to any persons, living or dead. Many of the street names, localities and other details from that period in Leith’s history have been preserved, however.
COPYRIGHT
First published 2014
by Black & White Publishing Ltd
29 Ocean Drive, Edinburgh EH6 6JL
www.blackandwhitepublishing.com
This electronic edition published in 2014
ISBN: 978 1 84502 769 8 in EPub format
ISBN: 978 1 84502 720 9 in paperback format
Copyright © Millie Gray 2014
The right of Millie Gray to be identified as the author of this work has been asserted by her in accordance with the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988.
This novel is a work of fiction. The names, characters and incidents portrayed in it are of the author’s imagination. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, events or localities is entirely coincidental.
All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form, or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise, without permission in writing from the publisher.
A CIP catalogue record for this book is available from the British Library.
Ebook compilation by RefineCatch Ltd, Bungay
Millie Gray, The Tangling of the Web
