you, Tommy, but I can’t say the same about your mother. I can’t see her being happy about it and I don’t want her making my Amy’s life a misery.’
‘Don’t worry, she won’t. I’ll see to that,’ Tommy assured him.
‘I suppose with your dad gone, your mother relies on you financially. How are you coping with running his firm?’
‘It’s mine now, Mr Miller, and I’m doing well. I’ve already expanded the business and profits are well up.’
‘That’s good, but if you marry Amy you’ll have two homes to support. Now I hate to say this, but I know you’ve got a weak chest. What happens when you go down with bouts of bronchitis? Who’s going to look after things then?’
‘I’ve got a bloke working for me who’s capable of running things in my absence,’ Tommy assured him.
Stan Miller took another swig of beer, his face closed, but then he said, ‘All right then, but of course it’s up to Amy. If she wants to marry you I won’t stand in your way.’
‘Thanks, Mr Miller,’ Tommy said, smiling at last.
‘It wouldn’t have made much difference if I’d refused. With Amy being eighteen tomorrow and you twenty-one, you don’t need my permission.’
‘I know, but I wanted to do things properly.’
‘I still think you’re both a bit young, so I hope it’s going to be a long engagement.’
‘I don’t know, Mr Miller, not too long I hope.’
‘When are you going to propose?’
‘Tomorrow night,’ Tommy replied, ‘and as I’ve got something special planned I’d rather Amy doesn’t know about the proposal in advance.’
‘Don’t worry, I won’t say a word.’
‘Thanks, Mr Miller. Now can I buy you another drink?’
‘Yes, a pint of bitter.’
Glad to have got it over with, Tommy went to the bar, and he remained in the pub chatting to Amy’s dad for another hour before making his way home. He still had to break the news to his mother, but he’d wait until after he’d proposed to Amy.
When Tommy left, Stan was about to go back to the bar when Frank Cole came up to the table. The man had looked awful after his beating and there were still livid bruises around his eyes. ‘Stan, did you hear that I lost my job?’
‘Yeah, but you’re sure to get another one.’
‘In the meantime I’m skint so will you buy me a pint?’
‘Yeah, all right,’ Stan agreed, though he wasn’t happy about it. Broke or not, it didn’t stop Frank from coming to the pub every night and scrounging drinks.
‘Thanks, and did I just see you talking to Tommy Frost?’
‘Yeah, that’s right,’ Stan replied, keeping shtum as he’d promised and saying instead, ‘Did you hear that Tommy’s father didn’t go off with Rose?’
‘Yeah, Carol told me,’ Frank replied.
‘Yeah, well, the gossips got it wrong.’
‘They get a lot of things wrong, Stan, and I should know.’
Stan nodded as they walked up to the bar, where after buying the man a drink he later saw Frank cadging another one off someone else. By nine thirty, Stan could see that the man was getting drunk, while he decided it was time to go home.
He called his goodbyes and stepped outside, his thoughts returning to Tommy as he limped to Lark Rise. He’d say nothing to Amy, but he’d tell Phyllis that a proposal was imminent.
Celia was beginning to feel isolated and missed the social life she had once enjoyed. She wasn’t invited to the Willards’ for dinner now, and though she had been a member of the Conservative Club, since George left none of their acquaintances had been in touch. It was as though she’d been ostracised and it stung badly.
All she had left was her son, and Celia was relieved that he had come home before nine, a lot earlier than she’d expected. Thomas had only told her that he’d been to see someone to discuss business, and though she had pressed him, he had refused to be drawn. Celia had found that Thomas could be stubborn and forceful, traits that she hadn’t been aware of before he had taken over the running of the business. In such a short time he had increased profits and trade, but she still worried that he was moving too quickly, though any attempts she made to point this out were dismissed as though her opinion counted for nothing. It angered her, but she was determined not to give up, to become more involved in the running of the business and if necessary, prevent Thomas from expanding any further in this current financial year.
An hour had now passed, but there was little conversation. Thomas was reading a book on business management, but Celia saw that he had hardly turned more than a couple of pages. She was sure he had something on his mind, and said, ‘Is there something worrying you, darling?’
‘No,’ Thomas replied, looking up. ‘What makes you think that?’
‘You seem rather withdrawn.’
‘I’m reading, Mother.’
‘Not from what I’ve seen, but if you don’t want to talk about it, at least we can discuss something else. I’m alone too much, Thomas, so when you are at home it would be nice if we could have some sort of conversation.’
‘After a busy day at work and then going out earlier, I’m tired, Mother, and all I want to do is relax.’
‘You’re not too tired to see Amy several nights a week, and when was the last time you spent a Sunday at home with me?’
His expression hardening, Thomas said, ‘Had you apologised to Amy, I’m sure if invited she would have joined us for dinner on occasional Sundays, and at other times.’
‘Thomas, as I pointed out before, I wasn’t myself then, and I thought Amy would be more … more forgiving. I … I’m still deeply hurt that your father left me for another woman, and … and …’ Celia stuttered, forcing tears to her eyes.
‘Mum, please, don’t get upset again.’
‘I … I think I’ll go to bed,’ Celia said as she stood up. As always, Thomas couldn’t bear to see her crying; the weapon a useful one. She had won again and as she didn’t want that slut of a girl in her home, nothing would induce her to apologise. She’d planted another seed against Amy, showing her to be unforgiving, and one day soon Celia hoped all her barbs would come to fruition.
Amy had finished sewing the hem of a skirt that had come loose and Phyllis said, ‘With Rose getting married at the end of August, we’ll have to sort out something to wear.’
‘Mum, you never had a good word to say about Rose. What changed your mind?’
Phyllis sighed. She wasn’t proud of herself, and was determined that in future she wouldn’t be a prude, or listen to gossip. ‘I jumped to the wrong conclusion about Rose and Tommy’s dad, and about a lot of other things too. She’s not as bad as she’s been made out to be, but no doubt the gossips will be tearing her to shreds now that she’s going to marry Samuel Jacobs.’
‘He is a bit old for her, Mum.’
‘Yes I know, and rich, but he knows that Rose doesn’t love him so it’s not as if she’s making a monkey out of him. He was lonely, but now Rose takes care of him and it’s given him a new lease of life,’ Phyllis said, but then recalling her conversation with Rose she giggled. Old or not, it seemed that Samuel Jacobs was still capable of having an active sex life, but it wasn’t something she could tell Amy.
‘What’s so funny?’ Amy asked.
‘Nothing … nothing, love,’ Phyllis said,