my white shirt, do it now.’
Pearl didn’t move. Dolly had given her a stack of ironing yesterday, and she had done the lot, including Kevin’s shirt.
Bernie said quietly, ‘She’ll give him money. She always does. I know what Dolly’s game is. She doesn’t want to lose her precious son, but she knows that if Kevin finds work the two of you will find a place of your own. Believe me, that’s the last thing my wife wants and she’ll do anything to keep him here.’
‘But Kevin wants to leave as much as I do.’
‘If you say so, love, but Dolly’s crafty. She knows that as long as she provides Kevin with enough pocket money to keep him happy, the lazy bugger won’t look for work.’
‘But he is looking, he told me.’
‘Huh, and pigs might fly. I don’t believe him and neither should you.’
Pearl shook her head, sure that Bernie was wrong. ‘Do you think Kevin will speak to Dolly about my wages? I still need to buy a few things.’
‘Leave it out, love. You’ve only been here a short while but you’ve seen how things stand. Kevin won’t speak up for you, but maybe if you ask him, he’ll drop you a few bob out of the money he gets out of his mother.’
‘Oh, yes, I’ll do that,’ Pearl said, brightening now.
When Kevin returned he went to their bedroom and Pearl followed. ‘Kevin, your mother isn’t paying me any wages now and I need some money.’
‘Well, don’t look at me.’
‘But I need some new underwear and—’
Kevin paused in the act of throwing on his shirt, his eyes hard. ‘If you want money, you’ll have to sort it out with my mother. Now bugger off and leave me in peace.’
Pearl stared at him, her heart sinking. Since their marriage he had changed, his moods mostly foul. Nowadays, as she did with Dolly, Pearl to tiptoed around him. She longed for his love, to be held in his arms, but he seemed so hard, so cold. Oh, please let him get a job soon. Please let us find a place of our own. Once away from his mother, Pearl was sure that she and Kevin would be fine.
Dolly’s temper didn’t improve, and a few days later another waitress walked out, leaving Madge to work the tables on her own.
Madge came through to the kitchen, puffing loudly to make her feelings plain. ‘Why doesn’t Kevin help out a bit? If he did the counter, Bernie could give me a hand with the tables.’
‘He’s busy,’ Dolly snapped.
‘Doing what?’
‘Madge,’ Dolly said, her voice deceptively quiet, ‘what my son does is no concern of yours. I said he’s busy and that’s an end to it. Until we find another waitress, I’ll pay you a bit extra, but now I suggest you get back to work.’
‘All right, but I ain’t standing much more of this. In fact, I think I’ll start looking around for another job.’
Pearl held her breath, waiting for her mother-in-law to explode, but Madge was at the end of her tether and if Dolly wasn’t careful she’d walk out too, leaving them in a terrible fix.
For a moment the two women faced each other, but then Dolly heaved a great sigh. ‘All right, Madge, if you want to get another job I can’t stop you. However, if you stay I’ll increase your wages permanently.’
Madge blinked rapidly, obviously as surprised as Pearl. ‘By how much?’
‘Another quid a week.’
She pursed her lips, her head cocked to one side as she thought it over. ‘Yeah, all right, I’ll stay.’
‘Good, now as I said, get back to your work.’
No sooner had Madge left the kitchen than Dolly erupted. Her face red with anger, she banged a frying pan onto the cooker. ‘Madge knew she had me over a barrel – the cow! Another quid a week! I must be mad. Huh, she thinks she’s got one over me, but when we get another waitress, I might just give her the sack.’
With the potato peeler poised, Pearl glanced at the clock. It was ten o’clock, but she doubted Kevin was up. Since Bernie’s comments, she too was beginning to doubt that he was looking for work. When he surfaced, Dolly would cook him a breakfast and he’d spend a leisurely hour eating it whilst reading the morning paper.
They’d only been married for two weeks, but Pearl was disillusioned. As long as Dolly kept Kevin provided with money, he seemed happy to remain there, virtually ignoring his new wife as he went about his own business. She no longer mentioned work to him, finding it put him in a nasty mood, and now she felt that he had lied to her about wanting a place of their own. Oh God, please let me be wrong, she prayed, dreading living permanently with her mother-in-law.
That evening Kevin cadged more money from his mother. She gave him a few quid, but not enough for a trip to Soho, and his frustration mounted. She was still keeping him short, and he couldn’t get relief from Pearl – their lack of privacy had seen to that.
Pearl had stopped nagging him about a job at last, the silly cow unaware that he had plans in hand, ones he couldn’t tell her about. Ones that hopefully would provide enough for a place of their own. He was going to rob the pub in Richmond, and to that end had given the barmaid a ring, pleased to find it was her night off and she was available.
Now he sat beside her, inwardly fuming. He’d spent the last of his money inundating her with booze, but it had been a complete waste of time. New at the job, Mary had little information about the workings of the place.
At last he rose to his feet, snapping impatiently, ‘Come on, I’ll take you home.’
She looked up at him, eyes bleary and un focused. ‘Home? I don’t want to go home yet.’
‘Tough,’ he said, grabbing her arm and heaving her up.
Kevin’s jaw clenched, wishing now that he’d spent his money on a tart. How long had it been since he’d had a woman? Bloody ages. If he could get it up with Pearl it might have offered some release, but with his mother close by he found it impossible. Ashamed, he let Pearl think that she was to blame, turning his back on her every night.
Kevin walked out of the pub, his temper only just in check. The pub was remote, the car park, other than his car, empty. To ensure that nobody saw them together, he had arranged to pick Mary up at the end of her street, but his caution had been for nothing. Now he had to waste more petrol money driving the useless cow home again.
It was dark, woods surrounding them, but Kevin was uncaring of Mary as she swayed beside him. She tripped and he grabbed her arm, inadvertently touching her breast.
She flapped her hand, saying with a silly giggle, ‘Oh, you dirty boy.’
He stiffened. Dirty boy! Words his mother had used again and again when he was a child. He growled low in his throat, and in his angry and frustrated state, Mary’s comment set off a chain of action that overwhelmed Kevin.
Mindless now, his grip tightened on her arm as he dragged her towards the surrounding trees. Mary staggered beside him, hardly aware of what he was doing as he pulled her deeper into the woods.
Suddenly she halted. ‘Where are we going?’
‘Shut up, bitch!’ Kevin hissed, forcing her forward again.
‘Wh … what?’
He ignored her as he looked wildly around. They were deep inside the woods now, fallen leaves crunching underfoot. It was perfect. There was hardly any light from the moon and, grinning with glee, Kevin threw Mary violently to the ground.
She landed heavily, crying out, but Kevin threw himself on top of her, his hands tearing at her clothes.
‘No! No, don’t!’
That was all Kevin