‘She took them back. After he stopped her allowance, she couldn’t pay her bills. She was suicidal. I had to help! You would have done the same.’
‘But the house!’ Kathy was saddened about that. ‘How in God’s name could you lose that? It was worth a small fortune!’
‘It just went. She kept draining me of money and I kept borrowing on the house.’
A picture was beginning to build up in Kathy’s mind and it was frightening. ‘You’re lying as usual!’ Clambering out of the chair, she faced her down. ‘I know why you’re here!’
Suddenly it was all too clear. ‘Mother had nothing to do with it. You’ve squandered everything, like you always do, and now you’re after taking this place from me, aren’t you?’ Her voice shook with rage. ‘Have the decency to admit it!’
Samantha gave another sniff; she even had real tears in her eyes as she pleaded, ‘All right! I admit it! But you have to help me, Kathy … And anyway, Father should have left this place to me. It was my right as the eldest. You could sell it and split the money, and you’d still have enough to put down a deposit on a smaller place.’
‘You really are a cunning, selfish creature.’ Kathy stared down at her sister. Deep down she thought she had known all along that Samantha was not here for the love of it. She had lost her own inheritance, and now she was after Barden House.
The idea was unthinkable. ‘If you think I would sell this place, you had better think again. Father left me Barden House, and now it’s my home. You had ten times more than I ever had. It’s not my fault if you’ve squandered it.’
Seeing her one, easy chance slip away, Samantha came back at her, this time with anger. ‘You owe it to me! I really am in trouble. I’m not lying about that. And it’s true that he’s stopped Mother’s allowance: he overheard her planning how she would spend his money after he’d gone. He heard her say she would have the time of her life; and maybe she’d find herself a younger man. What the hell is wrong with that?’
‘Not a lot as far as I can see; except the poor old fool who married her might have wanted her to be just a bit more loyal, instead of waiting for him to drop dead so that she could get a younger man to fill his shoes.’
‘Hmh! All she did was to say how she felt. It was just a shame he overheard her.’
Kathy could only smile. ‘At least we’re getting to the real truth of the matter. All right! So Mother may well have spoiled her chances of going through that poor man’s money like a house on fire, and now he’s put a stop to her extravagant ways … what man wouldn’t in the circumstances? But I don’t suppose for one minute he’s thrown her out, has he?’
‘No.’
‘So she’s still living in luxury, with everything at hand?’
‘It’s not the same as having your own account and being able to buy what you want when you want it!’
‘I’m sure she’ll wheedle her way round him somehow. She usually does.’
‘Don’t you care that she’s unhappy?’
‘Well, of course I do. But, when you think about it, the whole thing might be a blessing in disguise. Maybe she’ll begin to understand what it’s like to make a pair of shoes last a bit longer, or wear the same dress twice. So what if she has to stretch every penny to make it go further? We all have to do that. It won’t kill her. I’m sure he would never throw her out. As I recall, he thinks the world of her. Like I say, it’s only a matter of time before she has him wrapped round her little finger again.’
Samantha was on her feet now, thinking about herself as usual. ‘And what about me? What do I do? I’ve got nothing.’
‘You work! That’s what you do. Like the rest of us. Get a job and rent a flat. Learn to look after your money, the same way we all have to do.’
She had never in her life met anyone else like Samantha, who thought the world owed them a living. Even Maggie worked and, if she got the sack – which was more often than Kathy cared to remember – she found another job, and so it went on. She didn’t laze at home all day feeling sorry for herself. ‘Knowing you, Samantha, sooner or later you’ll meet some rich fool who’ll lay the world at your feet.’
‘Right! I’ve asked you in a civilised manner and you won’t listen.’ She was in no mood for a lecture. ‘I’ll see a solicitor, that’s what I’ll do!’ Though she knew it would be of little use. Her only chance was to frighten Kathy into doing what she wanted. ‘You’ll be made to sell this house, or take a loan against it, so I can get what I’m entitled to. I warn you, Kathy. I mean to fight for what’s rightfully mine, and I will win. You can be sure of it.’
Shaken to her roots, all of Kathy’s fears were suddenly confirmed. There was absolutely no doubting the real reason for her sister’s visit.
In a quiet, controlled voice Kathy told her, ‘I’m going to see a friend. I want you packed and gone by the time I get back.’
Going to the mantelpiece, she took down a small vase. Reaching inside, she drew out the folded ten-shilling notes and handed them to her. ‘This is money for paying bills and keeping the wolf from the door,’ she said. ‘But you’re the biggest wolf of all. Here! Take it. I dare say it doesn’t seem much compared to what you’re used to. But it’s all I’ve got. If you’re careful, it should be enough to tide you over until you get yourself a job.’
‘This is peanuts!’ Samantha held the money at arm’s length, as if it was tainted.
‘Take it or leave it, I don’t care which.’ Kathy just wanted her out of there. ‘Just remember what I said: by the time I get back, I want you gone. And I never want to see your face again.’
Samantha had never seen such resolve in her younger sister’s face before. Usually she was able to cajole or bully her into doing whatever she wanted. Only now, Kathy had grown stronger, more confident. It was a real setback to her plans.
But she would not give in. ‘I intend to get this house, or part of it,’ she warned again. ‘I always get what I want, you should know that.’
Kathy tried to ignore the fear that bubbled up inside her. Looking her straight in the eye, she smiled. ‘Do your worst,’ she said and, turning away, she went out of the room and up the stairs.
In the privacy of her own bedroom, she sat on the bed, head in hands, her heart aching. It was true. Samantha had a way of always getting what she wanted.
Out of the corner of her eye she saw her father’s photograph, his smiling, happy face looking up at her. ‘Did you hear all that?’ she asked wryly. ‘Your eldest daughter wants this house, and to tell the truth I’m not sure if she has a claim or not.’
The harsh exchange with Samantha had only made her all the more determined, though. This house was too special. It had been her father’s place of contentment and now it was hers. And Tom would help her, she knew he would. ‘She won’t get it!’ she whispered. ‘I’ll burn it to the ground first!’
Pushing it all to the back of her mind for now, she began getting herself ready to visit Mabel at the hospital.
Twenty minutes later, as she passed the sitting room, she could see Samantha pacing the floor. ‘That’s it!’ she muttered. ‘Work out what you’re going to do, now that I’m onto you.’ She didn’t doubt for one minute that Samantha was already cooking up some mischief or other.
All the same, now that she was armed with the facts, she was ready for her.
But for now, she had a friend to see.
A brisk walk down the street, a ten-minute bus ride, and she was at the hospital.
She could see the change in Mabel already. Though the bruises were still evident – mellowed to yellow and purple now – they were on the way out; that dear woman was recovering fast from her ordeal. She wasn’t yet able to eat by herself but, thank God, her strength was returning.
Mabel’s ready smile greeted Kathy as she came in the door. ‘I’ve something to tell you,’ she said.
Kathy gave her a kiss. ‘Something exciting, is it?’
Mabel revealed her little secret. ‘I told you I had a brother I hadn’t seen in years, and I had no idea where he was any more,’ she said animatedly.
‘Yes, I remember.’ Kathy settled herself into the chair beside the bed. ‘So, have you heard from him?’
Mabel’s eyes shone. ‘It seems that eventually he found out where I lived, and went there. The next-door neighbour heard him knocking and told him what had happened … how he didn’t believe that I’d fallen down the stairs, and that my husband had beaten me twice before, that he knew of.’
She paused to take a breath, before going on. ‘Well, my dear, Eric, that’s my brother, he went to the café and gave that bully a real roasting. He warned him that, if he had his way, I wouldn’t be going back there to be his skivvy.’
Exhausted now, she had to stop for a moment.
Kathy waited for her to recover before asking softly, ‘And did he?’
‘What?’
‘Did he get his own way … about you not going back there to be his skivvy?’
Mabel chuckled. ‘Oh, Kathy, I’m that excited. When I get out of here – in a few days, they say – Eric will have a car to take me away from here. Apparently he never married. He tried many a time to find me, but never could.’