Part 14 (2/2)

'I'm sorry about ... you know ... you're wife and everything ...' she began awkwardly, trotting up behind him. 'It's sad your marriage didn't work out ...'

'No, it's not. You still want my help with the Potters, don't you, Kathy?'

'Of course.' She angled her face to read his expression. 'Are you about to change your mind?'

'You keep your sympathy about my divorce to yourself and I reckon I won't change my mind.'

CHAPTER TWENTY-ONE.

'Do you want to stop at Ruby's on the way back so you can talk to her?'

'I'm not sure it's a good idea to see her today,' Kathy replied slowly. 'If she jumps at the chance to move but there's nothing for her in the Bunk, I'll have made things worse, not better. I shouldn't raise her hopes before having a word with Mrs Keiver.'

'Head straight over to Islington, shall we, and find out how the land lies?' Nick steered the car to the kerb to wait for Kathy's answer.

'Don't you have work to get to?'

He shrugged. 'Nothing that can't wait.'

'Right ... no time like the present, I suppose.'

'You could call in and see your mum and dad while we're that way, if you want.' Nick shoved the car into gear. 'Don't worry, I'm not asking for an introduction.' He'd noticed Kathy's startled reaction. 'I'll wait outside.'

'Thanks for the offer but I usually see them at weekends. Besides, if you knew my mum and dad, you wouldn't want an introduction anyhow.'

'Can't be as bad as all that.' Nick sounded amused as he glanced at her.

Kathy wanted to return him a flippant reply but found she couldn't. She wished she didn't feel shame or pity when thinking of her family. Of course, she also loved them all, even Jennifer, and especially Tom. 'Do you have any brothers or sisters?' She recalled Nick had told her his father had pa.s.sed away when he was young.

'Nah ... wish I did have. After me dad died in the Great War, me mum never got together with anybody else. How about you?'

'A younger brother and a twin sister.'

'A twin, eh? Looks like you, does she?'

'Her hair's darker and she's an inch shorter ... but I think she does.'

'What's her name?'

'Jennifer. And my brother's called Tom. He's leaving school soon and he's driving my mum up the wall, I'm afraid.' Kathy thought it wise to turn the conversation away from Jenny, just in case by some chance Nick Raven had crossed paths with her sister before. G.o.d only knew how many clients Jenny had had amongst the men in the East End, or if Nick might be one of them. Kathy believed he hadn't; he seemed too wholesome to a.s.sociate with the likes of her sister. She wasn't sure whether acknowledging it pleased or depressed her.

'Young Tom's a bit of a tearaway, is he?' Nick grinned.

'Mum doesn't like the company he keeps in Campbell Road because she reckons he'll end up in bad trouble.'

'Your father'll straighten him out, I expect.'

'Mmm ... hope so ...' Kathy could have trumpeted a laugh. Her father had never managed to keep himself on the straight and narrow; there was little chance he'd ever set Tom right, no matter how many belts he gave him in an attempt to do so. Kathy understood Tom's lack of respect for the man who would preach one thing and do another.

'Is your sister still living at home?'

Kathy whipped a glance at him. 'No ... she left home a long while ago.'

'What's she up to? Nursing, like you?'

'No ...' Kathy could feel his eyes on her profile as he waited for her to elaborate. 'She sort of went off the rails a bit. Mum and Dad lost touch with her.'

'Have you lost touch with her?'

Kathy frowned, wis.h.i.+ng he'd take the hint and not ask such direct questions. 'I still see her sometimes,' she admitted quietly.

'Is she married now?'

Kathy shook her head.

'Got work, has she?'

'Sort of ...' Kathy knew she was sounding snappy and felt ashamed of herself. He was only making conversation so they didn't finish the drive to north London in silence.

'What does Jennifer do?'

'What she shouldn't.' Kathy hoped he'd not heard her mutter beneath her breath. 'Oh ... that's handy ...' she burst out, grateful to divert their conversation from her twin. 'Matilda and Beattie Evans are out having a chat with some neighbours.'

They had turned in at the bottom end of Campbell Road and Kathy immediately pointed to some women outside the corner shop. With Matilda and Beattie were two other long-standing Bunk dwellers: Davy's mum, Polly Wright, and Margaret Lovat.

'If you drop me here, I'll just nip over and have a word.' Kathy gave Nick a smile.

The women had spotted Kathy's arrival. Smart cars driving up Campbell Road were a rare sight indeed and caused people to stop and stare.

''Ere ... that's Winnie's daughter, ain't it, Til?' Beattie nudged Matilda in the ribs.

'That one's a nurse, ain't she?' Margaret Lovat piped up. 'Never found out how the other one turned out.'

'Ain't seen Jenny in years,' Beattie said. 'Sort of just disappeared, didn't she?'

'I heard she's a wrong 'un and that's why Winnie won't have her near nor by,' Polly Wright chipped in.

'Yeah ... well, if Winnie Finch wanted you lot to know her business, 'spect she'd have told yers more about it.' Matilda had her own ideas as to what had befallen Jennifer Finch but tried not to judge people, or pry into others' secrets. She had hosts of skeletons rattling in her own cupboards and that's where she intended them to stay. Round these parts desperate women did desperate things to keep a roof over their heads when the money and the men ran out. It had been that way for as long as she could remember.

'Bleedin' h.e.l.l ... who's that with Kathy? Don't rekernise him as being local.' Beattie smirked, her raised eyebrows signalling she liked the look of the blond fellow lighting up in the car parked across the road.

'I'd take a ride with him any time,' Margaret chortled dirtily.

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