Читать книгу A Daughter’s Courage: A powerful, gritty new saga from the Sunday Times bestseller - Kitty Neale - Страница 12

The next morning, when it was time for Dorothy to get up for work, she turned over in bed and then all at once remembered. Robbie was gone. She felt her eyes prick with tears again and rubbed them, feeling how sore and puffy they were.

Dorothy didn’t know what time she’d eventually cried herself to sleep but her body and mind felt exhausted. The last thing she wanted was to go to work, and worst of all she would have to tell people about Robbie whilst the pain was so raw.

Alice quietly tapped on the door and pushed it open. ‘I thought you might like a cup of tea.’

‘Thanks,’ said Dorothy, taking the chipped cup and saucer, but the last thing she wanted was anything to eat or drink. Her stomach was in such a knot that she was bound to throw it straight back up.

‘Oh, Dottie, look at the state of your eyes. You can’t go to work looking like that. I’ll get you a cold flannel to put on them.’

‘All right, but I’d best get a move on or I’ll be late and you know what old Epstein is like if any of us are even a minute overdue,’ Dorothy said. Then she paused. ‘Truth is, I really don’t know if I can face going in today. Can I stay home, please, Mum?’

‘No, I’m sorry, love, we can’t afford for you to lose a day’s pay. I know you’re upset about Robbie, but at the end of the day he’s just a man. Maybe he’ll write to you with some sort of explanation, but if he doesn’t you’ve got to get over him. Weeping about at home won’t do you any good, so buck yourself up and get yourself off to work.’

Dorothy flopped back on the bed. She knew her mum was right, but that didn’t change the fact that she really didn’t want to go in.

Alice came back to the bedroom with a cold flannel. ‘You’re still not dressed?’

‘I can’t do it, Mum. I can’t face it.’

‘You can and you will. Now get yourself up and sorted. Anyhow, Nelly will be there and it’ll be good for you to talk to a friend.’

When Dorothy thought about it she decided that maybe Nelly could shed some light on Robbie’s disappearance. Affectionately known as Nelly the News, her friend always seemed to know about everything that was going on in Battersea.

Soon after, with a heavy heart and swollen eyes, Dorothy traipsed to work and, though she managed to hold herself together, the moment she saw Nelly the hurt within rose again and she broke down. Dorothy felt Nelly’s large arms engulf her, yet they brought little comfort, and the look of sympathy in her friend’s eyes just added to her pain.

‘Dottie, oh, sugar, I’ve heard about Robbie.’

Dorothy pulled away from her friend’s embrace and looked at her imploringly, hoping Nelly would have the answers she so desperately needed. ‘I don’t understand. We were planning on getting married, so why has he run off like this?’

Nelly bit her bottom lip, and as she lowered her eyes Dorothy got the distinct impression that the woman was hiding something. ‘Nelly, you’re supposed to be my friend, so whatever it is you know, please, you have to tell me.’

‘I’ve been hearing things over the last few days, but Dottie, it’s because I’m your friend that I don’t want to tell you. I don’t want to see you hurt.’

‘It’s too late for that,’ Dorothy pleaded. ‘Look at the state of me. I need to know.’

Nelly led Dorothy to a bench at the back of the bakery, her fat sausage fingers wrapped around Dorothy’s hand as she began to speak. ‘There’s been a lot of talk around about Robbie, things you obviously haven’t heard, and to be honest, now he’s gone, I think it’s best you hear the truth. I should have told you ages ago, but you were so happy and I thought that maybe there was a chance he might change his ways.’

Dorothy’s heart was pounding so hard that she thought it might burst out of her chest. Her stomach was in knots again and she held her breath as she waited for Nelly to continue.

‘The thing is, Dot, he’s a womaniser. He’s been putting it about with all and sundry and he’s led you a right merry dance. You know I’ve never liked him and now you know why.’

In her heart Dorothy wasn’t totally surprised as she’d had her suspicions. Yet when she had asked Robbie he’d denied it. What a fool she’d been, falling for his lies. Her mind churned. Or maybe he loved her and had changed, just like Nelly thought he might. Confused, she ran her hands over her face. It was all too much; she couldn’t think straight.

‘Robbie asked me to marry him,’ she said slowly, ‘and though I did wonder if he’d been seeing anyone else, he swore that I’m the only one. Maybe he was a womaniser at first, but not now. He loves me. I’m sure he does.’

Nelly was shaking her head. ‘Dottie, I’m sorry, but there’s more and it’s worse. I saw Cynthia yesterday and she told me that Robbie was knocking on her door in the early hours on Sunday morning. She said he was in a right old state, sweating and panting. Once she got him inside he said he was on the run from the coppers ’cos he’d just done a big job, and asked her to hide him for a while. He paid her well, so she put him up until a decent hour, then she went and borrowed her brother’s car to drop him at the train station.’

Dorothy couldn’t believe what she was hearing. Robbie doing a ‘big job’? Puzzled, she said, ‘I don’t understand. What was this job?’

‘He robbed some posh jeweller’s over the river.’

Dorothy was finding this all very difficult to take in, but then an idea struck and it suddenly made sense to her. ‘I know why he did it, Nelly. It was to get me a ring. Robbie’s not a bad person and he’s no thief. This is all my fault for putting pressure on him to get me that engagement ring. He did it for me! Oh, Nelly, what have I done?’

Nelly sucked in her breath. ‘But what about spending the night with Cynthia? She’s only got one room and one bed so we know where he slept. Is that your fault too?’

‘Well, if he needed somewhere to hide, everyone knows she’ll do just about anything for money and maybe he was desperate. He must have been so scared.’

‘Dottie, you can be so bloody naïve sometimes. I’m telling you, you’re well rid of that man. He’s a blinkin’ criminal who can’t keep his trousers zipped up.’

Dorothy felt a surge of strength and stood up defiantly. ‘You’re wrong, Nelly. You know what your problem is, don’t you? You always want to see the bad in people, to give you something to gossip about. You won’t have it that Robbie did this for me because he loves me and wants the best for me. Well, I’m sorry, but if you refuse to accept that my fiancé is a good, decent man, then you can go to hell!’

With that Dorothy stormed from the room, in no doubt that she’d left Nelly gobsmacked. She cared a lot for her friend, but if Nelly wanted to say such malicious things about Robbie, then she had no regrets about calling her a gossip.

She rubbed both hands across her face as her mind reeled. Her mother had been right to make her come to work, and now at least she knew the truth. Robbie had been forced to go on the run, and it was all her fault. Oh, Robbie, her mind cried. When will I ever see you again?