‘You ok, Charlene?’ Ingrid asks, looking at her with concern.

‘Yeah, I’m alright’ Charlene replies listlessly without looking up.

‘You look a bit pale, that’s all. You not feeling very well?’ Ingrid crosses the office, using the excuse of needing to water the plant on top of the filing cabinet to stand next to her.

‘Bit tired tha’s all. I’m alright, honest’ She recoils involuntarily as Ingrid lifts her arm to reach for the tiny plastic watering can.

‘Charlene?’ Ingrid looks shocked. ‘What on earth’s the matter, you didn’t think I was going to hit you, did you?’

‘Nooo’ Charlene’s hands tremble as she pulls a tissue from her sleeve and pinches it to her nose.

‘Has someone upset you?’

She shakes her head. ‘Noooo’

‘Did Nathan say something about duplicating that order, was he annoyed?’

She shakes her head again. ‘Nooo…h-he wasn’t angry he dint do nothing’ she hiccoughs as tears start to roll down her cheeks.

Ingrid goes to the door and pushes the catch down to lock it and returns to Charlene, crouching next to her and laying one hand on her lap as she looks up into her face. ‘Come on, sweetheart. What’s the matter?’ she says softly.

‘Nothing…honest’ Charlene flinches, her mouth rounding in a silent yelp of pain as Ingrid puts a hand on her shoulder.

‘Charlene?’ Ingrid stands up. ‘What’s happened to you?’

‘I’m alright!’

‘Show me!’

Charlene shakes her head again, pushing her chair back and away from Ingrid.

‘That Gemma’s not been at you again, has she?’

‘No’ Charlene whispers, her eyes still streaming tears.

‘But somebody has, haven’t they? Please…let me see’

‘It’s alright. I fell down the stairs, tha’s all’

‘Yeah, right’ Ingrid’s face tightens.

‘It’ll soon get better…it always…’ She stops, her breath coming in brief sobs as she looks at Ingrid anxiously. ‘I mean..’

‘You’ve fallen down the stairs before?’ Ingrid raises a cynical eyebrow, stroking Charlene’s hair and drawing her head to rest against her chest when there is no answer. ‘Tell me, sweetheart. Let me help you’

‘I can’t! He’ll get me Mum’

‘Who will?’ Charlene turns her face to Ingrid’s sweater and sobs. ‘Who will, Charlene?’ Ingrid asks again, resting her cheek on top of her head and crooning.

‘Me Dad’ she says at last, raising her head. ‘Please don’t say nothing. Me Mum’ll get it if he finds out I’ve told’

‘I didn’t think your Dad lived at home?’

‘He don’t…but he’d still get ‘er. He’ll kick the door in, tha’s what he says’

‘Then how….when do you see him…why does he do this to you?’

‘I have t’get him money. He finds me. Don’t matter where I go, he can find me…he got friends y’see’

‘Money?’

Charlene nods her head slowly. ‘For booze an’ stuff’

‘And you give it to him?’

‘Usually….but I dint have any. I got t’make me payment on me car else they’ll take it away. It costs ever such a lot to get here on the bus all the time’

‘And he hit you because you didn’t have anything to give him?’

‘Sort of’

‘Sort of, what do you mean?’

Charlene starts to cry in earnest, her words coming in a strained high pitched whine.  ‘He said what it wasn’t nothing what I int done before…but I didn’t want to. I didn’t, besides, he was horrible and old and I don’t do things…not like that’

‘What didn’t you want to do?’ Ingrid asks, knowing but dreading the answer.

‘Go with this man he knew what’d give him money if I did’

‘Oh, Charlene!’ Ingrid closes her eyes and swallows the bile rising in her throat.

‘I didn’t Ingrid, honest. I didn’t do it. Don’t think bad of me, please. He said what I’d got to and he kept on hitting me but I wouldn’t…I’m gonna lose me car now and I've only just got it!’ She starts to sob again ‘Then it won’t hardly be worth me coming t’work…and I won’t have any money t’give him and he’ll get me Mum…’

‘You gave him money after all?’

‘I had to! I was hurting that much and he were gonna go beat me Mum up an’ all less I went with this man. I told him what I’d go to the cash machine and tha’s all what I’d got in there, so when they wants their money, there int gonna be none and then the bank’ll send me a letter and they’ll come and get me car and then…’ she babbles in a panic. ‘Don’t tell Nathan…pleeease’

‘Nathan?’

‘He’ll get angry ‘n hit me for being stupid and giving me Dad me money so I can’t come to work’

‘Nathan will? Don’t be silly, Nathan wouldn’t hit you’ Ingrid’s drawn face looks down at her in astonishment.

‘He will. They hit you don’t they, when they gets annoyed? Tha’s what some men do…when they get angry’ She shrugs and winces with pain. ‘It’s just summat they do an’ we have t’put up with it…cept I hurt too much already, please don’t tell him’

‘Nathan would NEVER hit you! NOBODY has the right to hit you. Where on earth did you get that idea from?’

Charlene blows her nose on the remains of her tissue and wipes her eyes with the back of her hand. ‘Me Mum told me’ she says eventually. ‘Me Dad was always hittin’ her. I were always scared but she said it was all right cos he only did it cos he were the boss’

Ingrid gives a low moan. ‘Oh Charlene’

‘Nathan’s me boss int he …so…’

‘No, sweetheart, that’s not how it is…and not how it should be with your Dad either. Are you going to let me see now? I think we should go to the police, this can’t keep on happening’

‘What about me car?’ Charlene wails. ‘I got no money nor nothing now’

‘I’ll sort that out for you, don’t worry but we need to do something about your Dad’

The door rattles and Nathan comes to the window, holding his hand between his brow and the glass as he peers through. Charlene squeals with fright.

‘It’s okay’ Ingrid assures her.

‘Don’t tell him, please don’t tell him’

‘He is NOT going to hit you!’ She brushes her hand over Charlene’s hair and cups her cheek. ‘You stay here a minute. I’ll go talk to him’

‘Nooo!’ Charlene grabs her hand.  ‘Please don’t’ she pleads.

‘Sweetheart, he has to know. It’ll be fine’ She squeezes her hand reassuringly and smiles. ‘If he hits you I’ll…I’ll…I’ll run him over with a steamroller!’

Charlene gives a watery smile.

‘TWICE!’ Ingrid offers again.

With a splutter of tears, mucus and laughter Charlene nods her consent.

Samms Plant Hire, Oatfield

Chapter Nine

Milliwick Newsagents

‘Good job you orders your copy’ Liz tells Kathleen, reaching under the counter and bringing out a bundle of assorted magazines separated by cardboard markers. ‘Last month’s fair flew off the shelf, you wouldn’t’ve got one’ She leafs through the markers and draws out Kath’s copy.

‘Everybody wanting to know the gossip but not liking to ask Mrs. James, I suppose’ Kath looks down at this month’s cover.

‘I din’t know the first thing ‘bout it ‘til I saw that!’ Liz protests.

‘No’ Kath chuckles ‘I’m not saying you did’

‘I hope you int saying I gossips’

‘But that’s all I come in for!’

Liz gives a little snort, knowing she is being teased. ‘What a t’do though eh? The boy must be that embarrassed’

‘He’s not mentioned it?’

‘Noo. Why should he?’ Liz returns the bundle of magazines to the under-counter shelf. ‘She’s a funny woman. Cold. ‘E int never ad a mother t’speak of, poor lad. Got a face on her what’d curdle milk half the time, lessin she wants summat. Do you know’ she says with a single wag of her index finger ‘Her come in afore Christmas after wantin me t’wrap a box a choc’lates! I told her I got better things t’be doin!’ She sniffs contemptuously. ‘Didn’t want nothing too expensive neither, I ask yer! Tight as a duck’s arse that un and tha’s watertight’

‘Oh, Lord, yes’ Kath’s lips vibrate in a snort of disgust. ‘Remember the time they got asked to open the village fete? The old vicar was in a right flap. Harriet’s boy said he’d be happy to do it then that Ruth sent him a bill for a personal appearance!’

‘I’d quite forgotten that’ Liz’s lips purse. ‘Her sorted it though dint she, Harriet I mean’

‘Yes, thank goodness, otherwise we might just as well’ve forgotten about the fete and given our money straight to her!’

‘They never got asked again, tha’s fer sure’

‘Perhaps he will now. Different cup of tea entirely to that… woman…and she can’t act for toffee!’ Kath launches a final insult.

‘I like watching him though, got a twinkle, like the boy’ Liz sighs wistfully.

‘And more your age?’ Kath raises an eyebrow.

‘There’s that an’all!’ Liz cackles. ‘I can dream can’t I?’

The Old Mill Cafe

‘Did you have a nice time at your do?’ Jessie asks, shaking her spoon again and getting annoyed when the cream still refuses to drop onto her scone.

‘It was a lovely evening’ Sandra replies with a giggle as she watches Jessie’s efforts. ‘Why don’t you scrape it off with a knife?’

‘That…’Jessie grunts ‘Would be too easy’ She gives the spoon one more vigorous shake. ‘Oh, sod it’ she says, licking the cream from the spoon and popping a piece of the scone in her mouth.

‘You forgot the jam’ Sandra points out, hooting with laughter as Jessie dips her finger into the small white china pot and rubs it around her teeth. ‘Oh Jessie!’ She puts her hand over her mouth and looks round apologetically for the noise she is making.

‘Same difference’ Jessie giggles. ‘Sooo…the choice of underwear was a hit was it? I haven’t seen you since. Where have you been?’

‘I’ve been backwards and forwards to town seeing all sorts of people. It was a great night for making contacts. I shall have more work than I know what to do with….and the underwear…. ‘ she adds in a whisper ‘was very well received’

Jessie leans forward. ‘You said that without blushing’ she teases in a reciprocal whisper.

‘I am now!’ Sandra laughs, putting her hands to her cheeks. ‘It was fabulous’

‘He likes you prancing around in knickers with no bum in then?’ Jessie’s eyebrows take on a life of their own.

‘Nooo….well… yes…but…’ She snorts at Jessie’s expression. ‘The hotel, the dinner, the people…everything! …. Jess…’ she hesitates only briefly ‘Can you keep a secret?’

‘Of course I can…you should know that’

‘Yes…well…I should really, shouldn’t I? Bit silly asking really’

‘Come on then!’ Jessie says impatiently.

‘I think…I’m late’

‘Oh!’ Jessie’s eyes widen with delight.

‘Only a few days, but it’s so unlike me’

‘Does Tim know?’

‘I think he’s guessed I’m excited about something…but I’m not sure he knows why. I don’t want to say anything yet…but I had to share it with someone. You think I’m being a bit optimistic?’

Jessie clasps her hand, tears glittering in her eyes. ‘I’ve been where you are now so many times. I know exactly how you feel. I do so want you to be right…Have you done a test? They can tell as soon as you’ve got your breath back these days’

‘I daren’t. I’d be so disappointed if I’m wrong. I think I’d rather wait and see what happens…if anything happens. It could just be wishful thinking’

‘You’ve been wishing that for seven years and it didn’t make any difference’

‘Yes…but’

‘Mmm, yes…there has been a subtle change in your circumstances’ Jessie titters.

‘Mmm’ Sandra agrees, pressing her lips together ‘I think we can safely say we haven’t missed any crucial days’ she confides with a grin.

‘Then I shall keep my fingers crossed! Ohhhhh I’m all excited now! I’ve got some lovely patterns…’

‘Not yet! And don’t tell anyone, will you? I don’t want people asking if it turns out I’m not after all. I just needed to tell someone and Tim would’ve got all nervous and starey’

‘Starey?’

‘You know…watching and waiting for you to say something. He’s like that when I’m working on anything I’m having trouble with, daren’t ask outright if things are going okay in case they’re not’

‘Better leave it until the delivery room then and surprise him’