Daughter of Mine

‘Mind your own business, Mike,’ Steve spat out angrily. ‘I don’t have to answer to you.’

‘I was just saying.’

‘Well stop just saying,’ Steve said, ‘because I’ve stopped listening.’

Mike shrugged as Steve turned away from the streets and headed back to one of his favoured haunts in Varna Road.

The good news approving the engagement came after a week. Tressa read it out:

It is obvious you are smitten with each other and as this Mike Malone gives a good account of himself, you have our blessing so far. However, you are young and there is to be no marriage until we have met your intended. We suggest you come home in the summer and introduce us.

‘Isn’t Mammy a pet,’ Tressa said, spinning around in delight.

‘It seems all fine for you, right enough,’ Lizzie said, but she was a little saddened for she knew she would be quite lonely when she told Steve she didn’t want to see him any more, but despite this she would wait no longer than the thirteenth. She owed him that much.

That day, the girls were on duty until three o’clock and Tressa got dinner and sweet orders mixed up, laid tables the wrong way round, forgot the cruets and sauces and dropped so many things in the kitchen that the chef yelled at her. She didn’t seem to care; excitement had taken hold of her and her nerves were jumping about inside her body as she watched the clock anxiously, willing the time to be gone so she could go out to meet her man.

‘We just have three hours,’ she told Lizzie in their room. ‘Do you want the bath first?’

‘Why just three hours. Surely we’re not meeting them at six?’

‘Aye. The theatre performance is at seven thirty.’

‘Even so.’

‘They’re going to be in town anyway,’ Tressa explained. ‘They’re buying the ring today.’

‘Didn’t you want to choose it?’

‘No,’ Tressa said. ‘I wouldn’t know how much Mike would have to spend. I told him to surprise me.’

It had surprised Steve, for he’d seen Mike part with the best part of three weeks’ wages to buy the diamond cluster he’d set his heart on.

‘Some price, man,’ he said as they left the shop.

‘Tressa’s worth it,’ Mike said. ‘Think of it, Steve. This is my passport to freedom.’

‘Yeah,’ Steve remarked gloomily. ‘Let’s go and sink a few pints.’

‘You’re on,’ Mike replied.

That evening there was a spring-like feel to the air. There was even a little warmth in the setting sun and across the road, around St Phillip’s courtyard, Lizzie glimpsed the heads of snowdrops and crocuses peeping through the soil as the girls scurried along the road, for they were meeting the men at the Old Joint Stock.

Judging by the glasses on the tables, Mike and Steve were finishing their third pints when the two girls went into the pub. Lizzie’s heart sank, for when Steve was drunk he was unpredictable and could sometimes be difficult to handle. But she could hardly tell Steve what to do, and more drinks were ordered as soon as they spotted the two girls and no one listened at all when Lizzie said she’d have an orange. This was Tressa and Mike’s moment and she decided she’d not spoil it by making a fuss.

Tressa was rendered speechless by the ring and Lizzie let her breath out in a sigh. ‘Oh, Tressa, it’s gorgeous,’ and it was gorgeous, for the large diamond in the centre was surrounded by smaller diamonds that shone and sparkled in the lights of the pub.

‘Do you like it?’ Mike asked, made self-conscious by Tressa’s silence.

‘Like it? Oh, Mike, I haven’t words…Oh, thank you. I never dreamed you’d buy me something so exquisite.’

‘Nothing in the world is too good for you,’ Mike said, and he leant across the table and the two kissed.

‘Ain’t love grand,’ Steve said sarcastically and then added quietly, ‘You only have to say the word, Lizzie, and I’ll buy you a diamond twice the size of that.’

Lizzie’s heart skipped a beat at the hopeful look in Steve’s eyes, and so though she shook her head she smiled as she did, and leant across and squeezed his hand as he turned to Mike and said, ‘I’ll not congratulate, but commiserate. Another good man down. There’s few of us bachelors left, you know.’

He was putting on a good act for his friend, Lizzie thought. Making the best of it. I wish I could make his day now, by agreeing to be his girl, but I’d be fooling myself and not being fair to him.

Some of the hotel staff used the pub and insisted on buying rounds of drinks when they heard the news of Tressa’s engagement, but Lizzie insisted on drinking only orange. She felt she needed her wits about her for what she must say to Steve, and neither her nor Tressa had eaten since about eleven o’clock. They’d hoped to grab a bite after the lunchtime rush, but hadn’t had time, and she was feeling decidedly peckish.

Eventually, Mike and Tressa got up to go and Lizzie noticed Tressa was none too steady. Not to worry, she thought, we’re not on duty till three tomorrow.

‘What d’you want to do?’ Steve asked, for he knew Lizzie didn’t like staying in the pub all evening.

Lizzie ran her tongue over her lips, which had become unaccountably dry, and said, ‘I need to talk to you, Steve.’

He was unaware of the undercurrent, totally unprepared. ‘Talk away, then. Shall I get us another drink in?’

‘No,’ Lizzie said, grasping his arm. She looked around the noisy pub, with a good number of the hotel staff already there, and knew it wasn’t the place to tell anyone anything important. ‘Not here. Can we walk? It’s a fine evening and quite warm.’

‘It that’s what you want.’

Once in the street, Steve pulled Lizzie close, and as she didn’t protest his heart beat faster. Women were a funny breed. Maybe Mike was right. Maybe an engagement ring on the finger of one woman was a powerful inducement for another. Was that what Lizzie was going to tell him tonight?

He had always had remarkable success with women. In that, Neil had spoken the truth, and Steve had often had trouble shaking them off in the past, though until he’d met Lizzie he’d never been properly in love. However, he was assured of his attractiveness to the opposite sex, and when he’d claimed Lizzie would love him too after a few weeks he’d truly believed she’d be unable to hold out against his charms indefinitely.

‘Come on, darling girl,’ he said. ‘The night is young and you can talk till your heart is content.’

CHAPTER FIVE (#ulink_6e55c9d8-4040-5680-8ae4-20569aedbdbf)

Lizzie knew the centre of the town would probably still have people on the streets, couples like themselves, many of them entwined together, planning their night out or making their way to one of the many entertainment venues, and the Bull Ring would be full of people for a few hours yet. What she had to say needed as much privacy as she could get and so she led the way across St Phillip’s churchyard to Temple Row, and from there into a deserted and semi-dark Needless Alley.

There she stopped and faced Steve, and he smiled to himself. In his book there was only one reason a girl stopped in a dark and quiet place. He was right, Lizzie had fallen for him good and proper, and he decided he’d not go home tonight too frustrated to sleep. Desire, fuelled by the beer he’d consumed, rose in him. A man could only stand so much, he told himself, and by God Lizzie had had things her own way for long enough. He reached for her, pulling her into an entry, and was quite surprised when she twisted out of his grasp.

‘Steve, please. I need you to listen.’

‘Listen be damned,’ Steve cried. ‘The time for talking is past,’ and he grabbed her again roughly, holding her so tight she was unable to move, her chest so crushed she had trouble drawing breath, let alone crying out. Steve was kissing Lizzie madly, forcing her lips apart, his tongue darting in and out, and she wriggled and fought, tossing her head from side to side.

Eventually, she freed one of her hands and was able to push Steve away from her. She realised he’d misconstrued her actions in bringing him here, and so she forgave him his frantic lunge and said gently, ‘Steve, I came here tonight to tell you it’s over between us. I did what you asked and gave the relationship more time, but my feelings haven’t changed. I can’t go out with you any more. It wouldn’t be fair.’

Steve was knocked for six. It was the very last thing he’d expected Lizzie to say and he felt the hurt of it flow through his body. ‘What have I done?’ he asked in an effort to understand. ‘What’s the matter? I love you with all my heart, you know that. Christ, Lizzie, you only have to say what you want, anything, and I’ll get it for you. I love you; I adore you.’

Tears squeezed out of Lizzie’s eyes, for she knew her words had affected Steve deeply. Although it was too dark to see his face, the pain was apparent in his voice. She was angry for allowing herself to be coaxed into continuing to see this man when she knew she felt nothing for him but friendship, and she shook her head sadly. ‘It isn’t you, Steve, it’s me. I’m sorry.’

Steve had never begged, he’d never had need to, but he begged now. ‘Please, Lizzie. You don’t know what you are doing to me. I don’t think I can bear not to ever see you again.’

Lizzie shut her eyes and let the tears trickle down her cheeks.