Far From Home. Anne Bennett

because we weren’t at the dance on Friday.’

      ‘It isn’t compulsory.’

      ‘I know,’ Susie said. ‘But I thought it nice. He thought we might have been poorly, that’s all. He only just caught us because we had just got in from seeing my nan.’

      ‘It was tipping it down yesterday.’

      Susie nodded. ‘Don’t I know it?’ she said. ‘We were a bit damp, but Nick was saturated. Mom had his coat steaming over the fire before you could say Jack Robinson. And she insisted he stayed for tea. Said he had to, or his coat wouldn’t be dry, and she would not like to be held responsible for him catching pneumonia.’

      ‘And so at last your parents have met the illustrious Nick, who you dance most of the night with, every Friday.’

      ‘Yeah, and they liked him, and to be honest I’m glad because I would like to do more than just dance with him.’

      Kate turned to her friend and saw the light shining in her eyes as she asked gently, ‘And how does he feel?’

      ‘To be absolutely straight with you, Kate,’ Susie said, ‘Nick feels the same way. He has asked me out but I have refused.’

      ‘Why?’

      ‘Because I don’t want to leave you on your own.’

      Kate felt suddenly cold. She knew Susie loved her, they were best friends, and she also knew she wanted her to leave the past behind her, where it belonged, and begin to look forward. And this was compounded when Susie said, ‘What do you really feel about David Burton?’

      Kate shrugged. ‘I don’t know.’

      ‘He’s nice,’ Susie said. ‘And you did admit that you liked him.’

      Kate nodded. ‘I know.’

      ‘D’you think you could ever feel more than just liking?’

      Kate shook her head. ‘To promise him anything more wouldn’t be fair to him,’ she said. ‘Most of my heart was left in Donegal with Tim Munroe.’

      ‘I think David would take anything you had left,’ Susie said. ‘He really has got it bad. Nick said he’s dotty about you.’

      ‘That’s why it wouldn’t be right for me to encourage him,’ Kate said.

      She wished she could, really she did, because she knew that it would please Susie and she really wanted to please her, but – even though she did like him better than any other man she had met since leaving Ireland – all she felt for him was a warm friendship. She looked at Susie and shook her head slowly. ‘I’m sorry, Susie. I’m not ready to love anyone else yet.’

      ‘I’m sorry, too,’ Susie said, adding angrily, ‘and it is you that I am sorry for – because you might never be ready. You have been here three years now, and unless you get out of this mindset you’ll never find anyone to match up to your precious Tim, and you’ll look back when it’s too late and see the wasted life you’ve had.’

      Kate was sorry that she had annoyed Susie and very glad that they had to leave the tram then. As soon as they alighted they were joined by a gaggle of girls all making their way to the factory, but the words Susie had flung at her stayed in her mind all day as she worked on her machine.

      Sally had found her way to Erdington and walked down until she came to the village green and a public library that opened on to it. She entered cautiously, glad to be out of the blustery wind, and inside she saw a room spread out with newspapers and magazines and people just sitting reading them. A rather stern-looking young woman was behind the high polished wood counter, dressed in a pale blue blouse that buttoned to the neck and was decorated with a cameo brooch. ‘Can anyone do that?’ Sally asked tentatively.

      The woman smiled, which made her look much more human, as she asked, ‘Do what?’

      ‘Sit in there,’ Sally said, pointing to the room. ‘And read the papers?

      ‘Certainly, they can,’ the librarian told her. ‘That’s what it’s for. It’s our reading room.’

      Sally couldn’t remember a time when she had been able to sit and read unmolested. Even when she had been at school, homework was one thing, but when that was done, just reading was not a thing her mother had much time for – she would always find a job for Sally if she dared pick up a book. So to sit down in a warm room, ensconced in one of the leather chairs, spread out a paper or magazine on the shiny wooden table in front of her and start to read was a treat for her.

      She left when her stomach told her that it was near dinner-time and retraced her steps back to the flat and made tea and toast for herself as Kate had instructed her to do that morning before she’d left. Then she tidied everything up, picked up the shopping list and basket, bought the things for tea and had a meal waiting for Kate when she came in.

      Kate was grateful, and said so, and then as they sat together at the table, Sally told her about the reading room in Erdington Village Library where she had spent the morning. ‘You can take books out as well,’ Kate told her. ‘And keep two books for a fortnight. It is nice to have a book to read in the evening sometimes. In fact, I have two to return this Saturday.’

      ‘I will probably be on my way home by then.’

      Kate nodded. ‘More than likely,’ she said. ‘Though if Mammy got the letter this morning, the earliest we could get a reply would be Wednesday.’

      ‘Unless she sent a telegram?’

      ‘No,’ Kate said with a definite shake of her head. ‘Mammy wouldn’t use a telegram. I imagine she has a heap of things to say to you and she could hardly do that on a telegram. Rest assured, Mammy will send a letter.’

      However, Wednesday came and went, but on Thursday, just as soon as Sally went back into the house, after spending another morning at the reading room in Erdington Library, she saw the envelope lying on the hall table. Her stomach flipped over in nervousness and she carried it up to the flat as if it was hot and might burn her. It was addressed to Kate. How much Sally wanted to steam it open and read what her mother had to say, but she didn’t dare, and, though she kept herself busy, the hours seemed to drag till she heard Kate’s key in the lock.

      And then perversely she didn’t want Kate to open the letter and read the dreadful things she knew her mother would say about her. Kate saw her agitation and guessed the reason for it and she said gently, ‘We have to know, Sally. Tell you what, let’s leave the meal for now. Just make a cup of tea and we’ll eat when we know what’s in the letter.’

      However, Kate was as surprised as Sally at her mother’s words. She first spoke of her shock and outrage at what Sally had done, which Kate had expected.

      Though I soon knew where she had gone for though her scribbled note told me nothing, Dinny Malone, you know him from the rail bus booking office, saw your father passing through town that same day and told him of yon lass booking her passage to Strabane and telling him she was going to England to see her sister. He thought your father knew all about it though I know he would find it strange that there had been no word of it before. Of course your father knew nothing and was so taken by shock and surprise he had Dinny repeat the tale again before he could bring himself to believe it.

      I was as stunned as he was. When I arrived home and saw no sign of her, if your father hadn’t met up with Dinny I would have had the Guards out and the whole county alerted for I hadn’t seen the note at first.

      As it was I began wondering what she had used for money to pay her way. I knew that though she’d run to you, you would be ignorant of what she intended to do, and would never have sent her money to carry out such a thing, you are far too sensible. The only money in the house is the money for the eggs and I checked it, though I felt sick at the thought that one of my children would steal and from their own parents.

      But that is exactly what Sally did. She took every penny and for that reason she is no longer my daughter