Fifty-three
Beth could hardly believe it as she crossed off the last day on the calendar. Sixty working days had taken an age to pass. And they hadn’t exactly been event free. Of course, they’d included her failed attempt to visit Charlie. She was now incredibly pleased she’d taken the decision to leave without knocking on his door. It was far better to leave well alone. What good would it have done to see him?
There had also been many other stressful incidents over the last three months.
Christmas had consisted of the usual shenanigans at the Campbell house, followed by a trip up to Bolton to see James’s brothers. They were no more talkative than any of the other times she’d visited, but at least she had a better understanding now of why they were so hopeless. A part of her felt sorry for them. She wouldn’t go as far as to say she was fond of her brothers-in-law, but things were better. Also, with Shirley gone, Beth had taken it upon herself to cook them all a roast dinner, which was nice, and Dean had been proud to do the honours with the gas.
Most of the stress during the sixty-day waiting period had revolved around James and his ever-increasing secretiveness. Many times he told her he was attending a GA meeting. She wanted to believe him, but then, he arrived home, either flushed with excitement or incredibly morose. As far as she could see, neither of these states could be associated with sitting around in a draughty old hall, talking to a load of other addicts. Then there was the time just after Christmas, when he turned up with a swollen eye, that was becoming blacker by the second. He claimed it was a disagreement at work, ‘something and nothing’ was how he described it. But she’d been sure there was more to it. She would never forget the day those two men had barged into their house and taken their possessions. If Lisa hadn’t told her to take off her rings, she would have no wedding ring now. Worse still, she would have lost Nanna’s engagement ring. The worry that those men, or others like them, might turn up at her door again, was never far from her mind. And yet, she was so determined to try for a baby that she pressed on with the plan, regardless of her fears.
As arranged, Beth met Nanna in town. Nanna had been having lunch with one of her friends, and Beth was taking a precious hour off work. They met outside the bank.
‘Hi, did you and Winnie have a nice lunch?’ Beth loved Nanna’s friend, she was quite a character, much like Nanna. When they were kids, she and Lisa had found it hilarious to call her Winnie the Pooh.
‘Not bad. Although she will insist on wearing those ill-fitting teeth, she can’t chew quietly with the damn things.’
‘Teeth?’
‘Yes, I swear they were her husband’s first. She’d do anything to save a pound or two, that one would.’
‘Oh, my goodness. I hope you’re joking.’
‘I’m just saying, I much preferred her original teeth.’
‘No doubt she did too!’ Beth laughed. ‘So, even though Winnie’s teeth are possibly a hand me down pair of dentures from her late husband,’ she grimaced, ‘you had fun?’
‘Well, I wouldn’t exactly go that far.’ Nanna rubbed her temples.
‘What’s up? You don’t seem too good.’
‘It’s nothing. I’ve just had a rotten headache all day. I can’t seem to shift it. I’m afraid I let Winnie do most of the talking.’
‘I shouldn’t think she minded.’
‘No. She didn’t. Come on then, darling. Let’s get your money.’
For the second time they queued in the bank. Again, with anticipation, Beth counted down the customers as they waited. A couple of times she spotted Nanna pinching between her eyes, and she silently begged the people in front to hurry up. The sooner I get her home for a lie down the better.
Their turn duly came, and Nanna carried out the transaction. Within minutes they were leaving the bank with over four thousand pounds in cash.
Beth thought there must be a flashing light above her head and a sign on her back that read – Please mug me! She couldn’t get to the car quick enough.
‘I can get the bus if you need to go back to work,’ Nanna suggested.
‘Don’t be daft. Jump in. I’ll run you home. Besides, this sludge is slippery, I don’t want you having an accident.’ Beth kicked at the soggy brown snow, collecting in piles on the pavement. She helped Nanna into the tiny car and did up her seatbelt. ‘It’s the least I can do after you’ve possibly just made all my dreams come true.’
Although her head was aching, Nanna managed a small smile. ‘Oh, I do hope so.’
The traffic was kind to them, and they were soon at Nanna’s. Beth took a minute to see her into the house. ‘Take a couple of paracetamol and have a lie down. OK?’
‘Yes, ma’am.’
‘I mean it. You’re clearly not well.’
‘I’m all right. Don’t fuss.’
‘Nanna, you let Winnie do all the talking at lunch, by rights I should be calling an ambulance,’ Beth joked.
‘Fair point. I promise, I’m going to go to bed the second you leave.’
‘Good.’ Beth kissed Nanna on her soft cheek. ‘I love you so much. You’re one in a million.’
‘I love you too.’
‘I’ve made an appointment, and, in just over a week, James and I will be sitting in the clinic discussing my cycle and deciding when to start. And it’s all thanks to you.’
‘You’re sure it’s enough for a go?’
‘I told you, it’s more than enough. We’ll definitely be able to do it now.’
‘Just keep that money safe.’
‘Oh, I will do, don’t worry.’ Beth gave Nanna one more kiss and headed back to her car.
‘You do know what she meant, don’t you?’
‘Who? Nanna?’
‘Yes.’ Lisa repeated herself, ‘You do know what she meant by “keep that money safe”?’
‘Yes.’
‘She meant don’t let your thieving bastard of a husband find it.’
‘No, she didn’t, she just meant ‒ put it somewhere safe.’
‘Yes, somewhere safe where your thieving bastard of a husband can’t find it.’
‘Oh, shut up. He’s as excited about this as I am.’
‘You’re not taking the money back to work, are you?’
‘No, I thought I’d pop home first. Put it somewhere it can’t get lost.’
‘Hide it from James, you mean.’
‘That’s not what I said.’
‘He was very shifty last week.’
‘Last week?’
‘Yeah, he was asking you when the IVF money could be drawn out. He looked well dodgy.’
‘No, he did not!’
‘I’m telling you, you’d better hide it well.’
‘James would never …’
‘Bollocks. James would sell his own mother if she hadn’t already died.’
Beth chose to ignore Lisa for the rest of the drive.
Once home, she stood in the middle of the lounge, trying to think of a safe place for the money. She kidded herself she was hiding it from burglars, or possibly from loan sharks who may come knocking. But the truth was, of course she was hiding it from James, and she hated the fact that it was necessary to do so.
Deciding on a great hiding place, she stashed the cash safely away and headed back to work.
As it was Valentine’s night, James had booked them a table at the same restaurant they’d been to for her nineteenth birthday. Beth was looking forward to a delicious meal.
‘Are you going to let that moron order for you this time?’
‘Maybe.’
‘You shouldn’t.’
‘It’s romantic.’
‘Pah! No, it’s not. It’s pathetic at best, and fucking controlling at worst.’
‘He chose gorgeous food last time.’
‘Yeah, I seem to remember you worrying that he was going to kick off about his steak being tough – what a tender moment that was. If you’ll pardon the pun!’
‘The dishes he chose for me were really nice. I trust him.’
‘I would not trust that man with a bucket of water if my knickers were on fire!’
‘Very funny.’
‘Thanks. I do believe it’s one of Nanna’s.’
‘It certainly sounds like one of hers.’
‘Seriously, though, sis. For goodness’ sake, at least choose your own food.’
‘Just leave it now. I need to get ready.’ As Beth had a bath and dressed ready for their romantic meal, Nanna’s money and its hiding place were never far from her thoughts.
Their table was booked for seven-thirty. By seven, Beth was getting jumpy. Come on, James, you’ve still got to have a shower!
‘Oh dear. Is he late?’
‘Not yet!’
‘I can’t think what’s keeping him. Oh wait, yes, I can. He’s gambling.’
‘He’ll be here.’ Beth tapped her nails on the arm of the sofa, nervously.
‘I have never known anyone as ‒’
Hearing James’s key in the door, Beth jumped up from her seat. ‘Here he is! What have you got to say now, Lisa?’
‘He looks rough!’
Lisa was right. James looked terrible.
‘What’s happened? You’re …’
Taking in the fact she was all dressed up, James sighed. ‘I don’t feel like going out, love. Sorry.’
‘Are you ill?’
‘No … yes … sort of.’
‘What’s up with you?’
‘I’m just not in the mood.’
‘But it’s Valentine’s. I wanted to celebrate.’
‘Let’s be honest, sweetheart, it’s a stupid tradition anyway. It was invented by greetings card manufacturers. It’s just another way of them making flamin’ money.’
‘You booked it, dickhead!’ Lisa wasn’t buying his excuse.
Beth could see her point. ‘But James, this meal was your idea. You wanted to go back to that posh place where we ‒’
Nothing could have prepared her for his outburst. ‘Look, just shut up about it now. Can you do that for me? Please?’
‘I beg your pardon?’
‘I mean, shush, now.’
‘No, you don’t, you mean shut up. You just said so. Why are you being like this?’
James lowered himself into the armchair, with all the ease of an old man. His head dropped into his hands. ‘I don’t have any money just now.’
‘Oh.’
‘I had some, I put it to one side, but …’
‘Right.’
‘Valentine’s is only a stupid made up holiday, like I said.’
‘Shall I offer to pay for the meal?’ Beth asked her sister.
‘No way. Are you seriously telling me you still want to go out on a romantic date with that?’
Beth sat down on the sofa. Reaching for James’s hand, she whispered, ‘I wanted to celebrate the IVF too.’
‘How can we celebrate it, we haven’t done it yet.’
‘No, but the sixty days was up today, and ‒’
‘SHUT THE FUCK UP!’ Lisa warned. ‘Whatever you do, do not tell that man that there’s four thousand pounds in cold hard readies hidden in this house.’
‘And?’ James’s head shot up. There was a flicker of hope in his eyes.
‘And … umm … Nanna has our money.’ Beth amended her sentence at the last second.
James’s head dropped back into his hands.
Date night was over.