Hidden past

Chapter 1

Chapter 1

She'd got through it all far better than she had expected. She had had to be strong for Ellen's sake, for Ellen was taking it hard. She hadn't cried, not one tear. She'd just gone upstairs and locked herself in her father's dressing open room and had refused to come out. Only when Ava had threatened to have the door broken down did she it and although Ava had begged her to cry, to let loose all the grief she was bottling up inside, Ellen had just shaken her head, one of Lewis's gloves held tightly in her hand.

Ava was surprised at how kind people had been, too. She had never realized the extent to which Lewis had been respected, for cards and messages arrived from people she'd never heard of and the whole of his workforce, headed by Mr Johnson and Davies, had come to offer their condolences and had begged that four of them be allowed to carry the coffin.

 Doctor Salmon and Canon Ormond between them had taken care of all the formalities and arrangements. Vi and her mother had taken complete charge of the household and Ernest had sent telegrams to her mother, Bridget and Chloe. Elizabeth was distraught, he'd informed her.

"Tell her... tell her to pray for him and thank you, Ernest, you've been so good.'

'It's nothing. Will your family be here for the funeral?

'I don't know,' she answered, wishing with all her heart that she could just lay her head on Evelyn's breast and cry out all her anguish.

Chloe had sent a wreath, a large, expensive one, and a comforting note, deploring with all her heart that she wouldn't be able to come to the funeral, but that when it was all over, Ava must come down and bring the children. It would be good for them all. Edward, too, had sent her a note, asking if there was anything at all he could de? She'd been touched by his gesture, for she'd only met him a few times.

The postal service in the rural areas of the Free State was so bad that Evelyn hadn't even received the telegram until the day of the funeral, but Bridget had come. And it had been Bridget who had found herself to be the strong one that day she who had always been so timid, who had always shied away from situations like this.

 Oh, how she'd changed, she thought, as she held Ava's hand tightly throughout the Requiem Mass and the interment in Ford Cemetery. And it was to Bridget that Ellen finally sobbed out her pent up sorrow the night before her father's funeral. 

She had even had a few words of comfort for Elizabeth, who had sobbed noisily throughout the service. And she had sat up all night with Ava and listened with sorrow and shock to the events that had brought about Lewis's death.

'Oh, Ava, I wish I could stay longer. What are you going to do? Why don't you go down to Chloe or back to Ma?'

'I can't. There are the children, the house, Vi, and Oh, Bridget, such a short time, that's all I had with him. And I could have been a better wife to him!'

'Don't talk like that. You know it's not true.'

'It is! It's only now that I realize how much I loved him. He was good and kind and honourable. And I... I... dreaded him coming to my bed! What kind of a wife does that?" 'Stop it! Stop it, Ava!'

'I feel so guilty! I should have insisted on seeing to his leg. I should have thought.

'Ava, tearing yourself apart like this won't do any good and you know it. You've got Ellen and Jamie to think of now.'

'I know. What can I do, Bridget? I relied on him so much.'

'You were always the sensible one, the practical You'll have to keep the family together. You'll have to run the business, for Jamie. You're no fool, Ava, you can do it.' 'But I know nothing about running a business!' one.

Of course you do. You already do the books, don't you? Mr Johnson will keep the office going and I'm sure the men will help you out, they all turned out, didn't they? Why, they even carried . . . him, and they still need their jobs, don't they?" 'Oh, I don't know if I can face it!'

'You've got to. You've got to try, Ava. It's what Lewis would have wanted and expected of you, you know I'm right!' Bridget fell silent. Was she really talking like this to Ava? Bridget, the one who had run like a scared rabbit from Lancaster Street from that weasel Bart. She'd changed. She'd grown to be more like her sister, like her mother.

Ava had known Bridget was right, but she was too tired, too bowed down with grief to think much about it now. She looked towards the window. It was dawn.

 'You're going to be worn out, Bridget, you'll have had no sleep for two days. Do you have to go back this morning?" 'Yes, but Ma will be here soon. She'll take care of you until you're feeling better.'

'Oh, Bridget, I don't know what I'd have done with out you. You would have coped, Ava. You're stronger than think. You always were.'

Ava looked at her sister, really looked at her for the first time since Bridget had arrived. 'You've changed, Bridget. You've grown up.'

I had to. Life is hard, Ava and fate is unkind. We've both found that out to our cost, but perhaps it's all for a reason."

As soon as Evelyn arrived Ava felt as though a great weight had been lifted from her shoulders. Evelyn took charge instantly and it was she who opened the door to Elizabeth and Ernest when Elizabeth at last came to the house she'd not set foot in for years.

Evelyn showed them into the parlour where Ava and Ellen were trying to keep Jamie amused. All the pic tures and the mirrors were draped in black and the room looked sombre despite the sunlight that came in through the window. I'm glad you've come Elizabeth. I wish you had come sooner, Ava said with a catch in her voice. 

She wore a plain black dress with only a jet brooch at the neck and she looked very pale and thin. Elizabeth also wore black, but the dress was embroidered with jet beads and looked more like an evening dress than sombre mourning, Evelyn thought. 'I... I couldn't bring myself to come. It was Ernest who persuaded me. . .' Elizabeth dabbed her eyes with a black-edged handkerchief. 'But at times. .. like this... we must be . . . practical.'

Evelyn eyed her coldly. Elizabeth hated Ava and Evelyn didn't think her views had been changed by her father's demise. So, the vultures were gathering. 'Practical' was it? Oh, she was hard and scheming to come here when Ava was so vulnerable. But Madam Elizabeth hadn't reckoned on her being here.

'Practical, now there's a fine word.'

Elizabeth ignored Evelyn. 'It's so... so painful to me, Ava, to have to bring this up... but Father leave a will?' ... did

Ava stared at her blankly for a second. 'A will?' she echoed. 'Oh, yes... I believe he did.'

'Elizabeth, don't you think we should leave this until later?' Ernest interrupted, looking uncomfortable. 'Ernest, it will have to be dealt with sooner or later. There's just no. . . suitable time."

'It's all right, Ernest, I understand. Your father made provision for you, Elizabeth, despite . . . he said.' despite what

'In what way?'

'He left you the deeds to your house."

'And?'

'Holy Mother of God! Your Pa's not cold in his grave and all you're interested in is how much money he's left you?' Evelyn erupted.

"There isn't any money,' Ava said tiredly.

'What? I don't believe it!'

Ava pressed her fingers against her temples, wishing her step-daughter would just disappear. 'Mr Boreham, the solicitor, has the will. You may see him. But the business and the property, what's left, is Jamie. Ellen has three houses and I have this house."

'Ava, you've no need to tell her all this! She's a hard-hearted little madam, if ever I saw one! Would you kindly take your wife home, where she belongs, Ernest, and if I were you I'd go and see the solicitor. My daughter is not up to all this!"

Elizabeth turned on Evelyn. 'I don't think any of this concerns you!'

"That's just where you're wrong! My daughter and my grandchildren concern me greatly. And as far as I can see, you came here to brow-beat her into agreeing to something. But you didn't expect me to be here, did you? Oh, I could see what your little game was right from the minute you walked through that door, dressed up as though you were going to the theatre and putting on such a fine display of grief. You'd make a good actress, Elizabeth, but it won't wear with me. I've already got one actress in the family and I learned her little tricks years ago!'

And how is Ava going to run a business by herself?"