A Daughter’s Courage: A powerful, gritty new saga from the Sunday Times bestseller. Kitty Neale
get straight to the point.’
Alice nodded, her brow furrowed as she took a chair on the other side of the table, saying nothing as she waited for him to continue.
‘I know that my brother has left Dorothy in a rather unfortunate situation, and I have pledged to pay for Robbie’s mistake.’ He blushed slightly. ‘Sorry, I don’t like to refer to the child as a mistake, and I apologise for that.’
‘It’s the truth so there’s no need to apologise,’ Alice said gruffly.
‘To be honest, other than the circumstances, I’m quite chuffed about becoming an uncle again. My sister Myra has three children, but as she lives in Scotland I don’t get to see them much. With Dorothy living here, at least I will have the pleasure of seeing this niece or nephew growing up.’
Adrian shifted in his chair, aware that he was rambling on a bit. He cleared his throat before continuing. ‘The thing is, as Dorothy is such a young woman with enough to deal with at the moment, I think it best that you and I talk finances.’
‘My Dorothy told me you’ve offered to help,’ Alice said, ‘and it’s ever so kind of you. Let’s face it, you’re not obliged to do anything.’
‘I think I am. Robbie is my brother.’
‘I’d like to get my hands on your brother,’ Alice said, scowling. ‘He’s a no good so-and-so, but it seems you’re nothing like him.’
Adrian saw Alice’s lips purse at the mention of his brother’s name. He couldn’t blame the woman for holding Robbie in contempt. ‘Mrs Butler, you are quite right, I am nothing like my brother and I will never condone his actions. Now then, from what Robbie told me, am I right in thinking that your husband isn’t well enough to join our discussion?’
Alice nodded sadly. ‘He hasn’t been himself since he returned from fighting in France during the war.’
‘In that case, let’s get down to business, you and me. I’ve given it some thought and I think the fairest way would be for me to give you a fixed sum each week or month, whichever you’d prefer.’
Alice looked down at the table. ‘I’m a bit embarrassed about all of this. I don’t like charity coming to my doorstep, but I have to be realistic. Thing is, my Bill ain’t gonna be in a fit state to work for some time yet, and me, well, I do what I can, but taking in washing won’t cover much once Dottie has to give up work. We’ve gotta put a roof over the baby’s head, so what are you offering?’
Adrian was quite taken aback by Alice’s words. She had seemed a bit timid at first, but underneath that quiet exterior there was a little firecracker willing to speak out to protect her family. ‘As I told Dorothy, I will ensure that the baby wants for nothing. I’m going to suggest nine pounds a week. How does that sit with you?’
‘Nine pounds?’ Alice squealed. ‘But that’s more than we have coming in now!’
‘Mrs Butler, you will have an extra mouth to feed and the baby will require many things, a pram and a cot for starters.’
‘It’s … it’s so generous.’
Adrian smiled. ‘Good, that’s settled then.’
‘Thank you, I’m very grateful, but it doesn’t take away the fact that my daughter will be unmarried and her name will be dirt around here. If only that brother of yours would show his face, then he could marry her and make her an honest woman.’
‘I doubt any of us will be seeing Robbie for quite some time, but I can at least ease your family’s financial burden. I’m sorry there isn’t much I can do for Dorothy’s reputation.’
Alice scraped back her chair and turned away from Adrian as she looked over the butler sink and out of the window to the small back yard.
‘You could marry her,’ she said quietly.
‘I’m sorry?’ Adrian replied, stunned at Alice’s suggestion. ‘Did you say I should marry Dorothy?’
Alice spun around. ‘Yes, and it makes perfect sense. From what I’ve heard you’re a single fella and my Dottie is a beautiful girl. Any man can see that, and I’m not being funny but she’s the best-looking woman you could hope to have. She would make you a good wife.’
Adrian was at a loss for words. It had never occurred to him to marry Dorothy. Apart from anything else, Adrian didn’t consider himself attractive to any woman, let alone one as stunning as Dorothy. He thought his face was nice enough, but his chubby cheeks and double chin detracted from his acceptable features. Dottie would never look twice at him, and anyway, she was still obviously in love with Robbie. No, it was out of the question and he knew that Dorothy would never agree to marry him.
‘Yes, she is beautiful,’ he said slowly, ‘but I can’t marry her. It’s my brother she loves. Not me.’
‘Dorothy is pregnant and needs a husband. What does it matter who she’s in love with?’ Alice asked.
‘I’m afraid it matters to me.’
To Adrian’s relief Alice seemed to accept defeat and didn’t push the idea of marriage further. She did, however, insist that in future she did all his laundry. Adrian was about to refuse, but then realised that it made accepting the money more agreeable to Alice, and a little less like charity. Adrian smiled inwardly to himself. He did think that nine pounds a week for laundering a few shirts was a little excessive.
They had said their goodbyes and as Adrian arrived back at his office a light flurry of snow began to fall. He was glad to be out of the rough area and in a place where he felt a lot safer. He had to admit that he didn’t like the idea of his future niece or nephew growing up in that part of Battersea, but took solace in knowing that from what he’d heard a lot of the houses were to be demolished soon and replaced with modern high-rise flats. The Butlers would be rehoused then, but, from what he could tell, it would take more than a bulldozer to shift Alice Butler from her home.
Fancy her suggesting that he take Dorothy as his wife, he thought. As if a pretty young thing like her would have him. However, Alice had planted a seed in his head, one that he was finding difficult to shift.
As the rest of the day progressed, he still couldn’t get Dorothy off his mind, and now, when he thought about her, Adrian saw her in a totally different light.
Robbie had come to the better part of the town in a bid to find somewhere suitable to rob. He pulled his scarf up over his face against the bitter wind. It hadn’t snowed for a few days and what was left on the streets had turned to slush. He was desperate for a smoke and his stomach growled with hunger. With empty pockets he would have to go without until he found somewhere, or someone, to provide the money he so desperately needed.
As he wandered the streets, all filled with Christmas shoppers, Robbie set his mind to planning. The London jeweller’s job had been a doddle – he’d almost been spoon-fed the idea – but it wasn’t so easy to come up with a plan of his own. It would have to be fail-safe, low risk but high reward. Robbie knew he wasn’t the sort of bloke who could handle a prison sentence; he had to ensure he wouldn’t be caught.
Robbie glanced in the shop windows at the displays of expensive Christmas goods. Exquisite chocolates, fine jewellery, French perfumes and over-priced woollens. His thoughts suddenly turned to Adrian – these were just the sort of fancy shops that his brother would frequent. More determined than ever, and with jealousy raging within him, Robbie turned into a small side street to evade the howling wind. The shops in this street were mostly the artisan or bohemian type, not the sort that would be worth stealing from. He wasn’t quite sure where he was going, but he carried on regardless.
He turned into another street that appeared to be coming to a dead end, and halted. His travels had been