Daughters of Penny Lane by Ruth Hamilton

Author:Ruth Hamilton
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Pan Macmillan

Olga made sure that Yuri was asleep in the spare bedroom. She’d sent Peter down to play cards with Dan, and Alice was coming here for a chat.

From the doorway, Olga smiled at her sleeping childhood friend. It seemed like only yesterday when they’d played in the orchard together and chased each other through the fields. The grin remained on her face. He used to pull her hair; she couldn’t begin to count the number of ribbons she’d lost to him. For almost thirty years she had lived in this country, yet her English remained appalling. Yuri, after spending just a few months looking for her, spoke the language almost perfectly; she really must try harder.

The shop door rattled, and Olga ran down to admit another friend. It was wonderful to have a confidante at last, someone to talk to about the wedding, about a solution for Yuri, about clothes, shoes, perfumes and make-up. She opened the door, and Alice almost fell in, tears streaming down her face.

‘Alice, Alice . . . what is problem?’

‘I’m bad. I’m a bad woman, Olga.’

‘Come here.’ The Russian towered over the tiny Scouser and hugged her close. ‘You not bad person. Let’s go upstairs. We talk quiet, because Yuri in bed, tired after searching for me. Don’t cry.’ She closed the door, then led the way up to the first floor.

They sat together on the sofa. ‘Now, tell me what you do that is so bad it makes you cry hard.’

‘Last night. Harry,’ Alice whispered.

‘No!’

‘Yes. Not all the way; not the – you know what I mean.’

Olga shook her head. ‘You not try him on for size like me with Peter?’

‘No.’

‘Sorry, I should not make joke. Tell me what this about, Alice.’

‘I don’t know. It just happened. He says he loves me and he wants more, and we just have to be careful.’ She dabbed at her eyes with a damp handkerchief. ‘He’s taking Dan to the match as if nothing’s happened. I scrubbed and scrubbed and scrubbed myself afterwards.’ She swallowed hard. ‘Then I went to bed with Dan. I promised . . .’ a sob bubbled to the surface and fractured her voice, ‘I promised till death us do part.’

Olga was old enough to know that she could offer little beyond physical contact, so she simply held her friend close. Life was a difficult journey, and this tiny woman had reached a crossroads with NO ENTRY signs everywhere. She wept like a child, felt like a child, so small were her bones. Anger burrowed its way into Olga’s brain. It had risen from her chest, and it was hot. ‘I make tea,’ she announced before leaving Alice’s side for a few minutes.

In the kitchen, she arranged a tray, prepared the tea and stood for a few moments at the window. She would deal with Harry. Oh yes, a Russian woman filled with righteous anger was more than a match for a wayward plumber. Harry Thompson was going to wish he’d never been born.

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