withdraw from, just in case. What if you had an accident? I’d have nothing to tide me over because it’d all be in your bank account. It won’t be easy to manage without Renie’s money, even so, but I’m prepared to try so that we can save, and one day,’ she cast a scornful look round, ‘get a better place to live than this. Maybe some weeks I’ll need a shilling or two of her money, but I promise you I’ll put most of her money away every singleweek. But I’m not blindly handing it over to you.’
‘Then I’ll take it from her.’ He made as if to go into the scullery.
She rushed across to bar the door. ‘You said you’d not thump me, but you’ll have to do that to get past me.’ She waited, feeling sick with fear, but she was not going to back down about this.
He moved from one foot to the other, as if uncertain what to do.
‘Are you going to manhandle me, in my condition?’ She jutted her stomach out as much as possible and he looked down at it in distaste, something he’d done a few times now. It had upset her greatly.
‘I’m not starting another savings account!’ he yelled and flung out of the house, banging the door behind him.
More good money wasted on beer, she thought angrily. She had to skimp and scrape to make her money last and she resented every glass of beer he bought.
The week was filled with rows and accusations from him of her being unnatural and unwomanly, wanting to boss him around. She ignored them.
On Wednesday afternoon she had no tea waiting for him.
‘Where’s my food?’
‘You didn’t give me any housekeeping money. I’ve run out.’
‘I’ll get myself some fish and chips, then.’
‘Are you going to get some for me and Renie as well, or do we have to go hungry and watch you eat?’
He hesitated, then slapped some money on the table. ‘ She can go for the fish and chips.’
When Renie had left, Nell said quietly, ‘I’ll need money for food for tomorrow, Cliff, if you want your tea waiting for you after work and sandwiches packing to take to work.’
He closed his eyes. ‘Heaven help a man with a wife who wants to wear the trousers!’
But in the end he gave in and they went and opened a savings account together, with both of them able to put money in or take it out.
‘I’ll want to see that bank book every week,’ he said as they walked home. ‘And if you take money out without my saying so—’
‘I’ll have to when I buy the baby things – or are you coming shopping for those with me?’ Nell knew he’d never do that, because his so-called friends from the pub would mock him.
‘You always have to have the last word,’ he yelled. ‘No wonder your father kept a firm hand on things. I’m too soft with you, I am.’
He stormed off, going to the pub no doubt, and she took the bank book home. She put it on the mantelpiece.
She didn’t show him the other bank book, which had a pitifully small amount in it, but which only she could access. She made a special pouch for it and stitched it to the bottom of the canvas bag she carried her purse and bits of shopping in. He never even noticed it, because, of course, he never went near the shopping bag.
As time went on, she added the odd shilling from the family housekeeping pot to her own money, telling him she couldn’t quite save all Renie’s money that week. But as the amounts she took away from it were small and thejoint savings kept mounting up, he didn’t quibble.
She resented it bitterly that he continued to go out drinking three or four nights a week. But there was nothing she could do about that. She knew she’d pushed him as far as he would go. He sat at home reading a library book the other nights. They both used the library a lot. This wasn’t what she’d expected from marriage! She’d thought they’d do things together, make plans for the future, talk about their baby. He hardly ever spoke to her these days except to order her to get him something like a cup of tea. And
‘Then I’ll take it from her.’ He made as if to go into the scullery.
She rushed across to bar the door. ‘You said you’d not thump me, but you’ll have to do that to get past me.’ She waited, feeling sick with fear, but she was not going to back down about this.
He moved from one foot to the other, as if uncertain what to do.
‘Are you going to manhandle me, in my condition?’ She jutted her stomach out as much as possible and he looked down at it in distaste, something he’d done a few times now. It had upset her greatly.
‘I’m not starting another savings account!’ he yelled and flung out of the house, banging the door behind him.
More good money wasted on beer, she thought angrily. She had to skimp and scrape to make her money last and she resented every glass of beer he bought.
The week was filled with rows and accusations from him of her being unnatural and unwomanly, wanting to boss him around. She ignored them.
On Wednesday afternoon she had no tea waiting for him.
‘Where’s my food?’
‘You didn’t give me any housekeeping money. I’ve run out.’
‘I’ll get myself some fish and chips, then.’
‘Are you going to get some for me and Renie as well, or do we have to go hungry and watch you eat?’
He hesitated, then slapped some money on the table. ‘ She can go for the fish and chips.’
When Renie had left, Nell said quietly, ‘I’ll need money for food for tomorrow, Cliff, if you want your tea waiting for you after work and sandwiches packing to take to work.’
He closed his eyes. ‘Heaven help a man with a wife who wants to wear the trousers!’
But in the end he gave in and they went and opened a savings account together, with both of them able to put money in or take it out.
‘I’ll want to see that bank book every week,’ he said as they walked home. ‘And if you take money out without my saying so—’
‘I’ll have to when I buy the baby things – or are you coming shopping for those with me?’ Nell knew he’d never do that, because his so-called friends from the pub would mock him.
‘You always have to have the last word,’ he yelled. ‘No wonder your father kept a firm hand on things. I’m too soft with you, I am.’
He stormed off, going to the pub no doubt, and she took the bank book home. She put it on the mantelpiece.
She didn’t show him the other bank book, which had a pitifully small amount in it, but which only she could access. She made a special pouch for it and stitched it to the bottom of the canvas bag she carried her purse and bits of shopping in. He never even noticed it, because, of course, he never went near the shopping bag.
As time went on, she added the odd shilling from the family housekeeping pot to her own money, telling him she couldn’t quite save all Renie’s money that week. But as the amounts she took away from it were small and thejoint savings kept mounting up, he didn’t quibble.
She resented it bitterly that he continued to go out drinking three or four nights a week. But there was nothing she could do about that. She knew she’d pushed him as far as he would go. He sat at home reading a library book the other nights. They both used the library a lot. This wasn’t what she’d expected from marriage! She’d thought they’d do things together, make plans for the future, talk about their baby. He hardly ever spoke to her these days except to order her to get him something like a cup of tea. And
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