he certainly didn’t suggest they go for walks at weekends any longer, however fine the weather.
Renie had made friends and went round to their houses sometimes. As a married woman, Nell couldn’t go out in the evenings on her own. If she hadn’t been able to get books from the library too, she’d have gone mad.
It’d be better when the baby arrived. She’d have someone of her own then.
Chapter Four
Like her sister, Renie had become very careful with money, but with the help of her friend Carol, who had a sewing machine, she’d worked hard to improve her dressmaking skills, so still managed to dress decently.
One night, a lass she worked with said, ‘Why don’t you come out with us to the variety show in Rochdale tomorrow night? We go up in the gods and it’s only threepence midweek.’
Renie had a quick think. She worked hard on Saturday nights and hated it when she had to stay home other nights, waiting for Cliff to come back from the pub or sitting opposite him on a hard stool, watching him read in comfort in the armchair. He still expected to be waited on hand and foot, tossing orders at Nell, who was growing bigger and more awkward now.
You’d think there was something wrong with having a baby, to hear him taunt her sister with how ugly she’d become. Renie didn’t think she was ugly. Renie thought she had a lovely soft glow in her eyes – when he was out,at least – especially when Nell cradled the jutting stomach with one hand and got that dreamy look.
Him calling her ugly didn’t stop him pestering her after they’d gone to bed, though, did it, because Renie could hear them through the thin wall between the two bedrooms.
One day she asked Nell what it was like in bed, but her sister only grimaced, so she knew it wasn’t as good as some people said it was. Was that because of Cliff, or was it always like that? Why did no one ever tell you these things?
When she told Nell she was going to a variety show, her sister encouraged her to go out.
Cliff immediately said she was to be back by ten sharp.
‘I’m not leaving before the show ends,’ Renie said. ‘That’d be a waste of money.’
‘I’m not having another sister on my hands with a big belly,’ he threw back at her.
‘You won’t have. I’ll take care not to go out with the sort of man who’d force a girl.’ She was sorry for that the minute the words left her mouth, because the look he threw at Nell said he was furious.
‘Oh, Renie, when will you learn to think before you speak?’ Nell said after he’d gone out.
‘I’m sorry. Will he … hit you?’
‘He’d better not.’
But he was still angry when he came home, pot-valiant after his night’s drinking, and Nell had to pick up the rolling pin and threaten to hit him with it if he so much as laid a finger on her. It was a close thing for a minute or two. He seemed to have fallen in with a rough crowd,who encouraged him to treat his wife like a slave.
Well, he could push her only so far, as he’d found out once or twice. And if he dared to hit her, she’d wait till he was asleep then hit him with something. Hard. Even if he hit her again, he’d soon learn that she’d bide her time and get back at him.
Nell went into labour at the end of September. She prepared for the birth calmly, looking forward to having her body to herself again afterwards. She’d been so dreadfully tired lately.
She arranged for Mrs Totting, the local midwife, to come and deliver the baby. She knew they’d passed an act making it illegal for women not certified as midwives to attend mothers in childbirth as a way of earning a living, and counted herself lucky that they had a certified midwife in the district. She’d not have liked a male doctor attending the birth.
She had a chat to the pleasant older woman about what to expect and what to have ready, and also how to prevent other children when your husband wouldn’t take the necessary care.
‘I’ve helped a few women that
Renie had made friends and went round to their houses sometimes. As a married woman, Nell couldn’t go out in the evenings on her own. If she hadn’t been able to get books from the library too, she’d have gone mad.
It’d be better when the baby arrived. She’d have someone of her own then.
Chapter Four
Like her sister, Renie had become very careful with money, but with the help of her friend Carol, who had a sewing machine, she’d worked hard to improve her dressmaking skills, so still managed to dress decently.
One night, a lass she worked with said, ‘Why don’t you come out with us to the variety show in Rochdale tomorrow night? We go up in the gods and it’s only threepence midweek.’
Renie had a quick think. She worked hard on Saturday nights and hated it when she had to stay home other nights, waiting for Cliff to come back from the pub or sitting opposite him on a hard stool, watching him read in comfort in the armchair. He still expected to be waited on hand and foot, tossing orders at Nell, who was growing bigger and more awkward now.
You’d think there was something wrong with having a baby, to hear him taunt her sister with how ugly she’d become. Renie didn’t think she was ugly. Renie thought she had a lovely soft glow in her eyes – when he was out,at least – especially when Nell cradled the jutting stomach with one hand and got that dreamy look.
Him calling her ugly didn’t stop him pestering her after they’d gone to bed, though, did it, because Renie could hear them through the thin wall between the two bedrooms.
One day she asked Nell what it was like in bed, but her sister only grimaced, so she knew it wasn’t as good as some people said it was. Was that because of Cliff, or was it always like that? Why did no one ever tell you these things?
When she told Nell she was going to a variety show, her sister encouraged her to go out.
Cliff immediately said she was to be back by ten sharp.
‘I’m not leaving before the show ends,’ Renie said. ‘That’d be a waste of money.’
‘I’m not having another sister on my hands with a big belly,’ he threw back at her.
‘You won’t have. I’ll take care not to go out with the sort of man who’d force a girl.’ She was sorry for that the minute the words left her mouth, because the look he threw at Nell said he was furious.
‘Oh, Renie, when will you learn to think before you speak?’ Nell said after he’d gone out.
‘I’m sorry. Will he … hit you?’
‘He’d better not.’
But he was still angry when he came home, pot-valiant after his night’s drinking, and Nell had to pick up the rolling pin and threaten to hit him with it if he so much as laid a finger on her. It was a close thing for a minute or two. He seemed to have fallen in with a rough crowd,who encouraged him to treat his wife like a slave.
Well, he could push her only so far, as he’d found out once or twice. And if he dared to hit her, she’d wait till he was asleep then hit him with something. Hard. Even if he hit her again, he’d soon learn that she’d bide her time and get back at him.
Nell went into labour at the end of September. She prepared for the birth calmly, looking forward to having her body to herself again afterwards. She’d been so dreadfully tired lately.
She arranged for Mrs Totting, the local midwife, to come and deliver the baby. She knew they’d passed an act making it illegal for women not certified as midwives to attend mothers in childbirth as a way of earning a living, and counted herself lucky that they had a certified midwife in the district. She’d not have liked a male doctor attending the birth.
She had a chat to the pleasant older woman about what to expect and what to have ready, and also how to prevent other children when your husband wouldn’t take the necessary care.
‘I’ve helped a few women that
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