Page 90 of The Stolen Child

She glanced at Elsie and was relieved that her friend remained silent, allowing her to reveal her secrets at her own pace. She touched her cheek, still tender from this morning. She felt heat rise from her chest upwards towards her face.

Shame that she’d allowed herself to be in this situation.

Shame that she hadn’t found a way to stop the rising tide of abuse from her husband.

‘He hits you too,’ Elsie stated, her eyes resting on Sally’s swollen cheek.

Sally knew there was no point in denying it, so she nodded. ‘I’m in such a mess, Elsie. I don’t know what to do.’

‘It’s a good job I’m here to help you figure that out,’ Elsie replied, patting her hand. ‘You can’t go on like this. It’s not right for you or for little Zach. Because, trust me, growing up in an unhappy home isn’t what you want for this precious little boy.’

Not for the first time, Sally thought Elsie was hiding secrets from her childhood. ‘Like you had at your home?’

Elsie shrugged, tightening her arms round Zach, then she did what she always did when Sally brought up a subject she didn’t want to talk about – she diverted her.

‘Reggie and I split up. For good, this time.’

‘Oh, I’m sorry,’ Sally said. ‘Are you okay?’

‘I told you years ago that we ain’t no Romeo and Juliet. We gave it a good go, but we don’t love each other. Not how you’re supposed to. We’d become a habit. We were both lonely.’ She sighed, then admitted, ‘He’ll end up back in prison or found dead in an alleyway somewhere, someday. I don’t want to be here when that happens.’

Sally was surprised at how honest Elsie finally was about their relationship. ‘You’ve never wanted to talk about Reggie’s criminal past before.’

‘I know. But I’ve done a lot of thinking over the past couple of months. Looked at my life, square on. And I didn’t like a lot of what I saw,’ Elsie said firmly.

‘That takes great courage, Elsie,’ Sally said, her voice full of admiration.

‘Maybe. I’m glad that we’ve ended things amicably, all the same. Reggie was always good to me, but I can’t turn my back on his life choices any more. I’ve told him that I want more from my life.’

‘Good for you,’ Sally said, smiling her approval. ‘What’s next for Elsie Evans, then?’

‘Time to move on, Sally. It’s not possible to start afresh here. Too many ghosts from my past remind me of the bad times.’

Sally realised she was not the only one who had experienced a lot of change over the past year. But those changes had been good for Elsie. She seemed far more together than she’d ever been.

‘You sound so strong.’

‘I’m trying to be,’ Elsie said. ‘I’ve saved a bit of money up from my Avon work. I seem to have a knack for running my own business. When Reggie and I talked about leaving London, he suggested we go to Spain. He’s got contacts there. And it was tempting to go together, give it one more chance, but I’ve decided to go alone. Maybe manage a bar. Be my own boss.’ She sighed, then looked up shyly. ‘I’ve finished charring, said goodbye to Cyril and the girls.’ Tears filled her eyes, and she blinked them away. ‘But I couldn’t leave without seeing you again.’

Sally looked at her friend closely and was relieved to see excitement on her face as opposed to any lingering sadness.

‘I’m so proud of you. And I know you’ll get where you need to be, Elsie. I’m sure of it. Imagine what new things are in your future.’ Sally looked at her watch. ‘Crikey, I need to get back. Ian calls every day at one o’clock, once I’m back from my walk.’ She reached over and took Zach back into her arms.

Elsie’s eyes flashed with irritation, and she shook her head as she spluttered, ‘You know that’s not normal. Your husband checking in on you every couple of hours.’

‘I know,’ Sally replied softly, ‘but I can’t get into that right now.’

‘When? I told you I’m off soon, Sally. And before I leave I need to tell you something that’s been playing on my mind.’

Sally’s heart began to accelerate as she surmised what Elsie might want to tell her. ‘Go on, then.’

‘Have you ever wondered why Ian forbade you from seeing me?’ Elsie asked.

‘We know why. It’s because he’s a police officer, and his wife can’t be in the company of known criminals.’

Elsie rolled her eyes. ‘That’s not it. Ian was afraid that Reggie or I would spill the beans on who he is, more like.’

Sally frowned, ‘I don’t understand.’