Sweet Satisfaction (Purple UGC Winner 2014)

Sweet Satisfaction - Forty-Two

Forty-Two

“Elsie!” Susanna sounded reproachful. She was leaning against the chest of drawers in her bedroom, arms folded, eyes narrowed. I couldn’t help but supress a giggle; she looked so cute, like a little girl, when she was annoyed, that it was hard to take her seriously. However the giggle turned into a wail.

“Please don’t tell Bobby…” I pleaded, and she rushed forward, grabbing my hands, as I began to shake and weep.

“It’s my Father’s seal- he’s a spy, Susanna. I don’t know if you knew. That’s why he shot that Carlos Lutenez back in Yeovil. I didn’t know the true meaning of his job title until then. I’ve been so foolish.” I shook my head, burying it in my hands. Susanna swallowed.

“What are you going to do? You shouldn’t really lie to Bobby.”

“No, you shouldn’t. It will jeopardise your lovely relationship.”

“Go away, Emma,” I snapped.

She leant against the door, smiling innocently, arms and one leg crossed. She always looked so irritatingly, casually cool, despite the horrors going on around her.

“What are you crying about now?” Mary appeared beside her. There wasn’t much point in lying.

“Father’s assassinated another man.”

“I wish someone would assassinate him,” Mary muttered.

My jaw dropped in genuine shock. I never knew that Mary disliked Father so much! How would I? There was no closeness between us any longer.

“I think we should go to this poor man’s funeral.” Mary said, and we all muttered murmurs of agreement.

“Oh, Susanna, Mrs Kingston told me to give this to you.” Emma threw a cream envelope across the room and then she and Mary stalked off. She infuriated me to the point I could strangle her with my bare hands.

*****

“I’ll just chose this colour,” Susanna decided. We were shopping, and I felt bad to be doing so when there was a war going on, my husband was in a wheelchair, and my Father had just murdered another person.

Still, Susanna was a little happier, the envelope having contained her month’s wage, and not a dismissal for letting me run off to see Bobby, as I had worriedly thought it might be. I nodded vaguely as she measured the skirt’s length, for the new season had sliced off a good few inches, not for immodesty, but for practicality. More and more women were doing men’s jobs as they were answering Kitchener’s call on the posters: YOUR COUNTRY NEEDS YOU.

“Look at that medium’s caravan,” I muttered to Susanna, pointing, “Do you think she can really bring back the dead?” The queue of black-clothed people was a staggeringly long snake along the street.

“Pfft, they’re all liars and cheats. Not one of them brought my parents back.” I patted Susanna’s hand.

“Miss Milan is right.”

“Bobby!” I squealed, turning around to see him, “What are you doing in a ladies’ clothes shop?” He was the subject of some interest.

“I was purchasing mourning wear for Eliza; she isn’t in the right state of mind to get it herself,” he responded. Oh.

“Have you any further idea as to who the seal on the death warrant belongs to?” I noticed the shadows under his eyes and the defeated look in them.

I took in a deep breath, glancing at Susanna, who nodded slowly.

“It’s my father’s,” I admitted.

“What?” I repeated the statement, shaking, dread growing and growing inside me.

“I can’t believe this, Elsie. You’ve… you’ve betrayed me.” He shook his head, turning away, “I don’t even want to look at you.” I reached out to grab his shirt sleeve, in desperation.

“Bobby, wait! What about your sister’s clothes?” But he had already walked out the door, fists clenched, and been swallowed up by the crowd.

Susanna and I spent the next hour trying to find him, myself sobbing wildly. Admitting defeat, I sat down on a bench overlooking the seafront.

“I’ve ruined everything,” I whispered, staring dismally out to sea, which was calm and peaceful. Susanna said she was going to make herself scarce and before I could ask why, I heard the pebbles crunching.

Eyes widening, heart bursting with joy, I tore out of my seat and flung myself at Bobby wildly, breathing in the scent of bread that always lingered around him, to make sure it was him, that he was truly there.

“I’m so, so sorry Bobby.”

“Shush, shush, Elsie, it’s my fault. I can’t blame you for your father’s actions. I just don’t want to loose you, Elsie, you’re so precious to me. Never in a million years did I think a rich girl like you would look at the likes of me.” I snorted, then hiccupped, then laughed, remembering when we had first met, desperate to prove I wasn’t just a ‘rich girl’, I had swigged his pale ale.

“I’m really forgiven?” I sniffed, wondering how his heart could be made of such gold.

“Really. So I thought maybe you want to spend tomorrow with me, we could go to the picture house- or just the pier- or the-”

“Bobby, I’d love to,” I breathed, and my eyes glittered even brighter than the aquamarine sea.