A Family Scandal by Kitty Neale Page A

hadn’t done anything with the information, not yet anyway. He intended to hang on to it for insurance. He didn’t know why he felt it would be useful, but something told him to bide his time. This piece of paper could be dynamite.

Chapter Eleven
    Lily had just rounded the dog-leg bend in the street when she saw her neighbour Muriel heading towards her. Lily was feeling relaxed after a lovely family Easter, during which she’d fed the children too many chocolate eggs and indulged them far too much, but what were holidays for if not to spoil your nearest and dearest? Besides she’d got the eggs at a last-minute bargain price from Woolworths and it had been worth it to see the kids’ faces. Mavis had painted them Easter cards and they’d had an egg hunt in the garden, which hadn’t been very difficult as James found everything almost at once, but it had been fun to plan. The kids had insisted they do the same next year so it had been a big success all round.
    Now she decided she’d speak nicely to her miserable neighbour and not pretend to be too busy, which is what she’d found herself doing after their first conversation in the garden. Muriel’s coat was flapping open to reveal a faded cotton printed apron beneath, a look which Lily thought made her seem years older than she was. She herself wouldn’t be seen dead going out like that. She patted her hair, which she’d carefully sprayed into place before leaving the house earlier that morning. ‘Had a good Easter, did you?’ she began cheerfully.

    ‘Not particularly,’ said Muriel. ‘I heard your lot out in the garden, running wild. I take it you don’t take send them to church on Easter Sunday then.’
    ‘It was better to let them work off their energy outdoors, seeing as the weather was right for it,’ said Lily, refusing to be riled. ‘Which church do you go to? I wondered whether to start Bobby at Sunday school when he’s a bit older, be good for him to make friends his own age.’
    ‘Oh, I don’t hold with any of it.’ Muriel snorted. ‘Organ fund this, roof repair that. If they’re so high and mighty they can put their money where their mouth is. They ain’t having any of mine.’
    Lily thought the woman contrary. If she didn’t go to church, why had she brought up the subject? ‘I’ll think about Sunday school when Bobby’s more the right age,’ she said. ‘He ain’t three yet.’
    ‘I take it your daughter doesn’t attend either, then,’ sneered Muriel, her eyes narrowing.
    Blimey, thought Lily, what’s that about? Had Mavis done something to add to the neighbour’s sourness? It didn’t seem likely. ‘No, not really,’ she said neutrally.
    ‘Thought as much,’ said Muriel. ‘Not what with her having that young man round all the time.’
    So that was it. Lily drew herself up to her full height, hefted her shopping basket on her elbow and looked her neighbour direct in the eye. ‘There nothing wrong with my daughter seeing a young man and he only visits, he doesn’t stay overnight.’
    ‘I’m glad to hear it,’ snapped Muriel. ‘’Cos if I had a house full of children I wouldn’t allow no hanky-panky going on in front of them and that’s a fact.’

    Lily reckoned a bit of hanky-panky would have done Muriel the power of good, but she doubted if the older woman had ever gone in for that sort of thing even in her youth. Some people just didn’t have it in them to enjoy themselves.
    ‘Tommy has been a tower of strength to all of us in what has been a very difficult time,’ she replied, choosing her words carefully. ‘He’s a pillar of the community, owns his own business, doing very well too. So I won’t have him badmouthed in my own street. As long as we’re clear about that.’ She fixed her gaze on Muriel’s mean face.
    ‘Ain’t she lucky to have found such a paragon of virtue,’ Muriel snorted. ‘Well I can’t stand around here gossiping all day. I’ve work to do.’ She turned and sped down the road,