River of sin

46. I know him in ways that you don't

"Little darling?" Jacob cautiously approached his wife "Maggie alright?"
"She is fine. She hit her head but she is alright. She needs to learn to hold her own and not cry for mummy every time the boys get too rough."
"Evie..." he sighed "come on now, that's Barnes talk. She don't need to toughen up. She's a sweet little thing and I intend to keep her that way for as long as possible, the next generation of Evans boys need to be more careful around her." He laughed along with his brothers who were always jesting with him about how over protective he was of his little girl, training his nephews already to protect her. "Evie? Talk to me."
"Please don't, Jacob." She covered her mouth, leaning on the sink.
"Evie?"
"I am fine." She helped herself to water. Yvonne shook her head, throwing it back to release a large breath "I'm sorry, I'm sorry Jacob, I don't know where that came from."
"Think I do, little darling. Richard Barnes wouldn't send you into hellfire unless he knew you could handle it. You've been conditioned to be a Barnes since you were a wee thing." He tried to joke. "You did good, I won't send you into the lions den like he did but I'm proud of you, knowing you can hold your own gives me peace of mind, Evie." He rubbed her arm softly "hey, you let Harry hold you" he nudged her with a crooked pleased smile
"Sorry. I know I'm still..."
"You are fine." He kissed her hair, manoeuvring her into his arms

"so you've met my delightful father before then."
"Yes. Unfortunately."
"Continue."
"Not here." She looked back at the gathered family, the women emerging to join them.
"You wanna do this privately?"
"I did not know he was your father, Jacob, I swear or would have told you everything from the start. My father had too many dealings to go through each of them. My father simply referred to him as the idiot fool. Told me to call him Rolf. I presume so I wouldn't know he was an Evans. I'm not sure."
"Richard Barnes is well acquainted with my father, Evie! He would not pass as an informant without being an open traitor. He also would not pass by the opportunity to gloat on it and rub it in my face."
"Oh I am sure he knew who is was, thinking back now on the in house jokes that were knocking around that went over my head.....one of the last times I saw him my father had him in a dog collar especially made for him, with Rolf engraved on the tag! Maybe Rolf was an insult. Master controlling its pet." She shook her head "it was one of his things, humiliation. You didn't get anything for free from my father."
"Do you know what their dealings with each other were?"
"probably best not in front of an audience and small ears, Jacob." she gestured her eyes over to Betty, listening in from the stairs "go see your girl. Reassure her like only you can." Yvonne smiled, Jacob nodding, giving her another kiss on the head. Yvonne watched him leave, pondering what to do.

"Do you wanna tell me before him, so I can tell you how he'll take it?" Lenard moved closer to whisper, rubbing her back comfortingly.
"I know you are his brother and have known him far longer than I, but I know him in ways you don't, Lenard." She laughed.
"That is true. In more ways than one."
"Harry? May I? If he is from over the river, Barnes side, I may know the name."
"Sure" Harrison handed his scrunched paper over "definitely not a name I've heard, he's just up to his tricks. He'd do and say anything to get back in to the family if he wants something. Like he did last time and I fell for it."
"You were young, Harry" Danny reassured "Jacob don't blame you. You know that right? He was upset because like Evie pointed out, he stepped up, raised you. Well first time round me, him and Monty did it together, even back then he took charge, the three of us left school to get work, young lads ourselves. Second time round....he found it harder without his other half. He blamed himself for not protecting you, that is why he was harsh on you, not because he was disappointed or felt betrayed but because he felt like he let you down, he wanted you to learn from that mistake. To be careful who you trusted.....then he goes and falls for a Barnes and breaks all his own rules, eh Evie." He tried to cheer his brother up.
"That Danny is not entirely true." Yvonne joked back "we both did not trust easily. It is why our story started with shared secrets, each having something on the other. It is funny to think if he had not killed my brother, I may not be standing in this room, with his ring on my finger." She admired it for a moment "I believe....that things happen for a reason. There is a reason you are stood in this room too, Harry."
"Damn straight." Jacob rejoined them, rough housing his youngest brothers head "you're a damn Evans, boy. Don't be daft." He shoved Harrison's head playfully.

"What did I miss?"
"Not much, Brother. Evie is just looking at the name he gave Harry."
"Familiar, little darling?" Jacob asked looking over her shoulder
"You want honesty, Harry? Don't look at Jacob, it is your choice not his."
"Yes, please. I'd rather know."
"I recognise the name, I can introduce you if you like." She offered the paper back to him
"Do I look like him, like he said?"
"Perhaps a little." She shrugged shyly, Jacob pulling her in close "you do look like your grandad though so, I don't know"
"How do you know him? He work for your father? Mum wouldn't....forgive me, I don't mean nought by it Evie but mum would see hell freeze over before jumping in bed with a Barnes. Barnes by blood or by association."
"I thought that myself at one time in my life, Harry." Jacob smiled down at his wife "now look at me."
"very good point." Harrison laughed, happily receiving the comforting hug that Doris was offering.

"Evie ain't like no Barnes I've ever known before though, Jake, she's unique."
"I think that's a compliment but I'm not too sure." Yvonne sniggered "he is.....from what I have been told of your mother.... I could see it. I mean....he was a kind man. If things were not well at home then I could see how she would fall for him.......he would not have been able to step up, Harry."
"So he's married." Harrison scoffed unimpressed
"In a way" she smirked "he's married to God. he's a priest or he was. He left the church, I'd properly say around the time your mother died, said he'd lost his faith. He does charity work now as far as I know."
"I remember a priest visiting the house that weren't from our church." Jacob nodded "from what I remember he was very pleasant. Gran loved him, always cracked out the good biscuits for him."
"If it's true I think Gran knew and covered for her. Probably set up the meets, knowing the old bag." Danny laughed
"I'll think on it, Evie. Thank you for your honesty. I'm an Evans." Harrison said surely. "I don't blame mum for stepping out on that scumbag. Don't worry Doris. Gran and Jake raised me right. I ain't nothing like him, nor are you Jake, don't listen to him. We'd never step out on our wives, nor would they have any need to step out on us, we know how to treat our women right."
"Sure do brother" Jacob kissed Yvonne's head, she nodded awkwardly excusing herself back upstairs, Jacob watching her confused.

"Before you left for America, Jake....you stepped out on her, in a way." Trudy offered an explanation "she might have moved past it and even forgiven you but it don't mean it don't hurt still the same.....also what happened, with Sullivan, you know what people say."
"Todays one of those days" Jacob rubbed his head roughly in frustration "they're less frequent but they hurt like a donkeys kick when they happen. God damn it." He threw his mug in the sink, smashing it "bloody dad, why now! I finally get her down an aisle and he bloody shows up, messing it all up for me!" He looked across at Harry holding his son, a feeling of grief and loss washing over him.
"We can go, Jake, if...."
"Stay, watch the girls for me. Congratulations brother, he's a charmer. I'll be the only one without an Evans boy to pass the torch to at this rate." He tried to joke, his humour falling like a lead balloon. "Forget I said that. Maggie, Betty don't you dare tattle to your mother that I said that, it was a bad taste joke!"
"You not making more babies?" Betty asked "you just got married! You get married then you have a baby!"
"Don't work like that. Don't go asking Evie about babies, alright. Love you, trouble." He kissed Betty's head "look after your sister for me, don't let her eat too many cakes and be sick again! Maggie I see you! Hand out of the box little miss!"