Polly walks across to the door, a bottle of champagne in her hands as Dottie admires the cleanliness of her living room.
"Looks well posh when it's clean," Dottie mutters, "don't it, Mum?"
Polly hums, "how long have you been kid free for?" She asks, a small smirk upon her face. She jumps from her seat when she hears the front door, barging through to the hallway with Dottie beside her.
Polly opens the door to Ada, well?"
"Not yet." Ada replies, her eyebrows drawn together. "I didn't tell him."
"Him knowing or not knowing has no
relevance to what we're drinking. It's vintage." Polly says, a mischievous smile upon her face. "Come in, we can't drink in the open."
Dottie leads Ada and Polly back in to the living room, taking a seat upon a small round table beside the window. Dottie tilts her head at Ada as Polly places down a large bottle of champagne in the middle of the table.
"Where'd you get that?" Dottie asks, frowning as she examines the label.
"It's vintage." Polly repeats, taking a seat between the girls, "from Paris." She answers, glancing at Dottie as she pops the cork.
"Fuck it." Dottie mutters, pouring the amber liquid in to three different glasses,
"This is for us." Polly says, moving the three glasses around the table. "Let's drink to the baby."
Ada shrugs of her coat, "Polly, do you remember when I was last pregnant?You were going to take me to Cardiff.
I was going to get rid of it."
"What about this time?" Polly asks, handing a glass to Ada.
"Imagine. The father's scared. He runs away. You're left."
Dottie scowls, "mum! Don't say that!"
Polly glances at Dottie before looking back at Ada. "Oh, sweetheart. The baby's black, he's a bastard and it's Birmingham. But you don't care. Because the world has changed. And the baby's eyes are golden. And you're gonna leave her with Aunt Polly every day to look after. Aunt Polly, who insisted that you called her Elizabeth."
"You already have a grandchild called Elizabeth," Dottie reminds her, "what about Golden?" She suggests to Ada who nods, a smile playing upon her lips.
"How do you know it's a her?"
"Cos I'm Polly Gray."
"It's a girl?" Ada asks, "Golden. Golden... I like it."
"To be born in the year 1930, where everything will be changed for the better." Polly continues, "she'll be the colour of a Hollywood Oscar."
"What will Tommy say?" Ada frowns slightly, her free hand going to touch her stomach.
"Tommy knows." Dottie says gently, glaring at Polly. She leans in to Ada, "he's okay."
Ada hums.
"He's also seen that the world's big and round and he says, "So what?"" Ada says, a small frown on her face. "He won't say so what when his niece is half black," Ada responds, looking down at her lap.
"You've seen what Tommy's like with my Florence, Ada. He doesn't treat her any different to Charlie. And he won't, ever. All he cares about is whether the baby is your blood. Which baby Golden is." Dottie responds.
"Dottie's right, Ada," Polly says, taking a drag out of her cigarette. "As long as you're healthy, and the baby is healthy, he won't care. He never has cared for stuff like that."
Dottie nods, "besides, he won't see the baby too much, considering you're going to leave baby Golden with me so she can have two big sisters."
Ada's small smile falters. "I haven't told Karl yet..."
"He'll be okay," Dottie says, placing her hand comfortingly on Ada's arm.
"I don't know how he's going to be, it's only ever been me and him," Ada responds. "I think he'll be angry. He's been hearing stuff at school, stuff in the news. Says women should be married before they have a baby."
Dottie scowls, "this is the same Karl that I played chess with? And it's the same Karl who plays with Eliza and Florence? Right."
Ada shakes her head slightly, "the stuff he comes out with, Dots, I swear to Christ, one day I will slap him." She picks up her glass, taking a large sip.
"Ben's been speaking to him, trying to get through to him."
"Oh yeah?" Dottie replies, raising her eyebrows slightly.
Ada blushes, "I'm not marrying him."
"I didn't say you were," Dottie replies as Polly stands up.
Dottie tilts her head as she watches Polly walk out of the living room. She comes back within moments later with a letter in her hand. She passes it on to Dottie.
"I thought I saw a letter when Ada came in," she remarks as Dottie raises her eyebrows. "Go on, love."
Dottie frowns slightly as she rips in to the envelope. She takes hold of the letter, unfolding it. Immediately, a photograph falls on to her lap. She places the letter down on to the table, to which Polly grabs hold of, as Dottie picks up the black and white photograph.
It's of a woman and a man, cuddling and smiling together. The woman looks up at the man, a small smile pressed to her lips, as the man looks down to the woman, his eyes adoring hers.
Ada leans on to Dottie, peering at the photograph.
"He hasn't changed, has he?" She asks, her eyes roaming over the photograph.
Dottie hums, looking up from the photograph, "mum," she says, catching the attention of Polly, "looks like Micheal's got a girlfriend." She reveals, handing her the photograph and taking back the letter.
To our Dottie,
I'm sorry I haven't written. I've got no excuse apart from it's been hectic here. You would love New York. It's like London but on snow. The city never sleeps, no matter the time there's traffic and music and people and dance clubs. It's brilliant.
With the permission of Tommy, I wish to come back for some time. I've got someone to introduce to you. Her name's Gina. I met her in a jazz club, and we've been inseparable since. You would really like her, Thea.
I liked Charlotte, but Gina is different. I love her, with all my heart. I'm planning on proposing to her. I'll convince her to come to London first, not that it will take long. She wants to meet the famous Dorothea. I can almost hear you scoffing.
I'll be coming back soon. I miss my nieces. And my sister of course. How's Mum? Is she alright? I hear from Tommy she was in Paris? Did she enjoy it? Is she living there? You can answer these questions when I'm with you.
I'll see you soon, I promise.
Lots of love,
Your little brother Micheal
Dottie's eyes skin across the page. Once her eyes travel to the end, she hums, lifting her eyes up to Polly as she passes the letter to Ada.
"Looks like Micheal's been planning on coming home, Mum."
"He can't have expected the crash," Ada comments as she reads over Micheal's writing. "No matter how psychic you Gray's are, he wouldn't have stayed in deliberately."
Dottie half shrugs, "where he knew or not, he's coming home anyways."
Polly nods, taking a sip of her champagne, "with some tart."
"That could be your daughter in law," Dottie remarks, "who knows what's happened since he left? He may have even got her pregnant."
Polly half scoffs, "I'm alright with my two grandchild, besides, Micheal wouldn't be a good father. You've seen what he's like with Eliza and Florence. Looses them every chance he gets."
Dottie hums, "either way, Mum. You best get use to her. Especially if he's going to propose to her."
YOU ARE READING
The Hanging Noose
Fanfiction1921 a strange man came to the Johnson's family home. He had asked for Dorothea and Micheal to return home, giving their mother a chance. They agreed to go, travelling from Kent to Small Heath, and had agreed to stay together. After all, they had d...
