so scared that I told Jacob I just couldn’t go outside and run for the shelter. So he just patted my head and said not to worry and that we’d just go back to bed …”
Dinah’s eyes were now like saucers and her breath was coming in short pants. “You mean? No … you just can’t …!” Etta made no reply but only nodded her head. “Oh. You do? Now let’s get this straight. The father of your baby is – your father-in-law, Jacob?”
Etta’s head had sunk so low that her chin was being pushed into her neck.
“But that’s unbelievable,” gasped Dinah. “Jacob was married for years and there were no children so he and his wife adopted Harry. You and Harry have been married for years and you never fell. You jump once into bed with Jacob and …”
“Because I was that scared,” Etta retaliated fiercely, lifting her head in defiance. Then her head dropped again before she continued in a tearful and more conciliatory tone. “And I’ve been scared ever since!”
Dinah, who had risen to her feet, now sank down into the chair opposite Etta. Could she really believe what she was being told? Here was comfortable, untidy Etta, who always looked like a shaggy dog only wanting to be loved and needed, having an affair with her ageing father-in-law. And to add to Dinah’s astonishment was the fact that Jacob, who was the chief accountant in Gibson’s Shipping Company, was so stooped that he couldn’t even lift his head and was devoutly religious. Her thoughts were interrupted though by Etta asking, “Dinah, what can I do? You’re so good at getting out of pickles.”
Dinah shook her head. “But this is more than a pickle. It could be grounds for divorce – maybe even justifiable murder !” She did concede however that Etta was not the only one to blame here – if her husband Harry had shown her only a little love and attention she wouldn’t have had to seek it elsewhere. She knew this was true because that was surely the reason why her friend spent so much time looking after Phyllis.
A few minutes passed while Dinah pondered and Etta just sobbed. Eventually Dinah asked, “Are you sure you’re only three weeks late?”
“Aye. Jacob’s lonely, too, so we’ve been comforting each other ever since the nights of the Clydebank raids.”
“Aye, well. Here was me thinking the Jerries were only trying to bomb Clydebank into submission and here’s you been …” Dinah paused. Something truly drastic had to be done. Etta would never cope with the gossip, the sniggering and, most importantly, the cold-shouldering from the holier-than-thou scandal-mongers that would undoubtedly creep out of the woodwork. Once or twice Dinah was about to speak because she thought she had an answer – then would close her mouth and shake her head. That was, until the perfect solution struck her and she smiled triumphantly before announcing: “Look, here’s what we do. You and I will go to Pitreavie tomorrow.”
“Oh no, I just couldn’t face Harry. Well, not right now.”
“But you’re gonnae do more than face him. You’re gonnae tell him your mother invited us over to South Queensferry for the day and with you being only a ferry boat’s sail away and you missing him so very, very much, you just had to look him up.”
“And?”
“Och, do I have to spell it out for you? Somehow – and anywhere at all – you get him to some quiet spot and … well, you ken …”
Etta shook her head. “I just couldn’t. I mean how could you ask me to degrade myself outside in the open air?”
“Look here,” exploded Dinah, “just you imagine there are four hundred German planes flyin’ right above you. That should put enough fear into you to get things sorted.”
“Oh, I think I see what you’re getting at, Dinah,” murmured Etta, after having taken a good few minutes to consider the proposal. “But you’re forgetting that my baby is due in December, no in February.”
“So you’ll just be like yon Carol Stone
Dinah’s eyes were now like saucers and her breath was coming in short pants. “You mean? No … you just can’t …!” Etta made no reply but only nodded her head. “Oh. You do? Now let’s get this straight. The father of your baby is – your father-in-law, Jacob?”
Etta’s head had sunk so low that her chin was being pushed into her neck.
“But that’s unbelievable,” gasped Dinah. “Jacob was married for years and there were no children so he and his wife adopted Harry. You and Harry have been married for years and you never fell. You jump once into bed with Jacob and …”
“Because I was that scared,” Etta retaliated fiercely, lifting her head in defiance. Then her head dropped again before she continued in a tearful and more conciliatory tone. “And I’ve been scared ever since!”
Dinah, who had risen to her feet, now sank down into the chair opposite Etta. Could she really believe what she was being told? Here was comfortable, untidy Etta, who always looked like a shaggy dog only wanting to be loved and needed, having an affair with her ageing father-in-law. And to add to Dinah’s astonishment was the fact that Jacob, who was the chief accountant in Gibson’s Shipping Company, was so stooped that he couldn’t even lift his head and was devoutly religious. Her thoughts were interrupted though by Etta asking, “Dinah, what can I do? You’re so good at getting out of pickles.”
Dinah shook her head. “But this is more than a pickle. It could be grounds for divorce – maybe even justifiable murder !” She did concede however that Etta was not the only one to blame here – if her husband Harry had shown her only a little love and attention she wouldn’t have had to seek it elsewhere. She knew this was true because that was surely the reason why her friend spent so much time looking after Phyllis.
A few minutes passed while Dinah pondered and Etta just sobbed. Eventually Dinah asked, “Are you sure you’re only three weeks late?”
“Aye. Jacob’s lonely, too, so we’ve been comforting each other ever since the nights of the Clydebank raids.”
“Aye, well. Here was me thinking the Jerries were only trying to bomb Clydebank into submission and here’s you been …” Dinah paused. Something truly drastic had to be done. Etta would never cope with the gossip, the sniggering and, most importantly, the cold-shouldering from the holier-than-thou scandal-mongers that would undoubtedly creep out of the woodwork. Once or twice Dinah was about to speak because she thought she had an answer – then would close her mouth and shake her head. That was, until the perfect solution struck her and she smiled triumphantly before announcing: “Look, here’s what we do. You and I will go to Pitreavie tomorrow.”
“Oh no, I just couldn’t face Harry. Well, not right now.”
“But you’re gonnae do more than face him. You’re gonnae tell him your mother invited us over to South Queensferry for the day and with you being only a ferry boat’s sail away and you missing him so very, very much, you just had to look him up.”
“And?”
“Och, do I have to spell it out for you? Somehow – and anywhere at all – you get him to some quiet spot and … well, you ken …”
Etta shook her head. “I just couldn’t. I mean how could you ask me to degrade myself outside in the open air?”
“Look here,” exploded Dinah, “just you imagine there are four hundred German planes flyin’ right above you. That should put enough fear into you to get things sorted.”
“Oh, I think I see what you’re getting at, Dinah,” murmured Etta, after having taken a good few minutes to consider the proposal. “But you’re forgetting that my baby is due in December, no in February.”
“So you’ll just be like yon Carol Stone
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