Free Shattered Dreams by Vivienne Dockerty Page A

and announced that Mr Haines would see him in the drawing room. With a sigh of relief he followed the woman, glad that his uncle hadn’t turned him away. He was shown into a large room that was beautifully furnished and sitting at a mahogany bureau near the window was Maggie’s son. A stooped man in his late eighties, white haired with a ruddy complexion and wearing what Eddie knew to be a dark red quilted smoking jacket.
    “Well,” said Eddie’s uncle. “So you’re one of J.C. Dockerty’s sons. Didn’t ever think I’d meet any of Hannah’s issue, can’t say I blame her for never speaking to me again. All long dead now, my enemies, though I’ll probably have to answer to Him upstairs when my time comes. Come over in the light and let me take a look at you. Legs have gone now. Have to use them dreadful sticks or be pushed about like a baby in a damned basket chair.”
    Eddie walked over with his hand outstretched. His uncle’s grip was firm and there was nothing but pleasure in his rheumy eyes when he said he was glad at last to meet with one of his own.
    “I’ll ring the maid and ask her to bring in some refreshments. Pity you didn’t come and visit me last year and you could have met your Aunt Kate before she died.”
    “It isn’t really a social call, Uncle, though I’ve always wanted to meet you, but my father told us to keep away.”
    “Yes, I’ve seen him from time to time at St. Winefred’s, but he’s always snubbed me and I can’t say I blame him in a way. But you’re here now. Ah, thank you Mary, I was just going to ring for you. Just leave the pot of tea near Eddie, I’m sure he will pour.”
    Eddie pulled up an upholstered chair after he had poured the tea, so that he could be on the same level as his uncle, who was sitting on something like a piano stool.
    “I’ll come straight to the point, Uncle Michael. Dad has had to go bankrupt. It wasn’t his fault, but he had taken quite a few loans out and with there being a slump in the building industry the bank has called in his loans. So, my brothers and I have had to take work elsewhere. We’ve all been apprenticed to father, but now my brothers have decided to take factory work. I’ve got the chance of working on a flour mill down in Wallasey, but I need to be in a trade union for them to take me on. I wondered if you had a union work force and if there’s any chance you could get me a card?”
    Michael looked at Eddie for a moment considering the young man’s request. He owed the family something, didn’t he, and perhaps this was a way that might give his troubled soul some peace?
    “You could come and work for Sheldon, Eddie. I’m sure my sons would find a place for you and as we haven’t been troubled much by the slump, there’d be plenty of work for your brothers too.”
    “I don’t think my father would be happy with that, Sir, he would see it as being disloyal to the Dockerty name. But if you could see your way to getting me in a union I would be very much obliged.”
    The old man reached into one of the cubicles in a bureau and brought out a sheet of Sheldon Property headed writing paper. He wrote something at length upon it, then handed it to Eddie with a wry smile.
    “It’s a pity that is all you’re asking me to do for you Eddie, but this letter will see you right with the union branch in Birkenhead.”
    He reached into the inside pocket of his jacket and pulled out a five pound note.
    “And this will help you with expenses until you earn a wage again.”
    Eddie was over the moon now that he had got his job laying down the drains in the foundations of the flour mill. He was able to go to Irene’s house for his evening meal, then walk along later to the bus stop.
    One evening in February the snow began to fall with ferocity, just as Eddie was about to take his leave and say goodnight to Irene.
    “You can’t go home in this, Eddie,” she said, looking fearfully at the inch of snow that covered the ground already