Chapter Three – The Savings of a Lifetime

By the beginning of the autumn, Coal Shovel had become a familiar visitor at Albert's house, and the neighbours had grown thoroughly accustomed to seeing her arrive in the afternoon and sometimes remain until quite late. She had made herself comfortable in his company, and Albert had begun to imagine that their friendship might develop into something more permanent. He was lonely, she was attentive, and he had convinced himself that the considerable difference in their ages did not matter as much as the affection they appeared to share.

Coal Shovel had other ideas.

She knew that Albert had accumulated several hundred pounds in savings, a substantial sum for a working man in those days, and she had begun considering how she might persuade him to part with it. She understood that simply asking for money would make him suspicious, so she approached the subject indirectly. She spoke about how difficult life had become for her, how her mother was forever complaining and how she desperately wanted somewhere of her own. She described the sort of home she would like to have and suggested that, with a little help, she might finally be able to make a proper start.

Albert listened sympathetically. He was flattered by the suggestion that he might be the person who could improve her circumstances, and he began to entertain the possibility that helping her financially might bring them closer together. Coal Shovel recognised his uncertainty and made herself increasingly affectionate, spending evenings with him, sitting close beside him and behaving as though he were the only man in the world whose company she wanted.

One Friday evening, after they had spent several hours together, she told him that she had been thinking seriously about their future. She suggested that they might eventually have a place together, somewhere comfortable where they could enjoy themselves without interference from neighbours or relatives. Albert was astonished, although plainly delighted, and asked whether she really meant what she was saying.

She put her arms around him and assured him that she did.

What followed was a calculated attempt to turn his affection into financial assistance. She told him that she needed money to secure a better future and that a contribution from him would demonstrate that he trusted her. Albert hesitated, knowing that his savings represented decades of hard work, but she reassured him that she would never forget what he had done for her.

The following week, she accompanied him to town, where they discussed the possibility of withdrawing some of his savings. Albert was reluctant to make a substantial withdrawal, but Coal Shovel was persuasive, and he eventually agreed to give her a considerable sum towards what she described as a deposit on a small property and the purchase of furniture.

He believed he was investing in a future together.

She knew perfectly well that she was not.

Once she had the money, her manner began to change. Her visits became less frequent, her affectionate remarks less convincing and her excuses increasingly elaborate. She claimed to be busy with family matters, complained of headaches and sometimes simply failed to turn up when they had arranged to meet. Albert tried to be understanding, but he began to feel that something was wrong.

The final blow came when he called at her mother's house and discovered that Coal Shovel had been out for most of the day. Her mother, who had never approved of the arrangement, looked at him with an expression that suggested she had been expecting this visit.

"She's not here, Albert," she said. "And if you've come about that money, I suggest you start asking yourself some questions."

He stood in the doorway, unable to decide what to say.

Her mother eventually told him that Coal Shovel had been talking about buying herself new clothes and had apparently been boasting that she had found somebody willing to keep her in the manner to which she thought she was entitled.

Albert returned home that evening and sat for a long time at his kitchen table. The house was quiet, the fire was dying in the grate and the little envelope containing his remaining savings lay beside the telephone. He began to understand that the promises of affection and companionship had been little more than a means of getting at the money he had worked so hard to save.

Coal Shovel, meanwhile, had been spending freely. She had bought herself new clothes, treated herself to evenings out and made no particular effort to conceal the improvement in her circumstances. When people asked where the money had come from, she merely laughed and said that Albert had been generous.

Mrs Dawson was furious when she heard the full story, and within days the whole street knew about it. The women discussed the affair over their washing, the men exchanged opinions outside the public house, and Albert became the subject of considerable sympathy, although there were inevitably a few unkind remarks from people who thought he should have known better.

Coal Shovel was not especially troubled by the gossip. When somebody eventually challenged her about taking Albert's savings, she dismissed the matter by saying that he had given her the money willingly and that nobody else's opinion was worth listening to.

Whether Albert ever recovered the money was another matter. He had trusted a woman who had encouraged him to believe that she wanted his companionship, when what she really wanted was access to the savings of a lifetime.

And Coal Shovel continued living in Hexthorpe, perfectly content to let everybody talk about her, apparently unaware that there was a considerable difference between being notorious and being respected.