Sometimes things just work out, Euan thought to himself. Yes, sometimes, he decided, justice prevailed.

The door through to the treatment room opened and Billy came through, his arm in a sling and a small bottle of pills in his hand.

Nancy rushed towards him. “Billy, Billy!” she wailed. “Agnes is in jail and it’s all my fault.” Billy winced as she crushed herself against his arm. “Hold back Nancy,” he said through gritted teeth, pushing her gently away.

Euan MacPherson and Billy walked over to the pair. “How are you son?” Euan asked.

Billy nodded. “I’ll be fine,” he said, “but no thanks to that mad woman.”

Nancy intervened again. “We need to talk about Agnes,” she insisted, “before it’s too late.”

Billy looked confused. “Before what’s too late?” he asked.

Nancy looked at Euan. “Will you tell him please Sergeant MacPherson?” she begged, before turning her tearful eyes on Billy Donnelly.

“I’ll wait outside for your answer,” she added, casting a longing glance at her husband as she left. “Please be kind,” she said. “I love you.”

No easy way

There was no easy way to tell the young man that his new wife had a “flirtatious nature” to say the least, so Euan MacPherson couched it in terms of “youthful indiscretion” and “misunderstanding” that had caused Agnes to react the way she had.

Billy knew all about misunderstandings – didn’t his father almost end up in jail because of a “misunderstanding” with the bookie at Polepark?

“So,” he surmised, “there’s no chance that Agnes will try anything like this again?”

“I think she’ll have enough on her plate with these three laddies to look after,” said Euan, “and if I’m right, Charlie Cassiday will be around to keep an eye on things.” Billy Dawson held his breath. “Whatever you say, Sergeant MacPherson,” Billy said, finally, “I know you’re a good man who knows what’s right and wrong in this world.”

The three men shook hands. “Now, go and find your wife and take her home. It’s been a long day and we’re all exhausted.”

“Hold on,” called Billy Dawson, hurrying after him, “I’ll take you both home in the motor. Neither of you are in a fit state to walk any distance.”

Euan waved them away. He was heading back to Bell Street to tell Agnes that she was free to go and that Charlie would help her with the bairns and getting back on her feet.

Sometimes things just work out, he thought to himself, as he called the station for the Black Maria to come pick him up. Yes, sometimes, he decided, justice prevailed.

Now that Nancy was happily ensconced with Billy and the pregnancy was progressing without any problems from the drama at Joe’s funeral, Annie felt the time was overdue for writing a letter to Bella in Belfast.

She’d want to know about Nancy and the baby and, of course, the marriage to Billy Donnelly and how well Lexie was getting on at Baxter’s office. For the first time in a long time, Annie felt at peace.

Ian was doing well at primary school and would be moving on to the “big school” in the new year and all this she felt was down to Euan’s loving care and calm strength.

Steady and reliable

She smiled at the thought of her husband – not handsome like Joe Cassiday had been, not cruel like Alex Melville had been and not intense like Billy Dawson. Just steady and reliable and always there when she needed him.

She picked up her pen and wrote down all the news, signing her name with love and hoping to hear from Bella soon, maybe even arrange a visit to Dundee. Surely, Dr Adams would let her have some time off.

She slipped on her coat and hurried out to post the letter. Her family would be home soon and she had the tea to get ready. Euan’s favourite, mince and doughboys.

Ian was the first home, only staying long enough to change into his football boots before rushing out again. “Tea’s at six,” she called after him. “Don’t be late.” The mince and doughboys were cooking nicely and Annie was peeling the vegetables when Lexie breezed in.

She had watched the changes in her daughter, particularly since she began her typing course and was proudly wearing her kid gloves every time she left the house.

She would always be grateful to Billy Dawson for his help with Lexie. It was a pity that she and Billy’s daughter Sarah now saw less and less of one another.

However, times had moved on and Sarah was preparing to go to university, an English degree, Lexie said but added that Sarah may be going to be a teacher but she couldn’t type.

Had there been rivalry between the two girls? Annie hadn’t noticed but if there had, it didn’t seem to be there any longer and even Josie, who had never been keen on Lexie, seemed to accept that their respective daughters would always remain friends.

“I can now type at 25 words per minute,” she told Annie, grinning smugly. “Miss Dow timed me.”

She had certainly blossomed under Amy Fyffe’s wing but both women were unaware that the occasional visit to the Drawing Office to help Malvina Edwards cope with the filing was another reason for the confidence she was now exuding.

Continued to flirt

Charlie Mathieson continued to flirt with her at every opportunity and one day, Lexie felt sure, he was going to ask her to go out with him.

She wondered, in fact, in her naivety, how he’d managed to resist her for so long.

It must be all of three months since she’d been working at Baxter’s Office and when you’d just turned 16 years of age, three months seemed a very long time.

After all, it had only taken Robbie Robertson two weeks to “pop the question” but, of course, she had been too young to understand the ways of the world then, not like now.

Her young mind had also managed to erase Robbie’s forced attention on her and as far as she was concerned, he no longer featured in her life.

But, unfortunately, for Lexie, Robbie had not forgotten her, especially her rejection of his love and the humiliation of Sergeant MacPherson returning his ring to him.

(More tomorrow)

Sandra Savage