Page 116 of Maybe Tomorrow

ChapterFifty-One

Tuesday 11th January 1994

Time spent in prison: nine years, seven months

Pauline and Leo were sitting in the green room of the BBC studios in Pebble Mill, waiting to appear on the live television showGood Morning with Anne and Nick. A young woman wearing a headset and carrying a clipboard came in, bringing with her a hint of sweet-smelling perfume.

‘I’ll come and get you just after we go to the news. We’ll mic you up and I’ll walk you on set, all right?’ she said with a smile. ‘Just to confirm, would you like to be known as Anthony’s mum or mother?’

‘Oh. He always calls me Mum.’

‘OK. And you’re a family friend, that’s right, isn’t it?’ She addressed Leo.

He nodded and smiled.

‘No worries. Help yourself to tea and coffee. The toilet is just to the right of this door, and I’ll be back for you in a few minutes. Tryto relax. Anne and Nick are lovely. They’ll not be asking you anything daunting.’

‘Thank you,’ Pauline said. She knew her face was giving her nerves away, but she couldn’t think of what to do. This was her first time on television. The fact it was a live show was even worse. What if she said something she didn’t mean to say? What if she swore?

‘I don’t like that,’ Leo said.

‘What?’

‘Family friend. It makes me sound like a hanger-on, like I’ve come with you to hold your hand.’

Pauline took Leo’s hand. ‘I like that you’re here to hold my hand,’ she smiled.

‘But I’m more than a family friend, aren’t I? We’ve been living together for the past four years.’

‘No offence, but I think I’m a bit too old to be calling you my boyfriend.’

Leo opened his mouth to speak, then closed it again. He tried again but seemed to be struggling to find the correct words. ‘What if… what if we got married?’

Pauline looked at him with genuine surprise. ‘Really?’

‘Yes. We could get married. I mean, not right away, obviously. We could wait until Anthony gets out. He could give you away. You’d like that, wouldn’t you?’

Pauline flashed a warm smile that lit up her face. It was possibly the first chink of lightness in nine years of darkness.

‘Are you asking me to marry you?’

‘Yes. I am.’

‘Go on then,’ she teased.

‘Really?’

‘Yes.’

‘OK,’ he said. He swallowed hard and licked his lips. ‘Pauline Ethel Winstanley, will you marry me?’

She made a play out of thinking it over for a moment and laughed. ‘I’d love to.’

Leo leaned over, placed his hands either side of Pauline’s face and kissed her tenderly on her lips. ‘I love you so much, Pauline.’

‘Oh, Leo. I love you, too.’

The woman with the clipboard came back in. ‘We’re ready for you now.’