worst of the lot. He –'
'Forgive my interrupting,' the chairman said, 'but may we move this forwards? There's another hearing scheduled for this afternoon.'
Peggy's mouth drooped open with outrage or because she'd lost her verbal grasp. 'Can I ask what happened after Mr Nash's death?' the lawyer prompted. 'When you decided to seek residential accommodation, and I appreciate that was years later, did you encounter any problems?'
'Half a dozen of them, and that was just here in Southport. Homes that didn't have a vacancy after all when I turned up.'
'And you feel that was because . . .'
'Have you really got to ask that too? Because of what I am.'
'To put it delicately, an ethnic lady.'
'That's not what I see when I look in the mirror. I just see me.'
Having opened her mouth at the hint of an unwelcome memory, Ellen had to find something to say. 'Everybody's ethnic,' she murmured. 'You shouldn't hijack words.'
'Perhaps some people have more of a reason to care about them,' the lawyer said. 'And how were you made to feel at the Seabreeze Home, Mrs Nash?'
'They treated me like anybody else.'
'Which I take it you're saying was excellently.' When Peggy gave several vigorous nods the lawyer said 'But you'll be aware there have been problems recently with the running of the home.'
'Some of the staff weren't up to standard all the time. The night manager should have kept more of an eye on them. You were right to boot her out,' Peggy told the Cremornes. 'Except the worst of the lot was the one that snitched on her workmates. She only did it so people wouldn't notice how bad she was herself.'
'To be clear, the person you have in mind –'
'She knows who I mean. She's trying to bully me now, looking at me how she does.' Peggy fixed Ellen with a gaze she seemed to think was reciprocal. 'I wouldn't be surprised if she's tried to disguise herself,' she said. 'I don't remember her that size.'
Ellen felt as if her face had swollen up with fever, clamping her lips shut, as the lawyer said 'For the record, you're referring to Miss Lomax.'
Peggy's gaze flickered, only to intensify. 'Is that what she's calling herself?'
'And you believe Mr and Mrs Cremorne had reason to fire her.'
'That's opinion, Mr Bentley,' the chairman said. 'Please concern yourself with evidence.'
'What's the basis of your views, Mrs Nash? What are you saying Miss Lomax did?'
'Stole, for a start. When all the money went from Veronica's purse I saw how guilty that one looked. And one night I saw her with a little whisky bottle when she thought I wasn't looking.'
This was enough to activate Ellen's unwieldy face. 'I found it,' she said. 'I was taking it to the night manager.'
'You'll have your chance, Miss Lomax. Any further observations, Mrs Nash?'
'You've seen how she bullies people. She's doing it now.'
'Please don't feel intimidated. You're among friends.' As Ellen looked away from her, only to wonder why she should have, the lawyer said 'Your witness, Miss Lomax.'
Ellen's lips felt thick and not entirely stable as she said 'First of all, Peggy –'
'I've told you, I'm not speaking to you,' Peggy said and stared at the tribunal.
'Excuse me, but you just did, and I have to point out –'
'She's trying to confuse her,' Virginia Cremorne protested. 'She'll have her not knowing what she's saying.'
Ellen turned her awkward face towards the chairman. 'How am I supposed to question her like this?'
'You should have thought of that before,' Jack Cremorne said. 'If you believed you were in the right you'd have bet some money on a lawyer.'
'This is most irregular,' the chairman said. 'If Miss Lomax poses the questions, Mrs Nash, will you give me your answers?'
'We'll see what she has the cheek to ask.'
'Peggy, you said I was trying to divert attention away from some behaviour of my own. What kind? You surely aren't accusing me of sexual abuse.'
'Mrs Nash, you said –'
'I heard her. Couldn't not. I've never known anyone to drone so much. Used to put
'Forgive my interrupting,' the chairman said, 'but may we move this forwards? There's another hearing scheduled for this afternoon.'
Peggy's mouth drooped open with outrage or because she'd lost her verbal grasp. 'Can I ask what happened after Mr Nash's death?' the lawyer prompted. 'When you decided to seek residential accommodation, and I appreciate that was years later, did you encounter any problems?'
'Half a dozen of them, and that was just here in Southport. Homes that didn't have a vacancy after all when I turned up.'
'And you feel that was because . . .'
'Have you really got to ask that too? Because of what I am.'
'To put it delicately, an ethnic lady.'
'That's not what I see when I look in the mirror. I just see me.'
Having opened her mouth at the hint of an unwelcome memory, Ellen had to find something to say. 'Everybody's ethnic,' she murmured. 'You shouldn't hijack words.'
'Perhaps some people have more of a reason to care about them,' the lawyer said. 'And how were you made to feel at the Seabreeze Home, Mrs Nash?'
'They treated me like anybody else.'
'Which I take it you're saying was excellently.' When Peggy gave several vigorous nods the lawyer said 'But you'll be aware there have been problems recently with the running of the home.'
'Some of the staff weren't up to standard all the time. The night manager should have kept more of an eye on them. You were right to boot her out,' Peggy told the Cremornes. 'Except the worst of the lot was the one that snitched on her workmates. She only did it so people wouldn't notice how bad she was herself.'
'To be clear, the person you have in mind –'
'She knows who I mean. She's trying to bully me now, looking at me how she does.' Peggy fixed Ellen with a gaze she seemed to think was reciprocal. 'I wouldn't be surprised if she's tried to disguise herself,' she said. 'I don't remember her that size.'
Ellen felt as if her face had swollen up with fever, clamping her lips shut, as the lawyer said 'For the record, you're referring to Miss Lomax.'
Peggy's gaze flickered, only to intensify. 'Is that what she's calling herself?'
'And you believe Mr and Mrs Cremorne had reason to fire her.'
'That's opinion, Mr Bentley,' the chairman said. 'Please concern yourself with evidence.'
'What's the basis of your views, Mrs Nash? What are you saying Miss Lomax did?'
'Stole, for a start. When all the money went from Veronica's purse I saw how guilty that one looked. And one night I saw her with a little whisky bottle when she thought I wasn't looking.'
This was enough to activate Ellen's unwieldy face. 'I found it,' she said. 'I was taking it to the night manager.'
'You'll have your chance, Miss Lomax. Any further observations, Mrs Nash?'
'You've seen how she bullies people. She's doing it now.'
'Please don't feel intimidated. You're among friends.' As Ellen looked away from her, only to wonder why she should have, the lawyer said 'Your witness, Miss Lomax.'
Ellen's lips felt thick and not entirely stable as she said 'First of all, Peggy –'
'I've told you, I'm not speaking to you,' Peggy said and stared at the tribunal.
'Excuse me, but you just did, and I have to point out –'
'She's trying to confuse her,' Virginia Cremorne protested. 'She'll have her not knowing what she's saying.'
Ellen turned her awkward face towards the chairman. 'How am I supposed to question her like this?'
'You should have thought of that before,' Jack Cremorne said. 'If you believed you were in the right you'd have bet some money on a lawyer.'
'This is most irregular,' the chairman said. 'If Miss Lomax poses the questions, Mrs Nash, will you give me your answers?'
'We'll see what she has the cheek to ask.'
'Peggy, you said I was trying to divert attention away from some behaviour of my own. What kind? You surely aren't accusing me of sexual abuse.'
'Mrs Nash, you said –'
'I heard her. Couldn't not. I've never known anyone to drone so much. Used to put
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