This chapter is about Ronnie's rape reveal – Just a warning
(From now on the speech in italics are direct quotes from EE )
In the summer, not long after Ronnie and Jack set a date for their wedding, things got more dramatic for the family. Dark secrets started to simmer to the surface.
The Mitchell women had been wedding dress shopping and, when everyone started talking about Archie back at the Vic, Ronnie had escaped back to her flat. There was something obviously wrong so Roxy and Katy had followed her and were doing their best to find out what was the matter. They kept pushing and pushing, giggling like children until finally Ronnie snapped.
"Dad!" She screamed suddenly. Roxy and Katy looked at each other in confusion.
"What about Dad, Ron?" Roxy asked, getting a bit annoyed. Katy had discovered that whatever their father had done, Roxy found it hard to believe anything bad about him. Ronnie, understandably in Katy's opinion, was the complete opposite.
"He raped me, Roxy, and I couldn't stop him." Ronnie screamed. Katy's mouth fell open and she stared between her sisters in complete shock. Roxy leant back in her arm chair, looking furious. She didn't seem to be able to look at Ronnie.
"Not this, again!" She said, angry at her sister. The youngest sister looked between the other two quickly. Archie had raped Ronnie and all Roxy said was 'not this, again'? How could she take the news so lightly? Ok, Roxy didn't believe their father was as bad as everyone made out, but Ronnie wouldn't make something like that up, surely?
A noise behind Katy made her glance round and she saw Jack, Peggy and Glenda standing in the doorway, looking exactly like the teenager had seconds before. Ronnie looked up too, giving them a startled wide eyed look. She hadn't intended anyone else to hear.
"Explains everything now, doesn't it." She said to them in a calm, expressionless voice. "Mad, screwed up Ronnie."
Peggy, Jack and Glenda came into the room as Ronnie opened up, telling them what had happened. Katy was in too much shock to take it all in. She had never known their father, but the idea that he could abuse his own daughter… she felt sick.
"He said it happened because I let it." Ronnie said in the same dead-pan tone.
"No, don't say that." Peggy said, her heart obviously breaking at her niece's words. "Whatever happens darling, it was not your fault."
"But I didn't stop it, did I?" Ronnie said, emotion bubbling over in her voice.
Katy didn't want to hear anymore. She tried to block out her sister's words and the next thing she knew Roxy had launched herself at Ronnie.
"Rox!" Katy screamed, pulling her sister off and holding her down in the chair. Ronnie burst into tears and Katy knelt by her feet holding her sister tightly. She believed Ronnie completely, she had no reason not to. Roxy stormed out, closely followed by Peggy.
Jack and Glenda both said that they believed Ronnie and Katy kept hugging her older sister. Her eyes were stinging and tears were falling down her cheeks as she thought about what her sister must have been through. She was almost grateful that she hadn't known her father, as she thought about how her life could have been. Katy put Ronnie to bed and stayed with her, holding her sister's hand as she sobbed quietly.
The next day, Glenda and Katy managed to persuade Roxy to talk to Ronnie; to listen to her properly. The teenager was more than relieved that they managed to work things out and Roxy finally believed her older sister. Peggy, however, was still not convinced. She couldn't believe that the man she had loved, the man she had married, could do something that evil and she wouldn't have suspected. Katy secretly thought that she was angrier at herself than Ronnie but, being Peggy Mitchell, she couldn't admit she was wrong. The teenager was hurt, knowing that everything was falling apart.
Life went on and in mid-August R&R re-opened. Ronnie let Katy come to the opening night, as long as she promised to steer clear of alcohol, seeing as she was still only seventeen. Katy sighed and made a big deal out of being annoyed about this condition, but secretly she was thrilled that Ronnie had agreed and not bothered about not being able to drink.
"Oh no!" Katy said, spotting Glenda and Peggy having a heated conversation. She turned to Jack who was working behind the bar.
"I'll keep an eye on them." He promised, seeing how worried the teenager was. "You just keep out of trouble."
Katy grinned and winked. But she was still unsettled. Between the two women, all her loyalty lay with Peggy Mitchell; the Queen of the Vic. But since she had refused to believe Ronnie, Katy was torn. She was hoping, more than she had ever hoped before, that Peggy would come to her senses, and quickly.
From her perch on the bar stool, Katy continued to watch the older women suspiciously. Glenda said something and Peggy recoiled slightly, looking shocked. Katy's ears pricked up, but the club was too loud for her to hear the conversation. Peggy backed away and left Glenda standing looking worried. She turned and glanced at Katy, who raised her eyebrows and looked away. Her mind whirled as she thought about possible explanations for the scene; Glenda was probably just trying to wind the older woman up. Earlier, Katy had overheard her telling Peggy, 'I've won", and assumed she was just carrying on the gloating.
"Watch out." Jack hissed as a warning, pointing over to where Ronnie was standing. Peggy had made her way over and was talking in a low voice to the blonde woman. Katy jumped off her stool and rushed over doing her best to look casual, just in case. Glenda apparently had a similar idea and appeared at Ronnie's elbow.
Peggy was apologising to Ronnie for not being supportive when Glenda, who had drunk far too much champagne, butted in.
"Ignore her!" She screeched. "She's twisting things."
Ronnie looked between the two women, her forehead furrowed as she tried to work out what was going on. Then the penny dropped. Her eyes met Katy's as both Mitchell girls realised the truth at exactly the same moment. Glenda had known about Archie's abuse.
"You knew?" She asked, tears forming in her eyes. Automatically Ronnie reached out and clutched her sister's hand.
"No, Ronnie, no!" Glenda said in a pleading voice. "You're way off the mark."
"I'm right, aren't I?" Ronnie said, looking at Peggy who sobbed slightly and shook her head.
"I'm sorry." Her aunt said, tears forming in her eyes.
Ronnie led her mother to the office, wanting to talk to her alone. Katy crept up to the door and peeked in, wanting to be there for her sister if she needed her. Glenda was sitting, probably safer considering how much she had drunk, by the desk and Ronnie was standing a little way off, her arms wrapped around her, as though she was trying to comfort herself.
"I want to be your mum." Glenda said, crying. Ronnie looked at her disdainfully and shook her head. She learnt towards the older woman, almost threateningly and jabbed her finger at her mother.
"You'll never be my mum." She spat, narrowing her eyes.
Katy jumped away from the door as Ronnie came striding out. She moved forwards to comfort her sister but Ronnie pushed her away gently, her eyes full of tears.
"I just want to be on my own." She said in a soft, tired voice and walked out. Katy narrowed her eyes at Glenda who stared back. She thought about giving her a piece of her mind, but thought better of it. Ronnie probably wouldn't be impressed.
"She'll come round." Glenda said confidently, more to herself than the teenager. Katy saw red and stormed into the office. The door crashed into the wall and bounced off it, slamming shut. Glenda jumped and tried to focus her gaze on the teenager.
"You hurt her and I'll break you." She said in a low, threatening voice. Her eyes were narrowed and she was white with anger. Katy's hands were gripping the arms of Glenda's chair so tightly that her hands were hurting.
"You're not even a proper Mitchell." Glenda said spitefully. "Veronica and Roxanne will soon get bored of their little plaything and you'll be out and I'll be back in."
"Don't count on it." Katy said with a smile. In the back of her mind she'd had a niggling worry since she'd arrived and Glenda had put it into words. She ignored this, though, and took hold of Glenda's glass. With a smirk she emptied it into the woman's lap and pushed the glass back into her hand. "Oops!"