East End Angel (5 page)

‘You’ll be able to knock up something,’ said Gwen, pulling her crossover pinafore across her flat chest.

Pearl didn’t want to admit just how useless she was with food. Gwen and Fitz Hemsley were a hard-working middle-aged couple who’d lived all their lives at Pride Place. Fitz’s parents had lived in the four rooms above the shop. After they had died the rooms had been left empty. But now there was a war on, every penny was needed.

‘Now don’t go overdoing it,’ said Gwen with an affectionate pat on the back of Pearl’s hand. ‘I saw you and Jim coming in late again last night. I was just closing the blackout curtains and there you were walking up Pride Place in the dark. Fire-watching, was it?’

‘No, Jim had a big job on and worked late. So I met him over his mum’s. I thought I might be able to do a bit of tidying-up for her.’

‘Oh dear, no wonder you both looked all in!’

Pearl grinned. Gwen had met Mrs Nesbitt during the first week they’d moved in. Jim’s mother had given the little corner shop the once-over immediately. Wasting no time, she had demanded if any smells were likely to drift up from the storeroom. The enquiry had not been well received. The Hemsleys were scrupulously clean. Jim had apologized afterwards for his mother’s lack of tact but it was still a sore point.

‘Downright rude,’ was Gwen’s observation. ‘My Fitz nearly showed her the door. In fact, he would have if she wasn’t Jim’s old girl.’

Pearl had to explain that Mrs Nesbitt had wanted them to live at Vale Road. Since their refusal, Mrs Nesbitt had given Pearl the cold shoulder, even though she’d done everything to be friends.

‘The best refusal you ever made in your life, love,’ observed Fitz, pushing his spectacles to the bridge of his long nose. ‘She’d have driven you up the wall.’

‘I’m trying me best, anyway.’

‘It’s all you can do in this life.’

When Pearl got in, she felt exhausted. Holding down a job and being married wasn’t like being single. And now she knew how hard her mother had worked to keep everyone happy.

Jim had wanted her to give up work and become a lady of leisure. But she liked her job in the Borough Surveyor’s department. Mr Hedley, her boss, was very nice and so were all the girls. But after coming back from her wonderful honeymoon, she could see the housework wouldn’t get done by itself.

Pearl loved her new home. The kitchen, one large living room and two bedrooms were modest, but they were also a safe distance from Villa Road, though she could walk to Roper’s Way in under ten minutes.

Pearl was eager for Ruby to call but she too was working hard. Brewer’s was now an armaments factory and busy helping the war effort. Ruby was also learning first aid in her spare time, a fact that brought a smile to Pearl’s lips as Ruby didn’t have a strong stomach.

Pearl lowered her groceries to the kitchen table. Last night she’d hung yellow gingham curtains in the kitchen-cum-scullery, and Jim had painted the brown larder a shade of blue. There was a drop-down work surface on the tall cupboard and underneath, space for crockery. Next to this was a stove. It was old but still worked well. A set of heavy lidless pans stood side by side on the shelves by the door, and four battered ones Gwen had left still hung on the wall. Pearl’s dad and mum had given them their old wireless set and it stood on the shelf beneath.

Jim had distempered the dark walls a soft green. He’d stuck back the loose flowered tiles around the fireplace, and the wooden mantel shelf had come up shiny with a polish. An old-style wind-up gramophone had been left in the corner, but the needles were worn out. Jim had bought Pearl a very nice beige settee and two armchairs. The suite wasn’t new but it was clean and looked elegant beside the maple bookcase.

Pearl went to change her clothes. Their bedroom was her favourite place. She shivered in delight as she thought of the wonderful nights she and Jim had cuddled in the big double bed. They had bought it from one of the girls at work who had evacuated. The shiny maple headboard squeaked a little but Jim had managed to oil it.

Pearl thought how lucky she was as she threw off her shoes. A wonderful husband and beautiful home, all to her taste. Even the dressing table with triple mirror reflected a woman’s touch. A frilled curtain hung round it under the glass-covered top. On its surface were her personal effects: hairbrush and comb, hand mirror and her most prized possessions, three little frosted-pink jars in which to keep her jewellery. Jim had given them to her as a wedding present.

She hadn’t yet thought about what to put in the small bedroom next door. There was just a camp bed in there and boxes. But in time, it would convert to a small bedroom or nursery.

Would she get pregnant soon? Would she be able to carry a baby after what had happened to her? Dr Cox had said he couldn’t see why not.

Pearl sat down on the edge of the bed. Suddenly the memories came flooding into her mind as though a dam had burst. It was just before her seventeenth birthday when she met Ricky at the club. For her it was love at first sight, or so she thought. Because of their age difference he’d persuaded her not to tell anyone they were going out; they were too much in love, he’d insisted, to allow anyone to spoil their romance. At first he’d paid her all the attention she could want. Taken her up West and to Lyons, walked her along the Embankment and bought her small gifts, telling her how beautiful she was. But as soon as she’d given in to his demands, he’d treated her indifferently, making her do things she disliked so that she felt ashamed of what she had at first thought was the romance of her life. Then she’d missed her monthly, and another, and had felt sick, too sick not to know that she was pregnant. Pearl pushed her hands over her face as she couldn’t stop the memories from tumbling back, along with all the pain of losing that little life inside her.

There was a tap on the door and Pearl stood up shakily. She had been lost in a nether world, where the past and all its emotions had become alive again. Unguardedly she had let it all in and now her legs felt like jelly. Pushing back her hair and trying to compose herself, she went to the kitchen door. It was a shock to see Ruby standing there. She looked very smart and pretty.

Ruby threw her arms around her. ‘Oh, I’ve missed you, Pearl.’

‘And I’ve missed you. Come in, come in.’

‘Did you have a nice honeymoon?’

‘Wonderful. I’ve been longing to tell you about it. But you haven’t been round.’

Ruby looked away. ‘I wanted to give you a chance to settle in.’

‘We’ve been home three weeks. I called at Mum and Dad’s and they said you were on another course.’

‘Yes, more first aid, though I can’t say I’m Florence Nightingale.’ Ruby looked round the kitchen. ‘Oh, Pearl, you’ve done this up lovely. Just look at them curtains!’

‘I ran them up by hand.’

‘Is that a new settee?’

‘Yes, do you like it?’

‘Better than our old one at home.’ Ruby walked round, giving little oohs and ahs.

Her strawberry-blonde hair was turned under and tucked behind her ears. The light-coloured jacket with padded shoulders looked new. It was then that Pearl had a pang of nostalgia as, being the same bust and waist size they had always shared their clothes. They suited the same colours, both having blonde hair and green eyes. Clothes rationing had started on 2 June. Pearl decided that Ruby must have used a lot of coupons on the jacket.

‘Was this expensive?’ Pearl asked, touching her sleeve.

‘Don’t know. It was a gift.’ Ruby sat down on the settee. Looking at Pearl she gave a small shrug. ‘From Ricky.’

Pearl sat down quickly. She felt her tummy turn over as she looked into her sister’s eyes. ‘So you’re still going out with him?’

‘As a matter of fact, that’s why it’s been difficult to get round. We spent all the time together that we could, before he was posted.’

Pearl looked down in her lap. She was trying to disguise her disappointment and Ruby saw it.

‘I take it you still don’t approve?’ Ruby said, her tone rising. ‘Is it to do with what went on at the wedding? Why Jim took such a dislike to him? To be honest, Pearl, I’m baffled. I mean, Dad thinks it was just high spirits, and Ricky says they’d just had a glass too many. But even so, I don’t understand what went on. Do you?’

Pearl knew if there was ever a time to share her secret with Ruby it was now. But shouldn’t she have told Jim first, a little voice inside her head demanded.
He’s your husband, he has the right to know the truth.
How could she tell Ruby about the past and not tell Jim? What would Ruby think of her? She looked up at Ruby and knew that she couldn’t find the courage. Lowering her head, she shook it slowly. ‘It was just a misunderstanding.’

‘Well, it must have been a big one. Jim had Ricky by the collar.’

‘It was like Dad said, a bit of horseplay.’

Ruby was silent, then said in a husky voice, ‘Pearl, I want you to know that I love him.’

Pearl bit her lip hard, trying to calm herself. How could Ruby love him? He was the one man on earth that she shouldn’t be loving.

‘I can’t understand it,’ Ruby pressed again. ‘Are you upset with me?’

‘No, course not.’

‘What is it, then?’

‘I just want you to be happy.’

‘Then give me a hug – please?’

As she pulled Ruby against her, Pearl felt the tears fill her eyes. Why was this happening? She wanted to be happy for Ruby but how could she be?

Ruby was just leaving when Jim came up the stairs.

‘Hello, Jim. Pearl said you’ve had a wonderful honeymoon.’

He kissed her cheek. ‘You bet.’

‘She told me all about it.’

‘Not all, I hope.’

Ruby smiled. ‘Only the best bits.’

Jim looked her up and down. ‘So where are you off to, the Savoy?’

Pearl saw Ruby blush. ‘No, I’m going to my first-aid class.’

‘Go on, pull the other one. Bet you’re being wined and dined.’

‘No, not till Ricky comes home.’ She looked at Pearl and before Jim could reply, she ran down the stairs.

Jim turned, his expression dark and angry. ‘Did I hear right?’

‘Yes, but please don’t get upset.’

‘Of course I’m bloody upset.’

‘Come in, we don’t want everyone to hear us.’ Pearl closed the kitchen door. ‘Jim, you haven’t even kissed me.’ ‘Listen,’ he said, throwing down his lunch box in an angry gesture, ‘your sister is playing with fire and, God help her, she’s going to get burned.’

‘Jim, she’s all grown up. There’s nothing I can do to change her mind.’

‘Yes there is, if you tried. You’re like two peas in a pod. She always takes notice of you.’

‘It’s different this time,’ Pearl protested. ‘She thinks she’s in love.’

‘That’s ridiculous! And you should put her right on the subject.’ He took hold of Pearl’s arm. ‘Sit down. I’m going to tell you something. And perhaps after what I’ve said, you’ll come to your senses.’

‘What about your dinner?’

‘It can wait. Now sit down.’

Pearl sat on the kitchen chair. She felt her happy world crashing down around her. Ruby wouldn’t listen no matter what she said, and Jim was angry with her for something she had no control over.

Jim loosened the straps of his overalls and sat on a chair. ‘Winters and me were members of the Dockland Settlement Club as you know. We was at each other’s throats from the off He did everything for show, and me and the lads couldn’t stomach it. Our company wasn’t good enough. It wasn’t until he chucked in the Docklands Rowers for the Essex Flyers that people began to see he didn’t give a toss for the club, or the island, for that matter. He wasn’t born here, just worked for the PLA and lived in digs. No one knew him and he only joined the club ’cos there was nothing else around.’

‘But I thought you always won the rowing,’ Pearl said helplessly.

‘Not against the Flyers we didn’t. They had better boats, good men and the time to train. Sounds like green-eye, don’t it? But he is a rat. One of the worst.’

‘I’ve never heard you talk like this before.’

‘And I don’t want to now, as I promised a mate I’d never tell a soul.’ There was a long silence. ‘Danny’s family and hers wanted it hushed up and I gave them me promise that they could count on me.’

‘Danny’s family?’ Pearl whispered.

‘My cousin, Danny Shorter, lived over Blackwall.’

‘I didn’t know you had a cousin on the island,’ Pearl said, bewildered.

‘Danny was Mum’s nephew–her sister’s boy. Mum didn’t have much to do with her sister as she married into trouble, apparently. The two sisters never spoke and Mum don’t know about this–but I was friendly with Danny. We didn’t have no grievances, in fact I like him a lot. He was a good kid, a bit rough round the edges but he was solid enough and worked on the roads for the council. When Aunty Madge died, Danny took up with Gladys. She was a bit of a daft moo, but Danny was saving up to get spliced. Then Gladys had a bit of a fling with guess who.’

Pearl swallowed. She knew the answer without Jim saying.

‘Yes, lover boy. He got her up the duff, then gave the poor kid the boot. She jumped off one of the bridgers. Lived over Ebondale Street. Surprised you don’t remember that.’