Sadie Was A Lady (43 page)

Once bitten twice shy, Sadie thought. Tommy had said the same thing last night and he was a disaster. ‘There’ll be plenty of girls for yer to dance with, don’t worry. Give us a knock at half-seven on Saturday an’ we’ll be ready. That’s if me grandma doesn’t throw me out tonight for being late for me dinner. I’ll tell her it was your fault for keepin’ me talking.’

‘Wouldn’t Auntie Sarah like to go to Blair Hall with those two strapping lads, and me and you could go to the pictures?’

‘I seem to have gone deaf, Peter, can’t hear a thing. I can see yer lips moving, but that’s all. So I’ll say ta-ra for now.’

Sadie sat at the table wrapping Christmas presents in the coloured paper she’d bought at sixpence for twenty sheets. It was the first time in her life she’d ever bought presents, and her excitement and pleasure were shared by Sarah and Joe who watched with smiles on their faces. It was as much a treat for them as it was for Sadie.

‘Have yer got all yer presents in now, sweetheart?’

‘All except Auntie Mary’s – I don’t know what to get her.’ Sadie laid her hand on the parcels already wrapped. ‘Ludo for our Les, gloves for Ellen and Jimmy, and the doll for the baby, Sally. She won’t know what’s hit her, Grandma, she’s never had a doll before. And it looks lovely in the clothes you made for it; they don’t half make a difference.’

‘Why don’t yer buy a tortoiseshell comb for Mary Ann? You wouldn’t go far wrong with that because she’s always got one in her hair.’

Sadie pursed her lips and wagged her head from side to side. ‘I have thought of that, then I couldn’t make up me mind between a comb or a scarf. I don’t mean a scarf for work, but a pretty one that she could wear when she goes out.’

‘I’d settle for the scarf, queen, she’d be over the moon.’ Joe offered his suggestion with a knowing nod. ‘It’s something she’d think twice about buying for herself because of the money, so it would be a nice surprise.’

‘There speaks the man of the house.’ Sarah ran a finger gently down her husband’s wrinkled cheek. ‘And I think
he’s
right. Mary Ann would be delighted with a pretty scarf.’

‘Right, that’s settled then, yer’ve made up me mind for me. I’ll get it this afternoon on me way to meet Ellen comin’ out of school. This is me last day off before Christmas ’cos Auntie Mary said we’ll be mad busy next week.’ A frown creased Sadie’s brow. ‘I don’t know how I’m goin’ to get the things to the children. I won’t be able to take time off to meet them outside school, and I don’t want to give them to them now, it’s too far off Christmas and it wouldn’t be the same.’

Sarah and Joe exchanged glances. ‘Me and Joe have been talkin’ about that, sweetheart, and we wondered if yer wouldn’t like one of them to come here and pick them up? It would save yer a lot of worry.’

‘But I don’t want them to know where I’m living, Grandma, in case me mam and dad find out. I could trust our Ellen and Jimmy to keep a secret if it wasn’t for me dad being such a wicked article. If he found out they knew where I was, he’d belt it out of them.’

Sarah sighed. ‘It was only a thought, sweetheart, but you know best.’

There was a loud rat-tat at the knocker and Sarah made to rise. ‘That’ll be the rent man.’

‘You stay where yer are, Grandma, I’ll go.’ Sadie scraped her chair back and picked up a rent book off the sideboard. ‘Is the money inside?’

‘Right to the penny, sweetheart, as usual. Give George my regards.’

George Scott was turning the page in his ledger when he looked up and saw Sadie standing on the top step, holding the rent book and money out to him with a huge smile on her pretty face. It was the first time she’d been home when the rent man called so they were strangers to each other.

‘My God, Sarah, yer don’t half look well.’ George stepped back and feigned surprise. ‘What have yer been taking, rejuvenating pills or something?’

Sadie chuckled. ‘Yeah, but I went overboard. It said on the bottle to take one every morning, but I thought I’d
speed
the process up and took six.’ She waved a hand downwards. ‘This is the result.’

‘Well, I’ll be blowed.’ George ran his fingers through dark hair which was showing signs of white at the temples. He was a portly man in his forties, with a ruddy complexion and a happy disposition. ‘Whatever will they think of next? You don’t happen to have the bottle handy, do yer? I wouldn’t mind a tanner’s worth of those pills.’ He threw his head back and his roar of laughter could be heard the length of the street, causing heads to turn. ‘On second thoughts I’d better make it a shilling’s worth; there’s no point in me going back to me childhood if the missus doesn’t come with me.’

Sarah’s voice floated down the hall. ‘I’m listening, George Scott! Don’t you be leading me granddaughter astray, d’yer hear? Yer get paid to pick up the rent money, not pretty young girls.’

‘Ah, if only I could, Sarah. The only thing I can pick up is a heavy cold.’ George dropped the money in the large leather bag which hung from a strap on his shoulder and handed the book back to Sadie. ‘So, you’re a granddaughter? Are yer staying with Sarah?’

Sadie nodded as she folded her arms and hugged herself. It was a bitterly cold day and her jumper gave little protection from the wind. ‘Me name’s Sadie, and yer haven’t seen me before because I go out to work. Today’s me day off.’

‘Well, it’s been nice meeting yer, Sadie, and yer’ve brightened me day.’ He closed the ledger and tucked it under his arm. ‘Pity about those pills, though. I had visions of being twenty-one again.’

‘If yer were, would yer change anything about yer life?’

‘No, I suppose not. I’m a lot better off than some.’

‘There yer are, then.’ Sadie grinned even though her teeth were chattering. ‘I’m happy, you’re happy, God’s in His heaven and all’s right with the world.’

Sadie did the last of her Christmas shopping on her way to meet Ellen coming out of school. She chose a voile
scarf
with a pretty floral design on for Mary Ann, a pair of warm slippers and an ounce of tobacco for Joe, and a pair of gloves and a slab of Cadbury’s for Sarah. She’d have to sneak them in and hide them in her wardrobe until she had time to wrap them properly. The presents for her grandparents would be going under the tree on Christmas Eve. She’d already ordered the tree off one of the men at the market but hadn’t said anything at home because she wanted to surprise them.

Sadie’s happiness gave her a warm glow inside as she walked towards the school, but after standing outside the gates for ten minutes she was dithering with the cold. There was nowhere to shelter from the wind, only the entry on the opposite side of the street, but she was afraid to move in case she missed her sister. Ellen didn’t know she was coming so wouldn’t be watching out for her. It seemed ages before the doors finally burst open and a stream of noisy girls poured out, pushing and elbowing each other out of the way to be first across the playground and out through the gates.

‘Ellen!’ Sadie waved frantically, afraid she wouldn’t be seen or heard above the din. But her sister had spotted her, and with a look of determination on her thin face she barged her way through the heaving mass.

‘I had a feelin’ yer’d come today, Sadie.’

Sadie hugged her tight. ‘I’m like an iceberg standin’ here; let’s go in that entry out of the wind.’

Ellen linked her arm. She had so much to tell her sister she couldn’t wait to get it out. ‘Me dad said if yer send any more clothes for us, he’ll put them on the fire. He went mad over those boots yer gave our Jimmy. He was on his way out to the bin with them but our Jimmy stood in front of the door and wouldn’t let him out. Me dad was like a raving lunatic, he would have killed our Jimmy if me mam hadn’t stopped him.’

‘What happened to the boots?’ Sadie asked, her voice tight with anger.

‘Me mam calmed me dad down and took the boots off him. She gave them to Jimmy and told him to take them
upstairs
out of sight. He’s wearing them, but yer can tell by me dad’s face that he’s still blazing over it. He’s just dead jealous that he hasn’t got a pair of boots as good as those.’

‘He would have if he didn’t spend all his money in the pub.’ Sadie tucked her hands into the sleeves of her coat. ‘So, I can’t give yer any more clothes, eh?’

‘That’s what me dad said, that he’d burn them. And he would, too, Sadie, ’cos he’s a bad, wicked man.’

‘Has he been leaving you alone?’

Ellen lowered her head. ‘I told him everything yer told me to, Sadie, but he said I could go to the police if I wanted, he didn’t care. He said they’d put me in a children’s home and they’d keep me there until I was eighteen.’ Her face flushed, she faced her sister. ‘I was frightened, Sadie. I don’t want to go in no home.’

‘Is he still doing things to yer?’

‘When he gets the chance he puts his hand up me knickers.’ Tears were threatening as she went on. ‘Our Jimmy doesn’t leave me alone with him if he can help it. And I go to bed at the same time as him every night so I’m not on me own with me dad.’ A tear trickled down her pale face. ‘I hate him, our Sadie. When he touched me the other night I almost picked the poker up to hit him with.’

Sadie ground her teeth in anger. ‘I’ve got Christmas presents for you and the others, Ellen, and I’m bloody determined that yer get them and yer keep them.’ It was so unusual for Sadie to swear, Ellen’s eyes flew open. ‘I’ll think of something, don’t you worry. Even if I have to bring them meself, you’ll get them.’ Sadie’s mind was whirling. She had no idea how she could manage it, but with her anger came determination. ‘Don’t say a word to anyone except our Jimmy. I want both of yer to stay in the house on Christmas Eve, don’t go out under any circumstances. It’s important, Ellen, do you understand?’

‘What are yer goin’ to do, our Sadie? Me dad will kill yer if yer come to the house.’

‘That’s my worry, Ellen – I’ll sort something out. Come
hell
or high water, you and the other kids will get yer Christmas presents. And I promise yer they won’t be put on the fire by our loving father.’

When Sadie saw the worried looks on the faces of Sarah and Joe, she was ashamed that she was the one who had put them there. ‘I wasn’t going to tell yer, but I had no one else to talk to. I can see I was wrong now. I’ve no right to be bringing trouble to yer door after yer’ve been so good to me.’

‘Nonsense, child! We’re family now and families stick together through thick and thin. I don’t know that me and Joe can be much help to yer, but we’ll do our level best.’

‘I only want some advice, Grandma. I’ve gone over and over it in me mind and there’s no way I’m going to let the kids down. I’ll take all the stuff up meself on Christmas Eve. I don’t mind doin’ that, I’m not frightened of me dad. But I need somebody with me just in case he tries to take it out on the children after I’ve gone. I need someone to put the fear of God into him. Not only about the clothes and presents, but also for the way he treats the kids.’

Joe puffed on his pipe, wishing he was fifty years younger so he could sort the bugger out himself. ‘What had yer in mind, queen?’

‘I was wondering what yer thought about me asking Tommy and Spike to come with me? It would mean me telling them me business, which I never have – they don’t know anything about me. But I’m desperate and can’t afford to feel ashamed of me home and me parents. The lads wouldn’t have to come in the house, as long as they stood outside and me dad knew they were there. He thinks nothing of belting a child, it makes him feel brave, the great “I am”. But a big strong man would be a different proposition. He’d grovel before he’d stand up to someone his own size.’

‘It sounds a good idea, sweetheart, and I’m sure the boys would jump at the chance to help yer. But I’d be worried about yer putting yerself at risk by goin’ in the
house
on yer own. If the boys were outside they wouldn’t know what was going on inside. Yer father could be belting hell out of yer.’

Sadie grinned. ‘Grandma, I’ve got a good set of lungs on me. If he so much as raised his hand they’d hear me screams down at the Pier Head.’

‘Well, have a word with Tommy tomorrow an’ see what he says.’

‘I won’t have time tomorrow, it’s Auntie Mary’s day off and I won’t be able to leave the stall. Besides, it’s not the best place to have a private conversation. And I won’t be able to mention it on Wednesday when we go to Blair Hall ’cos Peter will be there. I don’t want him knowing.’

Sarah shook her head and tutted. ‘He’d be the first one to offer to help yer, sweetheart. He thinks the world of yer.’

‘I know that, Grandma, and I think he’s a smashing lad. But I don’t want him to see where I’ve come from. Yer should hear me dad’s language when he starts, it’s enough to make yer hair curl. And me mam’s no better. I don’t mind Tommy or Spike, they’re more rough and ready, but not Peter.’

Joe leaned forward and tapped the bowl of his pipe against the grate. ‘Why not ask them to come here, then? Yer’ll feel more at ease in yer own home, and yer’ll have me and Sarah at hand for moral support.’

‘That would be the best thing all round,’ Sarah agreed. ‘And yer’ve no need to make a big issue out of it, just give them the bare details. You ran away from home because yer dad’s a drunken bully, and yer worried now that he won’t let you in to give the children their Christmas presents. That’s all they need to know and yer wouldn’t be telling them no lies.’

‘You make it sound so easy, Grandma. I just hope yer right.’

‘Listen to me, queen,’ Joe said, a twinkle in his eyes, ‘if those two lads are prepared to slay a dragon for yer, then facing up to your dad should be a piece of cake.’

‘I hope they don’t have to stand up to him, Grandad.
I’m
banking on the size of them frightening the living daylights out of him.’

‘Well, Tommy and Spike are big strapping lads, queen, they don’t come much bigger. You and I know they’re as harmless as kittens, but yer dad doesn’t.’

‘Don’t you believe it.’ Sarah squared her shoulders, folded her arms and set her lips in a thin line – all signs indicating that she was going to say something of great significance. ‘I’ll have you know that young Tommy can handle himself. I was standing by their stall one day when a bloke insulted his father, and before yer could say Jack Robinson, Tommy had the bloke by the scruff of his neck. There was a crowd around in no time ’cos this feller was a known big mouth and troublemaker, and they were all egging Tommy on to belt him one. He would have done, too, if his dad hadn’t stepped in. Even then Tommy wouldn’t leave go of the bloke until he’d apologised to his dad.’