The Leaving of Liverpool (21 page)

To her surprise he wasn’t a bad dancer. ‘Come here often?’ he asked.

She glanced up at him. ‘Can’t you do better than that? It’s not very original.’

Cocky with it, he thought, but it only made him admire her. ‘I think I’ve seen you before.’ He hesitated. He wished she wouldn’t keep looking at him like that, smiling in a sort of secretive way. It unnerved him. At least she wasn’t afraid of him. Most girls were, especially those who lived in their neighbourhood.

‘But you can’t remember where,’ she forestalled him.

‘If you’re goin’ to be a smart arse . . . sorry.’ He missed the beat and stumbled. He had never found himself apologizing before; she was having a peculiar effect on him. Or was it the beer? he wondered.

‘I’ve seen you before. You’re Jake Malone aren’t you and the last time I spoke to you, you could hardly stand up.’

‘You spoke to me? When? Where?’

‘On the street, months ago. Why do you get into that state?’ She could sense she had the upper hand in this conversation and he was holding her as though she were made of glass.

‘What state?’

‘Falling down drunk. You were disgusting.’ She could feel Alice’s eyes on her and gave a tinkling laugh. A few more heads were turned in their direction and she liked the stir they were causing. It wasn’t often that Jake Malone was seen dancing and sober at the same time.

‘If you worked in that hell-hole you’d get falling down drunk, too.’

‘I’ve been on the
Mauretania
,’ she said imperiously.

‘Gerrof!’

‘I have! Miss Olivia Mercer and I were taken on a tour by the Chief Electrical Officer. Her father is a director of Cunard.’

He didn’t know if she was just pulling his leg. ‘So, where is Miss Mercer tonight then?’

She shrugged. ‘Off on a cruise, so I believe.’ Then she felt a little sorry for him. ‘I worked for her. I was her maid.’ She laughed again at the thought of feeling sorry for Jake Malone. Yet he was quite handsome, his clothes were smart and he had a brute strength that she found attractive. He was completely the opposite of Rhys Pritchard, she thought.

‘Don’t you work there any more then?’

‘No. I work at the B&A.’

‘What’s your name?’

‘Phoebe-Ann Parkinson.’

Even her name was different, he thought. Not just plain Mary or Maggie. ‘Where do you live?’

‘Lonsdale Street.’

He thought for a moment. ‘Was it your mam who married that bloke, Davies?’

She nodded.

‘Me mam said you were a stuck-up lot.’

She should have felt annoyed but she didn’t. ‘That’s what you told me the last time we met. You bawled across the street that our Emily and me were a “stuck-up pair of judies”.’

‘I never did!’

‘You did. I was stone cold sober at the time, even if you weren’t.’

‘Ah, for God’s sake will you give it a rest with the drink an’ all!’

The music had stopped and she withdrew her hand from his. It was announced that the next dance would be the Charleston and everyone was invited to try their newly-learned skills.

‘Sod that for a lark! I’m not prancin’ around like a bloody eejit! Will you have a drink?’

She looked uncertainly in Alice’s direction. She’d never had a drink bought for her before. She’d only had a couple of glasses of sherry in her life and Mam would be livid if she found out. That thought made her reckless. ‘I will.’ It was quite a heady feeling. Sort of very adult, sophisticated.

As he guided her towards the bar, people drew back. His reputation went before him. Everyone was staring at her and whispering behind their hands and she felt very important.

‘It’s your turn to buy the ale but I see yer bagged off,’ Vinny remarked acidly.

‘You watch your mouth, meladdo! This is Phoebe-Ann and I’m not havin’ you blackguard her! Here, make yer name Walker an’ get me a pint. What will you have?’ He found he was even watching how he spoke to her. He pushed a coin at Vinny and it glinted gold in the light. It felt good to see the expression on his brother’s face and that of the men in the vicinity. He’d show them all he was worth a bob or two and no-one was going to call him a tight arse.

Phoebe-Ann thought quickly but she couldn’t call to mind a sophisticated drink. ‘I’ll have a small brandy, please.’

‘Bejasus! She’s not soft is she! Act daft an’ I’ll buy yer a coalyard!’ Vinny commented before moving quickly out of range of his brother’s boot and in the direction of the bar.

‘Take no notice of him. Don’t know ’ow to talk to decent folk. Is anyone taking you home, Phoebe-Ann?’

‘I don’t know. I came with my friend.’ She was feeling a little guilty at leaving Alice and also a hint of apprehension had crept in. Mam would brain her if she saw her with him and what if he got fresh with her? How would she handle that?

‘Can I see you home then?’ he persisted.

She bit her lip, not knowing what to say.

He misinterpreted her gesture. ‘We’ll get a cab.’ He applauded himself. That had been a brilliant stroke. Only the toffs travelled in taxi cabs and he could see she was impressed.

‘Really? In a taxi?’

‘Of course. Nothin’ but the best for my judy . . . I mean girl,’ he hastily amended.

‘Who said anything about me being “your” girl?’

He looked down at her, his eyes begging her not to turn him down. She was different was this one. She had a bit of class and he’d never felt like this about any girl before. ‘I didn’t mean . . . I only meant . . .’ For the first time in his life Jake Malone was lost for words.

Phoebe-Ann was quick to notice his embarrassment and a feeling of power surged through her. ‘You can see me home and then I’ll think about it.’

He looked like a puppy dog, she thought, with his dark eyes and adoring expression. Suddenly she realized that she would be able to twist him around her little finger if she wanted to. The feeling of power increased in magnitude.

He ran his finger around the edge of his collar. He’d willingly work in hell itself if it meant he could have her to hold and kiss, to show off, to lavish affection and gifts on. She was so beautiful and she had a certain aura about her. He wondered where he’d heard that word before; he wasn’t even sure of its meaning. He was still staring down at her, holding her hand, when Vinny arrived back with the drinks. ‘Go an get that feller on the door to order me a taxi cab!’ he instructed in a voice loud enough to turn the heads of all the people in front of them. Phoebe-Ann rewarded him with a smile and a muttered, ‘Oh, Jake, you’re
so
extravagant!’

‘All right Rockefeller! What did yer last servant die of!’ Vinny retorted, annoyed that everyone was looking at them.

He was instantly grabbed around the throat. ‘Shut yer gob an’ do as yer told! An’ don’t show me up in front of me girl!’ he added.

‘Don’t gerrof yer bike! I’m goin’,’ Vinny retorted when the pressure on his throat was released. As he moved back he cast his brother a mocking glance. ‘Wait till me mam hears you’ve gone all soft over a judy!’

Jake ignored him but a frown crossed Phoebe-Ann’s face as she remembered Ma Malone’s fearful reputation.

‘Take no notice of him, me mam’s all right. She’ll like you.’

Phoebe-Ann just smiled. She had no wish at all to be ‘liked’ by Ma Malone. That realization brought her back to earth. Oh, well. She’d make him drop her at the bottom of the street and she needn’t see him again if she didn’t want to; but that was the strange part of it – she did want to see him again.

I
T WAS IN THE COMPANY of Edwin and Todd that Rhys had his first experience of New York, as he had no wish to accompany his fellow members of the stokehold on a bout of heavy drinking. He had been allocated to the O’Rourke team, a fact that had pleased neither the O’Rourkes nor the Malones. In the brief periods when he had time to think he considered it a blessing that conversation was limited by the noise and the concentration required to carry out the work in the allocated time. After a few days he had formed the opinion that the majority of the black squad were best left well alone. He had received Edwin’s message with gratitude for he’d no wish to wander a strange city by himself.

It was the first time he’d felt totally clean and human and he said as much to Edwin as they walked from the pier towards the subway.

‘I thought it was bad down the pit but I’ve never worked so hard or so fast. I’m sick of the sound of that blasted gong and as for the heat! It defies words.’

‘Any trouble from the Malones?’ Edwin asked.

‘Not really. A few words, a few curses but I think they disliked me just because I was with the O’Rourkes. I think they’d have taken the same attitude with the Angel Gabriel. Not that I was made welcome by the O’Rourkes, having filled their brother’s job. They’re a murderous lot, all of them. I keep my mouth shut and my head down, best way to get on.’

Edwin didn’t envy him either the job or the company. ‘Well, time to forget it all for a bit. We’ll go for a quick drink first. I said I’d meet Todd. You’ll like him. He’s a bit of a comedian but then so are half the crew.’

Todd was suspicious of Rhys. ‘You sure we won’t end up in clink?’ he asked Edwin, eyeing the burly young Welshman warily.

‘Positive. He’s not really like any of them, that’s why he’s coming with us instead of spending the next few days in a paralytic stupor in some Irish-American bar.’

‘Why did yer sign on then?’ Todd asked. He’d never met a member of the black squad whose sole aim in life wasn’t to stay permanently plastered.

‘No choice,’ Rhys replied. ‘No other work to be had and I’ve got to pay my keep, send back money to Mam and then I thought I’d get something for Phoebe-Ann. ’

Todd shrugged and pulled a face. ‘Always a judy at the back of it somewhere. Isn’t she your Emily’s sister?’ The question was directed at Edwin.

He nodded.

‘I thought so, there’s not many called Phoebe-Ann. Isn’t there a street called that?’

Edwin nodded again. ‘At the back of Mill Road Hospital.’

It was the first time Rhys had heard anyone refer to Emily as ‘your Emily’ and he wondered again at the rather cautious relationship between Edwin and Phoebe-Ann’s sister. Mentally he noted to question Edwin on it later.

‘Come on then, let’s get the necessary shopping over and then we can get down to the serious business of enjoying ourselves. Where’s it to be then?’

Rhys finished his drink. ‘Wherever the best shops are. Nothing but the best for Phoebe-Ann.’

‘I thought you said your cash was spoken for,’ Todd said.

‘It is – most of it.’

‘Then it’s no good goin’ up to Fifth Avenue. No use goin’ up there even if you’d been paid off. Did yer gerra sub?’

Rhys nodded but looked disappointed. He’d particularly wanted to buy something that would impress Phoebe-Ann. That would show her that he thought she wasn’t just any girl.

‘I know where there are some good stores. Not too expensive but not the five and dime stores either,’ Edwin put in, feeling sorry for Rhys.

‘What’s wrong with the five an’ dimes then? Me mam an’ me sisters think the stuff I get them is great.’

‘I’m not saying it isn’t, but it’s sort of like buying stuff from Woolworth’s in Church Street instead of Bunnies or Lewis’s.’

‘Well; if he wants ter go buyin’ stuff from places like that ’e’ll ’ave ter get promoted pretty bloody quickly!’ Todd remarked sarcastically.

 

Rhys was like a child let loose in a toy shop as he gazed in awe at the exclusive shops on Fifth Avenue. Yet at the same time he was disappointed, wishing he could have afforded some small thing for Phoebe-Ann with a posh label inside or printed on the wrapping paper or box. It was with real regret that he let Edwin guide him around the corner and towards the smaller, less expensive stores.

‘Start as yer mean t’go on. If yer spend the earth on them, they’ll expect yer to go on spendin’ yer last brass farthin’ on them,’ Todd warned sagely.