The Street (12 page)

Tilly didn’t wait to hear more; with her skirts in her fists she began to run home with Alice hot on her heels.

‘Think it’s done.’ Margaret’s quiet statement greeted Tilly’s appearance in the doorway. She inclined her head at the bulky mess on the bed. She had been gripping Sophy’s hand strongly in comfort but now extricated her fingers and moved so Tilly could come closer to the bed and attend to her daughter.

‘If you pop next door for me, Alice, and keep an eye on me kids, I’ll stop here and help yer mum have a clean-up.’

Alice nodded but her eyes were mesmerised by the sight of her white-faced sister lying on a bed of blood. Alice found Lucy still on the mattress where she’d left her. It looked as though she’d cried herself out. Now her little eyelids were drooping and she was hiccoughing past the thumb in her mouth. Quickly Alice stooped to gather her up and take her with her next door.

The two women worked together in silence, rolling Sophy gently to one side so they could remove the soiled wadding stuck beneath her hips.

‘I’ll set water ter boil, and get the bath in from out back,’ Margaret said gruffly and received just a nod from Tilly in response. When Margaret returned with the tin hipbath she collected together the soiled sheets and rags. ‘Washin’ or throwin’? she asked bluntly.

‘Washin’,’ Tilly replied roughly.

‘I’ll set ’em to soak then get the copper alight out the back ‘n’ get started,’ Margaret said.

‘I wasn’t pregnant, after all, Mum,’ Sophy stirred to murmur, her drained features displaying a mingling of surprise and relief.

Tilly’s eyes were drawn to the purplish mess in the tin bowl. ‘That’s good then,’ she said gruffly after a long pause. ‘I’ll just get rid o’ this. Won’t be long.’ She picked up the bowl and went down into the back yard where Margaret was getting the washing copper organised. The two women exchanged a long look as Tilly proceeded towards the privy. She opened the door of the filthy brick shit house and tipped the contents of the bowl down the toilet and yanked the chain.

Tilly’s eyes closed just for a moment before she turned and went back inside to fill the bath and help Sophy into it. A moment later she came back out to see Margaret vigorously plunging the washing dolly on the sheets in the copper.

‘Thanks,’ she said curtly.

‘Least I can do,’ Margaret said, equally brusque.

‘Yeah . . . there’s that to it,’ Tilly said and, turning about, went back inside.

‘Would you do us a favour, Geoff?’

Geoff frowned. He’d emerged in to the street and found Alice still dawdling on the pavement. Moments ago he’d been gulping down his cup of tea while watching her from a window and wondering what was up with her. She’d been pacing restlessly back and forth, frowning and chewing on a thumbnail.

He hadn’t been expecting her to stop him and ask him to help with whatever was troubling her. The Keivers didn’t give the Lovats the time of day and, as far as he knew, hadn’t done so since the almighty ruckus that’d occurred between their families after Danny had got Sophy up the duff. Although, to be fair, he and Alice hadn’t ever fallen out, and would acknowledge each other if they were passing in the street. Whenever he saw her approaching he always hoped she might stop and say a few words rather than walk on by with a gruff mutter or a nod. A couple of times he’d been on the point of putting himself in her way and inviting her to have a bite to eat at the café. But the moment always came and went and took with it his courage. Only once when he turned to look at her did he catch her out looking right back at him. Geoff had known from the day he’d hauled her off fat Louisa’s back that he liked Alice and instinctively he had protected her rather than see her get hurt.

‘What sort of favour?’ Geoff asked. ‘I’m back off to work. Only come home for me dinner.’

‘Won’t take long.’

‘What’s up, then?’ Geoff asked, mildly curious.

‘Are you going Thane Villas way?’ Alice wheedled and looked appealingly at him. He was as tall as his brother Danny although, at nearly fourteen and a half, he was over a year younger. She was sure he’d manage to do what she wanted. Then it was up to her to do better than stutter a stupid excuse for showing up late.

‘Could do, I suppose,’ Geoff casually replied. ‘What’s up?’ he repeated.

‘Nothing really,’ Alice said, quite nonchalant. ‘Just want you to get something for me. I can’t reach it ’cos I’m not tall enough.’

Geoff frowned and shrugged. ‘Alright. But better get going or I’ll be late back.’

‘Where are you working now?’ Alice asked conversationally as they walked briskly along.

‘Got a job in a gents’ outfitters, round in Hornsey Road. Milligan’s, d’you know it?’

Alice hoisted her dark brows. She was impressed. ‘That’s a good place. Good pay, is it?’ she enquired.

‘Nah!’ Geoff grunted a laugh. ‘But it has . . . perks . . . if y’know what I mean.’

Alice slid him an old-fashioned look. ‘You’ll regret it, y’know, if you get caught out doing something daft. Milligan’s is good gear and far too rich for me dad’s pocket, so he told me.’

‘That’s why I ain’t getting caught out doing something daft,’ Geoff returned dryly. ‘Ol’ man Milligan ain’t a bad old stick. So I ain’t taking the piss out of him like I could if I really put me mind to it.’

‘Bet Danny’s pleased you got the job,’ Alice said as they marched on towards Thane Villas.

It was as though the hiatus in their fledgling friendship had never occurred. They had fallen back, straight away, into a comfortable camaraderie.

‘’Spect him and your dad get a few nice bits.’ Alice ran an eye over Geoff’s neat appearance. He obviously did alright for clothes himself out of his job. Perhaps he got a staff discount because it would be really dumb in the brainbox to pinch stuff then wear it to work. And Alice reckoned that Geoff wasn’t stupid at all.

‘Me dad ain’t exactly suited to snappy dressing,’ Geoff observed sourly. ‘As for Dan, I ain’t doing him no favours. Me ‘n’ ’im fell out.’ He looked off into the distance.

‘You had a bust-up over something?’ Alice squinted up at his averted face.

‘Sort of . . .’

Alice continued gazing up at him enquiringly.

‘Weren’t right what he did to your sister.’ Geoff plunged his hands into his pockets after giving his verdict.

Alice blushed.

‘No . . . not that,’ Geoff said with a grin. ‘That’s up to her. She never accused him of nuthin’.’ He paused. ‘Weren’t right the way he tried to weasel out of it. He should’ve stood up to me mum ‘n’ dad and said he’d get wed to her. I know he’s right upset about it all, and feels guilty at what he’s done.’ He frowned as he explained, ‘Dan just wants to get some money and get away from here, ’fore he gets tied down with a family, and I can understand how he feels. But it still ain’t right giving your own kid away. I don’t reckon so anyhow.’

‘No need to worry now,’ Alice mumbled reflexively, a pink stain lingering in her cheeks. It was the first time she’d discussed the matter with anyone apart from Sophy. After the initial shock of finding out she was pregnant, Sophy hadn’t wanted to talk about the baby any more. It seemed her sister had wanted to forget she had a little life inside her that would never be part of her future. After the hullabaloo her parents had kept schtumm on the delicate subject of Sophy’s disgrace, and if they’d talked about it between themselves Alice had never heard them doing so.

‘I don’t reckon
you’d
give away your own nipper,’ Geoff said and slanted a penetrating look at Alice.

Alice felt the blood fizz in her cheeks again. ‘I wouldn’t get meself in that sort of trouble for any lad,’ she scoffed. ‘Anyhow,’ she continued quickly, feeling odd, ‘Sophy ain’t in trouble; it’s all come right.’

‘Eh? How’s that then?’ Geoff shot a puzzled look at her.

‘I suppose your mum wouldn’t have told you,’ Alice began then hesitated, feeling foolish and embarrassed. Of course Margaret wouldn’t have said anything. All women’s stuff was unmentionable, especially to men; Alice had picked that knowledge up from Sophy when it was her time to know a few months ago. ‘Sophy ain’t in the family way,’ Alice muttered quickly. ‘So that’s alright, thank Gawd. She’s just been right poorly though.’

‘She got rid of it after all?’ Geoff asked in surprise. He remembered the day Sophy had screeched that no skewer was ever going anywhere near her.

Alice shook her head and averted her burning cheeks. ‘Wasn’t got rid of, but I ain’t saying any more.’ In fact she wasn’t really sure what had happened to Sophy. After it was all cleaned up, and Margaret had gone home, Alice had met her mum coming down the stairs with Lucy balanced on her hip. Her mum had said very little, other than Sophy wasn’t pregnant; but she was allowed to rest in bed for the day to get her strength back. Then Tilly had muttered about going to the back yard to peg out the wet sheets on the washing line.

Aware of Geoff’s thoughtful gaze on her Alice rushed across the road to avoid his questions, and to hide her confusion. She halted outside the factory gate and tipped back her head. She pointed. ‘I want you to get that down for me.’

Geoff joined her and squinted up at the vacancy board. ‘You want me to get that for you?’ He started to laugh. ‘You gone nuts or somethin’, Alice Keiver?’

‘No, I have not!’ Alice said forcefully, her cheeks blooming now with a different sort of embarrassment. ‘It’s my job and I want it. There ain’t a vacancy. I already took it. It weren’t my fault our place was in uproar and I couldn’t get here to start on time. Ain’t fair! Mr Wright give
me
the work. I want you to take down the notice before someone else sees it and goes in and gets me job.’

‘You was supposed to start work here today?’ Geoff asked in surprise. ‘Didn’t think you was old enough to be out to work.’

‘Nor was you old enough, Geoff Lovat, when you was first out to work,’ Alice came back quickly at him.

Geoff gazed down at her pretty, fierce features then up at the notice. His amusement died. ‘You late turnin’ in ’cos Sophy weren’t well earlier?’

Alice nodded and frowned into the distance. ‘Just my luck, ain’t it, to lose me first job before I even started it.’

Without another word he pulled a penknife out of a pocket and, flicking it open, worked at each corner of the block of wood until the board came loose. A yank with both hands and it was off. ‘There y’are,’ he said and handed it over.

Alice gripped the cumbersome board to her small chest. ‘Thanks,’ she mumbled and gave him a sweetly shy smile.

‘Right, I’m off then,’ Geoff said, having given her a long, contemplative look. Without further ado he turned and sprinted off up the street.

Alice watched him disappear round the corner, feeling a surge of warmth steal over her at his kindness. She’d always liked him but never before noticed that he had a nice smile and long, strong fingers. She turned back and stared at the factory gate. With a deep breath she walked through it with the vacancy board wedged under a slender arm.

‘Give that to me at once!’ Simon Wright snatched the board from Alice’s grasp and leaned it against the office wall. Inwardly he tried to keep an astonished smile from softening his expression. She had a lot of guts for a girl of her age. He looked sternly at her. ‘I told you earlier, young lady, that timekeeping is of the utmost importance at this company. You’re not hired. Now go away, Alice Keiver, or there’ll be trouble.’

‘But you gave me a job. It weren’t my fault I couldn’t get here on time. Why won’t you let me explain? Please!’ Alice demanded, sounding angry.

After the awful events that morning she’d set out for work, having first poked her head into the back room to see how Sophy was. Her sister had been flaked out on the bed, face white as chalk, so Alice had called a soft farewell and started off at a run for the factory. As soon as she had turned in the factory gate she’d noticed that the vacancy board was up. She’d stretched up for it but was unable to reach it, let alone remove it.

She’d found Mr Wright in his office. He’d scowled at her and gestured her away muttering she’d had her chance and it was obviously more than someone from The Bunk had deserved. Alice had taken the dismissal meekly and started off home again. But slowly a simmering sense of injustice had overcome her depression. She’d decided that she wasn’t going to accept her fate so readily, or her mother’s wrath when she came home later and found out she’d lost a good job. As Alice had paced back and forth on the pavement outside her home mulling it all over, she’d decided to go back and hope to find Mr Wright in a better mood after his dinner. Perhaps he might let her start on the afternoon shift for half a day’s pay. She’d work late and wear her fingers down to the bone if he’d agree to that.

But now, as she took a wary glance at the manager’s forbidding face, she realised he didn’t look any more lenient than he had earlier. Nevertheless Alice tried one final time to put her case. ‘It weren’t my fault. Honest. I was all ready and about to set out early this morning when something dreadful happened to me sister. I had to find me mum and bring her back home to look after her so’s I could come here to work. That’s why I was so late. It won’t ever happen again, promise.’

‘And what was dreadfully wrong with your sister?’ he asked in a voice that sounded sarcastic. Alice hesitated and looked away. If she told him she’d be revealing her family’s private business to a stranger and she hated doing that. But she desperately wanted this job. ‘She was in the family way . . . now she isn’t,’ she reluctantly muttered while her cheeks flared.

For a moment Simon Wright remained quiet. He coughed and stuck a couple of fingers between his neck and his shirt collar. ‘I see,’ he eventually said. ‘And is she . . . er . . . feeling better now?’

Alice nodded. ‘Think so. She’s home in bed. Looks like death warmed up though.’

‘Well . . . that is a very . . . unusual circumstance,’ he said gently.

Alice recognised the change in his tone. She looked at him with a glimmer of hope shining in her blue eyes.

‘One more chance then, Alice Keiver. If your timekeeping is bad again . . .’

‘It won’t be, swear,’ Alice interrupted breathlessly.

‘As you know Annie Foster, I think you can start this afternoon in Room 4, with her, when she gets back from dinner. She can show you what to do.’

Alice suppressed an urge to leap forward and hug him. She simply nodded vigorously then blurted, ‘I’ll wait by the gates, shall I, and catch Annie when she gets back?’

‘Yes, you do that, Alice,’ Simon said and watched her go out, carefully closing the door behind her.

‘How di’t go?’

Alice speeded up along Campbell Road when she saw Geoff leaning against the railing outside their houses, waiting for her to reach him. She grinned. ‘I got me job back,’ she told him, and, less inhibited than she’d been with her boss, she grabbed one of Geoff’s long arms and gave it a squeeze that incorporated her gratitude and excitement. ‘Ain’t easy work,’ she bubbled on. ‘Ain’t half noisy there ‘n’ all. But Annie’s showing me what to do, and I’m pickin’ it up already.’ She turned to go in. ‘Must tell Mum.’ She swung back to Geoff. ‘Thanks for helping me earlier. Think me boss knew I wasn’t muckin’ about when I took the notice in with me. Think he was quite impressed I did that. He knew I was serious about keeping me job, you see.’

‘Glad to help,’ Geoff said. Suddenly he pulled a piece of fabric from a pocket. ‘Dunno if yer dad might make use of this. I already got a few scarves and me old man’ll never suit it.’ He held out a length of charcoal-grey silk.

Reverently Alice touched the slubbed silk, running her fingers over it. She could tell it was of beautiful quality. ‘You don’t want it?’ she murmured in awe.

‘Got no use for it,’ Geoff said bluntly. ‘And Dan ain’t havin’ it, that’s fer sure.’ He looked at Alice as she hesitated in taking the gift. ‘Don’t have to have it. I can sell it on. Just thought as your dad’s got a sort of gentleman way about him, he might wear it on occasions; you know, weddings ‘n’ funerals. But if it ain’t his sort of thing . . .’ He made to withdraw his hand, and his gift, but Alice snatched at the scarf.

‘No . . . he’ll like it . . . he will . . . I know he will.’ She folded the soft silk neatly and held it. ‘Thanks,’ she said quietly, for a moment keeping her eyes lowered from his. She knew that really the gift was for her. But Geoff was right; her dad did have a gentleman way about him, and he deserved such a splendid thing. She must find a private moment to give the scarf to him. If her mother saw it she’d have it down the pawnshop first thing in the morning then she might spend the afternoon drinking whiskey in the Duke with Aunt Fran.