‘Sure, why wouldn’t you?’ he said. ‘I chose my life. I chose the docks, not the jail. Being in control of your own way, that’s the path to happiness.’
‘I have a plan, Callum. I’m going to go and work for Cindy and I haven’t told me ma yet, but I’m going to leave home and live in the flat above the salon. Cindy is going to teach me and I’m going to be a hairdresser.’ Even though she was tired, her eyes were bright with excitement.
‘Does that mean I’ll be getting free haircuts for the rest of me life then?’ said Callum. Mary blushed to her roots and looked down to her feet. ‘Mary, I’ve asked your da and he says I can take you to the picture house tomorrow night. I wouldn’t have felt right calling at your house if I hadn’t asked him.’
Mary looked back up and her eyes met his. She had never been to town in her life at night. ‘I don’t mind,’ she said. ‘It’s the four streets, not Carnaby Street and Da would like that you asked him.’
Callum grinned as he slipped his hand into hers. ‘Good, because I can’t wait to kiss you, Mary.’
Mary shook his hand playfully away, but her stomach did a somersault at his words. She couldn’t wait either – but it would all be on her terms and Cindy would be her guide.
*
‘Are you going to tell them about the money?’ Tommy asked quietly as they handed the bottles around.
‘No, not yet. Them bizzies will be all over the docks like a rash tomorrow, so we’ll wait for it to die down before we let them all know about that.’
They walked Peggy back to her house, Kathleen, Maura and Alice – the rest of the women were already in there and the house was spotless. Even Deirdre was soft-spoken as they made their way in.
‘I’ve brought the settle in from yours, Maura, and made it up by the fire, for she’ll be better off down here. I had to use your spare bedding, though.’
‘Don’t be worrying about that, Deirdre,’ said Maura. ‘’Tis only blankets.’
‘Has anyone told Paddy yet?’ asked Alice and they all turned as her husband answered, ‘I have and he’s here.’
They parted to let big Paddy through and he removed his cap to sit on the side of the settle. Peggy’s daughter lay in her arms; she’d refused to put her down since Shelagh had given the baby to her.
‘A girl, Pegs?’ Paddy said, looking at his wife, who had eyes only for her daughter.
‘It is,’ she said, ‘she’s a beautiful colleen.’
‘Have we a name?’ asked Paddy, who felt as though he were looking at their firstborn.
‘I do. Kitty. I’m calling her Kitty.’
Maura, watching the scene from the side, blinked away the tears that sprang to her eyes.
‘Jerry’s going to be the new gaffer,’ said Paddy. ‘He’s putting me on the sheds and I’ll be working every day now, I promise.’
Peggy looked up at her husband and smiled and then around at the women who had saved her. Jerry had told Paddy how close he had come to losing his wife and instead of the angry reaction he had expected, Paddy had been filled with remorse. Little Paddy came into the room, still wide awake at one in the morning. He sat on the opposite side of the settle and peered over the blanket at his new baby sister.
‘Did you say her name was Kitty, Ma?’ he asked.
‘I did, Paddy, is that all right with you?’
Paddy, wide-eyed, nodded his head. ‘Oh, aye, Kitty will love that. I’ll tell her next time I see her.’
They all looked at Paddy; for a simple boy, he said the strangest things.
‘God, that lad, he’s away with the fairies,’ said Deirdre, as Jerry and Tommy joined them.
‘We’re here to wet the baby’s head,’ said Jerry. ‘And did you all know that little Paddy saw Gladys off tonight, or we might not have had this?’ He held a large bottle of rum aloft. ‘He did a grand job, didn’t you, Paddy? She was about to call the police, but Paddy saved the night.’
Little Paddy beamed from ear to ear with pride.
‘Oh, really?’ said Maura. ‘How did you do that, Paddy?’
Little Paddy stood up for effect. ‘Oh, that was easy, I just told her I’d seen Eric the milky kissing Mrs Trott in the entry.’
Everyone in the room looked at each other, mouths fell open and then closed before the laughter began. Peggy laughed along too, one hand on her belly and the other wrapped around her daughter as love shone out of her eyes and down on the bundle swaddled in borrowed clothes. No one ever visited her house; she knew her neighbours were more inclined to avoid having to cross her threshold, but here they all were, drinking and laughing in her kitchen and she had a daughter in her arms and a repentant husband who had promised to stay in work.
Tommy slipped his hand around his Maura’s waist. ‘Where’s Biddy?’ he asked.
Mary, who was helping Deirdre dish out the drinks, said, ‘She’s taken Shelagh’s pram to put Ena in it and wheel her home from the Anchor.’
Tommy almost spat out his drink as Maura raised her eyebrows. ‘Are you glad to be home?’ he asked her quietly and Maura whispered back, ‘Honest to God, we were gone six months? Maggie Trott and married Eric the Milky! It’s like Sodom and Gomorrah.’ And she blessed herself.
‘Good job you’re back then, to keep them all in order.’
Maura smiled at her husband as Deirdre placed a rum-laden cup of tea in her hand. ‘This is home, Tommy. I never want to leave the four streets ever again.’
About the author
Nadine Dorries grew up in a working-class family in Liverpool. She spent part of her childhood living on a farm with her grandmother in the west of Ireland. She trained as a nurse, then followed with a successful career in which she established and then sold her own business. She is an MP, presently serving as Minister of State in the Department of Health and Social Care, and has three daughters.
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