MB08 - I’ll Be Your Sweetheart

by Joan Jonker

  ‘Oh, go on then, let’s go in. But whether I’ll have the nerve to ask to see what dance shoes they’ve got in stock, and then walk out without buying, well, I’m not sure. I know I’m cheeky, but not that cheeky.’

  ‘You could always say we’ve got shopping to do, and will call back later,’ Bella said hopefully. ‘I mean, it might be true. For all we know they may have a good selection in the storeroom. We can’t tell by standing outside.’

  ‘You’re not as soft as yer look, Bella Watson, are yer? Yer’ve got it all worked out in yer head, but yer want me to do the dirty work! I’ll go in with yer, if you do the talking. I dare yer.’

  Bella took a deep breath before rising to the occasion. She’d always envied her friend for her ability to hold her own in any situation. How often she’d lain awake at night promising herself she’d come out of her shell the next day. Well, it was now or never. ‘Okay, I’ll do the talking for a change.’

  ‘Now, this is something I’ve got to see,’ Ruthie said, putting a hand on her friend’s back. ‘Lead on, McDuff, and I’ll follow.’

  There were two assistants in the shop, one an older man and the other a woman in her late twenties. Both were attending to customers who were sitting on low stools, trying on shoes with the help of the assistants and shoehorns. The two young girls stood just inside the door and the longer they stood the faster their confidence evaporated. Bella was whispering in Ruthie’s ear that they should leave when the female assistant smiled and said, ‘I’ll be with you in a minute.’ Then, true to her word, she left the woman she was attending to, who couldn’t make up her mind between two pair of shoes, and approached the girls. ‘Can I help you?’

  Swallowing hard, Bella told her, ‘We were wondering if you have any dance shoes? Silver ones?’

  ‘We don’t have a big selection,’ the assistant said. ‘But if you’d like to take a seat, I’ll show you what we have in stock.’

  There was little the friends could do but sit down. And as they did so, Ruthie whispered, ‘Next time yer have a bright idea, Bella Watson, keep it to yerself.’

  But Ruthie was soon to eat her words, for the assistant came out of the stockroom carrying four boxes. ‘These are the only styles we have in at the moment, and I’m afraid we only have them in sizes five and six. Have a look and see if you like them, while I attend to the other customer, who seems to have made up her mind which pair she prefers.’

  ‘You take them out of the box, Ruthie,’ Bella said. ‘It says size five on the box, and we both take that size.’

  The first and second box didn’t appeal to the girls, but when Ruthie took the lid off the next box, both girls gasped with delight. ‘Ooh, these are more like it,’ Ruthie said. ‘They’re exactly like the ones I’ve had in me mind. Four straps and a heel that’s not flat, but not too high. Ooh, I wonder how much they are?’

  ‘I hope there’s not going to be any argument, Ruthie, but I like them as well. And we can’t very well wear the same shoes when we go dancing.’

  ‘Why not? Most girls wear silver shoes, so unless they get down on their knees, no one will notice ours are exactly the same. And even if they did, so what? It won’t bother me. Would it bother you?’

  Bella shook her head. ‘No, not at all. But you said we weren’t going to buy in the first shop, we were going to look around before deciding.’

  ‘I know I did, Bella, but that was me big mouth talking. I’m showing off because I’ve got me wage packet in me handbag, and all the money in it is for me to spend. It’s like a dream and I’ll soon come down to earth with a bump. But about these dance shoes, I don’t see any point in looking in other shops when these are like the ones I’ve had in me head. It depends how much they are, ’cos I want to make sure I’ve got enough for a nice dress. What about you?’

  ‘I’ll go along with you. I want a really special dress for the party. And I’m hoping you’ll do me hair for me that night, so I’ll look me best. I don’t want you looking all glamorous, and me like the country bumpkin.’

  ‘Don’t worry, I’ll make sure ye’re all dolled up, and Peter won’t be able to take his eyes off yer.’ Ruthie grinned into her friend’s face. ‘Now, back to these shoes. Can yer see any price on the box?’

  The girls were holding a shoe each, and the box was on the floor. ‘I can’t see a price, but there might be one. I don’t like picking the box up to look. Anyway, the assistant will be over now, ’cos she’s just giving the customer her change.’

  The assistant had a pleasant face, and she smiled as she approached the girls. ‘Have you seen any you like?’

  Ruthie held the silver shoe up. ‘We both like these. How much are they?’

  ‘Seven shillings and elevenpence,’ the assistant told them. ‘They’re the dearest, the others are only five and eleven.’

  Both girls were delighted. They’d expected them to be ten shillings at least. Ruthie was so pleased she told the woman, ‘Me and me friend are sixteen next week, and our mothers have given us the money to buy a new dress and dance shoes. We’ll be going to our first dance soon.’

  Their pleasure and excitement rubbed off on to the assistant and cheered her up. ‘That’s nice for you. I hope you both have a happy birthday. And those are nice shoes you’re holding, very pretty and smart. You won’t find any better.’

  ‘Yes, we’re both buying a pair, aren’t we, Bella? We’re best mates, and we live opposite each other.’ Ruthie put on a serious face and announced. ‘From next Saturday we’ll be young ladies, not girls.’

  Bella gave her a dig. ‘You looked just like yer Auntie Nellie then. Except yer didn’t swear.’

  The assistant held out her hands. ‘Give me the shoes and I’ll wrap them for you.’

  ‘We’re both made up with them,’ Ruthie told her. ‘I hope we’re as lucky in getting dresses we like. Can you tell us the best shops to go to?’

  ‘Well, there’s T. J. Hughes opposite, and the Co-op. Then there’s two shops as you go down towards the centre of town.’ The woman hesitated for a second, then said. ‘There’s also a shop on the other side of the road, and that’s the one I buy all my dresses from. It’s a one-woman business, but she has some fashionable clothes at reasonable prices. And she’s patient, she lets you take your time, and if she doesn’t think a dress suits you, she’ll tell you so.’

  ‘Where did you say the shop was?’ Ruthie asked. ‘We could try there first.’

  ‘If you cross the road and walk down a bit, you’ll come to a café called Samson and Barlow. You can’t miss it, it’s got a sign above the window. And right next door yer’ll find the shop I told you about. It’s worth a try. And now, if you come to the till, I’ll put the shoes in a bag and take your money.’

  Both girls offered ten shilling notes, and they seemed to grow in stature as they held out their hands for the change. It was the first time they’d spent so much money in a shop without being accompanied by their mothers. When they thanked the assistant, who had been helpful and friendly, she said, ‘Tell the lady in the dress shop that Veronica sent you, and she’ll treat you well.’

  Once outside the shop, the friends looked at each other and grinned. ‘Ay, we did well there,’ Ruthie said, already feeling like a young lady. ‘I thought the shoes would have cost a lot more.’ She linked Bella’s arm and squeezed. ‘We’ve still got two pound two and a penny. We should get a really nice dress for that.’

  ‘I’m really enjoying meself. It’s great going shopping when yer can buy what yer like. When I’ve been out with me mam, I’ve always ended up getting what she liked, not what I liked.’

  The friends stood on the kerb, and as soon as a double decker bus passed they made a dash across the road. ‘We could get a bus home if yer like, instead of a tram,’ Bella said. ‘There’s a stop here that would take us to the top of our street.’

  Ruthie was looking at the signs on the shops they were passing. ‘I’d rather go on a tram, but we’ll take a bus if yer prefer. Makes no odds to me.’ S
he suddenly pulled her friend to a halt. ‘This is the café, Samson and Barlow. And there’s the dress shop next door. There’s not much in the window, though, only a couple of dresses, skirts and blouses.’

  ‘There’s probably a lot more inside, otherwise the woman wouldn’t have told us about it.’ Bella was growing in confidence by the minute. ‘If we don’t try, we’ll never know. And if we’ve got any money over after we’ve bought a dress, why don’t we be daring and go the whole hog?’

  Ruthie’s eyes widened in surprise. ‘Ay, you’re getting cocky, aren’t yer? For all you know, we mightn’t have enough money for a dress, never mind have some over. And what did yer mean by going the whole hog?’

  Bella was feeling as free as a bird when she answered, ‘If we’ve got any money over, we could go next door for a scone and cup of tea. Wouldn’t it be great, you and me sipping tea with the hoity-toity? We’d have a lot to tell Peter, Gordon and Jeff.’

  Ruthie could feel her friend’s new-found confidence and pleasure rubbing off on her, and she was laughing as she nodded her head. ‘If we don’t have enough money left after buying our dresses, we could go in the café, sit down, and when the waitress comes over we could ask for one cup of tea and two straws.’

  The girls were still laughing when they entered the shop, and their pleasure brought a smile to the face of the owner. She moved towards them. ‘How nice it is to see two happy faces on such a cold day. A smile is always more welcome than a frown.’

  ‘It’s the first time me and me friend have been shopping together, with no warnings from our parents about what we should or shouldn’t buy. We’re both sixteen next week, and we’ve been allowed to keep our wages as a birthday present.’ Ruthie liked the look of the woman, who seemed friendly and kind. But it wouldn’t do to tell her how much money they had, for then she could price a dress to suit their purse. Not that she would do that, but better to be sure than sorry. ‘Not that it’s a lot of money, like, ’cos we don’t earn much, but it’s the freedom to spend it as we wish, on dresses of our choice.’

  The woman nodded. ‘I understand, dear. It’s a long time ago, but I was once your age. So I’ll let you look round to see if there’s any dresses you like. I would suggest you start in the room at the back, there are racks out there you can go through. Most of the dresses in this room are expensive and more suited to mature ladies. The dresses on the racks all have a price tag on, so you’ll know which you can afford.’

  As the girls were walking through an archway to the room behind, Ruthie turned. ‘Oh, I nearly forgot, we were told to say Veronica sent us.’

  The room they walked into was lined with racks of dresses in every size, colour and style. It was like a wonderland to the two girls, who put the shoe bags on the floor while they searched through the racks. They were going for colours they liked, then slowed down so they could take the hangers off the rails and examine the dresses more thoroughly. Ruthie was the first to give a low cry of delight.

  ‘Oh, look at this one, Bella, isn’t it gorgeous?’ The dress she held up had a white background, with patterns of blue, red and turquoise bows dotted in the cotton material. It had a nipped-in waist, full skirt, cap sleeves, and a V-shaped neck. ‘Don’t yer think it’s lovely?’

  ‘Yes, it’s really attractive. How much does it say on the price tag?’

  Ruthie forgot where she was in her excitement, and holding the dress to her she twirled around, half laughing and half singing. ‘It’s only nineteen and eleven, and aren’t I a lucky girl?’

  Bella giggled. ‘Don’t act daft, the woman will think we’re both crazy. I hope I can find one for that price, then we’ll both have enough for lipstick and powder.’

  ‘I’ll help yer look for one,’ Ruthie said. ‘What colour did yer say yer wanted?’

  ‘I suit blue better than any other colour.’

  ‘Then we’ll look for a blue one.’ Ruthie was running a hand along the rail of dresses, with the dress she’d fallen for over her arm. When she turned to say something to Bella, she noticed her friend was holding a blue dress as she followed Ruthie along the rail. ‘What’s the dress yer’ve got over yer arm? That’s a nice shade of blue. Don’t yer like the style?’

  ‘I picked it off the rail because I liked the colour, but I haven’t had a good look at it yet. You put me off, acting daft and dancing.’

  ‘Then you’re more daft than me! Yer’ve got me looking for a blue dress, and yer’ve got one over yer arm! Open it up and let’s see.’

  Bella got herself all hot and bothered as the dress hanger got in the way when she tried to hold the dress up to her neck. ‘D’yer think I can take the hanger out, so I can hold it against me, like you did with yours?’

  ‘What are you like, Bella Watson?’ Ruthie said, tutting and shaking her head. ‘Turn the hanger down as I did. Here, let me do it for yer or we’ll be here all day.’ She stood back when she’d sorted her friend out, and after gazing for a few seconds, she said, ‘Bella, it’s beautiful. Honest, it’s a lovely dress and the colour suits yer.’ The dress had three-quarter sleeves, a pleated bodice, nipped-in waist, and a full skirt. ‘I’m dead serious, Bella, it’s a lovely dress.’

  Bella’s face lit up. ‘Can we try them on to see whether they fit proper? I really do like this one, so I hope it fits.’

  She hadn’t finished speaking when Ruthie disappeared, only to come back with the shop owner. ‘We can try them on, the lady said.’

  The woman, who was very smartly dressed, smiled at the pleasure she saw in the young girls’ faces. She pointed to a narrow passageway at the side of the room. ‘There are two fitting rooms down there, so you can try your dresses on in there. And there’s a mirror in each, so you can see if you like them once you have them on. Come out when you’re ready, so I can satisfy myself that they are the right dresses for you.’

  Considering Bella was always the quiet one, she was now making up for lost time. She never stopped chattering over the partition dividing the two fitting rooms, and Ruthie, who had always protected her friend from the bullies at school, was delighted Bella was coming out of her shell.

  The two fitting room doors opened at the same time, and the girls looked each other up and down before bursting out laughing. ‘I think I look devastatingly lovely,’ Ruthie said, her nose in the air. ‘The boys will be falling at my feet.’

  Bella’s nose took to the air to match her friend. ‘And I look tantalizingly adorable. I don’t want all the boys falling at my feet, only Peter.’

  Together, the mates walked through to the front of the shop, where two customers were deliberating on the attractions of one dress above another. The owner smiled and walked towards the girls. ‘I’m not going to sway you one way or the other. But in my opinion you both look lovely. However, it is how you feel that is important, so don’t let me alter your decision.’

  Both girls spoke as one. ‘We love them, and are going to buy them.’ Ruthie’s tummy was churning with excitement. ‘We’re going to knock the boys for six.’

  Bella’s dress was the same price as Ruthie’s, and very soon they were standing outside the shop with a bag in each hand. ‘What a wonderful day, eh, Bella?’ Ruthie said. ‘And as we’ve got over a pound each left in our purses, let’s push the boat out and treat ourselves to a pot of tea in the café? What d’yer say?’

  ‘Yes, let’s live it up for the day,’ Bella agreed. ‘Let’s celebrate our first day as grown-ups.’

  The girls didn’t speak much during their very first visit to a café where the customers were well dressed and spoke in hushed voices. They were enjoying the experience, though, of being served by a waitress, and drinking out of posh cups. They also had a scone each, served with butter and jam in small, separate dishes, and this made them feel very grand, mixing with the hoity-toity.

  Ruthie was taking in what was going on around her when Bella said, ‘If I say something, or ask yer something, will yer promise not to bite me head off?’

  ‘Anyone would th
ink I was a bully, and yer were frightened of me,’ Ruthie said, surprised by her friend’s words. ‘When have I ever bitten yer head off? Go on, admit I never have. Then tell me what’s on yer mind.’

  ‘Well, our dresses and shoes are really nice, and I’m over the moon with them. But I was just thinking they wouldn’t show up well in the house. I’d like to show them off to advantage, somewhere where they can really be seen. And I wondered if, instead of having a party next Saturday, would our mothers let us go dancing with the boys? We could really show off in a dance hall.’

  Ruthie looked taken aback, then thoughtful, before a huge smile lit up her face. ‘Ooh, that’s a good idea, Bella! Ay, ye’re not just a pretty face, are yer? I think it’s a brilliant idea, and don’t know why I never thought of it.’ She clasped her hands together. ‘Oh, yeah, the more I think of it, the more I like it. Shall we finish our tea, pay the bill, and make our way home? I’ll get round me mam, and she can talk your mam into it. Oh, boy, I could kiss yer.’

  Bella smiled. She knew her idea would bear fruit, ’cos Mrs B could always get round her mam. So roll on next Saturday, when she and Ruthie went to their first dance.

  Chapter Twenty Eight

  ‘Have yer got time for a cup of tea this morning, Mam?’ Doreen asked on the Monday. ‘It’s ages since you and Auntie Nellie were both here, telling us all yer news and gossip.’

  ‘Well, it’s not our fault, sunshine, ’cos yer wouldn’t let us in when Bobby was poorly. But we’re not in a hurry this morning, so we can relax for half an hour and get reacquainted with the baby.’ Molly took her coat off and laid it over the arm of the couch. ‘He looks the picture of health and happiness on Victoria’s lap, but I’m going to pinch him off her so I can cuddle him.’