by Joan Jonker
She wasn’t sorry. She’d enjoyed the evening, seen so many things she’d never seen in her life before and probably never would again. As her mam would say, she’d seen how the other half lived. But it was over now, and she wanted to get back to her family. She knew her mam and dad would wait up for her, and was looking forward to telling them all about it. ‘Goodnight, Mr and Mrs Sedgewick, and thank you for a lovely evening. I’ve really enjoyed myself.’
‘Don’t forget, I’m expecting you to visit us.’ Evelyn brushed a kiss against Jill’s face. ‘Make it soon.’
The car stopped outside the Bennetts’ house at exactly eleven o’clock. ‘Right on time,’ Miles said, before sliding from his seat and hurrying to open the car door for Jill. ‘You see, I’m a man of my word.’
‘Thank you, it’s been lovely.’ Jill held out her hand. ‘Goodnight, Miles.’
He took her hand between his own. ‘It’s been my pleasure. Perhaps we can do it again some time?’
‘Perhaps.’ Jill withdrew her hand. ‘I’d better go in, I know me mam and dad will be waiting.’ She saw Miles’ face coming closer and twisted her head to one side so his kiss landed on her cheek. ‘Goodnight.’ She slid the key in the lock, opened the door and stepped inside without a backward glance.
Neither of them had noticed the figure standing in the darkness of the entry on the opposite side of the street. Steve flattened himself against the wall and didn’t emerge until the noise of the car engine had faded away. Then he left the shadows, devastated by what he had seen. He’d been standing there for half an hour, hoping for a chance to talk to Jill. To tell her he was sorry and make it up with her. He’d missed her so much in the last few days, couldn’t get her out of his mind. And he’d waited in the cold and darkness to tell her he’d been a damn’ fool and was sorry.
He had been perished with cold during his long wait, but as he crossed the street his hurt and anger made him forget the cold. Oh, I’ve been a fool all right, he thought, but for different reasons! She said she was only going to help her precious Mr Miles, and even though I didn’t want her to go, I believed her. But you don’t let somebody kiss you unless you want them to.
Steve let himself into the house quietly. All the family were in bed and he mounted the stairs gingerly, not wanting to wake them. His younger brother Paul was snoring softly as Steve undressed before slipping between the icy sheets. Clasping his hands behind his head, he stared at the ceiling, knowing he was in for another sleepless night. His mind in a turmoil, he tried to tell himself to forget about Jill. If it was somebody with money and a fancy car she wanted, then let her have them. The words came easily to him, but he knew that abiding by them wasn’t going to be so easy. When you’d loved a person for years you couldn’t just erase them from your mind as though they had never existed.
Molly sat with the menu in her hands, a comical expression on her face. ‘I can’t understand a word of it!’
‘It’s in French, Mam! I couldn’t understand it myself, so I just said I’d have what Miles was having.’ Jill slipped her shoes off and sighed with relief. ‘I didn’t know what I was eating half the time. They don’t cook like us.’
‘Well, it’s been an experience for yer, love,’ Jack said. ‘I’ve got to my age without seein’ half of what you’ve told us about.’ He gave a low chuckle. ‘The nearest I’ve ever got to the Adelphi was passing it on a tram.’
‘How many of those . . . what did yer say they were, chandeliers or somethin’ . . . how many were there?’ Molly was trying to picture the hanging lights that Jill said had about twenty bulbs on each of them.
‘About five in the main ballroom,’ Jill told her. ‘And they were enormous.’ She spread her arms wide. ‘Each one of them must have been as big as this room.’
‘Yer don’t say!’ Molly smiled across at Jack. ‘When yer win the pools, love, I’ll ’ave sixpennorth of what our Jill’s had tonight.’
Jack returned her smile. ‘If I win the pools, love, yer can have a shilling’s worth. There’ll be no expense spared.’
‘I’m glad I’ve seen it,’ Jill said, rubbing her aching feet, ‘but I wouldn’t want to live like that all the time. Everyone was very nice, especially Miles’ mam and dad, but they’re not like us, not down-to-earth.’ She suddenly got a fit of the giggles. ‘Dad, can you imagine me mam with long red fingernails, hair all waved, face thick with make-up, and puffing on a cigarette through a long holder?’
Molly gasped, ‘They never do!’
‘Not all of them, but quite a lot.’
‘Well, I never! They sound more like the kind yer see down Lime Street than toffs.’ Molly whistled through her teeth. ‘We live a very sheltered life, Jack, don’t know what’s goin’ on in the world.’
‘I don’t particularly want to, love, I’m quite happy with my little lot.’ There was tenderness in his eyes. ‘I wouldn’t swap what I’ve got for all the money in the world.’
‘Me neither, I’m quite happy the way I am,’ Jill said, bending to pick up her shoes. ‘D’you mind if I go to bed? I’m dead beat.’
‘No, you poppy off, sunshine. It’s a good job it’s Saturday tomorrow and yer can ’ave a lie in.’ Molly put her head to one side and winked. ‘If I think of somethin’ I’ve forgotten to ask yer, I’ll write it down in me head and ask yer tomorrow. Like ’ow many roast potatoes did yer get?’
Oh, I do love you, Mam, Jill thought, mentally comparing her mother to Mrs Sedgewick, with Miles’ mother coming a poor second. ‘Sleep well, both of you. Goodnight and God bless.’
Chapter Twenty-Two
‘Have yer got all yer shoppin’ in now, Molly?’ Nellie McDonough asked as she trudged up the street with her friend, her wide hips swaying from side to side. ‘Yer haven’t got to go out again, ’ave yer?’
‘No, thank goodness.’ Molly stopped to take a deep breath. ‘I know it’s Christmas Eve, but I’ve never seen the shops so packed. Some of them were buyin’ enough to feed a flippin’ army!’ She put one of the carrier bags on the ground and held out her hand for Nellie’s inspection and sympathy. ‘Look at that! The blasted string has cut right into me flesh an’ it’s not half sore.’
Nellie grinned. ‘That’s the best of ’aving plenty of fat on yer, it cushions the pain.’
Molly stooped to pick up the bag. ‘I’m glad our Tommy went for the tree this mornin’, and the butcher’s sendin’ me turkey home with Ellen. I couldn’t face goin’ out again, me feet are givin’ me gyp.’ When they reached her front door she jerked her head. ‘Will yer come in an’ have a cuppa, Nellie? I think we both deserve one, an’ ten minutes isn’t goin’ to make that much difference.’
‘What about Ruthie? Aren’t yer goin’ to pick her up?’
Molly shook her head. ‘No, Mary said not to worry about ’er, she’s not in the way. Bella’s got ’er own bedroom an’ they play up there as good as gold.’ She raised her arm, her face screwed up with the effort of lifting the heavy bag. ‘Be a pal, Nellie, an’ get the key out of me pocket, will yer?’
Molly made a bee-line for the kitchen and dropped the bags and parcels on the floor. ‘Thank God for that! Now we can ’ave a quiet sit down before the mad rush starts.’
Leaving her shopping by the door, Nellie sank heavily on to the couch. ‘Ellen’s smashin’, servin’ behind that counter,’ she shouted through to the kitchen where she could hear Molly filling the kettle. ‘I didn’t think she ’ad it in her.’
‘Tony said she’s a Godsend,’ Molly shouted back. ‘He said we did ’im a favour that day, when we talked him into takin’ her on. He’s full of praise for ’er, said he doesn’t know how he ever managed without ’er.’
‘She’s certainly opened my eyes.’ Nellie’s chins did a little dance as she nodded her head. ‘Different woman altogether than she was this time last year.’
‘Yer can say that again!’ Molly came through carrying two cups of steaming tea. ‘No saucer, Nellie, I’ve no time for niceties.’
‘That�
��s all right, girl!’ Nellie’s legs were spread wide, revealing the elasticated legs of her pink, fleecy-lined knickers. ‘I’m not a visitor, I’m yer mate.’
Molly sat by the table, her hands around the cup that possessed only half a handle. ‘Corker’s still home, so him an’ Ellen are comin’ tomorrow night. With you an’ George, me ma and da, Maisie and Alec, and our Doreen’s friend, Maureen, we’ll ’ave a houseful.’ For a few seconds she gazed at the tea leaves floating on top of the tea, then looked across at Nellie. ‘Is your Steve comin’ with yer?’
‘Don’t ask me!’ Nellie rested the cup on the arm of the couch. ‘When I told ’im he’d been invited, he just stared through me. I don’t know what happened between ’im and Jill, but he’s walkin’ around like a flamin’ wet week!’
‘He fell out with ’er ’cos she went to the Adelphi the other night,’ Molly told her. ‘Which was daft really, ’cos she only went to make the number up. Our Jill hasn’t said anythin’, but I know she’s upset. She thinks the world of Steve.’
‘An’ he thinks the sun shines out of her backside, always has. So what’s got into ’im, I don’t know. He’s cuttin’ off his nose to spite his face, the stupid nit.’
‘They’re only kids, we were probably the same at their age. Yer can’t put an old head on young shoulders,’ Molly said. ‘But I hope it blows over, ’cos I’ve always thought your Steve was the right one for our Jill.’
‘It’ll blow over, don’t worry. Me an’ George used to fall out every night, but he always came round the next day, cap in hand.’ Nellie held her cup out. ‘Take this off me, will yer? It’s a blasted work of art tryin’ to get off this couch.’
Molly was grinning as she put the cup on the table, then held her two hands out. ‘Here, get hold of these an’ I’ll pull yer up.’
‘I need one of those cranes they ’ave at the docks.’ Nellie shuffled to the edge of the couch. ‘Now, all together, one . . . two . . . three . . . up she comes!’
Molly carried Nellie’s shopping down the hall. ‘I’ll see yez about half-seven tomorrow night, God willing. An’ try and get your Steve to come, eh? One of them ’as got to make the first move, but I don’t think it’ll be our Jill, she’s too stubborn.’
‘She shouldn’t ’ave to,’ Nellie said, holding on to the door frame as she lowered herself down the step. ‘Always let the feller do the running, that’s what I say.’
‘An’ I agree with yer.’ Molly handed the bags over one at a time. ‘I’ll see yer tomorrow, Nellie, ta-ra.’
The room was pitch dark and the house silent but Ruthie had been wide awake for hours, praying for someone to wake up and realise it was Christmas morning. All she could think of was the wooden hoop she’d seen sticking out over the top of her mother’s wardrobe. It was something she’d always wanted but couldn’t have because her mam said she was too young. But Father Christmas had brought her one this year and she couldn’t wait to try it. She could see herself running down the street, hitting the wooden circle with her hand to make it go faster. Doreen slept on the outside of the bed, Ruthie by the wall. The only way she could get out without waking her sister was by crawling down to the bottom of the bed. She thought for a while, then the picture of the hoop flashed through her mind and she decided it was worth a try.
‘Hey, where yer goin’?’ Doreen sat up in bed, rubbing the sleep from her eyes. ‘Get back in, yer little tinker, it’s the middle of the night!’
‘I’m goin’ downstairs to see what Father Christmas ’as brought me.’ Ruthie was feeling her way to the door when two hands gripped her and tried to pull her back. ‘Leave me alone, our Doreen, or I’ll tell me mam on yer.’
‘There’s no need to, I can hear for meself.’ Molly stood framed in the doorway, a lighted candle in her hand. ‘In fact, yer’ve probably woken the whole flamin’ street! D’yer know it’s not seven o’clock yet?’
‘Ah, ray, Mam!’ Ruthie wailed. ‘Let me go down, please.’
Molly sighed. ‘Stop that racket or Father Christmas will hear yer an’ come an’ take all yer presents back.’ Her mind was torn between five grown-ups wanting to sleep, and one child who didn’t. It didn’t take her long to decide. Christmas was a time for children, and God knows, they weren’t children very long. ‘Okay, you win.’ Molly stuck her head out of the door and shouted, ‘Wakey, wakey! Everybody out!’
There were grunts and groans, but soon the tiny landing was crowded. Holding on to Ruthie’s hand, Molly led the way down the stairs. And seeing the look of wonder in her baby’s eyes when she saw the presents all wrapped in colourful paper set out on chairs, and the stockings hanging from the fireplace, Molly told herself that was all the reward she needed. There was nothing in the world more beautiful to see than the innocence on the face of a child who still believed in Father Christmas and fairies.
Two hours later, when the noise and laughter had died down, Molly asked, ‘Well, are yez all happy with yer presents?’
‘Ooh, yeah!’ Tommy was holding his new long trousers to his waist, measuring them for length. ‘These are the gear, Mam, an’ me new shirt an’ shoes.’
‘Yer can wear them today, then they’re goin’ away till yer go for that interview at yer dad’s works next week.’
Doreen gave her mother and father a big hug. Her presents had been a handbag and gloves to match, plus lipstick and chocolates. ‘Thanks, both of you. I’ll be a real swank now.’
‘Me too!’ Jill stood in front of them, holding a matching necklace, bracelet and ear-rings in nickel silver. She bent to kiss her parents. ‘They’re beautiful.’
A wave of sadness swept over Molly. Jill had joined in the laughter and merriment as the presents were opened, but to Molly’s ears the laughter was hollow and the merriment forced. And she knew Steve was at the bottom of her daughter’s unhappiness. There’d been no card from him, no attempt at reconciliation.
‘I’m glad yer like them, sunshine,’ Molly said, thinking all was not lost. Perhaps he’d come tonight with his mam and dad. ‘If yer ever get to wear yer long dress again, they’ll look nice with it.’
‘Oh, I don’t think I’ll be wearing that again.’ Jill turned away. ‘I’ll get our Doreen to shorten it for me.’
Doreen was at her side in a flash. ‘I’ll buy it off yer.’
‘Oh, you’re not soft, are yer?’ Molly huffed. ‘Let Jill hang on to it. Yer never know, somethin’ might crop up an’ she’ll need it.’
‘Can I interrupt for a minute?’ Jack glared at Molly. What a time to be fighting over a dress! ‘We haven’t said thanks for our presents.’ He held up the box containing a light blue shirt and maroon tie. ‘There’ll be no flies on me tonight. Thanks very much, I’m made up with them.’
‘And my underskirt is very ooh-lah-lah.’ Molly grinned broadly. ‘Remind me to do the Highland Fling tonight, so everyone can see the lace on the bottom of it.’
‘Mam, can I go out an’ play with me ’oop?’ Ruthie stood in front of Molly, the wooden hoop hanging from her neck. It had been the first thing she’d made a bee-line for, and she wouldn’t let go, even when she’d been opening her other presents. ‘Just outside the door, Mam, please?’
‘It’s too cold, sunshine,’ Molly said. ‘Play in the hall with it.’
The rosebud lips pouted. ‘Ah, Mam, don’t be a meanie, there’s no room out there!’
‘Do as yer mam tells yer, Ruthie,’ Jack said. ‘Anyway, no one is going anywhere until all this mess is cleared up, so get cracking.’
Molly stretched her arms wide. ‘I feel more like flyin’ than starting work. But if we all pull together we might manage an hour’s shut eye this afternoon. Ruthie, you an’ Tommy help yer dad tidy up in here while Jill and Doreen give me a hand. They can do the potatoes and vegetables while I make some cakes for tonight.’
Three doors away, Nellie was confronting her son. ‘Are yer comin’ with us tonight or wha’?’
Steve’s face was like thunder. ‘Mam, how many times ’ave I got
to tell yer, I’m not going! Why d’yer insist on harping on it?’
‘Because I can’t make yer out, that’s why! Yer actin’ like a flamin’ schoolboy instead of a man!’ Nellie’s face was mutinous. ‘I thought Jill was supposed to be yer girlfriend, so what’s happened?’
‘She’s not me girlfriend any more, is that good enough for yer?’ Steve was angry with himself because it still hurt to think of Jill.
‘No, it’s not good enough for me!’ Nellie folded her arms and met his eyes head on. ‘Yer’ve been potty about the girl since yer were in short pants, so how come yer’ve changed all of a sudden?’
‘That’s my business,’ he replied. ‘It’s got nothin’ to do with anyone else.’
‘Oh, but it has! Molly is me best mate, an’ she’s bound to wonder what’s goin’ on. What do I tell her?’
‘Mam, will yer just leave it! Tell ’er anythin’ yer like, I couldn’t care less.’
‘So it’s not only Jill yer’ve fallen out with, it’s ’er mam, as well!’ Nellie was getting angrier by the minute. ‘I always thought yer liked Molly Bennett.’
All the fight went out of Steve. ‘I do like Mrs Bennett, she’s a smashing woman. But I’m not goin’ out with her daughter any more, Mam, so don’t keep on about it.’
‘Have yer told Jill yer’ve packed her up, an’ why?’
Steve shook his head. ‘She knows why.’
‘If it’s all to do with this Adelphi lark, then it’s about time yer grew up, Steve McDonough. Yer actin’ like a flamin’ two year old.’
Steve walked away without answering. He could forgive what his mother called the Adelphi lark, but he couldn’t, and never would, forgive the kiss.
Jill’s tummy was in knots as the visitors started to arrive. If Steve really wanted to make it up with her, accepting the invitation to the party was one way of doing it without denting his pride. And she’d be truthful with him, tell him how much she’d missed him and that she’d never do anything again that would upset him.