by Lyn Andrews
‘Gone to sort out Malone, aye, and all his brothers if needs be.’
‘Oh, no! They’ll all get hurt.’
‘What else did you expect, Emily? They couldn’t just ignore this and it’s about time someone taught that lot a lesson. I shouldn’t wonder if most of the men in Mona Street don’t give them a hand. It’s been long overdue.’
‘But you know their reputation and there’s five of them!’
‘And there’s four of them and they’re all mad. Bloody mad. Don’t worry, Emily.’
She looked down at her sister. Oh, was Phoebe-Ann never going to stop causing her so much trouble and heartache?
‘I’m not taking on the five of them and on their own ground, that’s just bloody stupid. You’re asking to get your head cracked open,’ Jack stated as Jimmy ranted and raved about what he would do to all the Malones. ‘Use your brains for once!’
‘Jack’s right,’ Edwin put in. ‘They’ll all be fighting drunk by now and that old harpy has been known to lay a man out with that brush of hers.’
‘So, now you’re all frightened of an old woman too?’ Jimmy jeered.
‘And now we’re fighting amongst ourselves!’ Rhys stated hotly.
‘So, what shall we do?’ Jack tried to calm Jimmy down.
‘By the time he’s boasted about what he’s done, he’ll feel man enough to come back. He’s no scruples.’
‘What if he doesn’t?’ Jimmy asked.
‘He will.’
‘If he doesn’t, I don’t care what you say, I’m going up to Mona Street to beat the hell out of him, by myself!’
‘All right, if he doesn’t come back, we’ll all go. We’ll have the element of surprise. They won’t be expecting us. Does that suit everyone?’ Edwin asked.
They all nodded.
They hadn’t long to wait until they heard the drunken shouts and curses.
‘He’s not on his own,’ Jack remarked.
Rhys peered out from behind the lace curtain. ‘There’s three of them.’
‘The other two must have passed out.’
‘Nearly even. Four to three,’ Jimmy said grimly.
‘Let me deal with that bastard?’ Rhys asked.
‘No. She’s my sister,’ Jimmy argued.
‘For God’s sake don’t start again!’ Jack hissed.
If the neighbours heard the yells and screams and the crashing and splintering of furniture, no-one came to their doors. Those doors that had been open when the Malones had turned into Florist Street had been quickly slammed shut and curtains were tightly drawn across all the windows. Those curtains didn’t twitch when Seamus Malone staggered out of the front door with blood pouring down his face. Nor did they move when Peader appeared in an even worse state and limped painfully up the street.
A constable on his beat glanced at the four dishevelled and bloody figures who turned into Crown Street and then continued on his way after uttering, ‘Good night, lads.’ Nothing for him to get involved in. They sorted most of their own difficulties out in this neighbourhood and he’d spotted Seamus Malone hanging on to a lamp-post, trying to wipe the blood from his eyes. Always trouble that lot, he mused. Still, this time it looked as though Seamus Malone had met his match. It was a thought that gave him great satisfaction. Pity all five of them couldn’t have learned a lesson, he thought. Still, five to four would have constituted an affray and he’d have had to intervene. He turned the corner and strolled on.
Jake Malone lay on the floor of his own kitchen unconscious. His inert form lying at an awkward angle, the blood drying on his face. He’d never cause trouble for anyone again. He’d never work again. He’d never walk again for Jimmy Parkinson’s boot had crushed the vertebrae at the base of his spine.
Chapter Nineteen
NEXT MORNING EMILY AWOKE heavy-eyed and weary. Phoebe-Ann had tossed restlessly for most of the night, moaning in pain. Her face was even more swollen and the bruising was starting to show: a mass of purple, blue and black patches. She was unable to open her mouth very wide and Emily had had to spoonfeed her with soup. She wished Phoebe-Ann had let them take her to the hospital, if only to reassure them that there were only cuts and bruises, that no unseen damage had occurred, but Emily was determined to send for the doctor, no matter how much it cost.
When she went downstairs she found Albert already up, dressed and with the kettle on.
‘How is she, Emily?’
‘A mess. I’m going to send for Dr Whelan, there must be something he can do for her. How are the others?’
‘A bit stiff and sore. Cuts, bruises, but nothing broken.’
She sat down and passed her hand over her eyes. ‘Oh, what will happen now? She can’t go back to him.’
‘She’s still his wife, she’s legally bound to him.’ Seeing the look of astonishment on Emily’s face, he hurriedly carried on, ‘I’m not saying she has to go back to him. I’m just pointing out a fact. If he wants to be awkward about it he could demand that she goes back, but he’ll have learned his lesson. He’ll not touch her again. He probably never expected to be the one who would get the worst hiding – aye, and his brothers, too. You know, in a peculiar way, it might be the making of them both. She might have grown up and realized that marriage is not a bed of roses and he might now realize that he can’t carry on the way he did when he was single.’
‘You could be right but, oh, it’s such a mess; a terrible mess. Mam should have dragged her before the justices, got her made a ward or whatever it was.’
‘Aye, and it was me who told her not to do it,’ Albert added, regretfully.
Emily was sorry she’d brought the subject up, but what he said was true. Phoebe-Ann was still legally his wife. If he came round causing trouble, demanding that Phoebe-Ann go home, she couldn’t see that her sister had any other course open to her but to go back.
Jack was the first to appear, followed by Rhys, then Jimmy.
‘You all look as though you’ve gone ten rounds in a boxing match at the stadium,’ Emily said.
‘I feel as though I have. How is she?’ Rhys asked.
‘Not too good.’
‘I think I’ll go and see her, if you think it will be all right?’ Rhys asked.
‘No. She doesn’t want to see anyone but I’m going for Dr Whelan, I don’t care what she says.’
‘If it’s any consolation to her, she can’t be feeling half as bad as he will, or Seamus or Peader Malone.’
‘I just hope she won’t be disfigured. You know what she was like about her looks, and she was a very pretty girl. How was Edwin when he went home?’
‘Much like the rest of us. He said he’d stop by this morning.’
Emily looked at them and then at Albert. ‘Albert, would you go for Dr Whelan, please? You and I are the only ones who look respectable and I’ll have to see to Phoebe-Ann. I’m going to try to get some breakfast down her although it will have to be with a spoon again. If anything, she looks worse today than she did last night.’
Albert got up and reached for his jacket and cap but their attention was directed to Edwin as he came hurrying into the room.
‘Ma Malone’s on her way down the street with Vinny and Franny in tow,’ he announced.
Emily looked apprehensive. Now what? More trouble? Had they come to demand that Phoebe-Ann go back to Jake? Hadn’t they had enough? Hadn’t they all done enough without coming looking for more trouble? She dashed into the scullery and came back with the yard brush gripped tightly in her hands.
‘Emily, what’s got into you?’ Albert asked, looking perturbed.
‘I’ve just about had enough of them all against Phoebe-Ann, including Jake, and now she has the nerve to come round here! She’s at the back of all this, you can bet on it! Never happy unless she’s creating mayhem!’ And before any of them could stop her she’d flung open the door and marched into the lobby.
The front door was opened just as Vinny was about to hammer on it and he stepped back as the brush was thrust in his f
ace.
‘You can take yourselves back to that hovel you call home or so help me I’ll lay the lot of you out! Get off my doorstep!’ Emily yelled. All the anxieties and worries of the last twelve hours were banished, dissolved in the tide of righteous anger that made her shake with its force.
They were all dumbfounded. This was something they hadn’t expected.
‘Go on, clear off before I get the lads to shift you, like they shifted the rest of your fine, upstanding, courageous sons! You’ve got a bloody nerve coming here at all!’
Ma Malone recovered from her surprise far quicker than her sons did. ‘I’ll ’ave the law on yez. Y’murderin’ bitch!’
Emily shoved the brush towards her until the bristles were almost touching her face. ‘I’ll be murdering you, you evil old besom and not before time either! Someone should have given you a good clout years ago! So, if you don’t clear off, it will be me!’
Vinny and Franny stepped backwards as Jack, Jimmy, Rhys and Edwin appeared behind Emily, but Ma Malone held her ground.
‘Don’t think yez can frighten me, yer ’ardfaced little bitch! You’ve gone an’ crippled me son, do yez hear me! Yez ’ave crippled him for life!’ She stabbed a bony finger at the men.
Emily thought it was all part of her ploy to intimidate them. ‘Serves him right! He’s nearly crippled my sister. Oh, wasn’t he the big, brave feller, belting the daylights out of a girl! Well, he got what was coming to him so now you can all get back to Mona Street, because you don’t terrify us the way you do your neighbours. If you don’t shove off then these two will be going home in the same state as the other three went home last night! Clear off!’
Edwin’s estimation of Emily rose. He’d never seen her so angry and with her eyes flashing, the determined set of her lips, she reminded him of Lily.
‘’E never came home last night! He’s in the Royal Infirmary! You crippled ’im, you bastards!’ Ma Malone shrieked, almost beside herself with rage.
Jack and Jimmy pushed past Emily. ‘You heard her, clear off! It serves him right. Now get the hell out of it, back to your own midden!’
Vinny Malone pushed the seething figure of his ma out of the way and squared up to Jimmy. ‘Listen, you pair of thickos! She’s tellin’ the truth. You crippled him. You done somethin’ to his back an’ they say he won’t ever walk again! He’s paralysed!’
‘So sue us! I said clear off, are you deaf as well as bloody daft!’ Jimmy roared back.
‘I’ll ’ave the law on yez all!’ Ma screamed.
Jack was unimpressed. ‘Go on then, get the scuffers. Just how are you going to prove it? It’s his word against ours.’
‘And our Seamus and Peader,’ Vinny growled.
‘I said against ours – me, Jimmy, Rhys, Edwin, Emily and Mr Davies. We’ll swear blind we didn’t go over the doorstep last night.’
‘Look at yer faces, them cuts and bruises will show them!’ Franny shot back.
‘So, we had a family argument. Lots of families have bust-ups. Go and get the scuffers then. They won’t bloody well come and you know it! You’ve caused them too much trouble in the past. They’ll send you off with a flea in your ear. They’ll probably be thankful that someone finally sorted you lot out. Bugger off, the lot of you, before I put you all in the “Royal”!’ Jimmy took a step forward, as if to emphasize his point.
Ma Malone was speechless with fury, so livid she was purple in the face.
Vinny glared at them all, then grabbing her arm, pulled her away.
‘Go on, clear off and don’t come here again! You’ve done enough harm to this family. Our Phoebe-Ann’s lying upstairs with her face so battered me poor mam wouldn’t even recognize her. He deserves everything he got!’ Emily called after them.
They all stood watching as, with some difficulty, Franny and Vinny dragged their mother up the street. Their progress was made even more humiliating by the fact that every woman in Lonsdale Street was on her doorstep to watch. It was a momentous occasion to see the dreaded Malones bested and slinking home.
‘Do you think they will go to the police?’ Emily asked, as they all returned to the kitchen.
‘No. They know the police wouldn’t be interested. Like I said, they’ll probably all be as delighted as the residents of Mona Street must be. We saw a copper last night and he saw us. He must also have seen the Malones. They would have to go that way home,’ Jimmy said.
‘I wonder, was she telling the truth?’ Albert asked.
‘She’s probably exaggerating, but even if she wasn’t he deserves it,’ Jack said grimly.
‘Oh, it just gets worse,’ Emily sighed. The anger had gone, leaving her feeling weak and a little light-headed.
‘It’s not finished yet either,’ Edwin said and they all turned questioning eyes towards him. ‘You realize that you won’t be able to go back, Rhys? You can’t work in that stokehold again. They’ll kill you and I mean that. It’s no exaggeration.’
Emily sat down as she let this statement sink in.
‘He’s right, Rhys. It would be suicide. They’d brain you at the first opportunity and no-one would raise a hand to stop them. Even the officers don’t intervene when the black squad fight. You know that,’ Jack said gravely.
Rhys nodded slowly, seeing for the first time that his love for Phoebe-Ann, and his retaliation for her injuries, had put him in this position. He’d have to go back home, for there were no jobs to be had in Liverpool. ‘What about you, Edwin?’
‘I don’t have to work with them. I’ll just watch myself when I’m ashore and I’ve got mates who’ll look out for me. No need to worry about me.’
Emily stared up at him with fear in her eyes.
He placed a hand on her shoulder. ‘Don’t worry. I’ll be careful. But Rhys will have to go back unless he finds a job.’
Albert nodded. ‘Best write to your mam, lad. I’m sorry, but there doesn’t seem to be any way around it. Times are bad. Ships are being laid up.’
Rhys felt defeated. It wouldn’t have been so bad if Phoebe-Ann had been free. He would have willingly taken her back with him but he would have to go alone. She was still married and there was no way around that. Maybe it was best that he leave for if she decided that she must go back to Jake he didn’t think he could stand it.
‘Come back with me, Albert?’
Albert shook his head. ‘I can’t. I can’t leave here, you know that, lad.’
Rhys didn’t press him further but his heart felt like a lump of stone.
There was little Dr Whelan could do for Phoebe-Ann he informed Emily. ‘You did the right thing with the cold compresses. There are no deep cuts, the swelling will go down and the bruising will fade. Broken noses can’t be set I’m afraid, but at least neither her jaw nor cheekbones have been fractured. She’ll have to see a dentist about her teeth, but not until all the swelling has gone. The man should be prosecuted and locked up!’ he finished angrily.
‘There won’t be any need for that, Doctor. He won’t touch her again.’
He nodded. He’d seen the cuts and bruises on the faces of her brothers.
‘Will she be disfigured?’
‘It’s hard to tell. I don’t really think so, in the long term, but you’d better prepare her just in case.’
Emily wondered how she was to do that. Phoebe-Ann had always been proud of her looks so it would be doubly hard. It was as if worry after worry was being piled on her and she wondered how she would cope. But she had to. Mam had coped with far worse things than this.
Rhys had made a last, desperate attempt to find work, any work. He’d haunted the Labour Exchange, the Employment Pool, the docks, the railway yards, but in a city where unemployment was rife, there was nothing.
He begged to see Phoebe-Ann before he left and, despite her sister’s protests, Emily had shown him into the bedroom and then left them alone.
Phoebe-Ann turned her face to the wall. She didn’t want to see the look of shock and horror on his face. She looked hideous. Sh
e’d asked Emily for a mirror and now she wished she hadn’t. She would never look in a mirror again, she’d sworn as she’d sobbed.
‘Phoebe-Ann, I’ve come to say that I’m leaving. I’m going home.’
She still kept her head turned away from him.
He reached out and took her hand. ‘I don’t want to go. I’d willingly stay here but they’d kill me the first opportunity they got. There’s no work to be had – God knows I’ve tried – so I’ve got to go back.’ Gently he touched her cheek.
‘Don’t! Don’t!’ she cried.
‘I don’t care how you look. I still love you and I’m glad he’s crippled.’
Emily hadn’t told her that and, forgetting her injuries, she turned towards him.
‘Aye, I’m glad,’ he repeated grimly, fighting down his shock at the sight of what Jake Malone had done to her face.
‘How?’
‘Something to do with his back. I saw Jimmy knock him down and he was on the floor when we all left.’
‘Oh, Rhys! I feel terrible. Everything is my fault. Mam, Albert, our Jack and Jimmy getting hurt and Edwin and now . . . now you’ve got to go back and he’s . . . crippled.’
‘You mustn’t talk like that, Phoebe-Ann.’
‘But it is my fault! It is!’ she sobbed.
He took her in his arms. ‘Hush now, cariad, everything will turn out fine in the end.’
She clung to him. ‘How can it? How can it? I wish I were dead, I really do! I’ve caused so much trouble!’
‘Don’t say things like that! Don’t! Promise me you won’t do anything foolish?’
She couldn’t answer him.
‘Phoebe-Ann, if you don’t promise, I’ll stay! I don’t care what the Malones do to me, it would be as nothing if I thought you’d harm yourself.’
She couldn’t have anything happen to him, she thought. It would be as if she’d killed him. ‘I won’t. I promise.’
‘That’s better.’ He kissed her tenderly on her forehead. ‘Oh, Phoebe-Ann, I’d give anything, anything to turn back the clock! If only you hadn’t married him.’