‘Now, remember what we discussed, Dad.’ Alex loomed over the nervous man, his lips curling in contempt as he saw the trembling of the pudgy fingers holding the newspaper. ‘We have to put an end to this association, and as soon as possible. Because from what I’ve just seen out there –’ he jerked his head towards the window – ‘that fellow is getting far too friendly with Kate, and you know what these Irish are like. You let them get a foothold in here, and they’ll never be off the doorstep. And mark my words, Dad, that’s what they’re after, not to mention the harm they might be doing to the children with their ignorant ramblings and foul language. Now, are you with me in this? It’ll come better if we stand together.’
William lowered the newspaper, his flaccid jowls quivering with uncertainty. He had had reservations about Kate’s friendship with these Kelly people and, like Alex, had been concerned for his children’s welfare if they mixed with an Irish family from the docks. But much as he hated to admit it, both Kate and the children had never seemed happier these last months; except when Alex was around. The unguarded thought sprang into his mind, bringing an involuntary twitch to his shoulders. He loved his children dearly, but even he had to admit he hadn’t been much of a father to them lately. His son loomed nearer, making him recoil, and for the first time in many a long while he wished fervently that Florrie was here. She would know what the best thing would be regarding the children. Hell! If Florrie was here, she’d more likely be bosom friends with the Kelly woman by now. Florrie had always been able to make friends easily, unlike himself. And she would be able to take care of Alex. But Florrie wasn’t here, and he didn’t have the gumption to stand up to his own son. The silent, crushing admission brought a rush of tears to his eyes, adding to his humiliation.
‘Oh, my God! You’re not going to start bawling, are you?’ Alex’s contemptuous snarl tore through the unfortunate man’s heart, making him wince. ‘Well, are you with me or not?’ he demanded harshly as the front door began to open.
Rising to his feet, William warily lifted his eyes to his son’s face, saw the almost murderous look in his near black eyes and nodded miserably. What else could he do?
‘Oh, hello, Alex. I didn’t think you’d be home. You’re not usually here on a Sunday. Well, not until late.’
Alice threw her shawl over a dining chair, then pulled it out and sat down at the table. From the street, Billy and Sally’s laughter coupled with John’s deep voice could be heard clearly. Casting an appraising eye over her brother, Alice gave a knowing smile. She was still feeling a touch resentful at having to suffer one of Bridie’s stories instead of being allowed to go for a walk with Kate and John. She was fed up with being treated like a child, and in this moment saw a chance to get her revenge. With feigned innocence, she glanced first at Alex and then over to the open door.
‘I’d better get Billy and Sally in so the two love-birds can have some time to themselves.’ She gave an artful laugh. ‘Mind you, I can’t think what else they’ve got to talk about. They were out walking on their own for nearly an hour after tea. Bridie was all set to send me looking for them when they finally got back. And you should have seen Kate! Her hair was all messed up, and her face was red. I can’t think what they were up to…’ Her voice faltered as she realised she had taken the lie too far. Desperately wanting to make amends, she licked her lips nervously and tried to back track. ‘Well, I mean, she wasn’t really… Kate, I mean… She…’
‘What’s been going on behind my back?’ Alex pulled her roughly from the chair, his face livid. ‘Tell me! Tell me what’s been going on if you know what’s good for you, you little…’
‘Alex, that’s enough. You’re frightening the child,’ William began hesitantly, then stepped back as Alex turned a baleful glare on him.
Thoroughly frightened, Alice squirmed helplessly in her brother’s tight grip, then gasped as she was literally thrown sideways to the floor.
Alex raced out of the house, pausing just long enough to take in the happy scene before him. Billy was still dangling over the man’s broad shoulders, his laughter joined to Kate’s and Sally’s masking the sound of Alex’s approach.
John was the first one to see him, his expression sobering at his first meeting with Alex Browning.
‘Put him down… NOW!’
All laughter ceased as abruptly as if a bucket of cold water had been thrown over the happy group.
‘Alex, whatever’s the matter?’ Kate moved forward, silently beseeching him not to cause any trouble.
‘Get inside, and you too,’ Alex barked angrily, his gaze never leaving John’s face. And when Billy’s arms crept instinctively around the tall man’s neck, Alex sprang forward, all reason lost in a blind, white-hot fury. Grabbing at the frightened boy, he pulled viciously, ignoring Billy’s cry of pain, and when he found himself being shoved almost effortlessly backwards, he was momentarily stunned.
‘Get them into the house, Kate. I’ll deal with this,’ John said quietly, handing the now sobbing boy over to her.
Knowing it was useless to try and intervene when Alex was in this kind of mood, Kate nodded, a feeling of humiliation and shame threatening to engulf her.
Left alone, the two faced each other, each gauging the other man’s measure. Then, his face seeming to pull in different directions, Alex growled, ‘Get away from my house, and keep away from my family; especially Kate. Because if I see you with any of them again, I’ll…’
‘You’ll what, Browning?’ John shot back, his voice infuriatingly calm and without fear. ‘You’re not in your pulpit now, an’ I’m not one of those poor bastards who have to grovel to you and degrade themselves for the price of a day’s work.’ He stepped nearer, and felt a grudging admiration when Alex neither flinched nor gave any ground. ‘You don’t carry any weight with me, Browning, an’ I’ll go on seeing Kate and the children for as long as they want. But if you still want to make something of it, then just name the place an’ I’ll be waiting. ’Cos much as I’d like to knock you down right here an’ now, I don’t want to upset the children any more than they have been already.’ Noticing Alex’s hastily bandaged hand, John gave a short mirthless laugh. ‘Besides, I don’t take unfair advantage of any man; unlike some I could mention.’
Alex’s steely gaze never faltered. It was taking every ounce of self-control not to smash his fist into John’s loathsome face, but now wasn’t the time or place. He knew he’d made a terrible mistake in rushing out and confronting the man in full view of Kate. He was going to have a devil of a job in placating her now. With a sadistic smile, he said evenly, ‘This isn’t the end of it, Kelly. We’ll meet again soon, and when we do, only one of us is going to walk away.’ Then he turned on his heel and strode back up the path and into the house, slamming the door.
John stood on the pavement, wondering if he should follow, then shook his head. That Alex Browning had a vicious streak was undeniable, but it was unlikely he would hurt either Kate or the children; particularly Kate. Thoughtfully, he climbed up into the cart he had borrowed from a neighbour to ferry them all home. It had been meant as a treat for the children, and the look on their faces when they’d seen the horse and cart waiting outside the house in Wapping had been well worth the two bob he had paid. Clicking his tongue, he urged the placid horse to move, remembering the tearful face of Billy, who only moments before had been laughing fit to bust. His normally pleasant features settled into a grim mask of anger, making him spur the horse on, in case he should be tempted to return to the house and lay about the man who had spoiled what had been a happy day.
There was another memory etched deep in his mind, and that was the way the man had looked at Kate. It had been a look that screamed of love-inspired jealousy, not the kind of emotion normally displayed by a man towards his sister. Deeply troubled, he drove on, and the further he travelled, the stronger his determination became to get them all out of that man’s clutches as soon as was humanly possible.
* * *
‘What t
he hell did you think you were playing at, Alex?’ Kate was sitting in the armchair, a weeping Billy clutched to her breast. Sally had already run to her room, her sensitive nature distraught by the ugly scene, while Alice sat silently at the table, miserably aware of the damage she had unwittingly caused. Alex stood impassively in the centre of the room with William standing uncomfortably by his side. ‘You acted like a bloody lunatic, charging out and going for John like that! What on earth were you trying to prove? All you did was show me up, and make a fool of yourself into the bargain. And if you were planning on frightening John away, then you’ve another thing coming, because John’s not the type of man who scares easily.’ Heaving with indignation, Kate glared at the two men.
Knowing it was too late to feign contrition for his behaviour, Alex nudged William sharply in the side to remind his father of his promise.
‘All right, Kate. If you want to know why I acted as I did, then I’ll tell you. They’re no good, none of them, and I can’t for the life of me understand why you’ve continued this bizarre relationship for as long as you have. But it’s over now, finished. You won’t be making any more trips to Wapping. And if that piece of Irish scum shows his face around here again he won’t get off so lightly next time…’
‘Don’t you dare call him that!’ Kate shouted, her eyes glittering. ‘He isn’t scum, far from it. For your information, his grandparents own their own eating establishment, and John has his own business in the back making furniture – and he’s very good, too. He’ll have his own business one day, which is more than you’ll ever have.’
Alex let out a hard, depreciating laugh. ‘Eating establishment? You obviously haven’t been there! Why, it’s nothing more than a glorified soup kitchen set in a ramshackle hut that a good gust of wind would blow over. And as for the other one… huh! As far as I’ve heard, he spends his time making cheap bits of furniture and earns barely enough to cover the cost of the wood involved. Hardly the kind of trade empires are built on.’ When Kate didn’t answer, Alex again looked to his father, silently urging the reluctant man to back him up. When he got no response, he gave an impatient grunt, saying, ‘You can argue all you want, Kate, but the fact of the matter is that while you live here, and depend on me to keep you all, you’ll abide by my rules, if not for your sake, then for the children. They’re the ones who’ll suffer most if I should decide to move out, because, let’s be honest, you could hardly support them on your wages. So there you have it. If you want to be independent and go where you want and see who you want, go ahead, but you’ll do it without my money to keep the lot of you clothed and fed.’ His elbow caught William hard in the ribs, and this time it had the desired effect.
Shuffling his feet, William cleared his throat, clasped and unclasped his hands, thrust his neck forward and said. ‘He’s right, Kate. They’re not the kind of people I want you or the children associating with. And as Alex says, it’s his money that supports us, so it’s only fair that his opinions should be taken into consideration. So… So I think it would… would be better all round if you…’ His voice trailed off miserably, while he could not meet the anguished stare of his daughter.
And when she softly said, ‘Dad!’, the simple word appealing to him for support, he bowed his head in shame.
Kate sat stunned for a few moments, then, despite the encumbrance of Billy in her arms, she rose to her feet, her whole bearing one of dignity. ‘Don’t try and blackmail me, Alex, because it won’t work. If you want to go, then go. We’ll manage without you if we have to. I can always buy our clothes off the second-hand stall in the market, and I’m sure Bridie and Dermot will let us eat in their shop at reduced prices if we get really desperate. That only leaves the rent and various sundries to take care of, and the five-shilling rise Mr Abrahams promised me at the end of this month should just about cover those. So, you see, Alex, we really don’t need you as much as you would like to think. But while we’re on the subject of what you bring into the house…’ her deliberate pause brought Alex’s head up as he waited for her to continue, ‘I think the dock officials would be very interested to see some of the stuff you so generously contribute to your family’s well being.’ As a dark red stain crept over Alex’s face and neck, Kate gave a bitter laugh. ‘You’re not the only one who can resort to blackmail, so you just think about what I’ve said! Because I don’t imagine prison life would suit you very well.’
A heavy silence, thick with tension, hung ominously in the room. Even Billy had stopped weeping, his young mind trying to grapple with the import of Kate’s words. Satisfied that she had won this particular round, Kate swept out, a subdued Alice trailing close behind, leaving the two men alone.
His breathing ragged, Alex rounded on his father. ‘A bloody fine lot of good you were! Standing there like a stuffed dummy while your own daughter as good as threatened to turn me into the police!’ Visibly shaken, Alex stormed up and down the room, the muscles in his face working furiously. He hadn’t bargained for this. Never in a million years would he have believed that Kate would turn on him. And it was all due to those stinking, ignorant…
‘Alex, calm down! She didn’t mean it. Kate would never do such a thing. She…’ His head jerking, William tried to pacify his son.
‘Shut up! Just shut your stupid mouth, you incompetent old fool,’ Alex roared at him. ‘I should have known better than to ask you for any help. You’re bloody useless. Well, if you can’t do anything about that lot of Irish scum, then I will. There’s more than one way of skinning a cat.’ Abruptly he stopped his wild pacing and, spreading his hands wide on the table, he leaned forward, his mouth twisting in scorn. ‘Why couldn’t you have acted like a man for a change? Just once, just bloody once, it’d be nice to see you assert some kind of authority.’
William stiffened, then, drawing himself upright, he stared deep at his son. ‘But if I were a proper man, you wouldn’t be able to get away with what you do, and you wouldn’t like that, would you, Alex?’ His pale eyes raked Alex’s face, but the unexpected burst of courage was short-lived, and almost immediately he dropped his gaze.
‘Well, well! For a minute there I thought you’d actually found some gumption at last. I should have known better!’
The mockery seemed to strike a physical blow to the pit of William’s stomach, the cruel words draining every ounce of strength from his body. He was about to sit down before his legs gave way when a violent shove sent him staggering towards the fireplace, where he collapsed in an undignified heap in the armchair.
‘I’m going out for a drink. I might come home, I might not. You just think about how you’ll survive if I don’t. Because you were right about one thing. Kate would never turn me in, so in spite of her brave words about managing without me, we both know that isn’t true. So, like I said, you think about it. And when you come to an answer, you might just try and bring your daughter round to my way of thinking. Unless, of course, you imagine you can find a job that’ll pay the same wage as I bring in.’ His laugh lingered in the room long after Alex had gone, leaving William more desolate and helpless than he had ever felt in his life.
* * *
‘Won’t we be able to go to Bridie’s again, Kate?’
Kate looked down tenderly at Billy’s tear-streaked face. ‘Of course we will, love. Take no notice of what happened tonight. It’ll all work out, I promise.’
‘But A—Alex said we… we couldn’t!’ Billy swallowed as the tears threatened to flow again.
Brushing the brown hair back from his eyes, Kate leaned over and kissed his smooth forehead. ‘Never mind what Alex said. He didn’t mean it. Now you get some sleep. It’s school tomorrow.’
‘P—Promise, Kate?’
‘I promise, love. Now go to sleep.’ Pulling the sheet up, Kate gave him one last kiss before walking over to the window.
‘What are we going to do, Kate?’ Sally called from her bed. She was sitting up fully dressed, looking to her big sister for reassurance.
‘That’s a go
od question,’ Alice spoke up from across the room. ‘We seem to be going to bed earlier and earlier lately to get out of Alex’s way. It’s not fair. It’s not even eight o’clock yet, I can’t get to sleep at this time of night.’
Whirling round, Kate hissed under her breath, ‘If you did some work during the day, you’d be able to sleep at night. And, seeing as we’re talking about upsetting Alex, just what did you say to make him come charging out of the house like that?’ At Alice’s guilty look, Kate sprang forward. ‘You did, didn’t you? You said something to him. What was it… What did you say?’
Avoiding Kate’s penetrating stare, Alice turned her head, mumbling. ‘I didn’t say anything. He—He was already in a mood when I got in. It must have been because John came home with us this time. You shouldn’t have let him drive us home. You must have known Alex would go mad at seeing him.’
Kate hoped for some sign that Alice might be telling the truth for a change, then with a sigh she turned away. She had enough trouble with Alex without falling out with Alice too. Besides, if they were ever going to have a life of their own without being dependent on Alex, she would need her sister’s help. Folding her arms, she said, ‘Unless you find a job and help out, then we’re always going to have to do what Alex tells us. So, are you going to help me or not?’
Leaning against the doorframe, Alice stared at the stiff back of her sister, a wave of adolescent anger sweeping through her. The fight between Kate and Alex had unsettled her more than she cared to admit, added to which was the uncomfortable knowledge that she had been the instigator of it. Needing to justify her actions to herself, she quickly found a way to put the blame for her behaviour at Kate’s door. ‘Why should I? Why should I traipse round the streets every day looking for a job when I don’t have to? Alex earns enough to take care of us all; there’s no need for me to work. It’s just you being spiteful! And… And just because you’ve found yourself a man that Alex doesn’t like, I don’t see why we should all have to suffer. You make me sick, Kate! You treat me like an adult only when it suits you; the rest of the time you expect me to act like a child. Do this, do that. Go here, go there. Well, I’m fed up with it… and I’m going down to tell dad!’
Bow Belles Page 13