by June Francis
Pete grinned. ‘You’ve improved since then, Ma, and there was always the chippy or Sayers and the cooked meat shop. I’ll put the kettle on. You’ll be ready for a cuppa.’
Gertie beamed at him. ‘You’re right there, son. I’m real parched. I think I’ll fry meself an egg and do a bit of fried bread. I’m hungry.’ She removed her coat and slung it on the back of the sofa and sat down. With a sigh of relief she eased off her shoes, wincing when she attempted to wiggle her toes.
Peggy wondered if she had a touch of rheumatics in her feet, just like her mother. ‘I could fry you an egg, Mrs Marshall,’ she said, smiling at Pete. ‘If for no other reason than to prove I’m not completely useless when it comes to cooking.’
Gertie smiled at her. ‘That’s the ticket, love.’
‘Come on then, Peg,’ said Pete, taking her hand. ‘I’ll show you where everything is.’ He was keen to make Peggy feel at home.
After a quick glance at Gertie, who was now resting back in the chair with her eyes closed and her stockinged feet on the brass fender, Peggy followed him out. ‘Your mam looks tired,’ she whispered.
‘She works hard and isn’t getting any younger. You know she’s at the sausage factory where Irene’s mother works?’
Peggy nodded, taking a frying pan from him. ‘She seems easy-going.’
‘I don’t think Mam has a mean bone in her body. She’s not a tidy person, though, and neither am I, so you’ll have to forgive the mess,’ said Pete, darting her an anxious look. ‘I remember your mam’s place was dead tidy. Things were different here before Dad went off to war and got himself killed.’
‘I think I remember you telling me that she worked in the ammunition factory.’
‘That’s right. She was just too tired when she came home to make much of an effort in the house and with us. We ran wild until our Dougie took us in hand, as I told you.’
Peggy remembered it was around that time that Pete had gone slightly off the rails and had his accident. She realized for the first time that Tommy had gone off the rails without the excuse of having a father killed in the war and a mother having to go out to work.
She glanced around the kitchen. ‘So where are the eggs?’
Pete took a bowl of eggs from the kitchen cabinet along with a packet of lard. ‘Sure you don’t mind doing this? I could do it instead.’
‘No, you make your mam a cup of tea and cut some bread. I can manage the frying.’
He handed her a box of matches. ‘I’ll take Ma’s tea in and explain a few things to her.’
‘About what?’ asked Peggy.
‘Us.’
She hesitated. ‘What did you make of her seeming to recognize my dad’s name? Has your mam always lived in Bootle?’
‘No, she grew up in Kirkdale. Her father was a photographer and had a shop on Stanley Road. Don’t worry about it. She’s probably getting the name mixed up with someone else. Anyway, I want to talk to her about us. I think you and she will get on, don’t you?’
Peggy knew what he needed to hear and, wanting to make him happy, she agreed.
He kissed her and went into the other room, whistling. She recognized the tune of ‘If You Were the Only Girl in the World’ and wished their love life could be less complicated. At least she had the outing with Irene to look forward to next Saturday.
Eight
The following Saturday, after spending the whole week at Fair Haven, Irene decided to drop in at her mother’s on her way to meet Peggy outside the Empire.
Maisie was gazing at her reflection in the mirror. ‘I’m never going to get used to looking like this,’ she groaned.
‘Stop worrying, Mam. It won’t be that long before the dye grows out and you have your natural colour back.’
‘I don’t want me own colour back,’ said Maisie, pursing her lips.
‘I’m getting used to it,’ said Jimmy, glancing up from the Daily Mirror. ‘I like it. It’s different.’
Maisie patted him on the head. ‘I know yer just trying to make me feel better, son, but I won’t be happy until I’m a redhead and me hair reaches me shoulders. I haven’t forgotten the sniggering behind me back when I went into work with green hair for the first time.’
Jimmy grinned. ‘At least they didn’t dare snigger to your face.’
Maisie said, ‘You might think it funny, but I don’t. At least me new teeth are the gear. Well, I’m off to the shops now. See yer!’ She fluttered her fingers at the pair of them and the door closed behind her.
‘I’ll have to be moving as well,’ said Irene. ‘I’m meeting Peggy.’
Jimmy folded the newspaper. ‘Mam was telling me about Peggy visiting Pete’s mother’s the other evening.’
Irene shot him a glance. ‘That’s a move in the right direction. What did Gertie have to say about Peggy? Did they get on OK?’
‘You know Mrs Marshall, she’s dead friendly and nice about people.’ He fell silent.
‘Is that it?’ said Irene, raising her eyebrows. ‘I can see I’ll have to ask Peggy if I want to find out more.’
He caught her eye. ‘I can tell you one thing - I bet Peggy won’t know that Pete suggested to his mother that if he and Peggy were to get married this year, they could live with her.’
Irene reached for her handbag. ‘I’m not sure how Peggy would take that suggestion, but you can see his point, can’t you? There’s a housing shortage and they could wait ages for a place of their own. She made no mention of religion or Peggy’s father?’
‘As it happens she did mention Peggy’s dad,’ said Jimmy. ‘Apparently Gertie thinks she might have known him when she was young.’
‘That’s interesting,’ Irene murmured, taking out a lipstick and going over to the mirror and outlining her lips in a lovely shade of coral. ‘I wonder where they met. Did she say?’
‘If she did, Mam didn’t mention it.’ Jimmy stifled a yawn. ‘There’s something else you might be interested in.’
‘And what’s that?’ Irene popped the lipstick back in her handbag.
‘I’m sure I saw Peggy’s brother coming out of the Red Lion the other evening. The one that was on the train.’
Irene’s heart seemed to perform a somersault. ‘You mean Marty?’
He nodded.
‘Did he say anything to you?’
‘Nope! I can’t say I placed him right away, but then I suddenly remembered where I’d seen him before.’
Irene nibbled the inside of her cheek. ‘I wonder if his being in the Red Lion had anything to do with his brother, Tommy.’
‘Funny you should say that. There’s a bloke I’ve seen there recently a couple of times called Tommy Mac. He offered me cheap ciggies, but as you know I don’t smoke.’
She frowned. ‘I wonder if he’s Marty’s brother. I told you about Peggy having seen him outside the Red Lion on New Year’s Eve, didn’t I?’
‘Can’t say I remember.’
She was silent for a moment and then said, ‘Does this Tommy Mac have a proper job that you know of?’
‘Not that he’s told me but I’ve a feeling he might work down at the docks.’
They stared at each other. ‘Are you thinking what I’m thinking?’ said Irene.
‘Probably. According to Mam our dad was as honest as the day was long but not all dockers are like him. It’s common knowledge that a certain amount of pilfering goes on when cargoes are being unloaded.’
‘So what d’you think I should do?’ asked Irene, pulling on a glove.
‘About what?’ asked Jimmy, pouring himself another cup of tea.
‘The brother! Should I tell Peggy?’
‘Your choice,’ said Jimmy.
Irene sighed and decided to give it some thought before saying anything to Peggy.
Peggy was standing at the bus stop on Scotland Road, glad to be out of the house and going to the Empire where she knew it was unlikely she would bump into her father. She felt he was watching her every move when they were in the same room. She wi
shed he would say something about Pete, because then at least she would know where she was and whether Father Francis had revealed the truth about Pete’s religion.
Suddenly she heard her name being called and turned to see Marty coming along the street carrying Josie and Monica skipping along with Jerry by the hand.
‘Where’s Bernie?’ she asked as they came to a halt at the bus stop.
‘Aunty Val’s bleaching her hair,’ said Monica.
‘Bernie’s going blonde!’ Peggy stared at her brother. ‘What did you have to say about that?’
Monica giggled. ‘He just stared at her as if she’d run mad. She wasn’t pleased, I can tell you.’
‘Mam says Auntie Bernie fancies herself as Marilyn Monroe in Gentlemen Prefer Blondes,’ said Monica.
‘But that was on at the flicks years ago,’ said Peggy.
Marty said, ‘Makes no difference to Bernie. She said she needs a change and as her sister’s doing it for her, it’s not going to cost as much as going to a proper hairdresser’s.’
‘I can’t wait to see it,’ said Peggy, smiling at Jerry and tickling him under the chin. He giggled and slipped his other hand into hers. ‘So where are you taking the kids?’ she asked.
‘To see “Babes in the Wood”,’ said Monica.
‘That’s where I’m going with Irene,’ said Peggy, looking surprised.
‘Bernie wanted the kids out of her hair and I thought they might enjoy the pantomime,’ said Marty.
Before Peggy could comment that they might be a little too young to appreciate it the bus arrived. It was not long before they arrived in Lime Street to find Irene waiting outside the Empire. The tip of her nose was pink and her shoulders were hunched inside her coat.
‘Have you been waiting long?’ asked Peggy, her tone concerned. ‘You look freezing.’
‘Not too long,’ said Irene, her eyes sliding away from Peggy to Marty and the toddler in his arms.
‘You’re just the person I wanted to see, Irene,’ he said, setting his daughter on her feet.
Josie tugged on her father’s trouser leg and Irene looked down at the lively little face, framed by fair curls peeping from a pink knitted bonnet trimmed with a band of white angora wool.
‘Is this your daughter?’ asked Irene.
He nodded. ‘Josie, this is Miss Miller. Shake hands.’
Irene took the small hand offered. ‘How d’you do, Josie?’
‘Well, tank you,’ chimed the little girl.
Marty introduced Monica to Irene and the two girls nodded at each other.
‘Let’s get inside,’ said Peggy. ‘People are going in and we want to get to our seats.’
They made their way into the foyer.
Marty said to Irene, ‘I’m sure I saw your brother going into the Red Lion the other evening.’
Glad that he had mentioned it, she felt able to say, ‘You did! He recognized you and thinks he might have met your brother.’
Marty nodded and lowered his voice. ‘I thought I saw them talking at the bar. How long have they known each other?’
‘I can’t say that Jimmy knows him well,’ she said hastily. ‘I mean, he said that he’d only seen him there recently and has spoken to him once or twice.’
‘Did he say what about?’
She hesitated. ‘You did get to talk to your brother yourself, didn’t you?’
‘Yeah, not that he told me much and I’d like to know where he’s staying. I brought a photo of him. If you wouldn’t mind keeping an eye open for him in Litherland and Blundell Sands, I’d appreciate it.’
She flushed. ‘So you still want my help?’
‘If you don’t mind.’ He reached into his pocket and took out an envelope and handed it to her. ‘You can let me know through our Peg if you find out anything.’
‘Will do.’
‘Come on, you two, or the lights will go down before we can get in our seats,’ said Peggy. She nodded at the envelope, ‘I suppose it’s about our Tommy?’
Irene nodded and placed the envelope in her handbag and hurried after Peggy. It was not long before the two friends were settled in their seats in the stalls. They were on the same row as Marty, Monica and the kids but on different sides of the theatre. The safety curtain had already been raised and the orchestra was tuning up. The noise from the children in the audience was tremendous but suddenly a hush fell over the auditorium as the velvet curtains parted and the musicians launched into the opening music.
Irene settled comfortably in her seat and prepared to enjoy herself, hoping that Peggy and the others would be as enthralled by the scene before them as she was. As the pantomime progressed, she thought how the cast seemed to know exactly how to pitch their performance to suit all ages. Any saucy innuendos intended for the adults’ entertainment went over the heads of the younger audience. It was a very different pantomime to the one she had seen last year, which had featured three principle boys in the shape of the Beverley Sisters and, instead of two men playing the Ugly Sisters, Jewel and Warriss were comic robbers and were very funny to watch.
During the interval Peggy wasted no time telling Irene about Pete meeting her mother and his accompanying her to Josie’s birthday tea, as well as her visit to Pete’s mother.
‘Has your mam told your father about meeting Pete?’ asked Irene.
‘Yes, but he hasn’t said much to me about it,’ said Peggy, offering a box of liquorice allsorts to Irene.
‘So he doesn’t know that Pete’s a Proddy?’
‘Not yet!’ Peggy bit savagely into a liquorice tube. ‘I feel as if a dark cloud’s hanging over me. I’m just waiting for Dad to explode when he discovers Pete’s not Catholic. Even Mam’s not going to be pleased when she knows that Pete hasn’t been completely honest with her.’
‘But surely when you explain why, your mother will understand?’ Irene paused. ‘Anyway, what did you think of Pete’s mam?’
‘We got on all right. She and Mam are complete opposites, though. Mam likes her house to be tidy, everything in its place. And she loves cooking, unlike Pete’s mam. Have you ever been to their house?’ Peggy did not wait for Irene to reply. ‘She just slung her coat over the back of the sofa when she came in.’
Irene remembered what her mother had told Jimmy about Gertie Marshall. ‘There’s worse things than being untidy,’ she said firmly. ‘I’ve been known to sling my coat on a chair and kick my shoes off in front of the fire.’
‘OK, so we’re not all alike,’ said Peggy, offering the box of sweets to Irene again. ‘But if Pete and I do get married, he’s going to have to change his ways because his mother’s not the only untidy one.’
‘So d’you think you and Pete are any closer to tying the knot?’
Peggy chewed thoughtfully. ‘I just don’t know! I dread him and Dad meeting. There are times when I feel like running away.’
‘I suppose you could always elope,’ Irene said seriously.
‘What’s this about eloping?’
Irene started as she felt an arm brush her hair. She tilted her head and saw Marty gazing down at her from a standing position in the row behind them. She felt suddenly breathless and lowered her head swiftly.
‘That wasn’t meant for your ears,’ said Peggy, glancing up at her brother.
‘I didn’t think it was,’ said Marty, moving along slightly and resting his hands on the back of his sister’s seat.
‘I’d never elope,’ said Peggy. ‘So what did you come over for?’
‘I wondered if Irene has had a chance to look at the photo of Tommy yet,’ said Marty. ‘And eloping might be your best option.’
‘I want a white wedding in church with bridesmaids and the organ playing “Here Comes the Bride”,’ said Peggy.
Irene reached into her handbag and removed the envelope he had given her. Peggy glanced at the photograph as Irene took it out and looked at it. ‘He’s not like either of you, is he?’
‘No, he’s always had a cherubic face,’ said Peggy. ‘Eve
n during the war he was bonny.’
‘That’s because Mam saw to it that he never went without,’ said Marty.
‘He’s got dimples and quite a nice smile,’ murmured Irene.
‘He knows how to turn on the charm, all right,’ Marty drawled.
‘Has the gift of the gab, too, does he?’ said Irene.
‘How did you guess?’ said Marty.
Irene hesitated, wondering whether to tell him what else Jimmy had said about Tommy. She was saved by the bell ringing to warn people that the next act would soon be starting.
‘See you later,’ said Marty.
But as it turned out Irene did not see him after the pantomime ended. Everyone was in a rush to get home, so there was a bit of a crush in the foyer and it was difficult to find people. She didn’t have time to hang around and wait outside as she was on duty in the nursery that evening. She explained the situation to Peggy and left to catch the train to Blundell Sands, not knowing when she would see Marty again and questioning whether it would even be wise to do so when just a smile from him caused her to catch her breath. It was probably best all round that he’d suggested she get in touch with Peggy in the event she discovered where Tommy was staying.
Nine
Peggy spooned up the last of her cornflakes and munched and swallowed them before hurrying to wash her plate and spoon. She gazed through the window into the yard that was still in need of a whitewash and looked even dirtier than it had on New Year’s Eve. It was February and she would be glad when spring finally arrived.
‘You’ll miss your bus if you don’t get a move on,’ said her mother, coming up behind her. ‘And wrap up warm because it’s icy out there. You’ll need to watch your step.’
Peggy felt like saying Don’t fuss, Mam, I’m not a child! but her father had been snappy with her mother that morning and she had seemed near to tears. Peggy was almost out of the front door when her mother said, ‘I’d like you to bring Peter to lunch one Sunday. Maybe he could come early and we could all go to Mass together?’
Peggy paused with one foot on the doorstep and the other on the highly polished brass door tread. ‘Have you asked Dad about it?’