by Anne Bennett
There was a lot of chatter that morning in the cloakroom as the girls discussed what sort of Christmas they had all had and the forthcoming New Year’s Eve celebrations. It seemed that everyone had something planned, and Kate was suddenly very glad that she was going to the Ball with David and could share that news around. ‘You dark horse,’ remarked the girl who worked at the machine behind hers. ‘Didn’t think anyone would match your high standards.’
‘I don’t have high standards.’
‘Well, you must have summat,’ another put in. ‘’Cos I’ve seen the boys near turning cartwheels on the dance floor to get your attention.’
‘Nonsense,’ Kate said, but she was laughing at the image that conjured up.
‘It ain’t nonsense,’ said the first girl. ‘You must have noticed it too, Susie.’
Susie shrugged. ‘That’s just Kate,’ she said. ‘But she has got David now and he is really lovely.’
‘Will you lot stop talking about me as if I wasn’t here,’ Kate complained. ‘I’m just glad that New Year’s Eve falls on Saturday this year,’ and there was a chorus of agreement to that.
‘It means that I can have my hair done that day and I intend going down the Bull Ring to see if something festive catches my eye,’ Susie said. ‘Fancy coming with me, Kate?’
‘You bet,’ Kate said. ‘In fact, you try and stop me.’
‘What would we all do without the Rag Market?’ one girl remarked, and another said, ‘I don’t know. C and A does some nice stuff and it’s reasonable enough.’
‘Yeah, they are all right for daytime use,’ the first girl said. ‘But you need more glamour for night-time.’
‘Oh, no,’ Susie said in disagreement. ‘I’ve got some lovely things at C and A, and for this New Year’s Ball, that’s where I am going to go first.’
‘Yeah, I think I will too,’ Kate said. ‘Can’t hurt to have a look, anyway.’
‘Come on, Kate,’ shouted another girl, ‘you’d look good in a sack.’
‘Oh, do shut up,’ Kate said, but she said it good-naturedly because she was used to teasing like this. ‘D’you know what? I think the lot of you should go and get your eyes tested. They’re obviously faulty.’
There was a burst of laughter at this but one girl said, ‘Well, whatever we look like we have to make the most of what we have, and I for one can’t wait. I want to buy something a bit festive as well. I always think the New Year is a special time somehow.’
‘Well, it’s like a new start, isn’t it?’ said another.
‘Yeah. I mean, I wonder what 1939 will bring.’
‘Well, I can’t answer that,’ Susie said. ‘But I can say without any shadow of a doubt that we will all have our wages docked if we don’t get going. It might have escaped your notice, but the supervisor is glaring at us through the glass and if we don’t start work soon we might find that our wages are light this week.’
There was a collective groan, but all the girls knew that what Kate had said was right. They trooped out to the factory floor, where any chatter was halted, because nothing could be heard above the noise of the machines.
SEVEN
Kate and Sally went to town first thing the next morning where as agreed they went first to the C&A store where they bought glamorous ball gowns for the dance that night. ‘Golly,’ Kate said as they settled in the tram to go home, ‘I feel like a real spendthrift – I can never remember buying so many clothes before, and certainly not all in one go.’
‘You’ve never had a boyfriend before,’ Sally reminded her.
‘No,’ Kate admitted. ‘And I do like looking nice for him. He does notice, and he is always so smart too. He even used to come well turned out to the weekly dance, if you remember.’
‘Yeah, him and Nick both,’ Susie said; and then she gave a sigh and said, ‘Pity your Sally is working every evening. She is really missing out. She could have brought her Phil to the New Year’s bash and we could have given him the once-over.’
‘Huh, and frightened the lad off altogether,’ Kate said with a grin. ‘Anyway, Sally and Phil will be having some sort of celebration of their own because the cinema manager has invited them all to a party at his house as soon as the cinema closes. I was really glad that something had been arranged for them. Sally said she might not be back till the early hours, so it’s a good job that she won’t be working tomorrow.’
‘It doesn’t worry you that she will be out so late?’ Susie said, knowing that at one time Kate would have fretted about something like that.
Kate shrugged. ‘It is New Year’s Eve,’ she said, ‘and as you are always saying, Sally is a sensible girl and Phil of course will see that she gets home safely. Anyway, I don’t suppose we’ll be back till the early hours either.’
‘So, it’s probably a good thing we don’t work on Sunday too.’
‘S’pose. Though we still have to get up for Mass,’ Kate said. ‘Bet Sally will be hard to rouse for that, but generally speaking she isn’t really any bother now. She has turned out much better than I thought she would.’
‘That might be partly Phil’s influence,’ Susie said. ‘See, there can be advantages having a man at your side.’
‘I never said there wasn’t, Little Miss “I told you so”,’ Kate said with a laugh. ‘She will likely already have gone by the time I get home, but I would value her opinion on the dress.’
‘The dress is fine.’
‘Yeah, I know you said that, but I’m not totally sure.’
‘The trouble with you, Kate, is that you have no self-confidence,’ Susie told her.
‘I’m not used to buying clothes,’ Kate said. ‘Not clothes like these, anyway.’
‘Even the shop assistant said how lovely you looked.’
‘Ah, but they are trying to sell the clothes and so they will say anything,’ Kate said.
‘She wasn’t half as complimentary about my ball gown, though,’ Susie complained. ‘Even though the geometrical shapes decorating it are all the rage at the moment. Come on,’ she said, suddenly leaping to her feet, ‘this is our stop.’
‘You looked beautiful,’ Kate said to Susie as they stood on the pavement. ‘And that dress really suited you.’
‘Don’t see why I should believe you when you never believe a word I say,’ Susie said, with a wry smile, and then gave Kate a dig in the ribs as her face dropped. ‘I’m joking, you dope. I’ll see you tonight, and if you don’t look a million dollars I will eat my hat.’
‘You haven’t got a hat.’
‘That can soon be remedied,’ Susie said, giving Kate a wave as she turned for home.
Kate smiled, and, despite the bleak coldness of the day, she felt warmed from the inside both because of the friendship she shared with Susie and the prospect of seeing David again in just a few hours’ time. Life, she decided, was very good.
When she reached the flat, Sally hadn’t left for work, and nor was she scurrying about getting ready to go. ‘Mr Winter owes me some hours for the extra shifts I took on over Christmas,’ she told Kate in explanation. ‘So I’m not on until six tonight. Where did you go?’
‘Just into town.’
‘Well, I can see by your bags you bought something new again.’
‘I did, yes,’ Kate said. ‘I bought another new dress.’
‘Good for you,’ Sally said in approval. ‘Go and try it on then.’
All of a sudden, Kate was strangely reluctant. ‘Oh, no, I won’t bother.’
‘Oh, yes,’ Sally contradicted. ‘I want to see it before I go.’
Kate gave a sigh but disappeared behind the curtained area with her bags. The dress fell to her feet like the dress she had worn to the Christmas dance and rustled deliciously as she walked.
‘It’s gorgeous, Kate,’ Sally said, as Kate appeared before her a little self-consciously. ‘I love that soft lilac colour, and all the swirls on it are really pretty.’ She felt the material between her fingers before saying, ‘Isn’t that the fine wool crêp
e that’s all the rage at the moment?’
‘Yes, the sales woman recommended it.’
‘I’m not surprised,’ Sally said. ‘Spin round slowly?’
Kate did as Sally bade her and felt the skirt fall around her legs in soft folds. ‘I love the embroidery of darker lilac around the scooped neckline,’ Sally said. ‘And those flowing sleeves just make it.’
‘You don’t feel the neckline is too scooped, though?’ Kate said anxiously. ‘I would hate David to think me fast.’
Sally fairly pealed with laughter. ‘Kate, no one would think you fast in a million years, and your neckline is fine. No use in having bosoms if you don’t highlight them now and again. I have just the thing.’ She ran into the bedroom alcove and came out with a pendant in her hand. ‘It has a purple stone in it to match the embroidery,’ she said. ‘And it will set the dress off lovely.’
‘Oh, it does,’ Kate said, turning around in front of the mirror so that the stone caught the light.
‘Wait till David sees you in that dress,’ Sally said. ‘I just wish I was here to see his face.’
Sally left for work eventually and Kate got herself ready, but she wasn’t quite finished when David knocked on the door. When she opened it, his mouth dropped agape. He recovered himself and said, ‘Oh, Kate, you look so beautiful this evening that you have fair taken my breath away.’
‘Nonsense!’ Kate said, feeling the heat on her cheeks.
‘No, it’s not nonsense at all. I’m telling the truth,’ David said. ‘And I must say you look even more beautiful when you blush.’
‘David, you are totally embarrassing me,’ Kate said. ‘But thank you anyway. And you look very handsome yourself in that smart brown overcoat, but I would take it off now or you will not feel the benefit when you go out. I’m not quite ready.’
David obediently removed his coat, remarking with a smile as he did so, ‘Is a woman ever completely ready?’
Kate was pleasantly surprised by David’s appearance for beneath his coat he was wearing a dark grey pinstriped suit she had never seen before. The trousers had razor-sharp creases running all down them, and turn-ups that rested just above his highly polished black shoes. The jacket was beautifully cut and the hanky in his top pocket matched the expertly knotted tie at the neck of his snow-white shirt; gold cufflinks sparkled in the light. ‘Well,’ said Kate in admiration, ‘you certainly look the business too’
‘Well, it is New Year’s Eve.’
‘It is indeed, and I intend to enjoy myself.’
After that there was only one word to describe the New Year’s Eve Ball, and that was ‘magical’. Kate was on her feet dancing all night as the band played a variety of songs to please all, but the last one was the Anniversary Waltz and, as David held her in his arms, she felt a stirring of the heart she had thought had been left behind in Donegal. They had danced the Anniversary Waltz before, but Kate had not been his girl then and she had danced with a slight restraint between them. This time, David felt her totally relaxing against him for the first time and he sighed in contentment.
The next morning, Kate hugged herself in delight as she lay in bed and relived that wonderful night over and over, acknowledging how good and right it had felt to be held in David’s arms. The invisible barrier she had used to prevent her getting close to anyone had come tumbling down, and she knew that it would stay that way, because what she now felt for David Burton was far more than mere liking. She didn’t know if it was love, but just to think of meeting him again that day, after she had been to Mass, sent little frissons of excitement shooting through her body. That was enough, she thought, to be going on with.
Sally was sluggish and hard to wake that morning and Kate knew she must have been very late coming in. ‘What time was it?’ she asked her as Sally eventually climbed out of bed and began to dress half-heartedly.
‘About half past two,’ Sally said. ‘But it’s only fair, really, because we didn’t start arriving at the Winters’ house until after eleven, so our party only really started after twelve. I bet yours started about eight o’clock.’
‘Yeah it did,’ Kate said. ‘And finished at about half twelve. I was far away in the land of nod when you came in.’
Sally smiled. ‘I know,’ she said. ‘And snoring like a good un. And,’ she added, ‘I’ll tell you something else: you had a dirty great grin plastered across your face like you’d had a really nice time.’
‘I did,’ Kate admitted. ‘Best night ever, and Susie and Nick seemed to enjoy it as much as I did.’
‘What about David?’
‘Yeah, he enjoyed it too.’
‘I don’t mean that,’ Sally said. ‘I mean about you and David.’
‘Sally, if you don’t get a move on, we’ll miss Mass.’
‘No, we won’t, and you’re changing the subject,’ Sally said. ‘And you’ve gone as red as a beetroot.’
‘Sally!’
‘All right,’ Sally said. ‘Keep your hair on. I’ll get ready in double-quick time and you can fill me in on the gossip on the way to Mass.’
In actual fact, Kate didn’t tell Sally much more, though she did say that she had agreed to see David again and that she was meeting him that day for a walk around Witton Lakes. Then she asked Sally about her night, and, as Sally liked to recount everything she did in the minutest detail, the church had come into view before she was finished.
Despite the intense cold, Kate thoroughly enjoyed her walk around the lakes and it was more than pleasant snuggled against David. But eventually the cold had begun to seep into her and she shivered as she said, ‘Shall we head home now and warm up a bit? We’ll have the place to ourselves because Sally is going to Phil’s house. She told me this morning.’
David approved of Kate’s suggestion and very soon the two were in front of the fire in Kate’s place with a mug of cocoa each and a plate of mince pies. ‘I really did enjoy last night,’ Kate said after a minute or two. ‘I know that I have said that already, but I haven’t really thanked you for taking me.’
‘You don’t really have to thank someone when they have enjoyed it just as much,’ David said. ‘I was very disappointed when you refused me at first.’
‘I know, and it was silly of me and rather unkind,’ Kate said.
David shook his head. ‘You are never unkind, Kate, and I’m sure you had your reasons for saying no initially.’
‘I had,’ Kate said. ‘But to be honest, they weren’t terribly good ones.’ She hesitated and then went on: ‘You asked me once if I had someone else and I said no.’
David’s face looked suddenly stricken. ‘And you have?’ he said softly.
‘No,’ Kate said. ‘It just wasn’t the whole truth … It’s time you knew about my cousin, Tim Munroe, who I left behind in Donegal.’ She told him how she had always loved him, and how her cousinly love had turned into something else as she matured, but that she couldn’t speak of it, never mind act on it, because they were too closely related.
‘So, where does Susie come in then?’ David asked. ‘She told Nick you had been friends for years, yet you grew up in Ireland and she grew up here?’
‘Oh,’ said Kate, ‘that came about because Susie’s mother became ill, and Susie was sent to her grandmother in Ireland and she came to school with me. We were both ten years old then and we were soon fast friends, even when she went back home again after six months because she came back every year on holiday. When she left school and was earning wages and seemed to have plenty to spend her money on, I was envious, and at first Mammy hated her going on about the delights of Birmingham, until she realized how Tim and I felt about one another. That was over three years ago, and from then on she encouraged Susie in her tales of Birmingham. When Susie said she could find me a job and a place to stay, Mammy persuaded me to come here and stay for a year or two. I knew that she wanted me out of the way. Susie knew nothing then, though. When I told her about Tim, she was sympathetic, but said that I should put it behind me and get
on with my life.’
‘And you couldn’t?’
‘Not really,’ Kate said. ‘Susie says it’s my fault, that I won’t allow myself to get over it.’
‘Is she right?’
Kate shrugged. ‘She could be, because even though I liked you a lot I wouldn’t let myself go any further. I thought – and still think – that it’s unfair to go out with someone if you are thinking of them as second best. I would hate to be treated that way myself, so there is no reason why I should treat a man like that.’
David smiled the slow smile that crinkled his eyes, and Kate felt her heart do a flip as he said, ‘I would put up with being second best to this Tim, if that is how it must be, and I would do it because I love you.’
David’s words, said so sincerely, sent a shiver down Kate’s spine, and she felt for a moment as if her heart had stopped beating. She just stared at him. ‘You … you love me?’ she stammered incredulously.
‘Heart, body and soul,’ David said. ‘I think that I loved you from the first moment that I saw you. You made me the happiest man on earth when you agreed to come out with me, and I love you more every time I see you, if that’s at all possible.’
Kate was speechless for a moment, feeling a lump in her throat, but eventually she said, ‘David, I—’
‘Hush,’ said David, putting his fingers gently over Kate’s lips. ‘I meant what I said. I will take what you can offer me.’
‘My mother wrote to say that Tim was walking out with a girl called Maggie Mulligan,’ Kate told him. ‘I was at school with her. I know it might be different here, but over there, if you walk out with a girl, you are committed to her, so some day they will marry. So you needn’t fret. The road back to Tim is closed to me, even if I had wanted – or been able – to travel down it, and now I have no desire to do that.’