The Cockney Girl

by The Cockney Girl (retail) (epub)

  ‘Yer all right, Mum?’ Jess dropped the half-stripped bine on to the ground and rushed to her mother’s side.

  ‘Course,’ Rose lied, giving Jess a gentle push away from her. ‘I was thinkin’ about somethin’ Elsie and Mabel said earlier, that’s all. They reckoned you girls deserve a bit of fun while yer young an’ daft enough to enjoy it. That’s what they said.’ Her breath was coming a bit easier now.

  ‘I ain’t complainin’, Mum.’

  ‘I know yer ain’t, darlin’.’

  ‘An’ I didn’t mean to make yer cry. I ain’t never seen yer do that before.’

  ‘I ain’t crying, me eyes are waterin’, that’s all. ‘Ere, tell yer what, Jess, yer get them few jobs done for me, then yer can see them puppies. ‘Ow’d that be?’

  ‘Thanks, Mum!’

  The sight of Jess’s smile lighting up her face made Rose feel she had probably made the right decision, but still she worried about her only daughter going up to the Hall. Even if it was only to the stable block, it still wasn’t right somehow, cockney girls hadn’t been invited up there in her day.

  ‘Make sure yer ain’t too long, mind. A quick look an’ then back to the ’ut. D’you ’ear me?’

  ‘Yes, Mum, I ’ear yer. An’ thanks, Mum.’

  ‘An’ we don’t need no more animals bringin’ ’ome. So don’t get no ideas. Right?’

  ‘Right.’

  Jess had laid the faggot fire and lit it, fetched two pails of water from the pump, put the kettle on to boil, set Rose’s hop-stained blouse to soak in a basin, and started a stew cooking in the pot, quicker than even she would have thought possible. Then she changed into a clean apron and tidied her hair. She looked into the hut. Rose was stretched out on the bed, sound asleep. Her breath made a coarse whistling noise as her chest rose and fell. Jess lifted the stiff grey blanket to cover her legs.

  ‘Won’t be long, Mum,’ she whispered. ‘You ’ave a sleep.’

  To get to the Hall, Jess had to walk across the Common, past all the women and children outside their huts as they did their domestic chores before their evening meal.

  ‘’Ere, look at ’er in ’er clean apron,’ said Florrie to anyone prepared to listen. ‘I wonder where she thinks she’s going?’

  ‘Goin’ to mind ’er own business, I shouldn’t wonder,’ said Elsie, spitting out a stream of tobacco-thickened phlegm as she tapped out the ashes from her blackened pipe. ‘An’ that’s somethin’ a few more people round ’ere could do with learnin’ about. Mindin’ their own business.’

  Jess was too set on her destination to even realise that she was being talked about. In all the years she had been hopping at Tilnhurst, she had never been up to the big house. Worlington Hall and its stable block were strictly out of bounds to the hop pickers. Even though she had been invited, she still approached nervously, worried that she would get into trouble for just being there. The closer she got to the stables, the slower she walked.

  ‘Hey, you. You there. Wait.’

  Jess spun round at the loud command. ‘I wasn’t doing nothing, honest. I…’ She stopped. It was Robert Worlington. ‘Yer said I could come up and see the puppies. D’yer remember?’

  ‘So I did.’

  Robert surveyed Jess slowly, arrogantly, letting his eyes wander over every part of her. He dismounted from the big chestnut horse with a single confident movement, tucked the reins under the stirrup leather and slapped the huge animal on its quarters. The horse trotted off back to its stall and its evening feed.

  Eager to break the uncomfortable silence Jess asked about the horse. ‘Will it be all right goin’ off by itself like that?’

  ‘The grooms will be around,’ answered Robert indifferently. ‘Now, let’s see if we can find those puppies.’

  He judged that it might be too soon to actually touch the girl, so he walked briskly in the direction in which the horse had gone, seeming to almost ignore her presence.

  When they entered the immaculately clean stable yard, it was empty. The only sound was the rhythmic munching of oats and chaff coming from the black and white painted stalls that bordered three sides of the yard.

  ‘Yer ’orse must ’ave got ’ome then,’ Jess said quietly.

  ‘Of course he did,’ said Robert. ‘I give orders and they’re obeyed. Even by animals.’

  Robert was standing very close to Jess. Her unusual tallness meant that he was looking straight into her eyes. He had chosen well. She was beautiful.

  ‘Can I see them then?’

  Robert could hardly believe it was going to be so easy. His father obviously knew more about these cockney girls than he’d let on.

  ‘In here,’ he said, unbolting the top and bottom doors of one of the stables.

  Jess stepped into the stall. The contrast with the evening light made it seem very dark, and the sweet smell of hay filled her nostrils. She closed her eyes and sniffed the air. It was so warm and clean.

  ‘You sound like a little pony snorting round for food,’ whispered Robert. ‘Come over here. To me.’

  In the corner where Robert was kneeling, Jess could just make out the outline of an apple box, surrounded by bales of straw. ‘Look. Come over here and see them.’

  Jess bent down next to Robert, near enough to feel the warmth of his body. She reached into the hay-lined box and lifted one of the little creatures from the heap of slumbering bodies.

  ‘It’s ever so soft. Feel its little ears and belly.’ Jess held the sleepy pup to her cheek. It whimpered gently in protest, wanting to get back to the comfort of its brothers and sisters. ‘Aw, I didn’t mean to ’urt it or nothin’.’

  Robert took the puppy from her and put it back into the box. ‘You couldn’t hurt it if you tried,’ he breathed, close beside her again. ‘You’re just like the puppies, soft as silk.’ He ran a finger down her cheek, then reached for her hand.

  Ashamed of her work-worn hands, Jess backed away from him until she could go no further, her path blocked by the manger. ‘I ain’t never touched silk but I don’t reckon it feels like these.’ She held up her hands shyly for his inspection. They were scratched and stained brown, the nails ragged and broken.

  ‘Never mind your hands.’ Robert ran his fingertips up and down her throat. ‘Your face and your hair. They’re beautiful. You’re beautiful.’ His fingers moved lower, outlining where the smooth skin of her neck disappeared under the coarse cloth of her dress. The contrast made him gasp with pleasure. ‘And your body.’

  Before Jess knew what had happened he had covered her mouth with his and was tracing her lips with his tongue, forcing them open. She wasn’t sure what to do, she knew it must be wrong to be doing this, but it was so exciting. She twisted her head, responding to his kisses.

  ‘Lie down,’ he gasped.

  Jess shook her head, but Robert pushed down on her shoulders and she sank back slowly as though she was in a dream. Her hair came loose, veiling their faces as she half fell, was half pushed, back on to the straw-covered ground. Doubts about what she was doing faded as Robert kissed her again.

  ‘So, where are these puppies I’ve heard so much fuss about, Paul?’

  The unmistakable reality of Julia Markington’s upper-class voice crashed its way in from the stable yard outside and into Jess’s confused mind. She woke from her dream. Horrified by what she was doing, Jess shoved Robert away from her and struggled to her feet.

  ‘Robert seems absolutely obsessed with the pathetic little creatures,’ Julia continued. ‘While I was away in London with your mother he apparently moved them down here from the gardener’s shed. All by himself. Can you imagine? You’d think they were pedigree show animals not some smelly mongrels. I wonder what the fascination is.’

  A male voice answered her. ‘Robert has always been very keen on puppies, Julia. Enjoys showing them to people, I’ve heard. And Milly, the gardener’s girl, was as fascinated by them as Robert, by all accounts. Spent a lot of time with him in her father’s shed, just looking at them.’
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br />   ‘What can you mean?’ Julia burst into suggestive laughter as Paul threw open the stable door.

  ‘Robert!’ he shouted, in a wildly exaggerated imitation of shock. ‘Mother said you were out riding. Can that really be you rolling about in the hay? And what’s this? Is there someone in there with you?’

  Jess was huddled in the comer by the puppies, picking straw from her clothes with one hand and attempting to rearrange her hair with the other.

  ‘I ain’t nobody,’ she said.

  ‘So we can see,’ said Julia, and laughed loudly again. ‘Come on, Paul, I think I’ve seen enough farmyard creatures for one day.’

  Paul and Julia departed arm in arm, leaving the door swinging on its hinges behind them.

  When she was sure they had gone Jess made a move to follow their example and leave the stable yard.

  ‘And where do you think you’re going?’ demanded Robert harshly. He was still sprawling on the straw-covered ground.

  ‘I’ve got to get back,’ she said, looking down at him. ‘Me mum’s sick.’ Realising immediately what she’d said, Jess panicked, afraid they would be sent home to Poplar. ‘No, I don’t mean she’s sick, I’m mean she’s really tired, and I promised I’d ’elp ’er.’

  ‘Surely you don’t have to go yet. Come on.’ Robert reached up for her. ‘Stay a bit longer.’

  ‘No. No, I can’t. I won’t. It ain’t right what we’re doin’.’

  ‘We’ve done nothing wrong,’ he said. He smiled winningly up at her.

  Jess hesitated by the half-open door. ‘Yer shouldn’t ’ave kissed me like that. It ain’t right.’

  ‘You didn’t seem to mind.’

  ‘I was mixed up. Yer got me all confused. Yer shouldn’t ’ave done it.’

  ‘You can’t fool me, you little tease. You know what you want, don’t you?’ With that he lunged forward to grab her.

  Jess dodged neatly out of his reach out into the yard and ran as fast as she could back to the Common.

  Robert cursed Paul. He wasn’t used to anyone getting the better of him, especially not his brother. He stormed back to the house, determined to get revenge for Paul’s interference.

  * * *

  ‘Sorry I’ve been so long, Mum,’ gasped Jess breathlessly as she reached the hut.

  Rose was sitting on the grass, poking the fire under the cooking pot with a short, gnarled stick.

  ‘I didn’t realise it was so late. I ran all the way back, though. I’m sorry, Mum.’

  Rose lifted her head to look at her daughter. ‘Yer look all ’ot and bothered.’

  Jess was shocked at how pale Rose looked, even in the firelight.

  ‘I was runnin’, Mum. I told yer.’

  ‘Oh yeh, so yer did.’ Rose returned to poking the fire.

  ‘Mum.’

  ‘Yeh.’

  ‘Nothing.’

  * * *

  Robert took the wide stone steps at the front of the Hall three at a time. As Tyler opened the front door, he was shoved out of the way for his trouble. Robert stood in the middle of the marble-floored entrance hall and bellowed at the top of his voice.

  ‘Where are you, you damned idiot? Paul, come out here. Now.’

  ‘Master Paul is in the Chinese room, sir.’

  Without acknowledging the butler’s assistance, Robert tossed his riding coat to the floor and strode off to find his brother.

  The calm atmosphere of the bright, airy room into which Robert threw himself couldn’t have been more in contrast with his turbulent anger; the room being tastefully decorated in the pale-yellow silks and lacquered furniture of the eighteenth century’s chinoiserie fad, while Robert was almost purple with apoplectic rage.

  Julia was sitting writing at a small, ornate desk, and Paul was leaning over her.

  ‘What a charming bloody scene.’

  Paul turned his head. ‘Robert. What a coincidence. We were just talking about you, weren’t we, Julia?’

  Julia smiled her agreement at Paul, then moved to stand up. But before she could do so Robert launched himself across the room and grabbed Paul by the throat.

  ‘You bastard. You made me look a complete fool.’

  ‘I think you did that yourself,’ said Julia.

  The surprise of hearing his fiancee speaking in so composed a manner made Robert momentarily loosen his grip on his brother’s throat, though not long enough for Paul to escape.

  ‘So you’ve been poisoning Julia’s mind against me too, have you?’ Robert said through gritted teeth. Then he began shaking Paul like a terrier trying to dispatch a particularly persistent rat.

  Paul struggled and squirmed but still Robert had him fast.

  ‘Don’t, Robert, don’t, you’ll kill him.’ Julia clutched at her fiance’s arms, trying to drag him off. ‘Leave him alone.’ Paul’s eyes began to roll up into his head. ‘Robert!’ Julia screamed. ‘Leave him alone. Please. Please. Oh, I’ll get help, Paul.’ As she fled into the hallway she ran straight into Lady Worlington.

  ‘Please, you must stop him.’ Grabbing her astonished future mother-in-law by the sleeve, Julia rushed her into the Chinese room.

  ‘Stop that immediately,’ Leonore insisted. ‘Whatever are you thinking of? My own sons behaving in this barbaric way.’

  Robert dropped his hands to his sides. He scowled at Paul. ‘Don’t think I’ve finished with you, little brother,’ he panted.

  Paul rubbed his bruised throat, trying to ease the pain.

  ‘Can neither of you look me in the eye? Are you too ashamed?’ their mother demanded. ‘I thought you might have learned something from the way your father behaves.’ Neither replied. She shook her head sadly and left the room.

  Paul and Robert looked at each other in disbelief and then burst out laughing.

  ‘Stop it, you two,’ sulked Julia, angry at being left out of the joke. ‘I don’t understand. What’s so funny?’

  The only reply was a further gale of laughter from the suddenly reunited brothers.

  ‘You’re impossible. Both of you.’ She stamped her delicate little foot with surprising ferocity.

  ‘You mustn’t be cross, Julia,’ snorted Robert, trying to keep a straight face. ‘We only want to please Mother. So we’re doing our best to learn from Father. Exactly as she wants us to. Isn’t that right, Paul?’

  The brothers’ new roar of laughter could be heard throughout the Hall. It even woke Sir George.

  Chapter 8

  A Real Opportunity

  When Ted and Sammy got home from work, Jack was sitting on their street-door step.

  ‘Nothin’ better to do than lay about in the afternoon sun, Jacko boy? Or won’t Clara let yer in for yer tea?’

  Jack ignored Sammy’s attempt to make him look a fool in front of young Ted. ‘I ain’t sittin’ ’ere for the fun of it, Sam, I’m waitin’ to see your Charlie.’

  ‘I wouldn’t waste yer time, mate,’ said Sam, sniffing cockily. ‘We ’ardly see him ourselves lately. ’E come round yesterday for a couple of minutes. Dropped a few quid on the table for me an’ Ted, like. Then cleared off again. Too busy nowadays to ’ang around this poxy dump.’

  ‘When yer expectin’ ’im back then?’

  ‘Yer tell me.’

  ‘Let us in, Sam,’ Ted interrupted, hopping from foot to foot. ‘I’m dyin’ for a Jimmy Riddle. I’m gonna piss meself in a minute.’

  “Ang on, Ted, let’s find me key.’ Sammy fumbled around in his pocket.

  ‘Yer sure yer don’t know when ’e’s comin’ ’ome?’ Jack persisted. ‘Yer ain’t lyin’ to me, are yer?’

  ‘For Gawd’s sake, Jack, why should I bother lyin’ to yer? I told yer, didn’t I? No, I do not know when Charlie is comin’ back to Burton Street. That clear enough for yer? Now if yer don’t mind, young Ted ’ere ’as to answer the call of nature.’ Sam unlocked the door and Ted rushed into the passage and straight through to the lavatory in the back yard.

  ‘Listen to me, Sam.’

  Sammy looked
down contemptuously at Jack’s hand gripping his arm. ‘Don’t touch me, Jack,’ he said.

  Jack let go. ‘Sam, I mean it. While Ted’s out of the way, is there anythin’ yer wanna tell me? Anythin’ I should know? Is somethin’ up?’

  ‘Yer don’t ’alf go on, Jack. Yer like a bloody ol’ woman.’

  ‘Sam, is Charlie in bother or somethin’? Where’s ’e stayin’ for one thing?’

  Sam folded his arms and leant back against the rough brick wall of Number 8. He took his time pondering what Jack had said, then he answered. ‘For a start, Jack, no, there is no bother as far as I know. In fact, Charlie is doin’ very nicely for ’imself, thank you. An’ for another thing, it’s ’ardly none of your bleed’n’ business, now is it, even if ’e did ’ave some bother.’

  ‘Don’t be like that, Sam,’ Jack said. He didn’t want to row with Jess’s brothers, any of them. ‘It’s just that I promised yer mum. Yer know I did.’

  ‘Yeh, yeh, we all know. An’ we all know what yer promised an’ all.’ Sammy looked heavenwards. ‘It’s all we’ve bleed’n’ ’eard round ’ere for the last two weeks. Now if yer don’t mind, Jack, I’ve just got in from work an’ I don’t wanna stand out ’ere chattin’ to no nursemaid.’

  Sammy turned his back on Jack and stepped into the passageway.

  Whatever Jack said in protest was lost on Sammy, who shut the door firmly in his face.