A Sister's Shame (15 page)

‘What is it?’ asked Vesta. ‘What are you reading?’

‘I can’t believe it,’ said Marie on a soft gasp. ‘Listen. “The body of a young woman has been recovered from the Millwall Dock and identified as Irene Wallis of
Ebondale Street, Isle of Dogs. It is believed she had spent the night in the local tavern, drinking.” ’

‘Irene Wallis? Who’s she?’

‘The girl who worked behind the bar is called Irene.’

‘There must be hundreds of Irenes in the East End.’

‘ “Witnesses have come forward to say they saw her in the Quarry public house, close to the dock, shortly before the body was recovered. The coroner has recorded death by
misadventure.” ’ Marie looked up. ‘Do you think this is why the girls were quiet?’

‘Could be.’

Marie placed the newspaper back on Bev’s box. ‘There is the circle drawn round it – did Bev do that?’

‘Or it could be a coincidence,’ said Vesta, leaning forward to inspect her face.

‘We’ll ask Dad if he’s heard anything,’ Marie decided.

But Vesta didn’t reply. She was concentrating on her reflection as she mimed the words to their song.

‘Yes, I did hear something,’ said Hector in answer to their question, as they made their way back to Sphinx Street. ‘It was the girl who worked at the club.
The police came early this evening and took Teddy away to make a statement.’

‘So that’s why he wasn’t there,’ breathed Vesta with relief. ‘But what’s Teddy got to do with Irene?’

‘He told the police he had employed her.’

‘But he wouldn’t know anything personal about her.’ Vesta sounded indignant.

Hector hurried them on. ‘Let’s go a little faster. This fog looks like it could be a peasouper.’

Marie thought that Hector had quickly got off the subject of Irene. Was there something he didn’t want them to know?

When they arrived home, they put their wages on the table in front of Ada. ‘This is for you, Mum,’ said Marie proudly.

Ada shook her head. ‘It’s your money, not mine.’

‘But our two pounds will help. You can give up work,’ insisted Marie.

‘I don’t want to give up my job.’ Ada looked at the money disdainfully. ‘Your factory money is enough.’ She kissed them on the cheek. ‘Goodnight and God
bless. Don’t stay up late.’

Hector sat down at the table and sighed.

‘What’s the matter, Dad?’

‘Your mother’s got her pride.’

‘We don’t mind,’ said Vesta, grinning. ‘There’s lots of clothes I want to buy.’

‘We’ll save it,’ Marie suggested, ‘for a rainy day.’

‘Not all of it,’ said Vesta disappointedly. ‘I’m rich! And I want to enjoy that wonderful feeling.’

‘Well, some of it’s going in the Post Office,’ said Marie. ‘for a rainy day.’

‘Yes, you never know when we’ll get one of those.’ Hector looked troubled.

‘Dad, do you really like your job?’ Marie asked. ‘You could always go back to busking.’

‘Busking doesn’t pay as well. And there is always a chance at the club that I’ll—’ He dredged up a smile. ‘Now off you go to bed, like your mother
said.’

That night, Marie couldn’t sleep. Although she hadn’t known Irene, she kept thinking about her. How dreadful a death; to die in the murky waters of the dock. Did Teddy know anything
about it? And if not, why had the police taken him away?

‘I didn’t sleep a wink last night,’ said Vesta as they left the factory the next day and set off for the market.

‘Nor did I,’ agreed Marie. ‘That poor girl, Irene.’

‘Oh, her.’ Vesta shrugged. ‘I was thinking about buying a coat.’

‘Irene was so pretty.’

‘She shouldn’t have been drinking,’ said Vesta, as they passed the dock gates. She paused. ‘No sign of Laurel and Hardy.’

‘Don’t call Bing and Charlie that.’

‘Well, it suits them.’

‘Vesta, I’d rather you—’ Marie began, but found herself pulled along at breakneck speed.

‘Come on, we’ve got two whole pounds to spend, a fortune!’

When they arrived at the market, it was very busy. They had to push their way through the Saturday crowd.

‘This ain’t bad,’ said Vesta, lifting up a blue coat.

‘You’ll need a few bob if you want to buy it,’ warned the toothless old woman behind the stall. ‘I’ve just robbed it off a toffs missus. She was hard up and needed
the money.’

Vesta nodded eagerly. ‘It don’t look like it’s ever been worn.’

‘Come into an in’eritance, ’ave yer?’

‘Not at all.’ Vesta lifted her chin and said in an exaggerated voice, ‘Our theatrical career has just begun at the Duke’s.’

Instead of looking impressed, the old woman laughed scornfully. ‘That ’ouse of ill repute?’

‘What do you mean?’ Vesta snapped. ‘The Duke’s is high class.’

‘Yeah, pull the other one.’

Vesta dropped the coat and turned to Marie. ‘I shan’t bring my custom here again,’ she said in a loud voice as she marched Marie off. ‘All you ever get is sour grapes.
And I can’t abide those!’

Vesta’s mood switched quickly on their way home. ‘The old gas bag doesn’t know what she’s talking about. No, I’ll get Charlie to take me up West.’

‘Charlie? But he’s got a girlfriend.’

‘I know, I know! You’ve said before. But I’m not asking for a ring on me finger,’ huffed Vesta crossly.

Nina Brass was coming down the stairs when they arrived home. She looked elegant and sophisticated, dressed in a biscuit-coloured coat, matching buttons and scarf, and a smooth-brimmed hat.

‘Hello,’ Marie and Vesta said together.

‘Oh, I love your coat, Nina,’ said Vesta enviously. ‘It’s beautiful. Where did you buy it?’

‘Up West,’ said Nina quietly.

‘That’s where I’m going to buy all me clothes,’ Vesta retorted. ‘No more markets for me, thanks to working at the Duke’s.’

Nina stared at her. ‘You really are going to work there?’

‘Yes. Ain’t it exciting?’

‘But you’re both so . . . well, young, to do a job like that.’ Nina hesitated. ‘Are you sure that’s what you both want?’

‘We ain’t that young,’ Vesta replied. ‘Teddy says it doesn’t matter how young you are if you’ve got real talent.’

‘We’re still working at the factory,’ explained Marie quickly. ‘We know the club might not work out. But we thought we’d give it a try.’

Nina began to answer, but the front door opened and Teddy walked in.

‘Well, goodnight,’ said Nina, as she hurried past Teddy and out of the front door.

‘What was all that about?’ asked Teddy, glancing after her.

‘Search me,’ Vesta said with a frown. ‘I always thought she was a bit strange.’

‘What did she say?’

‘Don’t let’s waste time talking about her.’ Vesta’s voice softened as she went to stand beside him. ‘I missed you last night.’

‘I suppose you heard about Irene?’

‘Yes. Did she really fall in the dock?’

‘She was drunk.’

‘How do you know that?’ Marie asked curiously.

‘The landlord of the Quarry told the police.’

‘Was she a friend of yours?’

Teddy threw Marie a cold glance. ‘Course she wasn’t.’ He quickly changed the subject. ‘Listen, Wally’s told me to warn you that, in case you fancy a tipple on the
quiet, you’re not to drink or smoke on the premises.’

‘Oh, we wouldn’t do that,’ said Vesta at once.

‘Good. As the brothers don’t want trouble with fires from forgotten cigarettes or dog ends. After all this with Irene, and the rozzers coming round again, it’s been bad for
business.’

‘Irene didn’t seem like a drunk,’ Marie insisted, receiving another glare from Teddy.

‘Looks can be deceiving,’ he muttered. ‘And anyway it’s none of your business. Just make sure you stick to the rules.’

Marie watched him go up the stairs. She was thinking that if anyone was deceiving, it was Teddy. How could he talk of the dead in such an irreverent way?

‘Why did you say that about Irene?’ Vesta asked angrily. ‘It’s no business of ours, like Teddy said.’

‘She is – was – a dancer, like us.’

‘Obviously a bad one. Now, for goodness’ sake stop asking Teddy silly questions. He got us the job, remember? And you’re just making us sound ungrateful.’ Vesta threw
back her head and strode away.

Marie wasn’t ungrateful, but neither was she under Teddy’s spell. As she followed her sister, she tried not to breathe in the smell of Teddy’s hair oil that hung in the air.
She and Vesta might be twins and have a lot of things in common, but their choice in men certainly wasn’t one of them.

By the end of September, the Haskins sisters were still perfecting their new songs. Benny had no time to help them and they hadn’t seen Bing again, much to Marie’s
disappointment. She would have asked him to play for them on Elsie’s piano.

‘The band is too fast for us,’ complained Vesta on the last Saturday of the month as they hurried from the stage towards the dressing room. ‘It’s not our fault that we
can’t keep up with them. Do you think Wally will give us the sack?’

‘No, he would have done so by now. Teddy hasn’t said anything, has he?’

‘He’s too gentlemanly to do so,’ argued Vesta crossly. ‘It’s Bing’s fault for giving us such difficult songs. He don’t even bother to play them for
us.’

‘You told him you would get Benny to.’

‘Yes, but how was I to know that Irene would get herself killed? Everyone has been in a bad mood since.’

The chorus girls barely looked up as the twins walked in. They seemed to be discussing their routine and it sounded to Marie as if it hadn’t gone very well. Sal flopped on a chair, whilst
Bev and Rose kicked off their high heels, blaming one another for missing the steps.

‘It wasn’t me,’ Bev insisted, ‘you danced out of step tonight.’

‘Only because everyone else did,’ replied Rose angrily.

‘It was her fault,’ said Sal, pointing at Joanie. ‘And we all know why.’

Joanie made a rude gesture and stood up. Marie saw her steady herself as she threw off her headdress. With shoulders slumped, she shuffled behind the screen.

‘Well, you’ve been here almost a month now; how do you like working for the Scoresbys?’ asked Bev.

‘It’s our dream come true,’ said Vesta with a blush.

‘It don’t take much to please you, then?’ Bev smirked as she rolled down her stockings. ‘But I’ll give you two credit, you ain’t done bad. Wally would have
had you out by now if he wasn’t pleased.’

‘We don’t see him much,’ Vesta shrugged. ‘And we never see Leo.’

‘You don’t want to neither.’

‘Teddy’s very nice, though.’ Vesta blushed.

‘He’s lives at your place, don’t he?’ said Bev curiously.

‘Yes, on the next floor.’

‘Bet that’s convenient,’ said Rose sarcastically.

‘Teddy is always the perfect gentleman.’ Vesta looked offended.

‘You’ll learn,’ Bev sighed wearily. ‘In this big, wide world of temptation there ain’t many gentlemen left. And our Teddy certainly ain’t one of
’em.’

Suddenly Joanie stumbled out from behind the screen. ‘Leave them alone,’ she shouted in a slurred voice as she tried to grasp the back of a chair. ‘They’re just kids.
Like we all were once. Just like Irene was before—’

Immediately the other girls stood up. Bev went across and grabbed Joanie’s arm. ‘Keep your voice down, you fool!’ she snarled.

‘Why should I?’ yelled Joanie, her eyes wild and unfocused. ‘I’m sick of seeing this happen time and again when we could do something about it.’

‘It’s too late,’ whispered Sal, poking a finger towards her. ‘We’re all in the same mess and bawlin’ your head off won’t help.’

‘I don’t care. I’ve had enough of lies,’ yelled Joanie, as Bev tried to calm her.

Marie watched open-mouthed as Joanie began to cry.

‘Stop it, for God’s sake, Joanie!’ exclaimed Bev.

Suddenly Joanie crumbled, as though all the life had gone out of her. She lay in a heap on the floor. ‘She was drinking before she got here,’ whispered Bev as she kneeled beside her.
‘She was supposed to be on the wagon, but Irene’s death set her off again.’

‘They were good pals,’ nodded Sal, as they all crowded round.

‘What did she mean about having enough of lies?’ Marie asked.

‘It was the drink you heard talking,’ Bev muttered. ‘Let’s get her into her ordinary clothes. Somehow we’ll have to get her out of the club. You and Vesta, drag the
screen round us, in case someone looks in. Better still, when you’ve done it, go and guard the door.’

‘What if someone tries to come in?’ asked Marie.

‘You’ll have to think of something to stop them,’ shrugged Bev, returning her attention to undressing Joanie.

Silently Marie and Vesta walked to the door. ‘What did they mean about Teddy not being a gentleman?’ whispered Vesta after a while.

‘I don’t know and I don’t care,’ said Marie, listening to the shuffles, groans and whispers coming from behind the screen. ‘I’m more worried about what will
happen if that door opens.’

‘Joanie should have known better than to get drunk.’

‘But Irene was her best friend, it’s understandable.’

Suddenly there was a hammering on the door. ‘What’s going on in there?’ a voice demanded.

‘Oh my God,’ Vesta breathed, clutching Marie. ‘It’s Teddy.’

Marie’s knees turned to jelly as the door opened. Teddy stood there, narrowing his eyes. ‘What’s all the racket about?’

Marie was filled with fear. She could hear her heart pounding loudly and wondered if Teddy could too. One step more and Teddy would be in full view of the screen.

‘It’s her!’ exclaimed Marie, turning to Vesta. ‘She keeps taking my things.’

Vesta’s eyes flew open in fright.

‘Give me back me new shoes!’ Marie grabbed a handful of Vesta’s hair and pulled.

Vesta screamed, holding her head. ‘Stop it, leave me alone! I ain’t got your shoes.’

Marie took another lunge and caught Vesta by the shoulders, shaking her roughly.

‘You’re hurting me!’ shrieked Vesta, trying to get away.

‘Stop that!’ ordered Teddy, sliding his hands around Marie’s waist. She shuddered as his fingers squeezed her.

Teddy held Marie against him. A smile formed on his face as she tried to wriggle out of his arms. ‘Well, well, I never thought you had it in you,’ he drawled, taking the opportunity
to press her into him. ‘I must say I like to see a bit of spirit.’