The Docklands Girls (17 page)

When she told Milt, he’d laughed but had warned her. ‘Be careful, honey, we Yanks don’t always understand the British sense of humour.’

Once a month, in a strict rota, each wife gave afternoon tea to all the others who inevitably turned out to see how one wife could outdo another. Hildy refused to be drawn into this and when it was her turn, she gave them a traditional English tea with cucumber sandwiches, home-made scones with jam and cream and a Victoria sponge cake.

The women were taken aback by its simplicity.

‘This is how we do it back home,’ she told them. ‘This is exactly what the King and Queen have for their tea.’

For once they were impressed. Anything to do with Royalty or the aristocracy, seemed to impress them greatly,
much to Hildy’s amusement. They loved the scones, then they asked where they could buy the package mix to make them.

‘They don’t come from any package,’ Hildy said and gave them the recipe for the scones and the Victoria sponge.

She supposed she’d get used to this way of life in time, but she was restless. It didn’t take long to clean the house and do the laundry. So she bought a sewing machine and made new curtains and cushions to smarten up her house in an effort to make it her own.

Some of the wives thought this was amusing. ‘You can buy all this stuff in the stores in town,’ they said, but Hildy just smiled and said, ‘I know, but I enjoy making my own and during the war we had to learn to make our own clothes.’

They didn’t quite know what to make of this Englishwoman who’d arrived in their midst, but this didn’t deter the indomitable Hildy. She just sat and wondered how these American women would have coped in similar situations if they had been bombed as she had been in Southampton and many other cities back home. She came to the conclusion that if their favourite beauty parlour had been decimated there would have been many who would not have survived. She chuckled at the very idea.

Back in Shanklin, Belle’s happy existence took a nose dive after a visit to her local butcher. As he was wrapping her purchase, a man came out of the back of the shop and stared at her.

‘This is my brother, Kev,’ said Tom the butcher. ‘He’s been demobbed and is going to be working for me. This is Belle, my favourite customer,’ he said.

Belle frowned as she looked at the stranger. He looked vaguely familiar, but she couldn’t place him. ‘Good morning,’ she said.

‘Good morning to you,’ he answered, with a sly grin. ‘Nice to meet you.’

Carrying her shopping home, Belle wracked her brains trying to place the man, but she couldn’t and carried on with her daily chores.

Later that afternoon when Cora was at the hairdressers, there was a knock on the front door. On opening it, Belle was surprised to see Kev standing there.

‘Afternoon, Belle. You don’t remember me, do you?’

‘No, I’m afraid I don’t.’

He leant casually against the door frame. ‘I was in the army during the war and stationed in Southampton. I used to drink in the Horse and Groom.’

Her heart seemed to miss a beat. ‘Really?’

‘Don’t play coy with me, love. I was one of your clients. I went to your place a few times. Always came away satisfied.’ He leered at her.

She became wary. ‘Why are you here, standing on my doorstep?’

‘I thought we could come to an arrangement, Belle. I’m sure you don’t want it known that the owner of the B & B down the road used to be a prostitute. It would make a great deal of difference to your business and your standing.’

His arrogance made her angry and she wanted to slap
him. She’d worked too hard to build her dream and she wasn’t going to let this apology for a man spoil that.

‘Arrangement? What arrangement?’

‘I could call on you, say, twice a week and you’d show me just how grateful you are for my silence.’

She glared at him. ‘You bastard! You think you’re so very clever. Well, better men than you have tried to put me in a corner. Take your arrangement and shove it! You come bothering me again and you’ll be very sorry.’ She shut the door in his face. But her hands were trembling.

When Cora arrived home, she could see that her friend was upset. ‘Belle, whatever is the matter?’

Belle told her about her visitor. Cora looked shaken. ‘Oh my God! What are you going to do about it?’

‘Frankly, I don’t know, but if he does spill the beans, it could ruin my business. He’s going to be a menace, holding such a threat over me. He won’t leave it alone if I don’t do as he asks.’

‘You wouldn’t!’

‘No, I bloody wouldn’t. If I did, heavens knows what else he’d demand. It certainly wouldn’t stop at a bit of sex. I know his type. I just need time to think. He won’t do anything in a hurry, it wouldn’t pay him to do so. He’s in a position of power whilst he can threaten me, so he’ll not do anything yet.’

Cora realised the significance of the situation. All Belle’s hard work and her life savings could be at risk through this creep of a man. How on earth were they going to be able to keep him quiet? How long would he wait and when he realised that Belle wouldn’t agree to his demands, how long
before her character was so besmirched that she’d be out of business? Then what? Would Belle be forced to sell up and start again elsewhere?

Knowing how devastating this was from her own experience with Simon, Cora cursed beneath her breath. Wasn’t it ever possible for a person to leave a dubious past behind? Would it be forever something that would emerge only to ruin a life?

During the following couple of weeks, Belle still shopped at the butchers as normal. She was determined not to let Tom’s brother intimidate her and every time she walked into the shop she would try and be served by Tom – although Kev would sometimes get to her first. He was always polite, asking what he could do for her, but there was often an underlying meaning beneath his words.

Tom became aware very quickly that as soon as the two of them met in the shop, the atmosphere changed. His lovely, chatty and happy Belle became different. She was hostile towards his brother and he couldn’t fathom the reason why. His brother was polite and didn’t say anything out of line. It was a puzzle.

He questioned his brother one day after he’d served Belle and she’d left the shop.

‘What have you done to upset my favourite customer?’ he asked.

Kev looked surprised. ‘Whatever do you mean?’

‘It’s obvious to me she doesn’t like you. Why is that? Belle gets on with everyone … except you. I want to know why.’

Kev laughed. ‘You’re imagining it,’ he said and walked away.

But Tom wasn’t convinced and he was determined to get to the bottom of it.

Later that evening after the butcher’s shop closed and Tom had showered and changed, he walked along the road until he came to Belle’s house and banged on the door.

Belle opened it and was surprised to see her butcher standing there.

‘Hello Tom. What are you doing here?’

‘May I come in for a moment?’

Somewhat puzzled, she stepped back so he could enter. She took him into the kitchen and pointed to a chair beside a table. ‘I’m just going to make a cup of tea, will you join me?’

‘Thanks, that’d be lovely.’ As she pottered about, he looked around the well-equipped kitchen, clean and tidy, with a delicious aroma coming from the oven.

Belle put the cups and saucers, then the tea pot on a tray and took it over to the table. ‘Do you take sugar?’ she asked as she poured the tea.

Shaking his head, he said, ‘No, I gave it up when it was first rationed.’

Placing his cup before him, she handed over the milk jug. ‘Help yourself.’

‘Now, Tom, why have you called?’

‘I want to know what’s going on between you and my brother Kev?’

She was startled. ‘Going on? There’s nothing going on, whatever do you mean?’

‘It’s obvious you don’t like him and I wondered if he’s upset you in any way.’

Belle thought quickly. Tom mustn’t suspect that she and his brother knew each other. That wouldn’t do at all.

‘I just don’t like him, if I’m truthful. I think he’s smarmy and I don’t like him serving me.’

‘And that’s it?’

‘What else could it be? I would prefer you to serve me in future.’

He seemed to relax and sat back in his chair. ‘I admit he’s not a likeable bloke. We never really got on as boys, but he came to me after he was demobbed with no job and asked for my help.’ He shrugged. ‘What else could I do?’

‘Tell me about your brother,’ she asked. ‘You seem so different from one another.’

‘He’s three years younger than me and was spoilt by my mother. He was always in trouble at school. If it wasn’t for my mum’s intervention, he would have been expelled at one time for bunking off and stealing from the general store. She paid for the goods to keep from having the police involved.’

‘Oh my goodness, what a worry for her.’

‘As a teenager, he was always in fights. In fact, when he was called up we all breathed a sigh of relief.’

‘And now?’

‘We still don’t get on. I don’t trust him, if I’m honest. I make sure I check the till carefully every night, but he’s only got to make one wrong move and he’s out on his ear.’ He sniffed the air. ‘My word, Belle, something smells good.’

She smiled at the compliment. ‘I’m making a rabbit pie. Cora’s gone to the pictures tonight and I’m alone. Would
you like to stay for supper? I’ve got apple crumble for after.’

He beamed at her. ‘Would I? I certainly would. After my wife died, I had to be chief cook and bottle washer, but although I’m a passable cook, there’s nothing nicer than a home-cooked meal done for you.’

‘Then that’s settled. I’m glad of the company.’

When Cora arrived home later that evening, she was surprised to find the butcher and Belle sitting in the living room together, drinking coffee with a glass of brandy.

Belle smiled at her. ‘Good film?’

‘Yes,’ she said. ‘Humphrey Bogart and Lauren Bacall in
The Big Sleep.
He played Philip Marlowe. It was excellent – any coffee left?’

Tom rose from his chair. ‘Best get home,’ he said. ‘Thanks Belle, I don’t know when I’ve enjoyed a meal so much. Perhaps you’ll allow me to take you out to dinner soon to repay your kindness?’

Belle actually blushed. ‘Well, that’s really not necessary, but yes, I’d love to. Thank you.’

As he walked to the door, he said, ‘Don’t you worry. Whenever you come to the shop in future, I’ll make it my business to serve you.’

When Belle walked back into the room, Cora gave a sly smile. ‘So, what’s been going on behind my back, Belle Newman?’

Looking a little embarrassed, Belle said, ‘Absolutely nothing. He came to see me about his brother and stayed for a meal.’

‘What about his brother?’

Belle told her what had transpired. ‘Apparently he’s
always been a bad lot, which doesn’t surprise me. Even his own brother doesn’t trust him, but I’m still playing with fire.’

‘How long before he makes a move do you think?’

Shaking her head, Belle said, ‘I’ve no idea. But he’ll get tired of waiting eventually and then I’ll really have a problem.’

Cora sat wracking her brains trying to come up with a solution, but there was no way she could think of an answer and she was really worried that Belle’s carefully laid plans for her future were to be ruined by this scumbag.

When Belle next entered the butcher’s shop, Kev stepped forward, but Tom put his arm out to stop him. ‘I’ll look after Belle, thank you,’ he said firmly.

Belle saw Kev’s mouth harden in a fine line and he glared angrily at her, but she ignored him, bought her meat, handed over her ration book, paid and left the shop.

Kev tackled his brother. ‘What was that all about?’ he asked. ‘I’m perfectly capable of serving
all
your customers.’

‘You are, but in future I’ll take care of Belle myself.’

‘Fancy her, do you?’ his brother sneered at him.

‘Just get on with your work,’ Tom snapped. ‘That piece of lamb wants cutting into chops.’

Kev sauntered away, saying, ‘Don’t get too close to her, Tom. Women can be very devious.’

His brother just glared at him and turned to serve a customer who’d just entered the shop.

As he cut up the meat, Kev fumed. Had Belle said something to his brother? Then he thought she certainly wouldn’t have told him the truth. She wouldn’t want
anyone to know of her past – but something had been said. He smirked to himself; there’s more than one way to skin a cat. He would find a way to worry her until she had no choice but to meet his demands and once he had wormed his way into her bed, he would ask for a cut of her takings. Oh yes, he was on to a good thing if he played his cards right. He was a reasonably patient man if the end prize was a worthy one. He thought back to the days of the war when he was a client of the voluptuous Belle. He’d always left her feeling satisfied and looked forward to enjoying her again in the future.

‘Haven’t you finished yet?’ Tom called. ‘We haven’t got all day!’

Kev stifled a retort. He didn’t want to upset his brother because he needed a job and a roof over his head. Maybe later, he could move into Belle’s home. That was a thought. He picked up the chops and placed them in the window.

Belle, sitting in the garden alone, was deep in thought. What if eventually Tom’s brother did start telling folk about her past. Would it make a deal of difference? It would here among the locals in Shanklin, for a while anyway and she’d always be tagged with the label prostitute. The people who replied to her advertisements wouldn’t know, but they might find out from village gossip. But if they were happy and satisfied with her home and food, would it matter?

She was trying to work out the percentages if the worst should happen. No way would she give in to his demands. She’d rather cut her own throat – metaphorically speaking, but how much would it cost her in revenue and self-respect. She knew she was well liked in Shanklin; she had
always been gifted in dealing with people. Would it be a seven-day wonder? She gave a rueful smile. Tom would be disappointed to learn the truth, of course. Just like Simon. Pity, she really liked the butcher. Well, she’d just have to wait and see. She walked back into the house. From next week she was booked up and she wanted to sort out her menus.