The Girl From Number 22 (54 page)

‘Top of the morning to yer both.’ Ada put on an Irish accent when she stood in front of them. ‘I won’t bother asking how yer are, ’cos yer both look the picture of health.’

‘We’re both fine,’ Enid told her. ‘But neither of us like this cold weather, and we’ll be glad when the winter’s over.’

‘No work today, Joe?’ Hetty asked.

‘I’ve been working a lot of overtime for the last few weeks, so the boss let me have a day off. We haven’t been able to let Jean and Gordon know, there wasn’t time, so I hope we haven’t had a wasted journey. D’yer know if Jean’s in?’

‘If she’s not, she’ll only be at the shops.’ Ada handed her basket over to Hetty. ‘Hold this, sunshine, while I run and see if
Jean’s in. If she’s not, Enid and Joe can come in mine and wait for her. I’ll make a pot of tea, and we can have a natter. It would be better than hanging around in the cold.’

‘We don’t want to put yer to any trouble, lass,’ Joe said. ‘We’re well wrapped up, so we won’t freeze to death if we have to wait a while.’

‘Nonsense! I wouldn’t dream of letting yer stand around in this weather! But before we come to blows over it, I’ll run and see if Jean’s in or out.’

In answer to Ada’s knock, Jean opened the door with her hands covered in flour. ‘I’m up to me eyes baking. I thought I’d give the family a treat and make a steak and kidney pie.’ She stood aside and jerked her head. ‘Come in, but don’t look at the place.’

‘I won’t come in, sunshine.’ Ada grinned. ‘And I hope yer’ve made a big pie, ’cos yer mam and dad are here.’

Jean rubbed her nose and left a streak of flour across her face. ‘Ooh, where are they?’

‘I left them talking to Hetty, but they’ve seen yer now and are on their way up. I hope yer’ve got a fire going, ’cos they must be cold, even though they say they’re not.’

Jean stepped down on to the pavement, both flour-covered arms bent at the elbow. ‘I can’t give yer a kiss, Mam, or yer’ll get flour all over yer. Come on in, where it’s nice and warm.’

‘At least bend yer head and let me give yer a kiss on the cheek.’ Enid and Joe were very proud of Jean, who was their only child. She had given them two grandchildren whom they doted on, and who had brought much happiness into their lives.

Before Joe put his foot on the step, he turned to Ada. ‘Thanks for the offer, lass, it was really kind of yer. Me and Enid were
both beginning to feel the cold.’ His dimples appeared. ‘Yer can’t take it when yer get to be an old fogey like me.’

‘Away with yer, Joe Button, ye’re as spritely as a twenty-year-old. I bet yer outlive the lot of us.’ Ada gave him a broad wink. ‘It’s good to see you and Enid looking so well. And I hope we’ll see yer again soon.’

‘Yeah.’ Hetty took Ada’s arm. ‘We’re bound to see yer sometime over Christmas. Take care now.’

‘Lovely couple,’ Ada said as they walked down the street. ‘Jean’s lucky to still have her parents. I wish mine were still alive.’

‘Never mind, girl, we’ve got each other. Think what life would have been like if we hadn’t moved in as next-door neighbours.’

‘Doesn’t bear thinking about, sunshine. I can’t imagine life without you.’ Ada squeezed her mate’s arm as they turned the corner into the main road. ‘I’m going to pop me head in the shop to see Annie. I won’t go in, I don’t want to get her into trouble. I’ll just call from the doorway to remind her we’ll be expecting her for afternoon tea.’

‘Yer don’t need to remind her, girl, she’ll come anyway.’

‘I just want to make sure she does. I want to know what happened when our Danny went over to speak to Jenny last night. Me and Jimmy were in bed when he got home from the dance, and we didn’t have time to talk over breakfast this morning. Yer know what a nosy cow I can be, sunshine, I can’t wait until he comes in from work to find out how he got on.’

‘I’m glad you said that and not me.’

Ada chuckled. ‘If you’d said it, sunshine, I’d have clocked yer one.’

‘But seriously, girl, Annie might not like yer popping yer
head in. She hasn’t been there long, and she’d be embarrassed if Andy is serving.’

‘Oh, Andy won’t mind, he’s known us long enough.’

However, when Ada put her head inside the shop door, it was to find Annie standing alone behind the counter. ‘Where’s Andy, sunshine?’

‘He had to go to the warehouse for some stock we’re running short on. He won’t be back just yet, so yer can come in.’ Annie was looking as pleased as Punch. ‘Ay, I’ve served two customers while he’s been away. One wanted a paint brush, the other a bottle of turps.’

‘Good for you, sunshine!’ Ada was happy for her neighbour. It was about time she got some pleasure out of life. ‘Andy will be very pleased with yer.’

‘I was nervous at first, me hands shaking like a leaf. But Andy had put the price on every item in the shop, so it was easy. I’m really chuffed with meself.’

‘Me and Hetty were passing, and we’ve called in to remind yer that ye’re expected for tea at the usual time.’

‘Oh, I haven’t forgotten, sweetheart, I’m looking forward to it. Afternoon tea in your house is the highlight of me day.’

‘Just a quick word in case Andy comes back.’ Ada leaned across the counter. ‘What happened last night when Danny paid a call on Jenny?’

Hetty gasped. ‘Don’t tell her, Annie! She’s just admitted to being a nosy cow . . . and they were her very own words. So make her wait until this afternoon. A couple of hours is not going to make that much difference to her.’

Ada lifted both hands in surrender. ‘Okay, okay, I give in, I’m a nosy cow. But a certain person standing just inches away from
me is not getting off scot-free. If I’m a nosy cow, then she’s a miserable cow.’

‘What are yer talking about?’ Hetty’s shoulders were squared and a hurt expression crossed her face. ‘Why am I a miserable cow?’

‘Because yer won’t let me be a nosy cow, that’s why.’

Annie’s loud laughter filled the air. ‘If any more cows come into this shop, Andy will be able to sell milk.’

‘Well, seeing as yer can see the funny side of life these days, Annie Phillips, I think you, me and Hetty, could become like the Three Musketeers. Only we’d be three cows. The nosy one, the miserable one, and the laughing one.’

Annie held her chin in her hand and pretended to give that some thought. ‘Ooh, I don’t know whether to look on that as an insult, or treat it as an honour. It’s a “to be or not to be” question, that is.’ She saw her boss’s small van draw up outside and the smile left her face as she stood to attention. ‘On yer way, ladies, here’s me boss. I’ll see yer this afternoon, but I’ve decided I’d like to be a member of your gang, even if it is a herd of cows.’

Ada and Hetty were out of the shop as Andy crossed the pavement carrying a heavy cardboard box. ‘Morning, ladies!’

The friends answered in unison, ‘Morning, Andy.’ Then they went on their way to the butcher’s for stewing steak to make a hotpot for the evening meal.

The kettle was on the boil when Annie called that afternoon, so within minutes the three neighbours were sat round the table with a cup of tea in front of them. There were no cream cakes, hadn’t been for a while now. With Christmas only days away, every penny was being counted for extra food and goodies. The
shops were filled with everything needed for the festivities, and excitement was building up.

‘Don’t keep me in suspense, sunshine,’ Ada said after being patient for five minutes. ‘Give us the low down on what transpired between Danny and your Jenny. And don’t worry about me repeating what yer tell me, ’cos me lips will be sealed.’

‘I’ll make it short and sweet then, shall l?’ Annie had blossomed in the last few weeks, she’d really come out of herself. Life had some meaning for her now, and she was taking more care with her appearance. Her hair was no longer combed back in a severe style, but left loose in soft curls, and had really taken years off her. ‘I didn’t hear the whole conversation, ’cos I could hardly stand there and listen, could I? But when Danny left and Jenny came in the room she told me he’d asked her to go to the dance with him tonight and she’d agreed.’

‘Ooh, er,’ Hetty said, her eyes rolling. ‘D’yer think there’s romance in the air?’

‘I think there would be if Danny had his way,’ Ada said, looking pleased with the news. ‘He’d deny it if he heard me saying this, but I’ve got a feeling my son was smitten from the time he first set eyes on Jenny.’

Annie looked from one to the other, then lowered her gaze for a few seconds while she considered her words. ‘I can only tell yer what I personally think, but Jenny might not agree with all I’m going to say. I know she definitely has a soft spot for Danny, but I doubt if she’ll let him know that. Yer see, she is so ashamed of her father, she won’t let herself get close to any lad. She’s never had a boyfriend, even though I know for certain that she’s had plenty of chances. It breaks my heart when I let meself think about it, because life would have been so different for her and Ben if I hadn’t been stupid enough to marry Tom Phillips.’

‘Oh, come on, sunshine, yer can’t blame yerself for that! How were you to know he was going to turn out to be a rotter?’

‘I’ve had cause to go over that hundreds of times through the years, sweetheart, and no matter how I try to find excuses for meself, it always boils down to the fact that my two children are suffering because of my stupidity. Whichever way yer look at it, if it weren’t for Tom Phillips, life would have been much better for me and the kids. Give them their due, they have never once blamed me for putting them through a life of hell. They have always taken my side, and tried to shield me when things got bad. And for that, I love them more than any other mother could love their kids.’

‘Our Danny knows what Tom Phillips is like,’ Ada said softly. ‘He certainly wouldn’t think any the less of Jenny because of the way her father is. My son is not like that. He’s just the opposite, in fact.’

Hetty seldom took the initiative in asking questions, for usually her mate did all the asking. But this time Hetty was running out of patience. ‘Yer don’t have much to say about yer husband these days, girl. In fact yer never mention him.’

‘Not much to mention, Hetty, ’cos I see very little of him. I don’t think we’ve exchanged twenty words in the last fortnight. He comes in late every night, eats his dinner if it’s still fit to eat, then goes up to bed without saying a word. Not that it worries me, for I wouldn’t care if I never, ever, had to speak to him again. Or even set eyes on him. The kids are bewildered, they don’t know what to think. They’ve never said anything, but underneath I believe they think it’s a flash in the pan, and one night he’ll come in from work and be back to what he was before.’

‘I can’t see that, sunshine,’ Ada said. ‘For my money, I’d say Tom Phillips will never revert back to the rotter he was.
Something tells me yer’ll never again be troubled by him. Those days are gone for ever.’

‘What makes yer say that, sweetheart? I only wish it was true.’

Ada was remembering how embarrassed and ashamed Annie had been when telling them of her husband’s unhealthy appetite for perverted sex. A man with such needs didn’t turn into an angel overnight. ‘Time will tell, sunshine, time will tell.’ She scraped her chair back. ‘I’ll make a fresh pot of tea, eh, and we can talk about what we’re going to be doing over the two days of Christmas.’

Jenny was ready at seven fifteen that night. She had taken special care with her appearance, and her wonderful thick auburn hair had been brushed until it shone. She kept telling herself there was no need to look too good, it was only a dance she was going to after all. But what the head thinks is often very different from what the heart feels, and her heart was beating very quickly. She also had butterflies in her tummy.

Annie was trying not to fuss, or seem over-interested, but inside she was praying that tonight was going to be the start of a new life for her lovely daughter. Since the dramatic change in Tom Phillips, young Ben seemed to have grasped his freedom with both hands, and he spent every evening round at his mate’s now. But Jenny hadn’t taken advantage of their circumstances, probably because she didn’t believe it would last.

The banging of a door had Annie moving to the window. ‘Here’s Danny crossing the street, sweetheart. Shall I let him in?’

Jenny picked up her handbag from the sideboard. ‘No, I’ll open the door, Mam, and I won’t ask Danny in, we’ll go straight out.’ She hesitated at the living-room door. ‘Don’t wait up for
me, Mam, you have an early night. I’ll try not to wake yer when I’m getting into bed.’

‘We’ll see, sweetheart,’ Annie told her. ‘If I’m tired I will have an early night. But I won’t go to bed until Ben’s in, yer know that. Anyway, you go off and enjoy yerself, and don’t worry about me, I’ll be fine.’

Danny saw Annie peeping through the window as they were passing, and he waved before cupping Jenny’s elbow. ‘Is yer mam all right about yer coming out with me?’

‘Of course she’s all right about it, why shouldn’t she be? After all, we’re only going to a local dance, not miles away.’

‘Then she won’t mind if yer come to the same local dance with me again.’ Danny was bending his head sideways to look into her face. ‘You know, the one that’s not miles away.’

Jenny could hear the laughter in his voice. ‘What are yer talking about, Danny Fenwick? Yer’ve got me all muddled up.’

‘Well, it’s like this, yer see. Last night they were selling tickets for the dance on Christmas Eve. It has to be ticket only, otherwise they’d be packed in like sardines. And I wouldn’t like to be packed in like those poor sardines are, would you?’

Jenny rolled her eyes towards him. ‘I’m sure ye’re doing this just to confuse me. First it was tickets to a dance, and now we’re on to sardines being packed tight into a tin.’

‘Now I didn’t mention no tin, Jenny Phillips. Dance tickets, yes, Christmas Eve, yes, but definitely no tins.’

‘There’s a tram coming.’ Jenny tugged her arm free. ‘Let’s run for it.’

‘No, we can get the next one.’ Danny pulled her to a halt. ‘I want to get things straight about the dance on Christmas Eve. Yer see, the tickets were selling like hot cakes, and I was afraid
there’d be none left by tonight. So I bought two, in the hope yer’d come with me.’