When Wishes Come True (37 page)

‘You shouldn’t let my problems interfere with your work or home life, Oscar,’ Cyril told him. ‘I don’t want to poach you from your family business.’

‘Not at all! My father has an excellent staff, plus my brother, and his office runs like clockwork.’ Oscar looked at his friend. ‘It must be a while since you and Father met. Why don’t I pick you up in the morning and take you to see him? I know he would be delighted, he never fails to ask about you. And the two of you could talk shop for an hour, after which I’d be free to run us down to the club for some lunch.’ He could see Cyril was uncertain, and waved a hand. ‘No excuses, old man, I’m sure your excellent secretary can rearrange your diary to enable you absent for a few hours. In fact, I will have a word with the very efficient Miss Williams on my way out, and tell her you are not to be allowed to change your mind under any circumstances. I shall also ask her to have a pot of tea sent in now. After all, what is the point in being your own boss if you can’t do as you wish?’ He leaned across the desk and shook the older man’s hand. ‘I will see you at eleven-forty-five tomorrow.’

The following day was Wednesday. As Oscar and his father Richard, with Cyril walking between them, strolled down Castle Street towards their club, little did they know that about thirty yards from them, Evelyn was letting herself into Philip’s apartment. Had they seen her, they would have hurried towards her, filled with relief. Had she seen them, she would have fled in the opposite direction, afraid of the consequences. But they didn’t see each other, and a golden opportunity was lost.

Evelyn went straight to the kitchen to make a pot of tea to go with the delicious sandwiches and cakes Annie would have left ready for them. She had never met the cleaner, deliberately keeping away when the woman would be at the apartment. The fewer people who knew of her business the better. Evelyn lived in fear of being caught out, and losing the man she had fallen deeply in love with. He was the only person who could bring her to life, appreciate all the emotions that come with being in love. The very thought of him sent a shiver down her spine as she carried a tray through to the lounge. Hearing his key in the door, she put down the tray and ran to meet him in the hall. They had spent the morning together in the office, but even though their relationship had moved on away from work, Evelyn still insisted they remain businesslike in front of their colleagues. Not that Philip was as strict about it as she was, for if he couldn’t resist a kiss then she was well and truly kissed. He derived great pleasure from seeing her blush with embarrassment in case anyone walked into the office. He would be quite happy for everyone to know of their relationship, for he was deeply in love with her and very proud. He couldn’t understand why she wanted to keep it secret for the time being, but went along with it. After all, she’d said that after Christmas she would discuss the subject of marriage, and he could wait that long.

Philip cupped her face. ‘Now, when we are married, that is the sort of welcome I’ll expect every night when I come home from the office.’ And to bring a blush to her cheeks, he added, ‘I would expect you to be wearing less than you are now, though.’

‘You are incorrigible, Philip, I really don’t know what I’m going to do with you. And I am a fool for allowing you to make me blush.’

‘Do I have a power over you, my lovely Evelyn? Do I really?’

‘Of course you do, my love, and well you know it.’

‘Oh, I am not so sure, my darling.’ They were still standing in the hall, their arms around each other. ‘I would like to test this power you say I have over you. Would you permit me to try?’

Evelyn tutted. ‘You are like a child who is over-indulged by his parents. But if it makes you happy, then you may.’

‘Good!’ Philip moved out of her arms and cupped one of her elbows. He proceeded to walk her towards the bedroom. ‘Well, so far my magic seems to be working.’

Inside the bedroom, Evelyn stared at him in bewilderment. ‘What are you up to, Philip? Remember, we don’t have much time.’

‘Sshh! Don’t break the spell! Just slip your coat off, my lovely, and lie on the bed like the Sleeping Beauty. I will waken you with a kiss.’

‘Philip! I have made a pot of tea and our lunch is set out on the tray …’

He put a hand over her mouth. ‘I am using my magic powers on you now, my beauty. The tea can wait, my desire cannot. It is two whole days since I held you in my arms and made love to you. Two whole days and nights of longing for you. Even my parents noticed I was preoccupied and asked if I was sickening for a cold. Having you so close to me in the office, and be unable to touch you, it is agony.’ While he was talking, Philip slipped the coat off her shoulders, then scooped her up in his arms and laid her gently on the bed. ‘I will disrobe in the bathroom, my darling, please be ready for me when I return.’

Even if she’d had the willpower to resist him, Evelyn didn’t want to. Her own body was crying out. She undressed quickly and slid between the sheets. She was eager to have him hold her and thrill her with his love making, but remained clear enough in the head to remember she had to be back in the office for two o’clock. Philip wouldn’t remember because he didn’t care. If they were late, they were late, that was all there was to it. After all, there was no one above him to tick him off. But Evelyn wanted to keep her job as a safety net, and couldn’t afford to ruffle feathers or cause gossip.

Philip lifted the sheet and gazed lovingly at her naked body. ‘You are so beautiful, my darling Evelyn, I could spend my life making love to you.’ He ran a hand over her breasts, tummy and thighs, and smiled with pleasure when he heard her gasp. Then he climbed into bed and lay on top of her. ‘This, my darling, is as close to heaven as it gets. I want to marry you, to have you all to myself forever, please don’t keep me waiting long.’

She put a finger to his lips. ‘Make love to me, my darling.’

On Tuesday it had been Rita’s first night to have Milly for an hour, and also light Bessie’s and Mrs Sinclair’s fires. Everything had gone to plan. When Bessie’s fire had caught, Milly had taken Rita next door and let her in with the key. She’d stayed with Rita until the fire was well and truly lit. She hadn’t told anyone that the night before her mother had sat her down and given her a good talking to. She’d been given strict instructions that under no circumstances was Mrs Wells to be left on her own in the house. Amelia must stay with her the whole time, and when they left she must make sure the door was locked and that she kept hold of the key. And Milly had done as she was told, although she couldn’t understand why it was necessary, not when she could be playing catch with Jack. Anyway, Tuesday went off without a hitch, and Bessie and Mrs Sinclair were delighted to walk into rooms that were warm and welcoming.

Wednesday started off all right, with Aggie having a cup of tea ready for her two children, Kitty and Kenny, and Milly. She didn’t usually make tea for her children, but as this was her first night with Milly, she wanted to make a good impression. But it aroused suspicion in her two children.

‘What’s this in aid of, Mam?’ Kitty asked. ‘Are yer sickening for something?’

‘She must be,’ Kenny said. ‘Either that or she wants us to go on a message for her. I bet she wants us to go to the corner shop for a loaf or summat on tick. Well, I’m not going for nowt on tick, I feel a right lemon with the shop packed and me trying to whisper.’

Aggie gave him a light slap across the face. ‘I don’t want yer to go on no message, so there, clever clogs. And will yer remember we’ve got a visitor, and behave yerselves?’

It was then Kitty saw the light. She looked across the table at Milly, who was sitting very quietly taking it all in. ‘So, this is in your honour, eh? In that case ye’re very welcome ’cos a hot drink is just the job when it’s so cold. What do we call yer anyway, yer must have a name?’

Milly began to swing her legs under the table. ‘My name’s Amelia, but you can call me Milly as long as my mother doesn’t hear. She doesn’t like me being called that.’

Kenny huffed. ‘Pity about her, isn’t it? My proper name is Kenneth, but I don’t mind being called Kenny. That’s ’cos I’m not a snob.’

That remark would usually have earned him a thick ear, but before Aggie could reach him, Milly spoke. ‘Are you saying me and my mother are snobs? Well, perhaps you can explain to me what a snob is, ’cos I don’t know?’

Kitty gave her brother a sly kick on his shin. ‘Yer asked for that, our kid. Now explain to her what a snob is.’

Kenny gave her daggers. ‘Everyone knows what a snob is, soft girl. It’s someone what walks round with their nose stuck in the air, and talks funny.’

Milly’s green eyes were flashing. ‘Oh, you think I talk funny do you? That means you can’t understand me. So I won’t talk to you any more because I’d only be wasting my time. I’ll talk to your sister instead.’

Kenny wasn’t going to be beaten by a girl, especially one younger than him. He had his pride. ‘I never said I couldn’t understand yer, I said yer talk funny, an’ yer do, so there!’

Aggie thought they’d carry on for ages if they were let, so she said, ‘Drink yer tea up, Milly, then yer can come to Bessie’s with me while I light her fire.’

Rita was standing at her front door to make sure Aggie did her fair share. And it was Rita, watching her neighbour and Milly crossing the cobbles, who saw Aggie’s fleecy-lined bloomers showing below her skirt. ‘Ay, sunshine, I see yer’ve got yer blue fleecy-lined ones on today, eh? Giving the neighbours an eyeful, are yer?’

Aggie stopped when she reached the opposite pavement and looked down. She shook her head and tutted. ‘Bloody things, I’ll pull them up when I get in Bessie’s.’ But she was only on the second step when she nearly tripped over. The elastic had snapped on the waist of her bloomers, and the whole lot was around her ankles. ‘Oh, bloody hell! The elastic’s gone, I’ll have to take them off.’

Rita gasped. ‘Not in the street, Aggie! Wait until yer get in Bessie’s!’

‘I can’t walk in the bleeding things, d’yer want me to break me bleeding neck?’

‘No, I don’t want yer to break yer neck, Aggie,’ Rita said, dying to laugh. ‘And I don’t want yer to make a spectacle of yerself either. Ye’re letting the tone of the street down.’

‘Sod the tone of the street, that’s what I say!’ Aggie bent down and lifted one foot after the other to climb out of the offending bloomers. Holding them aloft, she shouted, ‘I’ve only got the same as every other woman in the street, so to hell with modesty.’

Milly’s face was a picture no artist could paint. She had never seen anything like it in her life, and although she knew her mother would be disgusted, she herself thought it was very funny. When she saw Rita doubled up, it was a signal for her own infectious giggle to make itself heard. And Aggie’s son and daughter, not surprised or ashamed of anything their mother did, were in stitches. ‘Oh, Mam,’ Kitty croaked, the tears running down her face, ‘wait until we tell our dad, he’ll laugh himself sick.’

‘If either of yer say one word to yer dad,’ Aggie warned, pointing the hand holding the bloomers at them, ‘then I’ll separate yer head from yer body.’

Rubbing the tears from her eyes, Rita ran across the cobbles. ‘I’ll light Bessie’s fire, sunshine, you go and put another pair of bloomers on.’

‘No can do, queen, ’cos I haven’t got another pair to put on,’ Aggie said, stuffing the bloomers into her pocket. ‘I’ll go without, no one will be any the wiser.’

Rita managed to look horrified. ‘Yer can’t walk around with no bloomers on! How would yer feel if yer got run over and yer were laying on the ground, a crowd of people around yer, and you with no knickers on? I’d have to pretend I didn’t know yer, I’d be that mortified.’

Cool as a cucumber, Aggie asked, ‘Oh, aye, queen, how long have the trams been running down this street then?’

‘Well, it wouldn’t have to be a tram or a car, sunshine, it could be the coal cart or the rag and bone man. It could even be the milkman with his pony and trap.’

‘Ooh, ay, queen, yer’ve given me a belting idea.’ Aggie thought if she was giving all her neighbours a laugh, she may as well have one herself. ‘If the rag and bone man does happen to come down the street while I’m in Bessie’s, will yer ask him to hang on a minute while yer give me a knock? I could give him the pair of bloomers in exchange for a goldfish. Then that would be my feller’s dinner sorted out, ’cos he’s partial to a bit of fish is Sam.’

‘And yer don’t think he’d notice it was a goldfish on his plate?’ Rita asked, while telling herself Aggie had more to do than stand and talk, there were two fires to be lit. ‘I don’t think there’s anything wrong with Sam’s eyesight.’

‘Nah! I’ll smother the plate with chips and he’ll tuck in without a word. It’ll be a nice surprise for him when he gets a taste of fish.’

‘Ye’re past the post, you are, Aggie.’ Rita held out her hand to Milly. ‘Give us the key, sunshine, and I’ll light Bessie’s fire while my mate runs home to make herself presentable.’

But Aggie was quick to intervene. ‘Not on yer bleeding life, Rita Wells, I’ll light the ruddy fire if it kills me. And I’ll do it without bloomers on.’ Her chins anticipated movement and nodded in unison with her head. ‘And I bet the grate won’t notice nothing. If it does, think of the treat it’ll get.’ She nodded to Milly. ‘Go on, girl, open the door and let’s get on with it.’

‘Yer better had get on with it, Aggie Gordon,’ Rita told her retreating back. ‘Bessie will be in soon and yer haven’t even made a start. And yer’ve got Mrs Sinclair’s to do as well.’

Aggie’s laugh reached the few neighbours who were watching through their windows. ‘I was going to say don’t get yer knickers in a twist, queen, but as bloomers and knickers are a delicate subject right now, I’ll say don’t be getting yerself all het up, it’s not worth it. Life’s too short to spend it worrying.’ She grinned into her mate’s face, then said to Milly, ‘Come on, queen, let’s get this here fire lit.’

As Milly sat on the couch watching Aggie light Bessie’s fire, she was thinking how lucky she was now, with all these friends. They were always so cheerful, and they were really funny, especially Aggie, who always seemed happy even though she only had one pair of bloomers. Mind you, she was right when she said no one would know the difference. As she knelt in front of the grate, you could see the top of her stockings, but that was all.