Stay as Sweet as You Are (32 page)

George chuckled. ‘Aye, and pigs might fly.’ He inserted the key in the lock. ‘See yer tomorrow, mate. Goodnight.’

‘Goodnight, George.’ Titch waited until his neighbour was in the hall before saying, ‘Oh, will yer give Irene a kiss for me? The one I would have got earlier if you hadn’t been so flaming miserable.’

Kate Brown looked across the canteen table at Bob. ‘Did yer have a pint before yer came into work?’

‘Yeah, I had two as a matter of fact. How did yer know?’

‘I tell fortunes. And looking at the tea leaves floating on the top of yer tea, I can see yer sitting in a pub with a pint glass in yer hand.’

Silence descended on the table and all eyes were on Bob as he said, ‘Ye’re pulling me leg, aren’t yer?’

Kate shook her head, feeling she was pretty safe in what she was saying. She’d come to know a lot about Bob in the last six months and knew he only ever went for a pint before work when his friend was home from sea. ‘I can see yer as plain as day. Ye’re sitting with a man who has some sort of peaked cap on his head and he’s wearing a navy-blue jacket.’

Peg Butterworth stopped munching and her eyes were wide with excitement. ‘Is she right, Bob?’

Bob looked mystified. ‘Yeah, she is. Me mate, Titch, is home on leave.’

‘Well, I’ll be a monkey’s uncle.’ Down went Peg’s butty and she lifted up her cup. ‘Yer can read my cup, Kate, when I’ve drank me tea.’

‘And mine.’ Elsie Burgess wasn’t going to be left out. ‘Ooh, I don’t half love fortune-tellers. I went to one in
Queen’s Drive last year and yer should have heard some of the things she told me. She didn’t half buck me up.’

Ada Smithson shook her head knowingly. ‘I wouldn’t have me fortune told, it’s bad luck.’

Billy Gleeson had been listening with a smirk on his face. He could have told Bob what Kate did because he’d come to know his habits as she had. But he wasn’t going to spoil the fun. ‘You women would fall for the bloody cat. Thick as two short planks, the lot of yer.’

‘Billy, ye’re like a wet week,’ Peg said, in between trying to drink tea that was too hot. ‘If Aladdin had been as miserable as you, he’d have told the genie to sod off.’

Kate, after winking at Bob and mouthing that it had been guesswork, now looked on in amusement. She didn’t know the first thing about telling fortunes but was game for a laugh. ‘Don’t blame me if I tell yer something yer don’t like.’

Billy chuckled. ‘Kate, be warned. If you tell Elsie something she doesn’t like, she’ll crack yer one.’ He looked over to where the big woman sat. ‘By the way, Elsie, this woman yer went to see on Queen’s Drive, did the things she told yer come true?’

‘Well, er, no they didn’t. But she cheered me up for a week, so it was worth the tanner I’d paid.’ The table began to bounce up and down as her mountainous tummy shook with laughter. ‘Wait till yer hear this, Billy, it’s a belter. She told me, all mysterious like, that she could see money around me: “I can’t tell you exactly, but I think you’re going to come into money. That’s the message I’m getting through the cards.” She spoke dead posh, as though she had a plum in her mouth. And she was right about seeing money. Yer see, ten days later I lost me purse with five bob in it.’

Peg nearly choked on her tea. ‘Yer never told me that, Elsie Burgess.’

‘Well, I don’t tell yer everything, Peg. I mean, I don’t say to yer that we’ve got three blankets on our bed. Or that the tap in the kitchen is leaking. And I wouldn’t dream of telling
yer that my feller kisses me every night and tells me how beautiful I am.’

‘No, but ye’re quick enough to tell me when ye’re skint. Or like the time we were walking to work and yer said the elastic had snapped in yer knickers. I didn’t know where to put meself when I looked down and there they were around yer ankles.’ Memory of the scene had Peg rocking in her chair. ‘I must have looked a right nit, standing there holding yer hand while yer stepped out of them.’

Everyone around the table went in a pleat, even Elsie. ‘Yeah, it was funny that. It wasn’t at the time, like, ’cos there were a lot of people about. But I had a good laugh afterwards and told my feller how funny it had been.’

‘Elsie, the only thing I’ve ever seen that was funnier, was a Laurel and Hardy film. The only difference is, they get paid for making fools of themselves and you don’t.’ Peg leaned across her friend and handed her cup to Kate. ‘Try and come up with something nice for me, girl. I need cheering up.’

‘It’ll have to be short if Elsie wants her reading as well. We haven’t got that much time before the bell goes.’ Kate pretended to concentrate, while her mind was trying to remember anything Peg had said that she could use. Then she had a brainwave. ‘I’m probably miles out, but have yer bought anything recently, or are yer thinking of buying a dress or coat?’

‘Well, I never!’ Peg gaped. ‘Yeah, I’m thinking of buying meself a new dress. Remember, Elsie, I told yer last week?’

Elsie was wide-eyed. ‘Yeah, yer did, queen.’

Kate was glad her workmates had loud voices and she’d heard every word of their conversation. She turned the cup around and pretended to study the tea-leaves in the bottom. ‘I think I see the colour blue.’

Well, that had Peg and Elsie banging on the table. ‘That’s the very colour I had in mind, girl! Isn’t that right, Elsie?’

‘It is, queen, I can vouch for that.’ Elsie was by now convinced they had a fortune-teller in their midst and she
wasn’t going to be left out. ‘Do mine, now, queen, before the bell goes.’

Kate was stumped. She couldn’t think of anything she’d overheard. So she decided to go for a bit of fun. She turned the cup round and round, a puzzled expression on her face. ‘I can’t make this out. When yer were little, Elsie, were yer ever a May Queen?’

Elsie preened at the very thought, but had to admit it wasn’t true. ‘No, queen.’

‘I don’t know what it is, but it looks like a throne. And you’re sitting on it, surrounded by light.’ Kate had a funny ending in her head for this piece of fortune-telling, but it wasn’t needed as Elsie had a funnier one.

Her chubby cheeks all screwed up and covering her eyes, Elsie shook her head as she tried to find a connection to what had been said to her. Then suddenly she blurted out, ‘Bloody hell!’ and every head in the canteen was turned towards her. ‘Ay, queen, ye’re not far out on that one. The throne yer see me sitting on is me lavvy. And the light around me comes from my feller having whitewashed the walls last week.’

When the laughter had died down, Peg said, ‘Yer didn’t tell me your feller had whitewashed the lavvy for yer.’

‘Well, as I said before, queen, I can’t remember to tell yer everything.’

Bob smiled across at Kate. ‘You’re not half coming out of yer shell lately. Yer used to be as quiet as a mouse.’

There was shyness in Kate’s smile. ‘Yer can blame yerself for that. I used to be as quiet as a mouse until you started sitting at our table. Yer must be having a bad influence on me, Bob Mellor.’

‘I hope that’s not true. I hold yer in very high esteem, Kate Brown.’

She lowered her eyes as a faint blush covered her cheeks. ‘Then I’ll have to try and live up to it, won’t I?’

‘It’s a shame your Titch never got married,’ Olive said, walking between Aggie and Irene, their arms linking hers. ‘He loves kids and is so good with them.’

‘Yeah, I know. I keep telling meself it’s not too late, ’cos I’d like to see him settled down with a family. But he’s either too bleedin’ choosey or no one will have him.’

‘Your son would have no trouble finding a dozen girls who’d be more than willing to marry him,’ Irene said. ‘He’s a fine-looking man and if he was that way inclined he could have his pick.’

After much persuasion they’d finally talked Olive into coming to the pictures. She was worried because she didn’t have a decent coat to wear, so Aggie had lent her a black knitted shawl to wear over a thick cardigan. It was a cold winter’s night and there was a stiff breeze blowing, but cushioned between her friends, Olive was sheltered from the worst of it. ‘He’s got a lot of patience with kids. Just look at him now, they’re all over him and he’s lapping it up. Our Steve idolises him, I know that much.’

Titch was walking ahead with the youngsters, one hand holding Lucy’s while the three boys walked on his other side. Their laughter was carried on the wind, bringing smiles to the faces of the three women. ‘That’s our Jack,’ Irene said. ‘I don’t think he’s stopped talking since we left the house.’

‘Oh, I don’t know,’ Aggie said. ‘They’re all doing their fair share, even Lucy. She’s not behind the door when it comes to
getting her twopennyworth in.’

Olive saw Lucy look up at Titch with a smile on her face. She couldn’t hear what the girl said, but loud laughter followed her words. ‘I see what yer mean, Aggie. She’s a beautiful-looking girl, I bet her parents are proud of her.’

There was no immediate reply to that, then Irene said, ‘I’ll tell yer what, Olive. You scratch my back and I’ll scratch yours. If you say my two are handsome lads, I’ll say the same about your Steve. Then we’ll all be happy.’

‘Oh, no we won’t,’ Aggie tutted. ‘Yer seem to forget that I have a son, too. Now let’s hear it for Titch. Is he handsome, or is he not?’

‘Very, very handsome,’ was Olive’s verdict.

While Irene thought he was, ‘Film-star handsome.’

‘That’s better. He may be forty, but he’s still my little boy.’ They grinned at each other before quickening their steps to catch up with Titch and company outside the picturehouse. The children had all opted for a comedy,
The Gay Divorcée
, starring Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers. And it was hilarious. Jack got so carried away with mirth he kept banging his fist on the back of the seat in front of him, until the woman turned around and told him if he didn’t knock it off she’d knock his block off. Lucy was captivated by the dancing, Steve was captivated by the changing expressions on her face, and Greg was too busy enjoying himself to worry about anyone else.

On the walk home, it was unanimously agreed that a good time had been had by all and the evening had been a great success. For Olive it had been more than that. It had been a much-needed tonic.

It was when they turned into their street that Titch noticed a change in Lucy. The smile had gone from her face and she seemed tense. ‘Are yer all coming back to ours for a cup of tea?’ he asked.

‘No thanks, Titch,’ Olive said. ‘I’ll go straight home if yer don’t mind.’

‘Me too.’ Irene gathered her sons to her. ‘It’s nearly time for Greg to go to bed. But thanks for a lovely night, I thoroughly enjoyed meself.’

There was a chorus of thanks from the children. It was Steve, a gentleman at fourteen years of age, who held out his hand. ‘Thanks, Mr Titch, it’s been smashing.’

Titch shook his hand warmly. ‘Ye’re welcome, lad. We’ll do it again, soon.’ He put his arm across Lucy’s shoulder. ‘Are you coming in for a cuppa, sweetheart?’

‘Oh no, Mr Titch. Me dad won’t have left for work yet, so I’ll be in time for me goodnight kiss. I wouldn’t want to miss that.’

‘Then I’ll walk down with yer and have a short natter with yer dad.’

The group went their separate ways, leaving Titch with his mother and Lucy. ‘Are yer coming with us, Ma?’

Aggie shook her head. ‘No, I’ll go in and put the kettle on. You see Lucy home.’

Bob had been watching out and the door was quickly opened. ‘Good time, pet?’

‘Oh Dad, the picture was lovely. It was very funny, but I liked the dancing the best.’

‘Come in, Titch.’ Bob threw the door wide open. ‘I don’t have to leave for half an hour, so there’s time for a cup of tea.’

‘I’ll come in, but I won’t stay for a drink, thanks. Me ma’s gone in to put the kettle on.’

Ruby managed a smile. ‘Was it a good picture?’

Titch looked to Lucy, expecting her to reply. When she didn’t, he said, ‘Yeah, it was great. Everyone enjoyed themselves.’

‘I don’t know how yer’ve got the patience to take a gang of kids out. Yer wouldn’t catch me doing it, they’d drive me potty. It certainly wouldn’t be my idea of a good night out.’

Titch saw the look of disgust on Bob’s face. And he saw Lucy standing with her head bowed, a stranger in her own
home. Leaning an elbow on the sideboard and injecting a note of interest in his voice, he asked, ‘Oh, and what’s your idea of a good night out, Ruby?’

‘A couple of drinks in pleasant company. Friends yer can have a laugh and a joke with.’

‘Yer won’t get many of those nights with Bob being on shiftwork, will yer? I mean, when he’s on afternoons and nights, yer won’t manage to get out, will yer?’

There was something in the tone of his voice and the look in his eyes that caused Ruby to feel uncomfortable. He seemed to be goading her, as though he knew something. Could she have been seen on the two nights she’d been out? She’d been very careful, using the back entry when she went out. But she’d come home the front way because she didn’t fancy the dark entry late at night. She hadn’t given a thought to anyone seeing her because the street had been deserted on both nights. No, she told herself, he doesn’t know anything, it’s just my imagination. So she brazened it out. ‘No, the only social life I get is when he’s on mornings, worse luck.’

‘Count yer blessings, Ruby, ’cos that’s more than most women get.’ Titch pushed himself up and stretched his well-built frame. ‘I’d better be going or me ma will tell me off if the tea gets cold.’ He gave Lucy a hug. ‘I’ll see yer, sweetheart.’

‘Yeah, okay, Mr Titch, and thanks again.’

‘I’ll see yer out, then I’ll have to put a move on meself.’ Bob followed his neighbour to the door, ‘I appreciate yer taking Lucy out, she doesn’t half enjoy herself. I’m sorry to say me daughter doesn’t get many treats in life.’

‘She’s got a lot of friends, Bob, that think the world of her. And she’s got the best father anyone could ask for.’ Titch began to laugh and pointed a finger. ‘Just look at me ma, standing on the step shaking a fist at me. Anyone would think I was fourteen instead of forty. She used to do that when I was a slip of a lad and wouldn’t come in when she called me.
I’d better skedaddle or I’ll be getting a clip around the ear. Don’t work too hard, Bob.’