Читать книгу Classic Bestsellers from Josephine Cox: Bumper Collection - Josephine Cox - Страница 69

A TRIP TO THE pictures was always a treat, and tonight was no exception.

‘Am I glad to see you!’ Daisy was already waiting in Blackburn town centre as Amy disembarked from the tram. ‘I’ve been waiting here for ages.’ Linking arms with her friend, Daisy was talkative as usual. ‘You should have seen this good-looking fella just now,’ she sighed. ‘He weren’t nearly as handsome as our Tuesday man, but I wouldn’t mind having him for a sweetheart.’

Amy laughed. ‘How do you know he hasn’t already got a sweetheart?’

‘I expect he has,’ Daisy groaned. ‘I expect every decent, good-looking man has already been claimed.’ The long-drawn-out sigh came from her very soul. ‘I can see I’m destined to grow old and miserable and never know what it’s like to have a fella of my own.’

Something in Daisy’s voice and manner told Amy things weren’t right. ‘What’s the matter?’ Drawing her to a halt, Amy asked gently, ‘There’s something wrong at home, isn’t there?’ She remembered Daisy’s barely concealed unhappiness at the café last Tuesday morning.

Daisy lowered her gaze. ‘How do you know that?’

Amy always knew. ‘Well, for one thing, I got here at the time we arranged, and yet you said you’d been waiting ages for me.’

Daisy nodded. ‘Well, if you must know, there’s hell going on at home,’ she admitted in a trembling voice. ‘That’s why I came out early, to wait for you.’

‘Have you had anything to eat?’

Daisy shook her head.

‘OK!’ Glancing about, Amy was relieved to see the hot-potato stand was here as usual. ‘The first thing we do is get you something to eat. Then we’ll skip the pictures and find a quiet little place where we can sit and talk.’

Daisy was emphatic. ‘I don’t want to talk.’

‘So, what do you want to do?’

‘Go to the pictures, like we said.’

‘Are you hungry?’

‘I might be.’

‘Well then, we’ve time enough, so it’s hot potatoes first, then the pictures. All right?’

In fact everything was ‘all right’ to Daisy whenever she was with Amy. It was only when she was home with her parents that life was unbearable. The sound of their angry screaming voices still rang in her head. No, she’d make an effort; she wouldn’t let them spoil her evening. Pulling her shoulders back, she straightened her coat and tossed her auburn curls. ‘All right,’ she grinned.

Linking arms again, the two of them went towards the hot-potato stand.

‘Evening, girls.’ A short, round little man in a grey coat, the stallholder resembled one of his own potatoes. ‘Off to the pictures, are you?’

While he served them, he chatted about the weather and told them how pretty they were and flirted outrageously. Daisy responded in a like manner and earned herself an extra large potato, while Amy laughed to see her friend determined to enjoy herself.

Amy paid for the two bags of hot potatoes smothered in salt, and butter, which dripped from the bottom of the bag. ‘Mind it doesn’t get on your coat,’ she urged Daisy, who was tucking in as she walked. ‘You’ll have a terrible job getting it out.’

Seating themselves on a nearby bench, they sat and enjoyed their meal; though Amy was full to bursting, having already had a good dinner. Still, she didn’t confess that to Daisy. Instead, under Daisy’s watchful eye, she ate every bit of her delicious potato.

Delighted to see how Daisy wolfed her food, Amy laughed at the way her friend puffed and blew and complained about how hot it was – ‘It’s burning my bloody mouth!’ But she soon devoured it, skin and all.

Afterwards, with Daisy seeming more content, the two of them took off for the picture house and, feeling too full for words, Amy was thankful for the brisk walk across the square.

The Roxy was a grand-looking place, with plush red seats in the auditorium, thick carpet underfoot, and a man softly playing the organ at the front.

‘There’s two seats along there.’

The usherette shone her torch along the dimly lit row, and carefully as she could, Amy led the way, while behind her she could hear chaos unfolding. When she glanced back it was carnage, with everyone they’d passed bending forward, clutching their poor mangled feet where Daisy had trodden on them.

The silent, hateful glances that followed hastened them to their seats, and Amy, for one, was thankful to sit down.

‘Clumsy devils!’ The last poor man they’d passed appeared to be in agony. ‘If folks would only get here in good time, there’d be none o’ this!’

‘Oh, stop moaning, you miserable sod!’ Giving him a withering glance, Daisy flicked down her seat and almost fell on the floor when it sprang back up. ‘Damned thing!’ By now, Daisy was ready to take on the world.

Amy held the seat down while Daisy plonked her backside on it. ‘Sit down and behave,’ she chuckled, ‘unless you want us to get thrown out.’

Then all was quiet. For the moment.

As always the picture house was full. There were little old folk at the front, families in the middle and sweethearts at the back.

Once or twice Daisy glanced at the sweethearts kissing and canoodling, and twining themselves round each other. ‘Look at them! It’s disgusting!’ she said. But Amy knew how much Daisy would have loved to be seated at the back with a sweetheart wrapped round her.

‘Ssh!’ The woman behind wagged a finger at Daisy. ‘Be quiet!’

Daisy fell silent and for a moment she seemed to be deep in thought; though Amy suspected she was thinking about her parents and the way it was at home.

Luckily, the organ music soon swelled in a crescendo and the film started.

To Amy’s relief, Daisy was soon tapping her feet along with the master of dance, Charles King, and as the film progressed, her whole mood changed. Her eyes shone and her whole body twitched to the music, and for a time she was content and happy in a different world.

Amy too enjoyed the film. It was fast and furious, and all too soon it was the interval.

‘What d’you want, lass?’ Standing up ready to queue for refreshments, Daisy waited for Amy’s answer.

‘Nothing for me, thanks,’ Amy told her. She was still full to bursting.

Daisy shrugged, ‘Suit yourself,’ and off she went, leaving another trail of broken toes and complaining voices as she made her way through.

Having stood in the queue for what seemed an age, Daisy was next to be served. ‘A bag of popcorn please, gal,’ she told the usherette.

‘No popcorn, sorry.’ Grim-faced and fed up, the young woman had no interest in her work. As it happened that very morning, she had been turned down for a job as train-driver. Consequently, she was not in the best of moods.

Brought down by her own problems, Daisy was ready for anything the other woman had to throw at her. ‘So what have yer got then?’ she demanded impatiently.

Adjusting the strap round her neck so as to relieve the weight of her tray, the usherette ran both hands through the array of goodies, muttering as she searched, ‘No popcorn … and I’ve just sold the last of the chocolate bars.’ Wiping her nose with the back end of her cuff, she said wearily, ‘There’s only ice cream left now.’

‘Haven’t yer got no nuts?’ Hopeful, Daisy peered into the tray. ‘I don’t fancy ice cream.’

Angrily making another quick search of the tray, the usherette shook her head. ‘Ice cream. Take it or leave it.’

‘Are you sure there are no nuts in the back-room?’

Laughing aloud at Daisy’s suggestion, the usherette told her, ‘The only “nuts” in there are the manager and his fancy-bit.’

She leaned forward. ‘I don’t think they’d thank me for barging in … if you know what I mean?’ Her sly little wink left nothing to the imagination.

‘Lucky them!’ Daisy laughed.

‘HEY!’ The angry voice sailed up the queue. ‘The damned picture will be started soon! Cut the chatter and get on with it, will you?’

Fearing for her job, the usherette demanded of Daisy, ‘So do you want an ice cream or not?’

Daisy held out her loose change. ‘Go on then, gal. If that’s all there is, I’ve got no choice, have I?’

Clutching a tub of ice cream, Daisy fought her way back, amused to see how, in the ten minutes since she’d joined it, the queue was now snaking along the aisle.

‘So, it’s you who’s been holding up the queue, is it?’ Lolling on the back of a seat, the brash young man turned Daisy’s heart over with his winning smile. ‘Can’t make up your mind what you want, eh?’ Fair-haired and of small build, he had a wiriness that made her think of a terrier.

Returning his cheeky smile, Daisy held up the ice-cream tub. ‘I wanted popcorn,’ she said, ‘but this was all she had left.’

‘Got a hankering for popcorn, have you?’ He moved an inch or two closer, but not so far that he might lose his place in the queue.

‘I might have.’ Touching the tip of her nose with her finger she gave him a haughty glance. ‘Though it’s none o’ your business.’

Undeterred, he shifted back into the queue. ‘With your boyfriend, are you?’

Daisy smiled. ‘I’ve not got no boyfriend at the minute.’

The young man licked his lips. ‘All alone then, eh?’

‘No.’

‘Oh?’ Disappointment coloured his voice. ‘Who’ve you got with you then?’ He glanced about, but quickly returned his attention to her. ‘Not your mam and dad, is it?’ he asked warily.

Daisy bristled. ‘I wouldn’t even cross the street with them two!’

‘Is that so?’ As the queue shifted, he went with it. ‘Like that, is it?’

‘Like what?’ On the defensive now, Daisy didn’t care for the way the conversation was going.

‘Looks to me like you don’t get on with your parents.’ Taking hold of her arm, he held her there, a gleam of mischief in his small, bright eyes. ‘Been a naughty girl, have you?’

Daisy shook him off. ‘Like I said, it’s none of your damned business!’

When she hurried away, he tried to follow her, but the picture was starting and the dispersing queue blocked his path. ‘Wait for me at the main doors,’ he called after her, and, secretly thrilled, Daisy pretended not to hear.

She returned to her seat, irritated by the medley of voices threatening to have her chucked out. ‘You’ve mangled my toes once too often!’ cried one irate woman.

‘If you shifted your bloody great feet out the way,’ Daisy snapped back, ‘I wouldn’t be able to “mangle” ’em, would I?’

Throwing herself into the seat, she was horrified when the randy old codger in the next seat stroked her knee suggestively. ‘Take no notice of them,’ he urged.

When she glared at him, he leered at her. ‘You’re a pretty young thing,’ he whispered, curling his fingers tighter about her thigh. ‘What say you and me leave for a while, eh?’

Daisy smiled her best, at the same time spilling her tub of ice cream all over his trousers. ‘Whoops!’ Digging Amy in the ribs, she said, feigning innocence, ‘Oh dear, look what I’ve just done to this poor old man!’

Unaware of what had gone before, Amy was astonished to see the man leap out of his seat, his trousers dripping ice cream, and a wet patch forming round his flies.

‘YOU DID THAT ON PURPOSE!’

He caused such a fuss that the usherette came running. ‘What the devil’s going on here?’

‘Ask him!’ Grabbing Amy’s arm, Daisy forced her way past. ‘You should be careful who you let in here,’ she informed the usherette. ‘The dirty old git needed cooling off. A dollop of ice cream round his old what-not seems to have done the trick, though.’

Outside, the two girls collapsed laughing.

‘Did you see the look on his face?’ Amy chuckled.

‘Serves him right!’ Daisy replied. ‘Filthy old sod.’

‘I hope you’re not talking about me?’ It was the young man who had tried chatting up Daisy earlier. He was leaning against the wall, another man, of about the same age, with him.

‘No, I didn’t mean you.’ Her ready smile told how she was pleased to see him. ‘Some randy old bugger and his wandering hands. I had to teach him a lesson!’

‘So it was you causing all that fuss?’

‘It was.’ In truth she was quite proud to have dealt with the matter so efficiently.

‘Put him in his place, did you?’

Daisy grinned. ‘I dropped a tub of ice cream in his lap … that cooled him off all right.’

The young man laughed. ‘I’d best watch my p’s and q’s when you’re around.’

‘That’s right … you had.’

He sidled closer. ‘Are we on for a date then?’

Daisy decided to play it casual. ‘We might be.’

He persisted. ‘Well, are we or not?’

Daisy glanced at his mate. A quiet man with lean figure and intense gaze, he seemed well taken with Amy. ‘Who’s your friend?’

‘This is Jack …’ beckoning his friend forward, he introduced him, ‘… Jack Tomlinson. We work together and we’re good pals.’ He half smiled. ‘Jack never has much to say, but he thinks a lot. Not like me. I take things as they come.’

His gaze fixing Amy, Jack stepped forward. ‘Pleased to meet you …’ he hesitated, ‘… I don’t know your name.’

Amy held out her hand. ‘I’m Amy.’ Ever cautious, she saw no need to elaborate on that, at least for now.

Holding her hand for a moment longer than she would have liked, he smiled down on her. ‘Pretty name.’

‘Thank you.’ He seemed a nice enough fella.

‘And I’m Roy.’ The sharp little man stepped forward, addressing himself to Daisy. ‘Let me guess … you’ve got to be a Joanne … or mebbe Ruth, am I right?’

She giggled. ‘I’m Daisy. Pretty as a flower.’

Feeling uncomfortable about the way the young man was eyeing Daisy, Amy intervened. ‘Lovely meeting you both, but we’ve a tram to catch.’

Daisy, though, was already infatuated. ‘Oh, Amy, we’ve time to find a chippie first,’ she protested. ‘Don’t forget we left the flicks early, so we’ve got some extra time.’

Amy, horrified at the idea of yet more food, was about to disagree, but the young man called Roy pounced on the idea at once. ‘I know where there’s a good chippie!’ Grabbing Daisy by the arm, he suggested, ‘We could have fish and chips, then find a quiet place to talk … if that’s what you’d like?’

Before Amy could say anything, Daisy had agreed and the four of them were on their way, in the direction of the docks, being led by Daisy and her chatty companion.

‘They seem to have hit it off together, don’t they?’ Bringing up the rear, Jack walked at a more sedate pace with Amy. ‘I wish I was more like him. He makes friends so easily, while I’ve always found it difficult.’

Amy smiled at that. ‘Daisy’s the same,’ she said, adding cautiously, ‘Is he all right though, your friend?’

‘How d’you mean?’ Jack gave her a curious glance.

‘He won’t take advantage of her, will he?’

‘In what way?’

‘Daisy is going through a bad time at the minute, and I wouldn’t like to see her hurt.’ There was no point beating about the bush. ‘It’s just that, well, your friend seems a bit of a flirt … too full of himself for my liking.’

Jack smiled knowingly. ‘You’re right. He can be a bit of a flirt, but it’s just his manner. He doesn’t mean anything by it.’

They walked on, the night closing in around them, and Amy growing slightly alarmed at the way in which Roy was all over Daisy. When they turned down a darkened side street, her fears grew.

‘Daisy, where do you think you’re going?’

Laughing, Daisy called back, ‘To the chippie, o’ course … where d’you think?’

‘There’s no chippie down here.’ Amy knew the streets of Blackburn like the back of her hand. ‘We’d best turn back … we don’t want to miss the last tram.’

‘Oh, stop your worrying!’ came the reply. ‘We’re going the long way round, that’s all.’

As they walked on, Amy and her companion chatted about this and that, and she began to think he was a nice enough bloke; though she kept a wary eye on Daisy, who by now was loudly laughing and shrieking.

The tall fellow chuckled. ‘Your friend seems to be enjoying herself.’

For just that split second, Amy took her eyes off Daisy. When she looked up again, they were gone. ‘Where are they?’ Beginning to panic, she quickened her steps, with the young man striding out beside her. ‘Don’t worry!’ he told her. ‘They can’t be far.’

Amy wasn’t convinced. Something told her that Daisy was out of her depth. Her fears were confirmed when she heard Daisy calling her name. ‘That’s Daisy! Maybe she’s in trouble.’ Beginning to panic, she looked this way and that, trying hard to pinpoint where the shouts were coming from, in the maze of alleys. ‘DAISY! WHERE ARE YOU?’

She set off at a run, in the direction of Daisy’s voice, with the young man coming up behind her. Fear gripped her heart. She didn’t trust him either.

When Amy came running into the alley she saw Daisy struggling against Roy. He had her pinned against the wall and his mouth was clamped to hers, while one hand groped inside her coat. Daisy was struggling against him, moaning and trying to push him away.

Amy misunderstood. Thinking Daisy was in real trouble, she kicked out and caught Daisy’s attacker a nasty blow on the shin. He went down with a look of agony on his face. Amy was briefly aware of Daisy’s astonished expression, but then the other man, Jack, darted forward and grabbed Amy’s arm.

‘Leave him. It’s OK,’ he said, but his hand on her arm only served to panic her.

Twisting away from him, she grabbed a half-brick that was lying in the alley. She aimed for his head but the brick bounced off his shoulder and fell at his feet, delivering no more than a bruise.

Meanwhile, Daisy had caught her breath and was buttoning her blouse. While Roy moaned at her feet, Jack looked shocked.

‘Now just a minute …’ he began.

‘It’s OK,’ Daisy promised Amy. ‘No harm done.’ She giggled. ‘It were a bit heavy for a first kiss, though.’ Her hair was dishevelled and her lipstick smudged, but her eyes were mischievously twinkling in the light of a nearby streetlamp.

‘But … I thought …’ When realisation dawned Amy was embarrassed. Oh, no, this was awful. She began her way back down the alley. ‘I think we’d best be off home,’ she said lamely.

‘I think we had,’ chuckled Daisy, winking at Roy.

‘But you said –’ he began.

‘Never mind what I said,’ replied Daisy. ‘Perhaps you’d better learn some manners, rushing a girl like that.’ She patted her hair in place, straightened her coat and trotted back up the alley behind Amy.

‘Time to cool off!’ Daisy quipped as she went.

Softly laughing, she grabbed Amy’s hand and they were soon running back towards the main road, their heels pounding the cold pavement, and the sound of their laughter echoing through the night air.

The street was relatively quiet, with the exception of a big black saloon motor car which passed them, slowing briefly before accelerating away, as they turned towards the tram stop and raced to meet the oncoming lights. He couldn’t be certain but Luke wondered if they were the young women from Tooley’s Cafe.

In the lamplight, Amy took a good look at her friend. ‘My God, Daisy … look at the state of you!’ Amy was horrified. ‘We’ll have to try and tidy you up. They’ll never let you on the tram like that.’ With her dishevelled hair and rumpled clothes, Daisy looked like a refugee from hell. ‘The tram’s coming now – quick!’ She took Daisy by the shoulders. ‘Let’s see if we can make you presentable.’

‘Been in a fight, ’ave yer?’ The conductor gawped with open mouth as they boarded the tram.

‘You could say that,’ Amy replied, stifling her laughter.

‘Sit yourself down then, and don’t start anything.’ Convinced they’d been drinking, the conductor warned, ‘These are decent, God-fearing passengers, so mind you behave! I want no trouble on my tram!’

During the journey they relived the night’s events. ‘By! You went for him like a blinking Jack Russell,’ Daisy said. ‘That’ll teach him to get fresh with me without a by your leave. The look on his face …’ When she laughed loudly, the conductor, who had been eyeing the red-faced pair suspiciously, came to give her a warning. ‘Start trouble and I’ll put you off!’

‘I’m not “starting trouble”!’ Daisy protested, and would have said more, were it not for the dig in the ribs she got from Amy, who was herself beginning to giggle; which then set Daisy off.

Somehow managing to remain fairly composed until disembarking at their stop, the two of them were helpless with laughter. ‘You’re a bad ’un, you are!’ Amy spluttered.

‘I’ve had the best night o’ my life.’ Swinging her arms round Amy, Daisy marched her forward at a galloping pace.

‘Get off!’ Amy shrugged her away. ‘You’ll have us both arse over tip!’

Daisy was astounded. ‘Language, my girl.’ She feigned indignation. ‘I’ll thank you to mind your tongue when you’re in my company.’ To which they both started laughing again.

Some short distance away, a strolling constable gave them a knowing wink. ‘Evening, girls.’

‘Evening, officer,’ Amy replied.

‘You two look like you’ve had a good night.’

‘Not so’s you’d notice,’ Daisy replied.

On looking closer, he saw how tousled they were. His tone grew serious. ‘All right, are you?’

‘Right as rain,’ Amy replied.

‘Aye, well, you’d best get off home,’ he advised. ‘There are some strange folks hanging about this time of night.’

They watched him go, shaking his head as he went.

As they wended their way home, the streets echoed with their merry laughter.

One thing was certain, Amy thought. Life was never dull with Daisy about.