Читать книгу The Family - Kay Brellend - Страница 8

‘Wait a moment, for Heaven’s sake,’ Faye hissed as her mother attempted to delve into her bag before she was completely out of the shop. ‘At least let’s get up the road in case he sees and gets suspicious.’ She slung a glance over her shoulder at the bakery whilst walking swiftly away from it. But her boss, Mr Travis, was busy pulling down the shop blinds in the window furthest away from them.

‘Didn’t you get a pie?’ Edie moaned, peering in and poking at the contents of her daughter’s canvas bag. ‘You know your dad’ll be expecting a meat pie.’

‘They were all sold by this afternoon.’

‘Couldn’t you’ve put one by early on?’ Edie huffed.

‘No, I couldn’t,’ Faye snapped in exasperation. ‘Getting loaves or buns out is bad enough. Are you trying to lose me me job when I’ve only had it a short while?’

‘That’s nothing fer his dinner then …’cept a bit of bread and dripping,’ Edie whined as she again poked about in the bag that held two small white loaves.

‘Well, bread and dripping it is then, for him same as the rest of us for a change,’ Faye responded tersely. ‘And it’s the last time I’m pinching anything at all. Old Mr Travis ain’t stupid. I’ll get the sack and no reference either. Might even end up in court. Then what we going to do? It’s only us two earning; what’s he doing, apart from sitting on his backside reading the paper, or leaning on the railing outside, watching the world go by? Let him buy his own bloody meat pie!’

‘You watch yer tongue,’ Edie hissed, thrusting a finger under her daughter’s nose. ‘Your dad’s looking fer work. Ain’t much about for men his age. And you know he’s got bad knees.’

‘Doesn’t afflict him when he’s charging up to the pub at opening time, does it?’ Faye snapped. ‘And I suppose there wasn’t much about a year ’n’ a half ago when you took up with him, was there?’ Faye pointed out fiercely. ‘In fact, what’s he ever done except live off us?’

Edie turned red and gawped at her daughter. She knew that Faye didn’t like Jimmy and never had, but until now she’d kept her tongue in check, just letting slip the occasional hint that she considered Jimmy a lazy, bullying bugger. Considering the trouble she’d caused, you’d think the little madam would toe the line! If it hadn’t been for Faye, she might never have got involved with Jimmy Wild in the first place.

Edie was also coming to the conclusion that Jimmy was a wrong ‘un, but now that he had her pinned under his thumb, she despaired of ever ridding herself of him. The charmer with the soppy smile who’d won her over and gained her trust had long since disappeared. But not before he’d moved in with her and got his boots well and truly under her bed. Any hint from her that she’d had enough of him and he’d come back with threats to tell her kids a tale about the time he’d first met their ma, years ago, when he was working in that hospital in Kent … And Edie couldn’t bear to let them suffer hearing those ghastly details.

Besides, Edie had learned some painful lessons about the consequences of telling Jimmy Wild to sling his hook. Best not to rile him, he always said, stroking the place he’d struck. Edie had to agree, especially on that occasion when his eyes had travelled until they landed on little Adam, grizzling on the floor. He didn’t like whining kids, he’d told her, and she’d scooped the boy up and got him quickly out of sight. So far she was sure he saved his temper for her. But Faye was starting to rock the boat and that made Edie fearful. ‘What’s brought this on with you?’ Edie cried, angry now. ‘You’ve always got to be contrary, ain’t you, and cause trouble. And you got no right to, considering what I’ve had to put up with from you, miss!’

Faye looked at her mother, startled by her ferocity. ‘If you’re that bothered, I’ll buy a bloody meat pie and fetch it in with me later.’

‘Bakers’ll all be sold out by now,’ Edie grumbled.

‘Corner shop might have one.’

‘He’ll want a nice fresh one … out o’ Travis’s. Anyhow, why lay out good money on what you should’ve got fer nuthin’?’

‘I’m going for a walk; I’ll be back later,’ Faye muttered, exasperated, and started to move away. Her mother darted after her, tugging on her arm. ‘You’d best come home and explain to yer dad. He’s expecting something more’n bread for his tea.’

‘I wish I’d never brought a damned pie home last week,’ Faye shouted, swinging about. ‘And don’t keep calling him me dad! He’s not! He’s just Jimmy.’ Suddenly desperate to escape her mother, she made to dart across the road, straight into the path of an oncoming car. The driver was forced to slam on the brakes and swerve sharply to avoid knocking her over. She gasped and clutched double-handed at the shiny coachwork to steady herself, eyes closed tight and wincing at the driver’s angry holler. It was a moment before she opened her eyes and recognised the fellow who was in the process of leaping out of the vehicle, his expression thunderous.

Edie had seen Robert Wild too and she was just in the mood to bring something to his attention. It had been eating away at her for a good while, but she’d not seen him to air her grievance since the day they’d moved into Campbell Road.

‘So it’s you,’ she started, seeming oblivious to the fact that her daughter had narrowly avoided being hurt. ‘You smashed my crockery and I don’t doubt you did it on purpose. The mood you was in that day when you found out we was moving in, you’d have destroyed everything we had, wouldn’t you, you spiteful sod.’

‘Are you all right?’ Rob asked Faye, ignoring Edie’s rant. ‘You nearly got yourself killed, rushing into the road like that, you stupid little fool.’

Faye nodded mutely, accepting the blame, but stayed where she was, leaning against the car and trying to steady her erratic breathing. She’d gone ashen, but more from the shock of what her mother was saying than from having narrowly escaped physical injury.

‘I’m fine,’ she finally gasped out. ‘Sorry …’ She caught at her mother’s arm to try to pull her away.

Edie was having none of it. Freeing her elbow from her daughter’s grip, she confronted Rob with her hands on her bony hips. ‘I ain’t told Jimmy ’cos I don’t want no trouble. But if yer father finds out you’ve smashed me best china he’ll be after you. He ain’t scared of you ’cos you done all right fer yerself …’

‘You’ve got your china. I bought some for you,’ Faye muttered and again jerked on her mother’s arm to drag her away.

‘And it was good of you to lay out yer own money for it, love,’ Edie said with a significant nod. ‘But that’s just tat; what he broke on purpose were your gran’s bone china wot she had when she got married to yer granddad, God rest ’em. I remember she told me it came out of Bourne & Hollingsworth,’ Edie lied. ‘I remember she said it were worth quite a lot, that set.’

‘How much was it worth?’ Robert asked drily, his shrewd eyes focused on Faye’s evasive gaze.

A wave of heat rose up from her throat and Faye knew she was blushing guiltily. She flicked back her blonde head and boldly stared at him, chin up, inviting him to do his worst and expose her as a cheat and a liar.

‘Wouldn’t get no change out of a guinea,’ Edie stated shamelessly. In fact the set had been one of her own wedding gifts when she’d married Faye’s father. When her sister-in-law gave it to them she’d complained to her new husband that it was nothing more than Petticoat Lane crap, and secondhand crap at that, with a chipped cup and tea-stains. It was worth no more than a bob or two, even back then.

‘A guinea, eh?’ Rob mockingly considered it. ‘As much as that? I’d’ve said ten bob, if you’re lucky. He looked at Faye. ‘What d’you reckon it was worth?’

‘How should I know?’ Faye shrilled. ‘It was just a bloody tea-set.’ She caught her mother glaring at her. ‘Five pounds,’ she said suddenly with deliberate defiance. ‘That’s what I reckon it was worth.’

Edie choked. ‘Don’t be daft, Faye,’ she burbled. ‘A guinea’ll set us straight.’ Her greedy eyes, then her fingers, darted immediately to the coins Rob had dug from a pocket and exposed on a palm. As though she feared he might grab them back, she set off at a trot along the road. ‘Goin’ to the shop …’ was sent back over her shoulder. The next minute she’d disappeared from view in the direction of the off licence. If she couldn’t get a meat pie, a few brown ales would soon cheer the miserable bugger up.

‘Why didn’t you tell her?’

‘Why didn’t you?’

‘Why d’you give her more? You got money to throw about?’

‘Seems I have …’ he said, self-mockery tugging at a corner of his mouth.

‘You think I’m a greedy cow, just out for meself,’ Faye stated, her fierce gaze clashing on his watching eyes. ‘Well, I’m not. I haven’t spent a penny of that fiver. I bought her the tea-set out of me wages to replace the one you broke.’

‘Going to give me it back, were you?’ he taunted.

‘No … Yes … I’ll give it you back,’ Faye choked. ‘If I had it with me, you could take it now and good riddance. I never asked you for it.’

‘I never said you did.’

Faye knew her cheeks were scarlet and she hated him knowing of her embarrassment. Despite her insolence she felt mean and greedy, and that made her insides squirm. What did she care what he thought of her? But then, it was because she had an inkling of what he thought of her that her stomach was churning.

Since she’d turned fourteen, and filled out, men looked at her all the time. People told her she was pretty. She knew she’d only got the job in the baker’s because Mr Travis had taken a fancy to her. There hadn’t been a day had gone by since she’d started her job when he’d not found an opportunity to squeeze past her at the counter and rub his groin against her hip. Or his hands would sit a little too long on her waist while he pretended to shift her out of the way so he could use the till drawer. She could guess why Jimmy’s son was so generous to her. If the lecher had made her brother, Michael, drop his box of china he’d probably have given him a tube of glue.

He had a fancy for her. And him just married too! But then old Mr Travis was married with four kids. His wife often brought them all into the shop and Faye was always pleased to see them. The randy old sod usually let her off early on those occasions his family turned up.

Briefly she met his eyes and knew he’d read her thoughts. He didn’t seem put out that she had him down as a womaniser; in fact, it looked as if he was about to smile. She started off quickly after her mother. His next words stopped her in her tracks.

‘You saving up to get away from them and get a place of your own?’

Momentarily she hesitated, but why deny it? If anyone knew what hell it was being around Jimmy, he probably did. She nodded and took a glance at him. ‘Yeah … I can’t stand it any more,’ she said quietly. ‘But you’ll still get your money back. I was going to give it to you anyhow.’

‘’Course …’ he murmured in a tone of voice that let her know he reckoned she was lying.

‘No need to be so bloody sarky,’ she shouted and angrily lunged towards him as though she might lash out. She froze as the bakery door opened and Mr Travis came out.

‘Hello, Robert,’ her boss blurted in surprise before swallowing audibly. ‘I’ve not seen you in a while.’ Mr Travis jangled the keys in his hand and blinked over his shoulder at them. ‘But I … er … I’ve been expecting to see you, of course,’ he said in a quiet, nervous tone that was so unusual Faye stared at him. The Mr Travis she knew was an arrogant, confident individual. She’d heard him snap at customers who asked for credit. He didn’t give way even when they were just a penny short of what they needed and promised to pop it in tomorrow. They had to suffer the shame of having bread or cakes unwrapped and returned to the rack. Now he’d come over all meek and mild, fiddling with the key in his hand and looking from one to the other of them. ‘Do you want to come in or … will you come back tomorrow?’ He cleared his throat.

‘I’m not here to see you,’ Robert told him.

‘Oh … I see …’ The relief in Mr Travis’s voice was accentuated by his gasping chortle. He gave Faye a long look. ‘I’ll see you in the morning, Faye,’ he said before striding away.

‘You working in the baker’s?’

Faye nodded. ‘He thinks you’re your brother – he called you Robert.’

‘It’s you thinks I’m my brother. Do you want a lift home?’ He was already by his car and his half-smile told her he anticipated a rebuff even before he’d raised his eyes to see her shake her head. ‘Suit yourself.’ A moment later the car was on its way up the street.

‘Any work going hereabouts, Til?’

Tilly halted in her march to the shop and swung about to find Jimmy lounging against a railing. She suspected he’d been loitering out of sight, waiting for her to pass by before emerging from the hallway of the house where he lived. It was a hot August afternoon and he was wearing a vest belted into his trousers. She remembered he’d liked to display his biceps when younger; now the muscles looked withered and the skin covering them crêpey. The sight of the cobra twisting on his left arm caused a stabbing tension in her guts. The faded tattoo aroused memories she’d believed she’d buried long ago with her sister.

‘Why? What’s it to you?’ Matilda scoffed. ‘You going to change the habit of a lifetime and get off yer arse for an honest day’s pay?’ She strode on without a backward glance. Ten minutes later she came back down the street with her twist of tea and bottle of milk to find he was in the same place, waiting for her.

‘Don’t need to be honest work, luv.’ He resumed their conversation as though there’d been no break in it. ‘That’s why I’m asking you fer a tip-off. You always did know about ducking ’n’ diving, Til, I’ll give you that. Don’t want no crap wages, mind.’

‘Don’t know of nuthin’,’ Tilly barked and carried on walking, her teeth clamped so tightly in an effort to bite back on saying anything else that her jaw ached.

‘Was right sorry to hear about Jack,’ Jimmy called out. ‘One o’ life’s good ’uns was your Jack.’

Tilly flung herself around, her face boiling with rage. ‘Don’t you dare mention him,’ she blasted out. ‘You ain’t fit to even speak his name.’ With that she let fly with the bottle of milk.

Jimmy ducked and it whistled past to shatter against the wall of the house. He’d intended to rile her, but hadn’t expected such a violent reaction, and it stole the smirk from his face. With a shrug he turned and disappeared inside.

In the months that had passed since Jimmy had moved back into the street, though there had been many occasions when she was sorely tempted, Tilly had resisted the urge to set about her erstwhile brother-in-law. Her daughters had pleaded with her not to cause a rumpus, but it was someone else whose advice had persuaded her to leave well alone.

Reg Donovan was a pikey, a term she used to his face, as did others. A tinker by trade, Reg had lived for a number of years in Queensland Road with his parents and had gone more or less unnoticed by Matilda. But a chance encounter outside Beattie’s, when Reg was mending her neighbour’s pots, had brought them together. Tilly – with a broken pan and a nose for a discount – had sauntered over to slip hers in on Beattie’s deal and had got chatting to him. That had been many months ago and Tilly had known straight away that Reg had taken a liking to her. After that, he often found excuses to come into The Bunk and loiter about near her place. A couple of times she’d found herself looking out of the window for him. She was well aware that she was acting like a soppy schoolgirl with a crush, yet, for the first time in many years, she’d felt light-hearted.

After her beloved Jack had perished in the Great War, Tilly had been certain no other man would ever stir her interest or affection. But the passing of the years had rubbed the rough edges off her grief and something about Reg’s Irish charm appealed to her. Besides, Tilly was a realist and had scraped by in The Bunk on her own for long enough. It was sensible for two people to pull together rather than try to battle on against the odds solo. Lucy, her youngest child, had been the last to leave home. She’d gone to work in service with Sophy, her eldest, near Southend. Her daughters all had their own lives now. The eldest three were married. When Reg had popped the question to her a few weeks ago, she’d said yes straight away. As soon as they’d put by the cash to pay for the service – and a little knees-up at the Duke afterwards, of course – they’d do the deed. But neither of them were in any rush.

Tilly had ceased raging about what damages she’d like to inflict on Jimmy after recognising wisdom in her fiancé’s blunt advice on the matter: ‘If ye let on he can rile ye like that, then he’ll stick around for ever. He’s pulling strings ’n’ yer dancing for him, Tilly.’ So Tilly had been careful not to let Jimmy know that his presence in Campbell Road bothered her, although at times it almost killed her to hold her tongue when she sauntered past his doorway. Now she was kicking herself for having let him see that her indifference to him was just a sham.

Jimmy peeped round the brickwork and watched Matilda through narrowed vision until she’d disappeared. Then he turned his attention to his stepdaughter, who was on her way down the road towards him. His eyes immediately fell to the bag in Faye’s hand.

‘Brought yer dad a few nice bits for his tea?’ The question sounded casual enough, but there was an undertone of menace that demanded the right answer.

‘I’ve told you, I’m not filching stuff any more.’ Faye tried to pass, but Jimmy blocked her way.

‘Well, aren’t you Miss Prim ’n’ Proper,’ he sneered. ‘You’ll learn when you live round here that’s how we go on. Nobody gives yer nuthin’, so you take wot yer need.’

‘If you want to think so, think so. My dad taught me thieving’s wrong and …’

Jimmy pinched her chin in a playful grip that tightened painfully. ‘But yer dad ain’t here now, is he?’ he purred. ‘He’s pushin’ up daisies, thinkin’ himself lucky ’n’ all, and it’s fallen to me to do his job for him.’

Faye ripped her face free from his fingers. ‘Thinking himself lucky?’ she echoed, appalled by his callousness. ‘That’s a wicked thing to say about a man … a gentleman,’ she added damningly, ‘who perished on the Somme. Where were you hiding when it was all going on over there?’ she hissed. Faye knew that Jimmy hadn’t gone to fight. Somehow or other he’d managed to escape doing his duty, and that didn’t surprise her. In the time she’d known him, he’d never shown himself to be anything other than selfish and cowardly. Her beloved dad, and all the other honourable men who’d shipped out to fight the Hun, had paid the ultimate price for their bravery. The likes of Jimmy Wild would never rob her of her cherished memories of her heroic father, no matter what spiteful stuff he might come out with.

Jimmy stared at her for so long that Faye thought he was about to give her an answer, but suddenly his sly eyes veered away and he croaked one of his laughs. They were as false as everything else about him and Faye shook her head contemptuously and made to push past.

Jimmy gripped her elbow and yanked her back. ‘I’m looking out for you ’cos I’m yer stepdad, and don’t you forget it. So tomorrer make sure you fetch me in something …’

‘I’m looking out for myself,’ she interrupted him. ‘So I’m not losing me job thieving. As for the others … getting yourself work might help you look out for them.’ Faye realised he wasn’t listening any more but squinting over her shoulder. She turned her head and saw what had caught his eye. His son, Stephen, had emerged from a house close to the bottom of the road. Faye had seen him coming out of the property before. Usually he walked up and entered a couple of other places as well. She’d assumed he was collecting his brother’s rents.

The two brothers were similar in height and in their dark good looks. She could understand why, seeing him at a distance, her mother had mistaken Robert for his brother on the day they moved into The Bunk. Unfortunately for Faye, the embarrassment of confusing the two of them still had the power to make her blush. She’d thought Robert Wild a newly married man with a roving eye. Now she knew that the pretty dark-haired young woman who’d been sitting beside him in his car, and whom she’d taken for his wife, was one of Matilda Keiver’s daughters, and a cousin of his.

Since that day Faye had seen Alice go into Matilda’s house on several occasions; sometimes she had a little girl with her who looked about five years old. Faye supposed the fair-haired man who occasionally accompanied them was her husband. She’d not wanted to question Jimmy over his dead wife’s relatives, but she’d got snippets of information from her mother. Slowly Edie was coming to know the local families and their gossip. Her mother had warned her to avoid the Keivers because they were out to cause trouble. Faye reckoned that if anything the family were keen to avoid them. Anyway, she’d needed no such telling. She’d no desire to get to know anyone. As soon as she could, she’d be leaving.