Читать книгу Kitty Neale 3 Book Bundle - Kitty Neale - Страница 33

As Tommy had feared, his mother had reacted badly to his engagement. There had been more histrionics and tears, but he’d stood firm and she had lapsed into sullen silence. That had been over four months ago, and his mother had calmed down since then, the subject never mentioned – as though by burying her head in the sand she thought it would go away.

Tommy had left it like that, but nothing was going to stop him from marrying Amy and he’d put all his energies into expanding the business. It was now the end of October, and the contract to supply windows on the housing development had been completed on schedule. On the strength of recommendations from the builder Tommy hoped to acquire another large one. In the meantime other, smaller jobs were flowing in so he’d kept the men on, and when on full stretch he often worked late, cutting glass ready for the next day’s work. It was something else his mother complained about, but he wasn’t late when he arrived home at five on Friday, his chest heaving from another asthma attack.

‘If you aren’t careful you’ll go down with bronchitis again. You’re working too hard, doing too much,’ his mother warned, rushing to his aid until at last, his breathing came under control.

Tommy knew she was right and hated his weakness, but too drained to discuss it now, he closed his eyes. If he got another contract, along with the work that was coming in now, the only answer would be to take on more men, but that would entail buying more vans too. He’d have to look at the accounts to see if that was a viable option. For now he was too tired to think and with his breathing easier, his mind closed as he drifted off.

‘What …’ Tommy said, blinking as his mother’s voice intruded.

‘I said it’s after seven and you haven’t had anything to eat yet.’

Tommy rubbed his eyes, hardly aware that he’d gone to sleep as his mother continued, ‘Now you’re awake I’ll reheat your dinner.’

‘All right, thanks,’ he said, sitting up. He hadn’t seen Amy since Tuesday and was missing her, and though they were going out tonight he would have to get up early in the morning to get to the yard. Tommy knew he couldn’t let up on the work. He didn’t want a long engagement; he wanted to marry Amy as soon as possible, and to make that happen he’d graft for seven days a week if necessary.

‘There’s been a right old carry on today,’ Phyllis told her daughter when she came home from work.

‘What do you mean?’ Amy asked.

‘Frank Cole has been evicted.’

‘No, but that’s awful. Why?’

‘Because he hadn’t paid his rent for ages and on top of that his place is in such a filthy state that it’s infested with rats. Mabel found one in her kitchen and went absolutely barmy.’

‘It’s still awful that he’s been chucked out. Couldn’t Rose have done something? She must’ve known him from when she worked in the Park Tavern.’

‘She tried, but Samuel is a businessman and when his tenants don’t pay the rent for that length of time, they’re out. At least Frank has got somewhere to go. He’ll probably turn up on his sons’ doorstep, so Carol’s going to be stuck with him again.’

‘Yes, I suppose so,’ Amy said.

Phyllis frowned. ‘Frank fell apart when Daphne left. He’s turned into a dirty, smelly drunk, scrounging off everyone, but like you, I still feel sorry for him. Did I tell you that Mabel now thinks that it was Daphne Cole who ran off with Tommy’s dad?’

‘Yes, but I hope she’s not spreading it around. There’s been enough trouble caused by gossip.’

‘Mabel has learned her lesson. She only told me, but has Carol heard from her mother?’

‘She’s never mentioned it, so I don’t think so,’ Amy replied.

‘Does Carol still like living with her brothers?’

‘Yes, and she’s got a new job as a receptionist in a hairdressing salon. Paul and Davy take her out with them and she’s like her old self again, into the latest fashions and music.’

‘That’s good, but here’s your dad so I’d better get our dinner sorted out,’ Phyllis said as she hurried through to the scullery. She had something else to tell Amy and Stan, and though she had made a tentative decision, she was still a bit unsure.

Stan seemed unsurprised when they told him about Frank, and though sympathetic, he said that the man had turned into such a scrounger that he’d been barred from the Park Tavern. When they were seated at the table, Stan lightened the atmosphere by joking around, pretending his chop was too tough to cut. ‘What’s this,’ he asked, ‘the sole off an old shoe?’

‘Mine’s all right,’ Amy said.

‘Your dad’s is too,’ Phyllis said. ‘Stan, stop being a silly bugger and listen. I haven’t said anything until now, because I’ve been thinking about it since Rose came to see me.’

‘Thinking about what?’ Stan asked.

‘Rose isn’t happy in Bethnal Green so she’s persuaded Samuel to buy a place here in Battersea. They’ve already found a house close to the park, and Rose wants me to work for them.’

‘Doing what?’ Stan asked.

‘I’d be a sort of housekeeper-cum-cleaner.’

‘Can’t Rose do her own cleaning?’ Stan asked.

‘Of course she can, but Rose has gone up in the world now. She’s got used to having a cleaner, but the one they’ve got now won’t want to travel this far.’

‘How big is the house they’ve found?’ Amy asked.

‘It’s got six bedrooms, two receptions, a dining room and study, two bathrooms and a kitchen.’

‘Flaming hell, why do they want a house of that size?’ Stan exclaimed. ‘There’s only the two of them.’

‘It’s about the same as the one in Bethnal Green,’ Phyllis said. ‘Anyway, Rose has offered me a third more pay than I’m earning now.’

‘That sounds good,’ Stan said.

‘Yes, it does,’ Amy agreed, ‘but how many hours would you have to do?’

‘From nine till two, five days a week.’

‘That’s not much different to your combined jobs, so why are you thinking about it?’ Stan asked. ‘It’s more money, without an early start, or going out to clean that factory in the evening.’

‘I know, but it’s … well … it’s the thought of being Rose’s cleaner. What if she lords it up over me? I’m not sure I could take that.’

‘I can’t see Rose acting all high and mighty,’ Stan said. ‘She’s always struck me as being pretty down to earth.’

‘Is Rose any different when she comes to see you?’ Amy asked.

‘No, of course not, but that’s different,’ Phyllis replied. ‘She visits me as my cousin, but if I take the job I’d be her employee.’

‘Why don’t you give it a try?’ Stan suggested. ‘If it doesn’t work out and Rose becomes a proper madam, you can soon tell her where to stick her job.’

Phyllis smiled at Stan’s turn of phrase, but he was right and she made up her mind to take the job. No more getting up at the crack of dawn, no more factory floors to clean – and for Phyllis, that sounded like heaven.

Mabel had kept out of the way during the eviction. In truth, she was glad that Frank Cole had been chucked out. He hadn’t confronted her yet, but every night when he’d rolled home drunk her nerves had jangled, expecting him to come banging on her door to lay into her for dobbing him in to the police. She’d watched Frank going downhill over the past few months, but it wasn’t her fault, Mabel decided. It was down to Daphne Cole for walking out on him and it was no wonder that Carol had left home too.

When she’d found a rat, it gave Mabel the ammunition she needed to get rid of Frank Cole. Of course nobody knew it, but she’d complained to the agent, hinting that the infestation was coming from Frank’s house. When the agent gained entry he’d come out looking green and had thrown up in the gutter. With that and the rent arrears, it had ensured Frank’s eviction and good riddance to bad rubbish, Mabel thought. She could relax now, and as the sun set she turned on the living room light just as Jack arrived home.

‘Hello love, things have been happening today,’ she said, going on to tell him about Frank Cole.

‘He used to be a decent bloke,’ Jack said, ‘but only last night he collared me on the way home to tap me for money.’

‘Did you give him any?’ Mabel asked.

‘Certainly not. I told him to get a job and earn his money like the rest of us. For that I got a load of foul language and insults aimed at you.’

‘That doesn’t surprise me, and between you and me, Jack, I’m glad he’s gone. It’s just us and the Millers sandwiched between two empty houses now, and with Frank’s house needing more than just fumigating, it could be for some time.’

‘Has the agent arranged to do anything about the rats?’ Jack asked.

‘Yes, he’s getting poison put down,’ Phyllis told him, shuddering at the memory of finding a big, dirty grey rat in her kitchen. ‘I just hope we don’t get any more coming in here.’

‘I’ll put some stuff down too just in case,’ Jack said. ‘Now, I’m going to get washed and changed.’

‘Yes, all right,’ Mabel said, knowing that once he’d done that Jack would want his dinner. She walked into the scullery, her eyes darting everywhere as she turned on the light. If she’d seen another rat it would have sent her out screaming again, but thankfully there were none to be seen.

Mabel knew there was another quiet evening ahead, with Jack’s nose stuck in a book, but at least now that Frank Cole had left the Rise, things were looking up and her life could get back to normal. Or so she hoped.