The Girl from Cotton Lane (18 page)

The heat of the fire and her tiredness caused Carrie’s head to droop and her fair hair fell over one eye as she slipped into a doze.

The loud knocking on the front door woke the Bradleys and Fred was first out of the chair, still trying to gather his senses. ‘Bloody ’ell!’ he cursed. ‘It’s nearly twelve o’clock.’

The knocking became louder and Carrie turned to Fred, fear in her eyes as she saw him take up the heavy iron poker from the hearth. ‘Careful, Fred. They’re prob’ly drunken seamen. Don’t open the door,’ she urged him.

Fred hurried down the stairs with Carrie following him, her hand held up to her mouth in fear. Suddenly she heard her name being called. ‘Oh my Gawd! It’s Danny!’ she shouted.

Fred quickly slid the bolts and as he opened the door Danny fell into his arms. Carrie screamed out and rushed to help.

‘Get ’er inside! Quick!’ Danny gasped as he slumped down, his clothes sopping wet and his dripping hair hanging down over his forehead.

Fred pulled Danny towards the back room and as he moved away from the open front door Carrie saw the buttoned-up boots sticking up on the doorstep. She looked out and saw the still figure of Elsie Wishart prostrate in the snow, her hair lying bedraggled over her face and her arms outstretched as though for an embrace.

All morning on Christmas Eve the women of the riverside backstreets trudged through the snow to the market and came home with laden shopping baskets, weighing more heavily than normal with the Christmas extras of nuts, oranges, tangerines and dates. Nellie Tanner had started out late after Carrie’s unexpected early morning call, and when she arrived back home and finished unpacking her shopping she made herself a cup of tea and sat warming her feet before the fire. Most of her friends in Page Street would have finished their shopping by now, she thought, and Florrie would be sitting with Maisie and Aggie at the Sullivan house drinking tea as they always did on a normal Saturday afternoon. When she had finished her cup Nellie slipped on her coat, made sure that the fire was raked and then let herself out of her flat.

Just as she had anticipated the women were gathered in Sadie Sullivan’s cosy front room already sipping tea when Nellie arrived. All the less important gossip of the day was forgotten as she began to tell them about her daughter’s unexpected visit early that morning.

‘My Carrie come in all excited an’ she started ter tell me about this woman who tried ter drown ’erself right opposite the cafe last night,’ she said with wide eyes. ‘Carrie an’ Fred were dozin’ in front o’ the fire when they ’eard this loud knockin’ on their door. Near midnight it was. Carrie didn’t want Fred ter open it ’cos she reckoned it could ’ave bin one o’ those merchant seamen wiv a skinful, but then she ’eard Danny’s voice. When they opened the door there ’e was soaked ter the skin an’ just about all in. ’E’d pulled this woman out o’ the drink an’ she was layin’ at ’is feet. Carrie told me she thought the woman was dead at first.’

‘She would ’ave bin if she’d ’ave bin in that water fer more than a few minutes,’ Florrie remarked.

‘It was a godsend that my Danny was tyin’ up that barge,’ Nellie told her eager audience. ‘’E was moorin’ it right by the Cotton Lane steps an’ suddenly ’e saw this well-dressed lady walk straight down inter the water. It turns out it was Elsie Wishart.’

‘Who?’ Sadie asked.

‘Wishart, Elsie Wishart,’ Nellie repeated, holding a teacup on her lap. ‘She lives in Bacon Buildin’s in the next block ter me. Mind yer I’ve never spoken ter the woman, but I’ve seen ’er walkin’ up the street a couple o’ times. Yer might ’ave seen ’er walkin’ about. She’s very smart an’ she looks like she’s got a few bob. I remember wonderin’ ’ow somebody like ’er come ter live in Bacon Buildin’s. Anyway, Danny told Carrie that ’e was right at the front o’ the barge and saw ’er walk down the steps an’ go under. Well, wivout finkin’ Danny jumped over the side inter the water an’ ’eld on to ’er coat. It was the barge rope what saved ’er. Danny told Carrie that if she’d ’ave gone in anywhere else she’d ’ave gone down in the mud an’ that would ’ave been that. As it ’appened she got caught up by the rope an’ Danny managed ter pull ’er ter the steps. By the time ’e’d dragged ’er ter my Carrie’s place ’e was all in. The woman was unconscious. It must ’ave bin the shock o’ goin’ in that freezin’ water.’

‘What made ’er do it fer Gawdsake?’ Maisie asked.

‘I’m comin’ ter that,’ Nellie said quickly. ‘Anyway they got their wet clothes off an’ Fred ’ad some brandy in the cupboard. They warmed ’em by the fire an’ all the time the woman was moanin’ an’ groanin’. She came round all right though. Carrie got ’er ter bed an’ ’er an’ Fred slept in the armchairs by the fire all night. They wrapped Danny up in blankets an’ ’e slept by the fire wiv’ ’em. When ’e got up this mornin’ ’e was right as ninepence. ’E’s a tough lad is my Danny,’ Nellie said proudly.

‘’E’s a brave lad if yer ask me,’ Sadie remarked. ‘Especially the way the currents are. Yer can quite easily get sucked under those barges.’

‘I knew somebody who got sucked under a barge once. Used ter live in Poplar she did,’ Maisie said.

‘Let ’er get on wiv the story, Mais,’ Florrie said quickly.

Nellie was enjoying being the centre of attention that Saturday afternoon in Sadie’s parlour and she primly tapped the bun on the back of her head with her hand as she went on. ‘This mornin’ Carrie managed to ’ave a chat with Elsie Wishart an’ it turns out that the reason she tried ter kill ’erself was over that bastard Frank Galloway.’

Four pairs of eyes stared at Nellie, and Florrie forgot the pinch of snuff that was lying on the back of her hand.

‘Frank Galloway?’ they echoed.

Nellie nodded her head slowly for effect. ‘My Carrie was livid when she was tellin’ me about it. Apparently this Elsie Wishart used ter live in Tyburn Square, right opposite where George Galloway lives. ’Er ’usband was a solicitor an’ they’ve got one grown-up daughter. Well, so Carrie was tellin’ me, she used ter bump into Frank Galloway a lot when ’e was back an’ forwards ter the square seein’ the ole man, an’ they got talkin’. From what Carrie could gavver, this solicitor feller who Elsie was married to was a bit older than ’er an’ a quiet sort o’ bloke. Elsie liked a good time so yer can guess what ’appened. She was taken by Frank Galloway’s flash ways an’ started seein’ ’im. They used ter go out tergevver in the evenin’s ter places, shows an’ the like.’

‘What about Galloway’s wife? Didn’t she get suspicious about ’im not bein’ ’ome?’ Florrie asked.

Nellie shook her head. ‘Accordin’ ter what Elsie told my Carrie, Frank Galloway’s wife is one o’ those actresses on the stage. She was never ’ome ’erself, an’ she’s got a fancy man. Anyway, one evenin’ Elsie an’ Frank Galloway was up to a bit of ’anky-panky in ’er place an’ Elsie’s ’usband comes in unexpected an’ catches ’em at it. Elsie told my Carrie that Frank Galloway promised ’er ’e was goin’ ter get a divorce an’ marry ’er as soon as they was both free. Elsie’s ole man ’ad chucked ’er out an’ she was livin’ wiv’ ’er sister in Black’eath fer the time bein’. What made it worse, Elsie’s daughter was very close to ’er farvver an’ she wouldn’t ’ave nuffink more ter do wiv ’er muvver. Well, yer can guess what ’appened next.’

Nellie’s friends were enthralled by the tale and they all shook their heads.

‘Go on,’ Florrie prompted impatiently.

‘Frank Galloway found ’imself anuvver fancy piece an’ poor Elsie’s left ’igh an’ dry,’ Nellie continued. ‘She tried ter patch it up wiv ’er ole man an’ one night she went ter the square ter try an’ talk ’im round an’ found ’im ’angin’ from the banisters.’

The women gasped and Maisie shook her head sadly. ‘Poor bleeder. What must ’e ’ave bin goin’ frew in ’is mind,’ she said in a quiet voice.

‘That Frank Galloway’s got a lot to answer to,’ Florrie uttered venomously.

‘’Ow come she ended up in Bacon Buildin’s of all places?’ Aggie asked.

‘After all what ’ad ’appened, an’ then the shock o’ findin’ ’er ole man ’angin’ from the banisters, fings got too much fer ’er an’ she ’ad a nervous breakdown,’ Nellie told them. ‘Elsie was in ’ospital fer some time an’ when she come out she couldn’t face goin’ back ter live wiv ’er sister, so she put ’erself on the mercy o’ the Council. They couldn’t ’elp an’ out o’ desperation she did what me an’ my Will ’ad ter do. She took a flat in Bacon Buildin’s. She was settlin’ in there but one day last week she saw ’er daughter in the market an’ the gel turned ’er back on ’er as she went ter say ’ello.’

‘Ain’t that terrible?’ Maisie said sadly.

‘None of it would ’ave ’appened if Galloway ’adn’t come between ’em,’ Florrie said, looking at Nellie.

‘What’s the woman gonna do now, Nell?’ Sadie asked.

‘Well, she’s gonna go back ter live wiv ’er sister fer the time bein’,’ Nellie replied. ‘Carrie’s got ’er daughter’s address an’ she’s goin’ round ter see ’er. P’raps this might bring ’em tergevver again, please Gawd.’

Chapter Eleven

The new year began with little if any relief for the Bermondsey folk. Rivermen still foraged for work and still hung around the streets hopeful of a call-on. The rows of little houses in Page Street still let in water through the badly maintained roofs and money was shorter than ever.

Carrie had made the trip to see Elsie Wishart’s daughter, but when she arrived at the house in Catford she was told by the new tenants that the young woman had left and there was no forwarding address. Carrie had had the sad task of informing Elsie by letter and received a prompt reply from the woman thanking her for all she had done. The letter went on to say that Elsie was settling down once more with her sister, but within a few weeks she had returned to Bacon Buildings after a disagreement.

Throughout the hard year the Bradleys’ dining rooms continued to hold on to their customers and Carrie was still hopeful of persuading her husband to extend the business. The bank had been helpful after the manager had pored over the books and Carrie had explained her plan, but Fred was adamant that it was too soon to think of expansion.

Rachel was growing up fast and was now approaching her third birthday. The child had soon got over the departure of Annie McCafferty and the Bradleys decided to get another nurse to look after her while Annie was away.

Carrie did not feel at all sure that Annie would ever return, however. She had received a letter soon after the young nurse arrived in Dublin telling of her joy and sadness on finally meeting up with her mother who had abandoned her as a baby. Annie told Carrie all about the poor woman in the letter. Connie McCafferty was very ill with an obscure blood disorder and the doctors were not very optimistic about her chances of surviving for very long. Annie related that Mrs McCafferty had married in Dublin and her husband was now deceased. The young woman had decided to care for her mother in the family home, and despite all medical predictions to the contrary Connie seemed to be rallying.

Carrie was pleased for Annie but saddened that it was now unlikely the young woman would ever return. Day to day affairs prevented her from dwelling on the past, however, and she pressed on with her plans to make the business more profitable. The interior of the dining rooms had been renovated and now looked fresh and welcoming. The catering suppliers found her to be a difficult client and Johnson’s lost much of their trade with the Bradleys to other more accommodating catering concerns. Carrie had become quite adept at managing the bulk buying and was always looking for ways to keep the costs at a minimum. Sometimes Fred worried unduly as he worked in the hot, steamy kitchen, and often he was driven to distraction by the constant chatter of Bessie Chandler, but he did his best to remain cheerful. He was eager to enlarge their family and it caused a few problems between him and Carrie, who was not yet ready to have another baby. There were other, more pressing things on her mind and she often spurned her husband’s advances, fearful of becoming pregnant.

During the summer months Fred and Carrie would walk out to the park or go to the music halls, and occasionally they would visit the local cinema in Grange Road and laugh at the antics of Charlie Chaplin or Buster Keaton. They would often stop on the way home for a drink or two at one of the nicer public houses but Carrie was always wary of her husband having too much to drink. It was after Fred had been drinking that he became careless during his lovemaking and Carrie was filled with dread until her next period. Her feelings for him, however, and her own needs were such that she could not always resist him, and she was painfully aware that becoming pregnant again was only a matter of time.

During the autumn Billy Sullivan finally found a job. He had been desperate to raise some money towards his dream of opening a gymnasium but all his ideas and aspirations had not borne fruit.

‘Yer gotta go out an’ earn money,’ Sadie told him. ‘Yer not gonna ’ave any sort o’ life givin’ me all yer pension ter ’elp feed yer. Jus’ look at yerself. Yer only suit is in rags an’ those trousers yer got on are so full o’ grease if yer slipped over yer’d slide all the way up the street.’

Billy had borne in mind what Carrie Bradley told him about finding himself a nice young lady and he had been upset to learn that Annie McCafferty was no longer in Bermondsey. He despaired of ever finding himself a girl while he was looking like a down-and-out, and one day when he was walking past Peek Freans, the biscuit factory, on one of his strolls he was rudely awakened to his condition by the giggles and taunts of the factory girls. There and then he decided to get a job, and the next morning he joined the long files of men at the Labour Exchange. There was nothing on offer, however, but he refused to get despondent, and the next morning he got up early and spent the last of his coppers on a copy of the
South London Press
.