‘Do you think I came up the Clyde on a banana skin?’ her uncle said, his brows deepening in a mock-serious frown.
Lily went into peals of laughter as she always did when her uncle teased her.
‘What about your cup of tea?’ Sophie asked her husband, mildly irritated at the interruption to their meal.
‘I’ll have it when I come back,’ he said, going to get his heavy grey wool coat from the rack beside the back door.
‘Did you tell Heather about the country dancing?’ Lily suddenly remembered. Since Fintan was the janitor in their school, she expected him to keep fully up to date on everything that went on.
‘I never got a chance yet, bossy boots,’ Fintan said, pursing his lips. ‘I was just about to tell her when you arrived.’
‘What about it?’ Heather asked.
‘Saturday afternoon at three o’clock,’ Lily stated. ‘Mrs McGinty said to tell you that she needs a really good dancer to help out with the practice for the Christmas show.’
‘I’ll have to see what I’m doing,’ Heather said. ‘I might have to go into Motherwell or Wishaw to do a bit of shopping.’
‘Oh, but you’ll have to come!’ Lily gasped, her eyes like saucers. ‘I told Mrs McGinty that you’d come. This practice is for a really special display for the parents at Christmas. Everybody has to pay a shillin’ each to get in – it’s to buy new football strips for the school team.’
‘You’d no business saying I’d come until you had checked,’ Heather told her. ‘I’m very busy at the weekends and I might not be able to help out.’
Undaunted, Lily looked over at Kirsty now. ‘You could come too, after work, since Saturday’s your half-day.’ She narrowed her bright blue eyes in consideration. ‘You’re
nearly
as good a dancer as Heather.’
‘Oh, could I?’ Kirsty said, rolling her eyes. ‘And what if I have other plans?’
‘Out wi’ your boyfriend, I suppose?’ Lily said, raising her eyebrows suggestively. ‘Have you got a new one yet?’
‘Never mind out with my boyfriend,’ Kirsty said, pretending she was getting up out of the chair, ‘just get your nosy wee face out of that door before I give you a good skelp!’
‘You’ll have to catch me first!’ Lily giggled, opening the door just wide enough to allow her to squeeze out without the dog coming flying in. ‘Come on, Uncle Fintan, and don’t forget the empty bottles.’
Chapter 2
The light scattering of snow gradually turned into a grey slush as Heather and her friend Liz Mullen stood on the main street waiting for the bus into Wishaw.
‘That was a big change in the weather today. I can’t beli
eve how cold it is now,’ Heather said, her breath coming in white clouds into the freezing night air. She had dressed for the wintry weather in her black and white checked coat with matching black beret, scarf and gloves – plus the black umbrella she carried everywhere when rain threatened.
‘It’s blidey freezin’!’ Liz agreed, hugging the wide collar of her blue swing coat closer to her exposed throat. Giving more attention to fashion than warmth, the collar buttoned low down on her neck, and she hadn’t thought to bring a scarf. ‘I only hope this film is worth coming out for. What’s it about anyway?’
Heather shrugged. ‘Your guess is as good as mine. Horror or gangster, no doubt.’
‘Och, it’s a free night out,’ Liz laughed, slipping her arm through her friend’s. ‘And I always feel that going out on a Thursday night starts the weekend earlier. Anyway, I suppose we should be grateful that it’s
us
they’re spending their money on – they’re two fine-looking fellas and could get any lassie they want. At least that’s what Jim’s always reminding me.’
Heather’s face darkened. ‘You should tell him to get lost! I wouldn’t let any fella speak to me like that, and you shouldn’t let Jim Murray speak to you like that either. T
here’s nobody going to make me grateful to him for goin
g out with me. I’d sooner be on my own.’
‘Aw, you know what they’re like,’ Liz sighed in a world-weary fashion. ‘Jim’s always been full of big talk when there’s an audience. He’s different on his own, all over me. I have my work cut out trying to get him keep his hands to himself.’
‘You’d better be careful with him,’ Heather warned, her frown deepening. ‘I told you I’d heard rumours about him with the last girl he went out with from Wishaw – there was talk that she’d disappeared down to England to have a baby.’
‘Oh, I tackled him about that, and there’s no truth in that whatsoever. She got a new job in Coventry and just decided to take it. And there’s no fear of anything like that happenin’ to
me
,’ Liz said airily. ‘I have the measure of Jim Murray, and there won’t be anything going on until I have a ring safely on my finger.’
Feeling slightly uncomfortable with the turn the conversation was taking, she stepped out onto the road now to see if the bus was coming. ‘Anyway, Gerry’s absolute
ly mad about you, and would do anything to
hang on to you,’ she said, changing the subject. ‘I hear all the girls in his work are daft about him, but they know they’ve no chance when he’s going out with you.’
‘I’m not sure if that’s what I want either,’ Heather said moodily. ‘Sometimes he’s a bit over-keen . . . keeping tabs on every single thing I do.’
Liz stepped back into the bus shelter, relieved that she’d succeeded in moving the conversation away from herself. ‘I wasn’t going to say anything . . . but your Kirsty told me that she thought you were getting a bit fed up of him . . .’
‘She’s a nosy individual,’ Heather said, irritated at Kirsty butting into things as usual, ‘and she should mind her
own business.’
‘Aw, don’t finish with him, Heather,’ Liz said pleadingly
. ‘I really like Jim . . . and he’s always keen if we’re going out in a foursome. The longer we all go out together, the better chance I have of getting an engagement ring on my finger. Don’t do anything until after Christmas –
please
.’
‘I’ll have to see what happens,’ Heather said, not promising anything.
The girls’ chat came to an abrupt halt as a medium-si
zed, stocky figure under a flowery umbrella came bust
ling towards them. ‘It’s my Auntie Mona,’ Heather hissed. ‘Don’t mention anything about Glasgow.’
‘Well, girls, off out for the night?’ Mona stated in her Galway lilt, pushing into the bus shelter beside them and shaking the snowflakes from her umbrella. ‘Cold the night, isn’t it?’ She turned to her niece, her brows down. ‘Did you come to any decision about the job in Glasgow?’
‘I’ve decided that I’m accepting it,’ Heather said quiet
ly, turning her attention to examine one of her gloved hands.
Mona’s face was aghast. ‘Don’t tell me you’ve handed your notice in already?’
‘Tomorrow,’ Heather stated. ‘It’ll all be official then.’
Mona shook her head. ‘Glasgow’s not the be-all and end-all
, you know. There’s plenty of young girls would have been happy to work their way up in that office in Wishaw. It’s one of the best in the area, and very little travel involved.’ She pursed her lips. ‘I’d think long and hard tonight before doin’ anything drastic in the morning. You still have time to change your mind. All that travelling to Glasgow would wear a young girl out . . . and you could get in with the wrong kind.’ Her brow deepened. ‘I’ve seen it happen.’
‘There’s all kinds of people worked in the office in Wishaw and it was fine,’ Heather said, trying to sound friendly and light.
Mona shook her head. ‘Take it from an older, wiser woman. Glasgow’s very different from Wishaw or Motherwell or any of the local places. And Glasgow people are very different too.’
Then, out of the drizzly, foggy night the pale yellow lights of the red bus came looming in the distance.
‘Quick, Heather!’ Liz said. ‘Wave your umbrella and make sure he sees us or we’ll miss the start of the film.’
‘I’ll see you, Auntie Mona,’ Heather said cheerily, relieved that the bus had saved her.
‘It’s busy enough for a Thursday night,’ Gerry said, coming back to the seat laden with ice-creams, drinks and a large bag of chocolates. He divided them out between himself and Heather.
‘Thanks,’ Heather said with a smile, taking the ice-cream and the bottle of Pepsi with the stripey straw from him. ‘I wish you’d at least let me pay for the
sweets.’
‘Another time,’ Gerry said, winking at her, his blue eyes suddenly looking bigger and softer. ‘When you get your first wage from the new job.’
There was a little silence. ‘Do you think I’m daft for giving up the office in Wishaw?’
‘Not at all,’ he answered, frowning now. ‘It’s what you want, isn’t it? If you want to get on in life, you have to take a few risks, you have to make the most of your chances. I don’t think you’re daft at all – I admire you.’
‘I wish more people did,’ Heather half-muttered to herself, thinking of her aunt’s doom and disaster warnings this evening. This was the bit of Gerry that she liked – the bit that had attracted her to him in the first place. He was ambitious for himself and admired ambition in others – even girls.
‘We’re a good team, you and me,’ Gerry whispered, s
queezing her hand. ‘I think we could . . .’ He halted, picki
ng his words carefully. ‘I think we want the same things out of life.’
There was something in the huskiness of his tone that made Heather’s throat tighten, and she was suddenly aware of the lingering grip on her hand, which didn’t feel as comforting to her as it used to. She took a deep breath, a kind of claustrophobia now creeping all over her. She had felt echoes of this before, but in a much more fleeting way. But now, the feeling of wanting to move away from him was more powerful and immediate. She realised she wanted to move out of the cinema seat – and out of the cinema, away from him.
What on earth was happening?
she wondered to herself. There was a time when she enjoyed every minute she spent with him. There was a time when she felt he was a really good catch.
The lights suddenly dimmed in the picture-house and the pianist struck up a rousing opening tune.
Chapter 3
‘
Did you get a chance to look at that suit skirt yet?’ Mona Grace asked, as she came along the hallway behind the slim figure of her sister-in-law.
‘It’s on my list of things for the morning,’ Sophie told her, ignoring Mona’s resulting disappointed sigh. She had recently decided to change tactics with Fintan’s bossy sister-in-law, thinking that if she took longer to do her sewing jobs then Mona might not be so keen to turn up every other week with the mountain of trousers and skirts that needing hems taking up or seams letting out.
‘I wouldn’t normally be rushing you,’ Mona said, as they came into the living-room, where Kirsty was curled up reading in a corner of the deep, wine-coloured couch, ‘only I need it for that bloomin’ Kelly wedding next Saturday, and I’d feel happier if I was lookin’ at it hanging up in the wardrobe all ready.’ She gave a small, apologetic smile, hoping to appeal to her sister-in-law’s good nature. ‘You know what I’m like, I hate leavin’ everything to the last minute.’
‘Och, we’ve plenty of time,’ Sophie said vaguely, lifting a pile of newspapers and books from the armchair by the fire to let Mona sit down, before seating herself in the armchair opposite.
‘Hi, Auntie Mona,’ Kirsty said, looking up from a sheet of paper that held the words of a new song she was trying to memorise for the band’s date the following night.
‘Well, Miss!’ Mona greeted her niece with a beaming smile. ‘All ready for bed in your nice warm pyjamas and dressing-gown I see.’
‘Och aye.’ The young girl smiled, patting the back of her damp, curly hair. ‘I’m all bathed and hair washed and everything. I’m gettin’ all set up for the weekend early. You never know who I could meet in the dance halls on a dark night.’
‘Good girl yourself!’ Mona said, making a grab for her niece’s bare feet – a little friendly tussle they often had. ‘And if you get knocked down crossing the street, and have to be rushed away in an ambulance, at least you’ll be spotlessly clean.’
‘Pure as the driven snow,’ Kirsty said, slapping at her aunt’s hand and drawing her bare feet well in under her.
Mona laughed to herself as she sat her ample frame down into the chair. ‘Purer than a lot of others around here, that’s for sure,’ she said. ‘I hear that young Helen Kelly one is gettin’ married in white after all.’ She shook her head, tutting. ‘How can they brass-neck it when everybody knows that she’s expectin’? And her havin’ to be carted out of Mass when she fainted in front of the whole village. A fortnight later the wedding invitations were out, and they’re saying they set the date ages ago. They must think we’re a right pack of eedjits.’
‘There but for the grace of God,’ Sophie said in a low voice. ‘It could happen to anybody – and indeed it has. There’s plenty of families have quicker weddings than they would have liked.’
There was an awkward little silence. Kirsty went back to studying the words of her song.
‘I’m not sayin’ it can’t happen to anybody,’ Mona said, her voice slightly brittle now. ‘The point I’m makin’ is about the
hypocrisy
. The fact that she’s gettin’ married in pure white, and we’ve all got to stand there while they’re takin’ photographs and everything and smile and kid on we don’t know she’s due in seven blidey months’ time.’