Try a Little Tenderness (18 page)

It wasn’t long before Bill was himself wishing they’d left him at home. Why did they have to look in every shop window? Shoe shops, dress shops, jewellers, even blinking hat shops! And they didn’t just glance in the windows, they spent ages pointing out a dress that they’d buy if they had the money. And those high-heeled shoes, well, they’d definitely be getting a pair like that, they were the last word in fashion. Blimey, he thought, it doesn’t take much to make girls happy. Men now, they only ventured near shops when something wore out.

‘I hate to break it up, girls, but it’s starting to get dark and I think we should be making our way back. I don’t want Jenny’s mam telling me off for keeping her out late.’

There was a wicked glint in Janet’s eyes when she turned to him. ‘I bet yer’ve really enjoyed yerself, haven’t yer? Think what yer’d have missed if yer’d stayed home.’ She was turning her head when she spotted a familiar figure on the opposite side of the road. Giving Jenny a nudge, she pointed. ‘Ay, am I seeing things, or is that your Laura over there? Yeah, it is, because she’s got that horrible Cynthia with her.’

Jenny clamped her lips together when she saw her sister hanging on to a boy’s arm and laughing up into his face. And behind them walked Cynthia, also engrossed in the boy she was linking. They looked like courting couples, but Jenny had never set eyes on the boys before. Her mam would go mad if she knew. She was always telling Laura that if she ever had a date the boy must call for her, so they could see him. And these weren’t boys, either, they were men, much older than her sixteen-year-old sister. ‘Don’t let
them see us. Yer know what our Laura’s like for showing off.’

‘Is she courting?’ Janet asked. ‘Is that her boyfriend?’

‘I couldn’t tell yer, she’s never mentioned having a boyfriend.’

‘If she has, she’s two-timing him something rotten,’ Bill said. ‘I’ve seen her with loads of fellers, but I’ve never seen those two blokes before.’

Jenny peeped over her shoulder. ‘They won’t see us now, so let’s go. Wherever our Laura’s off to, I hope she keeps her eye on the time because she’s got to be in by half ten.’

Bill decided to be daring. ‘Let me walk between yer, then yer’ve got to let me join in the conversation. As long as it’s not about dresses, shoes or flaming hats!’

This had the girls laughing and they kept it up all the way home. Funny incidents at work were remembered and exaggerated for maximum effect. And it was a happy trio who stood outside Jenny’s front door. ‘I’ve really enjoyed meself, it’s been lovely seeing yer again, Jan. And you, Bill, of course.’

‘I’ll come round here tomorrow night, shall I?’ Janet jerked her head at her brother. ‘We can talk better without the queer feller with us.’

Jenny cocked an ear when she heard the lock turning. She just had time to whisper, ‘Don’t mention our Laura, please,’ when the door opened.

Mary’s face showed her pleasure. ‘Janet, it’s lovely to see yer again, I’ve missed that cheeky smile of yours.’ Her gaze went to the boy with them. ‘My God, Bill Porter, I didn’t recognise yer! Ye gods, yer haven’t half shot up.’

‘It’s me mam’s dumplings and pies, Mrs Nightingale. I keep telling her I don’t want two helpings, but she just keeps piling me plate high. She always makes too much, yer see, and to save her walking down the yard to the midden, she makes me eat it.’

‘Well, whatever it is, son, ye’re looking well on it. And
you, Janet, yer look a treat, a sight for sore eyes.’ Mary was happy to see her daughter’s smiling face, and in the company of youngsters her own age. ‘Has Jenny asked yer if yer’ll go to the pictures with her one night?’

‘She hasn’t asked me yet, Mrs Nightingale, but yer see, we haven’t said half what we want to because of big brother here. He’s cramped our style something awful.’

‘I’ll take yer to the pictures, Jenny,’ Bill said. ‘If yer’ll do me the honour.’

Jenny’s clear laugh filled the night air. She was used to Bill pulling her leg, he’d done it for as long as she could remember. Many’s the time she’d fallen for one of his jokes, but not now, she was wise to him. ‘I’m too big for yer to pull me leg now, Billy, and I’m not daft enough to fall for that.’

Where he got the nerve from, Billy would never know, but out came the words he was thinking. ‘It’s because ye’re big I’m asking yer, Jenny. I wouldn’t want to take no girl in a gymslip to the pictures.’

‘Ooh, er!’ Janet started to giggle. ‘The state of him and the price of fish! Take no notice of him, Jenny, he’s acting the goat. He’s always saying he can’t stand girls. Oh, what he said was, God slipped up when He gave them mouths. They wouldn’t be half bad if they didn’t have that hole in their faces.’

Mary looked on with amusement. She wasn’t so sure the boy was joking. It was dusk now, too dark to see her daughter’s face clearly, but she’d bet any money that Jenny was blushing to the roots of her hair. She was soon to find out how wrong she was.

Far from blushing, Jenny found it so hilarious she couldn’t stop giggling. Bill had always made her laugh, the things he came out with. It never entered her head he could be serious. ‘If you didn’t have that hole in yer face, Bill Porter, yer mam wouldn’t have to slave over a hot stove all day. Just think of the money she’d save. And, you wouldn’t
be able to take the mickey out of people, as yer are now.’

Bill told himself it was best to quit while he was still ahead. After all, he hadn’t thought of Jenny Nightingale for ages, until she walked into their house a couple of hours ago. And he’d be seeing a lot of her in future through his sister. ‘I keep asking me mam to give me the money instead of the food, but she won’t hear of it. I’ve reached the conclusion she’s a sucker for punishment and likes slaving over a hot stove all day.’

‘If you weren’t so big, I’d hit yer!’ Janet shook a fist in his face. ‘Will yer keep yer mouth closed long enough for me and me mate to make arrangements to go to the pictures?’ She watched as he stood to attention and saluted. She felt more like kissing him than hitting him. He was a good brother, always looking after her when she was little, protecting her when someone older than her picked a fight with her. He made sure she never came to any harm. Even now when she went out, he always asked where she was going and who with. You didn’t get many like him in a pound. ‘What night were yer thinking of, Jenny?’

‘How about Saturday?’ Jenny had her hands clasped under her chin. ‘We could go to the first house, then yer could come back here and have a game of cards. That’s if yer mam will have no objections.’

‘She won’t mind, the only thing is, she likes me to be in by ten o’clock. She doesn’t like me being out in the dark on me own, either.’

Bill saw his opening. ‘That’s all right. I’ll pick yer up at ten and walk yer home.’

Janet voiced her surprise. ‘What! You go out every Saturday night! The highlight of yer week, that is. It takes yer ten minutes to flatten yer hair with Brylcreem and another ten minutes to polish yer shoes until yer can see yer face in them.’

Bill roared with laughter. ‘A bit of an exaggeration, Jan, but I do have a lot of hair to flatten, and I do have big shoes
to shine. Anyway, for your information, me and Johnny had decided not to go anywhere this Saturday because we’re saving up to have a day in Blackpool. So as we’ll be at a loose end, yer’ll have two escorts home.’

‘Yer can’t ask fairer than that, sunshine,’ Mary said. ‘Grab the offer while yer can.’

‘I’ll come tomorrow night and we can see what’s on that takes our fancy.’ Janet didn’t want to arrange things now because she had a feeling her brother was up to something. ‘I don’t want to go to the Atlas, though, ’cos Herbert Marshall’s on and I think he’s too old to be a heart-throb.’ She linked her brother’s arm. ‘Come on, Bill, let’s get going before yer open yer mouth again and we’re here all night.’

Jenny stood on the step with her arm across her mother’s shoulders and waved them off. ‘I’m glad I went round, Mam, it was lovely being with Janet again.’

‘Bill’s grown into a fine-looking boy,’ Mary said, closing the door. ‘Nice with it, too.’

‘Yeah, he’s a scream the things he gets up to.’ Jenny smiled at her father who was hammering studs into the worn-down heel of one of his shoes. ‘Still at it, eh, Dad?’

‘Cheaper than taking them to the cobbler’s, love. These will keep me going for a few months.’ He brought the hammer down one more time before laying it on the floor. ‘I bet Janet was glad to see yer.’

‘Not half as glad as I was to see her. We’re going to the pictures on Saturday night, I’m looking forward to that.’ Jenny glanced at the clock. She didn’t want to be here when Laura came in, didn’t want to listen to her telling lies about where she’d been. ‘I think I’ll hit the hay, the long walk has tired me out.’

‘Yer can sit down for five minutes, sunshine, and tell us about Janet’s job and what she’s been up to. It’s only ten past ten.’

With her eyes keeping watch on the hands of the clock, Jenny gave them a much shortened version of the night’s
events. She ended with a giggle. ‘I think Bill was sorry he signed ’cos he was bored rigid. He couldn’t understand how me and Jan got a kick out of window shopping. I bet he never asks to come with us again.’

‘He’s no different to any other man, sunshine, they all hate shopping.’

‘Too true!’ Stan laughed. ‘I tried it once, but never again. Yer wouldn’t get me going to the shops with yer mam for a big clock.’

‘I love it. I know I’ll never be able to buy half the things, but I still like looking.’ Jenny got to her feet. ‘Anyway, I’m off to bed, I really am tired.’ It was half past ten when she kissed her parents and she was praying her sister wouldn’t come in before she got up the stairs. ‘I’ll see yer in the morning, Mam and Dad. Good night and God bless.’

‘What time is it?’ Laura had her back to the entry wall and she wasn’t very happy with the way Jeff was mauling her. She wished she’d insisted on staying with Cynthia now, but the two lads had worked it so they were split up before the girls realised what was happening.

‘Don’t be worrying about the time, it’s only early.’ Jeff pressed his body closer and ran his hand down her back and over her buttocks. ‘The night is young, yet.’

‘It’s not for me,’ Laura said, trying to push him away. ‘I told me mam I’d be in by half past ten. Yer’ve got a watch on, tell me what the time is.’

‘It’s too dark to see.’ He had made sure they were at the very bottom of the entry, away from the gas-lamp and prying eyes. ‘Anyway, why does a girl of eighteen have to be in at that ungodly hour?’

‘Because I told me mam I was only going for a walk with me mate and I’d be in by then. She doesn’t mind what time I come in as long as she knows not to wait up for me, but I didn’t know I was going to meet you, did I?’ Laura’s worries were increasing by this time. This bloke was a lot older than
her and far more worldly. She could handle young lads, they never wanted anything more than a kiss and a cuddle. And she was always in total control. She had the power to manipulate them, and this pleased and excited her. But Jeff, if that was his real name, was a different kettle of fish. He’d been around and wasn’t going to settle for a kiss and a cuddle. ‘Come on, Jeff, let go of me. Me mam will be worried stiff, not knowing where I am.’

‘Yer weren’t worrying about her when we picked yer up, were yer? Or when we took yer to the pub for a drink.’ Jeff’s mood was turning ugly. ‘Me and Larry picked you and yer mate up because yer looked like good-time girls. And good-time girls don’t have to go running to mammy at half past ten. Don’t take me for a sucker, or I’ll get angry, and I’m not nice when I’m angry. I didn’t spend money on yer just to hold yer hand … understand?’

Laura had never been so frightened in her life. Her heart was thumping like mad, and a voice in her head was screaming that he could beat her up and no one would know. She could shout for help, but what if someone called a policeman? they’d ask questions and her mam and dad would find out. She could only try and talk her way out of it. ‘Jeff, I know yer spent yer money on me, and I’ve really enjoyed meself. I do like yer, Jeff, honest. I could meet yer tomorrow night and make up for it. It wouldn’t matter what time I got in, ’cos I can tell me parents I’m going to a dance. I could stay out until midnight, then. But if I’m late home tonight me dad will have the police out looking for me.’

It was the final sentence that had Jeff moving back. The last thing he wanted was to have the police after him. His wife wouldn’t take kindly to that, and she was tough enough to beat the living daylights out of him. But if there was a chance of getting something back for his money, he was going to take it. ‘Yer’ll meet me tomorrow night? Is that a promise, or an excuse to get away?’

‘No, I want to meet yer! How does eight o’clock outside the Rotunda suit yer?’

‘Make it nine, it’s nearly dark then. I’ve no money to be sitting in a pub for an hour.’

‘Nine o’clock it is.’ It was the last thing she wanted to do, but Laura kissed his cheek. ‘I’ll have to fly now.’

And fly she did. She couldn’t even feel her feet touching the ground. She wondered briefly where Cynthia was, and if she was suffering the same fate, but her own troubles pushed all thoughts of her friend from her mind. Her chest was paining and she was gasping for breath as she neared her street. She paused by the chip-shop window to look at the time on the large round clock on the wall, and sighed with relief. Thank God, she was only going to be ten minutes late.

Before knocking on the front door, Laura ran her fingers through her untidy hair and straightened her rumpled clothing. She’d get upstairs as quickly as she could, her mother had very sharp eyes. And she’d have to watch her parents didn’t get near enough to smell her breath.

‘Buy yerself a watch, Laura,’ Stan said when he opened the door. ‘Then yer’ll have no excuse for being late.’

Laura passed him with her lips clamped tight. She didn’t speak until she was putting her handbag on the sideboard. ‘I’ve been standing outside Cynthia’s, nattering. I’m not that late, anyway.’

The red face and the smudged lipstick didn’t go unnoticed by Mary. But she didn’t want to upset Stan, so she kept her thoughts to herself. She’d have words with Laura tomorrow, and they’d be harsh words. And she’d keep on having harsh words with her until she got it through her daughter’s head that her behaviour wasn’t acceptable. ‘Jenny’s not long gone to bed, so if yer go up now it’ll save yer disturbing her later.’