Winnie of the Waterfront (25 page)

‘The room you’re in now is only half the size of mine,’ Peg reminded her. ‘You’d find it a squash for the two of you, and you’d never get a double bed in there whereas there’s already one in my room. So the matter is settled! Now, shall we have a cup of tea to seal the deal?’

As they drank their tea, Sandy and Winnie told Peg about their idea for a canteen-style café on the dockside.

‘Beats me why no one has ever done it before,’ she said. ‘Have you made enquiries to find out if there is any place available where you could set it up?’

‘No, we wanted to make sure we had enough money to buy all the equipment and the stock that
we’d
require to set ourselves up. We’ve been doing a lot of work on that and we have a list of what we will probably need.’

‘You want to watch you don’t get ripped off when you come to buy those,’ she warned. ‘You need someone with the right connections to put you in touch with the proper wholesalers.’

‘You mean someone like you?’ Winnie asked.

‘Well, yes! There are firms that I’ve been getting my supplies from for the last ten years and they’d do you a reasonable deal.’

‘Would you help us to meet them?’ Winnie asked.

Peg looked thoughtful. ‘I could, but if you get this dockside venture up and running does that mean you are both going to chuck in your jobs at Paddy’s Market?’

‘Well, we couldn’t work at both places,’ Sandy laughed.

‘No! I don’t suppose you could. So that would mean I’d be left high and dry, not to mention Reg Willard losing his right-hand man. Although I’m not so much worried about him as I am about myself,’ she admitted. ‘I couldn’t manage without Winnie to help me.’

‘We wouldn’t just walk off and leave you,’ Winnie assured her. ‘We’d make sure you found someone else to take my place.’

Peg shook her head. ‘It wouldn’t be the same working with anyone else. I’m too set in my ways.’

Sandy and Winnie exchanged looks. They had both seen the smirk on Peg’s face and guessed she was up to something.

‘So what do you suggest we do then?’ Winnie asked mischievously, her eyes twinkling.

‘You could let me join you!’ Peg prompted. ‘I know the ropes, I’ve got all the contacts, I know all the right people! Even more important, I’ve got a tidy bit of money tucked away and that would help get things started without you two having to put yourself in debt over your heads.’

Chapter Twenty-six

SANDY’S HEAD WAS
spinning so much when he left Skirving Court that night that he knew he would never sleep, so he walked down Water Street to the Pier Head to try and sort his thoughts out.

It was almost midnight. The ferryboats had stopped running, and so too had the Green Goddesses. The usual din and clamour of the busy port was silenced. The moon, a giant balloon in a star-studded May sky, was reflected in the dark water of the Mersey like a huge golden orb.

It was almost three years since Winnie had come to work at Paddy’s Market and now so much was happening all at once that he could hardly take it in. Why hadn’t they spoken to Peg earlier about their plans? If they had done so then they might already have had their waterfront café set up and running.

Still, he told himself, that really didn’t matter. The important thing was that they soon would have it off the ground. Peg putting up money to help cover some of the costs, as well as making use of her many contacts in the catering trade, would be a godsend.

He walked down the floating roadway onto the riverside and looked around at the various buildings in the vicinity, wondering if any of them were
vacant
or likely to become so in the near future.

Tomorrow, he told himself, he’d get down there and make some enquiries from the harbour master, or whoever was in charge.

He walked along the dockside once more, past where the Isle of Man boat usually docked, trying to decide which spot would be the most suitable, if there was any choice.

As he turned to retrace his steps he glanced idly at a liner berthed a little further along, and his blood froze as he saw the name
Patricia
along her prow.

He stood stock-still, breathing heavily. The
Patricia
was the name of the boat that Winnie had said that Bob Flowers sailed on. Did that mean he was in port again and would once more be trying to find Winnie?

The last time Bob Flowers had come ashore almost eight months earlier he had come to Paddy’s Market looking for her. Fortunately, Sandy had spotted him first and, knowing that she was at work with Peg in the market kitchen and well out of sight, had told him that she wasn’t there that day.

He’d felt guilty about lying like that, but then he’d told himself all was fair in love and war. He was in love with Winnie and there would be a war if Bob Flowers tried to muscle in.

Winnie had assured him that her feelings for Bob Flowers were simply ones of friendship, but Sandy wasn’t taking any chances. Flowers was a good-looking chap and uniforms like the one he sported were well-known to turn women’s heads.
So
it was better to be safe than sorry, he told himself.

Now, just when all their plans and dreams were about to come to fruition, here he was again, turning up like a bad penny!

Sandy hesitated for about five seconds then he set off in the direction of the
Patricia
. He’d warn Bob Flowers off, tell him he was going to marry Winnie, and that would clear the air for all time.

He had to do a lot of arguing before he could persuade someone to fetch Bob Flowers up on deck. When Bob did eventually appear he seemed to be far from pleased when he saw Sandy standing there waiting for him.

‘We sail in twenty minutes so you’d better be quick saying whatever it is you’ve come to tell me.’

‘That’s fine!’ Sandy’s spirits lifted. If the Patricia was leaving in under half an hour then Bob Flowers mightn’t be such a threat to his plans as he’d feared.

‘Winnie’s not with you?’

‘No! I happened to be on the dockside and saw your boat was alongside so I thought I’d have a quick word.’

‘Yes? Well as I said it will have to be quick. I did mean to come to the market, but thought better of it.’ He grimaced uneasily. ‘The truth is I didn’t know how Winnie would take my news.’

‘Oh, what news is that?’

‘I got married during my last trip, and this is my last voyage. We’re going to live in Brisbane, Australia. I did promise Winnie I’d keep in touch,
but
you know how it is. Jasmine, that’s my wife, she’s a bit touchy about friends I’m leaving behind in England, and I was afraid that if Winnie wanted to keep in touch and write to me and so on, then Jasmine mightn’t take it too well.’

Sandy nodded sagely. ‘I understand, I know what women are like. Better for the two of you to drift apart quietly. Winnie’s got her life here in Liverpool so it’s not very likely that your paths will ever cross again if you are going to settle in Australia.’

‘You’re spot on, mate!’ Bob Flowers held out a hand. ‘Nice to have met you, and thanks for being so understanding. Not a word to Winnie, but you will keep an eye on her, won’t you? She’s a good kid.’

‘Yeah, no worries. She’ll be fine, so you can set your mind at rest on that score!’

And my mind will also be at rest as well, Sandy thought happily as he walked away whistling.

Peg was as good as her word. The following week she arranged for one of the workmen from the market to come to her house and give her bedroom a coat of cream emulsion to freshen it up. That done, she hung new curtains at the window and then helped Winnie to move her belongings into it before she took over the smaller room.

Once again Winnie began having doubts about whether it was fair to Sandy for them to get married. She knew he loved her as much as she loved him, and every minute they spent alone together
proved
that more and more, but there was still the question of her legs.

In her opinion they were so twisted and deformed that when he saw them properly for the first time, and saw how hideous they were, it would be enough to kill his feelings for her stone dead.

Sometimes she thought it would be more acceptable if she had no legs at all, rather than such thin, ugly and practically useless appendages over which she had so little control. She kept telling herself that as Sandy knew she couldn’t walk he must realise how deformed they were, but the thought that he had never seen them uncovered still bothered her.

When she mentioned it to Peg the older woman had pooh-poohed her anguish.

‘If he’d wanted a woman with fancy pins who pranced around in high heels he’d have found himself one,’ she said sharply. ‘You can’t have everything perfect in this life so be thankful that you have a pretty face, lovely hair and a nice nature. He’s absolutely daft about you so why on earth should he worry about your legs?’

Winnie’s eyes misted with tears and her chin wobbled. ‘Well, I worry about how they look all the time!’ she admitted.

‘Look, luv, they’re part of you, the same as his red hair is part of him. What you can’t change you have to accept. I’d bet anything you like that Sandy hasn’t given them legs of yours a second thought, leastwise not in the way you’re thinking, so stop snivelling and start helping me to make plans for
your
wedding day. We still haven’t decided on a dress for you to wear.’

Peg insisted that even if they were getting married in a Register Office then Winnie should wear white.

‘A long dress, a flowing train and orange blossom?’ Winnie said cynically.

Peg shook her head. ‘No, I thought a pretty dress, perhaps flower-sprigged on a white background.’

Winnie shook her head. ‘I’d look like Snow White in something like that. I don’t suit fancy clothes. It will have to be something plain.’

In the end there was a compromise. Winnie’s outfit was white, like Peg wanted her to wear, but it was an ankle-length straight skirt and a matching hip-length jacket, both in white linen. With it she wore white shoes and a white picture hat decorated with a single red rose at one side. Peg even insisted on decking out Winnie’s wheelchair with flowers and white satin ribbon.

With her black curls almost touching her shoulders, and carrying a posy of sweet peas in a variety of pastel shades, Winnie made a lovely bride. Her face was radiant with happiness as she took her place alongside Sandy, who looked very dashing in a dark suit, crisp white shirt and a dark red silk tie. They made such a handsome couple that Peg felt tears threatening. She was as proud of them as if they were her own children.

The ceremony was simple. Afterwards the three of them went to the State Restaurant in Dale Street for a celebratory meal. At the end of the meal, Peg
raised
her glass to toast their future happiness.

‘That’s the easy part over,’ she smiled. ‘Now it’s up to the pair of you to work hard to achieve this business you’ve set your hearts on.’

‘No, that will have to wait for quite a while yet, Peg,’ Sandy told her. ‘We’ve got a lot of saving up to do first.’

‘That’s where you’re wrong, Sandy.’ Peg rummaged around in the big black handbag that she carried everywhere with her. She had even insisted on carrying it to the wedding ceremony, even though it looked out of place with her bright blue flowered dress and plain blue coat.

‘You probably thought I hadn’t bought you a wedding present, but I’ve got something here for you, if I can find it.’

‘You’ve already given us the best wedding present you possibly could,’ Winnie assured her. ‘You’ve invited us into your house and even given up your bedroom to us.’

‘Yes, well that was so that you wouldn’t go and set up home somewhere else and leave me stranded all on my own, wasn’t it,’ Peg told her a little smugly. She pulled a thick envelope out of her bag and pushed it across the table towards them. ‘This is my wedding present to you both. Go on, open it.’

Sandy held it in his hand for a moment and then passed it to Winnie. ‘You open it,’ he whispered.

Frowning slightly, Winnie lifted the flap and drew out two documents. She looked at them, mystified, then her eyes widened. Silently she held them out to Sandy.

He gave a long low whistle as he scanned both of them, and there was a mixture of disbelief and amazement on his face as he looked across at Peg.

‘Is this really true?’ he asked thickly.

‘Says so there, doesn’t it?’

‘I’m not sure I understand what it’s all about?’ Winnie murmured uncertainly.

‘It means that Peg has not only found somewhere on the dockside where we can start our café, but she has signed a lease on it,’ Sandy exclaimed. He paused and looked at the documents again in disbelief. ‘Peg’s even paid the rent on the place for the next six months!’

Sandy frowned as he looked across at their benefactor. ‘It will probably take us at least a year before we can afford to pay this money back to you, Peg?’

‘Who said anything about paying it back? I’ve already told you that’s my wedding present to you.’

‘Peg, what can we say,’ Winnie gasped. ‘It’s absolutely wonderful!’

‘I’ve drawn up a list of suppliers and I’ve already placed an order for equipment, so all you two have got to do is get everything organised as quickly as possible.’

‘It would be great if we could be up and running before the holiday season ends,’ Sandy agreed. ‘Think of all the people who will be going over to New Brighton during the summer months! That should bring in enough business to put us on our feet.’

‘It will put all of us on our feet, won’t it, Peg?’
Winnie
said, reaching out and taking her hand and squeezing it affectionately.

Sandy rose from his chair and went and put his arms round the little woman and hugged her until she protested that he was squeezing her to death.

‘Don’t forget there are three of us in this business partnership,’ he told her. ‘Without your help we would still be only daydreaming about what we’d like to do. This’, he tapped the envelope containing the lease ‘makes everything possible. It turns our dreams into something that is really happening. You’ll never regret it, Peg. I’ll work my fingers to the bone to make a success of things.’