Winnie of the Waterfront (26 page)

‘I know you will,’ she told him, smiling broadly. ‘Both of you will, I know that, and I promise you’ll have my full support. You can count on me putting my twopennyworth into making a success of this venture as well.’

Chapter Twenty-seven

THIS WAS THE
moment of truth, Winnie thought in alarm as they returned to Skirving Court after their celebratory meal.

As soon as they reached home, Peg tactfully said that she was so tired she could hardly keep her eyes open and went straight up to bed.

The moment they were left alone, Sandy took Winnie in his arms and held her close. ‘Well, how does it feel to be Mrs Sandy Coulson?’ he asked, his green eyes gleaming with desire as he gently held her face between his hands.

Before Winnie could answer his mouth had claimed her trembling lips. Momentarily all her pent-up fears came to the fore, and then, just as quickly, they evaporated as she responded to the urgency of his mouth.

As the tension vanished so her own anticipation took over. She returned Sandy’s kisses with equal fervour. Her hands stroked his face and neck, entwined themselves in his thick hair, pulling his face closer to her own.

When their passion heightened Sandy swept her up in his arms and carried her up to their bedroom. As he lowered her onto the bed and began to remove her clothes her fears returned, and for a fleeting moment she wanted to push him away – and run!

Her heart was pounding. Run! She couldn’t even walk out of the room without her sticks! She had no option but to submit to him.

Tonight might be the only time in her whole life that she ever experienced a man making love to her, she reminded herself. It might have to be her sole opportunity of being a woman, so why not enjoy the experience to the full?

After tonight, once Sandy realised the full extent of her crippled disfigurement, he might vanish from her life for ever.

She wouldn’t blame him, she wouldn’t attempt to stop him; she would simply be grateful for this one night of love.

Even if he did go, she knew it would make no difference at all to the way she felt about him. Her love would remain as strong as ever and it would be everlasting. She’d love him as long as there was breath in her body.

In his haste to take her to bed, Sandy hadn’t pulled the curtains and moonlight spilled into the room casting a magical glow over everything. As he peeled off his clothes Winnie marvelled at the beauty of his muscular body. She had never seen a man completely naked before and she was intrigued and astonished by his physique as well as filled with wonder.

As the moonlight illuminated the room, bathing him in its silvery light, she studied every plane and every muscle of her husband, from his broad shoulders and defined waist to his slim, strong buttocks and thighs.

She thrilled to his touch as he gently stroked
every
inch of her body. His caresses inflamed her senses. As he nibbled at her ear lobe she pulled his head lower. His lips were hot and demanding as they encircled first one nipple and then the other. As his hands moved down over her hips, fear and desire pulsed through her. What would happen when his exploring fingers felt the tops of her wasted legs?

Sandy’s passion equalled her own. His tender whispering, his eager hands carried her to new peaks of need. Her fears vanished as she felt a dizzing uprush of emotion. She joyously accepted the sharp stabbing pain as he entered her, exultant because it signalled their complete union. Now she was a woman; fulfilled. She was Sandy Coulson’s wife as well as his partner.

The waves of sensation as he moved inside her swamped all else from her mind. She joined with him on a coaster roll of pure bliss that increased until she felt she would explode with sheer joy.

They climaxed simultaneously. Exhausted and sublimely content they lay curled in each other’s arms as sleep claimed them both.

When she wakened the next morning, Winnie lay for a moment wondering where she was. What was she doing in Peg’s room and in Peg’s bed? As she moved her arms she became aware that she was naked. She always wore a nightdress, a long one to cover her legs, so what had happened to it?

In a flash it was all back. The wedding, the celebration meal, and then being carried upstairs by Sandy.

So where was he now? Had she overslept? Had he gone to work? She tried to concentrate, but she still felt as if she was mesmerised by all that had happened. Then her fears came swirling back. Had Sandy gone? Had he left her because he’d been so shocked when he’d seen her legs for the first time?

She buried her face in the pillow, going over the wonder of everything that had happened, and tried to shut out her fears.

A noise startled her. She looked up to see Sandy coming into the bedroom carrying two mugs in his hand. He placed them down on the table at her side of the bed before bending down and kissing her.

‘Move over, make room for me to sit down!’ Gently, but as if it was the most natural thing in the world to do, he lifted her wasted legs out of his way.

As he sat there, his hand resting on her withered thigh, her happiness was so great that she was lost for words. After all her nightmares, thinking that he would be appalled by her disfigurement, his acceptance of it without comment was unbelievable.

It seemed inconceivable, but obviously he had meant every word when he’d said that her legs made no difference at all to his feelings for her.

‘So, what are our plans for today?’ Sandy asked as they sipped their mugs of tea.

She shook her head and smiled. How could she tell him that she hadn’t made any plans because she wasn’t sure that he would be there to share them with her.

‘I think we should go down to the Pier Head and take a look at this place Peg has leased, don’t you?’ Sandy suggested.

Their new venture! She nodded eagerly. It was still hard to believe that they were going to be running their own business, doing exactly what they had dreamed about.

Reg Willard was incandescent with rage when a couple of days later Sandy told him that he was quitting his job.

‘What’s wrong with you all? Peg Mullins and that girlfriend of yours, Winnie Malloy, have also said they’re packing in,’ he scowled, ‘and now you’re going to leave me in the lurch as well.’

‘You should have let me have a stall here in Paddy’s Market and then I wouldn’t have had to leave in order to set up elsewhere.’

‘Don’t give me that!’ Willard sneered. ‘You should be thanking me that I stopped you from making a bloody fool of yourself. What do you know about running a stall, or any other kind of business?’

‘I’ve been taking lessons from you for years, haven’t I?’ Sandy grinned.

Reg Willard’s scowl deepened. ‘You’re a cheeky young bugger, do you know that?’

‘Like I said, I’ve been watching how it’s done and now I’m ready to give it a go.’

‘Oh yes! And where are you going to do that? I know you haven’t managed to get a stall at St John’s Market because the inspector there is a mate of mine and I’ve made bloody sure you didn’t.’

‘Who said anything about going there?’ Sandy asked flippantly.

‘So where are you setting up then?’

‘Right away from here! Nowhere that will interfere with you, so don’t worry,’ Sandy told him mildly.

‘We’ll see about that,’ Reg muttered. ‘If you think you can sell second-hand goods anywhere within a twenty-mile radius of here then you’ll find you’ve made one big mistake. Even if you’re thinking of walking round the streets selling door-to-door from a handcart I’ll have it stopped unless you’ve got a proper licence. You put one foot wrong and I’ll get the scuffers on to you, just remember that.’

‘Who said anything about peddling second-hand stuff?’ Sandy countered.

‘I’ve heard the rumours! That’s about all you’re any good for, isn’t it?’ Reg said scornfully. ‘I’ve watched you and I know what I’m talking about. Unless someone is right behind you, issuing the instructions, you don’t know what to do next. There’s a lot more to being a businessman than wearing a collar and tie and being top dog. You need know-how and experience. You also need money behind you. You couldn’t even find the dough to pay for a stall in advance, now, could you?’

‘Perhaps it’s as well I couldn’t,’ Sandy laughed. ‘I’d never have got this opportunity to make a success of my life otherwise.’

Willard’s eyes narrowed. ‘What’s that supposed to mean?’

‘If I had been able to dib up a year’s rent like
you
demanded, then I’d probably have ended up stuck here in this dump for the rest of my life,’ Sandy retaliated.

Reg Willard’s jaw tightened. ‘Except for the fact that I wouldn’t let you have a stall, if you remember! Think about it, Sandy, you’re doing all right. I treat you well, give you your head, what more do you want?’

‘To be my own boss.’

‘So where are you going to set up, and what sort of business is it going to be?’ Reg Willard pressed.

Sandy grinned and tapped the side of his nose with his forefinger. ‘I’ll send you an invitation to the opening and then you’ll be able to see for yourself, won’t you!’

‘Is that young Winnie going to be in on this venture with you?’

‘You mean my wife?’

‘Wife! You’ve gone and married her? You must be out of your mind! You young fool, I never thought you were that stupid. She’s a bloody cripple!’

‘And what difference does that make? She probably works harder and has more brains and common sense than most women.’

‘Works hard! Is that what you call pouring cups of tea and making sandwiches,’ Reg Willard scoffed. ‘You don’t have to be a genius to do that. Even old Peg Mullins can manage that much!’

Sandy chewed the inside of his mouth to stop himself from saying something he would regret
later
on. He knew Reg Willard was goading him because he was annoyed, not only that Sandy was leaving but because he wasn’t taking him into his confidence.

‘If you are going to make a success of business in this world then you don’t want to be held back by lumbering yourself with unnecessary burdens!’ Reg Willard pontificated. His small eyes narrowed. ‘Peg Mullins is joining you both in this little venture, isn’t she? That’s why she said she was packing in. At the time I thought she meant that she was getting too old to work and was going to retire, but I see it all now!’ He guffawed loudly. ‘A young fool, a cripple and a doddering old hag! Some business you’ll be running! You’ll end up pushing them both about in that bleeding wheelchair before you’re done!’

Sandy took a step back, squaring his shoulders, his face distorted with anger. ‘I think you’ve said enough, Mr Willard,’ he snapped.

‘Oh yes, the truth hurts, doesn’t it,’ Reg Willard sneered. ‘You’ll live to rue your actions, you take my word for it. Only a bloody headstrong young fool would be gullible enough to saddle himself with a cripple and let a worn-out old hag like Peg Mullins hang on to your shirt-tail.’

Sandy’s hands curled into fists. ‘Watch your tongue,’ he snarled. ‘If you weren’t old enough to be my father I’d smash your face in!’

‘If you think you’ve managed to get yourself some cheap labour then think again. You’ll find the pair of them are millstones round your neck, and all they’ll ever do is drag you under,’ Willard jibed.

‘I was going to work out my week’s notice, but now to hell with you!’ Sandy told him. ‘For your sake I hope our paths don’t cross in the future because I never want to set eyes on you ever again.’

Chapter Twenty-eight

FIRED UP BY
his row with Reg Willard, Sandy put his back into getting the dockside premises ready. It had previously been the annexe to a warehouse, but he was determined to convert it into something suitable for their purpose.

With the help of two casual workers he divided it so that they could use one end as a kitchen and store for their provisions, and the remainder as the café. A few coats of a light blue emulsion and check curtains at the windows took away the rawness. Finally, when it was fitted out with tables and chairs its whole appearance seemed to change.

While Sandy was working hard on this, Peg and Winnie concentrated on buying the equipment and supplies they were going to need.

Winnie was worried about how much it must be costing, but Peg told her not to worry. ‘Leave that side of things to me. I won’t spend more than we can afford.’

‘In that case you won’t be spending very much,’ Winnie said grimly. ‘Sandy has spent all the money that we had saved up on the materials and labour, so that he can smarten the place up.’

‘I’ll take care of the rest, now don’t you worry about it,’ Peg told her. ‘You be prepared to scoot
around
in that chair of yours and collect all the stuff that is too heavy for me to carry.’

As it was, there was very little of that to do. Most of Peg’s contacts were only too pleased that she had become a customer in her own right. Even though she drove a hard bargain when it came to prices, they were still willing to deliver.

One of the first things the three of them had to agree on was a name for their new venture.

‘Sandy, you ought to get a sign made and put up before you do anything else, so that our suppliers know where they have to deliver to,’ Peg pointed out.

‘I know, but before I can do that we have to decide on a name for the place.’

‘It needs to be something that’s easy to remember, as well as telling them where it is, otherwise they’ll have difficulty finding us,’ Peg pointed out.

They tossed a variety of names backwards and forwards between themselves, but they couldn’t agree on any of them.

‘Leave it to me, I’ll come up with something,’ Sandy told them.

‘Make it soon, then,’ Peg urged.

Next morning, when the three of them set out for the Pier Head, Sandy was smirking to himself, wondering how they would react when they saw the name he’d decided on. He’d persuaded a sign-writer to paint it the evening before and the carpenter had promised he’d have it in position before Winnie and Peg arrived first thing the next morning. Now, as they approached the Pier Head,
he
could hardly wait to see it for himself.