to.’
The relief in Tilly’s face matched Jack’s feelings. If his wife lost her work with Mr Keane, when he was still raking around for a bit of proper pay, it would have been hard on all of them. ‘Is old Keane sending the boys out looking for the Robertsons to get his stuff back? Don’t suppose they’ve gone far.’
‘Doubt he’ll bother unless he wants to stop anyone else doing likewise.’ Tilly shrugged. ‘The stuff they took was only fit for burning. The old table was full o’ worm and the chairs no better. The bed was scrap iron, and no door on the wardrobe. They had that off for firewood day after they turned up. You turned up anything today, Jack?’ Jack shook his head and accepted the cup of tea that Tilly held out to him. ‘I saw Jimmy today,’ he said, hoping to avoid further discussion about his lack of success job hunting. ‘Walkin’ arm in arm he was, with Nellie down Finsbury Park way.’ He shook his head and muttered, ‘Out walking bold as you like with a prossy. What’s he come to?’
‘Nuthin’,’ Tilly stated sourly. ‘That’s what he’s come to. And I ain’t wasting me breath talking about him. Have you been back to Basher to see if he’s got any work coming up in his houses?’
‘I’ve been putting meself in his way every day. Once his Brand Street places have been fumigated he says there might be a sniff of something. Bet he’s sick o’ the sight of me.’
‘Well, I ain’t sick o’ the sight of you, Jackie boy.’ Tilly knew she’d got off lightly with Mr Keane and relief had put her in a good mood. In a rare show of affection she grabbed one of her husband’s arms and rubbed her cheek on his rough shirtsleeve. ‘I still got me job with Mr Keane, thank Gawd, and sooner or later I’ll have them Robertsons for doing the dirty on me, you see if I don’t.’
Jack planted a kiss on top of his wife’s fiery head. ‘You will ‘n’ all, gel, won’t you.’
‘I feel sorry that Fran didn’t find herself someone like you,’ Tilly muttered against his arm. She felt his muscle flex beneath her cheek as he happily registered her compliment. Then a few of his fingers sank into her hair, tilting up her head so their eyes collided.
‘You don’t want to go sweet talkin’ me, Til,’ he growled, his eyes alight with amusement. ‘Not unless you’re prepared for a bit of a lie down in the middle o’ the afternoon.’
She went on tiptoe and kissed him full on the mouth. ‘That’s all yer getting,’ she warned, sliding a teasing finger between their lips. ‘We got one swollen belly in the family ‘n’ that’s enough fer me …’ She gave a squeal as Jack tried to wrestle away the hand fending him off. A moment later they’d broken apart and Tilly was rolling up her sleeves and stacking crockery in the bowl.
‘Got a job, Dad,’ Alice announced proudly as she came into the front room. She’d been up the road to the shop with Lucy toddling at her side. Now she put tea and bread on the table and lifted her little sister onto the bed to rest her little legs.
‘More doorsteps?’ her dad asked interestedly. ‘Ain’t you got enough chores to do on a Saturday morning, Al?’
‘And that reminds me,’ Tilly butted in, clattering cups. ‘Beth can take on your doorsteps now you don’t want them, Al. Don’t let nobody else take ’em on. Beth’s plenty old enough to be doing more’n running old Beattie’s errands for a few coppers.’
Alice nodded then resumed her conversation with her dad. ‘I’ve got a proper job. At the toy factory, working full-time.’
Jack laughed. ‘You’re not old enough to work full-time in a factory.’
‘She’s old enough. She got offered the job,’ Tilly said firmly, her eyes clashing on her husband’s. ‘She starts Monday.’
Jack stared in disbelief. ‘She only turns thirteen tomorrow,’ he spluttered. ‘What about school?’
‘She’s finished her schoolin’,’ Tilly stated. The deed was done and it was staying done, no matter what Jack said. ‘She’s learned enough … all she needs to know. Now she’s working.’
Jack looked thoughtfully at Alice and for a moment said nothing. ‘You alright with that, Alice?’ he finally asked.
Alice grinned. ‘Yeah, I’m alright with it, Dad. Can’t wait to tell Sarah. She’ll want a job as well. But I got the last one, I think. I turned up right on time, just as Tina Baker told Mr Wright she was leaving.’
‘Well, what d’yer know … Keivers had a bit of good luck for a change,’ Tilly muttered wryly.
On Monday morning Alice was up bright and early even though she didn’t need to report to Mr Wright’s office till eight-thirty. He’d said that straight off he’d introduce her to the forelady in charge of her section. She needed to be shown what to do on the first day and get used to the machinery. She’d probably do packing to start while she learned the ropes, he’d told her.
Alice dressed in her good skirt and clean white blouse and was tying back her dark hair neatly when Sophy opened the door.
‘Forgotten something?’ Tilly demanded to know why Sophy had returned home. She’d only set off for work about fifteen minutes ago.
‘Feel bad, Mum,’ Sophy explained faintly. ‘I can’t go to work. Ain’t up to it. I came home ’cos I feel like I’m gonna pass out.’ Sophy rubbed at her belly and grimaced in pain.
Having studied her eldest daughter’s face Tilly decided she wasn’t pulling a fast one. She did look a strange colour. ‘Get yourself in bed for an hour or so then.’ Tilly impatiently flapped a hand at the back room. ‘But you’d better do a shift this afternoon. Y’know your dad’s scraping around for decent work now Basher’s put him off.’ In a temper Tilly started grabbing plates and cups and banged them into the tin bowl. ‘You got yourself into this mess, my gel, you’ll just have to put up with the consequences. Hard lesson to learn, ain’t it!’ she shouted as Sophy slipped away into the back room.
‘I’ll do that, Mum. I’m not leaving yet.’ Alice offered, knowing that her mother was angry with Sophy because of her lost pay and hoping to smooth things over a bit.
Tilly shoved the bowl across the table towards Alice. ‘You can do it ‘n’ all. I’ve got better things to do. Sophy, you watch out for Lucy ’cos Alice’s got to go to work soon.’ Tilly bawled that out as she grabbed her coat then barged out of the door.
Alice smiled at her little sister who was sitting in the middle of the bed. Lucy held out her arms to be picked up and Alice went to her to give her a cuddle. ‘I’m goin’ to work, Luce,’ she whispered into her soft brown hair. ‘And when I get me first pay I’m gonna buy you a present. A big bun?’ she suggested, widening her eyes at her little sister.
‘Chips,’ Lucy said, having removed her thumb from her mouth.
‘Right, chips it is,’ Alice chuckled. At twenty months old her little sister was bright as a button, especially where something nice to eat was concerned. ‘Then when I’m old enough, ‘n’ I’ve got me own place, you can come ‘n’ live with me, Luce. Would you like that?’
Lucy solemnly moved her head up and down, her eyes clinging to Alice’s face, her thumb again between her lips.
A loud groan made Alice swing about with Lucy in her
