Alice speeded up along Campbell Road when she saw Geoff leaning against the railing outside their houses, waiting for her to reach him. She grinned. ‘I got me job back,’ she told him, and, less inhibited than she’d been with her boss, she grabbed one of Geoff’s long arms and gave it a squeeze that incorporated her gratitude and excitement. ‘Ain’t easy work,’ she bubbled on. ‘Ain’t half noisy there ‘n’ all. But Annie’s showing me what to do, and I’m pickin’ it up already.’ She turned to go in. ‘Must tell Mum.’ She swung back to Geoff. ‘Thanks for helping me earlier. Think me boss knew I wasn’t muckin’ about when I took the notice in with me. Think he was quite impressed I did that. He knew I was serious about keeping me job, you see.’
‘Glad to help,’ Geoff said. Suddenly he pulled a piece of fabric from a pocket. ‘Dunno if yer dad might make use of this. I already got a few scarves and me old man’ll never suit it.’ He held out a length of charcoal-grey silk.
Reverently Alice touched the slubbed silk, running her fingers over it. She could tell it was of beautiful quality. ‘You don’t want it?’ she murmured in awe.
‘Got no use for it,’ Geoff said bluntly. ‘And Dan ain’t havin’ it, that’s fer sure.’ He looked at Alice as she hesitated in taking the gift. ‘Don’t have to have it. I can sell it on. Just thought as your dad’s got a sort of gentleman way about him, he might wear it on occasions; you know, weddings ‘n’ funerals. But if it ain’t his sort of thing …’ He made to withdraw his hand, and his gift, but Alice snatched at the scarf.
‘No … he’ll like it … he will … I know he will.’ She folded the soft silk neatly and held it. ‘Thanks,’ she said quietly, for a moment keeping her eyes lowered from his. She knew that really the gift was for her. But Geoff was right; her dad did have a gentleman way about him, and he deserved such a splendid thing. She must find a private moment to give the scarf to him. If her mother saw it she’d have it down the pawnshop first thing in the morning then she might spend the afternoon drinking whiskey in the Duke with Aunt Fran.
With a shy smile for Geoff she turned to go in. Looking back, she gruffly repeated her thanks before she ran up the stairs.
‘Back room,’ was her mother’s greeting and instruction when Alice burst in to tell her the good news about her job.
Alice swung a glance between her parents. She understood why she was banished from their presence. Her mother had obviously not finished telling her father what had happened to Sophy earlier. Such conversations between them were, as far as possible considering the cramped condition of their home, done in private.
Alice gave her dad a tiny smile then went to see how Sophy was. She found her looking pale but sitting on the bed brushing little Lucy’s hair. When she asked about Bethany’s whereabouts Sophy said she thought she was on an errand, getting Beattie Evans some snuff from the shop.
Having seated herself beside Sophy, Alice pulled out the scarf from her pocket then related how she’d come by it. ‘Don’t tell Mum, or she’ll have it off me soon as she can.’
Sophy took the silk and, holding it up, twisted her wrist to look at it from different angles. ‘It’s really nice.’ She gave her verdict and handed it back.
‘Yeah; and it’s a present for Dad.’
‘Why’d Geoff give it to you?’
Alice shrugged, keeping her expression neutral. She wasn’t about to tell Sophy that she thought Geoff had taken a fancy to her. For some reason that seemed private, just for her and Geoff to know. ‘He said he don’t want it,’ she explained airily. ‘And he won’t give it to Danny ’cos they’ve fell out over him not treating you right.’
The mention of Danny’s name made Sophy’s eyes narrow to slits in her white face. ‘Good. He don’t deserve nuthin’,’ she said spitefully. ‘All he deserves is a good thumping.’
‘Perhaps when he finds out you’re not having the baby after all he’ll come round to see you. Geoff reckons he feels right guilty about it all but he doesn’t want to be tied down.’
‘Well, I don’t care anyhow; he can fuck off,’ Sophy choked out on a sob.
Alice looked shocked on hearing her sister’s bad language.
There were three rules the Keiver kids must obey on pain of a thrashing: no swearing, no thieving and no drinking. It didn’t seem to matter that their parents, especially their mother, indulged liberally in at least two of those sins. If Tilly had also been light-fingered on occasion, when working as a charwoman for wealthy clients, she’d been shrewder than those colleagues who brazenly boasted that having a few of their employer’s little bits was their right considering the pittance they were paid. She’d also kept any hint of it from her family, including her husband. Keivers didn’t lower themselves to steal; that was Tilly’s motto.’Don’t let Mum hear you talk like that,’ Alice cautioned with a grimace at the door.
‘Is Dan really sorry, d’you think?’ Sophy asked forlornly.
Alice shrugged. She wished now she’d not let on what Geoff had told her. She felt as though she’d broken a confidence even though he’d not asked her to keep their conversation to herself. ‘Hope they’re not gonna be long chin-wagging; I’m starving and want me tea.’ She stood up abruptly, shaking off a feeling of melancholy. Besides, it had just occurred to Alice that, what with the commotion earlier, and her fight to keep her job, she’d gone without a morsel to eat all day.
‘Won’t be nothing much to have,’ Sophy said morosely. ‘Bit of bread ‘n’ scrape if we’re lucky.’
‘Fancy chips,’ Alice said, smacking her lips. ‘Chips with loads of salt ‘n’ vinegar. I wish it were Friday and I’d got paid. On Friday I’m eating me tea in a caff down Blackstock Road. I’ll treat you too this week.’ Alice knew that Sophy always took her payday tea in a café, despite her mum insisting she come straight home with her wages. Sophy knew better than to do so: she could end up losing the lot if their mother was in a particularly foul mood. Several times Sophy had treated Alice to a cup of tea and a big sticky bun too out of her wages. Alice thought it was only fair that she returned the favour now she was able. But the thought of such delights now, when she was hungry, simply made her stomach grumble noisily.
‘D’you reckon Beth’ll get a few coppers off old Beattie for running her errand?’
Alice nodded, knowing at once what Sophy was thinking. ‘How much you got?’ she asked bluntly.
‘Enough for a ha’penny and a ha’porth.’ For those two coins she’d get a piece of fish and a portion of chips.
‘I got sixpence,’ Alice said triumphantly and pulled the coin out to show her sister.
‘We got enough for a drink ‘n’ all then,’ Sophy said with a giggle.
‘You fit to go out?’ Alice asked anxiously as her sister got up feebly from the bed edge.
‘Yeah, already sorted meself out,’ Sophy said succinctly.
‘We’ll catch Beth outside, before she comes back in, and say we’re all off up the road to tell Sarah Whitton about me job. If Mum thinks we’re out for fish ‘n’ chips she’ll have our pockets turned out.’ She added as a solemn afterthought, ‘Then Dad’ll lose his scarf fer sure.’
