face, the way she held herself that made her presence so electric, not any ultra-daring revelation of flesh.
Her husband was in close attendance at the moment but Jenny knew he was due at the meeting. The man behind the bar said something to him, probably a reminder, for he nodded, spoke to his wife, then with a quick look round the room, he left.
Gwen too was looking round the room, more slowly, deliberately. Her gaze met Jenny’s and paused. Then she smiled an acknowledgment and dropped an eyelid in half a wink. Jenny was surprised to feel herself flattered by this hint of intimacy between them.
‘What’re you waiting for, Stan?’
Stanley stood up awkwardly.
‘Excuse me,’ he said. ‘I’ve got some work to do at home.’
He moved across the room and out of the door without a glance at Gwen.
‘My!’ said Sheila. ‘Perhaps he’s got delusions of grandeur and is playing hard to get.’
Jenny suddenly didn’t care for her in the least. She downed the remaining beer in her glass in one easy draught.
‘I think I’ll circulate a bit,’ she said. ‘It’s been nice having a chat.’
‘Suit yourself,’ said Sheila.
‘Cheerio.’
Near the bar she caught a glimpse of Marcus’s round head and began to make her way towards him. When she got a little closer she saw he was talking to the man she’d had the brush with when she first came in, and she hesitated in her progress. Marcus turned at that moment and saw her. His face showed surprise, then pleasure.
‘Jenny,’ he said. ‘Come and have a drink, love.’
She smiled back and squeezed through the intervening people to his side.
‘Are you by yourself?’ he asked, his eyes probing the further corners of the room.
‘Daddy’s in the committee meeting.’
‘Of course. I’m glad he decided to come. It’ll do him good to get out and about. You too. Here, what’ll you have?’
‘I’ll have a scotch if you insist.’
‘Oh, but I do. One scotch. You ready for another, Ted?’
He took the large man’s glass without waiting for a reply.
‘You know Ted, do you? Ted Morgan. This is Jenny Connon, Connie’s daughter. This is Ted. He’s the biggest gossip in the Club so be careful what you tell him about me. Won’t be a sec.’
Marcus turned to the bar and ruthlessly elbowed his way through to the pole position.
Jenny looked at Morgan with interest.
‘Look,’ he said. ‘I’m sorry if I was rude before. But I didn’t recognize you at first. I’ve only ever seen you a couple of times, with your dad at matches.’
His face was set into the perfect sympathetic mould now. But his eyes were still assessing what lay beneath her Marks and Spencer jumper.
Perhaps I should introduce them to him. Now this one on the left is Marks, and this other is Sparks. Say hello nicely.
She grinned at the thought and the solemn angles of Ted’s mouth relaxed also.
‘I’m sorry if I was rude to you, too, Mr Morgan.’
‘Call me Ted.’
‘Is it true what Marcus said? That you’re the biggest gossip in the Club?’
‘Certainly,’ said Ted. ‘Bigger than that, even. There’s not much happens here that I don’t know.’
He nodded with mock-solemnity. Jenny found herself quite liking him.
‘And how long have you been a member?’
‘Since I was a nipper. My dad didn’t like to beat me, so he made me join him.’
Jenny laughed with more enthusiasm than the witticism merited.
‘Ted hasn’t told you one of his jokes, has he? Be careful, Ted, will you? Jenny’s not one of your ancient barmaids.’
Marcus handed her a goblet of scotch and Ted another pint.
‘I’m being entertained very well, thank you, Marcus.’
‘Good-oh. Well, here’s how.’
They all drank. A loud outburst of laughter came from the bar. Jenny glanced over. The source was the group round Gwen Evans. Beyond them, just coming in through the door, she saw Pascoe. He edged his way through the standing drinkers and for a moment she thought he was going to join her,
Her husband was in close attendance at the moment but Jenny knew he was due at the meeting. The man behind the bar said something to him, probably a reminder, for he nodded, spoke to his wife, then with a quick look round the room, he left.
Gwen too was looking round the room, more slowly, deliberately. Her gaze met Jenny’s and paused. Then she smiled an acknowledgment and dropped an eyelid in half a wink. Jenny was surprised to feel herself flattered by this hint of intimacy between them.
‘What’re you waiting for, Stan?’
Stanley stood up awkwardly.
‘Excuse me,’ he said. ‘I’ve got some work to do at home.’
He moved across the room and out of the door without a glance at Gwen.
‘My!’ said Sheila. ‘Perhaps he’s got delusions of grandeur and is playing hard to get.’
Jenny suddenly didn’t care for her in the least. She downed the remaining beer in her glass in one easy draught.
‘I think I’ll circulate a bit,’ she said. ‘It’s been nice having a chat.’
‘Suit yourself,’ said Sheila.
‘Cheerio.’
Near the bar she caught a glimpse of Marcus’s round head and began to make her way towards him. When she got a little closer she saw he was talking to the man she’d had the brush with when she first came in, and she hesitated in her progress. Marcus turned at that moment and saw her. His face showed surprise, then pleasure.
‘Jenny,’ he said. ‘Come and have a drink, love.’
She smiled back and squeezed through the intervening people to his side.
‘Are you by yourself?’ he asked, his eyes probing the further corners of the room.
‘Daddy’s in the committee meeting.’
‘Of course. I’m glad he decided to come. It’ll do him good to get out and about. You too. Here, what’ll you have?’
‘I’ll have a scotch if you insist.’
‘Oh, but I do. One scotch. You ready for another, Ted?’
He took the large man’s glass without waiting for a reply.
‘You know Ted, do you? Ted Morgan. This is Jenny Connon, Connie’s daughter. This is Ted. He’s the biggest gossip in the Club so be careful what you tell him about me. Won’t be a sec.’
Marcus turned to the bar and ruthlessly elbowed his way through to the pole position.
Jenny looked at Morgan with interest.
‘Look,’ he said. ‘I’m sorry if I was rude before. But I didn’t recognize you at first. I’ve only ever seen you a couple of times, with your dad at matches.’
His face was set into the perfect sympathetic mould now. But his eyes were still assessing what lay beneath her Marks and Spencer jumper.
Perhaps I should introduce them to him. Now this one on the left is Marks, and this other is Sparks. Say hello nicely.
She grinned at the thought and the solemn angles of Ted’s mouth relaxed also.
‘I’m sorry if I was rude to you, too, Mr Morgan.’
‘Call me Ted.’
‘Is it true what Marcus said? That you’re the biggest gossip in the Club?’
‘Certainly,’ said Ted. ‘Bigger than that, even. There’s not much happens here that I don’t know.’
He nodded with mock-solemnity. Jenny found herself quite liking him.
‘And how long have you been a member?’
‘Since I was a nipper. My dad didn’t like to beat me, so he made me join him.’
Jenny laughed with more enthusiasm than the witticism merited.
‘Ted hasn’t told you one of his jokes, has he? Be careful, Ted, will you? Jenny’s not one of your ancient barmaids.’
Marcus handed her a goblet of scotch and Ted another pint.
‘I’m being entertained very well, thank you, Marcus.’
‘Good-oh. Well, here’s how.’
They all drank. A loud outburst of laughter came from the bar. Jenny glanced over. The source was the group round Gwen Evans. Beyond them, just coming in through the door, she saw Pascoe. He edged his way through the standing drinkers and for a moment she thought he was going to join her,
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