straight line. Here she was with a bit of juicy gossip, and they didn’t believe her. ‘And I suppose yer’ll say the coalman is obliging as well?’
‘What the hell has the coalman got to do with it?’ Peg asked. ‘Yer can’t tell me he comes around at half-eight after the milkman’s left?’
‘Because she’s bleedin’ well having it off with him, too!’ Elsie was getting to the state where she felt like clocking every one of them. ‘Hers is the only house he goes in, and he’s there for half an hour. Every Tuesday, like clockwork, he goes in with hands as black as the hobs of hell, and comes out with them snow white.’
‘The simple answer to that, Elsie, is that the woman asks him to wash his hands before he makes the bed.’ Billy wasreally enjoying himself, he thought it was hilarious. ‘That’s what anyone would think if they didn’t have a bad mind.’
‘What would yer say if I told yer that the milkman doesn’t get no money, nor the coalman?’ Elsie was red in the face by this time. ‘I suppose yer’ll say that apart from being very obliging and making her bed for her, the two bleedin’ men are also very generous?’
Peg slapped her on the back. ‘No, queen, we think it’s the woman what’s generous. I mean, everyone in your street can’t be wrong, can they? But just out of curiosity, what film star does this generous woman look like? She must have plenty going for her, snaffling two men from under yer noses.’
‘She’s nothing to write home about, that’s what we can’t understand.’ The bell rang to signal it was time to get back to their workbenches, and as she stood up, Elsie got her own back. But she made sure she wasn’t standing too close to Peg when she added, ‘She looks a lot like you, actually, now as I come to think about it.’ Before her mate had time to digest her words, she took to her heels and legged it, with Peg in hot pursuit.
As they walked through the canteen door, Bob said, ‘It’s amazing what a good laugh can do, isn’t it, Kate? I feel a helluva lot better than I did an hour ago.’
Kate grinned. ‘I thought Elsie was going to burst a blood vessel when they were pulling her leg. She wanted to be dead serious and they wouldn’t let her.’
‘We still don’t know whether the woman’s a harlot or just a pleasant, friendly soul who likes giving out cups of tea.’
‘I think that’s the trouble. The whole street doesn’t know what to make of it either.’ Kate veered to the left when they came to the nut and bolt section. ‘I’ll see yer tomorrow, then, Bob.’
‘Yeah, see yer tomorrow, Kate. Take care.’
Lucy sat at the table, her head bent as she chewed on theover-toasted bread. She didn’t look at her mother who was sitting in her favourite chair, smoking as usual. It was seldom you saw her without a cigarette these days, she was always puffing away like a chimney. But Lucy wasn’t going to do or say anything that would bring on her temper. Today she wanted to go out to school without having to listen to a load of abuse. She was so excited about going to the pictures with Mr Titch and the boys, she wanted nothing to happen that would mar her happiness.
Ruby watched her daughter through a cloud of smoke. She’s keeping her nose clean today, she thought. And well she might, with all the attention she was getting. New clothes, bought with money that should have come into the housekeeping purse, going in next door to play cards and be fussed over, even though she knew it was against her mother’s wishes that she got matey with that crowd. And now, to top it all, Titch McBride was taking her to the pictures tonight. He’d spurned Ruby’s offer of a cup of tea and a friendly chat and was rubbing salt in the wound by taking her daughter out. And all these things had been sanctioned by her dear husband. Well, there was little she could do to pay Bob back, but she could certainly make life unpleasant for his daughter.
Lucy lifted her
‘What the hell has the coalman got to do with it?’ Peg asked. ‘Yer can’t tell me he comes around at half-eight after the milkman’s left?’
‘Because she’s bleedin’ well having it off with him, too!’ Elsie was getting to the state where she felt like clocking every one of them. ‘Hers is the only house he goes in, and he’s there for half an hour. Every Tuesday, like clockwork, he goes in with hands as black as the hobs of hell, and comes out with them snow white.’
‘The simple answer to that, Elsie, is that the woman asks him to wash his hands before he makes the bed.’ Billy wasreally enjoying himself, he thought it was hilarious. ‘That’s what anyone would think if they didn’t have a bad mind.’
‘What would yer say if I told yer that the milkman doesn’t get no money, nor the coalman?’ Elsie was red in the face by this time. ‘I suppose yer’ll say that apart from being very obliging and making her bed for her, the two bleedin’ men are also very generous?’
Peg slapped her on the back. ‘No, queen, we think it’s the woman what’s generous. I mean, everyone in your street can’t be wrong, can they? But just out of curiosity, what film star does this generous woman look like? She must have plenty going for her, snaffling two men from under yer noses.’
‘She’s nothing to write home about, that’s what we can’t understand.’ The bell rang to signal it was time to get back to their workbenches, and as she stood up, Elsie got her own back. But she made sure she wasn’t standing too close to Peg when she added, ‘She looks a lot like you, actually, now as I come to think about it.’ Before her mate had time to digest her words, she took to her heels and legged it, with Peg in hot pursuit.
As they walked through the canteen door, Bob said, ‘It’s amazing what a good laugh can do, isn’t it, Kate? I feel a helluva lot better than I did an hour ago.’
Kate grinned. ‘I thought Elsie was going to burst a blood vessel when they were pulling her leg. She wanted to be dead serious and they wouldn’t let her.’
‘We still don’t know whether the woman’s a harlot or just a pleasant, friendly soul who likes giving out cups of tea.’
‘I think that’s the trouble. The whole street doesn’t know what to make of it either.’ Kate veered to the left when they came to the nut and bolt section. ‘I’ll see yer tomorrow, then, Bob.’
‘Yeah, see yer tomorrow, Kate. Take care.’
Lucy sat at the table, her head bent as she chewed on theover-toasted bread. She didn’t look at her mother who was sitting in her favourite chair, smoking as usual. It was seldom you saw her without a cigarette these days, she was always puffing away like a chimney. But Lucy wasn’t going to do or say anything that would bring on her temper. Today she wanted to go out to school without having to listen to a load of abuse. She was so excited about going to the pictures with Mr Titch and the boys, she wanted nothing to happen that would mar her happiness.
Ruby watched her daughter through a cloud of smoke. She’s keeping her nose clean today, she thought. And well she might, with all the attention she was getting. New clothes, bought with money that should have come into the housekeeping purse, going in next door to play cards and be fussed over, even though she knew it was against her mother’s wishes that she got matey with that crowd. And now, to top it all, Titch McBride was taking her to the pictures tonight. He’d spurned Ruby’s offer of a cup of tea and a friendly chat and was rubbing salt in the wound by taking her daughter out. And all these things had been sanctioned by her dear husband. Well, there was little she could do to pay Bob back, but she could certainly make life unpleasant for his daughter.
Lucy lifted her
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