into the face of BillyBoil. He was not looking at me now: he stood in the middle of a group of his followers, twirling my cap nonchalantly on an index finger, gazing about him to see if I was under anyone’s protection.
‘’Ere on your own? That’s very brave of you, ain’t it? Come to see lover boy fight?’
‘Give me that!’ I said in a fury, making a grab for my cap.
‘Oops!’ said Billy with a taunting smile as he sent the hat sailing over my head to a pox-faced boy on the other side. Pox-face dangled the cap just out of reach, pulling it away each time I jumped to snatch it back. Billy’s gang, simple minds all, hooted with laughter. I, however, was not amused. I felt hot with humiliation and was annoyed that I teetered so perilously close to tears.
‘Aw, look, boys! The little pussycat doesn’t like playing with us!’ jeered Billy when his sharp eye spotted me wipe away a tear of anger.
Sick of their teasing, I tried to make a run for it, determined to abandon my hat if this was the only way of escape, but Billy stepped forward to catch me by the back of my jacket. Reluctantthough I am to admit this, Reader, I have to say that Billy does have his boys well trained for his gang quickly formed a ring around me, shutting me in as well as hiding me from any friends who might be looking for me.
‘Such a shame she don’t like playing with us, for I ’eard Little Miss Cat wanted to be in a gang.’ Billy pulled me towards him. ‘I’d even ’eard that the blockhead butcher didn’t want ’er, so I thought to myself, I thought, why not let ’er join me gang? Add a bit of class, she would.’ Billy grabbed my cap from Pox-face and presented it to me with a bow. ‘Wot you say to that?’
I took the hat suspiciously, expecting him to whip it away again at the last moment, but he didn’t. I quickly stuffed it back on my head and made a dash to escape. He gave another tug on my jacket, bringing me back like a fish on a line.
‘Not so fast. You ain’t given me your answer.’
‘Answer?’ I asked warily, feeling like a sheep surrounded by a pack of wolves.
‘Yeah. Do you want to join my gang?’
I stopped pulling away from him.
‘You’re joking.’
‘I’m not.’
I gazed up into Billy’s hard green eyes but saw no mockery in them, only cold calculation. ‘Why me?’
He looked away and winked at his followers. ‘Gawd, girl, I’m not askin’ you to marry me nor nuffink! Why not you? You’re as good as many a boy I know . . . and better than some.’
Despite myself, I felt a rush of pleasure to hear this compliment from Billy Shepherd of all people. He was offering me a chance to really belong in Covent Garden, to move from the sidelines where Syd had put me and join in with the boys’ adventures, to be party to the secret signs and passwords of a gang. I was tempted, sorely tempted. If only the offer had come from Syd, who I admired and trusted, and not from his devious rival! I would have to refuse, of course, but . . . I looked round the ring of faces, hard-bitten, tough characters all. What would they do to me when I said no?
‘That’s very decent of you, Billy,’ I began, backing away from him, looking for an escaperoute, a weak spot in the wall. Perhaps if I ducked under the biggest boy’s legs? ‘But you don’t want a girl like me in your gang.’
He gave me a broad grin and tipped his hat back on his head. He smirked at his boys. ‘See, I’d told you I’d ’ave to woo ’er!’ He turned back to me. ‘You’re wrong, girl. That’s just what I want.’
‘But I’m useless at fighting . . . I’d let you down.’
His grin, if anything, got wider. It was like looking into the jaws of a Nile crocodile waiting to swallow me up. ‘Don’t believe it, Cat. You’re a terror when your blood’s up . . . a real little wildcat with ’er claws out. Anyway, I want other talents in my gang than fightin’. I’ve got Meatpie Matt ’ere to do the punchin’.’ He
‘’Ere on your own? That’s very brave of you, ain’t it? Come to see lover boy fight?’
‘Give me that!’ I said in a fury, making a grab for my cap.
‘Oops!’ said Billy with a taunting smile as he sent the hat sailing over my head to a pox-faced boy on the other side. Pox-face dangled the cap just out of reach, pulling it away each time I jumped to snatch it back. Billy’s gang, simple minds all, hooted with laughter. I, however, was not amused. I felt hot with humiliation and was annoyed that I teetered so perilously close to tears.
‘Aw, look, boys! The little pussycat doesn’t like playing with us!’ jeered Billy when his sharp eye spotted me wipe away a tear of anger.
Sick of their teasing, I tried to make a run for it, determined to abandon my hat if this was the only way of escape, but Billy stepped forward to catch me by the back of my jacket. Reluctantthough I am to admit this, Reader, I have to say that Billy does have his boys well trained for his gang quickly formed a ring around me, shutting me in as well as hiding me from any friends who might be looking for me.
‘Such a shame she don’t like playing with us, for I ’eard Little Miss Cat wanted to be in a gang.’ Billy pulled me towards him. ‘I’d even ’eard that the blockhead butcher didn’t want ’er, so I thought to myself, I thought, why not let ’er join me gang? Add a bit of class, she would.’ Billy grabbed my cap from Pox-face and presented it to me with a bow. ‘Wot you say to that?’
I took the hat suspiciously, expecting him to whip it away again at the last moment, but he didn’t. I quickly stuffed it back on my head and made a dash to escape. He gave another tug on my jacket, bringing me back like a fish on a line.
‘Not so fast. You ain’t given me your answer.’
‘Answer?’ I asked warily, feeling like a sheep surrounded by a pack of wolves.
‘Yeah. Do you want to join my gang?’
I stopped pulling away from him.
‘You’re joking.’
‘I’m not.’
I gazed up into Billy’s hard green eyes but saw no mockery in them, only cold calculation. ‘Why me?’
He looked away and winked at his followers. ‘Gawd, girl, I’m not askin’ you to marry me nor nuffink! Why not you? You’re as good as many a boy I know . . . and better than some.’
Despite myself, I felt a rush of pleasure to hear this compliment from Billy Shepherd of all people. He was offering me a chance to really belong in Covent Garden, to move from the sidelines where Syd had put me and join in with the boys’ adventures, to be party to the secret signs and passwords of a gang. I was tempted, sorely tempted. If only the offer had come from Syd, who I admired and trusted, and not from his devious rival! I would have to refuse, of course, but . . . I looked round the ring of faces, hard-bitten, tough characters all. What would they do to me when I said no?
‘That’s very decent of you, Billy,’ I began, backing away from him, looking for an escaperoute, a weak spot in the wall. Perhaps if I ducked under the biggest boy’s legs? ‘But you don’t want a girl like me in your gang.’
He gave me a broad grin and tipped his hat back on his head. He smirked at his boys. ‘See, I’d told you I’d ’ave to woo ’er!’ He turned back to me. ‘You’re wrong, girl. That’s just what I want.’
‘But I’m useless at fighting . . . I’d let you down.’
His grin, if anything, got wider. It was like looking into the jaws of a Nile crocodile waiting to swallow me up. ‘Don’t believe it, Cat. You’re a terror when your blood’s up . . . a real little wildcat with ’er claws out. Anyway, I want other talents in my gang than fightin’. I’ve got Meatpie Matt ’ere to do the punchin’.’ He
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