Eve of the Isle

by Carol Rivers

  ‘Queenie’ll be all right. I’ll have a word in her ear. You flog the first lot and pay her after.’

  ‘Thanks, Archie.’

  He wiped his mouth on his sleeve. ‘I’d better go now as I left the Irish running me stall. They’re doin’ well an’ all.’

  Eve thought of the outside world, how everything was going on as usual. When would she feel her old self again?

  At the door, Archie put his arm round her. ‘Come on, give us a smile.’

  ‘I should be working.’

  ‘You’ll be there soon enough.’ He grinned at Peg. ‘You stay on your feet too, gel. Don’t want to pick you up off the floor again.’

  ‘What’s this about you on the floor?’ Eve asked when he’d gone.

  ‘I had one of me turns, that’s all. But a sniff of the salts did the trick.’

  Eve felt guilty again. She had caused a lot of worry to her nearest and dearest. Is that why she hadn’t heard from Charlie? Did he, too, think she had been irresponsible?

  Eve was up early on Friday morning. Standing at the kitchen window, she found herself staring into space. She was once again trapped below the surface of the water, the eerie sound of silence all around her. What had happened then? Her chest had felt as though it was being crushed by a great weight. She had known what it was like to drown. Then suddenly she was transported to the land. She was looking over Charlie’s shoulder at herself, lying on the ground. When she told Jimmy this, it sounded far fetched, but it was true. What had happened in those minutes before Charlie brought her back to life?

  Suddenly a movement caught her eye. Eve came back to the moment with a jolt.

  A pair of feet were protruding from the closet.

  Her heart raced, she hadn’t known anyone was there.

  Slowly she opened the back door. A rush of warm May air flowed in. The early morning sun shone on the piles of broken slates. A ship’s hooter sounded in the distance.

  Eve stepped cautiously forward and stopped at the sound of loud snoring. ‘Hello?’ she called warily.

  Was it a tramp? It was a woman’s legs with a nasty cut on one of her ankles.

  ‘Hello?’ Eve said once again, creeping forward.

  The figure stirred. A face surrounded by tangled grey hair rose towards her.

  ‘Joan?’ Eve gasped. She couldn’t believe it was Peg’s sister.

  ‘Who the ’ell are you?’

  ‘It’s me, Eve.’

  ‘What you doing round ’ere again?’

  Eve bent down beside her. ‘This isn’t Bambury Buildings, Joan, it’s Isle Street.’

  Joan’s head wobbled. ‘Don’t talk daft.’

  ‘I’m not. You’re in our lav.’

  ‘Where’s that cow of a sister of mine then?’

  ‘She’s indoors. I’ll get her.’

  As Eve stood up, Joan fell back and began to snore again.

  Chapter Sixteen

  Peg was in the front room, folding her mattress behind the couch where it was kept during the day.

  ‘Peg, you’d better come with me.’

  ‘I’m packing me bed away.’

  ‘Leave it for now.’

  Peg turned, a cigarette dangling from her lips. ‘Blimey O’Reilly you sound as if—’ She stopped when she saw Eve’s expression. ‘What’s up?’

  ‘I think you’d better come and see.’

  They went out to the yard and Eve pointed to the closet.

  ‘Is that someone in there?’ Peg demanded. ‘In our lav, in our backyard? Bloody cheek!’

  Eve nodded. ‘Before you say any more go and see who it is.’

  Peg went over. She stepped back, her hand to her mouth. ‘It can’t be!’

  ‘It is.’

  ‘What’s she doing here?’ Peg’s face was filled with suspicion.

  ‘I don’t know. She must have come round in the night.’

  ‘Look at the state of her. She’s got no stockings on and what’s she done to her ankle? It looks nasty.’

  ‘She must have hurt herself.’

  Peg went closer. ‘I hardly recognize me own sister and, blimey, don’t she pen and ink!’

  The twins joined them, wearing only their pants, yawning and rubbing the sleep from their eyes. ‘What’s going on? Who’s that in there?’ They tried to look in but Eve dragged them back.

  ‘Pooh!’ Samuel held his nose.

  Albert giggled. ‘Smells like the drains again.’

  Peg nodded. ‘She don’t look very healthy, does she boys? I reckon your Aunty Joan has been on a bit of a bender.’

  ‘But why would she come here?’ Eve said. ‘I would have thought this was the last place in the world she’d want to visit.’

  ‘Not in her right mind she wouldn’t,’ agreed Peg. ‘There’s only one answer and that is she’s got nowhere else to go.’

  ‘What do you mean?’

  ‘Didn’t tell you this,’ whispered Peg, ‘but Joan’s old man has got himself another woman. Jimmy went over to Bambury Buildings when you was missing. He caught Harold and her on the apples and pears.’

  ‘How did Jimmy know it was Harold?’ asked Eve disbelievingly.

  ‘It was Harold’s ugly mug all right.’

  ‘Where was Joan?’

  ‘Dunno. Jimmy didn’t wait to find out. Had more important things on his mind.’

  ‘So you think it might be Harold’s philandering that put her in this state?’

  ‘I ain’t taking no sides,’ said Peg harshly. ‘I tried to warn her years ago but she wouldn’t take no notice. Accused me of leadin’ him on, like she did you.’

  ‘Even so, we can’t leave her here,’ Eve said and turned to the two boys. ‘Run up to Jimmy and wake him. Tell him we need his help.’

  When they were gone, Eve made a last attempt to rouse Joan, but all she got was snoring.

  Samuel and Albert were sitting at the kitchen table after they had finished their tea. They had been at school all day and had bolted their food, eager to find out what had happened to their aunt.

  ‘Is Aunty Joan gonna live with us?’ they wanted to know.

  ‘Yes, until she’s better,’ Eve told them as she cleared away the dirty dishes.

  ‘What’s wrong with her?’ asked Samuel. ‘Has she had a row with Uncle Harold?’

  ‘I don’t know,’ replied Eve. ‘And you mustn’t ask.’

  ‘Has she got a bad leg? Will it fall off?’ Albert was eager to know the gory details.

  ‘No, ’course not.’

  ‘She ain’t gonna sleep with us, is she?’

  Eve smiled as she made them rinse their sticky hands after eating the jam roly-poly she had cooked for tea. ‘Aunty Joan will share Peg’s mattress. So don’t go banging about or she’ll think a herd of elephants lives upstairs.’

  The boys burst out laughing.

  ‘As you’ve been very good you can go out to play. But remember, I don’t want you going down to the river.’ She had become very nervous about them playing near water.

  ‘Can we go to Joseph’s?’

  ‘Yes, but don’t get in his way. And don’t stay late as you’ve got to be up early for confession.’

  They sped off. Eve sighed. She seemed to be full of ‘do’s and don’ts’ these days. Was it because of what had happened at Shadwell that she was so anxious?

  Just then Jimmy rode in on his bike and let it fall down by the wall. He pulled off his cap as he came in the kitchen. ‘How’s the patient?’

  Eve cut him a slice of roly-poly. ‘She’s in the front room with Peg. Now, sit down and eat this whilst it’s warm.’

  Eve sat beside Jimmy. ‘Did you find a job?’

  ‘No. I went up as far as Aldgate, asked at the markets, but work is short everywhere.’

  ‘Oh dear.’ She felt responsible as she guessed he had lost his position at the PLA because of her.

  ‘There’s always tomorrow,’ he grinned, licking his lips.

  Just then Peg appeared, her cheeks flushed and her hair all
over the place. ‘You look like you’ve been eight rounds with Jack Dempsey,’ Jimmy laughed.

  Peg took her tobacco tin from the windowsill and flopped down on a chair. ‘You’re not far off the mark, my lad. She’s got the delirium tremens, wanting her flamin’ gin and it took all me willpower not to give her a right-hander.’

  Eve smiled. ‘I never thought we’d manage to get her in the bath.’

  Peg laughed. ‘She fought us tooth and nail, didn’t she?’ It had taken the best part of the day to wash and disinfect her and the air had turned blue as Joan and Peg had battled.

  ‘Don’t know why I’m laughing,’ cackled Peg, drawing deeply on her roll-up. ‘I’ve got to sleep with her tonight.’

  ‘You can sleep with me, there’s plenty of room in me bed,’ said Eve.

  ‘No, she might run off. Or break something. Or set the house on fire.’

  ‘Do you think she would?’ asked Jimmy, looking alarmed.

  Peg and Eve both nodded, keeping straight faces.

  ‘I think I’ll lock me door tonight,’ said Jimmy taking his dish to the sink. ‘In case she tries to get in.’

  Peg and Eve burst into laughter.

  ‘It ain’t funny really,’ chuckled Peg, ‘the poor old girl don’t know if she’s coming or going.’

  ‘I can give her something to help,’ said Eve.

  ‘Tell her it’s a drop of the old Lincoln’s Inn,’ said Jimmy and everyone laughed again.

  ‘Do you want me to cycle over to Bambury Buildings?’ offered Jimmy as he put away his clean dish and spoon.

  ‘Someone should tell Harold,’ Eve nodded.

  ‘Yeah, but he won’t care,’ Peg retorted, stubbing out her cigarette in the saucer and immediately rolling another. ‘We’d better see what she says when she’s sober.’

  They were considering the prospect of a sober Joan when there was a knock at the door.

  ‘Now who’s that?’ demanded Peg, frowning. ‘I wonder if it could be Harold?’

  Jimmy went to answer it.

  Eve and Peg listened to the quiet murmurings. And Eve’s heart jumped fiercely as Charlie walked into the kitchen.

  Charlie smiled at the three faces staring up at him. He was glad to see Eve looking better, but he didn’t want to get in the way. ‘Hope I haven’t called at an inconvenient time.’

  Peg laughed. ‘What’s one of those when they’re at home?’

  ‘I could call back later.’

  ‘No, sit down,’ Eve said quickly, ‘I’m glad you’ve come.’

  Peg crooked a finger at Jimmy. ‘Look sharpish, son. Let’s leave these two alone. S’pect they have a lot to talk about.’

  Jimmy put on his cap. ‘I’m going on the hunt again.’

  ‘What for?’ Charlie asked.

  ‘Lost me job, didn’t I.’

  ‘I’m sorry to hear that.’

  ‘Don’t matter, me old plate.’ He grinned and shot out the back door.

  ‘If you hear a shemozzle from the other room, ignore it,’ said Peg as she left.

  ‘What was that all about?’ Charlie asked Eve.

  ‘We found Joan outside this morning. She was worse the wear for drink. We gave her a bath, but she’s got a dreadful temper. We don’t know how long she’s been away or what’s happened between her and Harold. Jimmy saw him with another woman.’

  Charlie didn’t say that he wasn’t surprised. He thought Harold Slygo was a devious man that day he had come into the station to ask about Eve. The Kumar case was not open to discussion and Charlie had been quick to tell him so.

  ‘How are you feeling now?’ he asked.

  ‘Better, thanks.’

  Charlie felt an angry knot in his stomach. She looked so fragile and pale. Who would want to harm her? He felt protective. ‘I hope you’re getting some rest.’

  ‘I’m not going back to work till Monday. Charlie, Jimmy told me what you did. How you jumped in and pulled me out. I wouldn’t be sitting here now if it wasn’t for you.’

  ‘Can you remember who did it to you?’

  ‘No, I was blindfolded. It came off when I dropped to the water.’

  ‘Did they threaten you or take anything?’

  ‘I lost me money bag, but I don’t know if they took it. It could have come off when I fell.’

  ‘Eve, the police will want to speak to you—’ he stopped as she shook her head.

  ‘Charlie, I can’t do that.’

  ‘Don’t you want those men brought to book?’

  ‘I’ve already caused a lot of worry and I’ve got Samuel and Albert to consider. If anything happened to me . . .’

  ‘Nothing is going to happen to you,’ Charlie said fiercely. ‘I can promise you that. Eve, you may have been robbed and were left to die. Don’t you want to see justice done?’

  ‘You say that because you’re a policeman.’

  He shook his head. ‘I’m thinking of you.’

  She looked away. ‘In that case, I hope you’ll understand.’

  The awkward silence deepened. Suddenly Charlie found himself blurting, ‘Eve, would you like to come for a drive?’ His heart thumped as she hesitated.

  ‘When?’

  ‘This Sunday? Dad doesn’t need the van in the morning and we could go up to Hyde Park. The boys can sit in the back if they don’t mind looking out the back windows.’

  ‘They go to Mass on Sunday.’

  ‘Oh.’ He felt disappointed. Was she refusing because she thought he would try to talk her out of her decision? ‘Another time perhaps?’

  She smiled. ‘But I’d like to come.’

  He sat forward. ‘You would?’ He couldn’t believe it.

  Just then there was a scream from the front room and a loud bang. Charlie jumped to his feet as two women sped into the kitchen. One of them was dressed in a nightgown and he recognized her as Joan Slygo.

  ‘Good evening,’ he said politely.

  ‘It might be to you,’ she cried her eyes looking wildly about her, ‘but it ain’t to me. They won’t let me go down the pub.’

  ‘They’re not open yet, I’m afraid, Mrs Slygo,’ he replied and received a wink from Peg who grabbed hold of her sister and pulled her along the passage.

  Charlie smiled at Eve. ‘See you on Sunday, then.’

  ‘I’ll walk out with you.’

  In the yard, Charlie glanced up at the tarpaulin. It had turned a muddy brown and was sagging in the middle. ‘So they haven’t completed the roof.’

  ‘No.’ Eve looked up at him and smiled. ‘I was rude to the man who was doing it before and he left.’

  Once more they laughed together. Charlie had a strange feeling in the pit of his stomach. ‘The offer’s still on from that same man,’ he said quietly as a wave of hot colour sped up from his neck. ‘Take care of yourself, Eve.’

  Quickly he made his way round the side of the cottage before she had time to change her mind about Sunday. As he drove off, his heart was hammering. He should be concerned that he wasn’t doing his professional best to persuade her to follow the lines of the law. But all that had been put to one side when finally he’d found the nerve to ask her to go out.

  He laughed aloud as he drove. He’d never felt like this in his life before. Eve was different to any other woman he’d ever known. And this time, he wasn’t going to let anyone talk him out of getting to know her. And that included Eve herself.

  Eve had butterflies when she went to bed on Saturday night and they were still there on Sunday morning. She was seeing Charlie today. At breakfast, the boys had been reluctant to go to Mass and miss his visit. But she’d told a white lie and said it was only in order to give more information on what had happened to her.

  As the day was bright and sunny she wore a green dress that had been all the fashion several years ago. She had bought it second hand as usual from the market. It was the soft shade of green that had attracted Eve. When the boys had gone, she looked in the mirror to study the effect. Her brown hair hung in waves around her shoulder
s, freed from its plait. As the mirror only reflected half of her, she hoped the dress had still kept its attractive shape.

  ‘Eve, your bloke’s here,’ cried Peg from below.

  Eve hurried down. ‘Peg, don’t call him that.’

  ‘Well, what else do I call him?’

  Joan appeared wearing Peg’s plaid dressing gown. She was quieter this morning, chastened by the exhausting experience of the fight that had taken place between the sisters the day before. Eve had listened gloomily to the recriminations that had come fast and furious. The old grudges, resentments and accusations pouring forth.

  ‘You sure you’ll both be all right?’ Eve glanced at them uncertainly. Would they kill each other in her absence?

  ‘’Course,’ nodded Peg glancing at Joan who folded her arms over her chest.

  ‘Got to be, haven’t you?’

  ‘The boys will be back after Mass,’ Eve told them as she slid her bag over her shoulder. ‘Tell them I won’t be long.’

  ‘You enjoy yerself,’ said Peg. ‘You ain’t missing nothin’ here.’

  Eve could hear the quarrel start the moment she left. Charlie smiled and opened the van door as she walked towards him, and Eve saw the look of admiration in his deep blue eyes. Despite the racket back in the house, she really did feel like Cinderella climbing into her golden coach.

  The whirlwind tour of the city left Eve with a sense of wonder. She wasn’t used to sitting on a comfortable leather seat, being chauffeured through the motorized traffic. She was more used to standing on the corners with her baskets watching it all go by. She also felt very feminine in her dress, rather than wearing her traditional flower-selling garb of black skirt, shawl and feathered hat. Though she was proud of her trade, the flower-seller was slowly becoming a figure of the past. London life was changing and single flower-sellers were scarce, their pitches replaced by stands and run by families like the industrious Irish. While the Italians had put their mark firmly on the coffee houses, restaurants and delicatessens, laundries and modern barber shops of Soho. Although Eve was pleased to see that Harrods in the Brompton Road with its distinctive terracotta fascia was still displaying wonderful new fashions in its windows, flanked by the ever stalwart jewellers with their dazzling arrays of merchandise.

  As Charlie drove through the streets, Eve leaned forward to see the smartly dressed men alighting from sleek black cars that pulled into the kerb beside the exclusive gentlemen’s clubs. These were the types that often bought a buttonhole from her if they had a lady on their arm. Or perhaps a spray of lavender, winking at her discreetly as they walked away.