by Val Wood
‘That’s what happens when very young girls go into service or get jobs away from home,’ his father said. ‘It’s not a fair system. They should be at home with their mothers; but there we are, some parents have to put their children to work or the family wouldn’t survive. It’s a very hard life for some.’ He pondered for a moment. ‘But Daisy’s mother wouldn’t want her with her just now, or to see her place of work.’
Oliver glanced curiously at his father. ‘Is she in trouble?’ he asked.
‘Yes. Well, no, but she’s having a difficult time.’ He glanced back at Oliver. ‘She’s living in Leadenhall Square,’ he said quietly.
Oliver drew in a breath. ‘I see.’
‘I’ll speak to the child,’ his father said, ‘and try to arrange a meeting for them. Away from here, if I can.’
* * *
Ted had landed back in Hull again. He had made several trips between Hull and Driffield but on this last journey Ken, the skipper, had been approached by a bargeman whose former skipper had died suddenly who was now looking for other work. He was an older man and experienced and was taken on as crew for the journey back to Hull. Ken had apologized to Ted, but explained that the other man was more suitable for taking his mate’s place. ‘I’m not saying that I’ll even keep him on once Bob’s back to full strength,’ he said. ‘I’ll take you back to Hull because I promised I would, but you’d be better looking for summat more permanent, lad. It’s harvest time; there’s sure to be some work if you go back home to ’country.’
But where will I stop? Ted had thought. Where will I get my grub? If I could get work on a farm they’d feed and house me, but I can only get casual work at this time of year. I’ll have to wait till Martinmas Hirings for a regular job. He pondered on the garden he had cultivated at Fowler’s cottage. Maybe I could grow enough to feed myself, but where would I live? Bet that old house has fallen over into the sea, so I can’t live in that. He wanted to cry, he felt so miserable and alone. I wish I knew where Ma was. She and Daisy’ll be all right. Both of them working. Bet they’re not bothered about me.
He was sitting brooding on a bollard at the side of the Old Harbour where he had left the keel, and glanced down the river to where it ran into the Humber. The sun was glinting on the water and he screwed up his eyes, for his long sight wasn’t very good, and watched a platoon of soldiers marching across the bridge towards the citadel.
‘If I’d had a father,’ he muttered, ‘I wouldn’t be here on my own.’ But then he considered that his father had left him and his mother and sister to manage on their own. ‘Why did he?’ His lips were barely moving. ‘Was there no work on ’land? Is that why he joined up as a sodger?’ I don’t suppose he thought that he would be away for ever, he mused. I don’t suppose he ever thought he would get killed and not come back.
Perhaps I’ll go to the barracks and ask if I could be a soldier. If I tell them about my da they might take me on. He got to his feet and started to walk along the harbourside. But then, what if I don’t like it? And what if I get sent abroad and get killed? Ma won’t know what’s happened to me. He dragged his feet; he was beset with indecision. His mother had always made decisions for him. She seemed to know what he liked to do. I wish I could see her now. Just suppose I bumped into her, wouldn’t she be surprised to see me?
He kept on walking and cut back on to the High Street and then on to the bridge. This would take me home to Holderness. He stood there looking down at the glinting River Hull and then turned to see the muddy waters of the Humber. Shall I go and try to find work? I could help with harvest and— His mind clicked, like a trigger. What if I go and see John Ward? He’ll need some help and – and mebbe his missus will let me stop there. They’ve got room in their loft. He felt a sudden tingle of excitement. They’ve got our cow. That’s what I’ll do. He took a breath and put his shoulders back before he started walking forward. I will. There’s nowt for me here. I’ll go back!
Mrs Flitt scurried towards the Market Place. She was wearing her oldest clothes, not the ones Miss Lily had given her. Her ragged shawl was tied tightly over her grey head and her boots had flapping cardboard soles. She found a position on the pavement beneath a lamppost and sat down. Leaning against the lamppost, she took a tin plate from under her skirt waistband and placed it on the ground beside her. She took off her boots and hid them beneath her skirt and wiggled her bony misshapen toes.
‘Spare a copper,’ she whined, holding out her hand. ‘Spare a copper for a bit o’ bread.’
Someone dropped a coin on to the plate. It spun and then gave a satisfying clang. ‘Thank you, sir,’ she croaked. ‘God bless you and may fortune allus smile on you.’
The man nodded and then as if in afterthought dropped another penny.
The people of Hull were generous when they had money to give and within half an hour she had several coins on the plate. She left one there and put the rest in her skirt pocket. ‘Spare a copper,’ she whined again, and then gasped as someone kicked her in the ribs.
‘What ’you doing here?’ Jamie stood above her. ‘Beggar woman!’
‘Well, you don’t pay me,’ she retaliated.
‘I give you shelter, don’t I?’ he snapped. ‘You don’t pay owt for that.’
‘I cook for them lasses. And I wash for ’em and keep ’house clean! Anyway.’ She glared defiantly. ‘This isn’t for me. This is for Miss Lily to help pay her fine.’ She shook a fist at him. ‘Which by rights you should be paying. It’s your brothel she’s running!’
He bent down and put his face close to hers. ‘It ain’t a brothel! It’s a first class establishment. And it’s Lily’s own fault. She was asking for trouble. If she’d offered ’police special terms they wouldn’t even have come to ’door.’
Mrs Flitt snorted. ‘You’ll get your comeuppance,’ she said. ‘You’ll see. You’re tekkin’ advantage of them as is low as can be. You’re scum, Jamie. You allus have been.’
He leered at her. ‘Am I?’ he sneered. ‘Then you’d better not show your face in my house again in case you get contaminated. Keep away,’ he warned her. ‘Do you hear? Or else I’ll throw you out meself.’
As he turned away, she spat at him. ‘Cur,’ she growled. ‘Mongrel! If your ma weren’t no better than she should be, she’d be ashamed o’ you.’
He turned round and put his fist in front of her face. ‘Don’t speak of my ma or you’ll get this,’ he snarled. ‘Or mebbe even finish up in ’river.’
She laughed at him, even though she was seething inside. ‘I wouldn’t be ’first old woman you’ve beaten up, would I? But I’m not scared o’ you, so don’t think I am.’
There was a twitch on his top lip as she scored points over him. She was aware of what went on in this town and knew that Jamie worked alone. He didn’t have anyone to do his dirty work. He was quite capable of doing it himself.
It was early when she got back to the house, for she had every intention of staying there, no matter what Jamie threatened. But she went in by the back door and crept in quietly in case he was there.
‘Where’ve you been, Mrs Flitt?’ Lily asked. ‘I was getting bothered about you. Fire wants lighting in parlour and ’lamps need trimming.’
Mrs Flitt grinned and handed over a handful of coins. ‘Here!’ she said. ‘That’ll go towards ’fine. Nearly five bob!’ she said jubilantly.
‘Wherever did you get it?’ Lily asked. ‘You didn’t—’
‘Steal? No. I don’t do that any more. I’m not that desperate.’
‘Begging,’ Cherie said. ‘I bet!’
Mrs Flitt nodded. ‘I found a real good pitch in ’Market Place.’ Then she wrinkled her nose. ‘But Jamie came along and we had a few ’ostile words.’
‘What you do has nothing to do wi’ Jamie,’ Lily told her.
‘No; but he said I couldn’t stop here any more. Said I hadn’t to show my face here.’
‘Or else what?’ Lily asked slowly.
Mrs Flitt shrugged. ‘I’m not sca
red of him.’
‘Nor me,’ Lily said. ‘I’ll tell him if you go, then so will I.’
‘And me,’ Cherie said. ‘Though he won’t be bothered if I leave as I don’t earn him any money.’
‘No.’ Lily looked anxious. ‘I hope Mary and Sally come tonight or I don’t know what we’ll do. I’ve sent Lizzie to see Rena. Alice is ill, so that leaves just you and me to see to ’customers, Cherie.’
Cherie’s face drained of colour. ‘I’m scared, Lily,’ she whispered.
Lily gazed at her. ‘So am I.’
CHAPTER THIRTY-SIX
The door bell rang as Lily and Cherie were finishing an early supper. Alice was having hers in bed and Lizzie had not yet returned from Rena’s. Mrs Flitt went to see who it was. ‘Shall I say it’s too early?’ she asked. ‘It’s not yet six.’
‘It won’t be a customer,’ Lily said. ‘It’ll be Lizzie back from Rena’s.’
But it wasn’t, it was Betty and Henry, standing hand in hand on the doorstep. Mrs Flitt brought them through to the kitchen; Betty was looking radiant and Henry flushed and cock-a-hoop with excitement.
‘We’ve had ’banns read,’ Betty announced. ‘Third time’ll be tomorrow. Now we can get married!’
‘But first,’ Henry beamed, ‘we’ve got a treat in store for you.’
‘Oh, what?’ Lily asked. ‘We could do with summat good to happen.’
‘Why, is something wrong?’ Betty said anxiously.
Lily shook her head dismissively. Now wasn’t the time to tell them of her fine, Alice’s illness, or even Lizzie’s pregnancy. ‘Oh, nowt that won’t keep,’ she said airily. ‘Tell us about you two!’
‘Well, I’d like you to be my witness, Lily. Please,’ she said imploringly. ‘You will, won’t you, and I’d like one of ’girls to be my maid of honour.’
Mrs Flitt gave a strangling croak which became a dry coughing fit as Lily glared reprovingly.
‘But I wouldn’t know who to choose,’ Betty went on, unaware of her slip. ‘So I’d like you to choose for me, Lily. I don’t want to upset anybody.’
Lily nodded. ‘Cherie, then,’ she said, knowing that the others couldn’t in any case. ‘You’d like that, Cherie, wouldn’t you?’
‘Oh, yes!’ Cherie clasped her hands together in her joy. ‘Would I be able to wear ’muslin gown? I know we’re onny supposed to wear our frocks here and not outside, but it’s all I’ve got!’
‘No,’ Betty said. ‘You’ll have new.’ She turned to Henry adoringly. ‘Henry said he’ll pay for new clothes for us; you too, Lily.’
‘That’s very generous of you, Henry,’ Lily said breathlessly. ‘How very thoughtful.’
‘But that’s not all.’ Henry beamed even more widely than before. ‘So that nobody feels left out we’ve arranged a treat for all of you. You too if you like, Mrs Flitt.’
They waited expectantly. ‘What we thought,’ Henry continued, ‘well, Betty told me that none of you had ever been to see the sea, except for you, Lily,’ he added. ‘And so we thought that we’d hire a carriage and tomorrow go off for the day after we’ve heard the banns read. We’ll go to Bridlington.’ He looked at Lily and Cherie eagerly. ‘What do you think?’
‘All of us?’ Lily asked, her eyes wide in amazement.
‘Yes,’ Betty said. ‘There’ll be plenty of room in ’carriage. Where are Lizzie and Alice anyway?’
‘Lizzie will be back in a minute, she’s onny gone to Rena’s, and Alice has gone for a lie down.’ Lily put on a show of unconcern. ‘She’s feeling a bit off colour.’
‘That cough still bothering her?’ Betty asked. ‘A breath of fresh air is what she needs.’
‘I think you’re right.’ Lily smiled, though she felt very tearful at Henry’s open-heartedness. He couldn’t have known how despairing she felt, or how much she needed this demonstration of human kindness.
The bell rang again, but this time they heard the door open and Lizzie’s voice calling out, ‘I’m back.’
She burst into the kitchen, and she too had an ecstatic grin on her face. ‘Oh, hello!’ she said, seeing Betty and Henry, and then she glanced at Lily, her eyes sparkling and obviously bursting to tell her news.
‘Go on, then,’ Lily urged. ‘Tell us, and then you can hear about Betty and Henry.’
‘Rena’s tekking me on,’ she crowed. ‘We’ve been nattering away for ages and going over ideas ’n’ that.’ She turned to Betty. ‘I’m pregnant.’ She lowered her voice slightly as she remembered Betty’s lost baby. ‘I was that desperate,’ she said. ‘And Lily asked Rena if I could go there and work for my keep. And she said yes!’ she shrieked, and they all laughed. This wasn’t the acerbic sceptical Lizzie they were familiar with.
They exchanged the details of the trip to Bridlington, and as they were discussing it the kitchen door opened and a white-faced Alice stood there in her night shift with a shawl around her shoulders. ‘I heard a noise,’ she said in a breathy voice. ‘What’s going on?’
Lily got up and went towards her, putting her arm round her and drawing her into the room. ‘We’re planning a surprise, Alice,’ she said softly. ‘Henry and Betty are tekking us all to ’seaside, and because Cherie is going to be an attendant at their wedding, and Lizzie is going to work for Rena … well, you’ve been chosen to tek ’first look at ’sea when we get there.’
She glanced at them all in turn, an entreaty in her eyes, begging them to see what she could see and to give Alice this last chance of happiness. It was Lizzie who broke the short poignant moment.
‘We’ve decided,’ she invented, in a croaky voice, ‘that when we get to Bridlington we’ll all shut our eyes and you must keep lookout for ’first glimpse of ’sea, and then you shout out and tell us.’
Alice’s pale face took on a wondrous glow which lit up her dark sunken eyes and they all saw how her thin chest heaved as she took a breath. ‘Oh! Can I? Really? Can I really be ’first to see it?’
They all nodded and murmured and tried to put on brave smiling faces as they acknowledged and came to terms with the inevitable which they hadn’t recognized before.
Mary and Sally arrived a little later, after Betty and Henry had left, and brought another young woman with them. ‘This is Olga,’ they told Lily. ‘She’s foreign but classy. Doesn’t like working out on ’streets.’
Olga was older than the others, late twenties, Lily thought, and had a strong accent. She was quite exotic-looking with dark hair and eyes and a long sharp nose. She was dressed reasonably well, not shabby or unkempt, but wearing a colourful skirt and blouse and a long red scarf tied round her head and floating over her shoulder.
‘I earn plenty money here, yes?’ she asked Lily, and Lily told her that she probably could, and gave a sigh of relief that neither she nor Cherie would be called upon tonight. Here is a woman who has chosen this life, she told herself, and hasn’t been forced into it through poverty.
At ten o’clock the next morning, Henry and Betty arrived in the square, Henry driving a fourwheeled two-horse brougham and Betty waving to them from the plush leather interior. He wore a dark green top hat which he lifted in greeting as they all crowded in the doorway.
He jumped down to help them all in and apologized that the vehicle was only an old Clarence. ‘A Growler,’ he said. ‘But I knew there’d be plenty of room for everybody, and though it’s a bit noisy it’ll be comfortable.’
Mrs Flitt had come to see them off but declined to accompany them. ‘I’d be sick,’ she said. ‘All that shekking about. No, I’ll stop at home and have a clean through while you’re all out.’
Lily smiled at her, knowing that the real reason was because she wanted Alice to have more room. They’d brought pillows and a blanket in case she wanted to sleep on the way home.
‘Won’t you come, Mrs Flitt?’ Betty asked. ‘I’m going to sit up on top with Henry.’ But still Mrs Flitt said no and urged them off whilst the weather was still fine.
‘It’s bound to be foggy out near �
�coast,’ she intoned.
‘No, it’s not – not always,’ Lily said, ‘but it might be cooler. Have you all got your shawls?’
They had, and Lizzie was also wearing a black and red skirt, with a separate top and matching jacket, which Rena had given her. ‘Look,’ she said to Lily. ‘I can move ’buttons on ’skirt as I get bigger.’ She seemed to have accepted the fact of her pregnancy, now that her future was more secure.
‘Come along then, ladies.’ Henry urged them to get inside. ‘Let’s be off.’
They all waved to Mrs Flitt as the carriage jerked forward and they fell about laughing. ‘Oh, I just can’t wait,’ Alice said. She had a bright pink spot on each pale cheek. ‘I can’t wait to see the sea. Could we have a paddle in it, do you think, Lily? Have we brought a towel?’
‘Yes.’ Lily laughed. ‘Of course you can. Today you can do whatever you want.’
Alice gazed eagerly out of the carriage window as they approached the town and the others, even Betty riding next to Henry, squeezed their eyes up tight until they heard Alice’s shout of delight that she could see the sea. ‘It’s so big,’ she exclaimed. ‘Look how big! And look at those enormous waves! And there are people in the water! Swimming!’
They’d all opened their eyes and Lily was choked with emotion as she thought of her childhood home further down the coast, and then thought with bitterness of Billy Fowler who had ruined her life.
It was a warm September afternoon, with a slight onshore breeze which ruffled their hair. The sands were soft and golden with quite a few visitors walking beside the briny ocean, which was a rippling triple shade of blue, green and brown.
Lily, Lizzie and Alice took off their boots and held up their skirts as they paddled in the water, whilst Cherie and Betty chased about on the sands; then they all sat on blankets to enjoy the picnic which Henry and Betty had packed for them. Henry had beamed at them all and said that after he and Betty were married they must do this again. After they had eaten, Betty, Henry and Cherie went off arm in arm to walk by the quayside and harbour, whilst Alice, Lizzie and Lily lazed about on the blanket, running sand through their fingers and lifting their skirts to their knees to feel the sun on their bare legs.
