by Joan Jonker
Poppy chuckled. ‘You mean she didn’t once look down her nose at us?’ She was sorry as soon as the words left her lips, and could have bitten her tongue off. ‘That wasn’t funny, and I shouldn’t have said it. She is a lovely girl, and she doesn’t deserve my sarcasm. All she wants is to be friendly.’
‘Well I thought she was very nice, and I’d like to see her again.’ Jean reached for her purse. ‘What I enjoyed was seeing her tucking into the bread and soup.’
Charlotte flagged down a taxi, and was soon back where her car was parked. She was feeling a warm glow inside, really happy that things had worked out so well. But in order that the tale she was preparing to tell her mother would not be all lies, she decided to drive to the specialist shop where the rocking horse was being made, for she’d been informed over the telephone yesterday that it was almost finished. All they had to do was add the inscription Charlotte had asked for. But she decided to see for herself that everything was to her liking before the firm delivered it to Jessica’s house.
The shop was on the outskirts of the city, and they specialized in making rocking horses that only the wealthy could afford. There was one on display in the window when Charlotte pulled up, and she could feel her excitement grow. She had been told that the man who made the horses was a perfectionist, and only took one order a month. Gazing at the model in the window, Charlotte could understand why. It was a work of art, so lifelike that any child would be thrilled to own it. Charlotte’s mind went back over the years, to when she used to pull on Andrew’s arm, pleading with him to let her have a ride on his horse. He always gave in to her in the end, but she was only allowed to play on it when he was in the room, watching her every move.
Charlotte looked to see if there were any people near, and then put a hand over her mouth to stifle her laughter. For a picture had come into her mind of herself and her brother. She must have been about three years of age, and Andrew nine. And in this picture, which was very clear, she was offering her doll to Andrew in exchange for a ride on his horse, and he was pushing her away, telling her boys didn’t play with dolls. Poor Andrew couldn’t get away from her. She dogged his footsteps everywhere.
Some people walked past, and their chattering brought Charlotte out of her reverie. With a shake of her head, and a quiet sigh, she opened the shop door, setting off the tinkling bell fastened above the lintel.
A man came through from a back room, wearing a beige overall over his clothing. He recognized Charlotte immediately, as it wasn’t often they had a pretty young girl in the shop. ‘It’s all finished. Would you like to see it?’
‘Oh, yes, I can’t wait! Did you have the inscription put on? I want the baby to always remember that my brother and I were thinking of him on the day he was christened.’
‘Come through and see for yourself. I’m sure you’ll be more than satisfied.’
And the man never spoke a truer word, for the horse was a masterpiece. As she stroked the mane and tail of real hair, Charlotte had tears in her eyes. ‘It’s beautiful. The reins, stirrups, everything is just wonderful. Leo is a very lucky boy. Now, my brother settled the account with you this morning I believe?’
‘Yes, miss, the bill has been paid, and Mr Wilkie-Brook also gave me the address where the horse has to be delivered to. It will be there sometime between ten and eleven o’clock on Friday.’
‘Thank you.’ Charlotte shook his hand. ‘You’ve been very helpful, and you are very clever. I could never be as creative as you. I don’t have any talent at all.’
The man, middle-aged with a receding hairline, smiled. ‘I may have the talent, but you have the beauty.’
Charlotte blushed. ‘There are a lot of girls prettier than me.’
He chuckled. ‘Then I must need glasses. Are you sure I’ve put the horse’s tail on the right end?’
Charlotte was laughing as she walked towards the door. ‘The baby is only a few weeks old, and he won’t notice. But don’t be surprised if he brings it back when he’s older.’ She turned and thanked him again. ‘I’m more than delighted with your work. I shall go home now and sing your praises.’
‘Where on earth have you been all this time?’ Harriet asked. ‘I have been quite concerned about you.’
‘I wandered round the shops for a while, but didn’t see anything I liked. Then I had a light lunch in a small café, which I enjoyed. Then I went to the shop to make sure all was well with the rocking horse.’ Now there were no more lies to be told, Charlotte told her mother how pleased she was with the christening gift. ‘Oh, Mother, it far exceeds my expectation. The man is an artistic genius. But you will see it for yourself on Sunday, after the christening. And I’m so looking forward to seeing Andrew’s face when he sets eyes on it. I’m sure he’ll be thrilled.’
Harriet smiled at her daughter’s enthusiasm. ‘I’m glad you feel satisfied, my dear, and I’m sure you have good reason to be. Now, be an angel and ring for Frances. I think we could both do with a cup of tea, and one of Jane’s delicious cakes.’
Chapter Eleven
‘Guess who I bumped into today?’ Poppy asked as she sat at the dinner table, next to her brother and facing her mother. ‘Have a guess?’
‘How many guesses do we get?’ David asked. ‘I mean, there must be nearly a million people living in Liverpool, and this could take ages. Just give us a clue.’
Poppy frowned in concentration for a while, then her face lit up. ‘The clue was in the question.’
Eva tapped an open hand on the table. ‘Do I get a prize if I get it right first time?’
‘There’s no prizes, Mam, but me and David will wash the dishes if you win. If he gets it right first, you and me do the dishes.’
‘It was the bloke who knocked you over last week,’ Eva said. ‘Am I right?’
‘You’re warm, Mam, but not right.’
David was getting impatient. ‘Come on, sis, tell us who it was and get it over with.’
‘It was the bloke’s sister.’ Poppy didn’t want to go over the whole episode, or they’d think she was crazy. ‘She’s a really nice girl, and she even came to the café with me and Jean for some lunch. And before you start, David, she did offer to pay for me and Jean, but we wouldn’t let her. As I said, she’s a lovely girl, very pretty and very friendly, so I couldn’t be rude to her. Anyway, I’ll probably never see her again.’
David leaned towards her. ‘You told us she was well off, and now you tell us she’s very pretty. You don’t happen to know if she’s got a boyfriend, do you? From the sound of things, she seems like the girl I’ve been searching for.’
Poppy patted his cheek. ‘Unfortunately, my dear brother, you wouldn’t be in a position to keep her in the manner to which she is accustomed.’
With a cheeky grin on his handsome face, David answered, ‘I’m very adaptable, sis. I could easily get used to the manner to which she is accustomed. I would have no qualms about being a kept man. In fact the idea appeals to me.’
‘You might not, son, but wouldn’t the young lady in question have a say in the matter?’ Eva asked, a smile hovering around the corners of her mouth. ‘Or do you think your looks are so devastating she’d fall at your feet?’
‘It has been known for girls to give a second glance when they pass me. In fact, two girls were walking past me just today, and they both stopped in their tracks to stare at me. It was quite embarrassing really. I could feel myself blushing.’
‘Oh, dear, the poor girls must be hard up for boyfriends, that’s all I can say.’ Poppy winked across the table at her mother. ‘Are yer sure there wasn’t another bloke walking beside yer that they were looking at?’
David stroked his chin. ‘Let me think now. Yes, I do believe there was someone sharing the pavement with me. It was a young mother with a baby in a pram.’
‘Then that accounts for the girls stopping. All women, young and old, are suckers for babies.’
‘Blast and damnation,’ David said. ‘Here’s me thinking I’m God’s gift
to women, and my own mother and sister kick the legs out from under me.’
‘Enough about you, David,’ Poppy told him. ‘I want to spend an hour on brushing up my shorthand before I go out. So let’s finish our dinner, or I won’t have time to do all I want to do. Like getting washed and making myself look pretty.’
‘What’s on tonight, then?’ Eva asked. ‘Have you got a date?’
Poppy nodded, ‘I’m meeting Peter. It’s either the Grafton or the pictures, I don’t mind one way or the other. But I’m determined to spend an hour trying to make a sentence out of the dots, dashes, and half-moons in my notebook. I want to be able to show Mr Jones that I’m not as thick as I look.’
‘You are not thick,’ David said. ‘I bet by the end of the month you’ll be top of the class.’
‘I appreciate your faith in me, brother. And without wanting to sound big-headed, I do have a little faith in meself. That’s because I’m getting help off Jean in work. What I get through tonight, she’ll check for me tomorrow. And I don’t mind her telling me where I’ve gone wrong, not like I would Mr Jones. I felt a bit daft asking him to explain something twice, but not Jean.’
‘Don’t blame me if you’re late,’ David said. ‘You’re the one doing all the talking. And another thing. We said last week that we would correct each other’s grammar, but we haven’t, not once!’
‘Oh, dear, it’s very hard trying to do so many things at the same time. I’m quite happy with the way I speak, and no one has ever pulled me up over it before.’
‘Well, we wouldn’t would we, sweetheart, ’cos we all speak the same. Like Londoners, who have a cockney accent, or people from Birmingham, or Newcastle. They all speak the local dialect. It’s nothing to be ashamed of.’ Eva leaned forward and put a finger under Poppy’s chin. ‘Go and do what you want to do, or you’ll end up being late for your date. It’s one thing keeping a man waiting ten minutes, but half an hour is going too far.’
Poppy stood up. ‘I’ll get washed and change me dress, first, then I’ll get me nose in the book until a quarter to eight. I’m meeting Peter at eight.’ As she was passing her brother’s chair, she asked, ‘Where did I slip up?’
‘Only twice, kid, which wasn’t bad.’ David put a hand on his sister’s arm as she started to walk away. ‘By the way, what did you say the girl’s name was?’
‘I didn’t say, clever clogs. But if you are so interested, her name is Charlotte. And before you ask, I haven’t the foggiest idea what her second name is. So unhand me and let me get moving.’
Peter hurried towards the bus when he saw Poppy standing on the platform. He held her hand as she stepped down, saying, ‘You’re late again. I thought you weren’t coming.’
‘I’m sorry, Peter, but by the time I’d had my dinner, chatted to my mother and brother for a while, and spent some time on homework, well, the time seemed to fly over. And I had to get washed and changed. So don’t shout at me, or I’ll cry.’
Peter cupped her elbow and whispered in her ear, ‘If you’re going to cry, please do it on my shoulder so I’ll have an excuse to hold you tight. I could even kiss your tears away.’
‘Don’t push your luck, Peter, or I’ll set my brother on to yer. He’s as tall as you are, and he packs a powerful punch.’
‘He wouldn’t see us sitting in the dark in the back row of the stalls. The rendezvous of courting couples.’
‘Some hope you’ve got,’ Poppy huffed. ‘The only thing I’m courting for the next few months is my homework book and the night class teacher.’
‘You’re really serious about changing your job, aren’t you? Why this sudden urge?’
‘I’ve never been more serious in my life. I messed up when I left school, but I’m not going to mess up again. I’m going to stick at it this time.’
‘If your job doesn’t suit you, then look for another one. I might be able to help you get an office job. My father has a small business; I could have a word with him.’ Peter squeezed her arm. ‘I’m sure my father would find you work you enjoyed.’
Poppy shook his arm away. ‘I don’t want just an office job, Peter. I’ve already got one of those and I don’t like it. I want a change, and a chance to better me … er, myself. So if I’m late for one of our dates, then you’ll have to put up with it. Either that or tell me to get lost. That may be the best for you.’
‘You won’t get rid of me so easily, Poppy, so you may as well calm yourself down and tell me whether we’re going to the flicks or dancing?’
‘Let’s go dancing, please. If we go to the pictures and it’s a sad film, I’ll only cry me … er, my eyes out.’ Poppy’s shoulders began to shake with laughter. ‘I may as well finish off by saying that if the band start playing a sentimental slow foxtrot, you’ll have to lend me your hankie ’cos I didn’t bring one with me.’
‘You little minx,’ Peter said, laughter in his voice. ‘Have you been having me on since you got off the bus? And like a fool I fell for it! I even offered to ask my dad if he could give you a job! And all the time you’ve been having the time of your life, laughing up your sleeve at me.’
‘A minx I might be, Peter, but little I am not. Five foot five is not small for a girl.’
When they reached the entrance of the Grafton, they could hear the strains of a waltz, and Peter said, ‘They always have a slow foxtrot after a waltz, so don’t stay long in the cloakroom. My feet are itching to get on the floor.’
‘I’ve only got to hang my coat up and give my hair a quick comb. I can do that in less than a minute. Is that quick enough for you?’
‘Don’t waste time asking me questions, my five foot five minx, be on your way.’
Poppy was smiling when she pushed the cloakroom door open, thinking Peter was a very easy bloke to be with. She was hanging her coat up when she heard her name being called. She turned. ‘Hello, Julie. How are you? Are you still going out with Jim?’
Julie wrinkled her nose. ‘No chance! I thought I told yer last time I saw yer that I wouldn’t waste me time on him. I’ve got better fish to fry.’
Poppy had no intention of being drawn into any further conversation, because she thought Jim was a really nice bloke. Too nice for Julie to pull to pieces. ‘I’d better go. I told Peter I wouldn’t be long.’
‘Still going out with him, are yer?’ Julie asked. ‘Courting strong?’
‘I wouldn’t say that.’ Poppy could hear sarcasm in the voice of the girl who was once her best mate, and she thought it best to walk away. ‘We’re good friends who enjoy each other’s company. And I better hadn’t keep him waiting.’
But Julie wasn’t going to be put off. ‘Yer were dead lucky getting in front of me that night. If yer hadn’t, I’d have got Peter, and you’d have been left with soft lad Jim.’
Poppy spun round. ‘Jim is a nice bloke, far too good for you. He’s had a lucky escape. And now I would be grateful if you went your way and allowed me to go mine. Please keep away from me in future.’
‘Oh, Miss Hoity-Toity now, eh? Aren’t I good enough for yer?’
‘I used to think you were,’ Poppy said as she walked on. ‘But people change, it’s only natural. We all grow up sometime.’
Peter was waiting with a hand outstretched. ‘That is the longest minute I have ever known. What kept you?’
Julie was passing at that moment and she sniggered. ‘She’s been looking at herself in the mirror. No one else could get a look in.’
Peter raised his brows as he took Poppy’s hand. ‘Lucky old mirror. It must have thought it was its birthday, seeing such a beautiful face.’
Poppy pulled him towards the door of the dance hall. ‘Come on, or the dance will be over.’
‘What’s got into your friend?’ Peter asked as he took Poppy in his arms. ‘She’s not exactly full of the joys of spring. Do I detect jealousy rearing its ugly head?’
‘Oh, take no notice of her. I’m not going to let her spoil my night. And earlier on you said yer feet were itching to get on the
dance floor, so let’s enjoy the dance.’
‘My arms were itching too, Poppy. They couldn’t wait to wrap themselves round you.’
Poppy found herself relaxing and enjoying the strains of the sentimental song. Peter really was a very smooth dancer, and it was easy to follow his steps. And if he was holding her very close, and stealing the odd kiss on her cheek, well, there was no harm in that. He would never take advantage of her: he wasn’t the type.
It was when they were dancing the waltz that Poppy suddenly remembered what Peter had said about his father’s helping her to get a job she liked. She had to ask. ‘Peter, what did you mean when you told me your father might be in a position to help me get a job? I don’t need him to help, and I’m not being nosy, but I just wondered.’
‘My dad has a business, and I thought he might be able to help. I really thought you were upset, but you were having me on. In future I’ll have to keep my eye on you, and learn to know when you’re pulling my leg.’
‘I do have an odd mad half-hour now and again, but most of the time I’m quite sane. And I am never dangerous.’ The music ended then, and Peter was leading Poppy off the floor when she asked, ‘What sort of business does your father have? Just out of interest – you don’t have to tell me if you don’t want to. In fact, thinking about it, it was rude of me to ask, so forget I did.’
Holding on to her hand, Peter answered, ‘I don’t mind you asking questions, Poppy, because it means you are interested in me. And dad’s business is no secret. He deals in property.’
‘Oh, that sounds interesting.’ Poppy had a grin on her face. ‘The only deal I’ve ever done is when I deal a hand at cards. And I’m dead unlucky. I never win.’
‘You are not unlucky, Poppy, not in anything. Certainly not in looks or personality. And when I said my father deals in property, I meant he owns some houses in the Walton area, and around Bootle. He has an office in Walton, employs a couple of men as rent collectors, and has two women working in the office.’
‘Do you work for your father?’
