by Joan Jonker
They heard David’s heavy footsteps on the stairs, then his voice. ‘Bathroom empty, ladies, but don’t kill each other in the rush to get there first.’
Poppy patted his cheek as she made for the stairs. ‘It’s only a rush of one, ’cos Mam got washed before we were up. So you can finish the dishes off, like a good boy. I’ve washed most of them, so there’s no need to pull a face.’
In the end the three of them left the house together, with Poppy walking between her mother and brother. She was feeling self-conscious, wearing a new coat to go to work in, and was glad they didn’t encounter any near neighbours.
When they reached the top of the street, where they would part company to go their separate ways, Poppy admitted, ‘I’m sorry I didn’t put my old raincoat on now. I’ll stick out like a sore thumb when I get to the office.’
‘Don’t be silly, sweetheart,’ Eva said. ‘You look very smart.’ She turned her head away as a cloud of sadness engulfed her. Not for the first time, she wished her husband was alive to see the two fine children he’d fathered. He would be so proud of them. ‘If anyone says otherwise, then put it down to jealousy.’
‘Mam’s right.’ David squeezed his sister’s shoulder. ‘You go in that building with your head held high, and knock ’em for six.’
Poppy could see surprise on the faces of staff as they passed her on their way to the many offices in the building. Some raised their brows, and others, more friendly, smiled a greeting. But no one passed a comment, until she entered the office she shared with Jean. Then the reaction of her friend brought a smile to her face. ‘Oh, you look beautiful,’ Jean said, with sincerity. ‘When did you buy that, and where from? It’s a lovely colour and suits you down to the ground.’
‘I bought it on Saturday.’ Poppy couldn’t bring herself to lie to someone who had been good to her, so she skirted round the implied question. ‘I got it from a small shop my mother took me to, where the clothes were a lot cheaper than the stores in the city.’ She hung up the coat carefully, then sat at her desk and took the cover off the typewriter. There were no letters for her to type with it being Monday, so to give herself something to do she decided to go through the files and make sure they were in order. Then when Mr John had opened his post and dictated replies to Jean, Poppy would be required to hand-deliver the letters.
‘How did you get on with the homework, Poppy?’ Jean asked, her eyes watching Mr John’s office door. ‘Did any of it make sense to you?’
‘I’m going to sound very big-headed now, Jean, especially after swanking in my new coat. But I have to say I feel very proud of myself regarding the homework. I spent all day on it yesterday, and thanks to you I can see some light now. Your work was much easier to follow than Mr Jones’s! Not that I haven’t made any mistakes, ’cos I probably have. But all those squiggles that looked so hard to me before are beginning to make sense. I’m not there yet, not by a long chalk, but I am learning a bit more each day, thanks to you. You’re a pal.’
Jean put a finger to her lips and mouthed, ‘Here comes his lordship. We’ll talk at dinnertime.’
There were only two letters to be delivered by hand, and both were for the offices where Amy worked. Poppy glanced out of the window as she pulled her gloves on and was glad to see it wasn’t raining. She hadn’t got an umbrella with her, and wouldn’t like the idea of getting her new coat wet. So, after putting her homework notebook in the drawer, away from prying eyes, she left the office and stepped into the street. She pondered on which of the two streets facing she should use. Without having made a conscious decision, she found her feet crossing over the main road, then into Castle Street. She automatically smoothed down the front of her coat and pushed a wayward curl behind her ear. If she met that bloke again, Charlotte’s brother, at least he’d know there was more to her than an old raincoat. Not that she was particularly worried what he thought; she wasn’t a snob. But as she neared the buildings where he worked she slowed down, so if he came out she wouldn’t miss him. However, telling herself she couldn’t walk any slower or she’d be standing still, she set her feet moving faster. She was disappointed, though. Not because she was interested in him, even though he was probably a nice man. It was just that on the few occasions she’d seen him, he’d been very well dressed, a real toff, while she had that old raincoat on. She’d felt at a disadvantage, as if she was inferior. It was daft to think like that, ’cos her mother had always drummed it into her and David that they were as good as anyone, and better than most. And he, Charlotte’s brother, was the only one who had ever made her feel like that. So if she had bumped into him today, knowing she looked good in her new coat, she would have felt they were on an equal footing.
‘My God!’ Amy said, eyeing Poppy up and down. ‘The state of you and the price of fish! When did yer get the coat?’
Poppy did a twirl. ‘On Saturday. D’yer like it?’
‘It’s beautiful! Have you come up on the pools?’
‘That would take a miracle, Amy, and they don’t happen very often. You see, I don’t do the pools.’ Poppy could see Amy was gearing herself to hear all the details, so she quickly pointed to the letters she’d put on the counter. ‘I think you’d better take those upstairs. Mr John seemed to hint they were important.’
The letters were snatched up and Amy opened the door. ‘I’ll not be long. It depends if an answer is needed.’ She was gone in a flash, leaving Poppy in the tiny room, afraid to move around because there was dust everywhere and she had to be careful with her coat. Mind you, if she was going to be frightened every time she went near anything, she’d be better leaving it at home and wearing the old raincoat for work.
Amy came back with an envelope in her hand and a very flustered expression on her face. ‘Mr Simon wants this taking to Mr John right away. I don’t know what your boss had written, Poppy, but whatever it was, he’s got Mr Simon hopping mad.’ She passed the envelope over. ‘If I were you, I’d stand well away when you give him that.’
Poppy huffed. ‘They’re worse than children! Why can’t they meet up and discuss their business in a civilized manner, over a meal or a drink? I mean, how childish can you get? They could even lift up the phone and sort out their differences. Why have me running back and forward when they can talk to each other without getting off their backsides?’ She walked to the door. ‘I’m surprised they’ve got the sense to make money. Then again, what’s the use of having money if you don’t enjoy it? My Mr John wouldn’t know what a joke was if it hit him in the face. I’ve never heard him have a good belly laugh in all the years I’ve worked for him.’
‘Same here, girl! Mr Simon would split his face open if he smiled. Miserable pair of buggers, and you and me are lumbered with them! Anyway, you’d better hurry. I’ll see yer tomorrow.’
Poppy was deep in thought as she walked back down Castle Street. Her boss, Mr John, was a solicitor, following in the steps of his father and grandfather. And she happened to know, from the letters she typed, that he earned a lot of money by charging exorbitant fees. If she needed a solicitor, she certainly wouldn’t go to him. And she had a feeling that Amy’s boss, Mr Simon, was complaining about the fees, and those complaints would be in the letter she was carrying. What a pity they had nothing better to do. Two very rich men whose only thought was making more money. Oh, Mr John did have one other thing on his mind … he was a womanizer.
Poppy was telling herself she would rather be skint and happy than rich and miserable when a figure blocked her path. She was about to sidestep, thinking she was at fault, when a voice said, ‘Hello, Poppy.’
She stared at Andrew, her face blank. Then she gathered her thoughts together. ‘I’m afraid I was miles away then. I didn’t see you.’
‘I could see your mind was elsewhere. I do hope I didn’t alarm you?’
Her brow furrowed, Poppy was asking herself why this man had an effect on her. She hardly knew him, yet for some reason she didn’t feel at ease with him. ‘No, you didn’t alarm me.’ A
passing thought brought a smile to her face. ‘And you didn’t knock me down, either. I’m glad you don’t make a habit of doing that.’
Her smile had Andrew’s heart pounding. He was absolutely captivated by her, but too shy to do anything about it. There were words whirling around in his head, but he couldn’t summon up the courage to speak them out loud. Twenty-five years of age and unable to say what was on his mind. He was standing in front of a girl who had stolen his heart when he first set eyes on her, yet he was too much of a wimp to ask her for a date.
‘Look, I’ll have to go,’ Poppy said. ‘My boss will wonder where I’ve got to.’
‘One minute won’t matter, surely?’ A little voice in Andrew’s head was urging him on. ‘Would you think it was forward of me if I said you were looking very smart? That coat really suits you.’
Again Poppy’s smile sent his heart into a spin. ‘No girl would object to a compliment, and I thank you, kind sir.’
‘Please call me Andrew.’ He waved to the offices across the street. ‘I’ve told you where I work, and I’d be delighted if you would call in one day and have a cup of tea with me.’
‘I don’t have time during office hours, Andrew, but thank you for the offer. And now I really must be on my way. I can’t afford to get the sack.’
As Poppy moved forward, Andrew put a hand on her arm. ‘The offer is always open, Poppy. You would be very welcome.’ With those parting words, he spun on his heel and crossed the road, leaving Poppy staring down at her arm with a puzzled expression on her face. She’d felt a tingle, causing her to shiver. But it couldn’t have been Andrew: he’d barely touched her. It must have been the cold wind, or, as her mother would say, it was someone walking over her grave. That was a very old saying, but not one that Poppy liked. In fact it brought on another shiver, just as she walked into the office, and almost into the arms of Mr John, who was standing by her desk. It was obvious he’d been awaiting her return and was becoming impatient. But Poppy’s appearance saved her from his vitriolic tongue. He stared at her, his eyes travelling upwards from her feet to her flashing eyes. Making no attempt to hide his lust, he stripped her naked in his mind. ‘You are looking very fetching today, Miss Meadows.’
I don’t have to put up with this. Poppy’s pride rose to the fore. Who the hell does he think he is? So she held his eyes, saying with a coolness she was far from feeling, ‘My boyfriend is always telling me how fetching I look. It gets quite boring, really.’ She brushed the envelope she was holding across his chest. ‘Mr Simon said to make sure this was put in your hand.’
Jean had been watching and listening with an expression on her face that defied description. On the one hand she applauded her friend for having the guts to stand up for herself, but on the other she was afraid it might cost Poppy her job. Mr John had been in a foul mood all morning, and she should know because she’d borne the brunt of it.
However, much to Jean’s astonishment, Mr John watched Poppy walking towards the coat stand with a half-smile on his face. Little did she know that her boss was promising himself that one day he would get through to his typist. Money would do the trick. Few women could refuse the offer of a gold watch, or rich satin underwear. No matter how much it cost, it would be worth it for one hour with the beautiful Miss Meadows. He would take it slowly, confident she would rise to the bait in the end. His other conquests had been so easy he soon lost interest in them. But Poppy now, she was a challenge.
Jean watched Poppy putting her coat on at lunchtime. ‘You nearly gave me a heart attack before. I thought you’d gone too far. I really expected Mr John to tell you to pick your cards up on Friday.’
Poppy shrugged her shoulders. ‘He didn’t though, did he? The man is so big-headed he thinks he’s God’s gift to women. He thinks he’ll wear me down eventually, the silly man.’ She linked Jean’s arm and walked her to the door. ‘When the time comes for me to leave here, it will be me giving in my notice, not the other way round, so don’t look so worried. Let’s go and have some lunch.’
‘Have you brought the book with you?’
Poppy patted her handbag. ‘It’s in here, Jean, but don’t worry about that on top of all the other things you worry about. It’s time you gave some thought to yourself, never mind me or Mr John.’
They were walking down the steps of the building when Jean said, ‘Oh, look, here’s Charlotte! What a lovely surprise!’
‘Are your family checking up on me?’ Poppy had a smile on her face when she spoke, for the girl looked so happy to see her and Jean, she couldn’t not be nice to her. ‘I was talking to your brother half an hour ago, did he tell you?’
‘I haven’t seen Andrew; he doesn’t know I’m in town. I came to go for lunch with you in that nice little café. You don’t mind, do you?’
‘Of course not. It’s lovely to see you.’ Poppy bent her elbow for Charlotte to link. ‘Jean was only saying the other day that she hoped you hadn’t forgotten us, weren’t you, Jean?’
‘Yes, I was,’ Jean said. ‘And am I right in saying a friend of yours was having her son christened yesterday?’
‘Oh, yes, and it was lovely.’ Charlotte’s cultured voice was eager. ‘The baby, Leo, was a perfect angel. He never even whimpered.’
‘Can we find a table and sit down?’ Poppy said. ‘Then we can talk in comfort.’ She looked around and spotted an empty table by a side window. ‘You two nab that table while I put our order in. And as we don’t have a lot of time I’m ordering three bowls of soup, with bread, and a pot of tea. Is that okay?’ She waited for their nods, then pushed her way to the counter.
When Poppy returned to the table it was to see Charlotte and Jean talking and laughing. ‘Oh, that’s nice, I must say! I bet I’ve missed all the news now.’
‘No, you haven’t, Poppy. I was only telling Jean how happy my parents were yesterday, becoming godparents.’ Charlotte put a hand on Poppy’s sleeve. ‘What a lovely coat! And it suits you. The colour is perfect with that mop of golden curls.’
‘Listen, Charlotte, if I keep being flattered, I won’t be able to get through the front door when I get home, my head will be so big.’
‘When you saw Andrew, did he flatter you?’ Charlotte’s eyes held devilment. ‘I’d be very surprised if he did, for my brother is quite shy with girls.’
‘He did say I looked very smart. Oh, and he invited me to his office any time I was passing, for a cup of tea. Your brother does seem to be shy with females, Charlotte, but I think that’s rather nice. The word I would use to describe what little I know of Andrew is chivalrous. But don’t you dare tell him I said so, for he’ll think I’m comparing him with the knights of old.’
Their soup and bread arrived at that moment, and it put an end to conversation. It’s difficult to talk while eating soup, particularly when you are wearing … the coat. But as soon as the plates were cleared and stacked ready to be picked up, Charlotte went back to where they had left off. ‘When you go for tea to Andrew’s office, could I come with you? I would like that very much, for I am very proud of my brother, and love him dearly.’
‘Oh, I won’t be calling on him for a while, Charlotte, for it would be in my working time and my boss wouldn’t take kindly to my taking time out.’
Jean pushed her chair back and stood up. ‘I’ll take these plates to the counter and fetch the tea. You two carry on. I won’t be long.’
Poppy smiled at Charlotte. ‘Your brother is nice, and I can understand you being fond of him. But you know I am going to night school to learn shorthand, and that’s a priority with me, for I’m not happy in my present job. So everything else has to take second place for the next few weeks or months. It depends on how quickly I pick it up.’
‘You are not spending all your free time poring over books, are you?’ Charlotte had been eager when Poppy told of her meeting with Andrew, and now she felt sad. ‘You need some social life.’
‘Oh, I am having some social life, Charlotte, but I’m not out every night like I
used to be. I have a male friend I go to dances with, or the pictures, two nights during the week. So I’ve not turned into a recluse.’
Charlotte’s heart sank. ‘You have a steady boyfriend, do you, Poppy?’
‘I wouldn’t say he was a steady boyfriend, for I’ve only known him a matter of weeks. And as I’ve said, my heart is set on training for a new job, so courting is out of the question for a while.’
Hope flared once again in Charlotte’s heart. ‘When you are settled, with all your plans bearing fruit, then will you come with me to Andrew’s office and accept his offer of a cup of tea? I have only been there once, which is a bit mean of me for I have nothing to do all day but lounge around. I get bored sometimes, and feel lonely. So say you’ll come with me, Poppy, and I’ll have something to look forward to.’
How could she refuse, Poppy asked herself, looking into Charlotte’s eyes. She could spare half an hour, if it made the girl happy. But not for a while. First things first. ‘When I’m more settled I’ll come with you, Charlotte, I promise. And you can tell your brother I’ll expect a cake with the cup of tea.’
Charlotte was delighted. Wait until she told Andrew tonight! He would be overjoyed. ‘How are you getting on with your shorthand? Are you close to mastering it yet?’
Jean reached the table with a tray bearing cups, saucers, and a pot of tea. ‘Ooh, it’s a crush trying to get through the queue at the counter. And that tray is heavy.’
‘I’ll take it back when we’ve finished with it,’ Poppy said. ‘And I’ll be mother and pour out the tea. While I’m doing that, you are the best one to answer Charlotte’s question. She asked if I was close to mastering the art of shorthand yet. You tell her.’
Jean delved into Poppy’s bag for her notebook. ‘Give me ten minutes and I’ll tell you both whether Miss Meadows goes to the top or the bottom of the class.’
