One Rainy Day

by Joan Jonker

  ‘This is Peter, Mam,’ Poppy said, and watched her mother holding her hand out. ‘Peter, meet my mam.’

  ‘Pleased to meet yer, lad.’ Eva was thinking what a nice-looking, well-dressed man he was. ‘I’ve heard a lot about yer from Poppy.’

  ‘All good, I hope, Mrs Meadows?’

  ‘Oh, Poppy never speaks ill of anyone, Peter. At least not to me she doesn’t.’

  ‘You’ve met my brother David, who insisted on waiting in to see you. And that is an honour, for he’s going to be late for his date with a very beautiful girl.’

  Peter had his trilby hat in his hands, and he was running the brim through his fingers. ‘Never keep a lady waiting, David, because she may decide not to hang around, and leave you in the lurch.’

  ‘No, no, no!’ David drawled in an American accent. ‘No dame would leave me in the lurch. They’re putty in my hands.’ Then he straightened his tie and his face. ‘Just to be on the safe side, though, I’ll make tracks. You see, it’s her turn to buy the tickets tonight.’

  ‘Go on, yer daft ha’p’orth,’ Eva said. ‘It would serve you right if the girl left you swinging.’

  ‘We’ll go out at the same time, Mam.’ Poppy gave her mother a kiss. ‘Are you going next door to play cards?’

  Eva nodded. ‘It’ll pass the time away, and we have a good laugh. We only play for matches, so it’s a cheap night’s entertainment. But you lot get off and enjoy yourselves.’ She shook hands with Peter again. ‘It’s been nice meeting yer, lad. Enjoy yer night out. And I’ll wait up until yer come in, Poppy. We’ll have a cup of tea before going to bed, and yer can tell me what the dance was like. And remember the names of the old songs; I’d like that. It’ll take me back to the days I went to a tuppenny hop.’ She waved her children and Peter off, then went back to the living room and sank into a fireside chair. She’d have half an hour to herself, then go next door.

  Poppy and Peter were earlier than usual, and on the dance floor at the Grafton there were only about a dozen couples enjoying the freedom of movement as the band played a waltz. ‘Oh, we’ll have to come early in future,’ Peter said. ‘This is heaven, having room to cover the floor without bumping into other dancers.’

  But good things don’t last for ever, and half an hour later there was barely room to move. For those who loved dancing, though, it was worth the odd elbow in the ribs, or trodden-on toes. Rhythm was in the blood, and for some it was the greatest pleasure in their lives.

  ‘The next dance is a slow foxtrot, babe, so get ready to be on the floor while there’s room to get round at least once in comfort.’

  They’d been on the floor a few minutes, both humming to the tune the band were playing, when Peter seemed to lose control of his feet, and he stumbled. ‘That’s what happens when you’ve got two left feet,’ Poppy said, laughing. Then she looked into his face to find it drained of colour, and his eyes were staring unblinkingly over her shoulder. She got a fright, thinking he was ill, and then dismissed that idea. But they were standing still in the middle of the floor, making it difficult for the other dancers. She’d never known anything like it. It was only a matter of seconds, but to Poppy it seemed an eternity.

  ‘Peter, are you all right?’ She dropped her arms, embarrassed because other couples were giving them daggers. ‘Peter, what’s wrong with you?’

  He looked down into her face and stared, as though he didn’t know her, or indeed where they were. Then he shook his head as though to clear his mind. ‘I’m sorry, babe. Come on, let’s dance.’

  ‘You’ve just frightened the life out of me, Peter Broadhurst, and if that was your idea of a joke, then I don’t think it was funny. I really thought you were having a seizure. You were like a statue – I couldn’t even see you breathing! I don’t want to finish this dance. Let’s get off the floor. You must know something was wrong with you, and I want to know what it was. If you’re ill, then you shouldn’t be dancing, anyway.’ She took his hand. ‘Come on.’

  ‘I’m all right now, babe. Don’t panic.’ Peter’s smile was forced, his face colourless. ‘I thought I saw a ghost from the past, and it threw me off course a bit. But it was all in my imagination, and it’s gone now.’

  Poppy found that very hard to believe. There was more to it than Peter was letting on, but surely if he was feeling unwell he wouldn’t be stupid enough to step on to a dance floor. ‘I think we should sit out until after the interval. You may be feeling better by then. And looking better, ’cos you’re as white as a sheet. And I’m not taking any chances, in case you pass out on the dance floor.’

  There were chairs lining the walls of the dance hall, and Peter cupped Poppy’s elbow as they walked towards them. They’d just seated themselves when a voice said, ‘Hello, Peter.’

  As Poppy looked up, she heard Peter’s sharp intake of breath and turned to face him. He looked exactly as he had on the dance floor. His eyes were unblinking and his face and body were rigid. Then Poppy looked back to the girl who was standing in front of them. She looked to be in her early twenties, tall and slim with dark hair falling around her shoulders, and she was very attractive.

  When Peter didn’t move or speak, Poppy asked the girl, ‘Are you a friend of Peter’s?’

  The girl nodded. ‘I haven’t seen him for two years, but yes, we were friends.’

  Her voice brought Peter out of his trance. ‘What are you doing here, Kate? You’re a long way from home.’

  ‘You remember my friend Rita? Well, she told me she’d seen you here, and I thought it would be nice to say hello. For old times’ sake.’

  ‘I don’t know why,’ Peter said, his face set. ‘You weren’t so concerned two years ago, so why this sudden fit of nostalgia?’

  Poppy was surprised at Peter’s being abrupt to the point of being rude. But she was also intrigued as to why the girl was here. Then the answer came to her in a flash. This was the girl Peter was reluctant to talk about, except to say they had courted for … was it two years he’d said? Whatever the reason for them splitting up, the appearance tonight of the girl had certainly had an effect on Peter.

  ‘I just thought it would be nice to see you again,’ Kate said. ‘I often think of you. But I see you have a companion, so I won’t intrude. Goodbye, Peter.’

  Poppy jumped to her feet. ‘No, please don’t go. I’m going to the cloakroom to freshen up, so stay and talk to Peter. I’m sure he’ll enjoy hearing your news after all this time.’ She patted Peter’s arm. ‘I won’t be long. Talk to your friend till I get back.’

  Poppy spent ten minutes in the cloakroom, then stood at the back of the groups gathered near the edge of the dance floor. She wanted to give Peter and the girl, Kate, time to talk. She was certain that Peter’s behaviour on the dance floor, and again when his old friend came over to speak to him, was down to the shock of seeing her after so long. And her excuse of wanting to see him for old times’ sake, well, it just didn’t ring true.

  Poppy found Peter alone when she went back to where they’d been sitting. Sounding cheerful, she said, ‘Your friend has gone, then? It must have been nice, seeing each other after such a long time.’

  ‘It was a shock.’ That was all Peter said. And he would have remained silent if Poppy hadn’t persevered. ‘Just out of curiosity, Peter, and don’t bite my head off, but is Kate the girl you courted for two years? The one you don’t like talking about?’

  ‘Yes, we courted for two years. We fell out, and now she thinks she can walk back into my life again as though nothing had happened. Well, she can’t do that, and I’ve told her so.’

  Poppy leaned towards him, to enable him to hear above the music. ‘Look, Peter, why don’t we leave? You don’t look in the mood for dancing now, so let’s go somewhere where we can talk. There’s a pub not far from here, and we could go there for a drink. I really believe we should talk.’

  ‘Yes, that suits me. You were right, I don’t feel like dancing. It was such a shock, seeing her after all that time. I thought she was out
of my life for good.’

  ‘Up you get, then, and I’ll get my coat. We’ll find a quiet spot in the pub, and have a question and answer session. I have a few questions to ask, and I’m sure there are things you need to get off your chest. Come on, let’s go.’

  Chapter Nineteen

  It was quiet in the pub, the customers mostly middle-aged and elderly men, out for their Saturday night pints. The working men would down four to six pints, for Saturday was payday. The older men would make the one pint last them all night, unless one of their younger neighbours had been lucky on the gee-gees, and would mug them to half a pint of bitter.

  ‘Is it a sherry, babe?’ Peter asked, removing his trilby and casting an eye around the room. ‘Or would you like a change?’

  ‘No, a sherry will be fine. There don’t seem to be many people in the snug,’ Poppy said. ‘I’ll go in and keep us two seats.’

  Poppy was pleased to see an empty table in a corner, and she waved Peter over when he came through with a glass in each hand. ‘It’s nice and quiet here. We can talk in peace and privacy.’

  Peter put the glasses down. ‘I’m glad it’s not noisy. I’ve got quite a headache.’

  ‘That’s because you had a shock, seeing a friend you hadn’t seen for a long time.’ Poppy tried to choose her words with care. Peter was upset, and she didn’t want to make matters worse. ‘She didn’t stay long, did she?’

  ‘She wasn’t made very welcome. I’m afraid I was rude to her.’ Peter picked up his pint glass, but halfway to his lips he pulled a face and put the glass back on the table. ‘I find I’m not in the right frame of mind for beer.’

  ‘Then don’t drink it,’ Poppy told him. ‘Just let’s sit quietly and talk. You called her Kate, so what was Kate doing at the Grafton when she doesn’t normally go there?’

  ‘She came to say she misses me, didn’t think our quarrel was serious enough to break us up, and still loves me and wants me back.’

  ‘That was very brave of her, Peter. She must really love you to have come and told you that. It took guts.’ Poppy meant it, for she thought the girl was indeed courageous. And Peter’s reaction when he first saw her wasn’t the reaction of a man who didn’t care. ‘You didn’t just send her away, did you? I can’t believe you’d be so cruel.’

  ‘She walked out on me, babe, after two years of courting. And she broke my heart, all over a stupid quarrel. Now she thinks that after all this time, she can just walk back into my life and I’ll welcome her with open arms.’

  ‘Let’s not lose our temper and get all worked up, Peter. Talk it through and you’ll feel much better. And let me ask you questions without biting my head off. I’m your friend, remember, so let me ask you, did you really love Kate when you were courting?’

  Peter sighed, his fingers laced on his knee. ‘Yes, I loved her very much. We were to be married. Then this stupid row flared up over who was to be best man, bridesmaids and so on. It ended up with me and Kate almost coming to blows because she didn’t approve of the friend I’d chosen to be my best man. He was a good mate of mine; I’d known him since schooldays. I’d already asked him, and he was delighted. So as far as I was concerned that was sorted. But Kate objected to my friend being my best man, for, without telling me, or asking my permission, she had asked the husband of a friend of hers, who I didn’t really know!’

  Oh, dear, Poppy thought, that was very naughty of her. She should have asked Peter first.

  ‘And that was the cause of you splitting up?’

  ‘I was blazing, and told her she would have to tell her friend that I had chosen a good friend of mine to be best man. She flatly refused, so I walked away. And that was the last time I saw Kate, until tonight.’

  ‘She never came to apologize, or change the arrangement to suit you?’

  Peter shook his head. ‘I haven’t seen her since the day I walked out. She phoned my parents’ home a few times, but I refused to speak to her.’

  ‘But you still have feelings for her, Peter, don’t you? I could tell by your face when you saw her. And don’t say you don’t, without giving it careful thought. We’re mates, Peter, and mates help each other.’

  ‘You’re more than a mate, babe, you’re my girlfriend.’

  ‘I’m the girl you’ve been going out with for a few weeks, Peter. I am a friend who is very fond of you, and who enjoys your company. But we haven’t had time to really get to know each other. For all you know, I may not be the happy-go-lucky girl you think I am. I could be selfish and bad-tempered for all you know.’ Poppy took a sip of sherry, then asked, ‘How did your conversation with Kate finish, Peter?’

  ‘She said she will not give up without a fight. And she asked me to think seriously about us getting back together. She said she couldn’t believe that after being so much in love, I could get over it. She can’t. She said I’m never out of her mind, she thinks of me all the time.’ He huffed. ‘It’s easy for her to say that now, when she was the one who caused the split.’

  Poppy nodded. ‘She was in the wrong, Peter, I agree. But don’t we all make mistakes sometime that we regret? If I were you I’d give it a lot of thought. After all, it’s the rest of your life you’re talking about. Are you going to meet her again, to see what your feelings are? Whether they’ve changed after you’ve had time to consider?’

  ‘She’s coming to the Grafton on Tuesday, after I’ve had time to think things through. But I told her she’s wasting her time.’

  ‘Does Kate dance, Peter?’

  ‘Yes, she’s a smashing dancer. Why?’

  ‘Only asking,’ Poppy said. But in her mind she had thoughts more serious than she would let on. ‘I forgot to tell you that one of the girls who live next door asked if I’d take her to the Grafton one night and I said she could come with us on Tuesday. I knew you wouldn’t mind, and Sarah is a nice girl who won’t cling to us all night. But I’ll put her off, if you want?’

  ‘There’s no need to do that,’ Peter said. ‘If Kate comes she won’t be staying long, for I have nothing to say to her.’

  That’s what you think, Poppy thought. I’m going to play Cupid and find a way to get you dancing with Kate. If there is love in your heart for the girl, then it will surely surface if she’s in your arms. At least, it will according to my mam. And I’ll put money on my mam being right any time.

  ‘Shall we go, babe?’ Peter asked. ‘I’m not in the mood for drinking. My headache is getting worse, and I think I’ll have an early night. Two headache pills, a good night’s sleep, and I’ll be fine tomorrow.’

  ‘Very sensible, Peter.’ Poppy fastened up her coat. ‘A clear head tomorrow and you’ll be able to think clearly.’

  ‘I’ll still meet you off the bus on Monday night, babe, after night school.’

  ‘That’s fine, Peter. I’ll have someone to brag to about how clever the teacher says I am.’ She linked his arm when they were outside the pub, wondering what the next few days had in store for her, Peter and Kate.

  On Monday morning, Poppy came back into the office after hand-delivering the usual correspondence. ‘I’m really fed up being dogsbody to Mr John. The next few weeks can’t go quickly enough for me. Mr Jones from night school suggested I buy an Echo every night and look in the situations vacant column. I think I’ll do that, to see how often the services of a private secretary are advertised.’

  ‘You might as well start looking, Poppy,’ Jean said, ‘because decent jobs don’t come along very often. And you don’t want to give this job up when the course ends, or you might find yourself out of work. You can’t claim dole when you are responsible for making yourself unemployed.’

  ‘I wouldn’t do that, Jean. I’m not soft. I won’t be giving my notice in until I’ve got another job to go to.’

  ‘I wish you luck, Poppy, because you deserve it. I never thought you’d stick at it, but you’ve worked really hard. Your speed is up to my level now, and that’s taken some doing in such a short time.’

  ‘I don’t know
why you won’t look elsewhere for work, Jean,’ Poppy said. ‘You’re a fantastic worker, but you don’t get credit for it here. You don’t get paid enough, either, for the work you do.’

  Jean saw Mr John’s shadow through the glass panel in his door, and she gestured to Poppy. ‘Watch out, his lordship is on the prowl.’

  ‘Then I’m going to the ladies. Tell him, if he asks. He can’t follow me in there. And by the time I come out, it’ll be lunchtime.’

  Poppy had just closed the door behind her when Mr John came into the office. He looked at the empty desk, then asked abruptly, ‘Where is she?’

  Jean turned her head. ‘Miss Meadows has gone to the washroom.’

  John Sutherland spun round, and as he walked towards the open door of his office he called over his shoulder, ‘My office, as soon as she comes back.’

  Jean plucked up the courage to say, ‘Miss Meadows was feeling unwell, Mr John. She might not be back until after lunch.’

  He growled, a sign he was in a bad temper. ‘Women and their blasted monthly stomach pains.’

  Jean went back to her typing with a smile on her face. She’d got Poppy off the hook and felt proud of herself. She wished she had her friend’s confidence, though: then she’d get out and look for a job she’d be happy in.

  Poppy poked her head in the door. ‘Come on, Jean, it’s time for lunch. Bring my coat, please, I don’t want to be caught by his lordship.’

  When the pair walked out of the building, they found Charlotte waiting for them. She looked so cheerful, and happy to see them, that neither of the friends could resist giving her a hug. ‘It’s nice to see you,’ Poppy said. ‘Are you coming to the café with us?’

  ‘Of course I am! I’m looking forward to the soup and homemade bread.’

  ‘Don’t tell fibs,’ Poppy told her. ‘I bet you would be getting much better fed at home.’