The Boy With the Latchkey

by Cathy Sharp

  ‘Perfectly right, Billy. It is my opinion that if born in the East End you never truly belong elsewhere, however high you rise. That is why I was always against the move to the country, but unfortunately I was overruled …’

  ‘Me and Mary Ellen was lucky to be your kids, Sister Beatrice, before they started the new ways. I ’spect it’s all right, but I wouldn’t want to be sent there. I’m glad we never had to go away …’

  ‘I do not think you would’ve stayed there any more than Archie Miller did – you are somewhat alike, Billy. I suppose you haven’t heard anything yet?’

  ‘Sorry, Sister. I had a look round the Docks yesterday and again earlier today, but no one seems to have seen him.’

  ‘Oh well, we must keep trying,’ she said. ‘Off you go, I’m sure you have things to do …’

  ‘Yes, Sister. I have to get to work soon.’

  ‘At that horrid club, I suppose?’ She walked off shaking her head in disapproval.

  Billy hardly dared think what she would say when he told her it was the only job he had now …

  He set his mouth firmly. In the morning he was going to start looking for work. He’d tried a few places already, taking his sling off so he didn’t look so much like a prize fighter, but without any luck. Once he’d been told a job as a barman had just gone; Billy had no experience of bar work but was willing to learn. It had given him more hope and he’d tried a few more pubs and restaurants. He’d been offered two hours in the evenings washing dishes, but that was at the same time as his work at the club so he had to refuse.

  It was going to be difficult to find anything worthwhile – something Rose would approve of, because once she discovered that Billy had lost his job at the coach depot she would forbid Mary Ellen to see him …

  ‘I told you he was a waster,’ Rose was saying to Mary Ellen as she and Marion washed the cocoa mugs that evening. ‘He’s lost the apprenticeship Sister Beatrice got for him and he’ll lose every other job he ever gets. He’ll end up thieving like his brother. You listen to me, Mary Ellen, and stop seeing him now before it’s too late.’

  ‘I love Billy and I believe in him,’ Mary Ellen said, turning her nails into the palms of her hands to stop herself getting into a temper. It was no good getting angry with Rose, because she would always have the last word, but whatever she said, Mary Ellen wasn’t going to give up on Billy. ‘He’ll find another job soon, a good job. I know he will. It isn’t as if he did anything wrong. He saved a man’s life …’

  ‘That’s his story,’ Rose said. ‘I shouldn’t believe everything he says if I were you. You’ll end up with a brood of children you can’t feed and in debt – and he will probably be behind bars …’

  ‘You’ve no right to say such things about Billy.’ Mary Ellen’s eyes stung with angry tears. ‘You can be so unkind, Rose. Billy’s never done anything to you, never been rude or aggressive or hurt you. Why can’t you think about me, about how I feel?’

  ‘Rose didn’t mean to be nasty,’ Marion put in and got a glare for her pains.

  Rose hesitated, then in a softer tone, ‘It’s you I’m thinking of, Mary Ellen. I just don’t want you to get hurt – and you will be if you marry him.’

  ‘I don’t want to listen to any more of this,’ Mary Ellen said and went into her own room, slamming the door behind her.

  ‘They’re looking for a porter in the stockroom at Woolworth’s where I work,’ Marion said to Rose after Mary Ellen had gone. ‘I’ll tell her. He might get it if he’s got a reference …’

  ‘They wouldn’t take him,’ Rose scowled. ‘But tell her if you want. I suppose he might be lucky …’

  Marion knocked at the door and went into Mary Ellen’s room. She’d been crying and she was wiping her face with a pad of cotton wool and a pot of Pond’s face cream, but she put on a smile when Marion entered.

  ‘Sorry, I don’t mean to quarrel with Rose, but she’s so mean about Billy at times.’

  ‘Rose don’t know him like we do.’ Marion perched on the side of the bed. ‘I wanted to tell you about a job where I work. I know it’s coming up but it hasn’t been advertised so if you tell Billy he might stand a chance.’

  ‘Thanks, Marion,’ Mary Ellen laughed. ‘It’s almost like old times havin’ you livin’ here with us …’

  Marion looked sad and turned away. ‘I wish I was back there sometimes …’

  ‘What’s wrong?’ Mary Ellen looked at her intently but she shook her head and got up, then winced. ‘Something is the matter …’ Mary Ellen caught her arm as she would’ve left the room and she gave a little scream. ‘Your arm … you’ve hurt it …’ She pushed up the short sleeve of Marion’s jumper and stared at the dark bruise. ‘What happened?’

  ‘Oh, I banged into something at work,’ Marion said and shrugged it away. ‘It’s just a bit sore, that’s all … anyway, I only came to tell you about the job. I’m going to bed. I want to put my hair in pins …’

  Mary Ellen let her go; puzzled because she was certain her friend was lying. Marion hadn’t hurt herself at work and she seemed nervous … so what was she hiding and why?

  Over the next few days, Billy tried for the job at Woolworth’s and one for a night watchman at the boot factory, but they both wanted references and said the letter from Sister Beatrice wasn’t enough. It had to be from his last place of work. Billy tried explaining but they just shook their heads and told him to come back when he had proper references and some work experience.

  Billy found a few hours unloading at the Docks. He earned fifteen shillings and was able to pay for his food for the week at St Saviour’s and a bit over, but even with his pay from the club he knew it wouldn’t be enough to cover everything and let him save for the future. He still had some savings, but they wouldn’t last long and he wanted to get Mary Ellen a ring for her birthday.

  He wouldn’t be able to manage for long without spending what he’d saved, and that meant he was going to have to make a choice, but he could always ask Ted Hastings if there was any work going on the markets – and he’d tell Ted about Archie at the same time …

  ‘So that’s the story,’ Billy said to the market trader. ‘I thought I’d come and explain why we’re lookin’ for Archie Miller. He’s bound to be searching for a way to earn money, and if he’s had as much luck as I have, he’ll be pretty desperate. If he does come to see you, can you let me know please?’

  ‘Yes, I’ll do that,’ Ted Hastings said, nodding his head and looking concerned. ‘I don’t like to think of a lad like that running the streets; he’s not streetwise like some of them. I thought he was a nice lad when he asked me for work.’

  ‘Archie is convinced his mother is innocent of the charge against her. I don’t think he would be so insistent if he wasn’t sure of his facts. I offered to visit her with him, but I think Sister Beatrice is going to visit her and find out what she can.’

  ‘It’s not justice when an innocent woman is convicted because someone has it in for her,’ Ted said. ‘If the lad had confided in me I would have had a talk to a few people, see what we could find out about the circumstances. I must admit I feel sorry for the whole family.’

  ‘Sister asked me to look for him, but I’m damned if I know where,’ Billy said. ‘I suppose he wouldn’t have gone back to his home, would he?’

  ‘Do you know where that was?’

  ‘No, but Sister may …’ Billy shook his head. ‘Thanks, Ted, you’re a good mate. I knew Archie would be all right with you.’

  ‘Well, if I could put up wiv a tearaway like you, Billy Baggins, he were a doddle …’ Ted grinned at him and Billy laughed. He went off whistling and smiling to himself. He’d done what he could for the moment as far as Archie was concerned, though Ted had regretfully told him he didn’t have much to offer Billy at the moment. ‘A couple of hours on Saturday mornings is no good to you, Billy – but I’ll keep an eye out and let you know if I hear of anything, and I’ll give you a reference if that will do?’

  Bill
y thanked him, walking across the busy market square, which was littered with debris between the colourful stalls and thronged with shoppers looking for a bargain. Ted was a good mate, but Billy knew that a reference for a few hours’ work on a market stall wasn’t what he needed for the kind of job he preferred. A sigh escaped him, because he hadn’t thought it would be this difficult to get work. However, he had an appointment this afternoon. Mr Connolly had left a message for him at St Saviour’s that he wanted to see him at his warehouse. It was only a short distance away, thirty minutes’ walk or so, but he hopped on a bus, because he didn’t want to be late, and Billy was curious why the man he’d helped wanted to see him. Of course it was probably just to say thank you. He might offer him a couple of quid as a reward, but Billy was determined not to take it; it wouldn’t be right for doing what was the duty of any decent bloke.

  The smell of the Docks was unmistakable; oil and grease and a faint whiff of smoke, also tar and wood, and exotic scents that came from a shipment of spices being unloaded into one of the warehouses. Out on the river there were the stacks of boats that plied their trade, a crane unloading on the quayside and the dark shadows of warehouses that clustered the water’s edge.

  The door of Mr Connolly’s warehouse stood open and there were two large vans parked outside. Stock in boxes was being carried out to the vans and Billy stopped one of the men to ask where he could find Mr Connolly.

  ‘His office is in there, mate,’ the man said. ‘If you’re lookin’ fer a job yer outta luck. He’s in a right old mood …’

  Billy thanked him and walked to the office. A week had passed since he was injured and his arm was no longer in a sling and his eye had stopped being sore, though the flesh was still dark around it. He knocked at the closed door and was told to come in. Opening it, he looked round and saw Mr Connolly at his desk going through a pile of receipts; he did look angry but his expression changed as he glanced up and saw Billy. He got to his feet and came round the desk, offering his hand to him and shaking it warmly.

  ‘I’m glad you came, Billy. I know I didn’t thank you properly for what you did that night. If you hadn’t stepped in I should’ve likely died and I’m very grateful for what you did.’

  ‘I’m glad I was there, sir,’ Billy replied. ‘I’m sorry I couldn’t have stopped them sooner – did they steal much?’

  ‘Steal? Ah yes, my wallet,’ Mr Connolly said, his eyes veering away. ‘Luckily, I wasn’t carrying much that day, but sometimes I might carry a thousand pounds or more in cash – and that is why I wanted to see you, Billy …’

  ‘Me? I’m not sure I understand.’

  ‘I’m offering you a job as my bodyguard,’ Mr Connolly said and smiled. ‘The way you reacted the other night is exactly what I’m looking for, Billy. I’ve never needed anyone before, but after what happened … I want a young strong lad like you to protect me from my enemies, people who attempt to rob me …’

  ‘Bodyguard?’ Billy was stunned. His idea of a bodyguard was what he’d seen in American gangster movies; men in dark suits with sunglasses and trilby hats, and only gangster bosses and rich foreigners had them. ‘Are you sure I’m the right one, sir? I don’t carry a gun or a knife.’

  ‘From what I saw you didn’t need them,’ Mr Connolly said and smiled. ‘I don’t like guns and knives are too messy. We have to keep in with the law, don’t we? No, I want a strong lad who is handy with his fists and can protect me without getting us into trouble with the law. I’m not a gangster, Billy, just a hard-working trader who needs help. So what do you say? Your wage will be seven pounds ten shillings a week and you’ll get bonuses sometimes … a present from our stock for your girlfriend, perhaps …’

  ‘Seven pound ten, a week?’ Billy was astounded. It was the sort of wage top managers earned at the Co-op and fancy stores, and nearly three times what he’d earned as an apprentice. ‘I can’t thank you enough, sir. What do you want me to do?’

  ‘You will come with me when I need you, at nights when I visit clubs and during the day if I have to carry large sums of money. Also you can collect the rent money for the market stalls I own – and you can run one of your own on Saturday mornings if you want. I’ll supply the goods and what you make above their cost to me is your own.’

  ‘The job alone is more than I could ask for,’ Billy said. It would mean giving up the job he did at night, but that wouldn’t matter. Regular work minding Mr Connolly and his market stalls was a far better option. As far as Billy knew, Mr Connolly was a respected man who owned property up West as well as in the East End.

  ‘Well, there’s a place with me for an enterprising young man,’ his new employer said. ‘I’ll give you my home address and you can meet me there on Monday morning. We’ll go on a tour of my property because once you’ve got used to the way things work you can collect the money due to me yourself and save me the problem. Get off and see your young lady, treat her to the pictures …’ He took ten shillings from his wallet. ‘Here, think of it as an advance on your wage if you like.’

  Billy hesitated and then took the money. ‘Thank you, sir. I’ve been a bit short this week, but I’ll be able to save for my own home now and to get married.’

  ‘That’s what I like to hear,’ his new boss said. ‘A good family life is what it’s all about, Billy. You’ll meet my good lady and my daughters. They’re all decent girls but I’m sorry I didn’t have a son to take over after me – but we don’t get everything in this life, as I’m sure you know, and I’ve got a young grandson. He will take over my business one day, but I need you to protect it in the meantime.’

  Billy thanked him again and set off to find Mary Ellen. He couldn’t wait to tell her his good news. Seven pounds ten bob a week! He would soon have enough to buy a pretty ring for Mary Ellen and he could afford a nice little council flat for them to live in, or perhaps a house with a garden if they could get it. Suddenly the future looked brighter and it was all due to the good turn he’d done for Mr Connolly. It seemed now that losing his apprenticeship was all part of the plan, because he’d been ready to start somewhere new and he couldn’t wait to get going.

  Billy didn’t consider that the fight he’d entered into might have cost him his own life, nor did he delve into the reasons why his new boss had been attacked in the first place, accepting it was purely theft. The rogues that had attacked Mr Connolly had taken advantage of a vulnerable man in his sixties; when the rogues and thieves got used to seeing Billy with him they would think twice about attacking him in future. If Mr Connolly had wanted him to carry a gun or a knife he’d have had to turn him down, but using his fists to protect his employer was perfectly justified in his mind and the police had seemed to think he’d done well, so they weren’t likely to warn him off.

  He was smiling as he hurried to Rose’s flat to give them the good news … Billy could afford to take Mary Ellen out for a nice meal as well as the pictures and he was feeling very pleased with himself.

  ‘So you’ll be earning more than you were with your apprenticeship and your work at the club,’ Mary Ellen said when he told her his news over a cup of coffee. She’d invited him in because Rose was working and so was Marion and she had the place to herself. ‘That’s really good, Billy.’

  ‘It’s not much more, but I’ve got the chance to sell stuff on the market on Saturdays as well; I don’t know much about it yet, but he said there will be bonuses … it sounds too good to be true, Ellie love. If things go well, we might get married when you’re nineteen. It’s only next September and that will soon go round …’

  ‘Rose might let us if we can show her we have money saved, but if I pass my exams I’ll have to go to college two or three days a week and that means I’ll be earning less, because Sam won’t pay if I’m not working.’

  ‘That doesn’t matter, if it’s what you want?’

  Mary Ellen sighed, and then smiled oddly. ‘I can’t be certain, Billy. I love what I do and Sam is a good boss, but I’ve always wanted to be a teacher
and if I don’t do it now …’

  ‘You might regret it,’ Billy said. ‘I promised you I would support you through it and I shall, even if you have to leave London for a while …’

  ‘Oh no, I shan’t do that,’ she said. ‘The college I want to try for is right here in London, and I should be able to sign on as a pupil teacher for a while and do my college work as I train.’

  ‘What you’ve learned at Sam’s will help if you take needlework as one of your subjects.’

  ‘Yes, I’ve put that down as one of them, with English literature and art,’ Mary Ellen said. ‘It seems daft but I’ve still got to pass my maths and other subjects that I’ll never need, but I was always good at art, reading and needlework so I should get a job in one of those areas.’

  ‘What if the jobs are outside London?’

  Mary Ellen frowned and shook her head. ‘I think it’s harder for them to find people who want to teach here in the East End amongst deprived kids. Most teachers want a new modern school in a small town or the country, so they’ve been telling us at night school, but I want to help kids like us, Billy – kids who know what it’s like to be hungry and have holes in their shoes …’

  ‘You’ll be good with them,’ Billy said and got up to draw her into his arms. He held her close, kissing her and pressing her hard against him so that she could feel the arousal of his body and her breath came faster. ‘I love you so much, Ellie. I can’t wait to be with you … really with you …’

  ‘I love you, Billy.’ She glanced at the clock on the shelf. ‘Marion gets back in half an hour but I’m not sure when Rose is finished …’

  ‘No, love,’ Billy smiled as he ran his hands down the arch of her back, looking at her hungrily. The scent of her inflamed his senses, making him aware of the hot need inside, but he tamped it down, denying the desire that threatened to overwhelm him. ‘I want to, you know I want to as much as you, but we can’t. Rose would kill us if she caught us – and, besides, I promised I’d wait. When we’re married I’m still going to be careful so you can be a teacher. We’ll get something to use, but not until you’re ready.’