‘Oh Lord! Don’t say we’re going to be neighbours.’
Sammy cast a glance in Fiona’s direction and she, looking at Bill, said, ‘Not quite neighbours, at least to us.’
‘I’m intrigued.’ Bill nudged Katie. ‘That’s a good word, isn’t it, intrigued?’ And she grinned up at him and nestled into his shoulder.
‘Primrose Crescent.’
Bill didn’t make a sound, he just gaped. His mouth opened, then closed; he looked at Fiona; then at Nell; then around the children; then back to Sammy again. And his voice was a mere whisper for him when he said, ‘Primrose Crescent?’
‘Aye. Yon end. A bungalow, three bedrooms. And it’s got a dinin’ room all to itself. And a bathroom, a big bathroom with two basins.’ His face was alight now as Bill had never seen it. Then Bill’s body began to shake and he said, ‘Oh, don’t Sammy, don’t make me laugh, because there’s parts of me that might split open. You shouldn’t make me laugh. Primrose Crescent! Do you know who lives in Primrose Crescent?’
‘Aye, I do.’
‘You do?’
‘Aye.’
Bill now looked at Fiona and asked, ‘Does she know?’
‘Yes, yes, she knows.’
Again he was looking at Sammy. ‘Did you know that my mother-in-law lives in Primrose Crescent?’
‘Aye, she spoke to me.’
‘And you’re still alive?’
The children all began to laugh and splutter. ‘She seemed all right, OK. She said she’d seen me on telly an’ read about me in the papers.’
‘Has she met your father?’
Sammy looked at Fiona, and she, looking at Bill, said, ‘I don’t think so, not yet.’
‘Hallelujah! Hallelujah!’
‘Oh, Dad, Dad, don’t. But they will meet soon because Gran is coming to tea and she’ll meet Mr Love th…then.’ Mark was giggling.
‘And it’s all set out in the dining room and it looks lovely.’ This was chirped in by Mamie; and Katie took it up, saying, ‘We had to put the two tables together because there’ll be fifteen of us.’
‘Fifteen!’ said Bill. ‘Who’s the fifteen? I thought I was going to have a quiet homecoming among my family.’
‘Well,’ said Fiona, ‘it will be your family, sort of, with Sammy and Nell and Bert. There are nine of us, Mother is ten. Then there is Mrs Paget—’ She did not add that Mr Paget as yet couldn’t come and face Bill. But she went on, ‘There’s Rupert and Sir Charles and Lady Kingdom, and Mr Love. Fifteen, the way I count them.’
‘Sir Charles and Lady…? And your…mother? An’…Mr Love?’ His face was screwed up.
‘Yes. Sir Charles and Lady…And my mother…And Mr Love. Be reasonable, Bill. You’ve got to put a little salve on the sore, as you yourself would say.’
He looked down on Sammy and he thought, Aye; aye, she’s right. A little salve on the sore, and the sore would be Davey Love. It was going to be an interesting tea party.
When there was a ring at the bell, Nell sprang up and went out of the room, and they all turned to face towards the door. And when a voice came to them from the hall Sammy got to his feet, saying, ‘That’s me da.’ And he ran to the door, and there met Davey coming in carrying a large square box done up with fancy paper and a bow.
‘Hello, everybody. Hello, everybody. Hello there, boss. See you’re all settled in.’
‘Yes, Davey, all settled in. Come and sit down.’
‘Aye, I will in a minute. Here you! Here’s what it’s all about.’ He thrust the parcel into his son’s arms and Sammy staggered with it towards the coffee table and just managed to ease it onto the end. Then looking at Fiona, he said, ‘Could ya clear it, I mean them things off the end, books and such?’
Both Fiona and Nell grabbed up the books and magazines, the ornamental shell, and the small ebony wood figure of a seated mandarin. And when the table was clear, they looked at Sammy and he, looking at Fiona; tapped the top of the box, saying, ‘It’s me present for ya. I got some money from the Sir an’ some for talkin’ to a fella in a magazine, an’ me da lent me the rest. So I didn’t get it from the tip.’ He grinned at her now.
‘A present for me in…in this big box?’
‘Aye. Well, open it.’
She unpinned the bow, then undid the gold cord, and as she had to tear the paper at the top she thought it was a pity because it was such lovely paper and she always kept the Christmas wrappings that weren’t stuck up with Sellotape. And when the paper was spread out there was revealed a cardboard box, and that was sealed too.
She looked about her. They were all gathered round the table, and they were all surprised, even amazed, as was Fiona, when at last she pulled the four pieces of cardboard to one side to reveal a number of articles wrapped in tissue paper. Gently picking the first one up, she unwrapped it. It was a silver sugar basin. And looking at Sammy, all she could say was, ‘Oh, Sammy!’
His response was: ‘Go on! Look at the rest. There’s a lot more.’
The next article was a matching milk jug, all of eight inches high with a beautiful handle. She again looked at the boy. Her eyelids were blinking now.
When she next drew out the teapot, she just gasped because it was a beautiful shaped teapot with a small black ebony knob on its lid.
And the reason for this was pointed out to her very quickly by Sammy, who said, ‘That’s so ya won’t burn yer fingers when ya lift up the lid to put more hot water in. That’s what the man said. Go on! See the rest.’
The next piece she drew out was a matching hot water jug. She had never seen one like it. It was about twelve inches high and had fluted sides and was shaped in what she could only describe as an exquisite design. Like something one would see, she imagined, in an Egyptian house. Then there was this large thing in the bottom of the box. It had black ebony handles on each side, and when, with some effort, she lifted it out and put it on the table, there was a gasp from everyone in the room except Davey Love and his son, for they were all looking down on a tray over twenty-four inches long, supported on four short curved sturdy legs, and the handles at each end emerging, it seemed, from a deep two inch rim surrounding the tray.
‘Oh! Sammy. Sammy. Mr Love.’ She looked from one to the other. ‘This is…really, what can I say? It’s all so beautiful. But…but there was no need for it. And dear me, dear me.’ There was a break in her voice.
‘P…p…put them on the tray and see what they look like.’
Slowly she did as Sammy ordered. Then he said, ‘There! The man said there were very few like that about, didn’t he, Da?’
‘He did that, son. He did that. And its the best quality, ma’am. ’Tis, ’tis the best quality. It’s what he called Elkington silver. An’ look, will you? Just look. ’Tis on the bottom of every piece and on the bottom of the tray an’ all. We got it from a real jeweller’s. Of course, you know…you know, it isn’t new. But it’s not the modern stuff, ’cos that’s femmer. You’ve only got to spit on the silver of the modern stuff and it’s gone. Oh aye. But this’ll last a number of lifetimes. It’ll go down to yer children, it will that. An’ that’s what the man said to me, it’ll go down to yer children. And I said, “Sir, it won’t go down to my children but to that of me son’s best friend’s mother.”’
‘Will you excuse me a moment?’
After Fiona had hurried from the room Sammy, looking from his father to Bill, said, ‘She doesn’t like it?’
‘Oh, Sammy, she loves it.’ Bill put his hand out and drew the boy into his embrace. ‘She loves it. An’ so do I. By! Yes. It’s the most beautiful set I’ve ever seen in me life. I might be a rich man some day but I would never be able to buy a better. Go on, she’ll be in the kitchen. Go and have a word with her.’
When the boy remained still, his father said, ‘Did you hear what the boss said? Go on. An’ remember, it’s not everybody who laughs when they’re happy. Go on.’
Sammy went. He crossed the hall slowly and pushed open the kitchen door, and there he saw Fiona sitting at the t
able, her elbow on it, her head resting on her hand. But she turned and looked at him coming towards her. And when he was near her knee, he said, ‘Ya did like it, didn’t ya.’
She had difficulty in speaking at first, then she said, ‘Like it? It’s a beautiful set, really beautiful. I love it, but not half as much as I love you.’
Who put their arms around the other first they didn’t know, but she bent over him and held him close and he reached up and, his arms around her neck, he pressed his face against hers. And after a moment they were standing apart, both sniffling. And then she touched his face gently as she said, ‘No matter where you live I want you always to consider this your second home. And you’ll always be loved, not only by Willie, but by all of us.’
‘Ya mean you an’ all?’
‘Oh yes, me an’ all, me first.’
‘Me da had a letter this mornin’. Me ma wants a divorce, an’ me da says that suits him ’cos she would never fit into Primrose Crescent.’
Here was a place for laughter: the child’s mother couldn’t fit into Primrose Crescent but his father considered he could. And who knew, who knew but that he would. But oh, what her mother’s reaction would be when she saw who her neighbour was. She didn’t know how far along the crescent Davey Love’s house was, but that it was in the actual vicinity was a sign for foreboding.
He half turned from her now, saying, ‘There’s the bell. I wonder which one it is?’
She rose to her feet and he, looking up at her now, said, ‘Your hair’s all fluffed an’ ya want to dab yer eyes with cold water else ya’ll look a sight.’
‘Oh, Sammy, Sammy.’
He laughed now. ‘I’ll have to stop sayin’ what I think, won’t I?’
Again she put her arms around him, and again he clung to her. And what did she hear him say? It seemed like a whisper, like a repeat of his own name, but it had sounded like, ‘I love ya.’ Then he was running from her; and she hurried to the kitchen mirror, straightened her hair, wet the side of her forefinger and rubbed it in turn under her eyelashes, giving them a sweep.
Her eyes looked bright, sparkling. Her face looked good in spite of the tears, and she wanted to keep it good always, for Bill. She swung round from the mirror as she heard her mother’s voice, and muttering to herself now, ‘Oh dear. Oh dear,’ for she couldn’t imagine her mother stomaching Davey Love. The boy, yes, for as long as he didn’t come out with warm language he could appear funny, amusing. But Mr Love’s form of amusement could be uproarious, and her mother had never cared for uproarious people or occasions.
Mrs Vidler was already in the sitting room and Bill was saying, ‘You know everybody except Mr Love. This is Sammy’s father.’
‘How do you do, Mr Love? I’ve…I’ve heard quite a bit about you.’
‘How do you yerself, ma’am? I’ve yet to hear anythin’ about you, but I’m sure it could be nothin’ but good. No, nothin’ but good.’
‘You are very gallant, Mr Love.’
‘Who could not be gallant to a beautiful lady, ma’am?’
Never. Never. Never. She couldn’t believe it. Fiona, thinking she had better break it up before the illusion was shattered, said, ‘Mother, look what Sammy has bought me.’
Mrs Vidler moved towards the table at the other end of the room and she looked down on what she recognised immediately as a beautiful Victorian tea service. And she turned to Fiona and said, ‘You mean, Mr Love?’
‘No, no. Sammy. The boy, the child.’
‘He bought you that?’
‘Yes, Mother, he bought me that.’
‘Oh, Fiona!’ She turned her head away in disbelief. But then a voice said, ‘I did; and it was me own money from the newspaper an’ the old fella, Sir Charles. I hadn’t it all but me da subbed me some and I bought it. Me da went with me.’
She turned and looked at Davey, and Davey, looking at Mrs Vidler, said, ‘Aye, he’s right, ma’am. The boy bought it for your daughter, a beautiful woman who undoubtedly takes after her mother.’ And without pause he went on, ‘And he picked it himself, ma’am. He’d seen it in a jeweller’s shop. We travelled the city, we did, footsore I was, but a teaset he wanted for the boss’ missis. But nothin’ would suit him till he saw that one. And it is as I said already in this room, it is Elkington silver. And you will know, ma’am, that you cannot get much better than that unless you have the real Mackay.’
There came a diversion with the bell ringing, and when a moment later Nell ushered into the room Sir Charles and Lady Kingdom, accompanied by Rupert, Mrs Vidler became her most charming. And as Fiona watched and heard her, she thought: her coffee morning manner and her ladies’ bridge evening rolled into one.
Lady Kingdom caught sight of the tea service and the cardboard box near it and, realising it was a present, she exclaimed, ‘Oh, what a beautiful service! Where did this come from? You’ve been given this as a present, Mrs Bailey?’
‘Yes, ma’am.’
And again the pattern was repeated. But it was under Willie’s oration now. He described to the admiring old couple how his friend had bought this for his mother and how he had come by the money. And he finished up by looking at Sir Charles and saying, ‘You gave him the most, else he wouldn’t have done it.’
‘Willie!’
‘Yes, Mam?’
Sir Charles, laughing now, said, ‘Glad I’ve been of help.’
‘An’ not only to the boy, sir, not only to the boy. Meself, I’ve never had the chance of thankin’ you for the house.’ Once again Davey had the attention of all those present. ‘Now who would have thought in this wide world that you’d go an’ give me one of your houses?’
‘Oh, now, now, now, Love…Mr…er. Get things absolutely straight: I have not given you a house, I have allowed you to rent it.’
‘Aw, you know what I’m after meanin’, sir. And I know a hundred or two in Bog’s End who’d give their eye teeth, or their false sets, to get the chance of rentin’ a house like the one you offered to me. For offer it you did, sir, didn’t you? Never in me wildest dreams would I have had the nerve to come and ask you for such a place, even if I’d known you owned the whole crescent. Now what’s the difference atween a street and a crescent?’ He looked around everyone now. And it was Mark who said, ‘It’s the shape.’
‘Oh, aye, yes, lad, yer right, it’s the shape. I’m as dull as an Irish bog an’ as ignorant as the runt of a sow’s litter.’
Fiona turned away from Bill’s straining face, then closed her eyes for the moment; but only to open them wide as a deep bass laugh came from Rupert and an accompanying chuckle from Sir Charles, with Lady Kingdom exchanging an amused glance with Fiona, before moving towards her, saying, ‘How are you now, my dear? I haven’t had the chance to say a word.’
‘Very well, Lady Kingdom, since I know everything is going to be all right with my husband’s health.’
‘Naturally. Naturally.’
There was another diversion when Nell brought her mother-in-law in, with Bert following them. There were more introductions, and almost before these were finished, Nell gave the signal to Fiona that all was ready in the dining room. And so the children, following instructions, allowed the elders to go before them.
It wasn’t until all were seated that Fiona realised with dismay that her mother was placed next to Davey Love, and she almost groaned to herself, ‘Oh dear me! Something will happen.’ And eventually it did.
As usual, Bill was at the head of the table and she herself at the foot; Lady Kingdom was on Bill’s right, and Mrs Vidler on his left. Next to her was Davey Love. Sir Charles was seated on Fiona’s right with Rupert next to him. The children were arranged between Davey and Rupert at the one side, and Nell and Bert at the other. Fiona had seated Sammy to her left, thinking she would be more able from this position to control any ribald remark he might make. Unfortunately, though, there would be no-one to so control his father. Still, what did it matter? She was feeling happy, even elated. Yet as she looked round the table she thou
ght, What a mixture of characters.
Sir Charles was saying, ‘I’ve never been at a party for years.’
‘Don’t be silly, dear,’ His wife nodded down the table towards him. ‘We have two parties at Christmas and one in the New Year.’
‘Yes, but that’s family, people you see every day in the week. And anyway, you know I escape if I can up to my snug.’ He bent forward in front of Fiona and, addressing Sammy, he said, ‘I’ve got a hidey-hole in the roof; I’ll show it to you when you come to my place. And some day when you’re grown up and married you’ll remember it and make one for yourself because you’ll want to escape.’
Sammy did not quite understand this old fella, except the married bit, and he said, ‘I’m not gona get married, never.’
He had the attention of the table now, and Sir Charles, bending forward again, said, ‘Why are you so dead against marriage already?’
‘’Cos ya’ve only got to get divorced…me da’s gettin’ divorced.’
As at a tennis match all heads now were turned towards Davey as he cried down the table, ‘Nobody wants to know about me business, and when I get you home I’ll put me foot in…what I’ll do is to give you a lesson in tea…tea table conversation.’
‘That a fact? You getting divorced?’
Davey looked down the table at Sir Charles and, simply as one adult to another now, said, ‘Aye, well, you might as well know, them that he hasn’t already opened his mouth to, this morning I got a letter from me wife sayin’ she wants a divorce.’
‘I’m very sorry,’ said Sir Charles; but then before Davey had a chance to reply, his son leant forward in front of Fiona and answered for him, ‘Oh, ya needn’t worry, ya needn’t be sorry.’
‘No?’
‘No; ’cos as me da says, me ma would never have fitted into the crescent. She wasn’t the type. He says he’ll look out for a body a bit more refined like.’
The laughter around the table was like a smothered rustle as Davey now cried at his son, ‘You remember Sister Catherine an’ what she did to yer ears?’ It was as if the two of them were quite alone now. ‘Well, begod, I’m tellin’ you there won’t be a part of you that I’ll miss the night when I get home!’
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