Eve of the Isle (29 page)

When Charlie was breathless from all the exercise he sat down beside Eve on the grass. With his open-necked white shirt and cream flannels he looked very young and athletic. The sun was drifting down behind the leafy trees, but its rays still crept over the green grass, making lacy shadows on the lawns. The laughter from Samuel and Albert and two other boys they had palled up with to play football, drifted over to where they sat. Eve poured a glass of lemonade and handed it to Charlie.

He gulped it back quickly after which he ate several of the thinly cut cheese sandwiches she had prepared. Giving a deep sigh of satisfaction, he turned on his side. ‘How are things at home?'

She smiled. ‘Joan has given Peg a new lease of life. It was all aches and pains before and now she's like a two year old trying to keep up with Joan and her attempts to get out to the pub.'

‘And Harold hasn't called?'

‘No. I don't think he will.' She looked into Charlie's
eyes. ‘Charlie, did he really have the nerve to come to the station and ask about me?'

‘Yes, but I told him I wasn't at liberty to discuss your case.'

‘You've never said.'

‘I didn't know if you knew and thought it was better forgotten.'

‘Do you know why we left there?'

‘No, was it something to do with him?'

Eve nodded. ‘Joan wouldn't believe me when I said what he did.'

Charlie sat upright. ‘What did he do?'

Eve blushed. ‘I had to use me knee.'

‘What? The—!' He stopped abruptly as she put up her hand.

‘Oh, don't worry, he didn't do nothing but there was no question about us staying on at Bambury Buildings after that. And later, Peg told me the same thing happened to her many years ago, which caused the family rift. But now Joan isn't drinking, Peg is worried she'll go back to kick Harold's other woman out.'

‘Would she really try that?'

‘I don't know.' Eve paused. ‘Is there anything she could do to get her out in a peaceful way?'

‘It's a domestic situation,' Charlie replied thoughtfully, rubbing his chin. ‘It rather depends on whether Joan and Harold make it up.'

‘Yes, I s'pose so.'

‘If he won't let her back then I think she would have to get herself legally represented.'

‘I can't see Joan doing that.'

‘It might all blow over,' Charlie said reassuringly. ‘You shouldn't be worrying about Joan. After all she is an adult and has to make her own choices.'

Eve gazed into the fading sun. ‘Don't know how long she'll lay off the booze though.'

Charlie nodded. ‘It's a difficult situation.'

Eve laughed. ‘That's putting it nicely. We seem to have a lot of family skeletons in our cupboard.'

Charlie grinned. ‘Every family has those.'

Eve made a face. ‘Not in yours. From what you've told me, your family sounds really nice and decent.' She looked under her lashes. ‘Just like you.'

He grinned. ‘So you think I'm decent, eh? Suppose I have another side to my character that I haven't revealed yet?'

Eve giggled. ‘That would be the policeman side I suppose.'

He made a mock grimace. ‘It might be.'

‘I think I like the policeman Charlie too.'

‘Do you?'

She nodded.

‘Well, since we seem to be friends, I wonder if you'd like to meet Mum and Dad?

Eve almost jumped. ‘What?'

‘They'd like to meet you.'

Eve shook her head. ‘Charlie, I don't think so.'

‘Why?' He sat closer. ‘I've met your family.'

‘It's different.'

‘Is it? Tell me why.'

‘Because . . . because . . .' she stumbled over putting her doubts into words. ‘I'm not what they'd expect. I was married and have children . . .' She didn't add ‘and live in Isle Street' to the list although she was thinking it.

‘What difference does that make?' Charlie took her hand. ‘I'm on duty next weekend but the Sunday after I'm off. I know the boys go to church in the morning, so would you all come to tea?'

Eve was stunned into silence. The fact that he was holding her hand startled her so much she wasn't aware of the twins staring down at them, giggling as Charlie quickly withdrew it.

When Sunday came, Charlie arrived at half past three on the dot.

‘Charlie's here!' cried the twins who had been looking out of the window for the past hour. Eve had made them wear clean white shirts and ties, their Sunday best jackets and trousers, all brushed and rag cleaned for the occasion. The darns in their long grey socks were disguised and their boots were shined until any blemish was hidden. Only the sound of the many metal Blakeys in the soles gave a clue as to their age.

Eve had made a visit to the market on Friday. She
planned to wear a navy skirt and white blouse and had bought a dark green wrap-over jacket with a side clasp to complement it. She had replaced missing buttons and turned the faded collar, adding a petersham braid to relieve the severity. She wanted to look smart as it was a Sunday visit, but most of all, she didn't want to let Charlie down. Therefore the addition of a hat was equally necessary. It came in the form of another secondhand purchase: a rust-coloured cloche with an upturned brim that shaped Eve's face and accentuated the shining pleat of her thick brown hair.

As Samuel and Albert ran out of the door to greet Charlie, Eve hurried downstairs. Peg, Joan and Jimmy waited in the hall. ‘You look nice, gel,' said Peg. ‘All done up like a dog's dinner.'

‘I wouldn't have chosen that colour for a titfer,' snapped Joan. ‘Looks like you've been standing out in the rain.'

‘You'll like it at the bakery,' said Jimmy quickly trying to cover Joan's insult. ‘Good luck, gel.' He gave her a wink as she said goodbye.

‘We'll come out to see you off,' said Peg, but Eve shook her head.

‘I don't want to keep Charlie waiting.'

‘I wouldn't mind a nice crusty loaf if you think about it,' called Peg after her as she hurried out.

‘Or a fruit cake with icing,' cried Joan. ‘Don't like it soggy though.'

Charlie was helping the boys in the back of the van
as Eve stood on the pavement praying that Joan and Peg wouldn't follow. Then from the top of the hill there was a loud whistle. Eve looked up to see four silhouettes all waving: Maude and Eric and two of their sons.

Charlie returned a salute as he opened the van door. ‘Quite a send-off.'

‘I didn't know they knew,' said Eve as she glanced back at the house. ‘Peg must have told them.'

‘You look very nice, Eve,' Charlie said as he courteously helped her in. Eve wasn't sure about the ‘nice'. Charlie was wearing perfectly creased grey flannels, a well-cut navy jacket and plain tie. Painfully remembering what Peg had said about looking like a dog's dinner, Eve wished she could go back in and put on her green dress as her jacket felt shabby and the hat rather odd. But it was too late now. She pulled back her shoulders and gritted her teeth.

The boys waved to Peg and Joan from the back window as they drove off. When Charlie turned into Westferry Road, Jimmy pedalled furiously past. He yelled out something and made the boys laugh. When he took the right fork to Poplar, Eve breathed a sigh of relief. She didn't want an escort all the way to the bakery.

It was hard to keep her composure as the boys began to play noisily about in the back.

‘Sit still,' she told them abruptly. ‘Charlie won't be able to drive if you do that.'

They burst into laughter once more. Charlie gave
her a big smile that reassured and frightened her all at once.

Charlie was standing with his twin brothers, Joe and George, in the corner of the upstairs front room. His mother always referred to it as the living room, since when they were young, all the living was done in here, the warmest, largest, most comfortable room of the five upper rooms over the shop. He was looking into Joe's cherubic face, but not listening to a word his brother was saying. He was aware of the women on the other side of the room; his sisters-in-law, fair-haired Pamela and brunette Eileen, who were talking to his mother and Eve. Charlie knew that Eve had been so nervous about meeting his family that she kept her coat on until a few moments ago, when his mother had managed to persuade her out of it. Of the three younger women, Eve was the smallest, but was by far the most attractive. To Charlie, who was finding it difficult to keep his eyes off her, her well-proportioned figure, straight back and full bosom were the epitome of femininity. His sisters-in-law were large girls, big-boned and strong looking. One or other of them was usually pregnant as Pamela was now. Joe often joked that his wife wasn't just eating for two but for all of England as well.

Every now and then, Charlie would drag his attention back to Joe or George and it was now George who was leading the discussion. His twin brothers were
thirty-five, eight years older than himself, but like Samuel and Albert, quite different in looks. George had light brown hair and a serious expression and was considerably taller at six foot two than Joe at a modest five ten. Charlie was in the middle, just tipping six foot, but they all shared one thing in common, the piercing blue gaze of their father, Edwin. Their mother's eyes were a soft grey, a shade lighter than her still abundant grey hair that she kept coiled in a bun at the nape of her neck.

Charlie was relieved to see that his mother was sitting next to Eve. His sisters-in-law were salt of the earth but wore the trousers in the family. Not that either of his brothers would admit as much, but with ten offspring between them, they had willingly handed over the domestic reins to their wives. Not long ago all his nieces and nephews, four girls and six boys, and Samuel and Albert had been ushered down to the backyard behind the garage to play. Here there was a large net strung up, a boxful of bats and balls and skipping ropes for the benefit of the small visitors, so that when the families visited, the boys and girls had something to occupy them.

Suddenly Joe tapped his arm. ‘You listening, brov?'

Charlie stared at his two brothers and father who reclined in the big armchair drinking from a tankard. The two younger men were perched on stools and Charlie was leaning against the mantel. He was positioned perfectly to watch Eve and the women over by the window.

‘What's that?' Charlie responded, frowning.

‘Why, Dixie Dean of course!' clarified Joe, good humouredly. ‘It was the legend's sixtieth league goal this year. Surely you read about it?'

‘Yeah, of course,' nodded Charlie, taking a long gulp of his ale.

‘Not bad, eh?' continued George. ‘No wonder Everton are the champions.'

‘Walthamstow Avenue will be there one day,' grinned Charlie glancing back at Eve. The women's conversation, as far as he could hear, was all about kids and babies, thank God. It was a fairly safe subject, and although he knew that Eve was a working woman, his brothers had selected wives from middle-class families who hadn't been brought up to continue a career after marriage. He wondered if and when the focus of attention would get round to Eve. Feeling the need to support her, he made his excuses and went over.

His mother looked up at him as he joined the group and smiled. He'd arrived just as Eileen asked Eve where she lived. Eve duly answered and Charlie felt for her as he saw the surprised expressions on both Eileen and Pamela's faces.

‘The Isle of Dogs?' repeated Pamela, frowning at Charlie. ‘You mean the dock area?'

Eve nodded and to Charlie's dismay answered forth-rightly, ‘Our cottage backs on to the dry docks.'

‘Oh, how interesting.' Eileen knitted her brow. ‘So what do you—'

‘I think it's time we ate,' broke in his mother diplomatically. ‘Pamela we don't want you on your feet too much today, so why don't you sit by the fire and toast the marshmallows? Eileen, I've set out the food in the kitchen. If you'd like to help me make tea? And Charlie, why don't you and Eve go down to the shop and bring up the bridge rolls that your father made this morning?'

Charlie took Eve's arm. ‘This way, young lady. We have our instructions.' He grinned back at his mother who was already propelling her daughters-in-law in the opposite direction.

It was quiet at the top of the stairs that led down to the bakery, away from the noise of the living room. Charlie stopped on the landing, turning to look at Eve. She was pale and in the silence, he said gently, ‘Mum didn't say she was putting on a family do. I honestly thought it was only going to be us.'

‘Would you have asked me if you'd known all your family would be here?' she asked hesitantly as she pushed back a lock of brown hair that had fallen over one cheek.

‘Of course I would. But I know Pam and Eileen can sometimes be a bit, well, overpowering.'

She looked up at him, flushed now. ‘They're very pleasant.'

‘You must take my sisters-in-law with a pinch of salt. Once you get to know them you'll like them.'

‘Charlie, how much have you told your mum and dad about me?'

‘What is it you think they should know?'

‘That's not an answer.'

‘Eve, what's wrong?'

‘You could find yourself a nice girl to introduce to your family, without any kids and who comes from somewhere like Blackheath, like Pamela does.'

‘I don't want a girl from Blackheath, and I certainly don't want anyone like Pamela. Eve, I want to be with you.' He couldn't stop himself from reaching out and taking her in his arms. He felt her stiffen, then relax as he pulled her close. Before he knew what was happening he found himself kissing her.

When she pushed him away he said hoarsely, ‘I'm sorry. I shouldn't have done that.'

‘The children might come up.'

‘We'd hear them open the back door. Eve—' He went to take hold of her again, but she stepped back against the landing wall.