Lily of Love Lane (14 page)

‘You see, my Reube’s all right,’ went on Hattie regardless. ‘But he does tend to be a bit careful.’

Lily smiled as they walked into the shelter of the park. ‘Careful’ was an understatement where Reube was concerned. Lily hoped that when they got married, Hattie didn’t have a
shock, as she liked to spend her own money freely.

‘I’m sure where you’re concerned he’s very generous,’ Lily said tactfully.

‘Yes, he is,’ agreed Hattie, looking pleased. ‘Matter of fact I’ve seen a very nice ring in Aldgate High Street near Madame’s. In this little silversmiths and
watchmakers. It’s a sapphire and diamond cluster ring.’

‘I thought you wanted a single stone.’

‘Well, if I had a choice, I’d have this one.’

‘Are you asking me to hint to Reube about it?’

‘Well, it’s worth a try.’

The two girls burst out laughing. Hattie walked carelessly along, swinging her hips.

They were still laughing as they went in the café and sat down. Lily felt very well off as she had a few pennies left in her purse.

‘Did you and Ben enjoy the dance?’ Hattie asked as they drank their coffee.

‘Yes, the band was very good.’

‘What did he say to you on the way home?’

‘Not much.’

‘That charabanc is going to earn him a good few bob. Reube says it’s a thing of the future.’

‘I’m sure it is.’

Hattie sighed. ‘Well, you ain’t got much to say for yourself today.’

Lily didn’t want to talk about Ben. She would rather discuss Charles. She wanted to share her feelings with Hattie, especially as she was confused about them. If only she could talk
through her innermost thoughts, but she knew this wasn’t the time or the place. Hattie was only interested in her forthcoming engagement. She had even forgotten that it was her birthday on
the fifteenth.

When Lily returned home, it was time for tea. Her mother and father and Uncle Noah listened to her account of that morning.

‘Yer got a bargain there,’ her uncle commented as they ate their meal of beef pie and mash. ‘Didn’t get many pictures like that on the cart.’

‘It was a pretty one too,’ Lily said enthusiastically. ‘A young girl feeding a great big bull.’

‘Who painted it?’ asked her mother.

‘I don’t know.’

‘It might be worth something if it’s by a famous artist.’

‘With a little repair it will come up nice,’ nodded her uncle.

‘Did he say if he wants you again?’ asked her father.

‘No.’ She looked disappointed.

‘You did yer best gel.’

Lily nodded. ‘Here you are, Mum. Ten shillings.’ She placed the note on the table.

Her mother picked it up. ‘Ten shillings for just one morning?’

‘I told you it was business.’

‘Yes, but all you did was walk round the market.’

Lily wanted to tell them of the little act they had played out. But it seemed as though she was boasting.

‘It’s very good pay,’ agreed her mother, tucking the note in the pocket of her apron. ‘And all above board.’

Lily didn’t know what her mother meant by that. It had been such a wonderful experience to accompany Charles, the pleasure she had derived from their purchase of the painting was payment
enough. But now as she saw the light in her mother’s eye, she was glad she hadn’t refused.

‘I got me pay coming next week,’ said her father, also looking more cheerful. ‘We’ll be on the up and up soon.’

‘Yes, Bob,’ smiled her mother. ‘But I don’t want you taking any chances at that yard.’

‘Thanks to Ben I’ll only be stacking wood in the fresh air.’

‘He’s done us a real good turn.’

Everyone turned to look at Lily. ‘Did you have a good dance last night?’

Lily nodded. ‘Yes, thanks.’

‘Did you say anything to Ben about the job?’ asked her father.

‘I told him how grateful we are.’

‘Good girl. I’ll take him out for a drink soon.’

‘Or you could ask him round to tea, Lil.’ Her mother looked expectantly at her.

Lily knew they were waiting for her to agree. But how could she? She didn’t want to give Ben any ideas yet she knew that her family were relying on her to show gratitude. Her dad had been
out of work for so long, and after having to work on the skin ships, getting the timber job had been a big turning point in their lives.

‘We’ll see,’ said Lily quietly and, changing the subject, said to her father, ‘and don’t forget, Dad, you’ll need your big coat and coms tomorrow. It’ll
be chilly in that yard.’

‘How could I forget?’ chuckled Bob Bright glancing up at the wooden pulley above their heads. His combinations dangled down, the two legs ironed and aired to perfection.

Everyone laughed. Lily looked at their happy faces. Her father was now in a job he liked and her mother had enough money to pay the rent. There was a fresh delivery of coal in the bunker and the
larder was full. Life had suddenly become very good. If only she could make them understand she wasn’t attracted to Ben. But she knew they were living in hope that eventually she would change
her mind.

All the next week, Lily looked out for Charles. As she spoke to the customers, her mind drifted. She would catch herself thinking about Sunday and the wonderful morning
they’d spent together or the day they had gone up West. The week seemed longer than ever with no sight of him.

Late on Friday afternoon, the Blackshirts appeared. ‘They’re back again, the bloody hooligans,’ cried Reube, searching for the stick he’d hidden under the stall.

‘They ain’t doing anything wrong yet,’ Lily didn’t want him to get into a fight. She knew if they were ignored the group might go away. But Reube was joined by Ted Shiner
and the two men stood throwing angry looks at the gathering.

Vera Froud and Florrie Mills came over. ‘Just who do they think they are, shouting and waving their arms like that, on our patch.’

‘They’ll put off all the custom,’ muttered Vera, poking Reube in the side. ‘We should send for the coppers.’

‘You’re having a laugh, aren’t you?’ scoffed Florrie. ‘They don’t nick the criminals, it’s too dangerous.’

‘They’re fascists, ain’t that enough?’

‘No one knows what they really are,’ replied Ted sourly. ‘But with friends like that two-faced pansy, Boothby, my guess is that Mosley will be kicked out of Labour before he
blots all their copybooks.’

At that moment a figure came strolling down the street. Ben had his hands in his pockets and was whistling, until he heard the commotion.

‘What you doing here?’ asked Reube as his brother stopped to stare.

‘I knocked off early. Thought I’d nip round to see if you wanted a beer after you shut shop. What’s going on?’

‘They’re at it again,’ Reube complained bitterly. ‘I’d like to go over and tell ’em to vamoose.’

‘Hark at ’em,’ said Florrie, ‘spouting off about us claiming our rights. I know what right I’d like to claim and that’s to knock their blocks off.’

‘I reckon we should go over and tell ’em to sod off somewhere else,’ said Ted, squaring his big shoulders.

‘What if they won’t?’ posed Samuel Goldblum who was listening intently. ‘I don’t want them wrecking my stall. I’ve seen them up West on their soap boxes. Oiy,
they are trouble, dears.’

‘I’ll go over and ask politely,’ said Reube leading the way forward, stick in hand.

The pint-sized jeweller shook his head. ‘You ladies should cover your stalls. I am off to protect mine.’

‘Mine’s only clothes,’ said Vera hesitantly.

‘They can be torn,’ pointed out Samuel.

‘Mine’s only cottons and silks,’ said Florrie, ‘but they could throw ’em everywhere I s’pose.’

Florrie and Vera left in a hurry. Lily knew that panic had set in. She also knew that Reube’s hot temper would snap if he was insulted. In view of what had happened last time, he was still
the hero. She prayed no one would get angry enough to fight.

But her prayer was in vain as one of the Blackshirts, a head and shoulders above Reube, suddenly pushed Ted Shiner. The next thing was, Reube had lifted his stick and brought it down hard on the
Blackshirt.

Lily closed her eyes. The fight had begun.

A fist came straight at Ben. For a moment he felt sick as it landed on his chin, but shaking his head, he managed to dodge the next one. The Blackshirt tumbled forward into
Ted’s stall and all the apples and pears went flying. Ted came running towards them, but two of them grabbed him and brought him down.

Before Ben could reach them, he was punched again. Rallying swiftly he retaliated and the outrush of breath from his enemy told him he’d found his mark. Then something heavy cracked on his
back and once more Ben saw stars. His legs buckled and he fell, as the air was sucked painfully from his lungs. All he could see was a pair of coarse black boots, blurring in and out of focus. He
knew that within seconds he could expect another blow. Sinking a little lower and blinking the pain from his eyes he gathered his strength. Opening his arms, he tackled the man and brought him down
hard.

‘Good for you, ducks,’ cried Florrie Mills on the sidelines.

‘Give the bugger another one!’ encouraged Samuel from a long way off.

Ben struggled to his feet. He was grabbed by the arm and thrown back. Another fist found his nose and the blood spurted out like a fountain. Pain flared into his eyes and across his cheeks. He
felt the agony drive down his spine, but anger sent him forward. In a clumsy tackle, he brought down another, winding himself in the process.

From the corner of his eye he saw Reube, kicking and wielding the stick. Beside him Ted Shiner was claiming vengeance, punching the man who had tried to throttle him.

A cheer went up from the crowd. Ben drew breath and wiped the blood from his nose on his sleeve. The Blackshirt at his feet began to crawl away like a wounded animal.

‘Ben! Ben!’

He looked round as Lily ran up. She wiped his face gently with a rag. ‘Why did you have to fight?’

He looked into her eyes and laughed. ‘That wasn’t no fight, just a bit of a scrap.’

‘Ben James, you and your brother are too old to fight. When will you learn?’

He suddenly wished he could turn back the clock. He’d been a right chump at the dance last week. If only he’d kept his emotions in check and not pulled a long face. But he’d
been jealous of the fact she was seeing another bloke and he’d let it show. If he’d had any sense, he would have pretended he didn’t care.

Pushing the cloth over his nose, he grinned. ‘If Florence Nightingale was as pretty as you, no wonder she cured all them blokes.’

Lily took his arm. ‘You ain’t so pretty yourself at the moment.’

‘Have they spoiled me dashing good looks?’

‘You’d better wash all that blood off.’ She looked into his eyes and smiled.

‘You all right?’ asked his brother as they stood at the pump.

‘Never been better. And you?’

Reube laughed. ‘You turned up at just the right time.’

‘Didn’t want to miss all the excitement.’

‘You’re gonna have a shiner in the morning,’ laughed Reube.

Ted looked up from splashing his face with water. ‘Blimey, look at yer boat race, kid.’

‘Next time, I’ll move a bit quicker.’

‘I hope there ain’t going to be a next time,’ said Lily, frowning up at him.

Florrie and Vera came over. ‘You done all right, boys.’

Ben revelled in everyone’s praise as Lily reached up to dab gently over his face. Did she really care about him? And if she did, did she care enough?

‘Don’t worry, I’m as good as new,’ Ben assured Lily after he had washed his face at the pump. The look of concern on her face was enough to make him feel happy. Something
he hadn’t been since last Sunday when he’d looked from the window and watched her go off with that charmer, Charles Grey.

‘They should be prosecuted,’ said her mother that night. ‘Upsetting hard working, decent people like that. Where were the coppers when they were needed! And
poor Ben with a bleeding nose.’

‘He’s all right now,’ said Lily as she warmed herself by the fire. She was still shaking. The fight had upset her. Last time Charles had averted trouble, but left up to the
traders, it had been a free for all.

‘A man has to stand up for his rights,’ her father commented. ‘He’s got guts that lad. And so has his brother.’

‘It was Reube who started it,’ Lily tried to explain. ‘I’m sure they would have gone away if they were ignored.’

‘That’s the trouble,’ her uncle argued, ‘we let these madmen off by ignoring them, thinking it’s better than arguing. But in this case it ain’t, as they
multiply like flies and cause more trouble.’

‘I haven’t seen them round here,’ said Lily quickly.

‘I have,’ replied her uncle. ‘When I went out for the paper last Saturday, they was on the corner of Manchester Road, yelling and shouting.’

‘I don’t know why they come round,’ said her father. ‘They know we don’t want them. The blokes at the yard shut the gates if they come by.’

‘I think that’s best,’ said Lily. ‘Mum and me wouldn’t want to see you in a fight.’

He laughed. ‘Gone are those days, gel. Anyway, the blokes at the yard don’t hold no high faluting opinions like some of them at the docks. It’s only a small concern, see, so
the union ain’t involved and the boss pays us fair money.’ Lily was pleased to hear about her father’s new job. Each night he had come home to tell them about it. Though it was
hard labour being outside, he enjoyed it.

‘You won’t ever have to touch one of them dreadful skins again,’ said her mother happily.

‘Thanks to young Ben,’ nodded her father, ‘I won’t be waiting on the stones any more to pick up what’s left over.’

Lily hoped the conversation wasn’t going to return to Ben and was relieved when her mother spoke about something everyone else seemed to have forgotten. ‘Now, love, in a couple of
weeks it’s your birthday. We want to buy you something nice. After all, it’s your twenty-first. What about them boots you was after. I can buy a nice pair from the tally man. Get them
on tick.’

‘No, Mum, I don’t need any,’ Lily said at once. She didn’t want her mother to go in debt again. Then the troubles would begin, as once the tally man called, he
didn’t stop. ‘These will do for another year.’