McQueen's Agency (17 page)

Albert smiled at her. ‘Well, give me your message bag, Mrs Little, and I’ll pack it.’ He deftly placed the three pounds of potatoes on the bottom and put the lighter things on top. He always knew that items would get damaged with her because she would put things like biscuits, eggs and bread on the bottom of her bag and the heavier items on top.

Mollified, she came to the window to pay for her goods ‘Good morning, Mrs Little,’ said Edna.

Sally suddenly sneezed loudly.

‘Bless you Sal … Mrs Little,’ said Albert in his usual jovial manner.

Dolly Pirie came in later. Although Snappy Sally was a neighbour, Albert said Dolly got a bit fed up with her friend’s complaining. Dolly bought a quarter pound of boiled ham and a small white loaf.

She handed over her money at the till and she liked to linger if the shop was quiet. ‘Are you married, Edna?’

Albert called over. ‘Stop quizzing my assistant, Mrs Pirie. This is no
Twenty Questions
on the wireless and you’re no another Anona Winn.’ Still this was said with a laugh so the woman didn’t take offence at the remarks.

‘I’m just asking Edna if she’s married. Where’s the harm in being friendly Albert?’

Edna smiled. ‘No, Mrs Pirie, I’m a widow.’

‘Well that makes two of us,’ she said, smiling at the shared misfortune of losing their husbands.

‘I never had any bairns. Have you any?’

‘Yes, I’ve got a five-year-old son called Billy.’

‘Have you got him in one of the nurseries that’s springing up all over the place?’

‘No, my mum looks after him.’

This seemed to please her. ‘Well that’s what mums are for, to look after their grandchildren and help out.’

With all this information safely tucked under her floral head square, she made for her house, which lay in the close beside the shop.

Albert shook his head. ‘She likes to know everything does Mrs Pirie but there’s no harm in her. She gets a wee bit lonely living on her own.’

Edna smiled. ‘I don’t mind. I like her a lot because there’s nothing subtle about her. If she wants to know something, she just comes right out with it and asks.’

Edna was aware that Eddie was looking at her during this conversation but when she smiled at him, he blushed. He was about the same age as her. A tall, thin man with red hair slicked down with Brylecreem.

A quiet man, she thought. Edna had hardly spoken to him during her time at the shop. Albert was chatty and he did most of the talking, not to mention the customers and Mrs Pirie in particular.

Later that morning, Mrs Pirie turned up again. ‘A tin of condensed milk, Albert.’

As she was paying for it she said, ‘Do you want to come for some dinner today, Edna?’

Over the past week, Edna had brought a sandwich and a flask of tea to the shop. It saved her making a mad rush home at dinnertime.

‘That would be lovely, Mrs Pirie. I usually get off from twelve till one o’clock.’

‘Well, I’ll see you then, Edna.’

At twelve o’clock, Edna went to the close next to the shop. Mrs Pirie lived on the second landing and she was standing at her door, waiting for her guest.

‘Come in, I’ve made some soup.’ She had laid the table with a lovely embroidered cloth and there was a wonderful smell of cooking.

Edna was quite touched by all the preparation the woman had gone to and she said so.

‘Just call me Dolly,’ she said as she sliced a loaf of bread and put it on a floral plate.

The room was small and although it was quite mild outside, there was a small fire burning in the grate, Apart from the table there was a sideboard that looked really old and two red fireside chairs. Another wooden table in the corner held a large wireless. Dolly had switched it on but the volume was turned down low.

A wedding photo was on the sideboard. A tall, thin man with a bushy moustache and dressed in a military uniform stood to attention beside a very pretty girl in a white dress.

Dolly said, ‘That’s my wedding photo. Ronnie and I were married in 1914, just after the start of the war. He went away to France and was killed at Loos in 1915. We only spent a fortnight together before he died.’

Edna was shocked. ‘That’s terrible, Dolly.’

‘Aye well, that’s what wars do to people. They take your men away and they never come back and there’s nothing anyone can do about it.’

Dolly filled two plates with soup. ‘Come and sit down, Edna.

‘You said you were a widow, Edna. Was your man killed in the war?’

Edna shook her head. ‘He was in the army during the war and afterwards he decided to become a regular soldier. He said the pay was good and now that the war was over, the army would be a great job in peacetime. But then his battalion was sent to Palestine and he was killed in a bomb blast at a hotel in Jaffa. There were a large number of casualties and quite a number of deaths. His officer said he was in the wrong place at the wrong time. At the time I honestly thought what a stupid statement to make but now I can see what he meant.’

‘But you’ve got your little boy. Does he look like his dad?’

Edna smiled. ‘No he looks like my mother except he hasn’t got curly hair. William never knew about Billy. He was in Palestine when I realised I was expecting and he was dead by the time Billy was born.’

Dolly looked visibly shaken. ‘That’s terrible. What did I say about wars.’ She sounded angry.

Edna said, ‘You must come and visit me sometime Dolly. I live at 41 Paradise Road.’

Dolly said she would. ‘But you’ve got another few days to work so I’ll see you then. I’m not looking forward to Nancy coming back and I don’t think Albert is either. She’s a sharp-tongued young madam and she throws your change down on the counter and then turns her back on you. It’s like she doesn’t value anyone’s custom.’ She turned to Edna and took her hand in her own frail looking, blue-veined one. ‘I’m sure Albert would like to keep you on. You only have to ask him. All the customers like you. So does Albert … and Eddie,’ she said with a twinkle in her eye.

Edna laughed. ‘I’ve hardly spoken to him, he’s so quiet.’

It was Dolly’s turn to chuckle. ‘It’s the quiet ones you’ve got to look out for.’

Edna normally worked until dinnertime on Saturday and was surprised when Dolly and a few other customers came into the shop. Albert gave a little speech about what a great asset she had been to the shop and he presented her with a box of Milk Tray chocolates and a card.

Dolly started to applaud and said ‘Hear, Hear’ while Snappy Sal asked why Edna was getting a card and sweeties when she was also getting a wage.

Edna had to wipe tears away from her eyes. It was a lovely moment and it was gratifying to know she had been valued as a worker.

‘I just want to say thank you to everyone. It’s been a joy to work with you and to have met all your lovely customers,’ she said, meaning every word. Dolly began to clap again.

Everyone laughed. Edna went up to Dolly. ‘I’ll stay in touch and come and see you if that’s all right, and you must come and see me, Billy and Mum.’

Dolly looked as if she was going to cry. ‘Of course you can come to see me and I’ll visit you sometime. And I’ll give you all the latest about the dragon queen, Nancy.’

Edna was getting her handbag from the tiny office when Eddie popped his head around the door.

‘I was wondering if you would like to go to the pictures some night, Edna.’ His face was bright red as he said it.

Without thinking, Edna turned her head to look behind her. There was no one there but she knew
He
would be watching and warning her away from any other man. She couldn’t risk anything happening to Billy. She couldn’t understand why it was all happening again. It had been three years since she had had any contact with him, so why now?

She put on a sympathetic face. ‘Oh, Eddie, that would be great but I’ve got Billy to look after and I don’t like asking my mother to look after him all day and then again at night.’ Eddie said he understood and went back to the shop.

Dolly gave her a look as she left but Edna merely shook her head sadly.

The preparations for Saturday’s party were in turmoil. It had been a hard week for Molly and the tension in the house was terrible. Lena looked distraught and ill. Her face was white and etched with pain every time she moved her arm but she wouldn’t cancel the dinner, much to Joe’s disgust and Kenneth’s concern.

‘You would be better off going to bed Lena,’ Kenneth said, ‘and getting some rest.’

‘I’ll be better by tonight.’

Molly had come in early because she knew everything was running late. She had had a quick sandwich with Marigold at midday then she had driven to Cliff Top House.

Lena had ordered in the food for the meal tonight instead of making it herself, She asked Kenneth if he would go to Goodfellow and Steven’s baker shop where Lena had ordered meringues for the pudding and they needed picking up at the Broughty Ferry shop.

‘I can’t go, Lena,’ said Kenneth. ‘You know I have an appointment with a customer this afternoon in the shop.’

Lena was annoyed. ‘Can’t you cancel it?’

Kenneth was firm. ‘No, I can’t. You know this is an important sale and I have to finalise it this afternoon or else we might lose it.’

Molly was helping to lay the table with the lovely crystal glasses and silver cutlery when Lena turned to her. ‘Molly, can you and Mike go over to Dundee on the ferry and pick up this order?’

Molly was horrified but she was torn between pleasing her boss and mortified at being in Mike’s company for a couple of hours.

Joe said, ‘I can’t spare Mike. He’ll be busy in the warehouse. We have a delivery to make on Monday and it needs sorting out today.’

Molly was relieved but not for long.

‘Well what about Christie? He can take the van. Molly can go with him.’

It was settled. Molly and Christie would take the van and Kenneth would take the boat over to the Earl Gray dock and leave it there. After the shop closed he would then come back over the river.

Joe didn’t look happy with this arrangement. Molly had to smile in spite of all the tension. Joe was like a spoilt wee boy when it came to the boat. He looked on it as his own personal possession.

Kenneth went away muttering and he didn’t look pleased either. He was the first to admit he wasn’t a sailor and he didn’t like being on the water, which was why he normally took the train to work.

He didn’t have to feel the motion of the waves. He didn’t want to admit it but he always felt a bit seasick.

Molly was starting to get a headache and the day had hardly begun. She was hoping this job wouldn’t last much longer. Her diary was beginning to fill up and there were other jobs she could be doing. It was Edna’s last day at the grocer’s shop and Molly would have to go into the office tomorrow and sort out the bookings.

Yes, she could have done without this party tonight.

Christie drew up with the van and she got in. Lena had given her the list of food and she said it would all be packed. They just had to pick it up and bring it back.

The van set off along the narrow road, dodging the potholes and they were soon on the main road and on their way to the ‘Fifie.’

‘How are you liking this job, Molly?’ asked Christie.

Molly felt like telling him the truth but she wasn’t sure about him. For all she knew he would maybe carry tales back to the Lamonts.

‘I like it very much,’ she replied, hoping she sounded genuine. ‘What about you Christie, do you enjoy living over here? Don’t you miss Canada?’

‘Yes, I do, as a matter of fact, but I’m hoping I won’t be here much longer.’

‘You said you lived with your father. Will he be glad when you go back home?’

‘I suppose he will. Although we share the house, we live separate lives. He does his job and I do mine.’

Molly noticed he didn’t mention his mother. ‘Does your mother live with you both?’

Christie was silent for a moment or two and Molly wondered if he had heard her. Then he said, ‘My mother is dead. That was the main reason for coming over here. My parents were divorced but she wanted to stay in Scotland while Dad wanted to emigrate to Canada. All this was years ago when I was a small child. So I went with Dad. Last year, she was very ill and I wanted to see her again but sadly she died a few weeks after I arrived. After the funeral I decided to stay on for a while and get a job. And here I am.’

They reached the pier for the ferry and Christie drew in behind a small lorry, three cars and two motor bikes. They didn’t have long to wait and once on board, Christie asked if Molly wanted to sit on the top deck.

‘I like the wind in my face,’ he said. ‘Makes me think of Canada.’

‘Do you live in a rural area?’

‘Heavens no, we live in Toronto but when I’m at home I like to take my holidays near the great lakes. I sometimes hire a boat and go fishing or just enjoy being on the water.’

‘You should have taken the boat across and let Kenneth have the van.’

Christie laughed. ‘What, and spoil Joe and Mike’s day? That boat is their hobby and they are always messing about with it, taking it across the river and bringing it back. They don’t like anyone else using it. Did you notice Joe’s face when Lena suggested Kenneth should take it to work?’

They both laughed and found a spot beside the rails. The breeze felt warm on Molly’s face. Her headache hadn’t gone away but she hoped she would feel better soon. If not she would take a couple of aspirins.

‘How are your parents getting on in Australia?’

Molly said they were now at Nell and Terry’s house and eagerly awaiting the birth of their first grandchild. ‘I had a letter last week with all their news and they are having a great time. They can’t get over how hot it is and the constant sunshine is a pleasure.’

Molly was surprised how easy it was to talk to him. She hadn’t liked him to start with but he was good company. She still didn’t trust him because he had lied about being in the house that day but she put all this out of her mind and decided to enjoy the trip.

She watched as the green braes of Fife slowly receded in the distance and viewed the industrial landscape of the city with its smoking chimneys and bleak looking buildings.