Meet Me at the Pier Head (35 page)

Standard Four remained until the end, as if reluctant to leave. He shook each hand before shooing them out of the hall. But they finally filed out in good order towards a summer of freedom,
though their sedate behaviour changed when they entered the yard. Whooping, whistling and shouting, they ran towards liberty and uncertainty, leaving behind the protective shell that had contained
them for so many of their formative years. Never again would they receive the same level of pastoral care; next year might well be obedience, homework and not a great deal of fun.

Staff began to prepare for the evening’s party before their students had left the yard. Anxious to get away to make the best of themselves, the teachers moved swiftly to change the
hall/gymnasium into a meeting place for a few adults. Theo left them to it and returned to his office and Maggie.

She was at a window, staring out at the escaping throng. ‘You’re not wrong,’ she said after glancing over her shoulder. ‘They come first, and Rosie’s one of them.
It’s a bit late for Sadie, no matter what happens. She’ll either go back to her old ways, or she’ll be brain-damaged, or even both.’ She shuddered. ‘Rosie’s told
me she wants to stay with me, because her mother hasn’t looked after her. She didn’t say Sadie hadn’t saved her, but that’s what she meant.’ She turned completely and
faced him. ‘Yes, we’ll go and give Rosie a nice holiday and a look at a different part of the country. It’s educational, isn’t it?’

Theo smiled, though his eyes remained sad. ‘You can keep in touch with the hospital, ask daily about Sadie’s progress.’

‘On the phone?’

‘Yes. I’ll get the details for you. Come along, young lady, let’s get you home.’ She, Nancy, Tom and Rosie were in for a huge surprise when they reached Kent, because Tia
had come up with a rather splendid idea.

‘Young lady?’ she asked, an eyebrow arched.

‘Don’t worry, I’ll tell you when you’re old, Maggie. Now, I need time to change into my best frock. Shall I wear the pink gingham with the sweetheart neckline or the
strapless black with a boned bodice and sequins? Don’t laugh. For all you know, I might be serious. How do you know it isn’t going to be fancy dress? I rather fancy myself as Little Bo
Peep.’

Maggie actually giggled. ‘You’re as mad as she is.’

‘She?’ he asked, though he knew the answer.

‘Miss Bellamy, Portia, Tia, or any other name she’s using today.’

‘Oh, her,’ he grinned. ‘Yes, she’s unusual.’

Maggie shook her head. ‘No, unusual is Nella Fishwick from the bottom end of Ivy Lane. She’s about six foot tall and about eight foot wide. She looks like a gasworks with a hairnet.
Tia’s special, and she’s a special kind of clever with a special idea of fun. I never know what to expect when I get back from visiting Sadie. Yesterday, she had your dog dressed in a
frock. A bloody Ally in turquoise with spots. My poor Rosie was rolling about on the floor in pain cos she’d laughed that much. Oh, I don’t know whether you noticed, but Mickle has nail
polish on her claws. Candy pink, it is, if she hasn’t chewed it off. Tia says she’s trying to bring out the dog’s feminine side. Fortunately, she couldn’t catch
Tyger.’

He nodded, still grinning. ‘I took her down to the river where it’s begun to eat its way inland. She did a Canute and got quite wet. She says we all have Canute wrong, because he sat
there on his throne while the tide came in just to prove that no man, not even a king, can hold back the inevitable. Oh, and she taught me that although he couldn’t stop the tide, Canute
managed to hold back Viking invaders.’

‘She’s brilliant, Theo.’

‘Oh, yes. Most good teachers are a fount of totally useless information.’

Maggie was quiet for a mile or so. ‘You get on well together, don’t you?’ she asked as they neared Allerton.

‘Yes, we do.’

The next bit was difficult and intrusive. ‘She can’t take her eyes off you. And you can hardly take yours off her. We can all see you’re made for each other. I know it’s
early days, but there’s something going on. Izzy and Joan think so, too.’

‘Then it must be true.’

That meant she should shut up and mind her own business. Oh, it was lovely round here, trees and bushes, big houses with gardens, cars parked outside and everything clean. Although she
wasn’t one for jealousy or envy, she wondered how or when people from the Lady Streets would get out and move to a place such as this. Education was the basic need, she decided. Rosie had to
win a place at grammar school, then at college, then in a decent career. ‘You’re right,’ she said.

‘About what?’

‘Children and education being important.’

‘The young are going to become the warp and weft of future society, Maggie, so we need to strengthen that fabric. There will always be worker bees, but we need leadership, too.
Unfortunately, members of my profession are very badly paid, so the foundation of a child’s learning lies in the hands of people who are prepared to accept poor pay and difficult conditions.
Standards will slip.’ He pulled into his driveway.

‘How did you afford this house, then?’

‘Because I have another job, and teaching is my very important hobby.’

‘Oh.’

When the car was parked and its engine silent, he looked at his companion. ‘Portia will earn just one pound per day. She has a legacy from her grandmother, and that helps. But other
probationers have to pay rent, gas, electricity, water, food and clothing out of that. Until some government realizes the true value of teachers, we’ll get nowhere.’ He sighed.
‘Let’s go and see what our two children are up to.’

They found Tia and Rosie in the back garden, both flat on their fronts, chins resting on hands, elbows deep in grass.

‘Mine’s winning,’ Rosie yelled. ‘Look, he’s nearly there.’

‘Mine has staying power,’ Tia said.

‘Yes, it stays where it is, Miss Bellamy.’

Tia laughed. ‘See? I told you. Your Albert has turned left, because he has no sense of direction, so my Victoria will be victorious.’

‘What are they doing?’ Maggie whispered.

‘They’re racing snails.’

‘You what?’

‘It’s a snail race.’

‘Isn’t that a bit daft?’

‘You hit the nail square on the head, Maggie. Let’s go make some tea.’

In Theo’s kitchen, Maggie collected a couple of biscuits, an apple and a glass of milk for Rosie. ‘She’s not used to a lot of food, so I give her four small meals a
day.’

‘Good plan. Maggie?’

‘What?’

‘I’ll have three women chasing me tonight. Any suggestions?’

‘Thank your lucky stars and take some Aspros in your pocket,’ was her quick reply. ‘Or start running for the hills now. If you go fast, you might reach Yorkshire by
tomorrow.’

‘Isn’t Yorkshire the enemy of Lancashire?’ He scratched his head.

‘Listen, lad. If you have to choose between three needy women and the anger of Yorkshire folk, pick Yorkshire. You’d have a better chance with a load of sheep-shearers and
wool-weavers than you would with our women. Anyway, my money’s on Tia.’

‘So is mine,’ he replied softly.

‘I knew it.’ She went to give Rosie her afternoon snack.

Theo watched her as she wandered off.
Every woman in this house is always right. Therefore, because I am merely male, I am always wrong. There are several women in this building; as a
result, I am guilty times five, as there are five of them. Little Rosie’s young, so she, number six, doesn’t yet qualify as a tormentor. Maggie sees straight through me, as does Izzy.
No idea about Joan, since she’s quiet. Portia drives me wild with desire, as messing about ain’t enough. Where do I buy bromide?

He went to find his suit for this evening.
Juliet grilled me yesterday, probably trying to judge me as unfit for her big sister. This is my house. I feel like standing outside in the front
garden screaming THIS IS MY HOUSE.

You have never felt so alive, Theodore Quinn. You are in love, in good company and in a mess. There will be three women wanting you tonight, then tomorrow you are kidnapping a child.
Somewhere out there, perhaps in Ireland, perhaps not, a raving lunatic is sharpening his wits in an effort to fight his wife, his daughters and the rest of the world.

The grey suit looked good, as did the new shirt and dark tie. What would Madam be wearing? That stunning scarlet dress? Oh, he hoped not. Advertising wasn’t always a good thing.

When he reached the living room, Rosie was chewing thoughtfully on her apple. She looked at him and grinned. ‘You look nice, Mr Quinn. Miss Bellamy’s wearing silver-grey, so
you’ll match. When are you getting married?’

Oh, God.
He shook his head slowly. Rosie was joining the ranks. There were six of them now, four upstairs, two downstairs. Tomorrow, there would be Nancy as well. Arithmetic. He was
leaving behind Izzy, Joan and Juliet; they would mind Tyger-Two and both apartments. So that was minus three and plus one, as Nancy You’re-Right Atherton would be joining the coven. Four.
There would still be four. ‘Eat your apple, Rosie,’ he said.

‘My mam woke up,’ she told him.

‘Yes, your nana told me.’

‘When we get back from holiday, I can go and see her, Nana says.’

‘Good.’ Would Rosie be coming back, or would she stay where she was with Maggie after examinations of old injuries? Oh, what a mess. This adorable child with her broad accent and
good intellect might be at a Kentish school. Would her way of talking provide the cabaret for several days?

‘You’re worried,’ the child told him.

‘I’m fine,’ he replied. ‘By the way, who won?’

She gave him a quizzical look.

‘The snail race,’ he explained.

‘Miss Bellamy did. But I think she cheated when Nana came out with my milk and biscuits. I turned away, and when I looked back Victoria was at the edge of the stone. That snail would have
needed to run to get all that way.’

‘Did Victoria have a bicycle, Rosie?’

She shook her head and grinned.

‘Then Miss Bellamy cheated.’

‘But she’s a teacher.’

‘I know. We just can’t get the staff these days.’

Tia wandered in wearing the air of somebody who owned not just him, not just the villa, but the whole street. She was not clad in silver-grey; her dress was violet, with a full skirt and a
moulded top half that showed off her magnificent figure. The welfare woman and the deputy head would be defeated from the start of play.

‘You changed your mind,’ Rosie accused her.

‘This dress matches my eyes,’ was Tia’s reply.

‘Do you have a licence to drive those shoes?’ Theo asked. Because of the underpinning, she was easily as tall as he was. The shoes matched the dress perfectly. Her hair was in a
chignon, with a small, crystal-encrusted barrette pinned at the front. An echo of this adornment sat on her left shoulder, and she looked delicious.

He gave her a hard stare. She knew what she was doing. Miss Garner from welfare was pretty, and Miss Portia Bellamy was at war. So this was the female equivalent of a testosterone rush. Men
fought and argued over partners; women simply painted and decorated themselves. But oh, she was lovely.

Rosie wandered off to sit with Maggie and Mickle in the garden.

‘Portia?’

‘What?’

‘Stay away from me during this party. Emily Garner could take Rosie away just like that.’ He snapped fingers and thumb.

‘I’ll stay here if you wish.’

‘No. I want you to meet your colleagues socially.’

‘Miss Cosgrove hates me already.’

‘Then court her friendship. She’s already suffering some kind of crush, and it’s directed at me. Behind the raw facade, she’s a vulnerable and lonely woman. Erotomania
can be painful. As the subject of her scrutiny, I hurt, too.’

‘OK. I’ll get my engagement ring.’

‘Thank you.’

She left.

Theo picked up Tyger. ‘Just the two of us
contra mundum
, little kitty. I am dreading this evening. I can’t let her drive her car in those shoes, so I’ll have to arrive
with her as my passenger. I’m going to get you neutered, because females are deadly, and you need to keep your distance.’

Tia returned, flashing her blindingly huge diamond in its ornate Victorian setting. ‘Will I do?’ she asked innocently. She showed him her heavily layered underskirt, fold after fold
of virginal white tulle. ‘You should wear a Teddy boy suit, Teddy Bear, then we’d match.’

‘Miss Ellis would have a heart attack, and she retired only today. Just behave yourself, Portia.’

‘Yes, Sir. Will you be wearing your blackbird wings?’

‘No, it isn’t fancy dress.’

‘Pity.’

‘You would have gone as Lady Godiva, and I couldn’t risk that. Now, Miss Adams and Miss Bailey from the infants department will be bringing boyfriends, fiancés or whatevers.
Heads will turn when you walk in, so leave the men alone and concentrate on your fellow teachers.’

‘Sir.’

‘And those stiletto heels will damage your spine in later life.’

‘Sir.’

‘Stop with the Sir.’

Tia sniffed. ‘I shan’t wear them in later life.’

He gave up. She was determinedly naughty, unreasonable and amusing. ‘Let’s go, then.’ His tone was suddenly resigned. She would do as she pleased and when she pleased.
‘Were you ever well behaved?’ he asked.

‘Once, at Roedean, I gave in an essay on time. I got double bread-and-butter pudding, which I loathe, and a twenty-one gun salute at sunset.’

‘God help me,’ he muttered.

‘You don’t need God; you’ve got me.’

They left, he in a state of worry, she in painful shoes. It was a hard life.

Miss Lydia Cosgrove had pencilled in some eyebrows and was wearing lipstick, mascara and a yellow dress that served only to emphasize her pallor and the bright red corrugated
hair with which she had been endowed. At the piano playing background music, she accidentally allowed her fingers to hit some wrong notes when Tia glided in behind the boss.

Tia smiled at her enemy and sent her a little wave of greeting before crossing the room to join her. Standing behind the upright instrument, she curled her left hand over its top so that the
engagement ring would be on display.