Poppy Day (5 page)

‘She won’t say why,’ Polly said. ‘I’ve asked ’er.’

Jess thought about the night she’d arrived, her aunt’s reaction.

‘It’s not summat I’ve done, is it?’

‘No – why should it be? I s’pect she’ll get over it. P’raps she ain’t feeling too good and don’t want to make a fuss.’

When they’d lain quiet for a time, Jess asked, ‘Poll – this is nosey to ask, but – Ronny. Who’s ’is father?’

But there was no reply. Polly was either asleep, or pretending to be.

Jess also started to notice the way Olive quizzed Polly – not herself, just Polly – almost every time she came in from work or shopping.

‘Seen anyone?’ This was said in a casual way, but Jess could hear an edge of anxiety in her voice.

‘No,’ Polly would reply, puzzled. ‘Who am I s’posed to ’ave seen?’

Jess wanted to say, ‘But you must’ve seen
someone
. It was swarming with people out there!’

Once Olive asked, ‘No one following yer, was there?’

‘No!’ Polly laughed, then looked solemn. ‘Mom? Why d’yer keep asking all these funny questions?’

‘Oh – no reason,’ Olive said. ‘Just wondered.’

Polly’s worried eyes met Jess’s for a second. They were coming to understand that ‘anyone’ meant ‘someone’ in particular, and that this ‘someone’ was someone who was preying on her mind, who she seemed afraid of seeing.

But they couldn’t get any more out of her, could all feel the strength of emotion round the subject. And Olive continued to stay in. She was all right in the house with them, but she seemed scared to step outside her own front door.

‘Shift yerselves, you lot, and see what’s coming down the ’orse road!’

Everyone else was in a Sunday afternoon stupor: Bert sleeping off a few pints, Olive dozing. Ernie, Polly’s beau who was round for the afternoon, was entertaining Ronny, tossing him about on his lap, a game Ronny never tired of. Jess watched them sleepily through half-closed eyes. She’d liked Ernie straight away, his chubby face and gingery beard, the way he was good with Ronny. It was Polly who’d got up to put the kettle on and looked out of the window.

‘Come out quick and look!’

Jess, Ernie and Sis followed her. Olive stood in the doorway, craning her head round. Bertha Hyde opposite was at her window having a good nose. Sis took one look and started running down the road, laughing and calling out.

‘Don’t flap yer arms about and frighten it!’ Polly shouted after her.

The grey mare came towards them along the road, hooves slowly clip-clopping. Her ears were swivelling back and forth in a startled sort of way, perhaps because her rider, with no saddle, and no shoes on, was standing up on her back, holding the reins high, his boots slung over the horse’s withers with their laces tied together. He balanced, knees bent, concentrating hard, but as they came nearer he looked up, a smile spreading across his face.

‘Well I’ll be . . .’ Olive gasped. ‘It’s our Ned!’

Jess remembered hearing his name mentioned, Ned Green, the lad Olive had known since he was knee-high. He was now a fireman and Olive obviously thought the world of him.

Bert came out yawning and stretching his arms. ‘What’s ’e playing at! Awright, Ned, yer silly bleeder!’

Ned loosed a hand for a moment to wave. Jess found herself grinning. The sight cheered her up no end. She’d seen pranks like this back in the village but she certainly hadn’t expected anything of the kind in Allison Street. And what a lovely animal! Then she looked at its rider, drawn to him, curious, seeing a strong body, a face with a wide, smiling mouth and fair wavy hair.

‘Whoa there now, Bonney – eh, stop, yer daft wench!’

Bonney, who seemed to be enjoying her stroll in the sunshine, stopped with reluctance and Ned slid down to the pavement. Sis pulled his boots from off the horse and handed them to him.

‘Ta.’ He gave her a wink.

‘We thought yer was too good for us these days.’

Jess looked round, hearing the gruffness in Olive’s voice. To her astonishment her aunt looked quite dewy-eyed.

‘’Ow are yer, Auntie?’ He came over and kissed Olive’s cheek.

‘All the better for seeing you. Where’ve yer bin, yer bad lad?’

‘Sorry, Auntie – been busy.’

Everyone was trying to talk to Ned.

‘’Ow d’yer stay up there without slipping off?’ Polly said. Jess noticed she looked flushed, and saw Ernie watching her. ‘Whose ’orse is it?’

‘She’s from the fire station,’ Ned patted her. ‘I said I’d give ’er a bit of a walk.’

‘Can I ’ave a ride?’ Sis cried. ‘I’ve never been on an ’orse!’

Jess went and took Bonney’s reins since everyone else seemed to have forgotten that she could just walk off any time.

‘’Ello, gorgeous,’ she stroked Bonney’s nose. ‘Oh I’ve missed the likes of you, I ’ave!’

She stood letting the horse fumble in her hand with its lips, but soon her gaze was drawn to Ned. His eyes as he looked round at them all were full of affection and fun. He was wearing a white shirt, the top couple of buttons undone, and a worn-looking pair of trousers. As he stood down to lace up his boots she saw a stripe of his neck, between his hair and collar. The skin looked soft, edged by the thin down of hairs at the margin of his hairline. She felt intensely conscious of his every movement. The hairs on her own skin stood up, making her shiver.

Sis was still clamouring for a ride. Ned stood up and turned, and his eyes met Jess’s. To her embarrassment she found she was blushing until she turned hot all over. Her palms were turning clammy.

‘Who’s this then?’

‘This is Jessica, my niece,’ Olive said. ‘Our Jess. She’s come to stop with us.’

Her hand disappeared into his for a moment. His was very warm. ‘How long yer staying?’

Jess shrugged, giving a wry smile. ‘I don’t know!’

‘Nice to meet yer, Jess, anyway.’

‘’Ow d’yer get up ’ere?’ Sis was throwing herself excitedly at the horse’s flank, and kept sliding down again.

They all watched, laughing. ‘Give us a leg up, Ned!’

‘’Ere – I’ll show yer!’ On impulse, Jess, still holding the reins, led the mare alongside the front step, and from there she vaulted up on to Bonney, managing to fling one leg over, her dress riding up to show a length of bare thigh.

‘Oh Lor’!’ Olive laughed. ‘She’s a country wench this one, all right. Look at ’er go!’

Jess clicked her tongue, digging her heels into Bonney’s sides. She quickly broke into a trot and Jess clung on, even though riding bareback was a slippery business.

‘That’s a girl!’ They trotted off along the street and under the railway arch where the sound of Bonney’s hooves echoed until they were out in the sun again, and round the corner. Jess didn’t want to stop. She loved the feel and smell of being on a horse again. But she turned Bonney round and trotted back. Her cheeks were pink, hair fastened back haphazardly so some of it hung loose on her shoulders, and she looked the healthy, country girl she was, the joy of it shining out of her. As she drew closer to them all she felt Ned watching her and her smile grew wider.

‘I wish I could go on all afternoon!’

‘We can see that!’ Polly laughed.

‘Oh let us ’ave a go!’ Sis was jumping up and down with impatience.

Jess swung her leg over, ready to slide off Bonney as if she was a helter-skelter.

‘Can yer manage?’ Ned came and took her hand.

Jess laughed. ‘Been doing it all me life – but ta any’ow. There–’ She pulled her skirt down. ‘I’m decent now!’

As she reached the ground he caught her by the waist for a second to steady her. They held each other’s gaze for a moment, then Sis was once more trying to scramble up on to Bonney. Ned let go Jess’s hand, but Ernie had already taken pity on Sis and was hoisting her up.

‘I’ll help ’er!’

Jess was full of energy, as if she was on fire. She ran up and down, leading Sis as she bumped about on Bonney’s back, shrieking that she was going to fall, giggling so much by the end that she did slither off the side. Bert had a go, clowning about, then Ronny was allowed to sit up on Bonney’s back for a moment.

‘Tek ’im off!’ Olive protested. ‘’E looks worried to death! Yer coming in for a cuppa tea now yer ’ere?’ She took Ned’s arm.

‘What’ll I do about Bonney?’

‘Oh I’ll hold her,’ Jess hooked the reins round her wrist and sat down on the step. The room was so small that she wasn’t left out by sitting down there. Ned sat at the table with his back to the range, the others round him except Polly who was brewing the tea. Jess listened to them talking. She sat quietly, watching him until she felt his eyes on her, watching her curiously for a moment, then glancing away. She couldn’t seem to stop looking at him.

But after a few moments she heard Olive say, ‘So tell us all about it. Why daint yer bring Mary with yer? ’Ow long’s she got to go now? She got over feeling poorly?’

Jess’s heartbeat began to pick up speed. She found herself thinking, no – oh please, she can’t mean . . .?

‘Oh yes, she’s got over that, but there’s only a few weeks left. She’s feeling it now, what with working and that – it’s taking it out of ’er. She’s gone to bed this afternoon.’

Olive made sympathetic noises. ‘She still at Coopers?’

‘No – Griffiths. Been there a while she ’as now – over in Vittoria Street, making rings. Ain’t I told yer that?’

‘Not that I remember. Oh – so yer’ll be staying over that side now.’ She sounded disappointed. ‘I’d ’oped yer’d come back over ’ere so we’d see a bit more of yer.’

‘Oh, yer won’t catch Mary moving away from ’er mom,’ Ned said. ‘’Specially now, with the babby on the way.’

Jess listened with part of her mind, but a shrinking, disappointed feeling crept through her. So Ned was married. How daft could she be, never thinking for a moment that he might be! But he had affected her so strongly – and the way he had looked into her eyes when he helped her off Bonney . . . But it must have been all in her silly, inexperienced imagination. She sat closed into her own thoughts, only half hearing now as Ned talked about the Fire Service, about Mary. Her earlier sense of excitement had melted away and suddenly all the joy had gone out of the afternoon. She sat feeling foolish and cross with herself.

She came to as Ned got up to leave and he took Bonney’s reins from her.

‘So – where did you spring from, Jess?’

‘Budderston – Warwickshire.’ She answered calmly, glancing at Olive. ‘I wanted to come and see my auntie and find work ’ere for a bit.’

‘Bit different ’ere in Brum, I’ll bet. D’yer like it?’

‘Mostly.’

Ned laughed. ‘You don’t sound all that sure!’

‘She gets a bit ’omesick for the country now and then,’ Polly said.

‘Well, yer can visit, can’t yer? The countryside ain’t going to run away.’

‘She can’t.’ Bert stated the facts with no malice intended. ‘’Cause they don’t want ’er. Ain’t that right, Jess?’

‘Bert!’ Polly protested. ‘’Ow could yer?’

Jess felt a blush of fury and mortification burn across her cheeks. This was the truth – of course it was. But it was terrible to hear it blurted out so baldly. Quietly, she said, ‘Seems like they don’t.’

Ned stopped attending to Bonney and looked round at her.

‘How come? Why wouldn’t they want yer?’

Jess felt them all staring at her. Olive started to say something, but Jess pulled her shoulders back.

‘No, Auntie. There ain’t no shame in the truth.’ She looked at Ned. ‘I ran away from home ’cause they were making me get wed and it weren’t what I wanted. So they’d be none too pleased to see me at the moment.’

She felt Ned’s interest. ‘Why didn’t yer want it?’

Jess was startled to be asked such a question. Wasn’t it obvious what you should want? Everyone was waiting for her to speak.

‘Well,’ she said fiercely. ‘It ain’t no good marrying someone if yer don’t love ’em, is it? I mean yer’ve got to love ’em so that nothing else matters – not just marry ’cause it suits.’

‘Think yer might need to lower yer sights a bit,’ Olive said. There was amusement in her eyes. ‘She’s a quaint one awright,’ she told Ned. ‘All sorts of odd notions ’er comes out with.’

Jess looked down, hands clenched into fists, fury swelling in her right up to the back of her throat. Why had she said what she really thought? Looking up, mutinously she said, ‘Otherwise what’s the point?’

‘The point,’ Olive said, ‘is sticking together to keep bellies fed so yer don’t ’ave the Workhouse hanging over yer. And you’ll find that out, Ned my lad, soon as your family starts arriving.’

‘Weren’t just yer own family you was feeding either, Auntie, when yours were littl’uns. Yer’d even find a piece for me when I turned up like a bad penny.’ Jess could tell he was trying to smooth things over. The affectionate cheekiness of his smile disarmed Olive in a second. Jess watched, aching inside. Not only was Ned married, but now she’d made a fool of herself in front of him as well.

As he left, Ned said, ‘You are going to come over and see our place, aren’t yer?’

Olive didn’t promise. She gave him a non-committal nod, from the step. Ned leapt up on to Bonney’s back, keeping his boots on this time.

‘Bring Mary to see us, and don’t leave it ’til I’m walking with a stick.’

Ned gave a salute, smiling round at them. His eyes met Jess’s for a second. Then he winked at Sis.

‘T’ra then!’

He turned Bonney and they watched him trot off down towards Digbeth, waving a hand.

The others started to go in.

‘Come on, Jess,’ Polly tried to take her arm.

Jess pulled away, shaking her head, eyes fixed on the horse and rider until they disappeared round the corner. ‘Wasn’t it lovely to see Ned?’ Sis sat up in bed that night, yanking a comb through her hair. ‘Seeing ’im on that ’orse – ’e was like summat out of a fairytale. And ’e’s so handsome! Lucky Mary.’

‘Why does ’e call yer mom Auntie?’ Jess asked.

‘Oh – she’s known ’im all our lives.’ Jess wasn’t sure if she imagined a stiff tone in Polly’s voice. ‘Thinks the world of ’im, Mom does. ’E’s like another son to ’er.’

‘I can see why.’

Polly sat up. ‘I know yer can – it was written all over yer. Yer could’ve lit a fire off your face this afternoon. But ’e’s spoken for. Ned and Mary’ve known each other for years and now they’re wed, so it’s no good you coming ’ere getting any ideas in yer ’ead. ’E ain’t free, so it’s too late for you or anyone else!’