THE BONDAGE OF LOVE (27 page)

But from the tales they told about one another, they vied with each other to see who could tell the worst one. I think they had been two sparks in their early life. I don't think I've ever laughed so much.

But some of their tales were farfetched; you couldn't believe they were ever so

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innocent. One had a proposition put to her by the head of a school, and she thought it was to be a kind of pupil-teacher. But it turned out he wanted her to be his mistress. It was the way they both came out with the tales, so innocent-like. Oh, yes' - she nodded her head now 'it was the most wonderful Christmas. And you know something? "

She now bit on her lip, then looked around her and said, "I don't know why I'm telling you lot this. I just don't. I mean, personal things.

There should be a law against people dragging personal things out of you. "

Again she was biting, almost dragging her lower lip in between her teeth.

Then, her voice soft, in fact, her whole expression soft, she said, The da kissed me."

Nobody spoke. They didn't even move. They just stared at her, all of them stared at her, as she now added quietly, "He had never kissed me in his life.

I'd ... I'd never seen him kiss anybody, not even little Jean, and she's only nine. Never me ma. But ... but he kissed me.

Mind' - her manner reverted to its old style and her voice became louder as she added 'it was just a splosher, and on the cheek. And of course, he'd knocked back two double whiskys. But' - her voice sank again and her eyes lowered to where her hands were joined on her lap, the fingers inter playing with each other nervously, as she ended 'it was nice. It put the finishing touch to a wonderful Christmas. " Her head now coming up, she looked towards Fiona and Bill, and it was as Bill said, " You're a very kissable lass.

Daisy," there came a eroan from Katie. And now it was she who had the attention of them all, for her head was turned away and she was wiping her face hastily with her handkerchief. And when Daisy put her hand on her

shoulder and tried to pull her round, as she said, " Oh, my! What's got into you?

Leave off. Good Lord! I shouldn't have . " Katie turned on her and said, "

People like you, you know, Daisy Gallagher, should be put down at birth. "

After a moment. Daisy said, "Oh, I know that. Yes, I know that."

"You're a stirrer-up, that's what you are. You never keep to one theme."

"Don't I?"

"No, you don't. One minute you're a clown and the next you're a ... Oh!" -

she tossed her head "I'm going to make some more tea."

No-one spoke as she clattered the cups onto the tray and went out.

Then Daisy said quietly, "I'll have to be going. The bus leaves just after three."

"Well, let it go just after three." Bill got to his feet.

"Stay and have a bite. It'll be odds and ends as usual. That's all we've lived on since Christmas Day."

"It isn't odds and ends; there's a leg of pork in the oven."

"Oh, pork! Oh, that's all right then. I hope you've done the crackling so it'll crackle. Nell's the only one who can do that."

"Oh really!" Fiona pulled away from him; then looking at Daisy, she said,

"Do stay, Daisy, that's if

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you've no other arrangements made. "

"No, I haven't any arrangements made, Mrs. Bailey. And, aye, I'd like to stay, if it's not putting you out."

"Oh, that old line, if it's not putting you out. Of course you're putting us out, that's why we asked you."

"All right. Big Chief. Last word on the subject."

"You know something?" Bill poked his face towards her, "I don't put up with cheek like that from my own, in this house."

"Well, sir," - she now poked her face towards his "I always give people what they ask for, except when ... me ma says, no!"

When Bill's hand came playfully across the side of her head she fell for a moment against Willie, and Willie put his arm around her shoulder, saying,

"He struck you, didn't he? He struck you."

Making to leave the room, Fiona said, "Come on, Daisy, you can give Katie a hand setting the table. And you, Mr. Bailey, can see to the hall and

drawing-room fires. So, let's all get moving."

When Daisy followed Fiona, Bill did not immediately leave the room, but bent towards the two boys and said, "That's amiracle, if ever I've seen one. She could be a smasher, couldn't she? Well, she is already. And to think she's plastered her face and rigged herself out in that dreadful get-up, when all the time--' He now straightened up and shook his head as he said, " Women are the weaker sex, you know;

they don't reason. She doesn't know she's an attractive piece even without that tongue of hers. But that's definitely good measure. "

It was Sammy, smiling now, who said to him, "But Mr. X didn't seem to mind the bum-freezer."

Bill now went out laughing, but at the door, he said over his shoulder, "Come on, you, Willie, and finish your job; we want some dry logs from the shed; that wet stuff'll spit all over the place."

Willie did not immediately follow this command, but, looking at Sammy, he said, "I've known all along."

"What d'you mean, you've known all along?"

"Well, about her being a spanker."

"Well, not the kind of spanker she looks now;

nobody could have guessed. "

"I did." The tone was arrogant.

"Oh, second sight."

"No, first sight. I went for her first sight, the gear and everything."

"Look Willie," Sammy pulled himself somewhat painfully to the edge of the chair, and his voice was quiet as he said, "I think you want to get things straight in that quarter. She's got Jimmy, you know."

"She hasn't got Jimmy. Jimmy's got her, but only like a brother would act towards her; he's sort of looked after her."

"Well, why d'you think he's looking after her? Not all out of charity.

If you say you fell for her straightaway and could see below her plastered surface, then he could have felt the same. "

"He's older than her."

"Oh, don't be daft, man. Older ... four, five, six years, what does it matter? Younger or older, when it hits you it doesn't ask the age."

"What would you know about it, anyway?" For the moment, Willie had forgotten that he was dealing with his friend who was far from well;

and he went on, "You turn your nose up at girls. I think you're frightened of them."

"Yes, perhaps I am. I'm afraid of them trying to hook me."

"Is that why you stick to our Katie?"

The voice that answered this issued from no invalid, saying, "If I was me self Willie Bailey, I'd knock you flat for that. I don't stick to Katie; I like her company. It's a relief from you and your tactless mouth." Of a sudden he lay back against the chair and gasped as if exhausted, and Willie, all contrite now, said, "Oh, man, I'm sorry.

I'm sorry. It is me mouth; I should keep it shut. I am sorry, I am.

And I know you just took up with her because she was having a hard time after the Rupert "do" , when me da stopped speaking to her . "

"I didn't just " take up" with her for that." Sammy's words came slow now, but heavy.

"I like Katie. You could say, we're on the same wave length."

"You mean ... you like her?"

"Yes, I mean ... I like her."

"Oh, I didn't think of it that way. Well, what I mean is ... " Well, whatever you mean, get it right in your mind: we are good friends. "

"Oh, well, good friends."

"Yes! Good friends."

Again Willie said, "Oh!" as if that had cleared something else from his mind. And it had, because a girlfriend and a good friend meant two different things. He wanted Daisy for a girlfriend, but apparently Sammy just wanted Katie for a . well, friend.

"May I ask you something?"

"You'll ask me whether I want to listen or not."

"Well, it's just this. D'you think I stand a chance with Daisy?"

"Well, you want it straight, so I'm going to give it to you straight.

You stand as much chance as I do. In fact, I stand more chance than you because she and I understand each other. We speak the same language, being out of the same boat, if you take our environment into account. And I'll tell you something else. You'll never change Daisy, not inside. A new

rig-out won't touch her real self. She'll always remain amusing, funny

ha-ha, to make people laugh, while at the same time being as deep as a drawn well. It'll take someone more clever than you or me to get to the bottom of the real Daisy, because she's got a thinking mind, which she tries to hide. "

"Well, she's all the better for that, as I see it."

Sammy sighed now as if he were tired, and his voice was slow as he said,

"Willie, you'll see her as

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you want to see her. You'll see her the same way as you saw me, and you'll aim to keep pressing on and pressing on until you think you've got her as seeing her through your eyes. With me, it worked.

Circumstances made it work. Unearthing your dad in the muck heap put the final touches on it. They felt they owed me something and that has worked in with what you wanted. So, let's face it, I'm here at this minute being

nursed and pampered because of you. If you work it back you'll see that.

And, in a way . oh, I'm not going to just say, in a way, I'm going to say simply, and I'm lucky. " And now he laughed quietly as he said, " I've never said this to you before, but I owe you for the way of life I have now; for my home, because I do look upon this as my home; my education; and all because of you who wanted to cuss and swear like me. " He smiled now up at Willie, but Willie's face was straight. And what he said next proved that he hadn't really been listening to the latter part of the conversation, for his mind was still brooding on the answer Sammy had given him with regard to his chances with Daisy, for he said, " I'm just going to keep on. And I know one thing; Mam will accept her now. She looks different. It'll work. " He nodded twice towards Sammy, then turned and walked quickly from the room.

And Sammy, looking towards the door, repeated, " Mam will accept her now.

She looks different. " And it was as if a voice from the side of him said, Like hell she will! It was his father's voice. And strangely, he heard

himself reply to it, You don't think she will? And the answer he got was, Mrs. Bailey is not Mr. Bailey, and there's no- one to fight Daisy's case like Mr. Bill fought yours. Anyway, Daisy will decide. Yes, Daisy would decide.

z8i

Mark had finished his exams in June, but he wasn't to know the results until the middle of August. What he did know was that if he got three Bs, he would be able to take up the place offered him in the London Hospital Medical School, where Roland Featherstone would be about to start on his second year.

And Fiona had not known how, in the meantime, she was going to put up with this newfound son of hers.

But time had passed, and tomorrow he'd be gone to start his new life in London. He had been fortunate enough to find a room in the same house as Roland Featherstone, and for the first time in what seemed years Fiona was seeing her son again.

They were all at dinner, the last dinner before the family was to break up and, as Nell had just put it, the first fledge ling was to fly the nest.

This had brought no retort from Mark but Willie once again put his foot in it by commenting, "To start his first year chopping up rats."

Fiona watched the look that she had hated, and which she could only describe as disdain, appear again on her son's face, as he snapped back at his

brother.

"Don't be so stupid, showing your ignorance."

And Willie, about to retort again in his usual way, picked up a warning look from Nell who was sitting opposite him. And after a moment, he said, "Well, that's what I understand. Ralph Conway's brother is in his second year, and Ralph says he will stop dissecting rats now and go on to something bigger, such as..."

"Enough, you!" put in Bill, harshly.

"I'm eating, or trying to anyway." And he picked up his wine glass and said,

"Let's drink to the future surgeon." And when he got to his feet, the others followed, with the exception of Mark, who remained seated looking down

towards his plate.

"To the future surgeon."

When they were again all seated and there followed a moment of silence, Mark broke it by looking towards Bill and saying quietly, "Thanks, Dad, for all you've done for me, and are going to do. I do appreciate it." Then, before Bill could answer. Mark turned to his mother and said, "I've ... I've been a bit of a pain in the neck, haven't I, lately?" And immediately two laughing voices, almost simultaneously, shouted out, "You've said it, boy! You've said it!"

Katie and Willie pushed at each other and a ripple of laughter went round the table, which brought from Mark a forced smile as he said, "Oh, I know you two will be glad to see the back of me. I only hope I'm given the chance to operate on you one of these days." There was loud laughter, and the tension at the table was broken.

"Right!" Bill's voice was a bellow now.

"Let's away into the drawing-room, Katie has raked out some old ragtime piano pieces and Willie's going to perform on his whistle " Won't you come home, Bill Bailey? " Remember that, Mrs. B, when a certain lady got on the phone and sang that to me? The best thing you ever did in your life."

Fiona put her hands to her head.

"Oh, that man's ego! For goodness sake get yourself into the drawing-room and let us clear up."

"You're not doing any clearing up tonight," her mother put in.

"I'll help Nell."

"No, you won't! We'll all clear it," called Bill.

"Come on! Pick up your dishes and take them into the kitchen, all of you."

And at this he picked up his pudding plate and a wine glass and marched out from the room, singing, "Won't you come home, Bill Bailey?"

Katie and Willie and, almost immediately. Mark joined him.

When later, they all stood round the piano singing one old tune after