Tipping the Velvet (6 page)

thought of Kitty weeping brought the tears to my own eyes; since performing made her garrulous - she would talk to and seeing me so affected, she'd give a smile, and a wink, me, and I would listen, hard. And so I learned a little of her and a stretch, and say in her best swell accent: 'But those history.

days are all behind me now, don't you know, and I am on the path to fame and fortune. Since I changed my name and 43

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became a masher the whole world loves me; and Tricky my parents thought her generous, allowing me my freedom Reeves loves me most of all, and pays me like a prince, to at her own expense. The truth was, I think, that she was prove it!' And then we would smile together, because we squeamish of mentioning Kitty now - and by that alone I both knew that if she really were a masher Tricky's wages knew that it was she, more than any of them, who was would barely keep her in champagne; but my smile would uneasy. I had said nothing more to her about my passion. I be a little troubled for I knew, too, that her contract was due had said nothing of my new, strange, hot desire to anyone.

to expire at the end of August, and then she would have to But she saw me, of course, as I lay in my bed; and, as move to another theatre - to Margate, perhaps, she said, or anyone will tell you who has been secretly in love, it is in Broadstairs, if they would have her. I couldn't bear to think bed that you do your dreaming - in bed, in the darkness, what I would do when she was gone.

where you cannot see your own cheeks pink, that you ease What my family made of my trips backstage, my back the mantle of restraint that keeps your passion dimmed marvellous new status as Miss Butler's pal and unofficial throughout the day, and let it glow a little.

dresser, I am not sure. They were, as I have said, impressed; How Kitty would have blushed, to know the part she played but they were also troubled. It was reassuring for them that in my fierce dreamings - to know how shamelessly I took it was a real friendship, and not just a schoolgirl mash, that my memories of her, and turned them to my own improper had me travelling so often to the Palace, and spending all advantage! Each night at the Palace she kissed me farewell; my savings on the train fare; and yet, I thought I heard them in my dreams her lips stayed at my cheek - were hot, were ask themselves, what manner of friendship could there be tender -moved to my brow, my ear, my throat, my mouth ..

between a handsome, clever music-hall artiste, and the girl I was used to standing close to her, to fasten her collar-in the crowd that admired her? When I said that Kitty had studs or brush her lapels; now, in my reveries, I did what I no young man (for I had found this out, early on, amongst longed to do then - I leaned to place my lips upon the edges the pieces of her history) Davy said that I should bring her of her hair; I slid my hands beneath her coat, to where her home, and introduce her to my handsome brother - though breasts pressed warm against her stiff gent's shirt and rose he only said it when Rhoda was near, to tease her. When I to meet my strokings .. .

spoke of brewing her pans of tea and tidying her table, And all this - which left me thick with bafflement and Mother narrowed her eyes: 'She's doing all right out of you pleasure - with my sister at my side! All this with Alice's by the sound of it. It's a little more help with the tea and the breath upon my cheek, or her hot limbs pressed against tables we could do with, from you, home here . . .'

mine; or with her eyes shining cold and dull, with starlight It was true, I suppose, that I rather neglected my duties in and suspicion.

the house for the sake of my trips to the Palace. They fell to But she said nothing; she asked me nothing; and to the rest my sister, though she rarely complained about it. I believe of the family, at least, my continuing friendship with Kitty 45

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became in time a source not of wonder, but of pride. 'Have silly and a bore. 'Oh, how nice it would be,' she continued, you been to the Palace at Canterbury?' I would hear Father

'to sit in a proper parlour again, with a proper family - not say to customers as he took their plates. 'Our youngest girl just a room with a bed in it, and a dirty rug, and a bit of is very thick with Kitty Butler, the star of the show ..." By newspaper on the table for a cloth! And how nice to see the end of August, when the oyster season had started again where you live and work; and to catch your train; and to and we were back in the shop full-time, they began to press meet the people that love you, and have you with them all me to bring Kitty home with me, that they might meet her day . . .'

for themselves.

It made me fidget and swallow to hear her talk like this, all

'You are always saying as how she is your pal,' said Father unself-consciously, of how she liked me; tonight, however, one morning at breakfast. 'And besides - what a crime it I had no time even to blush: for as she spoke there came a would be for her to come so near to Whitstable, and never knock at her door - a sharp, cheerful, authoritative knock taste a proper oyster-tea. You bring her over here, before that made her blink and stiffen, and look up in surprise.

she goes.' The idea of asking Kitty to sup with my family I, too, gave a start. In all the evenings I had spent with her, seemed a horrible one; and because my father spoke so she had had no visitors but the call-boy - who came to tell carelessly about the fact that she would soon have left for a her when she was wanted in the wing - and Tony, who new hall, I made him a stinging reply. A little later Mother sometimes put his head around the door to wish us both took me aside. Was my father's house not good enough for good-night. She had no beau, as I have said; she had no Miss Butler, she said, that I couldn't invite her here? Was I other 'fans' - no friends at all, it seemed, but me; and I had ashamed of my parents, and my parents' trade? Her words always been rather glad of it. Now I watched her step to the made me gloomy; I was quiet and sad with Kitty that night, door, and bit my lip. I should like to say I felt a thrill of and when after the show she asked me why, I bit my lip.

foreboding, but I did not. I only felt piqued, that our time

'My parents want me to ask you over,' I said, 'for tea alone together - which I thought little enough! - should be tomorrow. You don't have to come, and I can say you're made shorter.

busy or sick. But I promised them I'd ask you; and now,' I The visitor was a gentleman: a stranger, evidently, to Kitty, finished miserably, 'I have.'

for she greeted him politely, but quite cautiously. He had a She took my hand. 'But Nan,' she said in wonder, 'I should silk I hat on his head which - seeing her, and then me love to come! You know how dull it is for me in lurking in the little room behind her - he removed, and held Canterbury, with no one but Mrs Pugh, and Sandy, to talk to his bosom. 'Miss Butler, I believe,' he said; and when she to!' Mrs Pugh was the landlady of Kitty's rooming-house; nodded, he gave a bow: 'Walter Bliss, ma'am. Your Sandy was the boy who shared her landing: he played in the servant.' His voice was deep and pleasant and clear, like band at the Palace, but drank, she said, and was sometimes Tricky's. As he spoke he produced a card from his pocket 47

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and held it out. In the second or so it took Kitty to gaze at it and a great and and walked like a girl, with her plait and give a little 'Oh!' of surprise, I studied him. He was fastened to the back of her head and a parasol over her arm, very tall, even without his hat, and was dressed rather I felt a little pang of disappointment. This swiftly turned, fashionably in chequered trousers and a fancy waistcoat.

however - as always - to desire, and then to pride, for she Across his stomach there was a golden watch-chain as thick looked terribly smart and handsome on that dusty as the tail of a rat; and more gold, I noticed, flashed from Whitstable platform. She kissed my cheek when I went up his fingers. His head was large, his hair a dull ginger; gin-to her, and took my arm, and let me lead her from the gerish, too — and somehow at once both impressive and station to our house, across the sea-front. She said, 'Well!

rather comical - were the whiskers that swept from his top And this is where you were born, and grew up?'

lip to his ears, and his eyebrows, and the hair in his nose.

'Oh yes! Look there: that building, beside the church, is our His skin was as clear and shiny as a boy's. His eyes were old school. Over there - see that house with the bicycle by blue.

the gate? - that's where my cousins live. Here, look, on this When Kitty returned his card to him, he asked if he might step, I once fell down and cut my chin, and my sister held speak with her a moment, and at once she stood aside to let her handkerchief to it, the whole way home ..." So I talked him pass. With him in it, the little room seemed very full and pointed, and Kitty nodded, biting her lip. 'How lucky and hot. I rose, reluctantly, and put on my gloves and my you are!' she said at last; and as she said it, she seemed to hat, and said that I should go; and then Kitty introduced me sigh.

- 'My friend, Miss Astley,' she called me, which made me I had feared that the afternoon would be dismal and hard, in feel a little gayer - and Mr Bliss shook my hand.

fact, it was merry. Kitty shook hands with everyone, and Tell your Mother,' said Kitty as she showed me to the door, had a word for them all, such as, 'You must be Davy, who

'that I shall come tomorrow, any time she likes.'

works in the smack', and 'You must be Alice, who Nancy

'Come at four,' I said.

talks about so often, and is so proud of. Now I can see why'

'Four it is, then!' She briefly took my hand again, and kissed

- which made Alice blush, and look to the floor in my cheek.

confusion.

Over her shoulder I saw the flashy gentleman fingering his With my father she was kind. 'Well, well, Miss Butler,' he whiskers, but with his eyes turned, politely, away from us.

said when he took her hand, nodding at her skirts, 'this is I can hardly say what a curious mix of feelings mine were, rather a change, ain't it, from your usual gear?' She smiled the Sunday afternoon when Kitty came to call on us in and said it was; and when he added, with a wink, 'And Whitstable. She was more to me than all the world; that she something of an improvement, too - if you don't mind a should be visiting me in my own home, and supping with gentleman saying so', she laughed and said that, since my family, seemed both a delight too lovely to be borne 49

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gentlemen were usually of that opinion, she was quite used room!', Kitty said that she was quite all right, Mrs Astley, to it, and did not mind a bit.

really; and I shifted a quarter of an inch to my right, but All in all she made herself so pleasant, and answered their kept my foot pressed against hers, and felt her leg, all hot, questions about herself, and the music hall, so sweetly and against my own.

cleverly, that no one - not even Alice, or spiteful Rhoda -

Father handed out the oysters, and Mother offered beer or could dislike her; and I - watching her gaze from the lempnade. Kitty picked up a shell with one hand and her windows at Whitstable Bay, or incline her head to catch a oyster-knife with the other, and brought them together story of my father's, or compliment my mother on some rather ineffectually. Father saw, and gave a shout.

ornament or picture (she admired the shawl, above the

'Ho, there, Miss Butler, where are our manners! Davy, you fireplace!) -I fell in love with her, all over again. And my take that knife and show the lady how - else she might just love was all the warmer, of course, since I had that special, job the blade into her hand, and give herself a nasty cut.'

secret knowledge about Tricky, and the contract, and the

'I can do it,' I said quickly; and I took the oyster from her, extra four months.

and the knife, before my brother could get his fingers on She had come for tea, and presently we all sat down to it -

them.

Kitty marvelling, as we did so, at the table. It was set for a

'You do it like this,' I said to her. 'You must hold the oyster real oyster-supper, with a linen cloth, and a little spirit-lamp in your palm so that the flat shell is uppermost - like this.' I with a plate of butter on it, waiting to be melted. On either held the shell to show her, and she gazed at it rather side of this there were platters of bread, and quartered gravely. Then you must take your blade and put it - not lemons, and vinegar and pepper castors - two or three of between the halves, but in the hinge, here. And then you each. Beside every plate there was a fork, a spoon, a must grasp it, and prise.' I gave the knife a gentle twist, and napkin, and the all-important oyster-knife; and in the the shell eased open. 'You must hold it steady,’ I went on, middle of the table there was the oyster-barrel itself, a white

'because the shell is full of liquor, and you mustn't spill a cloth bound about its top-most hoop, and its lid loosened by drop of it, for that's the tastiest part.' The little fish sat in my a finger's width - 'Just enough,' as my father would say, 'to palm in its bath of oyster-juice, naked and slippery. 'This let the oysters stretch a little'; but not enough to let them here,' I said, pointing with my knife, 'is called the beard; open their shells and sicken. We were rather cramped you must trim that away.' I gave the blade a flick, and the around the table, for there were eight of us in all, and we beard was severed. 'Then you must just cut your oyster free had had to bring up extra chairs from the restaurant below.

. . . And now you may eat it.' I slipped the shell carefully Kitty and I sat close, our elbows almost touching, our shoes into her hand, and felt her fingers warm and soft against my side by side beneath the table. When Mother cried, 'Do own as she cupped them to receive it. Our heads were very move along a bit, Nancy, and give Miss Butler some 51

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near. She raised the oyster to her lips and held it for a more closely at it. Is it a he? I suppose they all must be, second before her mouth, her eyes on mine, unblinking.

since they all have beards?'