Tuppence to Tooley Street (8 page)

‘Don’t worry, Danny boy, Johnny Ross can look after’imself. ’E don’t scare me.’

Danny Sutton raised his glass. ‘’Ere’s to yer, Johnny. I ’ope yer stay ’ealfy.’

Johnny clinked his glass against Danny’s. ‘Nice ter see yer’ome in one piece. Now yer gotta start earnin’ some shekels. First of all though, yer gotta get fixed up wiv a bird. Yer don’t wanna start mopin’ about, do yer?’

Danny grinned and looked back into the crowded bar. Johnny puffed hard. ‘’Ere, ’old up! You ain’t finkin’ o’ takin’ up wiv that Kathy again, are yer? I’d leave well alone. She’s got a villain on tow, an’ as it ’appens them two are comin’ ter the party. We don’t want claret all over Tony’s carpet, ’e would get the needle.’

‘Don’t yer worry, Johnny. I’m finished wiv fightin’, an’ I’ve got me discharge book ter prove it.’

It was almost closing time when Kathy walked into the small bar. Her cotton dress hugged her figure and Danny noticed how her large brown eyes seemed to sparkle as she gave him a smile. ‘’Ow are yer, Danny? Connie told me you was ’ome.’

‘I’m fine, an’ you?’

‘I’m okay.’

Danny shuffled uncomfortably. ‘Johnny tells me yer might be goin’ ter Tony’s party.’

‘Yes, I’m just off ter powder me nose,’ Kathy laughed.

‘I’ll see yer there then. We can ’ave a chat,’ Danny said, catching Johnny’s dark look.

Kathy began to look uncomfortable. ‘Matter o’ fact I’m wiv somebody,’ she said.

‘That’s okay,’ Danny said with a shrug of his shoulders. ‘We can still say ’ello, can’t we?’

‘Course we can,’ Kathy said as she walked off to the ladies’ room.

The loud voice of the barman calling time spurred Johnny into action. ‘C’mon, me ole son. Give us an ’and wiv the crate.’

Danny reached into his pocket and Johnny stopped him. ‘There’s nuffink ter pay. The guv’nor owes me. I done ’im a favour last week. ’E’s gettin’ off lightly.’

The crate containing a dozen bottles of light ale was passed over the counter, and they each took hold of a handle. ‘C’mon, Danny, let’s get roun’ there, it’s only in the next turnin’,’ Johnny said, winking at Elsie as he walked to the door.

Outside the night was dark, with a waxing moon peering out from heavy cloud. Johnny limped along on his bad ankle and Danny too found himself limping.

Johnny started giggling. ‘You know what, if the birds could see us two now, we’d ’ave as much chance of pullin’ ’em as Biff Bowden’s dog’s got of winnin’ the Grey’ound Derby.’

‘I wouldn’t worry,’ Danny laughed, ‘yer don’t ’ave ter do it standin’ up.’

‘Don’t you be so sure,’ Johnny countered. ‘Elsie likes it standin’ up!’

Three stone steps led up to Tony Allen’s house in Dock Street. The front door was ajar. It looked impressive with its varnished surface and brass knocker. Once inside the two men put the crate down in the hallway, and Danny looked around. ‘Christ! It makes a change ter see an ’ouse wiv electric light,’ he said, standing on one leg and flexing the other.

Tony had already heard them and he came out into the hallway and nodded to Johnny. ‘Is this Danny?’ he said, holding out his hand. ‘Johnny told me about yer bein’ at Dunkirk. Must’ave bin ’ell. You just enjoy yerself, son. ’Elp yerselves ter drinks.’

‘Let’s go an’ chat up the birds, Danny, before Elsie gets’ere,’ Johnny grinned.

In the large room there was a piano at one end, and there were gilt-framed pictures of mountains and lakes around the walls. Easy chairs were spread about the room. The red carpet was thick underfoot, and heavy velvet curtains kept the light in. A Japanese fire screen hid the hearth, and up on the high mantelshelf there were iron statues of rearing horses. The centrepiece was of gilt, and it caught Danny’s eye–nude figures were draped in various poses around the clock-face, and the whole piece was mounted on a marble plinth. Johnny noticed that his pal was staring at the ornament. ‘Yer don’t get somefink like that on Cheap Jack’s stall, do yer?’

‘All this mus’ be werf a fortune,’ Danny remarked, his eyes moving around the room.

‘Yeah, Tony’s got a lot o’ contacts apart from ’is bookie’s business,’ Johnny informed him. ‘In fact, ’e’s gonna put a bit o’ business my way later. I’ll tell yer about it termorrer–we can’t talk ’ere.’

The room was getting full and the piano player began to tinkle away on the keyboard. People started singing and the drinks flowed. Elsie flounced in looking hot and bothered in her fur stole. She came over to Johnny and kissed him on the mouth. Soon after, Kathy came into the room escorted by Jack Mason. The two looked serious-faced, though Kathy relaxed slightly when Tony Allen went up to them. Danny sat in one corner of the room, his drink held in his hand. Johnny was joking with Elsie and occasionally he slid his hand over her behind as Elsie snuggled up to him. And when the piano player started playing a waltz she dragged Johnny into the centre of the room and almost smothered him in her ample bosom as she danced around dreamily. Danny watched the pair gyrating, and then his eyes turned to Kathy again. She was over in the far corner of the room, looking stern as she sat cross-legged in an armchair. Her escort seemed to be ignoring her as he talked animatedly with Tony and two other men. Danny tried to catch her eyes but she appeared to be avoiding his stare. A few more couples got up to dance and someone pulled Kathy into the centre of the large room. She waltzed around, looking bored with the whole procedure, while her partner acted as if he were taking part in a dancing contest. A middle-aged lady asked Danny if he would care to dance, but with a brief smile he told her that he had a stiff leg, and immediately he regretted having said it. The lady showed concern and started to explain her own medical history, but then someone grabbed her and whisked her off into the dancing group. Danny got up and refilled his glass. As he walked back to his chair Kathy and her partner glass. As he walked back to his chair Kathy and her partner danced near to him. Kathy’s eyes met his, and she raised hers to the ceiling in anguish as her feet were stamped on yet again.

Danny sipped his drink and looked around; everyone seemed to be with someone. Two girls who had walked into the party unescorted were now chatting happily with a group of young men. Danny began to wish he had stopped at home. The piano player broke off to get a drink and Kathy resumed her place in the armchair. Jack Mason looked around briefly and then carried on talking with Tony Allen.

Another ten minutes and they can stuff this party, Danny thought as he finished his drink.

‘What’s wrong wiv yer leg then, luv?’ somebody asked him.

Danny looked around to see a large lady leaning over his shoulder. Her face was flushed and he could smell strong perfume and see the sweat lines running down her heavily powdered face. She was grinning, with her thick-painted lips parted to show large teeth.

‘Somebody put a bullet frew it,’ Danny said sharply.

‘Good Gawd! You a soldier?’ she asked.

‘I was till I got this,’ Danny replied.

‘Why, you don’t look old enough ter be a soldier, does ’e Muriel?’

‘No,’ Muriel said, without taking her eyes off the bald-headed suitor by her side.

The big lady tut-tutted and lost interest in Danny’s wounded leg. She returned to Muriel’s crowd, to Danny’s relief.

Over in the far corner Kathy was shaking her head at Jack Mason and she looked distressed. Jack gesticulated with a wave of his arm and turned his back on her and Kathy suddenly got up and made for the door. Danny watched as she took her coat down from the clothes-rack, said something to the woman who had been serving the drinks, then quickly left. Danny stood up and with a quick glance in Jack Mason’s direction he put his glass down on the sideboard and walked casually towards the door. Danny walked out into the hallway and let himself out into the street. It was too dark to see far but he could hear Kathy’s footsteps up ahead. Quickening his pace he got closer. Kathy’s high-heeled shoes clicked faster on the pavement and Danny called out, ‘Kathy! It’s me! Danny!’

Kathy continued walking. ‘Leave me alone, Danny! I’m goin’ ’ome!’ she called out.

‘Wait, Kathy! I can’t walk fast! I wanna talk wiv yer!’

The footsteps halted and when Danny reached her he was panting. He saw the tears falling down her cheeks and her eyes shining in the darkness.

‘Let me walk yer ’ome at least,’ he pleaded.

Kathy dabbed at her eyes with a small handkerchief and smiled through her tears. ‘It looks like you need somebody ter see
you
’ome,’ she said.

Danny put his hands into his trouser pockets and fell in beside her. ‘I’ll be okay in a minute. It was stuffy in that party, I wasn’t enjoyin’ it one little bit.’

‘Nor was I,’ Kathy said.

‘I could see that. Is Jack Mason your steady bloke?’

‘Do you mind if we don’t talk about Jack Mason?’ Kathy said sharply.

‘All right, let’s talk about me then,’ Danny grinned. ‘Let’s see, I’m a war ’ero, an’ I’m off ter see the King next week ter get me Victoria Cross! King George’ll say: “‘Ow did yer manage ter be so brave?” an’ I’ll say: “It was nuffink, Your Majesty, we’re all the same in Bermon’sey”.’

Kathy laughed aloud and took his arm. ‘Was it really bad in Dunkirk? I’m sorry, it must ’ave bin terrible. What I meant was, was it bad fer you? Gettin’ ’urt like yer did.’

Danny pulled up his coat collar against the cool breeze and shrugged his shoulders. ‘Tell yer the trufe, Kathy, I was out cold when I got pulled out o’ the water. I don’t remember anyfing till I woke up in the ’ospital. I found out later that some feller ’eld on ter me, even though ’e couldn’t swim a stroke’imself. ’E supported the pair of us by clingin’ on to an upturned boat. If anybody deserves a medal ’e does, I wouldn’t be ’ere if it wasn’t fer ’im.’

The two reached the end of Dock Street and turned into Dockhead. Although the night was dark, the half-hidden moon seemed to bathe the streets in a faint light. They approached Shad Thames, a narrow turning where wharves and warehouses loomed high and sombre. Danny chuckled, and Kathy pulled on his arm. ‘What’s wrong?’

‘Jus’ somefing I thought of,’ Danny said, still chuckling.

‘C’mon then, let us in on the joke.’

‘All right,’ Danny said, leaning his head in her direction, ‘when the lads used ter pull the birds–sorry, girls–they used ter say to ’em, “’Ow would yer like ter see Butler’s new crane?” They’d tell ’em all about ’ow big an’ tall it was, an’ they’d take ’em down ter Butler’s Wharf in Shad Thames.’

‘I see,’ Kathy grinned, shaking her head in mock disgust. ‘All those dark alleyways an’ dark doorways, I see. An’ I s’pose you took quite a few girls down there?’

‘Not many,’ Danny smiled.

‘Were they disappointed they never got to see the new crane?’

‘You’ll ’ave ter ask them,’ Danny said with a shrug of his shoulders.

Kathy was quiet for a second or two, then she pulled on his arm again. ‘I s’pose you was finkin’ about askin’ me ter come down an’ see the crane?’

Danny put on his innocent look. ‘No. But it is a short-cut that way.’

The two veered off and walked down the deserted Shad Thames. High wharves towered above them as they walked the cobbled lane. Various smells hung in the night air–the aroma of spices and the eye-watering tang of pepper mingled with other more obscure odours. Shad Thames was full of pungent, exotic wares, and the loneliness of the place made them shiver. Kathy clung tightly onto Danny and he could feel her body pressing onto his arm. He looked at her and in the half-light could just make out her dark hair, pale complexion, and her full lips, and he shivered.

Half-way along the lane Danny stopped, took his hands from his pockets and turned to face Kathy. Without saying a word he moved in close to her and clasped her shoulders. She did not resist as he pulled her to him and kissed her on the lips. Her mouth opened beneath his as the kiss became more urgent. For some time they stayed locked in an embrace, then when they moved apart Danny took her hand and led her the few paces into a doorway.

The night was silent and they could hear their own heartbeats. Kathy put both arms around his neck and Danny could feel her slim body against his chest, and her thighs touching his. His hands sought her, opening her coat, and moved gently over her soft, smooth breasts. He bent to kiss her neck, and Kathy shuddered, her head held back as his lips moved over her throat. She could no longer think clearly, there was only the urge to meet his caresses and feel his passion. She needed him to love her more than anything in the world.

Together they drew back into the deepest shadows of the doorway, and their breathing became a rhythmic panting.

‘Love me, Danny! Please!’ she whispered harshly in his ear.

 

For a while neither of them spoke. Then finally Kathy moved away from his embrace. She buttoned up her coat and took his arm. ‘I’ve wanted you to do that ever since that Saturday night before you went away, Danny,’ she said.

The young man looked at the girl who stood with him in the dark recess and his face relaxed into a smile. ‘You don’t know ’ow many times I thought about that night since I left,’ he said quietly.

They started walking again, their footsteps echoing along the silent and deserted lane. They were silent as they turned from Shad Thames into a side road and continued on past the huge brewery. The smell of hops hung in the air, and as they came out once again into Tooley Street rain started to fall. Each was thinking about the suddenness and the fantasy of the experience they had shared only a few minutes ago. Danny could not get the picture of Jack Mason out of his head, it hung like a dark cloud over him, and he was tortured by a feeling of possessiveness. Yet he knew that Kathy was not about to become his; he could sense her inner conflict as she walked beside him to the corner of Clink Lane. She held his arm tightly, but at the same time she had become distant and rigid.

Kathy stopped a few doors away from her own house. ‘We’d better say goodnight ’ere. I don’t want ter let me dad know I’ve bin out this late.’