The Songbird (38 page)

Mattie and Nan both beamed at him. ‘So you'll be staying?' Mattie asked, and when he nodded, she said, ‘Good! Listen, Tommy. We've a lot to tell you and I've got a plan, but Ma and me have to go to work now. Will you stay here till we get back? There's enough wood to keep 'fire going.'

‘A plan? What sort of plan?' He almost grinned but he was so weary.

‘To get rid of Lena and Albert. I think they've been fiddling your da!'

‘You've no proof,' Nan protested.

‘I will have,' Mattie said in a determined voice. ‘I'm halfway to finding them out, but I need some help.'

This time he did grin. ‘I'll be glad to give it.' Then he frowned. ‘Nan, do you think Pa will want me back? I know he said I could always come back, but will he be mad at me?'

‘I don't work at Mazzini's now,' she explained. ‘Lena made sure of that. But your pa will be glad to see you home.' She heaved a breath and smiled. ‘And so will Poppy.'

As they were about to go out, Nan bit her lips together anxiously and said, ‘There's ‘remains of a loaf if you're hungry, Tommy. I'm sorry I can't offer you more, but—'

‘You've no money? Pass my jacket, Mattie.' Tommy half stood, clinging to his blanket. ‘I've plenty of cash. Haven't spent anything for weeks.'

‘We can't take your money!' Nan was aghast.

‘I wasn't suggesting you should.' Tommy dug into his coat pocket. ‘But you can buy a pie and peas from 'King's Head and bring it back with you when you come home. Enough for three,' he said, handing several coins to Mattie, who took them without a word. ‘Then we can talk as we eat.'

Mattie exhaled a breath. ‘Tommy, I could kiss you!'

‘Well, you can if you like.' His voice was husky. ‘I can't tell you how I've missed everybody.'

Nan gave him a hug. ‘We've missed you too, Tommy. Welcome home.'

Mattie stood in front of him. ‘I'm not sure if I should kiss a man with no clothes on,' she joked, but she put her face up to receive his kiss. Then she awkwardly patted his bare arm. ‘I'm glad you're back,' she murmured and looked away.

As they went out of the door, she glanced back at him. He looked more relaxed now and had leaned his head against the back of the chair. ‘What did you do, Tommy? On board ship, I mean? Did you have to scrub decks or what?'

He turned towards her, a sheepish grin on his face. ‘Promise you won't tell anybody?' At her nod, he admitted, ‘I was 'ship's cook. Can you believe that? My life's ambition to go to sea, and the onny job they'd give me was as a cook!'

When they came home later that evening with a large meat pie and a dish of peas, he was fast asleep across the bed, and no matter how they tried to wake him he didn't stir.

‘We'll have our supper, Mattie, and then try again,' Nan said. Mattie agreed. She'd carried the pie home and the smell of it reminded her that she was famished; they hadn't had a proper meal since her mother had finished at Mazzini's. The wages they earned at the inn went towards their rent, first and foremost. They ate half of the pie and most of the peas and then tried again to waken Tommy. But he was dead to the world and finally they pulled him to one end of the bed and got into the other.

Mattie had a fit of the giggles, which she transmitted to her mother who laughed as she hadn't laughed in a long time. ‘I'll tell him in 'morning that he's got to marry me, Ma,' Mattie stuttered. ‘That my ma was witness to him being in 'same bed as me!'

Nan quivered with laughter. ‘Well, he'll have to marry both of us,' she gurgled. ‘For I was a respectable widow woman and now he's undone me by sharing
my
bed as well!'

They laughed so much that the bed shook and Tommy murmured something and turned over, but the next morning they were both up before him. He lay with one hand tucked beneath his cheek as he slept. Mattie looked down at him for a moment. She'd felt his feet next to hers during the night and she had hardly slept afterwards as she'd tried to keep her own tucked under her. She gently touched his bare shoulder. ‘Tommy!' she said softly. ‘Cup of tea whilst it's hot?'

There weren't enough tea leaves left to make another pot and she had to have a drink before going on the hunt for work. Her mother had already gone out to the wash-house.

Tommy sat up and stared at her. He ran his tongue over his dry lips. ‘Mattie?' He glanced round the small dark room. ‘Am I at your house? Yes, of course I am!' He ran his fingers through his hair. ‘I couldn't think where I was for a minute.'

Mattie handed him the cup of weak tea. ‘We couldn't wake you last night,' she said. ‘You were so hard asleep.'

‘I've not slept properly in weeks,' he said, gulping the hot tea. ‘Couldn't sleep on board ship, and then when I got back to Hull . . .'

‘So where did you stay?' She sat on the edge of the bed. ‘Before you came to us, I mean?'

‘I slipped back on board, day before yesterday. I'd been back home and looked through 'shop window a couple of times. Nobody noticed me – I had my hat over my eyes – but each time I onny saw Lena and Albert. Then yesterday I was found on board so I was turfed off. I hung round 'dock for a bit, but then it started to rain so I came here. I thought Nan would know what was happening at home. But there was no-one here either. I was beginning to get desperate, wondering where everybody was!'

‘Poppy had some theatre tickets given her,' Mattie told him. ‘And your pa couldn't go on account of him being poorly. That's what she said, anyway. But I think she was giving ma and me a treat.'

‘What did you mean last night when you said about Poppy coming back? Where's she been?'

‘It's a long story.' She turned her eyes away from his bare chest. ‘How long have you got?'

‘As long as it takes to tell.' He seemed suddenly aware that he was in somebody else's bed. ‘Mattie? Where did you and Nan sleep last night?' he asked awkwardly. ‘Am I in your bed?'

She raised her eyebrows. She couldn't joke about his having to marry her as she'd told her mother she was going to do. Not now, not when he was half naked in the same room as she was. ‘Ma and me don't take up much room,' she murmured. ‘We slept fine. I want to ask you something,' she added quickly to cover her confusion. ‘Are you willing to stay a bit longer? It's just that – well, I'll tell you about Poppy first.' She put aside her plans to go out hunting for work. This was more important. ‘Then I'll tell you about Lena. Albert told your father that she was giving up 'house where she and Albert used to live. Well, I bet she hasn't and I've got my spies out to find out her address.'

He put down the empty cup and folded his arms across his chest. ‘What good will that do? What if she does still have 'house? There's no law against it!'

She blinked, and then licked her lips. The sight of him made her uneasy. She had kept her feelings for Tommy to herself for such a long time, and now she was in danger of revealing them.

‘Look,' she croaked. ‘I'm just going to step outside so you can get dressed. Then I'll tell you.' She gave a false laugh. ‘I wouldn't want anybody to call and catch you without your clothes on!'

‘You're right.' He too laughed nervously. ‘Wouldn't do anything for your reputation!'

‘Haven't got one,' she quipped as she went to the door.

‘But what about Lena's house?' he asked, his hand on the blanket ready to throw it aside.

She turned away. ‘I think it's a thieves' kitchen.'

Mattie told Tommy all that had happened whilst he had been away, from Poppy's entering the competition in Hull to her signing a contract with an agent and going to London and Brighton. ‘She's home now and starting in pantomime on Saturday at 'Grand Theatre.'

‘Gosh. So – you mean – that Pa's been on his own with them two? Lena and Albert?' He was astonished.

She nodded. ‘Now Lena's got rid of my ma. She's been trying to for weeks and finally Ma cracked up. Said she couldn't stop any longer. And poor Poppy has been thinking that she'll have to give up her career to help your pa.' She looked at him anxiously, her brows knitting together. ‘I hope she doesn't have to, because she's just wonderful, Tommy. You should see her; she's such a star! Will be, at least, if she gets 'chance.'

She told him then what she had heard about Lena from Mrs Thomas, who was convinced that Albert had been stealing from the medication cupboard and that Lena was fiddling the cash box. ‘Mrs Thomas said that whenever she paid her for groceries, Lena would give her 'change from out of her apron pocket, and that she didn't always open 'cash box drawer unless your father was there. But 'final straw was when 'bread wasn't properly baked and she took it back and Lena said it was her own fault for cutting it when it was still hot.

‘Lena's been buying cheap meat as well,' she added. ‘That's what Ma says, anyway. And I bet she's been pocketing 'difference.'

‘Well, I'm back now,' Tommy asserted. ‘I'll sort them out.'

‘But we need to find out what they've been up to!' Mattie said urgently. ‘They're not going to get off scot free. Not after 'way she's treated my ma!'

‘My, what claws!' Tommy said admiringly. ‘Where's that flippant lass I once knew?'

Mattie gazed steadily at him for a moment. ‘You never knew her, Tommy. Nobody does. Now.' She swiftly changed the subject, but still his eyes watched her. ‘Listen to this. I'm waiting for Mrs Thomas to find out where Lena was living before she went to Mazzini's. If she's still paying rent on it, it means she's using it for something else,' she explained.

‘Not necessarily,' he said, surprising himself by arguing Lena's side. ‘Perhaps she's hanging on to it in case Pa asks her to leave.'

‘No, not her,' Mattie said vehemently. ‘Albert told your pa they were giving it up. She's up to something, I know she is. Will you stay, Tommy, until I find out? I mean, I don't want to upset Poppy when she's rehearsing, and I don't want to trouble your pa when he's not been well, so 'timing has to be right.'

‘How long?' Tommy was keen to get home, but then he thought that as Lena was using his room it would be better to have some ammunition to get her out. ‘Where's Albert staying?' he asked. ‘Is he at our house?'

‘Seemingly he's sleeping in 'kitchen cos Poppy insisted he couldn't have her room. Ma says it was kept locked.'

Tommy nodded thoughtfully. What a fiasco, and all because he wanted to go to sea. Now he couldn't wait to go home. ‘Then what?' he asked. ‘What if you do find out her address?'

She looked at him in surprise. ‘Why, what do you think? We go in and have a look round!'

Tommy wasn't very keen on the idea of breaking into someone else's house, but Mattie did her best to persuade him. ‘It isn't as if we were stealing anything,' she wheedled. ‘We're only looking. We might not even have to go in. We can mebbe just look through 'window. But,' she added cautiously, ‘don't mention it to Ma, will you? She'll be dead set against it!'

But Mrs Thomas couldn't at first find out the address and it was Tuesday morning before she came knocking on their door. Nan was out at the wash-house and Mattie had gone job-hunting. Tommy peeked out of the window and on seeing Mrs Thomas he opened the door a crack.

‘Tommy! Whatever are you doing here?' she exclaimed. ‘Why aren't you at home?' She gazed narrowly at him. ‘You're not on 'run from 'authorities, are you?'

He opened the door to let her in. ‘No!' he said. ‘I should be at home, but Pa doesn't know I'm back yet. Mattie's got some crackpot idea about Lena Rogers and Albert.'

‘They're ruining your father,' Mrs Thomas said. ‘I've never seen a man so run down. But Mattie's right. We should find out what they're up to!' Mrs Thomas's eyes gleamed and Tommy reckoned she was enjoying the scheming. ‘If you go home now, they'll be cautious. They think they can get away with owt while your pa's on his own and under 'weather!'

‘But Poppy's there,' he argued. ‘They'll not get up to anything when she's around.'

‘I don't think she's in much. I've seen her trotting off to 'theatre most days. She's rehearsing for panto, I think. Anyway, tell Mattie I know where they live.'

The house in question was in Dagger Lane, the area near the Holy Trinity Church in the centre of the old town, and as soon as Nan and Mattie had gone off to work that evening Tommy pulled his hat over his forehead, hiding his sandy hair, pulled up his coat collar and went off to look for the address. It was a dark and gloomy area but he found the place, an unlit downstairs room, and he leaned despondently against a wall across from it. A light drizzle was falling and he thought that he was doomed for ever to get wet. He waited a few minutes and was about to walk towards the house when he heard the sound of footsteps coming down the narrow lane.

He pulled back into a corner, and saw Albert walking towards the door of the house with a large bag in his hand. Tommy waited a moment longer for Albert to go inside, and then slipped across the lane. There was torn newspaper hanging down inside the window and he repressed the urge to wipe the grimy glass in order to get a better look. Then a candle flame flickered and Tommy took in a sharp breath as he saw Albert take out the contents of the bag.

He arrived back at the house in Stewart's Yard before Nan and Mattie came home from work and sat brooding by the fire. He had given Mattie some money and she'd bought a bag of coal. Nan had refused it but he'd insisted, telling them he was cold, and finally Mattie had agreed to take it to buy coal and food.

‘You ought go home,' Nan had told him, but Mattie had said no, another few days wouldn't matter and they must get the business of Lena and Albert settled. Now, as he sat gazing into the flames, he conceded that Mattie was right. If he confronted Lena and Albert and accused them of stealing the goods which he had seen stacked in boxes and cartons against the walls of the room in Dagger Lane, they would just pack up and disappear out of town.