Authors: Joan Jonker
Sarah’s look was tender. ‘Yer an old softie, Joe O’Hanlon, but if Sadie gets one as good as you she won’t go far wrong.’
‘I’ll tell Geoff next time I see him.’ Sadie gave the frail shoulders a gentle squeeze before returning to her chair. ‘And I’ll wait for that special Mr Right to come along. Someone like Grandad, so we can live happy ever after, like they do in fairy stories.’
‘It’s a Prince Charming yer after, is it, queen?’
‘No, Grandad, just an ordinary bloke will do me fine, as long as he loves me. That’s all I ask.’
Sadie’s heart sank when she saw the pleasure on Geoff’s face as he came to meet her. Oh dear, she wasn’t looking forward to this at all. All day she’d been rehearsing what she’d say to him, but the real thing was going to be much harder than the rehearsal. It would be best to get it over with right away, otherwise she’d be on pins all night.
‘Where d’yer want to go, Sadie?’ Geoff cupped her elbow. ‘Shall we go dancing again, or would yer rather go to the pictures?’
Sadie swallowed hard to try and get rid of the lump in her throat. ‘Can I have a word with you, Geoff, before we go anywhere?’
The tone of her voice told him that all was not well and
his
smile changed to a look of concern. ‘Why, what’s wrong?’
‘There’s nothing really wrong.’ Sadie could feel her inside shaking. ‘It’s just that I worry sometimes about us going out together so often. I don’t want yer to get serious about me because I’m too young to be courting seriously with anyone. I’m only sixteen and that’s too young to know me own mind. And while yer going out with me it’s stopping yer from meeting someone who’s ready to settle down, someone a bit older.’
‘Don’t yer like going out with me, Sadie?’ Geoff’s voice was low. ‘Is that what it is?’
‘No! I like going out with yer, Geoff,’ Sadie said honestly. ‘I always enjoy meself with yer and yer always treat me nice. But I know I’m not ready to settle down yet and I don’t think it’s fair to let yer keep on spending yer time and money on me without me telling yer how I feel.’
‘Don’t stop seein’ me, Sadie, please. I like going out with yer and I’d miss yer.’
‘But yer’d soon meet another girl, Geoff. Yer’ve got everything going for yer! Yer’ve got good looks, a smashing personality, a caring nature and a happy disposition. The girls will be falling all over yer, pushing each other out of the way to get to yer first.’ She managed a weak smile. ‘And yer can’t half dance.’
‘But I’m not the one for you, am I?’ Geoff kicked at a piece of paper that had been blown along by the wind. ‘Is there someone else, Sadie?’
Sadie shook her head. ‘I’d tell yer if there was, Geoff. I’d been out with a few boys before I met you, yer know that, but none since.’
‘Then there’s no reason why yer can’t come out with me now and again, is there?’ Geoff coaxed. ‘We can just be friends, if that’s what yer want. Or we could even be dancing partners, there’s no harm in that.’
‘Yer’d have to teach me to dance first.’ Sadie’s heart was feeling lighter now the worst was over. She wouldn’t mind going to a dance with him now and again, in fact she’d enjoy it. It would mean she had something to look
forward
to without the worry of him having the wrong ideas about her. ‘I’d like that, Geoff, as long as yer know how I feel.’
‘I’ll teach yer to dance, Sadie, and when we’re good enough we’ll go to all the big dance halls and go in for competitions.’
‘Ah, ay, Geoff, don’t be getting any big ideas. I’m not Ginger Rogers, yer know!’
‘Yer will be when I’ve finished with yer.’ The tension had lifted and Geoff smiled. ‘How about going to the dance tonight and beginning our partnership?’
‘As long as you understand how I feel, Geoff, ’cos I don’t ever want to let yer down. If you meet a girl that yer like, or if I meet a boy, then we part company the best of friends. Is that okay with you?’
Geoff nodded. ‘Purely a dancing partnership.’
Sadie smiled as she took his arm. ‘I think we’ll concentrate on me learning the slow foxtrot first, eh? And in a couple of weeks we’ll be able to show the others how it should be done.’
Sadie rubbed her arms briskly. ‘Yer were right about it being cold here, Auntie Mary. I’m freezing! I’ve got goose-pimples on top of me goose-pimples.’
‘Just wait until it gets really cold.’ Mary Ann nodded her head knowingly. ‘It’s only November now, the worst weather has yet to come. When the snow and sleet come down it gets cold enough to freeze the you-know-what off a brass monkey. It’s half-a-dozen vests yer’ll want on then, girl, and fur-lined bloomers.’
‘I’ll borrow me grandma’s fleecy-lined ones with the elasticated legs. No one will see them and they’ll keep me really warm.’
Mary Ann grinned. ‘Just remember not to bend down in them, girl, ’cos the legs will come down to yer knees and yer’ll not look so glamorous with half a yard of pink fleecy-lined bloomers showing.’
‘Warmth comes before vanity, Auntie Mary, I’m finding that out.’ Sadie looked down at the shapeless brown coat
she
was wearing. ‘I look like Granny Grunt in this thing, but I’d be lost without it. It was a blessing it came in, otherwise I’d have to wear me nice navy-blue one and I don’t want to do that, ’cos I keep that for best.’
Mary Ann was looking over Sadie’s shoulder and she jerked her head when she saw one of the young stall-holders approaching. ‘Ay out, sunshine, here comes Romeo.’
‘Good morning, Mary Ann, is it cold enough for yer?’ Tommy Seymour worked on a second-hand tool stall further down the market. He managed it alone through the week while his dad went out with a cart collecting old tools and any scrap he could get. Tommy was seventeen and had had his eye on Sadie since the day she came. He’d asked her for dates and been turned down so many times Mary Ann wondered how he had the nerve to keep coming back, but she admired his perseverance.
‘Is it me yer’ve come to see, Tommy?’ Mary Ann asked. ‘Or have yer come for yer daily refusal from Sadie?’
Tommy grinned, not in the least put out. ‘Yer a mind-reader on the quiet, Mary Ann. I think yer should make a career out of it, yer’d do well. People pay a tanner to have their fortunes told, did yer know that?’
‘I’m sure you wouldn’t pay me a tanner just to tell yer what Sadie’s answer will be, would yer, Smart Alec?’
‘Auntie Mary!’ Sadie blushed. She didn’t like to see anyone made a fool of, especially when she was involved. ‘Leave the lad alone, yer embarrassing him.’
Tommy threw his head back and roared with laughter. He was a tall, lanky lad with a mop of ginger hair and wide grey eyes. His face was weatherbeaten with being outside all the time and he looked the picture of health. ‘It would take more than that to embarrass me, Sadie. I’ve got the skin of a rhinoceros.’ Then he narrowed his eyes. ‘But yer could stop her from embarrassing me if yer wanted to.’
Mary Ann pulled a face and rolled her eyes. If Sadie fell for that one she’d fall for the flaming cat. But no, she wasn’t that daft. She was naive for her age, granted, but she wasn’t that blinking naive.
‘What d’yer mean, Tommy?’ Sadie asked. ‘I couldn’t stop Auntie Mary from doing anything she wanted to do.’
‘Yer could, yer know.’ Tommy crossed his fingers for luck. ‘Yer could say yer’d come to Blair Hall tonight with me an’ Spike.’
There was no immediate refusal like there usually was, as Sadie pursed her lips in thought before saying, ‘Yeah, okay. But I’m not paying for meself.’
Mary Ann’s eyes and mouth were wide open. ‘Well, I’ll be buggered!’
‘I never knew the meanin’ of that saying, Mary Ann, it never made sense to me before. But now I think I’ve got the general idea.’ Tommy was jubilant, his grin stretching from ear to ear. ‘Me and Spike will pay for yer, Sadie – it’s only right when we asked yer to come. Shall we pick yer up from old Sarah’s about half-past seven?’ He waited for Sadie’s nod before hurrying back to his stall, whistling with delight. Patience had certainly paid off in this instance. It just went to show that you should never give up if you really want something.
‘Don’t look so surprised, Auntie Mary. I’m only goin’ to a dance with them.’
‘Surprised? Yer could knock me over with a bleedin’ feather! An’ I’ll tell yer this, sunshine, I’m not half as surprised as Tommy is. He must think it’s his birthday. After all the times he’s asked yer, what made yer agree to go with him this time?’
‘A couple of reasons, really,’ Sadie said. ‘First, Spike will be with us so I won’t be on me own with him. Second, because I like dancing and never get the chance to dance with anyone but Geoff. I want to find out if I can manage the steps with someone else.’
‘Are you and Geoff still just dancing partners?’
Sadie nodded. ‘Always will be, Auntie Mary. I’ve cut our dates down to two a week now, hoping he’ll go dancing on his own and find himself a nice girl.’
‘Well, yer’ll enjoy yerself with Tommy and Spike, they’re good lads. Even if they can’t dance it’ll be worth it for the laugh.’
Sadie shivered. ‘The only part of me that isn’t cold are me feet. And that’s because Grandad put a couple of layers of newspaper in me shoes. It hasn’t half made a difference.’ She tilted her head. ‘I should get those boots to our Jimmy, he could do with them in this weather. Would yer let me have an hour off one afternoon, Auntie Mary, and I can meet him coming out of school?’
‘I’ve been having a little think about time off, girl, and there’s no reason why we couldn’t both have a day off. There’s nothing doing on a Monday and Tuesday, only sorting the clothes out, so we could have one of those days each. I managed the stall on me own for years so I could do it again, and I know you could manage on yer own standing on yer head.’ It was Mary Ann’s turn to tilt her head. ‘How does that sound to you?’
‘It sounds marvellous, Auntie Mary, but yer the boss, not me.’
‘Yeah, I am, aren’t I? Lucky old me! So, in that case, if yer want to scoot off home now, and pick up those shoes for yer brother, yer can do. Yer’ll have plenty of time to get a nice warm by the fire and have something to eat before it’s time to go to the school. Then after yer’ve seen yer brother there’ll still be a couple of hours spare for yer to titivate yerself up for yer big date tonight.’ Mary Ann struck up a pose, licked each of her thumbs in turn, then lifting her skirt and humming a fast tempo song, she gave a very good account of herself in a demonstration of the Charleston. Tony from the shoe stall saw her and began to clap, joined within seconds by other stall-holders.
‘Atta girl, Mary Ann,’ Tony called. ‘Show a leg there, love, give us all a treat. There’s nothing better to warm a feller up on a cold day, than the sight of a pair of garters.’
‘Don’t you be looking at me Auntie’s garters,’ Sadie said, shaking a finger at the laughing stall-holder. ‘Keep yer eyes to yerself.’
Mary Ann stopped, red in the face and gasping. She turned her back on the watching eyes and bent from the waist down, as though trying to catch her breath. But when she stood up and Sadie saw the shaking shoulders
she
knew Mary Ann had a trick up her sleeve. And she wasn’t wrong.
Mary Ann spun around and lifted one of her arms high in the air. In her hand she had a pair of home-made elastic garters which she waved at Tony. ‘Here yer are, sunshine, put these on yer stall and yer’ll be warm all day.’
Tony’s laugh was the loudest. ‘Thanks, Mary Ann, I appreciate the gesture. Give them to Sadie to bring over, there’s a good girl. Oh, and will yer do us a favour, Mary Ann?’
‘For you, Tony, my love, anything.’
‘Then before yer send the garters over, will yer put yer legs back in them?’
‘Get away with yer, yer cheeky sod! I pity your poor wife, I really do. Sex mad, that’s what yer are.’
‘Mad for the want of it, Mary Ann, mad for the want of it.’
‘Oh, get about yer business, Tony Henshaw, and don’t be chasing me customers away, either.’
‘What customers? Yer haven’t got no customers.’
‘I know that, yer daft article. That’s because yer’ve chased them all away. Now keep yer evil eye off me and I might have a bit more luck.’ Mary Ann winked at Tony before she bent down and slipped the garters over her feet and up to her knees, making sure her long skirt covered her actions. ‘You get off now, sunshine, otherwise the day will be wasted if yer hang around.’
‘I’m glad I was still here to see that little exhibition.’ Sadie grinned. ‘Yer can sure shake a leg, Auntie Mary.’
‘That was nothing, girl – yer should see me do the Black Bottom. I know yer think I’m ancient, but I can still dance with the best. Especially on a Saturday night when I’ve had a couple of jars, there’s no stopping me then. My poor feller’s stopped trying. He said it’s easier to halt a twenty-two tram between stops than it is to try and stop me when I’ve had half-a-dozen bottles of milk stout.’
‘I bet yer had all the lads running after you, when yer were a young girl, Auntie Mary.’
‘Oh, I had my moments, girl, no doubt about that. Now,
will
yer please get yer skates on and skedaddle before I change me mind.’
Sadie hesitated. ‘Auntie Mary, if I have a day off, will I be docked a day’s pay?’
‘Of course not, soft girl. I’m having a day off too, so will I be docking me own pay? Not bloody likely I won’t! We’ll just have to work harder on the other days to make it up.’
Sadie breathed a sigh of relief. ‘I was a bit anxious, with Christmas not being far off. I want to buy some presents this year, for the first time in me life. And I want to surprise Grandma and Grandad by buying a Christmas tree. They were saying the other night they’d never bothered about Christmas since their two boys died, so I want to make this one a happy one for them.’
‘I’m glad about that, girl, and I’m glad you’ll be able to do it. I never thought yer’d stick to giving me half-a-crown a week, but yer have and I’m proud of yer. Two pounds yer’ve got saved now, so yer can cut down a bit on yer saving if yer want to buy things to put away for Christmas.’
‘I will after this week, then I’ll start again the first week in the New Year.’ Sadie kissed the tip of Mary Ann’s nose which was bright red with the cold. ‘And behave yerself when I’m gone; don’t be showin’ yer garters off to strange men.’