It’s shockin’ crowded in the kitchen and I don’t want anyone to spill anything over me new blouse.’
Richie had been trying to think of a way to get rid of her so he smiled. ‘Of course, Nora, and it’s a very pretty blouse.’
Nora looked up at him, smiling. So he had noticed. Now all she had to do was keep him interested.
‘You just watch yerself with ’im, me girl!’ Queenie muttered to her daughter as she passed by with a plate of ribs and cabbage in one hand and a glass in the other.
Nora tutted and raised her eyes to the ceiling. Mam was impossible and she’d already had more port than she was used to. Then Nora looked round her and began to smile: her da, bearing his most prized possession - an old and battered banjo - was pushing his way into the room followed by Albert Sparky with his accordion and Jim Hayes with his harmonica. It was time for the dancing to begin. She was determined that somehow she was going to get Richie to dance with her.
After five minutes, however, she was getting impatient. There was no sign of him.
‘Do yer want ter dance, Nora?’ Eddy Hayes asked her, rather tentatively. He was a spotty youth of sixteen with bad eyesight who had a crush on her.
She glared at him. ‘Oh, grow up, Eddy! Who in their right mind would want ter dance with you?’ she snapped.
Before the lad had time to remonstrate Richie appeared, guiding a flushed and laughing Mary towards the crowd of tightly packed dancers. Mary had taken her jacket off and the blouse, which Nora now noticed was embroidered all over with tiny white flowers, made her look even more young and pretty. Nora felt sick with jealousy and disappointment. He had just abandoned her! Left her here waiting for him to return with her drink when he’d obviously had no intention of coming back. He’d gone looking for Mary McGann. She turned her head away from the painful sight and saw Frank McGann leaning against the doorpost, a glass in his hand. He looked far from pleased, Nora noted. Well, she’d had enough of this. Mary was a married woman, she had no right to be laughing and joking and dancing with Richie, leading him on when she wasn’t free.
‘I wonder she’s got the nerve to be carrying on like that,’ Nora said cuttingly, sniffing disapprovingly.
‘Like what?’ Frank demanded belligerently. He’d had quite a bit to drink already and he had been enjoying the day until Richie Seddon had started paying too much attention to Mary. And she seemed to be lapping it up. She never laughed and smiled at him like that these days.
‘Well, like . . . that! And especially after the way he was going on last night when Mam and I met them.’
‘Just what do you mean by that, Nora?’ Frank demanded. He had no real liking for the girl but he wanted to get to the bottom of this.
‘He said he’d asked her to go for a drink with him in the Britannia. They’d been on the tram together and he was carrying her shopping.’
Frank’s face flushed red with rising anger. So, he’d been right in his suspicions last night. There had been more to it than ‘just meeting him on the way home’ as Mary had tried to explain it away. Why would he ask her to go for a drink with him if it had all been innocent and above board?
‘Did she go?’ he demanded.
‘No,’ Nora answered. ‘At least, I don’t think she did.’ She tried to look and sound thoughtful, as though perhaps she doubted Mary’s alleged refusal.
‘The bitch!’ Frank growled. The lying bitch. She had gone, that’s why she was so late. Well, he’d sort this out here and now.
He was about to elbow his way towards her when Katie rushed in past him and dragged at Mary’s arm.
‘Mam! Mam! Come out into the yard, our Tommy’s sick!’
Mary sighed. She had been enjoying herself. ‘Oh, now what’s he been up to? I can’t take my eyes off that lad for five minutes lately! He’ll be the death of me. I’d
Richie had been trying to think of a way to get rid of her so he smiled. ‘Of course, Nora, and it’s a very pretty blouse.’
Nora looked up at him, smiling. So he had noticed. Now all she had to do was keep him interested.
‘You just watch yerself with ’im, me girl!’ Queenie muttered to her daughter as she passed by with a plate of ribs and cabbage in one hand and a glass in the other.
Nora tutted and raised her eyes to the ceiling. Mam was impossible and she’d already had more port than she was used to. Then Nora looked round her and began to smile: her da, bearing his most prized possession - an old and battered banjo - was pushing his way into the room followed by Albert Sparky with his accordion and Jim Hayes with his harmonica. It was time for the dancing to begin. She was determined that somehow she was going to get Richie to dance with her.
After five minutes, however, she was getting impatient. There was no sign of him.
‘Do yer want ter dance, Nora?’ Eddy Hayes asked her, rather tentatively. He was a spotty youth of sixteen with bad eyesight who had a crush on her.
She glared at him. ‘Oh, grow up, Eddy! Who in their right mind would want ter dance with you?’ she snapped.
Before the lad had time to remonstrate Richie appeared, guiding a flushed and laughing Mary towards the crowd of tightly packed dancers. Mary had taken her jacket off and the blouse, which Nora now noticed was embroidered all over with tiny white flowers, made her look even more young and pretty. Nora felt sick with jealousy and disappointment. He had just abandoned her! Left her here waiting for him to return with her drink when he’d obviously had no intention of coming back. He’d gone looking for Mary McGann. She turned her head away from the painful sight and saw Frank McGann leaning against the doorpost, a glass in his hand. He looked far from pleased, Nora noted. Well, she’d had enough of this. Mary was a married woman, she had no right to be laughing and joking and dancing with Richie, leading him on when she wasn’t free.
‘I wonder she’s got the nerve to be carrying on like that,’ Nora said cuttingly, sniffing disapprovingly.
‘Like what?’ Frank demanded belligerently. He’d had quite a bit to drink already and he had been enjoying the day until Richie Seddon had started paying too much attention to Mary. And she seemed to be lapping it up. She never laughed and smiled at him like that these days.
‘Well, like . . . that! And especially after the way he was going on last night when Mam and I met them.’
‘Just what do you mean by that, Nora?’ Frank demanded. He had no real liking for the girl but he wanted to get to the bottom of this.
‘He said he’d asked her to go for a drink with him in the Britannia. They’d been on the tram together and he was carrying her shopping.’
Frank’s face flushed red with rising anger. So, he’d been right in his suspicions last night. There had been more to it than ‘just meeting him on the way home’ as Mary had tried to explain it away. Why would he ask her to go for a drink with him if it had all been innocent and above board?
‘Did she go?’ he demanded.
‘No,’ Nora answered. ‘At least, I don’t think she did.’ She tried to look and sound thoughtful, as though perhaps she doubted Mary’s alleged refusal.
‘The bitch!’ Frank growled. The lying bitch. She had gone, that’s why she was so late. Well, he’d sort this out here and now.
He was about to elbow his way towards her when Katie rushed in past him and dragged at Mary’s arm.
‘Mam! Mam! Come out into the yard, our Tommy’s sick!’
Mary sighed. She had been enjoying herself. ‘Oh, now what’s he been up to? I can’t take my eyes off that lad for five minutes lately! He’ll be the death of me. I’d
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