but said, ‘It was all right.’
‘Come on!’ He grabbed her hand and began to race her back towards the Foreshore Road.
‘Where?’ She laughed, exhilarated. Was this what being wayward was like?
‘I’ll show you!’ He ran with her, dodging people coming in the opposite direction. ‘I found somewhere earlier, a cut-through!’
Jeannie wrinkled her eyebrows. What was he talking about? But he raced on, dragging her with him.
‘Here,’ he said. ‘In here.’
‘What about it?’ she said. ‘There are lots of them. They’re short cuts up from the sands to the town.’
He pulled her into a narrow alley with a steep flight of steps at the end of it. ‘Yes,’ he said softly. ‘And out of sight of prying eyes. We’ve got them in Hull too; they lead from one street into another, except in Hull they don’t have steps. Come on. Nobody’ll see you in here – it’s too dark.’
‘But …’ Residents used these passageways all the time, but at this time of day most of them would be at home eating a meal, as she should have been doing.
‘But nothing,’ he murmured, taking her face in his hands and putting his lips close to hers. ‘Kiss me, Jeannie. Kiss me now, cos I’ve a train to catch.’
CHAPTER SEVEN
AND SO SHE did. She kissed him as passionately and fervently as he kissed her until she was dizzy and breathless and wondered at herself for never having guessed that it could be like this. If she had ever thought of Ethan kissing her, and she had, often, it had always been a tender and loving kiss, not full of fire and longing as these kisses were, so much longing that her legs felt weak and her body melted.
‘I’ve got to go,’ he gasped at last, pulling away. ‘I’ll miss my train. Wait for me, Jeannie.’
‘How long?’ she whispered. She swallowed, and licked her swollen and tender lips.
‘Until I come,’ he murmured in her ear. ‘Just wait.’
They ran up the steps and she hurried with him through the town to the railway station. His friends were already there, and two girls with them. The men called to Harry to hurry and Jeannie felt their eyes upon her. One of them grinned and the other winked as they drew near, and she didn’t know what they meant by it. Harry kissed her again, murmuring once more that she must wait, and dashed aboard as the guard waved his flag and the train got up a head of steam.
She waited until the train steamed out. The two girls glanced at her as they walked past. She didn’t know them. Town girls, she thought, noting their rouged faces and scarlet lips. Their gaze moved from top to toe as if they were assessing her, and both wore a cynical grin.
‘Night, darling,’ one of them said. ‘Time you were in bed.’
Jeannie thought they were drunk for they cackled with laughter, rolling from side to side with their ridiculous bustles swaying on their vast behinds and the feathers fluttering in their hats.
She walked slowly back home and cut down the Bolts on to Sandside. She had used these familiar passageways most days of her life; they were quite dark now as the light was fading and there were no gas lamps, but she had never been afraid, and now these ancient rights of way held a special significance for her. She knew that from now on whenever she cut up or down them she would think of Harry. Wait for me, he had said. And she would.
‘Where’ve you been, lassie? I was beginning to worry.’ Her mother got up from her chair to cut some bread. ‘You must be hungry. I saved you some crab.’
Mary’s glance was keen. Something’s happened. Jeannie’s face was flushed, animated. She’s been out with a lad, Mary surmised. But not with Ethan, for I saw him set sail.
‘Have you been out with friends?’ she asked. ‘You’re not usually so late.’
‘It’s only half past eight, Ma. That’s not late.’ Jeannie knew her mother would expect some kind of explanation. ‘I met a friend. We walked to the Spa and then up town. We were just
‘Come on!’ He grabbed her hand and began to race her back towards the Foreshore Road.
‘Where?’ She laughed, exhilarated. Was this what being wayward was like?
‘I’ll show you!’ He ran with her, dodging people coming in the opposite direction. ‘I found somewhere earlier, a cut-through!’
Jeannie wrinkled her eyebrows. What was he talking about? But he raced on, dragging her with him.
‘Here,’ he said. ‘In here.’
‘What about it?’ she said. ‘There are lots of them. They’re short cuts up from the sands to the town.’
He pulled her into a narrow alley with a steep flight of steps at the end of it. ‘Yes,’ he said softly. ‘And out of sight of prying eyes. We’ve got them in Hull too; they lead from one street into another, except in Hull they don’t have steps. Come on. Nobody’ll see you in here – it’s too dark.’
‘But …’ Residents used these passageways all the time, but at this time of day most of them would be at home eating a meal, as she should have been doing.
‘But nothing,’ he murmured, taking her face in his hands and putting his lips close to hers. ‘Kiss me, Jeannie. Kiss me now, cos I’ve a train to catch.’
CHAPTER SEVEN
AND SO SHE did. She kissed him as passionately and fervently as he kissed her until she was dizzy and breathless and wondered at herself for never having guessed that it could be like this. If she had ever thought of Ethan kissing her, and she had, often, it had always been a tender and loving kiss, not full of fire and longing as these kisses were, so much longing that her legs felt weak and her body melted.
‘I’ve got to go,’ he gasped at last, pulling away. ‘I’ll miss my train. Wait for me, Jeannie.’
‘How long?’ she whispered. She swallowed, and licked her swollen and tender lips.
‘Until I come,’ he murmured in her ear. ‘Just wait.’
They ran up the steps and she hurried with him through the town to the railway station. His friends were already there, and two girls with them. The men called to Harry to hurry and Jeannie felt their eyes upon her. One of them grinned and the other winked as they drew near, and she didn’t know what they meant by it. Harry kissed her again, murmuring once more that she must wait, and dashed aboard as the guard waved his flag and the train got up a head of steam.
She waited until the train steamed out. The two girls glanced at her as they walked past. She didn’t know them. Town girls, she thought, noting their rouged faces and scarlet lips. Their gaze moved from top to toe as if they were assessing her, and both wore a cynical grin.
‘Night, darling,’ one of them said. ‘Time you were in bed.’
Jeannie thought they were drunk for they cackled with laughter, rolling from side to side with their ridiculous bustles swaying on their vast behinds and the feathers fluttering in their hats.
She walked slowly back home and cut down the Bolts on to Sandside. She had used these familiar passageways most days of her life; they were quite dark now as the light was fading and there were no gas lamps, but she had never been afraid, and now these ancient rights of way held a special significance for her. She knew that from now on whenever she cut up or down them she would think of Harry. Wait for me, he had said. And she would.
‘Where’ve you been, lassie? I was beginning to worry.’ Her mother got up from her chair to cut some bread. ‘You must be hungry. I saved you some crab.’
Mary’s glance was keen. Something’s happened. Jeannie’s face was flushed, animated. She’s been out with a lad, Mary surmised. But not with Ethan, for I saw him set sail.
‘Have you been out with friends?’ she asked. ‘You’re not usually so late.’
‘It’s only half past eight, Ma. That’s not late.’ Jeannie knew her mother would expect some kind of explanation. ‘I met a friend. We walked to the Spa and then up town. We were just
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