Read Online A Glimpse at Happiness by Jean Fullerton - Free Book Online
Authors: Jean Fullerton
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other day.’
‘The news is a bit slow around here if you only heard that today,’ Patrick said, shrugging off his jacket.
‘If you know what’s good for you, you’ll give them a wide berth. They’d slit a man’s throat without breaking their stride, so they would,’ Sarah said.
Mattie waved a spoon at him. ‘I don’t know why you come home past that gin shop every day instead of just carrying on along Wapping Wall,’ she said, sending little specks of gravy flying.
‘I go that way because that fecking old bag sits there every day and I want to make sure she sees me.’ Patrick jabbed himself in the chest with his thumb. ‘I smile at her and wish her a good day with such a grin on my face just to see the frustration in her beady old eyes.’ He gave them both an exaggerated smile. ‘I’m a free man. I’ll walk anywhere I have a mind to and Ma Tugman will not make me do otherwise.’
‘Good man yourself, Pat,’ Gus said. ‘Show that old bag she’s no say over you.’
Sarah gave her youngest son a sharp look which he ignored. ‘You heard about Peggy Grady’s son?’ Mattie said, wiping her hands on her apron.
‘Of course I did,’ he replied. ‘And sorry I was for him, too.’
Sarah leant forward. ‘By the time Charlie Tugman had finished slicing him he looked more like a butchered pig than a man.’
‘Bled all the way to hospital,’ Gus cut in.
Katie nodded. ‘Those who saw it said they didn’t know a man could shed so much blood without the spirit departing his body. Right across his face it was,’ she drew her finger across her cheek. ‘It’s a pure mercy that he still has two eyes. He’ll carry the scar to his grave, so he will.’
‘I don’t need reminding what the Tugmans are like, Mam,’ Patrick said, ‘but I’ll not kowtow to scum.’ He stared at his womenfolk. ‘And after a day of shovelling coal I would be obliged if you would quit your nagging, at least until me belly’s fed.’
‘If you were just passing how come you and Harry were seen squaring up to each other?’ Sarah asked.
‘If you must know, I was saving a young lady from Harry’s attention,’ he replied, remembering Josie in her expensive gown and smart jacket being jostled by the thug. He took the kettle off the stove and poured the water into the enamel ewer, to take to his room for his evening wash.
His mother tutted. ‘The trollops in the Boatman are used to Harry’s mucky hands so I don’t see why you had to int—’
‘It was Josie O’Casey,’ he said, in what he hoped was a level voice.
Mattie’s, Kate’s and Sarah’s mouths dropped open, and even Gus was lost for words. They all looked at each other in astonishment before Mattie recovered her wits.
‘Josie O’Casey? Your Josie?’
He gave a hard laugh. ‘She’s not mine anymore.’
‘Of course not,’ Sarah said. ‘Is her husband here? Has she any children?’
A lump formed itself across Patrick’s windpipe. ‘She isn’t married.’
His mother mouth dropped open. ‘But—’
‘It was her cousin who wed at her house. I heard it wrong,’ Patrick said as the constriction around his Adam’s Apple tightened.
Sarah gave him a sympathetic smile. ‘Oh, well, perhaps it’s for the best. You and her are worlds apart now.’ A soft look crept into her eye. ‘I did have hopes that you and Josie would marry one day, and now she’s back, who knows? Although I expect she’s a proper lady now.’
‘Her money and my lack of it is neither here nor there, nor is the fact that she isn’t wed, Mam,’ Patrick said in an exasperated tone. ‘My being married - to someone else - is why she isn’t my Josie any more.’
‘Why was she outside the Boatman?’ Mattie asked.
Patrick told them.
‘I bet she was right pleased to see you,’ Gus said. ‘Especially with that fat Harry mauling her.’
That was true
‘The news is a bit slow around here if you only heard that today,’ Patrick said, shrugging off his jacket.
‘If you know what’s good for you, you’ll give them a wide berth. They’d slit a man’s throat without breaking their stride, so they would,’ Sarah said.
Mattie waved a spoon at him. ‘I don’t know why you come home past that gin shop every day instead of just carrying on along Wapping Wall,’ she said, sending little specks of gravy flying.
‘I go that way because that fecking old bag sits there every day and I want to make sure she sees me.’ Patrick jabbed himself in the chest with his thumb. ‘I smile at her and wish her a good day with such a grin on my face just to see the frustration in her beady old eyes.’ He gave them both an exaggerated smile. ‘I’m a free man. I’ll walk anywhere I have a mind to and Ma Tugman will not make me do otherwise.’
‘Good man yourself, Pat,’ Gus said. ‘Show that old bag she’s no say over you.’
Sarah gave her youngest son a sharp look which he ignored. ‘You heard about Peggy Grady’s son?’ Mattie said, wiping her hands on her apron.
‘Of course I did,’ he replied. ‘And sorry I was for him, too.’
Sarah leant forward. ‘By the time Charlie Tugman had finished slicing him he looked more like a butchered pig than a man.’
‘Bled all the way to hospital,’ Gus cut in.
Katie nodded. ‘Those who saw it said they didn’t know a man could shed so much blood without the spirit departing his body. Right across his face it was,’ she drew her finger across her cheek. ‘It’s a pure mercy that he still has two eyes. He’ll carry the scar to his grave, so he will.’
‘I don’t need reminding what the Tugmans are like, Mam,’ Patrick said, ‘but I’ll not kowtow to scum.’ He stared at his womenfolk. ‘And after a day of shovelling coal I would be obliged if you would quit your nagging, at least until me belly’s fed.’
‘If you were just passing how come you and Harry were seen squaring up to each other?’ Sarah asked.
‘If you must know, I was saving a young lady from Harry’s attention,’ he replied, remembering Josie in her expensive gown and smart jacket being jostled by the thug. He took the kettle off the stove and poured the water into the enamel ewer, to take to his room for his evening wash.
His mother tutted. ‘The trollops in the Boatman are used to Harry’s mucky hands so I don’t see why you had to int—’
‘It was Josie O’Casey,’ he said, in what he hoped was a level voice.
Mattie’s, Kate’s and Sarah’s mouths dropped open, and even Gus was lost for words. They all looked at each other in astonishment before Mattie recovered her wits.
‘Josie O’Casey? Your Josie?’
He gave a hard laugh. ‘She’s not mine anymore.’
‘Of course not,’ Sarah said. ‘Is her husband here? Has she any children?’
A lump formed itself across Patrick’s windpipe. ‘She isn’t married.’
His mother mouth dropped open. ‘But—’
‘It was her cousin who wed at her house. I heard it wrong,’ Patrick said as the constriction around his Adam’s Apple tightened.
Sarah gave him a sympathetic smile. ‘Oh, well, perhaps it’s for the best. You and her are worlds apart now.’ A soft look crept into her eye. ‘I did have hopes that you and Josie would marry one day, and now she’s back, who knows? Although I expect she’s a proper lady now.’
‘Her money and my lack of it is neither here nor there, nor is the fact that she isn’t wed, Mam,’ Patrick said in an exasperated tone. ‘My being married - to someone else - is why she isn’t my Josie any more.’
‘Why was she outside the Boatman?’ Mattie asked.
Patrick told them.
‘I bet she was right pleased to see you,’ Gus said. ‘Especially with that fat Harry mauling her.’
That was true
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