at Christmas. Have you noticed it? For a couple of days everybody's nice to everybody, and for the rest " of the year they're bitchy. "
"Is that how you've found life?"
"Mm I Well no." She shook her head.
"There are nice people. You're nice."
^"Thank you."
"But you are, seriously." She now sat straight up on the couch and turned her body towards him until her knees were within an inch of his.
"That's what they said the first day I came to Peamarsh's. You'll like Mr. Blenheim, they saidj he's nice."
"They didn't. You're teasing me."
"Honest, they did, all the girls in the pool. They said there were one or two not bad, Mr. Vosey and Mr. Whelan, and one or two on the bottom floor, but for the rest they were stinkers. Oh, you should hear what they say. And they know some things about a lot of them an' all, all the darling goodie-goodies. Make your hair stand up on end, it would.
But never about you. " She took another long drink from her cup, her eyes fixed on him all the while.
"A nice bloke, that's what they said you were, a quiet, nice bloke. And you know what else they say?"
His mouth was rightly closed, he was trying to stop himself from laughing. He shook his head.
"That you're above board."
He stared at her, his face bright. He felt warm inside, the whisky was seeing to that. Yet it wasn't the whisky alone, it was a good feeling to know that people thought you a nice fellow, a nice bloke. Gail had said that too. It was worth being above board after all.
"They think Rippon, your father-in-law's, a stinker."
"Oh, do they now?"
. "--- --,^ n^" i. m . "i-i juicy say ne's got more than j Mr.
Walters, or Mr. Hall or any of the others put together. | They say he's loaded down with shares in everything from oil : to ointment. "
He drooped his head on to his chest and bit on his lip. He should stop her talking but he couldn't; nor did he want to. It was all so good to hear that they thought Mr. Dave Rippon a stinker. It was good to know that some people could see' through his church facade.
"Have another sup?"
"Oh, no, thanks."
"Come on." She pulled the cup from him.
"You can only get really drunk once."
He was leaning against the back of the couch laughing loudly. He had never laughed like this in years. Suddenly he put his hand over his mouth and said, "Dear! dear! Have you got near neighbours ?"
"Only Ma Tarrant next door and she's stone deaf. We're lucky ..."
Half-an-hour later he had got through three cups of tea and almost die equivalent of three double whiskies; he had his shoes off and they were set at a safe distance from the electric fire drying. Betty was now in a knee-length, padded dressing gown because she had found that her dress was damp. She sat on the couch with her legs curled under her, her head and hands moving as she talked; and he lay back in bemused contentment and laughed at her. He had never met anyone like her. She was gay, happy, full of the joy of living and, strangely, she didn't make him feel old. He felt younger now than he could remember feeling in his twenties.
"Loosen your collar and tie."
"No, no. What do I want to loosen my collar and tie for?"
"Go on, make yourself comfortable, there's nobody'll come in. Me mother won't be back until nearly eight. Here." She had her hands at his neck, and they were struggling now; then she was lying across his knee looking up into his face, her hands still at his neck but quiet for a moment under his grip. He looked down at her in silence, and then he said thickly.
"You know, you're a naughty girl."
iviy ] you vc uccn i^uii-k. nnuuig mat out. Iou're snarp. ne tone, the deriding manner in which she said it, her candidness set him off laughing again. And now she had her head snugglec under his chin and his tie was off and the buttons of his shir were open.
"Have you any hairs on your chest?"
"What!"
"Let's see if you have any hairs on your chest."
They were struggling again.
"Here, here 1 you little devil. Give over."
She gave
"Is that how you've found life?"
"Mm I Well no." She shook her head.
"There are nice people. You're nice."
^"Thank you."
"But you are, seriously." She now sat straight up on the couch and turned her body towards him until her knees were within an inch of his.
"That's what they said the first day I came to Peamarsh's. You'll like Mr. Blenheim, they saidj he's nice."
"They didn't. You're teasing me."
"Honest, they did, all the girls in the pool. They said there were one or two not bad, Mr. Vosey and Mr. Whelan, and one or two on the bottom floor, but for the rest they were stinkers. Oh, you should hear what they say. And they know some things about a lot of them an' all, all the darling goodie-goodies. Make your hair stand up on end, it would.
But never about you. " She took another long drink from her cup, her eyes fixed on him all the while.
"A nice bloke, that's what they said you were, a quiet, nice bloke. And you know what else they say?"
His mouth was rightly closed, he was trying to stop himself from laughing. He shook his head.
"That you're above board."
He stared at her, his face bright. He felt warm inside, the whisky was seeing to that. Yet it wasn't the whisky alone, it was a good feeling to know that people thought you a nice fellow, a nice bloke. Gail had said that too. It was worth being above board after all.
"They think Rippon, your father-in-law's, a stinker."
"Oh, do they now?"
. "--- --,^ n^" i. m . "i-i juicy say ne's got more than j Mr.
Walters, or Mr. Hall or any of the others put together. | They say he's loaded down with shares in everything from oil : to ointment. "
He drooped his head on to his chest and bit on his lip. He should stop her talking but he couldn't; nor did he want to. It was all so good to hear that they thought Mr. Dave Rippon a stinker. It was good to know that some people could see' through his church facade.
"Have another sup?"
"Oh, no, thanks."
"Come on." She pulled the cup from him.
"You can only get really drunk once."
He was leaning against the back of the couch laughing loudly. He had never laughed like this in years. Suddenly he put his hand over his mouth and said, "Dear! dear! Have you got near neighbours ?"
"Only Ma Tarrant next door and she's stone deaf. We're lucky ..."
Half-an-hour later he had got through three cups of tea and almost die equivalent of three double whiskies; he had his shoes off and they were set at a safe distance from the electric fire drying. Betty was now in a knee-length, padded dressing gown because she had found that her dress was damp. She sat on the couch with her legs curled under her, her head and hands moving as she talked; and he lay back in bemused contentment and laughed at her. He had never met anyone like her. She was gay, happy, full of the joy of living and, strangely, she didn't make him feel old. He felt younger now than he could remember feeling in his twenties.
"Loosen your collar and tie."
"No, no. What do I want to loosen my collar and tie for?"
"Go on, make yourself comfortable, there's nobody'll come in. Me mother won't be back until nearly eight. Here." She had her hands at his neck, and they were struggling now; then she was lying across his knee looking up into his face, her hands still at his neck but quiet for a moment under his grip. He looked down at her in silence, and then he said thickly.
"You know, you're a naughty girl."
iviy ] you vc uccn i^uii-k. nnuuig mat out. Iou're snarp. ne tone, the deriding manner in which she said it, her candidness set him off laughing again. And now she had her head snugglec under his chin and his tie was off and the buttons of his shir were open.
"Have you any hairs on your chest?"
"What!"
"Let's see if you have any hairs on your chest."
They were struggling again.
"Here, here 1 you little devil. Give over."
She gave
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