name?’
‘This is Delilah. Do you get it? Samson and Delilah. Quite the couple we make, me as bald as a baby’s you-know-what and herall covered in black hair like a heathen. Delilah is fussy about who she likes, but I can see she’s taken a shine to you. If Delilah likes you, then so do I.’
He offered Nellie a sandwich, and she let Delilah sit on her knee and pull felt violets from her hat while she ate.
At the end of the day, when he packed up his barrel organ, Eddie said he could not leave a lonely damsel in distress. He would help her in any way he could. The best start, he said, was to have a drink.
At the docks, the pub was full of noise and crowds. Nellie and Eddie sat in a room with black-painted floorboards, drinking gin and playing dominoes. She had never been in a bar before. The heat of the room and the crowded faces stunned Nellie. All the voices rising up sounded to her like the croaking madness of frogs in spring rain.
The first drink made her dizzy, and she was so busy watching the people, she lost one game of dominoes after another. The next drink loosened her tongue. She laughed and cracked jokes like a man, her elbows splayed, hair falling over her eyes, her mouth hanging open, trying to stop the thoughts of Vivian and Joe that came to her, washing back and forth in her mind.
A woman with a mouth like a spoonful of red jam bent over Eddie, lifted his soft cap and kissed him on the head. He grabbed her around the waist and plunged his face against her chest. Then she pushed him away and stumbled on to another table, collapsing into the lap of another man.
‘Look at you, you dear girl!’ Eddie said to Nellie. ‘Frightened witless! You’re surely too old for such innocence? You got a strict father who’s hidden you away all these years, is that what it is?’
‘I have not got a father,’ she slurred. ‘I have a sister.’
‘Mother Superior’s kept you under lock and key, has she? I’ll look after you, dearie. What you need is a plate of fish and chips and another drink.’
They ate and drank, and Nellie explained how the river hadbrought Joe Ferier to her. It had brought him to her, and then her sister had fallen in love with him.
‘Ah, love.’ Eddie leaned his elbows on the table, his face sorrowful. ‘Love’s a tricky so-and-so. I’d give up on this Joe chappie. Forget him. He sounds like the sort who likes to break hearts.’
‘No,’ said Nellie. ‘No, it wasn’t him. It was my sister. She stole him.’
‘But did he ever belong to you in the first place, my dear? Did she steal him or did he steal her? Seems to me they both treated you badly. You lost out both ways, didn’t you? Have another drink, why don’t you.’
In the noise and crush of drinkers, Eddie said he had a feather bed. Big as a boat it was, and so deep you thought you’d never stop falling into it. ‘Closest you’ll get to heaven,’ he said, and stroked her arm. ‘Aren’t I the fool, spending all my money on you and then offering you my bed too.’
Nellie stood by the door of the bar while Eddie bought a jug of beer to take away. The monkey climbed on Nellie’s shoulder. Outside, the ships in the docks loomed like black mountains. Was Joe Ferier camped out in his canvas tent? She wanted to see him. To ask, had it been him or Vivian who’d sought the other out? She looked back at Eddie, who had his arms around the woman with the red mouth.
Nellie sat down on the roadside, resting her head against the wall of the bar. She was so tired. A feather bed did sound like heaven. Her own bed at home would be even better.
The next thing she knew, someone was wafting smelling salts under her nose. A green glass bottle waved in front of her, and she coughed and spluttered.
‘Come on now,’ said a woman’s voice. ‘You can’t sleep out here, love. The police will take you away.’
It was the woman who had kissed Eddie. She wore a wide-brimmed hat and a soft gauzy scarf around her narrow
‘This is Delilah. Do you get it? Samson and Delilah. Quite the couple we make, me as bald as a baby’s you-know-what and herall covered in black hair like a heathen. Delilah is fussy about who she likes, but I can see she’s taken a shine to you. If Delilah likes you, then so do I.’
He offered Nellie a sandwich, and she let Delilah sit on her knee and pull felt violets from her hat while she ate.
At the end of the day, when he packed up his barrel organ, Eddie said he could not leave a lonely damsel in distress. He would help her in any way he could. The best start, he said, was to have a drink.
At the docks, the pub was full of noise and crowds. Nellie and Eddie sat in a room with black-painted floorboards, drinking gin and playing dominoes. She had never been in a bar before. The heat of the room and the crowded faces stunned Nellie. All the voices rising up sounded to her like the croaking madness of frogs in spring rain.
The first drink made her dizzy, and she was so busy watching the people, she lost one game of dominoes after another. The next drink loosened her tongue. She laughed and cracked jokes like a man, her elbows splayed, hair falling over her eyes, her mouth hanging open, trying to stop the thoughts of Vivian and Joe that came to her, washing back and forth in her mind.
A woman with a mouth like a spoonful of red jam bent over Eddie, lifted his soft cap and kissed him on the head. He grabbed her around the waist and plunged his face against her chest. Then she pushed him away and stumbled on to another table, collapsing into the lap of another man.
‘Look at you, you dear girl!’ Eddie said to Nellie. ‘Frightened witless! You’re surely too old for such innocence? You got a strict father who’s hidden you away all these years, is that what it is?’
‘I have not got a father,’ she slurred. ‘I have a sister.’
‘Mother Superior’s kept you under lock and key, has she? I’ll look after you, dearie. What you need is a plate of fish and chips and another drink.’
They ate and drank, and Nellie explained how the river hadbrought Joe Ferier to her. It had brought him to her, and then her sister had fallen in love with him.
‘Ah, love.’ Eddie leaned his elbows on the table, his face sorrowful. ‘Love’s a tricky so-and-so. I’d give up on this Joe chappie. Forget him. He sounds like the sort who likes to break hearts.’
‘No,’ said Nellie. ‘No, it wasn’t him. It was my sister. She stole him.’
‘But did he ever belong to you in the first place, my dear? Did she steal him or did he steal her? Seems to me they both treated you badly. You lost out both ways, didn’t you? Have another drink, why don’t you.’
In the noise and crush of drinkers, Eddie said he had a feather bed. Big as a boat it was, and so deep you thought you’d never stop falling into it. ‘Closest you’ll get to heaven,’ he said, and stroked her arm. ‘Aren’t I the fool, spending all my money on you and then offering you my bed too.’
Nellie stood by the door of the bar while Eddie bought a jug of beer to take away. The monkey climbed on Nellie’s shoulder. Outside, the ships in the docks loomed like black mountains. Was Joe Ferier camped out in his canvas tent? She wanted to see him. To ask, had it been him or Vivian who’d sought the other out? She looked back at Eddie, who had his arms around the woman with the red mouth.
Nellie sat down on the roadside, resting her head against the wall of the bar. She was so tired. A feather bed did sound like heaven. Her own bed at home would be even better.
The next thing she knew, someone was wafting smelling salts under her nose. A green glass bottle waved in front of her, and she coughed and spluttered.
‘Come on now,’ said a woman’s voice. ‘You can’t sleep out here, love. The police will take you away.’
It was the woman who had kissed Eddie. She wore a wide-brimmed hat and a soft gauzy scarf around her narrow
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