in to a hug. ‘He paid me this on account.’
Energetically Tilly elbowed free of her husband’s embrace, not yet convinced that such good luck could be theirs. She needed more information. ‘So you got a job off Basher and a sub off him so thought you’d buy a joeyanna with it to celebrate.’
‘Why not?’ Jack asked simply. ‘You want a bit of a drink and a laugh, don’t you?’ He grinned at her. ‘Well, I don’t mind if I join in. No need to go down the Duke all the time. We can have a few bottles and a singsong right here. The kids can stay home instead of dawdling in the corridor of the Duke or out on the pavement.’ He plunged a hand into his pocket and scrunched the notes till they crackled. ‘Ain’t as if I spent it all. Supper from the chippy tonight. Kids’ll like that.’
‘Yer daft git,’ Tilly said quite affectionately. ‘We ain’t got room enough upstairs to swing a cat and you bring us home this monstrosity. Where we gonna put it? Out on the landing?’
Jack bent to snatch a kiss from his wife. ‘You’re pleased really, ain’t you?’ he teased. ‘If Basher keeps me in work for a good while perhaps we’ll finally get out of here ‘n’ get up the other end of the road in something bigger ‘n’ better.’ He ruffled her thick, fiery hair. ‘This Saturday we’ll have a bit of a knees-up. Ask a few of the neighbours over.’
‘You daft git,’ she repeated with a grin. She slipped her fingers over the glossy lid of the piano. ‘How we gonna get the bugger upstairs?’
‘I’ll see if Jimmy’s in,’ Jack said. ‘He can give us a hand with it.’ He disappeared into the dank interior of the house, whistling cheerfully.
The smile on Tilly’s face faded at the mention of her brother-in-law. She wouldn’t ever forgive Jimmy for beating Fran, or for causing trouble over the half crown he’d given to Alice. Several months might have passed, and things might have calmed down between them all, but Tilly knew it wouldn’t be long before Jimmy was up to his old tricks again. Jimmy was work shy. He also thought he was a bit of a hound round these parts and the fact that he had a wife and kids relying on him wouldn’t stop him poncing about doing nothing or showing off to his mates . . . most of them younger than he was by some years. When he thought he could he’d take up with fancy women again and generally act flash with the bit of cash that should be given to Fran as housekeeping. And if Fran didn’t like it, he’d show her who was boss . . . in the way he always had . . . with his fists.
A few minutes later Jack reappeared with Jimmy loping at his side. It was early summer and Jimmy had on just a vest belted into his trousers. From his lips dangled a stumpy crumpled roll-up.
‘Alright, gel?’ he greeted Tilly.
She mumbled a response, her eyes flashing dislike at him.
Jimmy smirked and unconsciously flexed the muscles in his naked arms. He knew Tilly despised him yet it didn’t stop him preening. Such was his conceit that he thought every woman must find him irresistible. He’d plenty of time on his hands to keep himself in shape by sparring with the lads at the YMCA in Pooles Park. His eyes lingered on Tilly, running over her top to bottom. He was just waiting for the right opportunity to impress on her once again he was a bloke you didn’t mess with. He’d done so once before,. She’d deserved another lesson on numerous occasions since. It might have been a while ago but he hadn’t forgotten the way she’d showed him up in the street when he’d been caught out with Nellie. His pals still ribbed him over it and made him feel a bloody fool. He was more careful with Nellie now. They’d had to make use of alleys and dark corners instead of her room along the road.
But Nellie was pulling in a good few quid a week from working the streets up west and sometimes Jimmy thought he might be better off moving in with her. He didn’t see why he should knock himself out
Energetically Tilly elbowed free of her husband’s embrace, not yet convinced that such good luck could be theirs. She needed more information. ‘So you got a job off Basher and a sub off him so thought you’d buy a joeyanna with it to celebrate.’
‘Why not?’ Jack asked simply. ‘You want a bit of a drink and a laugh, don’t you?’ He grinned at her. ‘Well, I don’t mind if I join in. No need to go down the Duke all the time. We can have a few bottles and a singsong right here. The kids can stay home instead of dawdling in the corridor of the Duke or out on the pavement.’ He plunged a hand into his pocket and scrunched the notes till they crackled. ‘Ain’t as if I spent it all. Supper from the chippy tonight. Kids’ll like that.’
‘Yer daft git,’ Tilly said quite affectionately. ‘We ain’t got room enough upstairs to swing a cat and you bring us home this monstrosity. Where we gonna put it? Out on the landing?’
Jack bent to snatch a kiss from his wife. ‘You’re pleased really, ain’t you?’ he teased. ‘If Basher keeps me in work for a good while perhaps we’ll finally get out of here ‘n’ get up the other end of the road in something bigger ‘n’ better.’ He ruffled her thick, fiery hair. ‘This Saturday we’ll have a bit of a knees-up. Ask a few of the neighbours over.’
‘You daft git,’ she repeated with a grin. She slipped her fingers over the glossy lid of the piano. ‘How we gonna get the bugger upstairs?’
‘I’ll see if Jimmy’s in,’ Jack said. ‘He can give us a hand with it.’ He disappeared into the dank interior of the house, whistling cheerfully.
The smile on Tilly’s face faded at the mention of her brother-in-law. She wouldn’t ever forgive Jimmy for beating Fran, or for causing trouble over the half crown he’d given to Alice. Several months might have passed, and things might have calmed down between them all, but Tilly knew it wouldn’t be long before Jimmy was up to his old tricks again. Jimmy was work shy. He also thought he was a bit of a hound round these parts and the fact that he had a wife and kids relying on him wouldn’t stop him poncing about doing nothing or showing off to his mates . . . most of them younger than he was by some years. When he thought he could he’d take up with fancy women again and generally act flash with the bit of cash that should be given to Fran as housekeeping. And if Fran didn’t like it, he’d show her who was boss . . . in the way he always had . . . with his fists.
A few minutes later Jack reappeared with Jimmy loping at his side. It was early summer and Jimmy had on just a vest belted into his trousers. From his lips dangled a stumpy crumpled roll-up.
‘Alright, gel?’ he greeted Tilly.
She mumbled a response, her eyes flashing dislike at him.
Jimmy smirked and unconsciously flexed the muscles in his naked arms. He knew Tilly despised him yet it didn’t stop him preening. Such was his conceit that he thought every woman must find him irresistible. He’d plenty of time on his hands to keep himself in shape by sparring with the lads at the YMCA in Pooles Park. His eyes lingered on Tilly, running over her top to bottom. He was just waiting for the right opportunity to impress on her once again he was a bloke you didn’t mess with. He’d done so once before,. She’d deserved another lesson on numerous occasions since. It might have been a while ago but he hadn’t forgotten the way she’d showed him up in the street when he’d been caught out with Nellie. His pals still ribbed him over it and made him feel a bloody fool. He was more careful with Nellie now. They’d had to make use of alleys and dark corners instead of her room along the road.
But Nellie was pulling in a good few quid a week from working the streets up west and sometimes Jimmy thought he might be better off moving in with her. He didn’t see why he should knock himself out
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