hate to leave her on her own. Would you mind moving in here with us when we get married?’
‘Of course I wouldn’t. It’s what I expected and what I want.’
He jumped to his feet and, taking her hand, he dragged her back to the kitchen. ‘She said yes, Gran,’ he cried, ‘and we’re getting married in a year.’
Connie smiled thinly. ‘Congratulations.’
There was a restraint in Connie’s manner and Pearl frowned. Perhaps she was worried about being left on her own. ‘I’m happy to move in here with you and Derek when we get married.’
Connie nodded, but she hardly spoke until Derek left the room half an hour later. After a quick look to ensure that the door was closed, she leaned forward. ‘You’ve changed lately, Pearl, and you’re not seeing much of Derek. You’re out and about with Emma Price, no doubt meeting lads of your own age. Derek’s a lot older than you, and the truth is I expected you to turn him down. A lot can happen in a year and I just hope you ain’t gonna change your mind.’
‘I won’t change my mind.’
‘I’ve told you before. I don’t want my Derek hurt.’
‘I won’t hurt him.’ As she said these words, Pearl really meant them. She would marry Derek and make him a good wife. She was just relieved that she had a year of freedom first.
Kevin banged on Nobby Clark’s door, still in a foul mood. He was smarting that Pearl had turned him down again. Since that first time, she felt like his property and his fists clenched at the thought of her sleeping with Derek Lewis. His jaws ground. Right, sod her, if she wanted Derek she could have him and he’d never ask her out again. In fact, he really would make a play for Emma Price. She wasn’t a bad-looking girl, but then again, she was a bit lippy. He remembered how she had intervened at the dance and he frowned. Emma wasn’t like Pearl; she seemed fearless and not the sort of girl he could control. In fact, he thought, changing his mind, it might be better to give her a wide berth.
His trips to Soho were costing him a lot of money, and that was something he was short of at the moment. Once again his fists clenched in anger. With Pearl as his girlfriend he would’ve had what he wanted on hand, and could have taught her a few tricks.
Nobby Clark opened the door, forcing Kevin’s thoughts to one side. ‘Hello, mate, can I come in?’
‘Yeah, I suppose so.’
As Kevin stepped inside he saw Dick Smedley, but the man offered no welcome.
‘Watcha, Dick, how’s things?’
‘What do you want, Kevin?’
‘I’ve come to see if you’ve got a job in the offing.’
‘I thought you didn’t want to work with amateurs again.’
‘Yeah, that’s what you called us,’ Nobby said as he sat at the table.
‘Look, I’ve told you before, I didn’t mean it. I was unnerved that night and you can’t blame me for that.’
‘Maybe, but you seem to forget that I’m the boss and I want a bit of respect.’
Kevin hid his feelings. If he wanted back in, he’d have to suck up to Nobby, but it went against the grain. The bloke was a loser and couldn’t organise a piss-up in a brewery, but the need for money was paramount. ‘I know you’re the boss, Nobby, and we couldn’t do the jobs without you. As I said, I lost it, but it won’t happen again.’
‘What do you think, Dick? Shall we let him back in?’
‘I still ain’t happy about that night. He was shit scared, and so keen to get away that he almost drove off without us.’
‘I didn’t. I’d never do that.’
‘I only just managed to get into the back of the van before you shot off.’
‘I admit I was keen to get away – that alarm was deafening – but I wouldn’t have left you behind.’
Dick’s eyes narrowed, but to Kevin’s relief he said, ‘All right, I suppose I’ll have to take your word for it.’
Nobby smiled tightly. ‘We’ll give you the benefit of the doubt, Kevin. We need a driver so you’re in. Take a seat and we’ll tell you what we’ve got planned.’
When Pearl had shown her ring to Mo and Emma, their reactions hadn’t been favourable. Both thought she was too young to think about marriage, but Emma was most vociferous in her opinions. She told Pearl in no uncertain terms that she was mad, that Derek was too old for her, and that she should go out with other men, not settle on the first one to propose.
The costermongers had reacted differently, all of them loud in their congratulations, and though they had ribbed Derek at first, some even saying he was a cradle snatcher, they seemed genuinely pleased. Pearl was one of their own now, and none had forgotten her hand in finding Frank Hanswell’s son.
Three weeks had now passed since their engagement, and Pearl was enjoying life. She was still attending art classes, but going out and about with Emma for another couple of nights a week, it meant she was seeing less of Derek. He didn’t seem to mind, content that she was now wearing his ring, and whilst she was out dancing with Emma, he spent extra time at the gym in preparation for his next fight.
Pearl still suspected that Alice Freeman was pinching her tips, but so far hadn’t caught her. In her vigilance she noticed that Bernie was acting strangely too. He would leave the counter at odd times, Alice quickly stepping in to take his place, and though this put more work on to Pearl, she was coping well. Few customers had cause for complaint, but she still found it odd that Bernie chose to disappear at their busiest times.
Pearl was clearing a table when Kevin came downstairs. Since her engagement he hadn’t spoken to her, and this had led to her job hunting taking a back seat. She still flicked through the local paper each week, seeing jobs on offer in shops and factories, but none offered the perks of the café with free lunch every day. As long as Kevin stayed away from her she was able to keep her feeling under control, but when her heart lurched every time she saw him, she wasn’t sure if it was love she was feeling, or fear.
Before the lunchtime rush had stared, Dolly marched out of the kitchen, followed by Bernie. Her stance was stiff, her face red with anger. ‘Alice, come here,’ she yelled. ‘I want to talk to you.’
Bernie took Pearl’s arm. ‘Stay down this end for a while and out of the way.’
At first Pearl couldn’t hear what Dolly was saying to Alice, but then her voice rose to a roar. ‘Don’t take me for a fool, girl! We’ve been in this business too long and know all the tricks.’
‘It wasn’t me,’ Alice cried. ‘It must have been Pearl.’
‘No, lady, don’t try to pass the buck. My husband knew that money was going missing and it didn’t take him long to work out who was dipping in the till. We’ve a good mind to call the police and have you done for thieving.’
‘No. Oh, please don’t do that.’
Dolly’s hands flapped, her temper high. ‘Get your coat and get out. I don’t know how you got references from your last job, but you certainly won’t get any from me. In fact, I’ll make sure that word passes in the area that you’re a thief.’
White-faced, Alice grabbed her coat from the hook. She took her bag from under the counter, and then Pearl’s mouth gaped as Alice almost flung her out of the way in her haste to leave.
She regained her footing as the door crashed shut, Bernie shaking his head. ‘Alice thought she could take us for mugs, Pearl, but I knew what she was up to.’
‘What