counter, and when I started to leave it more often, she got greedy.’
‘Well, Bernie, that’s got rid of her,’ Dolly said as she joined them. ‘You’d better stick a card in the window again and let’s hope we don’t have a long wait before someone applies for the job. It’s a bloody shame. I liked the girl and still can’t believe that she was robbing us.’
‘She was at it, all right, and for a good few bob too.’
‘Huh, well, at least you caught her out. The trouble is it ain’t the first time and I doubt it’ll be the last. Finding staff we can trust isn’t easy.’
‘We’ve got a good one in Pearl.’
‘Yes, you’re right,’ Dolly said, her face softening, and touching Pearl’s arm she added, ‘Until we find another waitress, I’m afraid you’ll have to cope on your own again.’
‘I don’t mind.’
‘You’re a good kid and I’ll stick a bit extra in your wages again. In fact, we’ll give you a rise too. I know you’re only seventeen, but good staff are hard to find and we don’t want to lose you.’
Pearl was happy and relieved. She hadn’t really wanted to find another job and it would be awful to leave the Dolbys in the lurch. She liked working in the café, and as long as Kevin left her alone it would be fine, especially as she’d be earning more money.
When the costermongers began to arrive they showed no surprise that Pearl was covering the tables on her own. Waitresses came and went frequently in the café, but it was nice when some said they hoped she wouldn’t be joining the exodus. She was coping with the rush, but only just, and wondered how long they would have to wait before finding a replacement for Alice.
‘What happened to Boadicea?’ Derek asked during a lull.
Pearl leaned forward, saying quietly, ‘She got the sack for fiddling the till.’
‘Huh, I ain’t surprised. You must have been right about her pocketing your tips too.’
‘Yes, and maybe I should have told Bernie.’
Neither noticed that Bernie had left the counter and Pearl jumped when he spoke from behind her. ‘So, she was diddling you too, and yes, you should have told me.’
‘I … I’m sorry, but I was too frightened to accuse her without proof.’
‘I tried to keep an eye on her too, but couldn’t catch her at it,’ Derek said.
‘She was a fly one, that’s for sure, but don’t worry, the word’s already going round.’
Derek chuckled. ‘Talk about jungle drums. I doubt the girl will get another job in this area.’
‘One of the factories might take her on.’
‘Yeah, maybe.’
Pearl saw customers waiting and, leaving Derek and Bernie chatting, she went to take their orders. Soon after, Frank Hanwell came in, and as he took a seat their eyes met. She had another customer to serve before going to his table, but was soon by his side.
‘Hello, Frank, what can I get you?’
‘I’ll have the sausages, onion and mash. I’ve got a bit of good news too. Eric seems to be coming round. He’s talking to me again, and last night he let me tuck him into bed.’
‘That’s wonderful.’
‘It’s a step forward, but I wonder if we’ll ever see him smile again. He’s still unnaturally quiet, and he won’t go to school. Not only that, my old woman wants us to move out of the area. Eric won’t come near the market and she thinks it would help if we make a fresh start somewhere else.’
‘Maybe she’s right.’
‘I’ve lived here all my life, and the stall was handed down to me from my father. It’s all I know.’
‘There are other markets, Frank.’
‘Yeah, I suppose so, but it’s still gonna be hard.’
‘If it helps Eric, it’ll be worth it.’
He nodded, but then three other costermongers sat at his table, bringing the conversation to an end. The pace slowed a little after that, but each time Pearl passed Frank’s table, she couldn’t help noticing how distant and distracted he looked. The other men were chatting, but Frank was picking at his food, his eyes faraway. Five minutes later he called Pearl over and, as though talking to her earlier had sealed his decision, his voice was lighter as he spoke.
‘Bring us all a cup of tea, would you, love? I’ve got something to tell this lot.’
Pearl saw the puzzled glances that passed between the men but hurried to the counter, returning with the teas to hear Frank telling them that he was leaving the market. ‘My stall’s up for grabs. If you know anyone who might be interested in taking the pitch, let me know.’
‘Blimey, Frank, what brought this on?’ Charlie Slater asked.
‘Her indoors thinks that Eric needs to get out of this area, and I reckon she’s right.’
They all nodded in understanding, Charlie saying, ‘I know a decent geezer who’s after a pitch. How much do you want for it?’
Pearl moved away, her face showing her confusion as she went to the counter.
‘What’s up?’ Bernie asked.
‘Frank’s moving out of the area and is giving up his stall. There’s talk of someone buying the pitch, but I thought they rented them from the council.’
‘You’re right, they don’t own their own pitches, but it’s a busy market and a spot rarely becomes available. They’re like gold dust, so when one comes up, someone who’s willing to pay is tipped the wink.’
‘But surely anyone can apply to the council for the empty spot?’
Bernie chuckled. ‘Yeah, that might be how it’s supposed to be, but the costermongers have got unwritten rules the council knows nothing about.’
Pearl shook her head, still bewildered as she walked away, but the lunchtime rush was almost over and it was time to finish clearing the tables.
Feeling tired and washed out, Pearl was glad when her shift ended. She had an art lesson that evening, but still hadn’t managed to get a grip on seascapes. Her efforts at painting the ocean lacked depth, colour, movement, and though she had studied other paintings on the subject, her own attempts looked flat.
As she walked through the market she was frowning, hardly aware that she had reached Derek’s stall.
‘Cheer up, it might never happen,’ he quipped. ‘What are you looking so down in the mouth about?’
‘It’s nothing really. It’s just that I’ve got art classes this evening and my attempts at painting the sea are dreadful.’
‘I can’t believe that.’
‘It doesn’t help that I’ve never seen the sea.’
‘Blimey, we can soon fix that. I tell you what, I’ll take you down to Brighton on Sunday.’
Pearl’s eyes lit up. ‘Really? Oh, I’d love that.’
‘You might not be so sure when we get there. It’s nearly the end of November and it’s bound to be a bit nippy.’
‘I don’t mind. In fact I hope the sea is rough and the waves huge.’
Derek grinned. ‘You’re a strange one, Pearl. Most people want sunshine when they go to the seaside.’
‘Yes, but then the ocean would be boring. Oh, Derek, I can’t wait to see it,’ she cried, giving a little skip of delight.
He smiled again, and as a customer walked