‘What’re you going to do about it, little boy?’ Louisa jeered but she didn’t sound so confident now and her grip on Sophy’s hair loosened a bit.
‘Well, I don’t usually hit girls, but you’re so big ‘n’ ugly I’m gonna make an exception.’ Danny didn’t respond by as much as a blink to the laughter his comment produced. ‘Let her go, fatso, ‘n’ piss off home. Or I’ll have to make you.’
Louisa considered herself to be a bit of a rough handful. She wasn’t going to let a kid who might still be at school make a monkey out of her. Shoving a flat palm against Sophy’s skull, she sent her tottering backwards to crash to the ground. She then turned to swing a left at Danny that barely connected with his shoulder as he swayed like a pro. Quite gracefully he then stepped back in and floored her with a single punch on the chin. It was obvious he’d put little weight behind it and, after a stunned moment, the crowd showed its appreciation with a smattering of applause before dispersing.
Alice rushed to Sophy to try and get her up off the ground. She noticed that a clump of her sister’s hair was straggling on her shoulder where Louisa had yanked it out. Before Sophy could see it Alice brushed it off and stamped her foot on top of it. ‘Where’s Sarah gone?’ Alice asked.
‘She scarpered after you went and left me with that maniac,’ Sophy sobbed. ‘She’s nutty, that Louisa. She needs lockin’ up.’
‘You alright?’ Danny asked gruffly and stuck out a hand to help Sophy.
‘Yeah … thanks,’ Sophy mumbled. She ignored his hand and sprang up in an ungainly jumble of limbs.
He shrugged and he and his brother were soon heading down the road.
‘Oi … you two … you can’t just go off like that,’ Alice shouted spontaneously after them.
The boys sauntered back and looked questioningly at them. ‘What d’you want, then?’
Alice flushed. Now they’d come back she didn’t know what answer to give. ‘What’s his name?’ She pointed at Danny’s brother, who was unconcernedly chewing as though he’d never hoisted her to safety from Louisa’s fat back.
‘Geoff,’ Danny said while Geoff gave Alice a long look.
‘And how d’you come to fight like that?’
‘I’ll have yer next time, yer bastards.’
Danny stuck two fingers up at Louisa without bothering to even glance her way. ‘Done boxin’ in Essex,’ he told Alice whilst looking at Sophy.
Sophy continued fiddling with her hair to try and tidy it, blushing furiously. She grabbed at Bethany’s hand and shushed her to stop her crying.
‘You get going home now, Beth. Sophy’s alright, see.’ Alice wiped her younger sister’s face clear of tearstains with her thumbs. Then she turned her about and gave her shoulder a little push to start her off home.
‘You got blood on your lip,’ Danny neutrally told Sophy.
‘Did you do boxing ‘n’ get paid?’ Alice asked interestedly, cuffing away her sister’s blood on her sleeve when she saw Sophy searching in vain for a handkerchief.
‘Yeah … sometimes,’ Danny replied. ‘Never saw no money though. The old man soon had any purses.’
‘Ain’t worth workin’,’ Sophy chipped in. ‘Never get to keep nuthin’. They always have it off you.’
‘Why d’you come here then?’ Alice asked. ‘Ain’t nothing worth having round here.’
‘Got in a fight with the landlord where we lived. Broke his jaw. He threw us all out then the coppers got involved when it all turned nasty.’ Danny saw Geoff frown at him as though warning him to hold his tongue. Danny shrugged in response. He didn’t see the point in trying to hide it. The Keivers knew they’d only have tramped miles because something serious had happened.
Alice’s eyes grew round. ‘Did your dad go mad at you for getting you all thrown out?’
‘Nah … was his fault. If he hadn’t borrowed money off the landlord none of it would’ve happened. Had the money for almost a year and never paid none back, y’see. Never could ’cos he lost his job when he done his foot in.’
‘How’d he do it?’
‘Cart fell on him down the market.’
‘You turned fourteen yet?’ Sophy asked shyly.
Danny nodded. ‘While back.’
‘You’re lucky. No more school,’ Sophy said wistfully.
‘You going to get work round here?’ Alice asked.
‘Soon as I can find something decent. Don’t want no dead-end errand-boy capers. Want me own business.’ Danny looked about with disgust in his eyes. ‘Then when I’ve got a few bob I’m moving on, going home to Essex. Can’t wait to get out of this dump.’
‘Me neither …’ Sophy and Alice chorused passionately.
Feeling quite relaxed in their camaraderie, Alice opened her palm and showed her half a crown.
Three pairs of hungry eyes darted to it.
‘Where d’you get that?’ Sophy gasped. ‘Mum never give you it.’
‘Uncle Jimmy did,’ Alice said. ‘’Spose I should give it back, ’cos I ain’t giving it to Louisa after what she’s done.’
Nobody said anything, they all kept their eyes pinned on the shiny silver coin.
‘Let’s go and get some chips.’ It was an impetuous decision. ‘You two can come ‘n’ all,’ Alice magnanimously said to Danny and Geoff.
‘When you was boxing did you get knocked out much?’ Sophy asked Danny before chewing on a chip.
The four of them were lined up, sitting on a low wall in Blackstock Road with scrunched newspapers filled with chips and meat pies nestled on their laps.
‘Reckon that’s insulting,’ Danny said, all solemn.
‘No … didn’t mean you weren’t no good, or nuthin’,’ Sophy blurted, and quickly turned to give him an earnest look. ‘Just wondered if you ever got injured, that’s all.’ The last thing Sophy wanted to do was start another row with Danny.
Danny and Geoff exchanged a look and laughed.
‘He’s winding you up,’ Geoff said easily and tipped his head back to swig from a bottle of pop.
‘Undefeated champion, weren’t I?’ Danny said, deliberately puffing out his chest to make the girls giggle. ‘Mind you, weren’t no reg’lar fights I got into. More like bare-knuckle street scraps where bets were took off the audience. Well-arranged, though, they were. Had to be, of course, ’cos the law would’ve put a stop to it if they’d found out. Could make fifty quid a night … sometimes more.’ He looked off into the distance. ‘Should’ve stuck with it. Might’ve got a backer who’d have took me pro. A couple of fellers showed an interest in managing me. But me mum wouldn’t have it. Said I was too young. Could’ve ended up like Kid Lewis ‘n’ made some real money if I still had them contacts.’
‘Could’ve ended up all bashed about ‘n’ all,’ Sophy lectured. ‘You’re lucky yer nose ain’t all squashed and yer ears shaped like cauliflowers.’
‘You sound just like our mum,’ Geoff said wryly and slid his brother a significant