‘I feel sorry that Fran didn’t find herself someone like you,’ Tilly muttered against his arm. She felt his muscle flex beneath her cheek as he happily registered her compliment. Then a few of his fingers sank into her hair, tilting up her head so their eyes collided.
‘You don’t want to go sweet talkin’ me, Til,’ he growled, his eyes alight with amusement. ‘Not unless you’re prepared for a bit of a lie down in the middle o’ the afternoon.’
She went on tiptoe and kissed him full on the mouth. ‘That’s all yer getting,’ she warned, sliding a teasing finger between their lips. ‘We got one swollen belly in the family ‘n’ that’s enough fer me …’ She gave a squeal as Jack tried to wrestle away the hand fending him off. A moment later they’d broken apart and Tilly was rolling up her sleeves and stacking crockery in the bowl.
‘Got a job, Dad,’ Alice announced proudly as she came into the front room. She’d been up the road to the shop with Lucy toddling at her side. Now she put tea and bread on the table and lifted her little sister onto the bed to rest her little legs.
‘More doorsteps?’ her dad asked interestedly. ‘Ain’t you got enough chores to do on a Saturday morning, Al?’
‘And that reminds me,’ Tilly butted in, clattering cups. ‘Beth can take on your doorsteps now you don’t want them, Al. Don’t let nobody else take ’em on. Beth’s plenty old enough to be doing more’n running old Beattie’s errands for a few coppers.’
Alice nodded then resumed her conversation with her dad. ‘I’ve got a proper job. At the toy factory, working full-time.’
Jack laughed. ‘You’re not old enough to work full-time in a factory.’
‘She’s old enough. She got offered the job,’ Tilly said firmly, her eyes clashing on her husband’s. ‘She starts Monday.’
Jack stared in disbelief. ‘She only turns thirteen tomorrow,’ he spluttered. ‘What about school?’
‘She’s finished her schoolin’,’ Tilly stated. The deed was done and it was staying done, no matter what Jack said. ‘She’s learned enough … all she needs to know. Now she’s working.’
Jack looked thoughtfully at Alice and for a moment said nothing. ‘You alright with that, Alice?’ he finally asked.
Alice grinned. ‘Yeah, I’m alright with it, Dad. Can’t wait to tell Sarah. She’ll want a job as well. But I got the last one, I think. I turned up right on time, just as Tina Baker told Mr Wright she was leaving.’
‘Well, what d’yer know … Keivers had a bit of good luck for a change,’ Tilly muttered wryly.
On Monday morning Alice was up bright and early even though she didn’t need to report to Mr Wright’s office till eight-thirty. He’d said that straight off he’d introduce her to the forelady in charge of her section. She needed to be shown what to do on the first day and get used to the machinery. She’d probably do packing to start while she learned the ropes, he’d told her.
Alice dressed in her good skirt and clean white blouse and was tying back her dark hair neatly when Sophy opened the door.
‘Forgotten something?’ Tilly demanded to know why Sophy had returned home. She’d only set off for work about fifteen minutes ago.
‘Feel bad, Mum,’ Sophy explained faintly. ‘I can’t go to work. Ain’t up to it. I came home ’cos I feel like I’m gonna pass out.’ Sophy rubbed at her belly and grimaced in pain.
Having studied her eldest daughter’s face Tilly decided she wasn’t pulling a fast one. She did look a strange colour. ‘Get yourself in bed for an hour or so then.’ Tilly impatiently flapped a hand at the back room. ‘But you’d better do a shift this afternoon. Y’know your dad’s scraping around for decent work now Basher’s put him off.’ In a temper Tilly started grabbing plates and cups and banged them into the tin bowl. ‘You got yourself into this mess, my gel, you’ll just have to put up with the consequences. Hard lesson to learn, ain’t it!’ she shouted as Sophy slipped away into the back room.
‘I’ll do that, Mum. I’m not leaving yet.’ Alice offered, knowing that her mother was angry with Sophy because of her lost pay and hoping to smooth things over a bit.
Tilly shoved the bowl across the table towards Alice. ‘You can do it ‘n’ all. I’ve got better things to do. Sophy, you watch out for Lucy ’cos Alice’s got to go to work soon.’ Tilly bawled that out as she grabbed her coat then barged out of the door.
Alice smiled at her little sister who was sitting in the middle of the bed. Lucy held out her arms to be picked up and Alice went to her to give her a cuddle. ‘I’m goin’ to work, Luce,’ she whispered into her soft brown hair. ‘And when I get me first pay I’m gonna buy you a present. A big bun?’ she suggested, widening her eyes at her little sister.
‘Chips,’ Lucy said, having removed her thumb from her mouth.
‘Right, chips it is,’ Alice chuckled. At twenty months old her little sister was bright as a button, especially where something nice to eat was concerned. ‘Then when I’m old enough, ‘n’ I’ve got me own place, you can come ‘n’ live with me, Luce. Would you like that?’
Lucy solemnly moved her head up and down, her eyes clinging to Alice’s face, her thumb again between her lips.
A loud groan made Alice swing about with Lucy in her arms. Swiftly she plonked the child back on the mattress and rushed in to the back room. She found Sophy doubled up on the bed edge. ‘What’s up?’ she demanded as Sophy retched dryly.
‘Don’t know …’ Sophy gasped. ‘I never had the bellyache like this when I was feeling sick before.’
‘Lie down,’ Alice said and went to try to get Sophy’s legs up on the bed.
‘Don’t want to,’ Sophy moaned and flicked Alice away. ‘I hate that Danny Lovat for this,’ she sobbed. ‘It’s all his fault. He don’t even care. He ain’t even tried to see me, or asked how I am, or nuthin’.’
‘Shut up about him,’ Alice hissed. A knot of fear had formed in her chest for Sophy did look very queer. ‘Just lie down; you’ll feel better,’ she added desperately as Sophy began to wail.
This time Sophy took her sister’s advice and gingerly moved her legs up to the bed edge.
‘What’s that?’ Alice breathed.
‘What?’ Sophy croaked, trying to lift her head from the pillow.
‘There’s wet all over yer skirt. Look.’ Alice pointed at the darker mark on Sophy’s brown skirt. She peered closer then tottered back a bit in shock. ‘Think it’s blood; think you’re bleeding.’
Sophy struggled up and, with an appalled expression, tried to twist about to see the stain Alice had mentioned. Her searching hand encountered the warm, wet place and she drew her palm away covered in crimson. At that moment another cramping pain made her groan.
‘What is it?’ Alice demanded, scared. She knew it couldn’t be Sophy’s time. She knew her mum had calculated from Sophy’s missed monthlies that the baby would be born about July or August. It was only the end of March. ‘Baby can’t be coming, it’s not ready yet.’
The girls looked at each other with panic in their eyes as they remembered what had happened to Aunt Fran when it was her time and there’d been blood everywhere. They knew their Aunt Fran had almost died, she’d been so sick.
‘It can’t be the baby. Ain’t big enough.’ Sophy ran her trembling hand over her small mound of a belly. ‘It must be me monthlies. I’m not pregnant after all,’ she gasped and winced. ‘They must all be coming together ’cos it never hurt like this before or come