Mary Ann and Bill Read online

‘She did?’

  ‘Yes. Come on, hurry, ’cos we’ll miss the bus else.’

  They raced round the side of the building, through the wooden gate that was laced with wire-netting, and to the woodshed, and when they released Bill he showed his thanks by bounding around them until David grabbed his collar and, pressing on his hindquarters to keep him still, said, ‘Now look; you behave yourself and we’ll take you out the night, eh?’ He wanted to rub his face against the dog but refrained. But Rose Mary, dropping onto her hunkers, cupped the long snout in her hands, and as she bent to kiss it the slobbering tongue covered her face in one stroke from chin to brow, and she almost fell over laughing.

  When they ran to the gate Bill galloped with them, but when he realised he wasn’t going to be allowed through he stood up on his hind legs against the wire-netting and howled. He howled and he howled until gradually he tired and then he reduced his howling to a whimper before turning forlornly away to investigate the open area.

  He found it a place of little interest, except for the wooden walls of the garage out of which a number of quaint smells oozed, none of them very alluring. The investigation over, he returned to the gate and discovered that if he kept to one side of it he could see occasional activity on a small patch of road fronting the garage. It was as he lay gazing in this direction, and bored to extinction, that he saw coming towards him an apparition which brought his body springing upwards. When the apparition reached the other side of the gate and pressed its nose against the wire-netting and so touched his, the effect was like an electric shock. It shot up his bony muzzle, along his spine and right to the end of his tail, where it recharged itself and retraced its path.

  Bill hadn’t seen one of his own kind since he had left his family, and now he was being confronted by a female. That she wasn’t of his own breed, nor yet could lay claim to being a thoroughbred didn’t trouble him. He couldn’t have cared less that she wasn’t a simple cross between a poodle and a terrier, and that obvious other breeds could be detected in her ancestry; to him she was the most fascinating creature he had encountered so far in his young life, and urges, entirely new to him, were acting like crossed wires under his coat, for ripples of delight were darting off at tangents through every part of his body.

  He said a breathless, ‘Hello,’ and she answered with a cool, ‘Hello’. And then she indicated by turning her back on him and taking a few steps from the gate that she wouldn’t mind if he accompanied her.

  There was nothing Bill wanted more at this moment than to accompany this witch, and when she returned to the gate, squatted, and gave him absolute proof of her feeling for him, there arose in him a blind fury against the barrier between them, and nothing or no-one was going to prevent him from breaking it down. To this end he got his teeth into the bottom strand of the wire-netting and he pulled, and he tugged and he bit while the temptress walked up and down on the other side of the gate giving him encouragement in the way she knew best.

  When Bill had made a hole big enough to get his head through the lady walked away again, and when she realised he wasn’t following she stood looking at him in some disappointment; then, like many another lady before her, she suddenly got fed up with the whole business and trotted off.

  Bill, now working with intensified fury, enlarged the hole, and with a wriggle he was through. Like lightning he was on the garage drive, then on the road, and across it. He pulled up once to sniff at what was left of a thorn bush, which confirmed that she had passed this way, and then he was running amidst the tangle of building material, cranes, grabs and lorries …

  Mary Ann was feeling somewhat better this morning, though not exactly light in heart; she would never feel like that again until Miss Blenkinsop decided to take a position elsewhere, and as things stood she couldn’t see her doing that. But last night Corny had been his old self and he had assured her that in the whole wide world she was the only one that mattered to him, and she believed him. But that was last night, in the darkness, with her head buried on his chest; this morning, in the stark light of day, and the time approaching ten minutes to nine when Miss Blenkinsop would be arriving, bringing her car on the drive with a flourish and pulling up, with a screech of brakes, at the garage door, she wasn’t so sure. Anyway madam would be disappointed this morning, for it would be Jimmy who would take her car and park it in the garage, because Corny had gone into Shields on business.

  Even knowing that she wouldn’t witness Corny greeting Diana Blenkinsop as he did most mornings, Mary Ann found herself standing to the side of the front-room window which overlooked the drive. She wondered what madam would be wearing this morning; perhaps a miniskirt. No, she wouldn’t dare wear a miniskirt, not with her height.

  The drive was empty of cars and people, and after a moment Mary Ann’s gaze was drawn across the road and to a section practically opposite the window, where last week they had started to excavate the land prior to building an underground car park beneath one of the factory shops. The excavations had reached the point where the hole was about twenty feet deep. On the edge of it a grab was working. At present it was stationary. Her eyes were passing over it when they were brought leaping back to take in a black and white figure standing on top of the grab itself.

  Bill! No, it couldn’t be, he was in the yard. But…but there was only one Bill, there could only be one Bill hereabouts and that was him. He had got out. Then something happened that caused her to push up the window and yell at the top of her voice, ‘Stop it! Stop it!’

  As she ran down the stairs she could still see the wide grin on the grab operator’s face as he leant from the cab pointing out the dog to his mates, and even before he pulled the lever gently to set the grab in motion Mary Ann had known what he was about to do.

  When she reached the driveway she saw the grab swinging into mid-air, with the petrified dog clinging with its two front paws to one of the supporting chains, while its hind legs slithered here and there on the muddy surface of the lid. The operator was doing it for a laugh. If he opened the grab the dog would fall between the lips, but he was just having a laugh and the men on the rim were guffawing loudly.

  ‘Stop it! Stop it this minute!’ She was below the cab now yelling up at the man. ‘You cruel, sadistic devil, you! Stop it, I tell you.’

  ‘What do you say, missis?’

  The grin was wider now.

  ‘You heard what I said. You’ll hear of this. That’s my dog.’

  ‘He’s all right; he’s just havin’ an obstacle put in his way, he’s after a bitch. He’s all right.’ The man flapped his hand at her.

  ‘You’ll be far from all right when my husband finishes with you.’

  ‘Oh aye? Just make the appointment then, missis, just make the appointment. Tell him any time.’

  ‘Stop that thing.’

  ‘I’d better not, missis. Better get it to the bottom, break his neck else. Would you like his neck broke?’

  When the grab hit the bottom of the hole she watched Bill fall off into the mud, then make an attempt to crawl out of it. But the harder he paddled the more he stuck.

  ‘Oh, you’re a horrible swine. That’s what you are, a horrible swine.’ There were tears in her voice as she yelled, not only at the crane man now but at the men standing further along the rim. Then before anyone knew what she was up to she was slipping and sliding down the wet clay face of the hole.

  Mary Ann wasn’t aware of the scene behind her now, but a man in a trilby hat and leather jacket had come up to the crane demanding, ‘What’s this? What’s up?’

  ‘Aw, it was just a joke.’

  ‘A joke?’ The man bawled. ‘What’s that woman doing down there? What’s this anyway?’

  ‘The dog was on the grab,’ one of the men put in sheepishly, ‘and Sam let him down.’

  ‘You did what!’ The man looked up at the operator.

  ‘He’s not hurt. He was just sitting there and I set it moving.’

  The two men stared at one another for a mom
ent; then the man in the trilby hat said, ‘I’ll bloody well set you moving after this.’ Then going over the rim himself, he reached Mary Ann just as she fell flat on her face in the quagmire with Bill in her arms.

  When he pulled her to her feet he said, ‘Give him here.’ But Bill refused to be parted from Mary Ann. His whole body quivering, he clung on to the shoulder of her dress and as the man’s hands came on him he made a pitiful sound and Mary Ann gasped, ‘It’s all right, I can manage him.’

  ‘Look; you’ll have to let me help you; you can’t walk in this.’ Without further words he put his arm around her waist and lifted her sucking feet from out of the mud, and like a mother carrying a child on her hip he bore her to the far side of the hole where the ground was comparatively dry, then mounted a ladder that had been laid against the sloping ground.

  When he reached the rim he put her on her feet and steadied her, saying, ‘There, there; you’re all right.’

  ‘Th-thank you.’

  ‘’Strewth! We’re in a mess.’ He knocked lumps of mud from his jacket, then added, ‘Somebody’ll pay for this. Come on.’

  As they walked back around the perimeter of the hole he said, ‘You’re Mrs Boyle, aren’t you? Used to be Shaughnessy?’

  ‘Yes. Yes, that’s right.’

  ‘You don’t remember me? Aw well, it’s not the time to press an introduction. You’d better get yourself into the house and get that stuff off you, and him.’ He nodded towards Bill who was still clinging tenaciously to Mary Ann’s shoulder.

  Mary Ann looked at her rescuer. She didn’t remember ever having seen him before; but then his face was all bespattered and his clothes were in a similar plight to her own, which made her say, ‘I think you need cleaning up an’ all. Would you like to come inside? You’re about the same build as…as my husband, you could have a change of clothes if you like.’

  ‘Well, that’s very nice of you. I wouldn’t mind getting out of this clobber at the moment.’

  When they came to the grab the operator was busily at work, as were his mates, and the man muttered, ‘I’ll see to them later.’

  There were two other people who had witnessed the incident, Jimmy and Diana Blenkinsop. Jimmy, his long face stretched even to a greater length, said, ‘Eeh! Mrs Boyle, you shouldn’t have gone down there.’

  Diana Blenkinsop gave a little laugh, and she said, ‘You have got yourself into a mess, haven’t you? He would have got out on his own you know; he comes of a very tenacious breed.’

  ‘AND SO DO I!’ said Mary Ann, pausing slightly before arching across the road, followed by the man.

  When they reached the drive he said under his breath, ‘Friend of yours?’

  ‘What do you think?’ She glanced sideways at him, and he grinned back at her, and the grin stirred a faint memory in her mind. She had seen him before but she couldn’t place him.

  After scraping their feet on the scraper let into the wall, she led the way upstairs, and on the landing she pointed to a door, saying, ‘That’s the bathroom. There’s plenty of hot water. I’ll bring you some clean clothes as soon as I get the thick off.’

  ‘Don’t hurry.’ He was grinning again. ‘And I think you’d better start on the bold boy first; if you let him down he’ll leave you some trademarks.’

  ‘Yes, you’re right.’ She laughed at the man. She liked his voice, his easy manner. He was nice.

  In the scullery, when she attempted to put Bill into the sink he dug his claws into her shoulder again and hung on to her, and she stroked his muddy head with her equally muddy hand and said, ‘It’s all right. It’s all right, I won’t hurt you.’

  When finally she had him standing in the sink he sat down quite suddenly as if his legs would no longer support him, and when he looked up at her and made a little whining sound she laughed again and said, ‘It’s all right, I’m not going to drown you.’

  When he was clean she put him inside the fender and, pressing him firmly downwards, commanded sternly, ‘Now stay. Stay. I’ll be back.’ Then she scrambled into the bedroom, whipped some clean things for herself out of the wardrobe, together with a shirt and old trousers and a coat of Corny’s, and going to the bathroom door called, ‘I’m leaving the things outside.’

  The voice came to her cheerily, ‘Righto. Thanks. Thanks a lot. I could stay in here all day.’

  As she heard the swish of water she smiled and hurried into the scullery again, and there she stripped her clothes off, washed her face, legs and arms in the sink, and got into her clean clothes; and she was in the kitchen again before a tap came on the door.

  When he entered the room she looked at him and laughed with him as he said, ‘All made to measure. Would you believe it? Except that your man’s a bit longer in the leg than me, we must be of a size.’

  ‘You are.’ She nodded at him. ‘Would you like a drink of something? I’ve got the kettle on.’

  ‘Now that’s very nice of you, but I should be getting back, that lot will be having a holiday knowing I’m out of the way for five minutes…On the other hand, they’ll be expecting me to blow me top and are likely playing wary, so yes, thanks, I’ll take that drink.’

  He sat down by the side of the table and as she went into the scullery he called to her, ‘His nibs has settled down all right, not a peep out of him.’

  ‘I think he’s still suffering from shock,’ she called back.

  ‘Well, aye, it would be a shock to the poor little beggar to find himself whisked into mid-air like that. That Fred Tyler’s an empty-headed nowt, if ever there was one. If it had been his mother on top of the grab he would have done the same. By the way, don’t you remember me?’

  She came to the scullery door and stared at him. Yes, yes, she had seen him somewhere before. He was a very attractive looking fellow; black hair, deep brown eyes, squarish face, well built.

  ‘Fillimore Street. You know, behind Burton Street and Mulhattans’ Hall. We used to live next to the Scallans, the daughter who married Jack McBride. They were Salvationists, and old Fanny nearly went barmy.’

  ‘Murgatroyd!’ Mary Ann was pointing at him, her finger wagging. ‘Yes, yes, of course, Murgatroyd. Johnny Murgatroyd, of course.’

  ‘I used to chase you round the back lanes and try to scare the wits out of you.’

  She laughed widely as she recalled the big lanky fellow swooping down on her from the street corner when she was returning from school; especially would he swoop on St Patrick’s Day, because she was green and he was blue.

  She brought the cups of coffee to the table, and as she sat down she said, ‘Well, well, after all these years, and you’ve got to rescue me as an introduction.’

  ‘Aye,’ he said; ‘funny that. Pity the TV cameras hadn’t been there, it would have caused a laugh him going down on the grab,’ he nodded towards Bill, ‘and the three of us then slithering on our bellies.’ He jerked his head at her and paused before saying, ‘You should make up a song about that an’ all.’

  Her eyes widened, but before she could say anything he said, ‘Oh, I know quite a lot about you; I thought that song you made up for Duke and them was really fine.’

  ‘You know Duke?’

  ‘We live next door to him in Jarrow.’

  ‘It’s a small world.’ She shook her head.

  ‘You’ve said it. By!’ he said, ‘They’re a lot, that group. I don’t know why Jimmy strings along with them. Me mother’s threatened to get the pollis time and time again. They come back from a do on a Saturday night—or a Sunday morning—and start raising the place. Drums, guitars, mouth organs, the lot.’

  ‘You live with your mother?’ Her head was bowed enquiringly towards him. ‘You’re not married?’

  For reply he jerked his chin upwards; then running his hand through his hair he said, ‘Nearly came off two years ago, but she changed her mind.’

  ‘I’m sorry.’

  ‘Oh, don’t be.’ He was grinning again. ‘She’s got a bairn now and she goes about like something the
cat dragged in. Talk about counting your blessings; it nearly made me go to church the last time I saw her…’

  They were laughing uproariously when the door opened and they both turned and looked at Corny.

  Mary Ann got to her feet, saying, ‘You’ve missed it all. This is Johnny Murgatroyd. He…’

  Corny came forward, saying, ‘Jimmy’s told me something of it. It was very good of you.’ His voice had a slightly stiff note to it.

  Johnny Murgatroyd was on his feet now, his hand extended. ‘Oh, that’s all right. It was a sort of reintroduction. We know each other; brought up back to back so to speak. I used to chase her when she was a nipper.’

  ‘Oh, yes.’ Corny gave a weak smile; then looked from the fellow’s coat to his trousers; and Mary Ann said, ‘We were covered from head to foot in slime. I’ve lent him your things. That’s all right, isn’t it?’

  ‘Oh aye. Yes, yes.’ He nodded his head airily; then looking towards the fireplace, he asked, ‘How did he get out?’

  ‘Don’t ask me; I haven’t had time to investigate that yet. But there’s one thing certain, it’s frightened the life out of him.’

  Corny was on his hunkers by the fender and he stroked Bill’s back, saying, ‘All right, old chap?’ but Bill made no move towards him.

  ‘He’s shivering.’ He looked up at Mary Ann.

  ‘I had to wash him and, as I said, he got an awful shock and I think he’s still frightened.’

  ‘Well, I’d better be on me way.’

  They both turned towards Johnny Murgatroyd. ‘If you could give me a sheet of paper to put round my old duds I’d be grateful.’ He smiled at Mary Ann and added, ‘Then I’ll see to somebody taking over from me and dash home and make a change and let you have your things back.’ He nodded at Corny now, and Corny said, ‘Oh, there’s no hurry.’

  ‘Good job we’re much of a build.’ Johnny’s engaging grin widened, and Corny said, ‘Aye, it is.’ He stared at the man, he was about an inch shorter than himself but of a thicker build and good-looking in a sort of way. He was the kind of fellow that women would fall over their feet for.