GRACE SMILED AT the man seated at the table. ‘More tea?’
‘You’re an angel from heaven, to be sure. Isn’t she an angel?’ he asked Sally.
She glared at him then cast her aunt a tight smile.
‘Oh, go on with you.’ Grace laughed, flapping a hand. ‘You Irish. Charm the birds from the trees, you would.’
‘’Tis both a blessing and a curse, Mrs Boslam.’
Grace laughed again and Sally rolled her eyes. For fifteen minutes, she’d had to force smiles and make small talk with this man. What he was doing here, she didn’t know. He had no right turning up like this.
Initially, the accent didn’t register and she’d been petrified, believing Joseph had tracked her down. Before she could ask what in the world he was doing here and how he’d found her, her aunt appeared at the door. Grace had taken an instant shine to Con Malloy; his easy smile and charming ways made it difficult not to. When he explained that he and her niece were friends, she’d invited him inside for a sup to ‘thaw him out’, much to Sally’s exasperation.
Grace had been anxious to hear how her morning had gone but, unwilling to discuss her business in front of a near stranger, she’d said they would talk later. While Grace brewed tea, she’d taken the baby into the next room to feed him but not before throwing Con an angry look. He, however, had merely smiled.
Her annoyance grew when his deep brogue drifted through, telling her aunt of their previous meetings. Grace’s responses showed she was suitably impressed and by the time Sally rejoined them, the smooth-talking Irishman had well and truly won her over.
Now, as Grace made to refill his cup again, she’d had enough.
‘Aunt Grace, I think it’s time Con was leaving. I must get back to work.’ To him, she added stiffly, ‘I’m sure you have business to be getting on with. Please, don’t let us keep you.’
His slow smile appeared. Taking Grace’s hand, he kissed it soundly. ‘’Twas a pleasure meeting such a grand woman as yourself, Mrs Boslam.’
‘And you, lad. You’re welcome any time. A friend of my Sally’s is a friend of mine.’
Sally dropped a kiss on to Jonathan’s head and passed him to Grace. Then taking Con’s elbow, she steered him to the door.
‘Your aunt’s a sound woman, so she is. Was the colleen in the bed your cousin? I didn’t like to say inside but she looked mighty poorly.’
She remained silent until they reached the entry, where she halted and glared up at him.
‘What the hell do you think you’re playing at? What are you doing here? How did you find me?’ He answered with his slow smile and her anger rose. ‘What is it you find amusing? That you twisted my aunt around your finger? That you managed to track down a woman, for God alone knows what reason, whom you barely know? Look, I’m grateful for your assistance last week but—’
‘You’re even more beautiful when you’re angry, acushla.’
‘I am not your acushla! I don’t know what your intentions are but I can assure you—’ He wrapped his arms around her and kissed her hard, smothering her rant. She was so shocked, she couldn’t move. However, he drew her closer and her senses returned like a thunderbolt. She sprang back as though he’d scorched her. ‘How dare you!’
He ran a hand through his hair, his breathing heavy. ‘I shouldn’t have done that. Forgive me. I just … I don’t know what it is about you. From the moment I saw you standing on the platform in Bolton, looking so lost, so vulnerable, I felt something in here.’ He tapped his chest. ‘I always did have a soft spot for a damsel in distress.’
His smile stirred but when her face remained stony, it died. ‘I remembered you telling the cab driver to take you to Boslam Street. I asked around but no one had heard of you. I was about to give up when I caught sight of ye rushing through this here entry. I wanted to get to know you, find out more about you. I hoped that seeing me again, you’d—’
‘I’d what? What did you expect I’d do, Con? Throw myself at your feet? I certainly wasn’t wrong when suggesting you need a bigger cap.’
‘No, Sally, I—’
‘We spoke no more than several words last week. I never expected to see you again. Then today, I find you lurking in the shadows. It’s all a little … odd. I don’t know a thing about you.’
He reached out tentatively and took her hand. ‘Give me a chance. Get to know me, as I want to get to know you. I’m nothing special, Sally, ’tis true, but … Please, can’t we at least be friends?’
She sighed. Hope creased his eyes and Sally found herself softening. Despite her experience of men, she felt no fear with this one, feeling comfortable in his presence from the moment they met. ‘Well, maybe we could be friends …’ she heard herself say.
His face spread in a grin. ‘I’d like that, Sally. I’d like that very much.’
‘Let’s forget today and start afresh, shall we? If you’re free, you may call again on Sunday. Now, I really must get to work. I only started this morning; it won’t look good if I’m late back. Oh, and Con?’ she added over her shoulder.
‘Aye?’
‘Don’t ever creep up on me again. I don’t like it.’
Still smiling, he nodded, and she set off.
Hurrying through the streets, uncertainty tugged at her. She touched her lips. Would agreeing to be friends give him the wrong idea? He was nice, and there was no denying he was handsome, but after Joseph … She could never feel that way for any male. He’d warped her perception of men for ever.
One with floppy black hair and grey-blue eyes flashed in her mind and she realised that this wasn’t entirely true. She had felt something, with him.
She still did.
Three pairs of eyes gazed from Tommy to the table.
‘Eeh, the silly girl. The silly, silly girl. Why the bloody hell didn’t she keep it for herself and the babby?’
‘She insisted, Mam.’
‘But how did she get away with taking all this? How did Joseph not notice?’
‘She didn’t tell me the ins and outs, just said she buried coppers away over the years.’
His father ran a hand over the mound of coins. ‘I can’t fathom it. If she worked so hard saving this up, why leave it here, with thee?’
Tommy pulled out a chair and sat down. Excitement flowed through him when Shaun traced a finger over a shiny penny. God willing, this would change his life. ‘This here brass is for you,’ he murmured. ‘Every penny, every copper coin, it’s all for you.’
‘Aye, very funny, our Tommy.’
Grinning, he turned to his mother. ‘You remember the morning Sally left, when you came down and we were already up?’ Her lips tightened into a thin line and he continued quickly, ‘I said, didn’t I, that I couldn’t sleep? It were because I had matters on my mind.’
‘What matters?’
‘Our Shaun. It’s no secret he loathes the pit, Mam. I were sitting here racking me brains forra way to help him. Sally came in and … well, we got talking. She wanted to repay thee for taking her in. When I told her of our Shaun’s talent, that I were going to try and secure him an apprenticeship, she offered to help. As tha knows, they might require a premium, then there’s his tools—’
‘You wanted to do that?’ Shaun cut in, brown eyes shining. ‘You both wanted to do that? For me?’
‘Aye.’
Ivy covered her mouth, her own eyes bright. ‘That lass. What an angel. She got one over on that divil, all right. Eeh, the clever girl.’ She shook her head. ‘All that morning … over breakfast, on our way to catch the carrier’s cart, she never said a word.
‘Mind, now I think back … Assuming she were potless, I gave her a few coins for her fare and there were a definite twinkle in her eye as she took them. Why the bugger didn’t she say owt?’
‘She knew you’d not accept. We planned how she’d let you pay the cart so you’d not suspect,’ Tommy admitted, winking. ‘She said to tell thee to take the fare, and whatever it’s cost for her stay, out of this.’
‘Eeh, you pair of sneaky swines. Well, nowt needs taking for her stay. She hardly cost us a thing; she had the appetite of a swallow.’ Her face was suddenly serious. ‘’Ere, she kept some aside for herself, didn’t she? This ain’t all the money she had, is it?’
‘Nay. Don’t fret, Mam.’
As she squeezed his hand, her voice was tender. ‘You’re a good lad, son.’
His smile came with deep guilt. This had quelled her suspicions regarding him and Sally, he could see it in her eyes. How wrong she was. He wanted her more than ever.
‘Can you believe this, Shaun? God willing, we’ll get thee apprenticed somewhere, eh?’
Face set like stone, Shaun pulled from her embrace.
‘Lad?’
‘This is a dream, in’t it? I’ll waken in a minute and it’ll be morning, time for work down that bloody pit. Things like this don’t happen, not to folk like me.’
‘Oh, lad.’ She took his face in her hands. ‘Now you listen to me. Thanks to that lovely lass, you’re getting out of that pit and you’re going to make summat of yourself, d’you hear? It’s real, lad. It’s real.’
Shaun laughed brokenly. Then he jumped up and punched the air.
As the trio chattered excitedly about the future, Tommy smiled. It warmed his heart something lovely to see them happy. And it was all down to Sally. Sweet, beautiful Sally. George Turner’s words returned to haunt him. He glanced at his mother, debating whether to tell her, but decided against it. This was Shaun’s moment and he wanted him to enjoy it. He wouldn’t wipe the joy from their faces.
Dolly assaulted his mind but he hastily pushed her out. He couldn’t think of her; the guilt was unbearable. Earlier, he’d lingered by her cottage for an age but couldn’t bring himself to knock at her door. When he returned home, his mother had asked if she’d agreed to come to dinner and though he’d felt terrible lying to her, the tale concocted on the way back slipped easily from his tongue.
He’d told her Dolly couldn’t come, she was needed at the dairy. To his relief and shame, Ivy believed him.
It would have been torture; he’d have been unable to pretend all was well. Yet there was another reason he hadn’t invited Dolly – he wouldn’t be here. When he finished work on Saturday, he was going to Manchester.
He didn’t have a clue where in Ancoats Sally’s aunt lived, but he’d find out. He’d have gone this very second, walked if he must, but it was impossible. He couldn’t miss work. His family’s reliance upon his wage was too great.
What excuse he’d use, he didn’t know, but he was going. He had to warn Sally. He had to see her. Nothing, no one, would stop him.