Tommy told his tale, of rough seas, of harsh weather, of seasickness and of the difficulties of preparing food for the seamen when the ship was rolling and dipping in gigantic troughs.
‘I thought I was going to die time and again,’ Tommy said. ‘But ’other seamen just laughed at me. They said it was onny a capful of wind. They stood on deck singing, the gale blowing in their faces, and there I was, on my knees, puking up green bile.’ He shuddered. ‘I thought if I came out of it alive I’d never go near a ship again.’
Then Mattie and Nan told jointly of their suspicions of Lena and Albert and of the confirmation when Mattie saw Mrs Spivey working in Mazzini’s. ‘I couldn’t work out how they were selling ’goods until I saw her. Then ’penny dropped.’ Mattie grinned. ‘She’s known all over the old town,’ she said. ‘She’s only just nicely out of jail for thieving. Now she’ll be back in and with some company. Lena and Albert are wanted in York, Huddersfield, Bradford and Bingley. Lena pretends that she’s a widow and searches out for somebody on their own in businesses like yours, Mr Mazzini. That’s what ’constable told me, anyway. And not just men,’ she added. ‘Apparently she’s pilfered from women too. She takes a house and fills it with stolen goods, and then moves on before anybody realizes what’s going on. Albert isn’t even her son,’ she said. ‘He just works for her. He’s her lookout, an accomplice. And by the way,’ she murmured. ‘The police found some bottles of laudanum.’
Poppy nodded. ‘Mrs Thomas told me that she thought he was taking it. She said she could tell from the way he was behaving.’
Joshua was bewildered. ‘I still don’t see what Mrs Thomas had to do with anything. Did she know Lena?’
‘No, that was just it! She didn’t know her. And Mrs Thomas knows just about everybody,’ Mattie said. Her eyes were sparkling and Poppy thought that maybe Mattie hadn’t had such excitement in her life before. She glanced at Tommy who was leaning on the counter with his chin in his hands, watching and listening to the animated Mattie.
‘But ’only reason Mrs Thomas got involved was because she was that mad about her bread!’ Mattie continued. ‘She said she’d been coming to Mazzini’s for years, so she was really peeved when Lena as good as told her she could go elsewhere. She was only too pleased to find out where Lena’s house was and what she was up to!’
‘Mattie told me what was going on.’ Tommy picked up the tale. ‘So we decided that before I came home I would keep watch. I saw Albert taking goods into their house and so I informed ’police. They put police officers in civilian clothing on watch, and with their own eyes they saw Lena and Albert taking bags of provisions out of our shop and transferring them to their house. They guessed that they would be moving on soon when they saw Albert talking to a York carrier and money changing hands!’
‘And we guessed, Ma and me,’ Mattie said, ‘that it would be tonight, cos Lena knew that Mr Mazzini was going to see Poppy in ’pantomime.’
The doorbell jangled and they all turned. ‘Is this a private party or can we come in? We smelt the coffee.’ A crowd of performers came through the door. Aladdin, Abanazer, Widow Twankey and Miss Gosse were there, and it was Fred Vine who asked the question.
‘Come in. Come in!’ Joshua welcomed them with open arms. ‘Welcome to Mazzini’s. We’re having a celebration.’
‘In honour of your daughter?’ Miss Gosse asked. ‘Her performance was wonderful.’
‘And of my son,’ Joshua beamed. ‘I’m going to change the sign above the shop to Mazzini and Son! We shall redecorate and restock—’
‘New tablecloths?’ Poppy added.
‘Curtains?’ Nan suggested. ‘These ones are faded.’
‘What about a theatre theme?’ Miss Alice Maiden who played Aladdin asked, getting into the spirit of the conversation.
‘Yes!’ Fred Vine agreed. ‘Paint this wall like a stage, with drapes and say a palm tree.’
‘A clown!’ Poppy laughed. ‘And a juggler!’
‘Whoa!’ Joshua said, glancing at Tommy who was making more coffee, whilst Mattie was searching in tins for biscuits, but finding only a few. ‘Tonight, coffee is on the house.’
The theatre performers cheered. It wasn’t often they were given something for nothing, one of them remarked.
‘But I want you to tell everybody in ’theatre world that Mazzini’s make ’best coffee and cakes you’ve ever tasted.’
‘But we’ve not had any cake,’ said Abanazer, who was only a young man and very handsome. ‘How can we say it until we’ve tasted it?’
‘You will,’ Tommy said. ‘Come on Monday night and I can promise you cake!’
‘We can’t come on Monday night,’ said Miss Gosse. ‘We’ll all be going home for Christmas. But we’ll come again as soon as we can.’
After everyone had gone and the shop was closed, they cleared the tables, washed the coffee cups and made everything ready for the next morning.
‘Did you mean it, Pa? About redecorating and everything?’ Poppy asked.
‘Aye, I did,’ her father said. ‘We’ll have a clean sweep. Get rid of any trace of that woman and her so-called son.’
‘We’ll need some more help then.’ Tommy winked at Poppy before adding, ‘Unless our Poppy’s stopping at home.’
Poppy held her breath until her father said, ‘No, Poppy can’t stop: she’s got a career to make. She’s going to take singing lessons, did you know?’
Tommy shook his head. ‘So if Poppy isn’t staying, I vote that Mattie comes to work here – if you will, that is.’ He glanced at Mattie, who was sweeping up crumbs from the floor.
She straightened up, her eyes bright. ‘If you’ll have me, Mr Mazzini. I’d like to.’
Joshua hesitated. ‘I can’t pay as much as you’ll get at ’mill,’ he said. ‘But you could have extras like bread, and your dinner here.’
She beamed at him. ‘I’ve been stood off at ’mill,’ she told him. ‘There’s no guarantee that they’ll take me back after Christmas.’
‘So how’ve you been managing?’ Joshua turned to Nan. ‘What have you done for money?’
She gave a little shrug. ‘I’ve allus been a good manager,’ she said. ‘Ever since I was widowed. I had to be. I’d a child to bring up and no man to support me.’
‘Will you come back?’ he asked humbly. ‘It’s not been ’same since you left.’
Poppy felt a sudden joy. She could go away without any worry if Nan and Mattie were here. They wouldn’t cheat or steal; they’d only work for the good of Mazzini’s. Then she felt a little prickle of merriment. She’d noticed covert glances between Mattie and Tommy, each looking at the other when they thought they weren’t aware of it. Oh, what if, she thought. Just suppose! Yes, of course. Mattie is sweet on Tommy. She wouldn’t admit it, of course. She’s always had that jocular manner to show that she was carefree and indifferent. What was she hiding? Poppy smiled to herself. A warm and loving heart, that was for sure.
Tommy walked Nan and Mattie home. His father had said that he would but Tommy insisted. When they had gone, Poppy and her father locked up the shop. Tommy had his own key again, but Joshua was going to have the locks changed, just in case Lena ever came back. ‘Shelves do look bare,’ he said. ‘I kept going over my books time and again, wondering why we weren’t making a profit. I never guessed that them two were robbing me hand over fist.’
‘Pa!’ Poppy said thoughtfully. ‘It’s nearly Christmas.’
‘Aye,’ he sighed, ‘I know, and there’s nowt ready. No pudding made, no goose ordered.’
‘Well, I was wondering,’ she said. ‘What about us having an Italian Christmas instead? We don’t have to have Christmas pudding. We’re part Italian, after all!’ She told him of eating at the Marinos’ restaurant. ‘And we can invite Nan and Mattie, can’t we?’
‘Well, yes, of course. It’s to be expected. They’ve allus had their Christmas dinner with us.’ He rubbed his chin thoughtfully. ‘I wonder what Lena had in mind? Do you think she’d have stayed over Christmas if she hadn’t been rumbled?’
Poppy shook her head. She couldn’t imagine what Lena had in mind. Something devious, no doubt. ‘And another thing, Pa. Could we invite Miss Maiden? She plays Aladdin. And Abanazer, as well. They neither of them can get home in time for Christmas and then back for Boxing Day.’
‘Why not?’ Joshua said. ‘We’ll eat in here.’ He looked round the shop. ‘Plenty of room – put ’tables together. And,’ he added, ‘I’ll invite Mr and Mrs Chandler. They’ll be on their own with Charlie away.’
‘Yes,’ Poppy said softly. How wonderful it would be if Charlie came home for Christmas. It would make everything just perfect.
Tommy agreed, and was all for having a different Christmas dinner. ‘Let’s have wild boar instead of goose,’ he said, when Poppy put it to him the following morning. ‘That’s if Brown’s can get it for us in time. Wild boar with apple,’ he said. ‘Mmm. Wild boar with apples and rosemary, and onion soup flavoured with cinnamon to start. Yes, I’ll enjoy doing that. I’ll have to think about a pudding, though.’
‘Can you do that, Tommy? Really?’ Poppy was amazed at her brother. He had been so reluctant to cook before he’d gone to sea, yet now he was brimming with ideas.
‘Well, you see, I enjoyed doing the cooking. I was given the ingredients and had to make what I could of them. What I didn’t like was being seasick and not being able to eat any of the food I’d cooked. But the men all seemed to like what I gave them.’ He pondered thoughtfully. ‘There were days when I felt so ill that I mixed up all kinds of things that I wouldn’t normally have done. But no-one complained.’ He laughed.
Tommy made a batch of bread on Monday morning, and whilst Poppy was appearing in the matinee on Monday afternoon he trawled round the town buying ingredients for the Christmas dinner. Mattie and Nan came to help in the shop.
‘I’m giving in my notice at ’King’s Head,’ Mattie announced to Joshua. ‘I’d rather work here at Mazzini’s of an evening. But Ma will stay on for ’time being, and give up her mornings at ’wash-house.’
Joshua was troubled over Nan working at the King’s Head and walking home alone, especially at this time of year when drunks might be roaming around. ‘I’ve allus done it,’ she said, when he mentioned it. ‘It’s what I did before Mattie started working with me.’ She smiled at him, gratified by his concern. ‘Besides, Mattie has to walk home from here. She can’t expect to be escorted by Tommy like we were the other night. Don’t worry,’ she said. ‘It’s what we’re used to.’
‘I wish I could come and see you in ’pantomime,’ Tommy said to Poppy when she slipped home for an hour after the matinee.
‘Oh, so do I,’ Mattie said. ‘Ma said how lovely you looked and what a grand show it was.’
‘Well, why don’t you both go?’ Joshua said. ‘It’s quiet in here on a Monday night. I can manage.’
Tommy and Mattie looked at each other. ‘I don’t know,’ Tommy said doubtfully. ‘You might get busy.’
‘Folks will wait. What would I have done if you hadn’t come home?’ Joshua argued. ‘And anyway, I’m going to shut up ’shop for a week in ’New Year while we get decorated.’
‘A week!’ Tommy exclaimed. ‘We won’t need as long as that. I can paint; I can do ’walls and windows.’
‘And I’ll help,’ Mattie said, suddenly anxious that she might not get any wages if the shop was closed.
‘No!’ Joshua was adamant. ‘We’ll have it done right and you two can order new stock and think on what we’re going to do in ’coffee shop. So,’ he continued, ‘you can take tonight off because once we get busy there’s no knowing when you’ll be able to take time off again.’
‘Good.’ Poppy smiled. ‘So I’ll see you both later. Will you wait for me after the show?’
‘I can’t go, Tommy,’ Mattie whispered to him later when they were alone. ‘I only said that I’d like to go. But I’ve no money, and besides, I’m too shabby. I don’t have a coat fit to be seen in. Not for going to watch Poppy at ’Grand.’ Not for going out with you, she thought.
‘You’re fine as you are, Mattie,’ he told her. He hadn’t noticed her clothes before, but now he saw that her skirt was faded and worn. ‘Tell you what, then,’ he said. ‘We’ll go up in ’gods. Nobody up there has much money so they’ll not notice us.’
‘I wouldn’t want you to be ashamed of being with me, Tommy,’ she raised her chin defiantly. ‘Your sister’s a star. You should be at ’front where everybody can see you!’
A slow flush suffused his face. He was eighteen and his feelings for Mattie were changing. She’d always been a pal, someone to have a joke with, but she was so spirited, so bold and confident, she could have any man she wanted. And did, according to Charlie, but Tommy wasn’t sure he believed him. Charlie tended to exaggerate at times.
‘I’d never be ashamed of being with you, Mattie,’ he said. ‘It’s more likely to be ’other way round. Why would anybody want to see me? I’m nobody! Who’d notice me?’
‘Plenty of lasses, I’ll tell you that for nowt,’ she said softly. ‘A good catch, that’s what you are. Mazzini’s son!’ Her lips curled into a mild taunt. ‘Still, if you’re with me it might make some of ’em jealous,’ she quipped. ‘Then you’d have your pick!’
He sighed. There was no getting the better of her. ‘Do you want to come or not?’ he asked.
‘All right.’ She shrugged. ‘If you like. But I’ll pay for myself.’
Poppy was booked to play for only a week after Christmas, but the pantomime would continue without her. When she arrived at the Grand she saw that her name had been put up on a board as a special attraction. Local girl stars as Lambent Flame. One week only. Miss Poppy Mazzini! She felt a frisson of excitement when she saw it. Was this what stardom was about? Seeing your name at the front of the theatre!
The audience wasn’t as large as it had been on Saturday as most people were preparing for Christmas. Boxing Day would be busy as children were taken to the pantomime as a treat. But it was a good evening for trying out extra humour, some of it immodest, especially on the part of Widow Twankey who had difficulties holding up her under-drawers. There were numerous allusions to the town of Hull and its citizens, particularly the councillors and notables of the town, which the crowd loved, jeering and cheering by turns.
‘That’s it, then! Happy Christmas.’ Some of the performers dashed away to catch a train home and would return on Boxing Day; others, including Aladdin and Abanazer, would stay in the town for Christmas Day and make what merriment they could.
‘See you tomorrow,’ Poppy called to Miss Maiden, and Mr Vaughan who played Abanazer. ‘Come early.’
They thanked her and said that they would, and she made her way to the front of the theatre where Tommy had said he and Mattie would wait. The lights had been dimmed but she could see two figures waiting by the door. ‘I’m coming,’ she called, and saw Tommy swing open the door into the foyer.
‘Poppy!’ Mattie said softly. ‘There’s—’
‘Did you enjoy it?’ Poppy smiled. She hadn’t yet come down from the euphoria. Everyone had been elated and good-humoured, probably because it was almost Christmas.
‘Look who’s here!’ Tommy grinned. ‘What a surprise. Who would have guessed?’
Poppy stood still, her lips parted. Hadn’t she wanted this above anything else? Christmas would be perfect after all.
‘Hello, Poppy,’ Charlie said, his eyes searching her face to discover her response. ‘You were magnificent!’