Coronation Day. Kay Brellend

Чтение книги онлайн.

СКАЧАТЬ look. He took a peer in the biscuit box Matilda had stuck under his nose and selected a digestive. ‘Pikeys got a right good kicking, Mrs K …’ He blushed. ‘No offence, o’ course …’ He’d just remembered that Matilda’s second husband, Reg Donovan, had been a didicoi. And she also seemed fond of the Murphy family.

      ‘My Reg knew what he was,’ Matilda said with a fond smile, settling down at the table opposite her nephew. ‘You lot better make sure you keep yer wits about you if there’s punches getting thrown. Make sure yer dad keeps out of it,’ Matilda told Christopher, wagging a finger close to his face. ‘Stevie’s getting on a bit and shouldn’t be getting into scraps with younger men.’

      ‘Don’t you let me dad hear you say that, ’cos he still reckons he’s a bit of an ’andful, y’know.’ Joking aside, Christopher knew his aunt was right; his father should steer clear of getting involved in the worsening feud. But, worryingly, Stevie was allowing himself to get wound up by the Irishmen, and Declan O’Connor in particular.

      ‘Must be bleedin’ hard on you, having to work with them close by, but just ignore ’em best you can.’ Having given her concise advice Matilda drank some tea. ‘Wage packet at the end of the week’s what matters.’

      ‘Right ’n’ all, Mrs K,’ Ted stoutly agreed, and helped himself to another biscuit out of the box on the table.

      A quiet descended on the musty room and Matilda turned up her paraffin lamp as it was a gloomy late afternoon. She twiddled the knob on the wireless set and some Light Programme music increased in volume. ‘Was listening to them talking about the Coronation Day plans just as you knocked,’ she explained. ‘Prince Philip’s the Chairman of the Commission doin’ all the arranging. It’s a while off till the big day but I’m reckoning on us all having a good old knees-up next June. Time’ll fly by till then.’ She paused, looked reflective. ‘Don’t seem five minutes since the old king died but it’s well over a month since he took his final journey to Windsor. All done for him now, God rest him.’

      Christopher and Ted murmured agreement.

      ‘Speakin’ of George, bless him, I never told you, did I, that I went up to the palace on the day of his death,’ Matilda suddenly announced. ‘I stood around by the gates with all the other people. Should’ve seen the crowds up there! Couldn’t hardly get a foot on the pavement for somebody bumping you off again. Very sad atmosphere, it was; men and women crying their eyes out. Got a bit tearful meself, I don’t mind admitting. Lots of cars were going in and out of the gates …’ She broke off her rattling description to exclaim, with an emphasising thump on the table, ‘Guess who I saw there! Surprised me, I can tell you!’

      ‘Well, it weren’t the king,’ Ted weakly joked then fidgeted in embarrassment.

      Christopher glowered at him. Like the majority of people, himself included, he knew Matilda was fiercely proud of late King George and wouldn’t appreciate tasteless mockery. ‘Who did you see?’ he asked his aunt.

      ‘Shirley Coleman and her daughter, Grace. They’d gone there as well to pay their respects.’

      ‘Thought the Colemans had gone to Suffolk,’ Christopher remarked, dunking his digestive in his tea.

      ‘No! They moved to Surrey. Grace and her brother Paul got evacuated there to a farm. Then Shirley went that way ’n’ all to live close to them when Wilf joined up.’

      ‘Oh … right,’ Christopher said and took a gulp from his cup.

      ‘Anyhow they’re back living in Tottenham … White Hart Lane way. And Grace’s got a good job in the City as a typist.’

      ‘What about old man Coleman?’ Ted joined the conversation. ‘Old Wilf were a bit of a miserable git as I recall. Used to play knock down ginger on him, didn’t we, Chris?’ He leaned forward to give Christopher’s arm a nudge. ‘Not that he ever stirred hisself to open the door. It was always his missus chasing us up the road, weren’t it?’

      ‘Oh, Wilf died some years ago. Never recovered from his war injuries, so Shirley said.’

      The two young men exchanged a suitably solemn look.

      ‘Pretty girl, she is.’ Matilda gave her nephew a wink. ‘I remember you brought her here once or twice.’ She chuckled to herself. ‘She seemed surprised to know I still live here.’

      ‘Everybody’s surprised to know you still live here, Aunt Til,’ Christopher returned dryly.

      ‘Suits me,’ Tilly returned brusquely but with a twitch of a smile. After a silence she added, ‘You two look smart.’ She studied her nephew and his friend. They were both wearing sharp dark suits. But it was Christopher who redrew her admiring glance, and not just because he was her kin. He had a tall, muscular frame that suited the outfit whereas Ted was short and overweight.

      The Wild men had always been handsome; even Chris’s evil, long-departed grandfather, Jimmy, who Matilda had despised, had been a looker in his day. Christopher’s lean, angular face, deep brown eyes and thick dark hair got him a lot of attention from the girls. In fact Matilda was surprised he hadn’t been snapped up long ago. But her great-nephew seemed in no rush, at twenty-four, to give up life as a bachelor, even though some of his friends were now settling down.

      ‘Where you off to then, all dolled up?’ Tilly asked.

      ‘Me ’n’ Ted ’n’ Vic are going to Harringay Stadium then to the Starlight Rooms,’ Chris explained.

      ‘Don’t you go wasting yer money!’ Matilda mockingly rebuked. ‘You know I don’t hold with drinkin’ ’n’ gamblin’!’

      Christopher grinned at that. It was common knowledge in the family that his great-aunt Matilda had been a very heavy drinker and a bookie’s runner in her time.

      Christopher drew out his cigarettes and offered the pack to Ted. He knew his aunt had never smoked, which he found quite a surprise as she’d had plenty of other vices. Having lit up and taken a long drag he settled back. ‘Any more tea in that pot?’

      ‘Make a fresh lot if there ain’t,’ Matilda offered, giving the pot a shake.

      Christopher was aware of his friend slanting an irritated look at him. Ted was eager to get going and Chris was equally eager to get shot of him. In fact he wished Ted hadn’t accompanied him to his aunt’s because he’d wanted to speak to her in private about something. But Ted could be thick-skinned, and not easy to shake off, when he had nothing else to do.

      ‘Why don’t you get off now, mate? I’m stopping a bit for another cup of tea with me Aunt Til. Didn’t realise it was getting on.’ Christopher very obviously checked his watch.

      ‘Yeah … will do,’ Ted mumbled. He’d had enough sitting around in Matilda’s shithole. He got up with much shaking of his trouser legs and polished his shoes on the backs of his shins. ‘See yer then, Mrs K. Thanks fer the biscuits.’

      ‘Mind how you go, son,’ Matilda called as he closed the door. ‘What’s on your mind, Chris?’ she asked as soon as they were alone.

      Christopher darted a look at her and shrugged, thinking she could be too cute and blunt at times. His aunt had realised straight away he had an ulterior motive in getting rid of Ted, but he’d not yet worked out how to go about things. What he wanted to talk about had always been a taboo subject in their family. ‘Just wondering СКАЧАТЬ