Josephine Cox 3-Book Collection 2: The Loner, Born Bad, Three Letters. Josephine Cox

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      ‘I was just thinking. Is there anything I can do for you?’

      Joseph shook his head, cleared his throat and thanking Lenny for his gracious offer, he answered with a smile, ‘The only thing that can ease my pain is for my family to be here.’ Though, after five long years alone, he had come to believe that neither Davie nor Don would ever come this way again.

      Before emotion overwhelmed him again, he quickly changed the subject. ‘Well then, young fella-me-lad,’ he asked brightly, ‘How’s the business doing?’

      ‘It’s good,’ came the proud answer. ‘At long last I’ve taken on an assistant. She’s hard-working and honest as the day is long.’

      Joseph was duly impressed. ‘An assistant, eh? And who might that be?’

      ‘Annie Needham – and before you say anything, she’s changed. She’s not so bold and loud as she was. In fact, she seems to have grown up, all of a sudden. She came and asked me for a job on the stall, and I said I’d give her a week’s trial. She worked like a trooper, and the customers really seem to like her. So I’ve made the job permanent. She helps me with the stall, she collects and delivers when I’m off buying, and if I need her to, she’ll get stuck into the accounts, and from what I’ve seen I’d trust her implicitly.’

      ‘Well, I never! And she’s not disappointed you at all?’

      ‘Not so far, no.’

      Joseph was pleasantly surprised. ‘At one time, Tom Makepeace forbade Judy from having owt to do with Annie. Said as how she was too keen on the menfolk, and the few times she came here with Judy, you could hear her halfway down the street. Gob on her like the Mersey Tunnel, folks used to say.’ But for all that, he had taken a liking to Judy’s friend. ‘If she’s changed as you say, then it can only be for the best.’ He chuckled. ‘One thing’s for certain, it couldn’t get any worse!’

      Lenny admitted, ‘I was nervous about taking her on at first. But she proved me wrong. In fact, I don’t think I’d have got a better assistant if I’d scoured the whole of Lancashire. I can take off and deal with other things and leave her in charge, and when I come back, everything’s in order and everything accounted for.’

      Joseph congratulated him. ‘That’s wonderful news, lad. Well done, the pair of you.’ He could always give credit where credit was due.

      ‘I’ve got some other news that’s even more wonderful.’ Leaning forward, as though to avoid anyone else hearing what he had to say, Lenny lowered his voice. ‘I think I’ve managed to swing it at last,’ he confided excitedly. ‘I’ve discussed a deal with the owner of that shop in the high street I mentioned the last time we chatted. The bank manager is right behind me, and so long as nothing comes along to clobber it, the deal is good as done.’

      Joseph was thrilled. ‘Aw, lad, that’s grand … bloody grand!’ He shook Lenny by the hand. ‘An’ it’s no more than you deserve …’ Laughing out loud, he tipped the rest of the brandy into Lenny’s tea. ‘This calls for a celebration,’ he said. ‘Here’s to you, son – and may you go on to own a chain o’ greengrocers right across Lancashire!’

      ‘I’ll drink to that.’ Raising their mugs of tea, they clanked them together and downed the drinks in one go.

      They talked awhile about the new shop. ‘Once I’ve got the lie of the land, I plan to sell gift-wrapped baskets of fruit. I’ve just started selling them on the stall and they’ve increased my profit no end,’ Lenny said proudly.

      Joseph told him, ‘If you keep on like this, I’ve no doubt you’ll be a millionaire one day.’

      ‘That’s what Judy said,’ Lenny said wistfully. ‘I told her how badly I wanted the shop, but she doesn’t know I’ve managed to do the deal.’

      Joseph had long imagined Lenny and Judy making a go of it together. ‘It would be good if you could find someone to share it all with, don’t you think?’

      ‘Yes, that would be good.’

      ‘So … have you found a sweetheart yet?’

      ‘Not yet, no.’

      ‘What about the girl you took out last weekend – her from Leyland Street?’

      Lenny shook his head. ‘She was good company, but that’s all.’

      ‘So, there’s still nobody you like enough to put a ring on their finger?’

      ‘No, there’s nobody special,’ Lenny sighed. ‘I’ve dated a few girls, but it never comes to anything serious.’

      ‘Ah, well!’ Joseph was no fool. ‘That’s because you’ve only got eyes for young Judy.’

      Lenny blushed. ‘How did you know that?’

      ‘’Cause I’ve seen you!’ the old man retorted. ‘When she comes round to pay me a visit, you never tek yer eyes off her. Mesmerised, you are!’ He gave a cheeky wink. ‘Mind you, I’m not surprised, ’cause she’s a real lovely lass.’ He nudged Lenny in the ribs. ‘Why don’t you ask her out?’ he suggested mischievously. ‘Tek her to the pictures or summat.’

      Lenny’s eyes lit up. ‘If I did ask her, d’you think she’d say yes?’

      ‘Who knows?’ On the occasions when Joseph had seen these two young people talking and laughing together, they were more like mates, with Judy seemingly content to leave the relationship as it was. But it was a well-known fact that a girl could always change her mind. ‘If you don’t ask her, you’ll never know,’ he warned. ‘Anyhow, what have you got to lose?’

      ‘Her friendship, maybe.’ Lenny was afraid of taking that first real step. ‘I don’t want her to turn away from me altogether.’

      ‘Aw, lad … she would never do that.’ Joseph was certain of it. ‘In life you meet all sorts o’ folks,’ he told Lenny now. ‘Them as mek a good pretence o’ being friendly, an’ them as are friends to the last. Judy is a true friend. Through thick and thin, she would never turn away from you.’

      Being made to think about it, Lenny was of the same opinion. ‘You’re right!’ he said. ‘I’ll ask her out, and if she says no, we’ll just go on as before, being friends.’ All the same, he would never lose hope that one day she might come to care for him, in the same way he cared for her.

      ‘That’s the spirit, lad. Tek the bull by the horns and see how it goes, eh?’ Old Joe smiled. ‘I recall when I were a soldier boy, fighting in Northern France, I had eyes for only one lass. She were more interested in me mate Wally, but I persevered, and I got her in the end. Brought her back home to Blackburn, I did. We never had a quiet marriage, mind. Oh dear me, no! It were up one minute, down the next, and there were many times when I wished I’d never got me self into it. But I did, ’cause I loved her, d’you see? An’ for all her faults, I never stopped loving my Marie.’

      He knew what a keen fisherman Lenny was. ‘Going after a girl is a bit like being an angler,’ he went on. ‘You throw out a line, hoping the fish will bite, and you might land it safely. Another time you could throw out umpteen lines and still go away empty-handed.’

      He tapped the end of his nose СКАЧАТЬ