He looked down on the little man, and although the twilight was bringing with it an icy blast Joe was sweating. He now said in some agitation, ‘Let’s get out of this crush.’
‘Anything you say, Joe. Where you makin’ for now?’
‘I’ve got to go up Mile End Road.’
‘Another message?’
‘No, no.’ The little man now turned on him and, his tone for the first time really nasty, he said, ‘An’ there’s one thing I’m gona tell you. Whatever comes of this you’d better not let on ’cos . . . an’ I’m not funnin’, Mr Connor, with what I’m about to say, but things could happen, aye, things could happen.’
‘I’ve no doubt of it, Joe.’
‘Don’t be funny, Mr Connor.’
‘I’m not being funny, Joe, believe you me. Things are happenin’ all the time along the waterfront an’ I should imagine in Plynlimmon Way an’ all. Now, you know me, Joe, I’m as good as me word. If I’ve owed you a couple of bob in the past you’ve got it, haven’t you, with a bit tacked on? And I’ve never had a win on a race but I’ve seen you all right, haven’t I? And I haven’t got a loose tongue either. So look, Joe.’ He stopped and bent down to the little man. ‘All I want from you is to get me set on in a decent school.’
‘They go in for big stakes, Mr Connor.’ The little fellow’s voice was quiet again.
‘That’s what I want, Joe.’
‘But you haven’t got that kind of ready. You couldn’t start in some of them under ten quid, an’ that’s so much hen grit.’
‘You say some of them, there must be a few who start on less. I’ll come to t’others later on. Aye, Joe, the big ones, I’ll come to them later on, but in the meantime . . .’
The little man blinked, gnawed at his lip, looked down to the cobbles on which they were standing, as if considering. Then his eyes narrowing, he squinted up into Rory’s face, saying conspiratorially, ‘There’s one in Corstorphine Town I might manage; it’s not all that cop but they can rise to five quid a night.’
‘It’ll do to start with, Joe.’
‘An’ you’ll say nowt about?’ He jerked his head backwards.
‘No, Joe, I’ll say nowt about . . .’ Now Rory imitated Joe’s gesture, then added, ‘Until you take me in there.’
‘That’ll be the day, Mr Connor.’
‘Aye, that’ll be the day, Joe. An’ it mightn’t be far ahead.’
‘You worry me, Mr Connor.’
‘I won’t get you into any trouble, Joe, don’t you worry.’ Rory’s tone was kindly now.
‘Oh, it isn’t that that worries me, it’s what’ll happen to you, if you take a wrong step. You don’t know this game, Mr Connor.’
‘I can play cards, Joe.’
‘Aye, I’ve heard tell you can. But there’s rules, Mr Connor, rules.’
‘I’ll stick to the rules, Joe.’
‘But what if you come up against those who don’t stick to them, Mr Connor?’
‘I’ll deal with them when I come to them, Joe. Now this place in Corstorphine Town.’
‘What time is it now?’ Joe looked up into the darkening sky, then stated, ‘On four I should say.’
‘Aye, on four, Joe.’
‘Well on seven, meet me at the dock gates.’
‘Seven, Joe, at the dock gates. Ill be there. And thanks.’ He bent down to him. ‘You won’t regret it. I’ll see to you, you won’t regret it.’
Once again Rory watched the little man hurry away, his feet, like those of a child, almost tripping over each other. Then almost on the point of a run himself he made for home.
When he entered the kitchen Jimmy stared at him, exclaiming almost on a stutter, ‘I told them—’ he indicated both his mother and Lizzie with a wave of his hand—’I told them you met a fellow an’ you were going to . . . to see the turns.’
‘So I am, but it was so bloomin’ cold walkin’ around waiting, he’s gone home for his tea. I was going to ask him up but thought the better of it. But I wouldn’t mind something.’ He looked towards Ruth. ‘I’m froze inside and out. I’m meeting him at seven again.’
‘Aw—’ Jimmy smiled broadly now—’you’re meeting him at seven? And you’re going to see the turns?’
‘Aye, we’re going to see the turns.’
As Lizzie, walking into the scullery, repeated as if to herself, ‘Going to see the turns,’ Rory cast a hard glance towards her. She knew what turns he was going to see; you couldn’t hoodwink her, blast her. But Ruth believed him. She came to him now, smiling and saying, ‘Give me your coat and come to the fire; I’ll have something on the table for you in a minute or so.’
He grinned at Ruth. He liked her, aye, you could say he loved her. Why couldn’t she have been his mother? Blast the other one. And blast his da. They were a couple of whoring nowts. Aw, what did it matter? He had got his foot in, and Jimmy would get his yard, and he and Janie would be married and they would live in that house overlooking the water. And Jimmy would build up a business and he would help him. Aye, with every spare minute he had he’d help him. He knew nowt about boats but he’d learn, he was quick to learn anything, and he’d have his game and he’d have Janie. Aye, he’d have Janie.
It did not occur to him that he had placed her after the game.
3
All the while she kept looking from one to the other of them, but they remained smilingly silent. Then she burst out, ‘But the money! You’ve got the money to buy this?’ Flinging both arms wide as with joy she gazed about the long room.
‘Well—’ Rory pursed his lips—’enough, enough to put down as a deposit.’
‘He didn’t get in till six this mornin’.’ Jimmy was nodding up at her, and she turned to Rory and said, ‘Gamin’?’
‘Yes. Yes, Miss Waggett, that’s what they call it, gamin’.’
‘And you won?’
‘I wouldn’t be here showing you this else.’
‘How much?’
‘Aw well’—he looked away to the side—’almost eleven pounds at the beginning, but’—he gnawed on his lip for a moment—’I couldn’t manage to get away then, I had to stay on and play. But I was six up anyway when I left.’
‘Six pounds?’
‘Aye, six pounds.’
‘And this place is costin’ thirty-five?’
‘Aye. But five pounds’ll act as a starter. Jimmy’s goin’ to get the address of the son and I’ll write to him the morrow.’
There was silence between them for a moment until Rory, looking at Janie’s profile, said, ‘What is it?’
‘The waterfront, it’s . . . it’s mostly scum down here.’
‘Not this end.’
She turned to Jimmy, ‘No?’
‘No, they’re respectable businesses. You know, woodyards, repair shops, an’ things like that. An’ there’s very few live above the shops. There’s nobody on yon side of us, an’ just that bit of rough land on the other. Eeh!’ he laughed, ‘I’m sayin’ us, as if we had it already . . .’
‘What do you think?’ Rory was gazing at her.
‘Eeh!’ She walked the length of the room, put her hand out and touched the chest of drawers, then the brass hinges on the oak chest, then the table, and lastly the rocking chair, and her eyes bright, she looked from one to the other and said, ‘Eeh! it’s amazing. You would never think from the outside it could be like this ’cos it looks ramshackle. But it’s lovely, homely.’
‘Look in t’other room.’
She went into the bedroom, then laughed and said, ‘That’ll come down for a start.’
She was pointing to the hammock, and Rory answered teasingly, ‘No. Why, no. Our Jimmy’s going to swing in that and we’ll lie underneath.’