Coming Home to the Four Streets by Nadine Dorries (books that read to you .txt) 📗

charged and so the clandestine meetings had begun at the back of the Anchor pub, behind the bins. They’d sit on the wall at the back of the bottle dump and Jimmy talked whilst Mary listened. He told her about all the bread vans he had robbed and the parties he had catered for in the four streets.

‘No one would ever have had a party if me and Callum couldn’t run so fast,’ he’d said and told her of how they were behind all the shop deliveries which had gone missing, the minute the driver stepped into the shop and took a cup of tea. Jimmy wooed her, he impressed her, he stole her heart and, when he’d kissed her for the first time, she never wanted him to stop. In those six blissful weeks before Deirdre caught them kissing in the back-entry, Mary had fallen hopelessly in love with Jimmy O’Prey.

They managed one more meeting before Jimmy was sentenced. She had Malachi to thank for that too. ‘He wants to meet you at the back of the Anchor right now, he has summat to tell you,’ he’d whispered so no one could hear and then shouted, ‘Chase me, Mary, bet you can’t catch me!’ and then run out of the back gate. After a startled moment, Mary had set off after him. She didn’t care what happened next, or even if Deirdre came running after her – Jimmy had sent for her.

Callum had been standing with Jimmy, waiting for her, under Annie’s instructions. ‘I don’t want Deirdre Malone in here again, giving me hell, so don’t let him out of your sight,’ she had ordered Callum. ‘That woman makes me laugh, she does, never out of Cindy’s, all high and mighty – she’s Maura Doherty without the brains, that one, and her daughter is lucky that our Jimmy paid her a moment’s attention. The cut of the girl! She isn’t even pretty, a right plain Jane.’

Mary had been irritated that Callum remained with her and Jimmy and didn’t move into the Anchor. As if he could read her thoughts, Jimmy had said, ‘Would you look at him, he’s me bodyguard. Taking me for my last pint, or so he thinks.’

Jimmy had laughed and Callum respectfully turned away, but not before he apologised, saying, ‘Sorry, Mary. I’ll be waiting by the back door, Jimmy.’ True to his word he’d ambled across the backyard and stood in the doorway with his hands in his pockets, looking as though he would rather be anywhere else.

‘Callum thinks I’m going down tomorrow,’ Jimmy had told a stricken Mary, ‘but I’m not. I always manage to wind the jury around my little finger.’

Jimmy hadn’t kissed Mary within sight of his brother; instead, he’d turned to her and flicked her ponytail, saying, ‘I’m sorry for all the trouble I’ve caused you, Mary. My mam gave out something wicked after your mam went to see her. And I mean, Jesus, it wasn’t like we were official or anything, was it? I mean, we was both only having a bit of fun. It’s the nineteen sixties – you’d think it was the dark ages the way your ma carried on.’

Mary had gasped, his words like an arrow that pierced her heart. Not official? But she thought that they had been. He had asked her to come to the house when Annie was out at the bingo, had kissed her a hundred times and she could remember every one. Not official?

‘If – if they… How long will you be gone for…?’ She’d had no idea what to say next, shocked by his disowning all that had passed between them as just a bit of fun.

‘Oh, don’t be worrying about me.’ He’d been looking towards the door of the Anchor, obviously wanting to get away to the bar. ‘If I do go down, it won’t be for more than a year at the most.’

She’d tried to speak, but the rock that had lodged in her throat stopped her.

‘Come on, Jimmy, let’s go inside before you get Mary into any more trouble. Mary, your da, he’d be down here if he knew.’ And Callum had walked over and taken his brother by the elbow to lead him away.

‘Will I wait for you?’ she’d asked, but she was speaking to Jimmy’s back. He hadn’t so much as touched her. The pub door opened and Jimmy had been swallowed by the noise and the smoke.

Callum had marched over to her. ‘Mary, go home,’ he’d said and she felt instantly ashamed of the tears that were rolling unchecked down her cheeks. ‘He’s my brother, but he’s a baddun, he’s half-mad and everyone knows it. There’s no taming Jimmy. Go and find yourself a nice fella, one who deserves a lovely looking girl like you.’

And as Callum had walked away, her humiliation was complete when Malachi and some of his friends appeared above the wall and her brother had called out, ‘Our Mary’s been chucked, our Mary’s been chucked,’ and they all ran away, chanting. That had been over a year ago and still there was no sign of Jimmy’s return, and every day she waited.

*

Malcolm walked out of the post office to find Biddy waiting outside. ‘Did you send it?’

‘I did and I have the receipt to prove it, here, look.’

Taking the sheet of paper from his hand she opened it out and read aloud, ‘Awaiting your arrival. Please advise. Will inform Ena. Jerry Deane needs a favour. Is that it?’

‘It is and he will know exactly what it means. I don’t mind doing this, Biddy, but I’ve told you, not a drop of it is coming anywhere near the Seaman’s Stop.’

Biddy didn’t answer. She would cross that bridge when they reached it.

‘I think it might rain,’ he said, looking up at the sky.

‘I hope not,’ said Biddy. ‘I hate the rain, I do. It gets into my bones.’

Malcolm looked at her with concern; Biddy was the closest he had to a mother