Free Tuppence to Tooley Street by Harry Bowling Page A

her partner danced near to him. Kathy’s eyes met his, and she raised hers to the ceiling in anguish as her feet were stamped on yet again.
    Danny sipped his drink and looked around; everyone seemed to be with someone. Two girls who had walked into the party unescorted were now chatting happily with a group of young men. Danny began to wish he had stopped at home. The piano player broke off to get a drink and Kathy resumed her place in the armchair. Jack Mason looked around briefly and then carried on talking with Tony Allen.
    Another ten minutes and they can stuff this party, Danny thought as he finished his drink.
    ‘What’s wrong wiv yer leg then, luv?’ somebody asked him.
    Danny looked around to see a large lady leaning over his shoulder. Her face was flushed and he could smell strong perfume and see the sweat lines running down her heavily powdered face. She was grinning, with her thick-painted lips parted to show large teeth.
    ‘Somebody put a bullet frew it,’ Danny said sharply.
    ‘Good Gawd! You a soldier?’ she asked.
    ‘I was till I got this,’ Danny replied.
    ‘Why, you don’t look old enough ter be a soldier, does ’e Muriel?’
    ‘No,’ Muriel said, without taking her eyes off the bald-headed suitor by her side.
    The big lady tut-tutted and lost interest in Danny’s wounded leg. She returned to Muriel’s crowd, to Danny’s relief.
    Over in the far corner Kathy was shaking her head at Jack Mason and she looked distressed. Jack gesticulated with a wave of his arm and turned his back on her and Kathy suddenly got up and made for the door. Danny watched as she took her coat down from the clothes-rack, said something to the woman who had been serving the drinks, then quickly left. Danny stood up and with a quick glance in Jack Mason’s direction he put his glass down on the sideboard and walked casually towards the door. Danny walked out into the hallway and let himself out into the street. It was too dark to see far but he could hear Kathy’s footsteps up ahead. Quickening his pace he got closer. Kathy’s high-heeled shoes clicked faster on the pavement and Danny called out, ‘Kathy! It’s me! Danny!’
    Kathy continued walking. ‘Leave me alone, Danny! I’m goin’ ’ome!’ she called out.
    ‘Wait, Kathy! I can’t walk fast! I wanna talk wiv yer!’
    The footsteps halted and when Danny reached her he was panting. He saw the tears falling down her cheeks and her eyes shining in the darkness.
    ‘Let me walk yer ’ome at least,’ he pleaded.
    Kathy dabbed at her eyes with a small handkerchief and smiled through her tears. ‘It looks like you need somebody ter see you ’ome,’ she said.
    Danny put his hands into his trouser pockets and fell in beside her. ‘I’ll be okay in a minute. It was stuffy in that party, I wasn’t enjoyin’ it one little bit.’
    ‘Nor was I,’ Kathy said.
    ‘I could see that. Is Jack Mason your steady bloke?’
    ‘Do you mind if we don’t talk about Jack Mason?’ Kathy said sharply.
    ‘All right, let’s talk about me then,’ Danny grinned. ‘Let’s see, I’m a war ’ero, an’ I’m off ter see the King next week ter get me Victoria Cross! King George’ll say: “‘Ow did yer manage ter be so brave?” an’ I’ll say: “It was nuffink, Your Majesty, we’re all the same in Bermon’sey”.’
    Kathy laughed aloud and took his arm. ‘Was it really bad in Dunkirk? I’m sorry, it must ’ave bin terrible. What I meant was, was it bad fer you? Gettin’ ’urt like yer did.’
    Danny pulled up his coat collar against the cool breeze and shrugged his shoulders. ‘Tell yer the trufe, Kathy, I was out cold when I got pulled out o’ the water. I don’t remember anyfing till I woke up in the ’ospital. I found out later that some feller ’eld on ter me, even though ’e couldn’t swim a stroke’imself. ’E supported the pair of us by clingin’ on to an upturned boat. If anybody deserves a medal ’e does, I wouldn’t be ’ere if it