The Bells of Bow Read Online Free PDF

it,’ smirked Chas as he sat down without pulling Babs’s chair out for her. ‘Everyone’s looking at me,’ and he straightened the lapels of his already immaculate jacket. ‘Makes yer feel great, don’t it, being so popular?’
    On hearing Chas’s totally misplaced boast, Evie and Babs both spluttered into their drinks, nearly choking themselves.
    The rest of the night passed in a blur of music, drinking and dancing, and after what seemed like only a few more turns round the dance floor, it was getting on for three o’clock, way past the time that the club should have closed.
    ‘Time we was off,’ said Albie and nodded to one of the waiting staff to fetch their things. ‘If it’s still not raining out, I think we’ll have a little walk in the fresh air,’ he announced as he stood up. ‘Before we get back in the car.’
    The four of them walked through the pre-dawn chill of the West End streets still busy despite the late hour. Albie, with Evie clinging to him, led the way, and Babs, her shoulder roughly encircled by Chas’s huge tree trunk of an arm, followed along behind them.
    ‘Where we going?’ asked Evie coquettishly, glancing up at Albie through her lashes as she tottered along beside him on her high heels.
    ‘Nowhere, I just like to get a bit of air in me lungs, that’s all, like to look after meself,’ he answered.
    ‘In that case,’ Evie quipped back, quick as a flash, ‘yer won’t mind if we have a little breather then.’ And with that she pulled Albie into a shop doorway, threw her arms round his neck and kissed him smartly on the mouth.
    Before Babs had a chance to protest, Chas followed suit and bent his head down and hurriedly planted a smacker right on her tightly shut lips, almost knocking her hat over her eyes in his haste. He might have been a fast mover, but he wasn’t quick enough to avoid the flat of Babs’s hand as she slapped him firmly round the face.
    ‘Ow,’ he winced, rubbing his stinging cheek with his great wide paw of a hand. ‘That bloody hurt.’
    ‘Good,’ Babs snapped at him, straightening her hat and patting her hair into place. ‘It was meant to. Yer might be twice as big as me, but don’t push yer luck, moosh.’
    Babs sounded brave but it was only when she heard the sound of Albie’s laughter and him saying, ‘Ne’mind, Chas,’ that she felt
she
hadn’t pushed her luck too far.
    ‘Yer ready, gels?’ Albie asked and held out his cigarette case to Chas by way of compensation. ‘I think it’s time we was getting you two home.’
    For the journey back to Bow, Evie consented to get in the front seat with Albie, but Babs wasn’t so amenable. She made Chas promise to keep his hands to himself before she would agree to sit alongside him in the back. The pathetic expression which spread across his face was like a cross between that of a naughty pup that had been caught weeing on the front parlour carpet and a little boy who’d just broken his new toy train. It was enough to have both girls laughing out loud and Babs chummily shifting over right next to Chas and linking her arm through his. She even let him have a little bit of a kiss and cuddle to cheer him up.
    Chas was just getting into his stride when Babs suddenly pushed him away and sat up straight. ‘Right,’ she announced determinedly. ‘The Aberdeen, this’ll do us. Thanks, Albie.’
    ‘But we’re only at the top of the Roman.’ Chas sounded very disappointed.
    ‘I know, but, like I said, we’re getting out here by the pub.’
    Evie turned round in her seat. ‘Babs?’
    ‘It’s nearly daylight, Eve, we don’t wanna get Dad all worked up, hearing a car outside.’
    Evie reluctantly agreed and, with a shrug at Albie, she reached for the door handle.
    ‘Not so fast,’ Albie said and grabbed her into his arms. They were soon locked in a passionate and very noisy embrace.
    Chas took the action in the front seat to be a signal for him to do the same, and almost smothered Babs in his