‘Shame the same can’t be said for you,’ I said quickly, batting his hand away.
He gave me a superior smile. ‘Well, I don’t need looks, do I? Not when I’ve got power. But you, what else ’ave you got to fall back on now they’re closin’ the theatre?’
‘Brains, Billy, brains, as you once told me. Keep the cushion; I’m taking no place at yours or anyone’s fireside any time soon.’
The butler appeared at the door to show me out. I paused on the threshold.
‘Oh, and Billy?’
He was locking the door to his strongroom again. ‘Yeah, cherub?’
‘I’d sack the elocution teacher if I were you. It’s pissing in the wind to think you can learn to speak properly.’
With that, I made a fast exit and showed myself out on to the street.
I set off in a mad dash across town to prevent Syd and Pedro bringing the rest of the Butcher’s Boys to my rescue. Having started the day with a relatively creditable appearance, I was ending it in a crumpled mess, stained with raspberry and besmirched with dust. But the deepest soil on me was the feeling I had carried away from Billy’s white room – that wouldn’t wash off. He had an unhealthy obsession about me. I had the impression that getting me as part of his kingdom had come to represent the final proof that he had conquered the world. While I still existed, rude and irreverent, he would always feel his lowly origins dragging him down. If I failed to fulfil my part of the bargain, as seemed all too likely, I would have been proved as fallible as all his other minions, someone he could control. To him I’d be part of his menagerie of tame bullies and thieves.
‘Never,’ I swore to myself as I turned into the alley leading to the back of the shop. ‘I’ll leave London before I let that happen to me. Exile must be better than being enslaved to Billy.’
‘Bloody ’ell, Cat, you ’ad us that worried!’ shouted Syd as I burst into the yard.
Pedro threw aside the cudgel he had been holding and gave me a hug. ‘Are you all right?’ he asked. ‘He didn’t harm you?’
‘No. It was like I told you – he just wanted to swap insults.’
The boys relaxed their warlike stances. Syd grinned. ‘I bet you gave ’im what for, eh, Cat?’
‘Yeah, I think I came out on top.’ For now, at any rate.
I proceeded to entertain them with an edited version of my call on Billy, leaving out all reference to our deal. They were highly amused to hear about his attempts to pass himself off as a gentleman.
‘I don’t know who ’e thinks ’e’s foolin’,’ marvelled Nick, Syd’s second-in-command. ‘Billy’s as refined as horse-dung.’
Jo the Card bowed before me and produced a posy of flowers from up his sleeve. ‘To our Cat, Insulter Extraordinaire to the Prince of Darkness.’
I smiled, though this felt too near the knuckle to be truly funny. ‘Thanks, Jo, but I’ll relinquish the position to anyone who wants it. It’s not my idea of fun to spend the day with the Boil.’
‘I’ll take it over,’ growled Syd. ‘And before ’e ’as a chance to open ’is gob, I’ll shove ’is teeth down the back of ’is throat.’
‘Well, you’d be doing him a favour – it’s either you or the tooth-puller from what I saw. Gilded dung, that’s what he is. Rotten to the core.’
‘Right then,’ said Syd, pushing up his sleeves. ‘As there’s no call now to rescue Cat, I think we all deserve a pint. Let’s go to the Jolly Boatman.’
His boys all rose eagerly and filed out into the alley, laughing and whistling in anticipation of a good night out. Hoping no one had noticed, I started to follow.
‘Nah, not you, Cat,’ said Syd gently, hooking me by the arm as he spotted me trying to blend in with the crowd. ‘You know the Boatman is no place for a respectable girl. I’ll walk you ’ome.’
I too was feeling thirsty after a long hot day. Surely just a very little drink of something would do no harm? Why did I always have to miss out on the fun? ‘But Syd, if I stick with you, I’d be all right,’ I protested.
‘Nah, Kitten.’
‘Why not? Have you got a girlfriend waiting for you or something? Are you too embarrassed to be seen with me in your company?’
He shook his head. ‘Leave it. Let’s not argue now. I’m off soon – I don’t want to part from you with a quarrel.’
I subsided. Perhaps Nick wouldn’t be so strict about not letting girls join the gang while Syd was away? Maybe I’d only have to wait a few days?
Syd patted my wrist. ‘I’ve asked Nick to keep an eye on you while I’m gone – to make sure you don’t do anythink stupid.’
What was Syd now? A mind-reader?
‘No, Syd, I won’t.’
‘Stay out of trouble, won’t you?’
‘I’ll try.’
‘And when trouble finds you out – ’ I laughed: he knew me too well to think I’d have a problem-free summer ‘ – don’t forget that any of me boys are sworn to protect you. You can call on any of ’em, night or day.’
‘Stop fussing, you old woman, you,’ I chided.
We had arrived at the back door to the theatre. Syd squeezed my hand once and let it go.
‘Goodbye, Cat.’
‘Goodbye, Syd.’ I felt strangely bereft, realizing that the straw-haired giant before me, my most faithful friend, was leaving me for the first time ever. So much was changing. Unbidden, a tear broke free and escaped down my cheek.
‘Sorry,’ I sniffed, embarrassed to show my weakness. I didn’t want anyone to know how scared I was, least of all Syd who had never been afraid of anything.
‘Don’t be sorry, Cat, never be sorry.’ He reached out to wipe the tear away. There was a strange look in his blue eyes. Suddenly, he bent forward, gave me a quick kiss on the lips, turned tail and left.
* A gentleman is born, not made.
SCENE 3 – EXEUNT OMNES