Classic Bestsellers from Josephine Cox: Bumper Collection. Josephine Cox

      The tall fellow chuckled. ‘Your friend seems to be enjoying herself.’

      For just that split second, Amy took her eyes off Daisy. When she looked up again, they were gone. ‘Where are they?’ Beginning to panic, she quickened her steps, with the young man striding out beside her. ‘Don’t worry!’ he told her. ‘They can’t be far.’

      Amy wasn’t convinced. Something told her that Daisy was out of her depth. Her fears were confirmed when she heard Daisy calling her name. ‘That’s Daisy! Maybe she’s in trouble.’ Beginning to panic, she looked this way and that, trying hard to pinpoint where the shouts were coming from, in the maze of alleys. ‘DAISY! WHERE ARE YOU?’

      She set off at a run, in the direction of Daisy’s voice, with the young man coming up behind her. Fear gripped her heart. She didn’t trust him either.

      When Amy came running into the alley she saw Daisy struggling against Roy. He had her pinned against the wall and his mouth was clamped to hers, while one hand groped inside her coat. Daisy was struggling against him, moaning and trying to push him away.

      Amy misunderstood. Thinking Daisy was in real trouble, she kicked out and caught Daisy’s attacker a nasty blow on the shin. He went down with a look of agony on his face. Amy was briefly aware of Daisy’s astonished expression, but then the other man, Jack, darted forward and grabbed Amy’s arm.

      ‘Leave him. It’s OK,’ he said, but his hand on her arm only served to panic her.

      Twisting away from him, she grabbed a half-brick that was lying in the alley. She aimed for his head but the brick bounced off his shoulder and fell at his feet, delivering no more than a bruise.

      Meanwhile, Daisy had caught her breath and was buttoning her blouse. While Roy moaned at her feet, Jack looked shocked.

      ‘Now just a minute …’ he began.

      ‘It’s OK,’ Daisy promised Amy. ‘No harm done.’ She giggled. ‘It were a bit heavy for a first kiss, though.’ Her hair was dishevelled and her lipstick smudged, but her eyes were mischievously twinkling in the light of a nearby streetlamp.

      ‘But … I thought …’ When realisation dawned Amy was embarrassed. Oh, no, this was awful. She began her way back down the alley. ‘I think we’d best be off home,’ she said lamely.

      ‘I think we had,’ chuckled Daisy, winking at Roy.

      ‘But you said –’ he began.

      ‘Never mind what I said,’ replied Daisy. ‘Perhaps you’d better learn some manners, rushing a girl like that.’ She patted her hair in place, straightened her coat and trotted back up the alley behind Amy.

      ‘Time to cool off!’ Daisy quipped as she went.

      Softly laughing, she grabbed Amy’s hand and they were soon running back towards the main road, their heels pounding the cold pavement, and the sound of their laughter echoing through the night air.

      The street was relatively quiet, with the exception of a big black saloon motor car which passed them, slowing briefly before accelerating away, as they turned towards the tram stop and raced to meet the oncoming lights. He couldn’t be certain but Luke wondered if they were the young women from Tooley’s Cafe.

      In the lamplight, Amy took a good look at her friend. ‘My God, Daisy … look at the state of you!’ Amy was horrified. ‘We’ll have to try and tidy you up. They’ll never let you on the tram like that.’ With her dishevelled hair and rumpled clothes, Daisy looked like a refugee from hell. ‘The tram’s coming now – quick!’ She took Daisy by the shoulders. ‘Let’s see if we can make you presentable.’

      ‘Been in a fight, ’ave yer?’ The conductor gawped with open mouth as they boarded the tram.

      ‘You could say that,’ Amy replied, stifling her laughter.

      ‘Sit yourself down then, and don’t start anything.’ Convinced they’d been drinking, the conductor warned, ‘These are decent, God-fearing passengers, so mind you behave! I want no trouble on my tram!’

      During the journey they relived the night’s events. ‘By! You went for him like a blinking Jack Russell,’ Daisy said. ‘That’ll teach him to get fresh with me without a by your leave. The look on his face …’ When she laughed loudly, the conductor, who had been eyeing the red-faced pair suspiciously, came to give her a warning. ‘Start trouble and I’ll put you off!’

      ‘I’m not “starting trouble”!’ Daisy protested, and would have said more, were it not for the dig in the ribs she got from Amy, who was herself beginning to giggle; which then set Daisy off.

      Somehow managing to remain fairly composed until disembarking at their stop, the two of them were helpless with laughter. ‘You’re a bad ’un, you are!’ Amy spluttered.

      ‘I’ve had the best night o’ my life.’ Swinging her arms round Amy, Daisy marched her forward at a galloping pace.

      ‘Get off!’ Amy shrugged her away. ‘You’ll have us both arse over tip!’

      Daisy was astounded. ‘Language, my girl.’ She feigned indignation. ‘I’ll thank you to mind your tongue when you’re in my company.’ To which they both started laughing again.

      Some short distance away, a strolling constable gave them a knowing wink. ‘Evening, girls.’

      ‘Evening, officer,’ Amy replied.

      ‘You two look like you’ve had a good night.’

      ‘Not so’s you’d notice,’ Daisy replied.

      On looking closer, he saw how tousled they were. His tone grew serious. ‘All right, are you?’

      ‘Right as rain,’ Amy replied.

      ‘Aye, well, you’d best get off home,’ he advised. ‘There are some strange folks hanging about this time of night.’

      They watched him go, shaking his head as he went.

      As they wended their way home, the streets echoed with their merry laughter.

      One thing was certain, Amy thought. Life was never dull with Daisy about.

       Chapter 5

      SWITCHING OFF THE engine, Luke Hammond climbed out of the car. His business meeting had overrun and then he’d had to entertain clients. ‘I’m sure that was Amy with the young woman from the café,’ he murmured. But the lamplight played strange tricks on the eye, so he couldn’t be absolutely certain. He’d learned Amy’s name by eavesdropping at Tooley’s, and now it was a name inextricably linked to Tuesdays – those days of freedom and dreams.

      He closed the car door and made his way to the house. As he walked on, the image of Amy’s face was bright in his mind.

      There was something irresistible about her. She had a warm, magical, memorable smile, and those bluest of eyes. It was the face of a woman you could trust. That was why he had a need to paint her: so he might capture that special something, and keep it for ever. Smiling, gentle, constant, her portrait brought him nearer to living the dream he conjured up on Tuesdays. Whenever he was feeling low, he thought of Amy and his heart was lifted.

      His reverie was, however, suddenly shattered as he approached the house. Through the kitchen window he could see a woman frantically pacing the floor and, judging from her manner, she seemed to be in a dark, dangerous mood.

      ‘Oh God, that’s all I need … Georgina!’ A slim, attractive woman with thick, dark hair, she was his wife’s sister. He didn’t care much for her, a scheming, greedy woman. ‘What the devil can she want?’ Because of her, he was able to enjoy his one day of freedom and keep his sanity. But he knew her well enough to be certain that she never