money for my savings.’
‘What are you really saving for? You told me you didn’t want to get married.’
Renie hesitated, then said with a toss of her head. ‘After Dad, and seeing how Cliff is to you, I want to make sure I’m never dependent on a man.’
There was a pregnant pause, then Nell said, ‘Very sensible. You should put the money in a savings bank account, though, so that no one can pinch it.’
Renie came to put an arm round her. ‘I’ll do that. We’ve both learnt the hard way to be careful and sensible about money, haven’t we?’
Nell nodded, her throat clogged with unshed tears. She didn’t say how much she envied her sister that freedom.
‘I keep wondering how Mattie’s going on and hoping she’s landed on her feet.’
‘She’ll be all right, Renie. There’s no one as capable as our Mattie.’
‘You’re very capable too, these days.’
Nell looked at her in surprise. ‘Do you really think so?’
‘Yes. And you stand up to Cliff, which you never used to do. I’m glad of that. One day, when I’m older and know more about the world, I’m going to make a life of my own, so I’ll be glad to know you won’t let him bully you after I’ve gone.’
‘I was hoping you’d marry and settle down near here, so we’d still be together.’
‘I’m sorry, love, but I meant what I said: I’m never going to marry. Never, ever. I want to see a bit of the world, London for a start. All I know is Swindon and this part of Lancashire.’
‘You’ll change your mind about marriage once you meet a fellow, and London sounds to be a dangerous place to me. I don’t want you going there on your own.’
She could see Renie’s chin tilt upwards in that stubborn way she had, and sighed. Her little sister could be very headstrong at times. It’d got her into trouble with their father, and it’d get her into trouble again before she was through, Nell was quite sure.
She just hoped life didn’t give Renie the sharp lessons she’d had to face herself.
When Renie brought home her first pay, Nell took half and put it in the kitchen drawer. ‘I want to talk to Cliff about this money.’
Cliff came in and ate his tea, saying nothing about giving her the housekeeping money. When he’d finished, he stood up.
‘Just a minute,’ Nell said. ‘I need my housekeeping money if you want to eat next week.’
‘I’ve decided that you can pay for the food from Renie’s money, and you should join a clothing club too. I’ll pay for the rent and gas from mine, plus any big household items.’
She didn’t hesitate. ‘No.’
He stared at her in shock. ‘What did you say?’
‘I said no. You need to give me a pound a week and I’ll make that stretch to cover food and rent for all three of us, together with my money from Mrs Garrett. You’re a heartyeater, Cliff, and that takes far more money than Renie gives me. What I want to do with this extra money is open a savings account and put Renie’s money in that, saving for a rainy day.’
‘Very sensible. I have a savings account already. We can put it in there.’
‘We need an account for both of us.’
‘It’s for the man to manage the money.’
Suddenly she’d had enough of trying to be tactful. ‘All right, then. If you don’t want to give me the money, you can manage everything, the housekeeping and the shopping. I’ll wait for you to bring the groceries and the market stuff home to me, then I’ll cook them for you.’
After a nervous glance from one to the other, Renie slipped out into the back scullery, something she’d done last time they argued.
Cliff thumped the table. ‘I’m the man here and I’m not putting up with that.’
‘And I won’t put up with being treated as a stupid nothing who doesn’t know how to handle money.’ Nell folded her arms, which she hoped hid the way she was shaking. ‘We’re married, so we should be working together . I want a savings bank account with money that both of us can
‘What are you really saving for? You told me you didn’t want to get married.’
Renie hesitated, then said with a toss of her head. ‘After Dad, and seeing how Cliff is to you, I want to make sure I’m never dependent on a man.’
There was a pregnant pause, then Nell said, ‘Very sensible. You should put the money in a savings bank account, though, so that no one can pinch it.’
Renie came to put an arm round her. ‘I’ll do that. We’ve both learnt the hard way to be careful and sensible about money, haven’t we?’
Nell nodded, her throat clogged with unshed tears. She didn’t say how much she envied her sister that freedom.
‘I keep wondering how Mattie’s going on and hoping she’s landed on her feet.’
‘She’ll be all right, Renie. There’s no one as capable as our Mattie.’
‘You’re very capable too, these days.’
Nell looked at her in surprise. ‘Do you really think so?’
‘Yes. And you stand up to Cliff, which you never used to do. I’m glad of that. One day, when I’m older and know more about the world, I’m going to make a life of my own, so I’ll be glad to know you won’t let him bully you after I’ve gone.’
‘I was hoping you’d marry and settle down near here, so we’d still be together.’
‘I’m sorry, love, but I meant what I said: I’m never going to marry. Never, ever. I want to see a bit of the world, London for a start. All I know is Swindon and this part of Lancashire.’
‘You’ll change your mind about marriage once you meet a fellow, and London sounds to be a dangerous place to me. I don’t want you going there on your own.’
She could see Renie’s chin tilt upwards in that stubborn way she had, and sighed. Her little sister could be very headstrong at times. It’d got her into trouble with their father, and it’d get her into trouble again before she was through, Nell was quite sure.
She just hoped life didn’t give Renie the sharp lessons she’d had to face herself.
When Renie brought home her first pay, Nell took half and put it in the kitchen drawer. ‘I want to talk to Cliff about this money.’
Cliff came in and ate his tea, saying nothing about giving her the housekeeping money. When he’d finished, he stood up.
‘Just a minute,’ Nell said. ‘I need my housekeeping money if you want to eat next week.’
‘I’ve decided that you can pay for the food from Renie’s money, and you should join a clothing club too. I’ll pay for the rent and gas from mine, plus any big household items.’
She didn’t hesitate. ‘No.’
He stared at her in shock. ‘What did you say?’
‘I said no. You need to give me a pound a week and I’ll make that stretch to cover food and rent for all three of us, together with my money from Mrs Garrett. You’re a heartyeater, Cliff, and that takes far more money than Renie gives me. What I want to do with this extra money is open a savings account and put Renie’s money in that, saving for a rainy day.’
‘Very sensible. I have a savings account already. We can put it in there.’
‘We need an account for both of us.’
‘It’s for the man to manage the money.’
Suddenly she’d had enough of trying to be tactful. ‘All right, then. If you don’t want to give me the money, you can manage everything, the housekeeping and the shopping. I’ll wait for you to bring the groceries and the market stuff home to me, then I’ll cook them for you.’
After a nervous glance from one to the other, Renie slipped out into the back scullery, something she’d done last time they argued.
Cliff thumped the table. ‘I’m the man here and I’m not putting up with that.’
‘And I won’t put up with being treated as a stupid nothing who doesn’t know how to handle money.’ Nell folded her arms, which she hoped hid the way she was shaking. ‘We’re married, so we should be working together . I want a savings bank account with money that both of us can
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