father wasn’t in the shop to hear me. He had gone out on business, leaving Ben and I to hold the fort. ‘He came to dinner last Sunday and he’s taking me to meet his mother tomorrow.’
Sheila arched her brows. ‘Sounds promising. Lucky you. I wish I could meet someone like that.’
‘I thought you were going steady with Eric Brown?’
‘I was …’ She pulled a face. ‘We broke up last night.’
‘I’m sorry. What happened – or shouldn’t I ask?’
‘Eric was all right.’ She sighed. ‘We quarrelled over – well, it doesn’t matter. It’s finished and that’s that. I suppose I’ll find someone else.’ She laughed, shaking her hair back from her face with a gesture of defiance. ‘Maybe Richard Gillows. Since you don’t want him – you don’t, do you?’
‘No!’ I made a wry face at her. ‘You can have him and welcome.’
‘Maybe I shall, then.’
Sheila was still laughing as she went out of the shop. I wasn’t sure whether she was serious or joking about Richard.
‘She’s a right caution that one,’ Ben said as the door closed behind her. ‘I’m not surprised she fell out with her bloke. They’re saying as she’s up the spout and it ain’t Eric’s neither.’
‘Ben!’ I gave him a sharp look. ‘I don’t want any of that talk here, thank you. If my father heard you he would sack you immediately.’
‘Lucky he ain’t here then, eh?’
Ben’s cheeky grin made me smile despite myself. I wondered if the story was true. People loved to talk, but the old saying ‘no smoke without fire’ often proved accurate. I felt sorry for Sheila if she was having a baby. There was bound to be gossip in a small town like this, and a lot of people would turn their noses up at her.
I began to tidy the shelves. I did them every morning, but the young lads turned everything over, reading as many of the comics for free as they could and sorting through the box of marbles in the hope of finding one they hadn’t already got in their collections. Some of them weren’t above stealing something if I didn’t keep a sharp eye on them.
‘You sweet on the toff then?’ asked Ben. ‘You want to be careful of his sort, Emma. He’ll have your knickers off soon as look at you.’
‘Ben! I shan’t warn you again about that sort of talk. I’m going to the stockroom. You can call me if you get busy.’
I was frowning as I went into the crowded stockroom. It was packed from floor to ceiling with boxes against the walls, some containing fresh stock but others crammed with forgotten oddments, old papers and paid bills. Father really ought to throw most of this stuff out, I thought, as I looked round at the dust that had accumulated over the years. There was no sense in harbouring rubbish. I’d suggested having a clear out to my father several times, but he always made some excuse.
Opening the top drawer of an old chest, I frowned as I saw the collection of small bottles and pill boxes. What on earth were they? There were so many of them, some of the labels faded and indistinct. I picked one or two out, glancing at the printing on the packaging; they were all remedies for indigestion or stomach trouble. Some of them looked as if they had been there for years. Reading the list of ingredients for one medicine, I was startled to see it contained arsenic.
Surely that was poison? Did Father know what he was taking? He could end up by making himself really ill if he wasn’t careful. It would be so much better if he went to the doctor instead of treating himself in this haphazard way.
‘What are you doing, Emma?’
I jumped as I heard Father’s voice behind me.
‘I was thinking of tidying the stockroom,’ I said. ‘I just happened to look in this drawer and found these. You’ve had some of these pills for ages, Father. Don’t you think you should throw them away and ask the doctor for something to settle your stomach?’
‘Who asked you to pry into my affairs?’ He glared at me. ‘When
Sheila arched her brows. ‘Sounds promising. Lucky you. I wish I could meet someone like that.’
‘I thought you were going steady with Eric Brown?’
‘I was …’ She pulled a face. ‘We broke up last night.’
‘I’m sorry. What happened – or shouldn’t I ask?’
‘Eric was all right.’ She sighed. ‘We quarrelled over – well, it doesn’t matter. It’s finished and that’s that. I suppose I’ll find someone else.’ She laughed, shaking her hair back from her face with a gesture of defiance. ‘Maybe Richard Gillows. Since you don’t want him – you don’t, do you?’
‘No!’ I made a wry face at her. ‘You can have him and welcome.’
‘Maybe I shall, then.’
Sheila was still laughing as she went out of the shop. I wasn’t sure whether she was serious or joking about Richard.
‘She’s a right caution that one,’ Ben said as the door closed behind her. ‘I’m not surprised she fell out with her bloke. They’re saying as she’s up the spout and it ain’t Eric’s neither.’
‘Ben!’ I gave him a sharp look. ‘I don’t want any of that talk here, thank you. If my father heard you he would sack you immediately.’
‘Lucky he ain’t here then, eh?’
Ben’s cheeky grin made me smile despite myself. I wondered if the story was true. People loved to talk, but the old saying ‘no smoke without fire’ often proved accurate. I felt sorry for Sheila if she was having a baby. There was bound to be gossip in a small town like this, and a lot of people would turn their noses up at her.
I began to tidy the shelves. I did them every morning, but the young lads turned everything over, reading as many of the comics for free as they could and sorting through the box of marbles in the hope of finding one they hadn’t already got in their collections. Some of them weren’t above stealing something if I didn’t keep a sharp eye on them.
‘You sweet on the toff then?’ asked Ben. ‘You want to be careful of his sort, Emma. He’ll have your knickers off soon as look at you.’
‘Ben! I shan’t warn you again about that sort of talk. I’m going to the stockroom. You can call me if you get busy.’
I was frowning as I went into the crowded stockroom. It was packed from floor to ceiling with boxes against the walls, some containing fresh stock but others crammed with forgotten oddments, old papers and paid bills. Father really ought to throw most of this stuff out, I thought, as I looked round at the dust that had accumulated over the years. There was no sense in harbouring rubbish. I’d suggested having a clear out to my father several times, but he always made some excuse.
Opening the top drawer of an old chest, I frowned as I saw the collection of small bottles and pill boxes. What on earth were they? There were so many of them, some of the labels faded and indistinct. I picked one or two out, glancing at the printing on the packaging; they were all remedies for indigestion or stomach trouble. Some of them looked as if they had been there for years. Reading the list of ingredients for one medicine, I was startled to see it contained arsenic.
Surely that was poison? Did Father know what he was taking? He could end up by making himself really ill if he wasn’t careful. It would be so much better if he went to the doctor instead of treating himself in this haphazard way.
‘What are you doing, Emma?’
I jumped as I heard Father’s voice behind me.
‘I was thinking of tidying the stockroom,’ I said. ‘I just happened to look in this drawer and found these. You’ve had some of these pills for ages, Father. Don’t you think you should throw them away and ask the doctor for something to settle your stomach?’
‘Who asked you to pry into my affairs?’ He glared at me. ‘When
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