vanished and so had a large portion of one of the hotpot pies.
‘He might have waited till Saturday to get drunk,’ said Ben, slumping wearily into a chair.
Lily tapped her fingers on the table. ‘You don’t sound surprised. Has he got money?’
‘Uncle William gave him two days’ pay.’
‘Damn him! He could have handed some of it over.’ She felt angry, considering the way she had to be careful with every farthing if she was to save for a rainy day.
‘Too late now,’ muttered Ben, yawning. ‘Better not tell our Daisy or she’ll hit the roof.’
But Daisy had other things on her mind when she arrived home. ‘The King and Queen are coming to Liverpool for the Grand National.’ Her heart-shaped face was alive with excitement. ‘Not that I’ll get to see them. Now there’s a man who knows his duty to his country, not like old Eddie with his fancy woman.’
‘I suppose Eddie really loves her?’ murmured Lily, adding thoughtfully, ‘Which would you choose if you had to? Duty or love.’
Her sister hesitated. ‘I suppose love, if I’m honest.’
‘Aye. You’d leave the duty to me,’ said Lily drily.
‘You are the eldest,’ said Daisy, frowning.
‘So was Eddie.’
Daisy shrugged, took off her scarf and sat down. ‘Let’s forget it. What’s for tea?’
Lily put a plate of pie in front of her and said no more, but she did not forget the conversation. There were times when she really did get fed up with being taken for granted.
On Sunday Lily and the two younger Thorpes were late getting to church because Daisy had decided to come, having discovered Matt’s identity from her younger sister.
‘Will the vicar be in Heaven by now?’ whispered May as they crept into church, sketchily crossing themselves before sitting in a back pew.
‘Shush,’ hissed Lily, kneeling and burying her face in her hands so she wouldn’t have to answer more questions. She was irritated, having determined to be early so as to sit at the front for a better view of Matt. Trust Daisy to think choosing the right hat was more important than getting to church on time.
She sat back and gazed down the long length of the aisle through a haze of incense. Hadn’t she known it would be crowded with the vicar dying? Strange that. It wasn’t as if they’d be seeing him. Morale booster for the curate, she supposed.
Richard was reading the lesson and Matt was sitting in a great carved chair in the chancel between the choir stalls. He looked distant, apart, and Lily’s heart misgave her. She did not know that man. How could she have said she would marry him? She kept glancing at him as she went through the ritual of singing, praying, chanting. Then it was time for him to ascend into the pulpit. He stood there, his eyes reaching out over the congregation, searching, seeking, and suddenly she knew he was looking for her. Perhaps he was nervous? What had he said the day the vicar had died? ‘I feel like being comforted.’ He must have had quite a lonely life, wandering from place to place.
Matt began to speak in that powerful voice that sent delicious shivers down her spine. He spoke of Jesus turning his face resolutely towards Jerusalem. He spoke of a chosen destiny and yet of God being a God of surprises. ‘Some of us like to know more or less what we’ll be doing this time next week – next month. We like our lives to run like clockwork. We prefer things to happen the way we want, but it’s God who is the initiator and we who are the followers.’ A pause and Lily held her breath, not caring that May was scuffing her best shoes on the pew in front but Daisy did and kicked her feet down. Then she nudged Lily. ‘Nice voice. No wonder you’re struck.’
‘Shut up,’ she hissed, aware of several heads turning.
‘Not bad-looking either,’ whispered Daisy, taking out a packet of chewing gum.
Lily groaned but after that her sister did not say another word.
When the service was over, Lily sat for several seconds,
‘He might have waited till Saturday to get drunk,’ said Ben, slumping wearily into a chair.
Lily tapped her fingers on the table. ‘You don’t sound surprised. Has he got money?’
‘Uncle William gave him two days’ pay.’
‘Damn him! He could have handed some of it over.’ She felt angry, considering the way she had to be careful with every farthing if she was to save for a rainy day.
‘Too late now,’ muttered Ben, yawning. ‘Better not tell our Daisy or she’ll hit the roof.’
But Daisy had other things on her mind when she arrived home. ‘The King and Queen are coming to Liverpool for the Grand National.’ Her heart-shaped face was alive with excitement. ‘Not that I’ll get to see them. Now there’s a man who knows his duty to his country, not like old Eddie with his fancy woman.’
‘I suppose Eddie really loves her?’ murmured Lily, adding thoughtfully, ‘Which would you choose if you had to? Duty or love.’
Her sister hesitated. ‘I suppose love, if I’m honest.’
‘Aye. You’d leave the duty to me,’ said Lily drily.
‘You are the eldest,’ said Daisy, frowning.
‘So was Eddie.’
Daisy shrugged, took off her scarf and sat down. ‘Let’s forget it. What’s for tea?’
Lily put a plate of pie in front of her and said no more, but she did not forget the conversation. There were times when she really did get fed up with being taken for granted.
On Sunday Lily and the two younger Thorpes were late getting to church because Daisy had decided to come, having discovered Matt’s identity from her younger sister.
‘Will the vicar be in Heaven by now?’ whispered May as they crept into church, sketchily crossing themselves before sitting in a back pew.
‘Shush,’ hissed Lily, kneeling and burying her face in her hands so she wouldn’t have to answer more questions. She was irritated, having determined to be early so as to sit at the front for a better view of Matt. Trust Daisy to think choosing the right hat was more important than getting to church on time.
She sat back and gazed down the long length of the aisle through a haze of incense. Hadn’t she known it would be crowded with the vicar dying? Strange that. It wasn’t as if they’d be seeing him. Morale booster for the curate, she supposed.
Richard was reading the lesson and Matt was sitting in a great carved chair in the chancel between the choir stalls. He looked distant, apart, and Lily’s heart misgave her. She did not know that man. How could she have said she would marry him? She kept glancing at him as she went through the ritual of singing, praying, chanting. Then it was time for him to ascend into the pulpit. He stood there, his eyes reaching out over the congregation, searching, seeking, and suddenly she knew he was looking for her. Perhaps he was nervous? What had he said the day the vicar had died? ‘I feel like being comforted.’ He must have had quite a lonely life, wandering from place to place.
Matt began to speak in that powerful voice that sent delicious shivers down her spine. He spoke of Jesus turning his face resolutely towards Jerusalem. He spoke of a chosen destiny and yet of God being a God of surprises. ‘Some of us like to know more or less what we’ll be doing this time next week – next month. We like our lives to run like clockwork. We prefer things to happen the way we want, but it’s God who is the initiator and we who are the followers.’ A pause and Lily held her breath, not caring that May was scuffing her best shoes on the pew in front but Daisy did and kicked her feet down. Then she nudged Lily. ‘Nice voice. No wonder you’re struck.’
‘Shut up,’ she hissed, aware of several heads turning.
‘Not bad-looking either,’ whispered Daisy, taking out a packet of chewing gum.
Lily groaned but after that her sister did not say another word.
When the service was over, Lily sat for several seconds,
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