Read Online Liverpool Angels by Lyn Andrews - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: Lyn Andrews
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tell Mam and Eddie – he’s been dying for Uncle John to get home.’
‘Only because he knows Da’s going to bring him one of those toy guns that fires real caps for Christmas and all his mates will be dead jealous!’ Mae laughed as they broke into a trot, heading downhill now towards Albion Street. She was delighted that for the first time that she could remember her father would be home for the entire holiday. The Lucy wouldn’t sail again until the evening of Boxing Day. The two new ships Lusitania and Mauretania, together with the older Aquitania , provided a regular service between Liverpool and America, but the new ‘sisters’ were known as the ‘ Lucy ’ and the ‘ Maury ’, such was the affection in which the people of Liverpool held them.
Maggie was up to her eyes with the preparations for the holiday and wasn’t amused that Eddie had brought Agnes’s boys, plus two more of his mates from school, to view the Christmas tree which Bertie Mercer had anchored in a pot and stood on a stool for her under the window. Alice and Mae had spent last evening decorating it. It did look splendid, though, and Maggie was quietly proud that it was the biggest tree they’d ever had, despite the fact that it was only three feet high. However, its position now looked rather precarious and she wondered if it should be moved into the parlour, otherwise it might not survive the holiday at all, never mind last as long as Twelfth Night.
‘Don’t go poking at it or you’ll have it over and then you’ll be for it, Eddie!’ she warned, deftly manoeuvring between the group of over-excited lads, the tree and the range on top of which the pudding was gently steaming in a pan. Suddenly the kitchen seemed overcrowded, she thought, and she’d have the girls in as well any minute now. Mae had told her that after school they were going to see if they could sight the Lucy and before long she’d have John home too and no meal ready. A nice homecoming that would be, she fretted, but then smiled as she thought of her brother’s return; this was going to be a really great Christmas.
Of course tomorrow, Christmas Eve, would be very busy, for like all her neighbours she went to St John’s Market where bargains could be obtained later on and there was always plenty of good-natured banter between the stallholders and customers. She only needed vegetables and fruit for she already had the goose. She’d picked that up this morning and it now sat on the marble slab in the pantry, plucked, dressed and ready for the stuffing. Oh yes, there was still plenty of work to be done tomorrow but the two girls would help.
Over these last weeks she had seen an increase in the number of people wanting to borrow money to provide a bit of Christmas cheer. She didn’t need to hear their reasons for wanting a loan, she knew them already and counted herself fortunate that she didn’t have to wrest every penny from a reluctant husband who was more interested in celebrating with his mates in the pub. Not that she was well off by any means, something she frequently impressed upon the kids. They knew they were very fortunate that they got far more than many children in this street but she was determined they were not going to be spoiled. She had small gifts for each of them plus a shiny new penny, an orange and some nuts, and John was bringing a doll each for the girls and this gun that fired caps that Eddie had set his heart on. He’d no doubt persecute them all and succeed in breaking it before very long. Still, this year it would be good to spend the holiday as a family.
‘We saw the Lucy , Mam,’ Alice informed her mother as she followed Mae into the kitchen and unwound her knitted scarf from around her neck.
‘She was just off the Three Ugly Sisters, Aunty Maggie, so Da won’t be very long,’ Mae added, using the local name for the power station and its three chimneys. She took off her coat and hung it up on the peg behind the
‘Only because he knows Da’s going to bring him one of those toy guns that fires real caps for Christmas and all his mates will be dead jealous!’ Mae laughed as they broke into a trot, heading downhill now towards Albion Street. She was delighted that for the first time that she could remember her father would be home for the entire holiday. The Lucy wouldn’t sail again until the evening of Boxing Day. The two new ships Lusitania and Mauretania, together with the older Aquitania , provided a regular service between Liverpool and America, but the new ‘sisters’ were known as the ‘ Lucy ’ and the ‘ Maury ’, such was the affection in which the people of Liverpool held them.
Maggie was up to her eyes with the preparations for the holiday and wasn’t amused that Eddie had brought Agnes’s boys, plus two more of his mates from school, to view the Christmas tree which Bertie Mercer had anchored in a pot and stood on a stool for her under the window. Alice and Mae had spent last evening decorating it. It did look splendid, though, and Maggie was quietly proud that it was the biggest tree they’d ever had, despite the fact that it was only three feet high. However, its position now looked rather precarious and she wondered if it should be moved into the parlour, otherwise it might not survive the holiday at all, never mind last as long as Twelfth Night.
‘Don’t go poking at it or you’ll have it over and then you’ll be for it, Eddie!’ she warned, deftly manoeuvring between the group of over-excited lads, the tree and the range on top of which the pudding was gently steaming in a pan. Suddenly the kitchen seemed overcrowded, she thought, and she’d have the girls in as well any minute now. Mae had told her that after school they were going to see if they could sight the Lucy and before long she’d have John home too and no meal ready. A nice homecoming that would be, she fretted, but then smiled as she thought of her brother’s return; this was going to be a really great Christmas.
Of course tomorrow, Christmas Eve, would be very busy, for like all her neighbours she went to St John’s Market where bargains could be obtained later on and there was always plenty of good-natured banter between the stallholders and customers. She only needed vegetables and fruit for she already had the goose. She’d picked that up this morning and it now sat on the marble slab in the pantry, plucked, dressed and ready for the stuffing. Oh yes, there was still plenty of work to be done tomorrow but the two girls would help.
Over these last weeks she had seen an increase in the number of people wanting to borrow money to provide a bit of Christmas cheer. She didn’t need to hear their reasons for wanting a loan, she knew them already and counted herself fortunate that she didn’t have to wrest every penny from a reluctant husband who was more interested in celebrating with his mates in the pub. Not that she was well off by any means, something she frequently impressed upon the kids. They knew they were very fortunate that they got far more than many children in this street but she was determined they were not going to be spoiled. She had small gifts for each of them plus a shiny new penny, an orange and some nuts, and John was bringing a doll each for the girls and this gun that fired caps that Eddie had set his heart on. He’d no doubt persecute them all and succeed in breaking it before very long. Still, this year it would be good to spend the holiday as a family.
‘We saw the Lucy , Mam,’ Alice informed her mother as she followed Mae into the kitchen and unwound her knitted scarf from around her neck.
‘She was just off the Three Ugly Sisters, Aunty Maggie, so Da won’t be very long,’ Mae added, using the local name for the power station and its three chimneys. She took off her coat and hung it up on the peg behind the
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