'You have pots of money, not pans.'
There was silence for a while, then Sylvia said shyly, 'What are you doing on Saturday, Annie?'
'Nothing.' Annie had decided to have no more to do with Ruby Livesey. The decision would cause unpleasantness when she returned to school, but she didn't care. She and Sylvia would face it together.
'I haven't bought a single present yet. I wondered if you'd like to go shopping in Liverpool? We could have lunch and go to the cinema.'
'I'd love to!' cried Annie. 'Having lunch' sounded dead posh. If she did the washing on Friday, she'd have Saturday to do as she pleased.
Cecy came in with coffee and a plate of chocolate biscuits. She yelped in horror when she saw her daughter's scratched face, and immediately fetched disinfectant and cotton wool.
'I caught it on a tree,' Sylvia explained.
'You silly girl!' Cecy said fondly as she dabbed the wound.
Annie would have loved a room like Sylvia's, and a two-hundred-thousand lire coat, but what she would have loved most of all was a mam who cared if she came in hurt. 'Mam wouldn't notice if I came home carrying me head underneath me arm,' she thought drily.
At ten o'clock on Saturday morning, Annie waited on Seaforth station for the Liverpool train. Sylvia was catching the five past ten from Waterloo and they would meet in the front compartment. It was colder than ever. A pale lemony sun shone, crisp and bright, in a cloudless blue sky.
Annie thought of the rack in the kitchen which was crammed with clothes she'd washed the night before, the larder full of groceries, and the beef casserole slowly cooking in the oven. There was nothing for Dad to do when he came home from work. He could read the paper or watch sport on the recently acquired television which had been bought at Annie's insistence. Even Marie stayed in one night to watch a play.
She stared at the signal, willing it to fall and indicate the train was coming, and did a little dance because she had never felt so happy. Next week, it would be Christmas and today she was going into town with her friend! On the platform opposite, a porter watched with amusement.
'Someone's full of the joys of spring, even if it is December,' he shouted.
The silver lines began to hum, the signal fell, and a few minutes later the train drew in, and there was Sylvia, exactly where she'd said she'd be! She wore a red
lohair coat and a white fur hat and looked every bit as appy as Annie.
.iverpool was glorious in its Christmas splendour, .arols poured out relentlessly from every shop and the avements were crammed with people laden with arcels struggling to make their way along.
The first thing they did was buy a copy of the Echo. In he Kardomah over coffee, they excitedly scanned the ist of films. They had to finish shopping in time for the fternoon performance.
'Which one do you fancy?' asked Sylvia.
'You say first.'
'I'd love to see Three Coins in a Fountain. It's set in lome and I miss Italy awfully.'
'Then that's what we'll see.'
'Are you sure?'
'Positive,' Annie said firmly. 'I saw Rossano Brazzi in Attle Women and I thought he was dead smashing.'
'Next time, you can have first choice. Now, as soon IS we've finished our coffee, you must take me to jeorge Henry Lee's. According to Cecy, it's the finest hop in Liverpool.'
On her few excursions into town, Annie had never 'entured inside George Henry Lee's, deterred by the nind-boggling prices in the window. Once there, Sylvia )egan to spend at a rate that took Annie's breath away; I black suede handbag for Cecy, a silk scarf for Bruno, a luffy white shawl for her grandmother.
'My grandparents are flying over for Christmas,' she explained. 'Now, what shall I get for Grandpapa?'
They went to the menswear department, where, after nuch deliberation, she chose a long-sleeved cashmere pullover. 'Aren't you going to buy any presents?' she isked Annie after a while.
'Not here,' Annie said, embarrassed. She'd managed
to save nearly five pounds by
There was silence for a while, then Sylvia said shyly, 'What are you doing on Saturday, Annie?'
'Nothing.' Annie had decided to have no more to do with Ruby Livesey. The decision would cause unpleasantness when she returned to school, but she didn't care. She and Sylvia would face it together.
'I haven't bought a single present yet. I wondered if you'd like to go shopping in Liverpool? We could have lunch and go to the cinema.'
'I'd love to!' cried Annie. 'Having lunch' sounded dead posh. If she did the washing on Friday, she'd have Saturday to do as she pleased.
Cecy came in with coffee and a plate of chocolate biscuits. She yelped in horror when she saw her daughter's scratched face, and immediately fetched disinfectant and cotton wool.
'I caught it on a tree,' Sylvia explained.
'You silly girl!' Cecy said fondly as she dabbed the wound.
Annie would have loved a room like Sylvia's, and a two-hundred-thousand lire coat, but what she would have loved most of all was a mam who cared if she came in hurt. 'Mam wouldn't notice if I came home carrying me head underneath me arm,' she thought drily.
At ten o'clock on Saturday morning, Annie waited on Seaforth station for the Liverpool train. Sylvia was catching the five past ten from Waterloo and they would meet in the front compartment. It was colder than ever. A pale lemony sun shone, crisp and bright, in a cloudless blue sky.
Annie thought of the rack in the kitchen which was crammed with clothes she'd washed the night before, the larder full of groceries, and the beef casserole slowly cooking in the oven. There was nothing for Dad to do when he came home from work. He could read the paper or watch sport on the recently acquired television which had been bought at Annie's insistence. Even Marie stayed in one night to watch a play.
She stared at the signal, willing it to fall and indicate the train was coming, and did a little dance because she had never felt so happy. Next week, it would be Christmas and today she was going into town with her friend! On the platform opposite, a porter watched with amusement.
'Someone's full of the joys of spring, even if it is December,' he shouted.
The silver lines began to hum, the signal fell, and a few minutes later the train drew in, and there was Sylvia, exactly where she'd said she'd be! She wore a red
lohair coat and a white fur hat and looked every bit as appy as Annie.
.iverpool was glorious in its Christmas splendour, .arols poured out relentlessly from every shop and the avements were crammed with people laden with arcels struggling to make their way along.
The first thing they did was buy a copy of the Echo. In he Kardomah over coffee, they excitedly scanned the ist of films. They had to finish shopping in time for the fternoon performance.
'Which one do you fancy?' asked Sylvia.
'You say first.'
'I'd love to see Three Coins in a Fountain. It's set in lome and I miss Italy awfully.'
'Then that's what we'll see.'
'Are you sure?'
'Positive,' Annie said firmly. 'I saw Rossano Brazzi in Attle Women and I thought he was dead smashing.'
'Next time, you can have first choice. Now, as soon IS we've finished our coffee, you must take me to jeorge Henry Lee's. According to Cecy, it's the finest hop in Liverpool.'
On her few excursions into town, Annie had never 'entured inside George Henry Lee's, deterred by the nind-boggling prices in the window. Once there, Sylvia )egan to spend at a rate that took Annie's breath away; I black suede handbag for Cecy, a silk scarf for Bruno, a luffy white shawl for her grandmother.
'My grandparents are flying over for Christmas,' she explained. 'Now, what shall I get for Grandpapa?'
They went to the menswear department, where, after nuch deliberation, she chose a long-sleeved cashmere pullover. 'Aren't you going to buy any presents?' she isked Annie after a while.
'Not here,' Annie said, embarrassed. She'd managed
to save nearly five pounds by
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