Read Online Megan of Merseyside by Rosie Harris - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: Rosie Harris
Ads: Link
moods, but this was more serious. The time had come to take a firm stand, he decided grimly.
The following day, when Robert Field suggested to him at work that they might all like to go to a New Year’s Eve dance at the Tower Ballroom in New Brighton, Watkin turned down the idea.
He didn’t care for dancing himself, he explained, and Kathy had gone down with a heavy cold after their walk on Boxing Day. He went on to tell him about Lynn and that he deemed it a good way of punishing her.
‘That means Megan is being made to suffer as well,’ Robert pointed out. ‘Why not let me take her on her own? I’m sure she would enjoy it.’
‘Perhaps you’re right,’ agreed Watkin. ‘Mind you have her back home before midnight, though.’
‘On New Year’s Eve! Surely she can stay and see the New Year in,’ protested Robert. ‘We’ll leave right afterwards,’ he added quickly. ‘They’re running extra boats and buses so there won’t be any problem about getting back here.’
Megan was rather taken aback when her father told her what had been arranged. ‘It sounds too grand for me,’ she demurred. ‘I’ve nothing suitable to wear.’
‘Then you’d better go out and buy yourself something,’ he told her in a conspiratorial whisper and slipped a crumpled five pound note into her hand.
‘Thanks, Dad!’ Her dark eyes widened with delight. Then her face clouded. ‘Won’t our Lynn be awfully upset if I go and she has to stay at home?’
‘Her turn will come when she’s old enough. You are out working now, so it’s time you started having a life of your own.’
‘Whose idea was it … this dance, I mean?’ Megan persisted, frowning.
‘Don’t worry, I haven’t been doing any matchmaking,’ he assured her. ‘Robert wanted all of us to go but when I refused he suggested you might like to go with him. He’s a nice fellow, Megan, so go and enjoy yourself. Give 1925 a good start. Now run along and buy that dress before all the shops are shut.’
The Tower Ballroom was quite the grandest place Megan had ever been in. It stood about a hundred yards from New Brighton Pier and Megan felt quite nervous as she walked off the boat with Robert and saw what an imposing building it was.
Once inside the ballroom her excitement increased. The shining parquet floor was already crowded. On a raised stage at one end of the room a five-piece orchestra was playing popular dance tunes which she enjoyed, and coloured beams of light from a revolving central chandelier played on those who were dancing.
Megan was glad she’d done as her father had suggested and bought something new to wear. She felt very elegant and glamorous in her sleek full-length, deep-blue evening dress, with its floating panel of light-blue chiffon.
Although Robert had told Lynn that he didn’t like jazz very much, he was quite an expert when it came to the more traditional dances like the Fox Trot and the Waltz.
By the time the interval came, she felt quite exhausted. When Robert led her across to one of the small tables on the edge of the dance floor and told her to sit there while he went to fetch some refreshments , Megan was more than happy to comply.
With a sigh of relief she sat down and slipped her aching feet out of her shoes.
‘Someone been dancing on your toes?’
Megan’s heart flipped at the sound of a familiar voice. She looked up, startled. Miles Walker, looking incredibly handsome in flawlessly cut evening wear, with a frilled white dress shirt, was standing there.
‘Whatever are you doing here?’ she gasped.
‘I could ask you the same thing,’ he countered, his vivid blue eyes studying her with amusement.
Before she could answer, Robert returned with their drinks. For a moment the two men stared at each other in silence, then with a brief nod Miles nonchalantly walked away.
Megan felt deflated. She scanned the crowded ballroom, trying to spot him, wondering who he was with, desperately willing him to come back and
The following day, when Robert Field suggested to him at work that they might all like to go to a New Year’s Eve dance at the Tower Ballroom in New Brighton, Watkin turned down the idea.
He didn’t care for dancing himself, he explained, and Kathy had gone down with a heavy cold after their walk on Boxing Day. He went on to tell him about Lynn and that he deemed it a good way of punishing her.
‘That means Megan is being made to suffer as well,’ Robert pointed out. ‘Why not let me take her on her own? I’m sure she would enjoy it.’
‘Perhaps you’re right,’ agreed Watkin. ‘Mind you have her back home before midnight, though.’
‘On New Year’s Eve! Surely she can stay and see the New Year in,’ protested Robert. ‘We’ll leave right afterwards,’ he added quickly. ‘They’re running extra boats and buses so there won’t be any problem about getting back here.’
Megan was rather taken aback when her father told her what had been arranged. ‘It sounds too grand for me,’ she demurred. ‘I’ve nothing suitable to wear.’
‘Then you’d better go out and buy yourself something,’ he told her in a conspiratorial whisper and slipped a crumpled five pound note into her hand.
‘Thanks, Dad!’ Her dark eyes widened with delight. Then her face clouded. ‘Won’t our Lynn be awfully upset if I go and she has to stay at home?’
‘Her turn will come when she’s old enough. You are out working now, so it’s time you started having a life of your own.’
‘Whose idea was it … this dance, I mean?’ Megan persisted, frowning.
‘Don’t worry, I haven’t been doing any matchmaking,’ he assured her. ‘Robert wanted all of us to go but when I refused he suggested you might like to go with him. He’s a nice fellow, Megan, so go and enjoy yourself. Give 1925 a good start. Now run along and buy that dress before all the shops are shut.’
The Tower Ballroom was quite the grandest place Megan had ever been in. It stood about a hundred yards from New Brighton Pier and Megan felt quite nervous as she walked off the boat with Robert and saw what an imposing building it was.
Once inside the ballroom her excitement increased. The shining parquet floor was already crowded. On a raised stage at one end of the room a five-piece orchestra was playing popular dance tunes which she enjoyed, and coloured beams of light from a revolving central chandelier played on those who were dancing.
Megan was glad she’d done as her father had suggested and bought something new to wear. She felt very elegant and glamorous in her sleek full-length, deep-blue evening dress, with its floating panel of light-blue chiffon.
Although Robert had told Lynn that he didn’t like jazz very much, he was quite an expert when it came to the more traditional dances like the Fox Trot and the Waltz.
By the time the interval came, she felt quite exhausted. When Robert led her across to one of the small tables on the edge of the dance floor and told her to sit there while he went to fetch some refreshments , Megan was more than happy to comply.
With a sigh of relief she sat down and slipped her aching feet out of her shoes.
‘Someone been dancing on your toes?’
Megan’s heart flipped at the sound of a familiar voice. She looked up, startled. Miles Walker, looking incredibly handsome in flawlessly cut evening wear, with a frilled white dress shirt, was standing there.
‘Whatever are you doing here?’ she gasped.
‘I could ask you the same thing,’ he countered, his vivid blue eyes studying her with amusement.
Before she could answer, Robert returned with their drinks. For a moment the two men stared at each other in silence, then with a brief nod Miles nonchalantly walked away.
Megan felt deflated. She scanned the crowded ballroom, trying to spot him, wondering who he was with, desperately willing him to come back and
Similar Books
