nose in the air.
For the thousandth time Lily cursed Alec for leaving Mavis in such an impossible situation. If Mavis could get a divorce, then she’d be free to marry Tommy, but instead he’d just upped and disappeared. It was the cruellest thing he could have done, which was no doubt the reason for his actions. Lily cursed under her breath. If she were ever to catch sight of him again, she’d tear him limb from limb.
Mavis knew she was running late as she hurried back from Peckham Rye and its shops. Tommy was coming round for a meal and she’d run out of milk of all things, and then she’d decided while she was out she’d get some nice vegetables to go with the pork chops. She’d also seen some lovely cooking apples, going cheap because it was the end of the day, and she could almost taste the delicious sauce she could make with them. So she had a full shopping bag as she made her way home, hoping that Tommy hadn’t already arrived. Though she was still a little unfamiliar with the area she’d noticed people coming in and out of a side alley and reckoned it could be a useful shortcut. It would save her a few minutes. She’d told Lily she’d be back at half past and it was already twenty-five to.
The clouds had been threatening all afternoon to land some late April showers and now they obscured the sun as she turned into the alley. Mavis almost stumbled as the ground quickly became uneven. The walls were high on either side and there wasn’t much light. She hurried on, banging one elbow against a jutting-out piece of stone as the passage narrowed. She hastily checked her sleeve as even in the gloom she could make out that the stone was slimy. Better not to think about what that might have been caused by.
There was a sudden rustling behind her and Mavis jumped involuntarily, turning round to look just as a long, narrow tail disappeared under some abandoned newspapers. A rat. Where there was one there would be more she remembered someone telling her, and she glanced around nervously. She knew they would be unlikely to hurt her and would be trying to get away but that didn’t mean she had to like them.
Ever since having James and Grace she had done her best not to show any fear when confronted with insects or animals, in case she made them frightened as well. It wasn’t always easy and it didn’t always work; Grace was petrified of daddy-longlegs, even though nobody else in the family was bothered by them. Mavis had no idea where that had come from, certainly not from her, but as long as everyone was careful to shut the windows before it was dusk and remembered to check the bathroom before Grace went in, there was usually no problem.
Mavis smiled now as she remembered Tommy carrying one out in an empty tin so that Grace wouldn’t see. It was about the only thing that did scare the girl, though. Once, when Rhona had been babysitting, a big spider had run along the edge of the carpet and Grace had thought nothing of catching it in a hanky and asking Rhona to open the window so she could put it outside. Rhona had told Mavis she’d been the one shaking in a corner. Now Mavis turned once more and began to walk along the narrow alley, treading carefully, making sure not to bang her bag against the walls, which would bruise the lovely apples. She reminded herself that the rats would be far more wary of her than she ought to be of them.
Maybe this wasn’t such a shortcut, she thought, as the winding path seemed to be taking much longer than she’d thought it would. Then again that was probably because it was unfamiliar. The first time you went anywhere it always seemed to take longer. She glanced at her watch. It had only been five minutes, though it felt like far more. She rounded a corner and could see that the walls opened out on to a bright street at the end. Not far now.
There was more noise behind her but she didn’t turn round, not wanting to see more rats or whatever scavenging creature it was. She
For the thousandth time Lily cursed Alec for leaving Mavis in such an impossible situation. If Mavis could get a divorce, then she’d be free to marry Tommy, but instead he’d just upped and disappeared. It was the cruellest thing he could have done, which was no doubt the reason for his actions. Lily cursed under her breath. If she were ever to catch sight of him again, she’d tear him limb from limb.
Mavis knew she was running late as she hurried back from Peckham Rye and its shops. Tommy was coming round for a meal and she’d run out of milk of all things, and then she’d decided while she was out she’d get some nice vegetables to go with the pork chops. She’d also seen some lovely cooking apples, going cheap because it was the end of the day, and she could almost taste the delicious sauce she could make with them. So she had a full shopping bag as she made her way home, hoping that Tommy hadn’t already arrived. Though she was still a little unfamiliar with the area she’d noticed people coming in and out of a side alley and reckoned it could be a useful shortcut. It would save her a few minutes. She’d told Lily she’d be back at half past and it was already twenty-five to.
The clouds had been threatening all afternoon to land some late April showers and now they obscured the sun as she turned into the alley. Mavis almost stumbled as the ground quickly became uneven. The walls were high on either side and there wasn’t much light. She hurried on, banging one elbow against a jutting-out piece of stone as the passage narrowed. She hastily checked her sleeve as even in the gloom she could make out that the stone was slimy. Better not to think about what that might have been caused by.
There was a sudden rustling behind her and Mavis jumped involuntarily, turning round to look just as a long, narrow tail disappeared under some abandoned newspapers. A rat. Where there was one there would be more she remembered someone telling her, and she glanced around nervously. She knew they would be unlikely to hurt her and would be trying to get away but that didn’t mean she had to like them.
Ever since having James and Grace she had done her best not to show any fear when confronted with insects or animals, in case she made them frightened as well. It wasn’t always easy and it didn’t always work; Grace was petrified of daddy-longlegs, even though nobody else in the family was bothered by them. Mavis had no idea where that had come from, certainly not from her, but as long as everyone was careful to shut the windows before it was dusk and remembered to check the bathroom before Grace went in, there was usually no problem.
Mavis smiled now as she remembered Tommy carrying one out in an empty tin so that Grace wouldn’t see. It was about the only thing that did scare the girl, though. Once, when Rhona had been babysitting, a big spider had run along the edge of the carpet and Grace had thought nothing of catching it in a hanky and asking Rhona to open the window so she could put it outside. Rhona had told Mavis she’d been the one shaking in a corner. Now Mavis turned once more and began to walk along the narrow alley, treading carefully, making sure not to bang her bag against the walls, which would bruise the lovely apples. She reminded herself that the rats would be far more wary of her than she ought to be of them.
Maybe this wasn’t such a shortcut, she thought, as the winding path seemed to be taking much longer than she’d thought it would. Then again that was probably because it was unfamiliar. The first time you went anywhere it always seemed to take longer. She glanced at her watch. It had only been five minutes, though it felt like far more. She rounded a corner and could see that the walls opened out on to a bright street at the end. Not far now.
There was more noise behind her but she didn’t turn round, not wanting to see more rats or whatever scavenging creature it was. She
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