got ten shillings for you,’ Nellie announced.
‘It were only three and sixpence but Hetty made up the rest.’
‘Oh, everyone is so generous. Mr Dalgleish gave me two guineas for my ring. Two guineas! Can you believe it? And he says he’ll keep it for me.’
‘It’s the first time I ever ’eard of that auld skinflint payin’ over the odds,’ Bella said cuttingly.
‘He’s got a soft spot for Mary, always has had,’ Nellie stated.
‘So, that’s two pounds and twelve shillin’s altergether. ’Ow much will yer fares be?’ Bella asked.
‘I don’t know. I’ll have to find out then I can budget. If they’re not too expensive I should have enough to tide us over until I get work.’
‘When will yer tell the kids?’ Nellie asked.
‘When I hear from Aunty Molly. I . . . I’ll have to send them up to see Frank to say goodbye. He deserves that much.’
‘ ’E deserves nothing!’ Bella said grimly and Nellie nodded her agreement.
Molly’s reply duly arrived and it put Mary’s mind at ease. They would all be very welcome if Mary was sure the life she’d known in Liverpool was really over, weren’t they all family after all? Only Rita and her family lived with her now, there would be plenty of room and she was certain Mary would find work. It was a pity that no one could meet them off the mail boat but they were all just so busy, but she would be sure of a very warm welcome just the same and anyone would tell her the way to the Coombe.
Mary was apprehensive about telling the children and decided to try to make it sound like a kind of adventure. She hoped they wouldn’t be too upset about leaving Frank but ever since they’d been forced to leave none of them had even mentioned going to see their father.
‘I’ve got a surprise for you,’ she said brightly as she sat them down at the kitchen table.
‘What kind of a surprise?’ Katie asked cautiously. Life was very topsy-turvy these days and she didn’t like it at all.
‘We’re going to Ireland, to Dublin, to stay with my aunty Molly. Won’t it be great?’
‘Is it a holiday?’ Tommy asked enthusiastically. He thought it did sound great. These days life was always full of some excitement, even if it was a bit hectic.
‘Well, sort of.’
‘Is me da coming?’ Katie asked.
Mary shook her head. ‘No, luv, he . . . he can’t. He has to stay here and work.’
‘Can’t he work there?’ Katie persisted.
‘Not really. His job is here.’
‘Will we be going on a boat?’ Tommy asked. He’d been down to the Pier Head and seen the ships and it had all looked thrilling.
‘Yes, we will and you’ll go to school there and make new friends and see all your cousins.’
Katie looked doubtful. She had become really confused these last weeks as they moved from house to house, from family to family; she wasn’t sure she wanted to meet all these new cousins or Mam’s aunty Molly.
‘Oh, it will be fun! You’ll love it, I promise,’ Mary enthused.
‘What about Lizzie? Will she go to school too?’ Katie asked, glancing at her little sister who was watching them all intently.
Mary gathered her little daughter to her. ‘Not at first. I’ll let her settle in; it will take her a bit longer.’ She stroked the child’s hair gently. ‘We’re going on a holiday, Lizzie,’ she said slowly. ‘On a big boat. Mam will tell you about it all later. Promise.’ Oh, poor Lizzie. How was she going to try to make the child understand these further changes in her life?
‘Will we go and say tarrah to me da?’ Tommy asked.
‘Of course you will.’
Accepting the situation with his usual happy-go-lucky air, Tommy jumped up. ‘Can I go and tell me mates?’
Mary smiled with relief. The children had taken the news better than she had dared hope. ‘Go on, but don’t be long.’
Chapter Seven
I N THE DAYS THAT followed Mary had little
‘It were only three and sixpence but Hetty made up the rest.’
‘Oh, everyone is so generous. Mr Dalgleish gave me two guineas for my ring. Two guineas! Can you believe it? And he says he’ll keep it for me.’
‘It’s the first time I ever ’eard of that auld skinflint payin’ over the odds,’ Bella said cuttingly.
‘He’s got a soft spot for Mary, always has had,’ Nellie stated.
‘So, that’s two pounds and twelve shillin’s altergether. ’Ow much will yer fares be?’ Bella asked.
‘I don’t know. I’ll have to find out then I can budget. If they’re not too expensive I should have enough to tide us over until I get work.’
‘When will yer tell the kids?’ Nellie asked.
‘When I hear from Aunty Molly. I . . . I’ll have to send them up to see Frank to say goodbye. He deserves that much.’
‘ ’E deserves nothing!’ Bella said grimly and Nellie nodded her agreement.
Molly’s reply duly arrived and it put Mary’s mind at ease. They would all be very welcome if Mary was sure the life she’d known in Liverpool was really over, weren’t they all family after all? Only Rita and her family lived with her now, there would be plenty of room and she was certain Mary would find work. It was a pity that no one could meet them off the mail boat but they were all just so busy, but she would be sure of a very warm welcome just the same and anyone would tell her the way to the Coombe.
Mary was apprehensive about telling the children and decided to try to make it sound like a kind of adventure. She hoped they wouldn’t be too upset about leaving Frank but ever since they’d been forced to leave none of them had even mentioned going to see their father.
‘I’ve got a surprise for you,’ she said brightly as she sat them down at the kitchen table.
‘What kind of a surprise?’ Katie asked cautiously. Life was very topsy-turvy these days and she didn’t like it at all.
‘We’re going to Ireland, to Dublin, to stay with my aunty Molly. Won’t it be great?’
‘Is it a holiday?’ Tommy asked enthusiastically. He thought it did sound great. These days life was always full of some excitement, even if it was a bit hectic.
‘Well, sort of.’
‘Is me da coming?’ Katie asked.
Mary shook her head. ‘No, luv, he . . . he can’t. He has to stay here and work.’
‘Can’t he work there?’ Katie persisted.
‘Not really. His job is here.’
‘Will we be going on a boat?’ Tommy asked. He’d been down to the Pier Head and seen the ships and it had all looked thrilling.
‘Yes, we will and you’ll go to school there and make new friends and see all your cousins.’
Katie looked doubtful. She had become really confused these last weeks as they moved from house to house, from family to family; she wasn’t sure she wanted to meet all these new cousins or Mam’s aunty Molly.
‘Oh, it will be fun! You’ll love it, I promise,’ Mary enthused.
‘What about Lizzie? Will she go to school too?’ Katie asked, glancing at her little sister who was watching them all intently.
Mary gathered her little daughter to her. ‘Not at first. I’ll let her settle in; it will take her a bit longer.’ She stroked the child’s hair gently. ‘We’re going on a holiday, Lizzie,’ she said slowly. ‘On a big boat. Mam will tell you about it all later. Promise.’ Oh, poor Lizzie. How was she going to try to make the child understand these further changes in her life?
‘Will we go and say tarrah to me da?’ Tommy asked.
‘Of course you will.’
Accepting the situation with his usual happy-go-lucky air, Tommy jumped up. ‘Can I go and tell me mates?’
Mary smiled with relief. The children had taken the news better than she had dared hope. ‘Go on, but don’t be long.’
Chapter Seven
I N THE DAYS THAT followed Mary had little
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