Jim was engrossed in his newspaper but an idea was taking shape in her mind. When Lizzie placed a mug of tea beside her, she put down the sewing.
‘Aunty Lizzie, if she sends us a good size bird do you think we should share it with Mrs Ryan and her family? It seems a bit sort of selfish for us to keep it all for ourselves when things are so scarce.’
Lizzie frowned. ‘You mean cut it in half?’
‘No. What if we shared everything and had our Christmasdinner together? Maria and I would be glad to help out with all the preparations and the washing up.’
This hadn’t occurred to Lizzie. ‘You mean ask Martha and Pat to come in here?’
Sophie nodded eagerly. ‘And young Robbie and . . . Frank too, of course. And we can’t leave Mr Chatsworth out either, not when it’s going to be such a great meal.’
Lizzie stared at her hard. ‘Martha hasn’t had him for a meal – any meal – since he married
that
one.’
‘I know, but he told me that last year he spent the day walking to and from the river, just stopping off for a pint on the way back. They were all in the pub so I don’t think he even got any kind of dinner. Aunty Lizzie, that’s a terrible way to have to spend Christmas Day and he’s been so kind making the toys for us and not taking a penny for them. Surely it’s the least we can do to include him? It will be a chance for us all to have a really great day,’ she pleaded.
Put like that Lizzie could find no reason to refuse but she wondered how Martha would take it. Still, Sophie was right. If they managed to get a goose, with potatoes and vegetables, and if she and Martha scraped together enough ingredients for a cake, and if Jim could get something for them to drink, it would be a meal to remember. She smiled at her niece. ‘You’ve got a kind heart, Sophie. You’re right, it’s no way for anyone to spend Christmas. We’ll have a great day. The kids can make paper chains to decorate the kitchen, that will keep them quiet, and we should be able to get holly and a smalltree. Yes, luv, we’ll have the best Christmas we’ve had in years.’
Lizzie had worked out what she was going to say to her friend before she went to see her, after she’d posted the letter Maria had written. Martha was so taken with the thought of a communal Christmas dinner with the Quines, and with the possibility of a whole
goose
no less, that when Lizzie informed her that Sophie was insisting they invite Frank too, considering he’d made the toys, she felt she really couldn’t object.
‘Under normal circumstances, Lizzie, I wouldn’t have him over the doorstep, but . . .’
‘It’s not your doorstep, Martha,’ Lizzie succinctly reminded her.
‘Oh, you know what I mean. But . . . but these are exceptional circumstances. Does she think this woman will actually send a goose over?’
‘Maria said she told her in her letter how bad things still are over here, about how the city is still in ruins and there’s hardly anything in the shops – the ones that are still standing – and that it’s their first Christmas away . . .’
Martha nodded. ‘It will seem like a miracle, Lizzie. We’ll be the envy of the entire street!’
Lizzie beamed with satisfaction. ‘We’ll be the envy of the entire
neighbourhood
, Martha. Now, let’s sit down and see about getting together the rest of the stuff and you can send your Robbie in after school and we’ll get the kids started making the paper chains. The few I had were years old and all fell to bits when I took them down last year.’
To Lizzie’s delight and Sophie’s relief, Maude Sayle agreed to send the bird over, ready plucked and wrapped in straw and cardboard. One of the captains employed by the Steam Packet Company was a cousin and would see that the parcel arrived safely and Jim would collect it. Billy, Robbie and Bella spent hours making paper chains from newspaper which they’d painted red and green, and with the sprigs of holly and a small tree,
‘Aunty Lizzie, if she sends us a good size bird do you think we should share it with Mrs Ryan and her family? It seems a bit sort of selfish for us to keep it all for ourselves when things are so scarce.’
Lizzie frowned. ‘You mean cut it in half?’
‘No. What if we shared everything and had our Christmasdinner together? Maria and I would be glad to help out with all the preparations and the washing up.’
This hadn’t occurred to Lizzie. ‘You mean ask Martha and Pat to come in here?’
Sophie nodded eagerly. ‘And young Robbie and . . . Frank too, of course. And we can’t leave Mr Chatsworth out either, not when it’s going to be such a great meal.’
Lizzie stared at her hard. ‘Martha hasn’t had him for a meal – any meal – since he married
that
one.’
‘I know, but he told me that last year he spent the day walking to and from the river, just stopping off for a pint on the way back. They were all in the pub so I don’t think he even got any kind of dinner. Aunty Lizzie, that’s a terrible way to have to spend Christmas Day and he’s been so kind making the toys for us and not taking a penny for them. Surely it’s the least we can do to include him? It will be a chance for us all to have a really great day,’ she pleaded.
Put like that Lizzie could find no reason to refuse but she wondered how Martha would take it. Still, Sophie was right. If they managed to get a goose, with potatoes and vegetables, and if she and Martha scraped together enough ingredients for a cake, and if Jim could get something for them to drink, it would be a meal to remember. She smiled at her niece. ‘You’ve got a kind heart, Sophie. You’re right, it’s no way for anyone to spend Christmas. We’ll have a great day. The kids can make paper chains to decorate the kitchen, that will keep them quiet, and we should be able to get holly and a smalltree. Yes, luv, we’ll have the best Christmas we’ve had in years.’
Lizzie had worked out what she was going to say to her friend before she went to see her, after she’d posted the letter Maria had written. Martha was so taken with the thought of a communal Christmas dinner with the Quines, and with the possibility of a whole
goose
no less, that when Lizzie informed her that Sophie was insisting they invite Frank too, considering he’d made the toys, she felt she really couldn’t object.
‘Under normal circumstances, Lizzie, I wouldn’t have him over the doorstep, but . . .’
‘It’s not your doorstep, Martha,’ Lizzie succinctly reminded her.
‘Oh, you know what I mean. But . . . but these are exceptional circumstances. Does she think this woman will actually send a goose over?’
‘Maria said she told her in her letter how bad things still are over here, about how the city is still in ruins and there’s hardly anything in the shops – the ones that are still standing – and that it’s their first Christmas away . . .’
Martha nodded. ‘It will seem like a miracle, Lizzie. We’ll be the envy of the entire street!’
Lizzie beamed with satisfaction. ‘We’ll be the envy of the entire
neighbourhood
, Martha. Now, let’s sit down and see about getting together the rest of the stuff and you can send your Robbie in after school and we’ll get the kids started making the paper chains. The few I had were years old and all fell to bits when I took them down last year.’
To Lizzie’s delight and Sophie’s relief, Maude Sayle agreed to send the bird over, ready plucked and wrapped in straw and cardboard. One of the captains employed by the Steam Packet Company was a cousin and would see that the parcel arrived safely and Jim would collect it. Billy, Robbie and Bella spent hours making paper chains from newspaper which they’d painted red and green, and with the sprigs of holly and a small tree,
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