wrote about the flower show it brought back some memories, I can tell you,’ Kate said.
‘When’s she coming home? Or does she intend to stay there for ever?’ Charlie asked.
Kate sighed. ‘Reading between the lines I think she’d like to but I’m going to suggest she comes home next month. Gwen can’t keep her much longer, it wouldn’t be fair to ask her to. No, she can come back before the end of August.’
Iris nodded; she missed Rose. ‘Is Da staying open late, Mam, or will he be in soon?’
‘He closed a bit earlier today, luv, he had some business to attend to. I don’t like him keeping too many pieces of jewellery in that old safe he has in the shop. Gold is too valuable and times are hard, it’s safer in the bank, but he hates going.’
Charlie looked perturbed. ‘I wouldn’t have thought there was that much, Mam?’
‘It mounts up, Charlie. It’s awful really, the number of poor souls who’ve had to pawn their wedding rings and other bits just to make ends meet and haven’t been able to redeem them. No, I told him it was best to take it to the bank for safekeeping.’
‘He shouldn’t be long now though, they close early enough,’ Iris stated, glancing at the clock on the mantel over the range.
Half an hour later Kate decided that rather than let the pie dry up they would eat and she’d plate Bill’s up; he’d probably met someone and been delayed. They had almost finished when the sound of someone banging hard on the shop door interrupted them.
Kate got up. ‘If that’s Mary Duncan wanting more potatoes because she’s run out I won’t be very happy! If she spent more time in her kitchen and less jangling on her doorstep, she’d be more aware of what she needed.’
Iris got to her feet. ‘Sit down and finish your meal, Mam,’ she said firmly. ‘I’ve finished mine. I’ll go and I’ll serve her.’ Quite often people called after they had closed. Hilda Jarviswho ran the corner shop said she was tormented every night by people who’d run out of things. She never seemed to get a meal in peace.
As she opened the door Iris’s hand went to her mouth and her heart dropped like a stone. A police constable was standing there looking grim.
‘Is your mam in, luv?’ he asked.
She could only nod as panic swept over her. It was Da! Something had happened to her da, she knew it!
‘Then I think I’d best come in,’ he said gently, noting her obvious distress. She led him through the shop and into the kitchen and when Kate saw him she uttered a cry of distress.
‘Mrs Mundy? Mrs Kate Mundy? I think you’d better get your coat, luv.’
‘Oh, my God! It’s Bill! What’s happened to him?’ she cried.
‘He’s in Stanley Hospital. I’m afraid there was an accident, a lorry skidded and went out of control. It’s not good, they say. I’m very sorry. Is there anything I can do?’
Charlie, although white-faced and shocked, reached for his jacket. ‘Can you try and find us a hackney or something? If we have to go on the tram it will take ages.’
‘I can but it will . . . er . . . cost. Cabs don’t come cheap,’ he reminded them. People in this neighbourhood never travelled in such style. They couldn’t afford to.
‘I know, but don’t worry, we’ve got the fare,’ Charlie assured him. This was one time he wasn’t going to quibble over a few shillings.
On the way to the hospital Kate blamed herself. ‘If I hadn’t nagged him to go to the bank, this wouldn’t have happened.’
‘Mam, stop it! It’s not your fault, you were only doing what you thought was best,’ Iris had said and Charlie had agreed but it hadn’t helped, Kate couldn’t stop fretting.
When they arrived, Kate was immediately taken off by the sister in charge, who instructed Iris and Charlie to wait as the doctor was still with their father.
‘Oh, I hope it’s not too bad, Charlie,’ Iris said, biting her lips as they sat on one of the long wooden benches.
‘So do I but that copper
‘When’s she coming home? Or does she intend to stay there for ever?’ Charlie asked.
Kate sighed. ‘Reading between the lines I think she’d like to but I’m going to suggest she comes home next month. Gwen can’t keep her much longer, it wouldn’t be fair to ask her to. No, she can come back before the end of August.’
Iris nodded; she missed Rose. ‘Is Da staying open late, Mam, or will he be in soon?’
‘He closed a bit earlier today, luv, he had some business to attend to. I don’t like him keeping too many pieces of jewellery in that old safe he has in the shop. Gold is too valuable and times are hard, it’s safer in the bank, but he hates going.’
Charlie looked perturbed. ‘I wouldn’t have thought there was that much, Mam?’
‘It mounts up, Charlie. It’s awful really, the number of poor souls who’ve had to pawn their wedding rings and other bits just to make ends meet and haven’t been able to redeem them. No, I told him it was best to take it to the bank for safekeeping.’
‘He shouldn’t be long now though, they close early enough,’ Iris stated, glancing at the clock on the mantel over the range.
Half an hour later Kate decided that rather than let the pie dry up they would eat and she’d plate Bill’s up; he’d probably met someone and been delayed. They had almost finished when the sound of someone banging hard on the shop door interrupted them.
Kate got up. ‘If that’s Mary Duncan wanting more potatoes because she’s run out I won’t be very happy! If she spent more time in her kitchen and less jangling on her doorstep, she’d be more aware of what she needed.’
Iris got to her feet. ‘Sit down and finish your meal, Mam,’ she said firmly. ‘I’ve finished mine. I’ll go and I’ll serve her.’ Quite often people called after they had closed. Hilda Jarviswho ran the corner shop said she was tormented every night by people who’d run out of things. She never seemed to get a meal in peace.
As she opened the door Iris’s hand went to her mouth and her heart dropped like a stone. A police constable was standing there looking grim.
‘Is your mam in, luv?’ he asked.
She could only nod as panic swept over her. It was Da! Something had happened to her da, she knew it!
‘Then I think I’d best come in,’ he said gently, noting her obvious distress. She led him through the shop and into the kitchen and when Kate saw him she uttered a cry of distress.
‘Mrs Mundy? Mrs Kate Mundy? I think you’d better get your coat, luv.’
‘Oh, my God! It’s Bill! What’s happened to him?’ she cried.
‘He’s in Stanley Hospital. I’m afraid there was an accident, a lorry skidded and went out of control. It’s not good, they say. I’m very sorry. Is there anything I can do?’
Charlie, although white-faced and shocked, reached for his jacket. ‘Can you try and find us a hackney or something? If we have to go on the tram it will take ages.’
‘I can but it will . . . er . . . cost. Cabs don’t come cheap,’ he reminded them. People in this neighbourhood never travelled in such style. They couldn’t afford to.
‘I know, but don’t worry, we’ve got the fare,’ Charlie assured him. This was one time he wasn’t going to quibble over a few shillings.
On the way to the hospital Kate blamed herself. ‘If I hadn’t nagged him to go to the bank, this wouldn’t have happened.’
‘Mam, stop it! It’s not your fault, you were only doing what you thought was best,’ Iris had said and Charlie had agreed but it hadn’t helped, Kate couldn’t stop fretting.
When they arrived, Kate was immediately taken off by the sister in charge, who instructed Iris and Charlie to wait as the doctor was still with their father.
‘Oh, I hope it’s not too bad, Charlie,’ Iris said, biting her lips as they sat on one of the long wooden benches.
‘So do I but that copper
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