riz . . . risen, I mean, and she wants me to share my flat with someone else!’
’Ow much rent’ll you get?’ Mrs Sullivan said at once. ‘If you’re short of a bob it ain’t a bad idea. There’s always someone wantin’ a roof over their ’ead in the city an’ Roddy says you’ve gorra nice little place there.’
‘Oh! Well, I think Mrs Roberts means to keep the rent,’ Linnet said doubtfully. ‘I’m pretty sure that’s what she meant. She said if I’d share it would mean she wouldn’t have to ask Mammy for more money.’
Mrs Sullivan shook her head decisively. She was a small woman, flat-bosomed but blessed with a large bottom and very large grey eyes which twinkled across at Linnet now with a touch of reproach in their gaze. ‘She can’t do that, you pay a fair rent an’ I’ll tell anyone who asks it’s norra penny too little. If you rents out, that’s one thing. If she’s tryin’ to do you puter your place, that’s another. What did you say to ’er?’
‘I said I’d write to my mam,’ Linnet said. She popped the last piece of potato into her mouth, chewed and swallowed. ‘Eh, that was great, Mrs Sullivan; I wish old Ma Roberts could cook like you can.’
‘It’s nice as someone appreciates me,’ Mrs Sullivan said. She winked at Roddy. ‘Don’t you lerrer push you around, chuck. She’s doin’ very well out o’ you, let’s make no mistake.’
‘Right. I’ll tell her my mam says I’m not to share, then,’ Linnet said. Mrs Sullivan shook her head at her.
‘Don’t say that, say your mam might think of sublettin’, but you’ll lerrer know when,’ Mrs Sullivan said. ‘If you need a bit o’ extry money one day, chuck, that’s a better way ’n most to earn it. I’m not sayin’ Mrs Roberts might not get ’er claws on some of it,’ she added generously. ‘But not all, by no means. Lerrer put tharrin ’er pipe an’ smoke it.’
‘You comin’ out, queen?’ Roddy said presently, when Linnet had helped his mother wash up and clear away. The boys usually gave a hand but Linnet enjoyed it and the boys, who often lamented their lack of a sister, enjoyed a break from housework. ‘We could go down to the pier’ead.’
‘Don’t mind if I do,’ Linnet said cheerfully. ‘Will you come back with me, afterwards, Roddy? I’ll read you me letter.’
‘Sure,’ Roddy said easily. ‘And me mam’s right; you don’t wanna let that old crow do you down.’
‘No-oo. Except that sometimes I do get scared, by myself at nights,’ Linnet admitted as they strolled along Byrom Street, looking in shop windows as they passed. ‘To tell you the truth I’ve always been a bit scared, like, at nights when me mam’s away. It’s no worse now, so I can put up with it, but in a way I wouldn’t mind someone living with me. If it was someone nice, that is,’ she added hastily.
‘You’ve never telled me that before,’ Roddy said, staring at her. ‘You’ve always said you liked it fine, bein’ alone.’
‘Yes, well, it’s never gone on for so long before,’ Linnet said lamely. ‘It’s better in the summer, with the lighter evenings. Are we catching a tram or not?’
‘Not,’ Roddy decided, turning out his pockets. ‘Let’s go down to the docks, instead, eh? Tain’t so far.’
‘Right,’ Linnet said cheerfully. ‘Race you to the next tram stop!’
The letter to Evie had been finished off when Linnet and Roddy got back from their stroll by the river and Linnet had finally gone off to bed quite satisfied with what she should do. She did not hold out much hope of her mother replying quickly – it took weeks for a letter to get to New York and if Mammy was off touring, as she said she might be, then it would be some while before she actually read it, let alone got round to answering. But Mrs Sullivan was a sensible woman, and she had undoubtedly given the same advice that Linnet’s mother would give, particularly as, under Roddy’s instructions, Linnet had
’Ow much rent’ll you get?’ Mrs Sullivan said at once. ‘If you’re short of a bob it ain’t a bad idea. There’s always someone wantin’ a roof over their ’ead in the city an’ Roddy says you’ve gorra nice little place there.’
‘Oh! Well, I think Mrs Roberts means to keep the rent,’ Linnet said doubtfully. ‘I’m pretty sure that’s what she meant. She said if I’d share it would mean she wouldn’t have to ask Mammy for more money.’
Mrs Sullivan shook her head decisively. She was a small woman, flat-bosomed but blessed with a large bottom and very large grey eyes which twinkled across at Linnet now with a touch of reproach in their gaze. ‘She can’t do that, you pay a fair rent an’ I’ll tell anyone who asks it’s norra penny too little. If you rents out, that’s one thing. If she’s tryin’ to do you puter your place, that’s another. What did you say to ’er?’
‘I said I’d write to my mam,’ Linnet said. She popped the last piece of potato into her mouth, chewed and swallowed. ‘Eh, that was great, Mrs Sullivan; I wish old Ma Roberts could cook like you can.’
‘It’s nice as someone appreciates me,’ Mrs Sullivan said. She winked at Roddy. ‘Don’t you lerrer push you around, chuck. She’s doin’ very well out o’ you, let’s make no mistake.’
‘Right. I’ll tell her my mam says I’m not to share, then,’ Linnet said. Mrs Sullivan shook her head at her.
‘Don’t say that, say your mam might think of sublettin’, but you’ll lerrer know when,’ Mrs Sullivan said. ‘If you need a bit o’ extry money one day, chuck, that’s a better way ’n most to earn it. I’m not sayin’ Mrs Roberts might not get ’er claws on some of it,’ she added generously. ‘But not all, by no means. Lerrer put tharrin ’er pipe an’ smoke it.’
‘You comin’ out, queen?’ Roddy said presently, when Linnet had helped his mother wash up and clear away. The boys usually gave a hand but Linnet enjoyed it and the boys, who often lamented their lack of a sister, enjoyed a break from housework. ‘We could go down to the pier’ead.’
‘Don’t mind if I do,’ Linnet said cheerfully. ‘Will you come back with me, afterwards, Roddy? I’ll read you me letter.’
‘Sure,’ Roddy said easily. ‘And me mam’s right; you don’t wanna let that old crow do you down.’
‘No-oo. Except that sometimes I do get scared, by myself at nights,’ Linnet admitted as they strolled along Byrom Street, looking in shop windows as they passed. ‘To tell you the truth I’ve always been a bit scared, like, at nights when me mam’s away. It’s no worse now, so I can put up with it, but in a way I wouldn’t mind someone living with me. If it was someone nice, that is,’ she added hastily.
‘You’ve never telled me that before,’ Roddy said, staring at her. ‘You’ve always said you liked it fine, bein’ alone.’
‘Yes, well, it’s never gone on for so long before,’ Linnet said lamely. ‘It’s better in the summer, with the lighter evenings. Are we catching a tram or not?’
‘Not,’ Roddy decided, turning out his pockets. ‘Let’s go down to the docks, instead, eh? Tain’t so far.’
‘Right,’ Linnet said cheerfully. ‘Race you to the next tram stop!’
The letter to Evie had been finished off when Linnet and Roddy got back from their stroll by the river and Linnet had finally gone off to bed quite satisfied with what she should do. She did not hold out much hope of her mother replying quickly – it took weeks for a letter to get to New York and if Mammy was off touring, as she said she might be, then it would be some while before she actually read it, let alone got round to answering. But Mrs Sullivan was a sensible woman, and she had undoubtedly given the same advice that Linnet’s mother would give, particularly as, under Roddy’s instructions, Linnet had
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