loved?
Then I realised I was too tired to care.
4
It was eight o’clock on Hogmanay and Dad was out. After finishing his tea, he got himself togged up for the night’s festivities and had disappeared with Joe and a few other cronies.
Lily and I were in the throes of the New Year clean. This was a ritual that Granny and my late mum always tackled before the midnight chimes – the thorough cleaning of the house. Lily had the polish and duster while I was on my knees scrubbing the kitchen linoleum. Lily seemed quite happy but she was still clingy and we hadn’t been able to get to the bottom of it although Granny had tried hard enough.
I had just risen to my feet when someone knocked on the door. Lily rushed to open it and I almost collapsed in astonishment when I saw Maddie on the doorstep.
I ran forward. ‘Och, Maddie, it’s great to see you …’ I stopped.
She wasn’t alone. I saw a tall young man at her back. The light from the stair lamp was dim but I knew it wasn’t Danny. Then I noticed they were both dressed to the nines while I resembled Cinderella. Not quite sackcloth and ashes but not far from it.
‘Come in, Maddie. How are you?’
They both stepped into the kitchen which, thankfully, was clean and smelling fresh. The light in the kitchen was also better and I saw the extent of their finery. Maddie was dressed in a lovely blue satin evening gown which hugged her slim figure. She was as lovely as ever and once more I mentally scolded Danny for letting her go. The young man looked ill at ease in his dark suit and highly polished shoes while I was conscious of my old frock and dingy-looking apron. And I knew my hands were perfumed with carbolic soap. Still, I could hardly vanish into the bedroom and get changed.
Maddie and her companion sat down and she introduced him. ‘Ann, this is Colin Matthews. He’s come to work in Dad’s office and he’s taking me to the New Year Ball in the Queen’s Hotel.’
I smiled at him and he shyly smiled back. I liked him but the question was, did Maddie also like him? Well, I thought, it’s Danny’s own fault.
I jumped up. ‘Would you both like some tea or a wee sherry?’ I had bought a bottle of sherry and one of whisky in case any of the neighbours came first-footing. But that wouldn’t be tonight because Lily and I were planning on bringing the New Year in with our grandparents.
Colin didn’t say anything but Maddie said no. They had only a few minutes to spare before setting off for the hotel.
‘I just wanted to see you both again as it’s been such a long time since we’ve spoken.’
I was almost crying but had to hold back the tears. ‘Och, Maddie, it’s great to see you again because I’ve missed you.’
She nodded and I saw that she was almost in tears herself. ‘Ann, I have a whole Saturday off at the end of January. I’ll come here and we’ll take Lily to our teashop in town and we’ll have a good old blether as well. What do you say?’
‘That would be great, Maddie, and I look forward to it.’
Meanwhile, Lily was sitting there, her eyes like saucers with excitement. She couldn’t take her eyes away from Maddie’s frock.
‘I love your frock, Maddie. Has Joy got one like it?’
Maddie smiled. ‘Well, Lily, not quite the same but she has one the same colour.’
Lily looked wistful and I knew she was dying to touch the shiny fabric because she was sitting on her hands, which was a sure sign she wanted to feel something. This was a habit I had taught her when she was young. ‘You can’t touch everything you see so, if you’re tempted, then just sit on your hands.’
Maddie stood up. ‘We’d better get going, Ann and Lily. Have a lovely New Year and I’ll see you on the last Saturday of January.’
Colin also stood up and I had a sudden thought. ‘How did you get here, Maddie? Surely you didn’t come along the wet streets in that bonny frock?’
She laughed and I was suddenly reminded of our very first meeting in
Then I realised I was too tired to care.
4
It was eight o’clock on Hogmanay and Dad was out. After finishing his tea, he got himself togged up for the night’s festivities and had disappeared with Joe and a few other cronies.
Lily and I were in the throes of the New Year clean. This was a ritual that Granny and my late mum always tackled before the midnight chimes – the thorough cleaning of the house. Lily had the polish and duster while I was on my knees scrubbing the kitchen linoleum. Lily seemed quite happy but she was still clingy and we hadn’t been able to get to the bottom of it although Granny had tried hard enough.
I had just risen to my feet when someone knocked on the door. Lily rushed to open it and I almost collapsed in astonishment when I saw Maddie on the doorstep.
I ran forward. ‘Och, Maddie, it’s great to see you …’ I stopped.
She wasn’t alone. I saw a tall young man at her back. The light from the stair lamp was dim but I knew it wasn’t Danny. Then I noticed they were both dressed to the nines while I resembled Cinderella. Not quite sackcloth and ashes but not far from it.
‘Come in, Maddie. How are you?’
They both stepped into the kitchen which, thankfully, was clean and smelling fresh. The light in the kitchen was also better and I saw the extent of their finery. Maddie was dressed in a lovely blue satin evening gown which hugged her slim figure. She was as lovely as ever and once more I mentally scolded Danny for letting her go. The young man looked ill at ease in his dark suit and highly polished shoes while I was conscious of my old frock and dingy-looking apron. And I knew my hands were perfumed with carbolic soap. Still, I could hardly vanish into the bedroom and get changed.
Maddie and her companion sat down and she introduced him. ‘Ann, this is Colin Matthews. He’s come to work in Dad’s office and he’s taking me to the New Year Ball in the Queen’s Hotel.’
I smiled at him and he shyly smiled back. I liked him but the question was, did Maddie also like him? Well, I thought, it’s Danny’s own fault.
I jumped up. ‘Would you both like some tea or a wee sherry?’ I had bought a bottle of sherry and one of whisky in case any of the neighbours came first-footing. But that wouldn’t be tonight because Lily and I were planning on bringing the New Year in with our grandparents.
Colin didn’t say anything but Maddie said no. They had only a few minutes to spare before setting off for the hotel.
‘I just wanted to see you both again as it’s been such a long time since we’ve spoken.’
I was almost crying but had to hold back the tears. ‘Och, Maddie, it’s great to see you again because I’ve missed you.’
She nodded and I saw that she was almost in tears herself. ‘Ann, I have a whole Saturday off at the end of January. I’ll come here and we’ll take Lily to our teashop in town and we’ll have a good old blether as well. What do you say?’
‘That would be great, Maddie, and I look forward to it.’
Meanwhile, Lily was sitting there, her eyes like saucers with excitement. She couldn’t take her eyes away from Maddie’s frock.
‘I love your frock, Maddie. Has Joy got one like it?’
Maddie smiled. ‘Well, Lily, not quite the same but she has one the same colour.’
Lily looked wistful and I knew she was dying to touch the shiny fabric because she was sitting on her hands, which was a sure sign she wanted to feel something. This was a habit I had taught her when she was young. ‘You can’t touch everything you see so, if you’re tempted, then just sit on your hands.’
Maddie stood up. ‘We’d better get going, Ann and Lily. Have a lovely New Year and I’ll see you on the last Saturday of January.’
Colin also stood up and I had a sudden thought. ‘How did you get here, Maddie? Surely you didn’t come along the wet streets in that bonny frock?’
She laughed and I was suddenly reminded of our very first meeting in
Similar Books
