said coolly, turning her back on her sister so she could not see her expression. She poured cream into the porridge as Ronnie came into the kitchen.
‘Poor Frank,’ said Daisy, reaching for her coat. ‘How is this Matt connected, and what’s he to do with Ben?’
‘Mind your own business,’ said Lily, wondering why she could not just come out with it and say, he’s that missionary I mentioned but you were out when he called and now he’s asked me to marry him and I’ve said yes. But she could not say it because Daisy would think she’d run mad, and perhaps she had, and she was thinking that she and Matt hardly knew each other and Australia was a long way from Liverpool and her family.
Daisy shrugged on her coat and said sniffily, ‘When you condescend to tell me who he is, I’d like to meet him. I am your sister after all.’
‘You’ll meet him sooner or later.’ Lily stirred the porridge with unusual vigor. ‘Now are you going to work or not?’
‘Of course I am. Although I still can’t make out what he’s got to do with Ben who hardly ever sets foot inside the church.’
Lily decided a little bit of information would not hurt and might sweeten her sister. ‘He’s showing him Liverpool. Now go to work. I’ve got to get Dad up.’
‘Meanie, not telling me any more.’ Daisy blew a kiss and went out.
Lily breathed easier and placed a bowl in front of Ronnie. ‘Where’s our May?’
‘She said she’s dying.’
‘Oh, aye!’ she said drily and left the room.
Not even a curl showed above the bedcovers. ‘What have you got this time?’
May coughed. ‘Double pewmonia.’
‘Trust you. I might have believed it if you’d said ordinary pneumonia.’ Lily was amused but she did not allow it to show as she dragged off the covers. ‘Now up! Tomorrow’s Saturday and you can have an extra half-hour then.’ May groaned but rolled out of bed.
Lily was halfway along the landing to Albert’s room when it struck her if she left him sleeping he might not wake up in time to go with Ben. It could save the family more embarrassment because there was no doubt he’d have a face on him when he set eyes on Matt. She crept downstairs but halfway recalled Matthew glancing round Aunt Dora’s posh kitchen and saying, ‘Where does your father fit into all this?’ She remembered all the nice things he had said about her, and suffused by guilt she went and shook Albert awake.
By the time her father came sliding on his bottom downstairs it was twenty-five to nine and Lily had been to the shop door six times to glance up and down the street. Still Matt had not come.
‘Porridge, Dad?’ She tried to sound cheerful.
‘No thanks, girl. Just a mug of tea, good and strong, and maybe an egg with a piece of fried bread.’
Lily put the frying pan on, broke an egg into it and hurried Ronnie and May out of the house. She stood a moment, keyed up for that first glimpse of Matt, but there was still no sign of him. Perhaps he was regretting what he had said and wasn’t coming? She realised how much she did want to see him.
It was as the clock stood at quarter past nine and Albert was draining his mug for the second time that Ben entered the house. He glanced at his father, then Lily. ‘Where is he?’
‘I don’t know.’ She tried to sound casual as if Matt’s non-arrival was of no importance.
He rasped his chin with a fingernail. ‘I can’t hang around, Lil.’
‘Where’s who?’ said Albert.
‘Nobody,’ said Lily, giving her brother a look that dared him to say anything about Matt. Ben got the message and was silent.
‘The invisible man, is it?’ said Albert sarcastically, lifting himself onto his crutches. He sniffed and stumped out.
Where was Matt? pondered Lily as she watched them go up the street. A sigh escaped her but there was no use moping about so she removed her best dress, put on a working one and wellies and went to muck out the shippon.
She was washing her hands when there was a
‘Poor Frank,’ said Daisy, reaching for her coat. ‘How is this Matt connected, and what’s he to do with Ben?’
‘Mind your own business,’ said Lily, wondering why she could not just come out with it and say, he’s that missionary I mentioned but you were out when he called and now he’s asked me to marry him and I’ve said yes. But she could not say it because Daisy would think she’d run mad, and perhaps she had, and she was thinking that she and Matt hardly knew each other and Australia was a long way from Liverpool and her family.
Daisy shrugged on her coat and said sniffily, ‘When you condescend to tell me who he is, I’d like to meet him. I am your sister after all.’
‘You’ll meet him sooner or later.’ Lily stirred the porridge with unusual vigor. ‘Now are you going to work or not?’
‘Of course I am. Although I still can’t make out what he’s got to do with Ben who hardly ever sets foot inside the church.’
Lily decided a little bit of information would not hurt and might sweeten her sister. ‘He’s showing him Liverpool. Now go to work. I’ve got to get Dad up.’
‘Meanie, not telling me any more.’ Daisy blew a kiss and went out.
Lily breathed easier and placed a bowl in front of Ronnie. ‘Where’s our May?’
‘She said she’s dying.’
‘Oh, aye!’ she said drily and left the room.
Not even a curl showed above the bedcovers. ‘What have you got this time?’
May coughed. ‘Double pewmonia.’
‘Trust you. I might have believed it if you’d said ordinary pneumonia.’ Lily was amused but she did not allow it to show as she dragged off the covers. ‘Now up! Tomorrow’s Saturday and you can have an extra half-hour then.’ May groaned but rolled out of bed.
Lily was halfway along the landing to Albert’s room when it struck her if she left him sleeping he might not wake up in time to go with Ben. It could save the family more embarrassment because there was no doubt he’d have a face on him when he set eyes on Matt. She crept downstairs but halfway recalled Matthew glancing round Aunt Dora’s posh kitchen and saying, ‘Where does your father fit into all this?’ She remembered all the nice things he had said about her, and suffused by guilt she went and shook Albert awake.
By the time her father came sliding on his bottom downstairs it was twenty-five to nine and Lily had been to the shop door six times to glance up and down the street. Still Matt had not come.
‘Porridge, Dad?’ She tried to sound cheerful.
‘No thanks, girl. Just a mug of tea, good and strong, and maybe an egg with a piece of fried bread.’
Lily put the frying pan on, broke an egg into it and hurried Ronnie and May out of the house. She stood a moment, keyed up for that first glimpse of Matt, but there was still no sign of him. Perhaps he was regretting what he had said and wasn’t coming? She realised how much she did want to see him.
It was as the clock stood at quarter past nine and Albert was draining his mug for the second time that Ben entered the house. He glanced at his father, then Lily. ‘Where is he?’
‘I don’t know.’ She tried to sound casual as if Matt’s non-arrival was of no importance.
He rasped his chin with a fingernail. ‘I can’t hang around, Lil.’
‘Where’s who?’ said Albert.
‘Nobody,’ said Lily, giving her brother a look that dared him to say anything about Matt. Ben got the message and was silent.
‘The invisible man, is it?’ said Albert sarcastically, lifting himself onto his crutches. He sniffed and stumped out.
Where was Matt? pondered Lily as she watched them go up the street. A sigh escaped her but there was no use moping about so she removed her best dress, put on a working one and wellies and went to muck out the shippon.
She was washing her hands when there was a
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