Lizzie of Langley Street by Carol Rivers Page B

bastards. They intended to burn them alive. They would die here. This stinking yard was to be their tomb. Nothing would ever be found of them. The warehouse was a
perfect incinerator.
    He panicked. Coughing and spluttering, his lungs filled with thick grey smoke. Tears streamed down his cheeks. He stumbled along blindly, grabbing at anything he could find. He was going to die
here. A slow and terrible death. He was sobbing like a baby and he didn’t care.
    Suddenly his vision cleared. The smoke parted like a curtain and he rubbed his eyes. He blinked and blinked once more. In front of him was the door they had entered by. He couldn’t believe
his luck.
    For one brief second he thought he heard Bert’s voice. But he convinced himself he hadn’t. There was nothing that would persuade him to retrace his steps. And it was Bert’s
bloody fault anyway. He thought he heard the voice again and ignored it. He stumbled towards the door and wrenched it open. A gust of air poured in. He fell out into the night, not stopping to look
back at the burning warehouse as he ran as fast as his shaking legs would carry him.

Chapter Five
    ‘L ook at this, bread pudding, still warm from Lil’s oven,’ Kate told Lizzie as she came in the back door carrying an enamel dish.
‘Ain’t she a good mate? You smell that mixed spice. Me mouth is watering already. Oh, what a treat!’ Carefully, Kate lowered the pudding to the table.
    ‘It looks smashing.’ Lizzie went to the table. ‘Ma, there’s something—’
    ‘Babs’ll be in soon,’ Kate continued as she filled the kettle with water. ‘I told her she could have ten minutes more. Ethel and her two kids are over from Blackheath, so
we had to be polite and stay for a bit.’
    ‘That’s nice, but—’
    ‘Them two kids are lovely,’ Kate sighed, taking off her coat and hanging it on the peg behind the door. ‘Really growing up quick. Rosie’s just like her mother, all blonde
hair and big blue eyes, and for two she’s ever so bright.’ She turned to Lizzie, her face flushed and smiling. ‘Flo all right, love?’
    Lizzie nodded. ‘She’s asleep.’
    ‘And young Timmy!’ Kate exclaimed as she put on her pinny. ‘What a little monkey! Into everything he is, but lovable with it. Dunno where he got his blue eyes from, though.
Now, go and tell yer brothers I’m doing supper. I’ll slice this up thinly. It’ll be just like old times, all sitting round the table together having supper.’
    ‘Ma,’ Lizzie said, waiting for the eruption when she broke the news, ‘Bert and Vinnie went out.’
    Kate turned to stare at her. ‘Went out? When?’
    ‘Just after you went to Lil’s.’ Lizzie added quickly, ‘Bert said they wouldn’t be long.’
    Kate stood still, her thin body stiffening. ‘Did he say where they were going?’
    Lizzie shook her head. She didn’t want to tell Kate they had gone down the pub, even though it was obvious to one and all that they had.
    Kate walked slowly to the rocker and sank down. ‘I should have known better than to go out. I might have guessed the buggers would ’op it the moment I turned me back.’
    ‘Don’t worry, Ma.’ Lizzie sat on one of the wooden chairs. ‘Bert said he’d keep an eye on Vinnie.’
    Kate laughed mirthlessly. ‘Yeah, I’ve heard that one before an’ all. He can’t keep an eye on himself, let alone his brother.’
    ‘Would you like me to cut you a nice piece of Lil’s bread pudding?’
    ‘No thanks, ducks.’ Kate gazed into space. All the colour had drained from her face.
    Silently Lizzie rose and took the boiling kettle from the hob. Automatically she went through the motions of making tea, trying to think of a way to distract Kate. When she’d poured the
hot brown liquid into two mugs, she sat down again, passing one mug to her mother.
    ‘Thanks, love.’
    ‘Shall I take one in to Pa?’
    Kate glanced at her. ‘No, I hope he’ll be asleep by now. If he isn’t, he’ll let us know all