Chapters (71)
- Copyright Notice
- Dedication
- Part One
- One
- Two
- Three
- Four
- Five
- Six
- Seven
- Eight
- Nine
- Ten
- Eleven
- Part Two
- Twelve
- Thirteen
- Fourteen
- Fifteen
- Sixteen
- Seventeen
- Eighteen
- Nineteen
- Twenty
- Twenty-One
- Twenty-Two
- Twenty-Three
- Twenty-Four
- Twenty-Five
- Twenty-Six
- Twenty-Seven
- Twenty-Eight
- Twenty-Nine
- Thirty
- Thirty-One
- Thirty-Two
- Part Three
- Thirty-Three
- Thirty-Four
- Thirty-Five
- Thirty-Six
- Thirty-Seven
- Thirty-Eight
- Thirty-Nine
- Forty
- Forty-One
- Forty-Two
- Forty-Three
- Forty-Four
- Part Four
- Forty-Five
- Forty-Six
- Forty-Seven
- Forty-Eight
- Forty-Nine
- Fifty
- Fifty-One
- Fifty-Two
- Fifty-Three
- Part Five
- Fifty-Four
- Fifty-Five
- Fifty-Six
- Fifty-Seven
- Fifty-Eight
- Fifty-Nine
- Sixty
- Sixty-One
- Books by Barbara Taylor Bradford
- About the Author
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“No, I just left there. I told you, I spoke to her mother,” Alf answered, the anxiety in his tone apparent, his nervousness visible.
“Let’s be off, chaps,” Blackie said, ushering Sarah across the dance floor. The other two followed, all of them going out into the warm June night wondering where to go first.
Seventeen
By the time the four of them had walked up Branch Road, onto Town Street, and headed toward the Barleycorn, Blackie suddenly stopped.
Taking hold of Alf’s arm, he asked, “Why are we doing this? Look around; Town Street is empty.”
Alf nodded in agreement, and replied, “Better to go into the side streets, don’t ye think?”
Blackie shook his head. “No. Why would Gwen be roaming around at night? She must have gone home, sure and she did, where else?”
“I was just there, talking to her mam, and Gwen wasn’t in the house. I know that for a fact, Blackie!” Alf exclaimed.
“Then she must have gone to a girlfriend’s house. Yes, I be thinking that’s what happened,” Blackie now said, wanting to reassure his workmate. “Unless she’s with—” He broke off abruptly, pursing his lips, regretting his words.
“Were ye going ter suggest she’s with another chap?” Alf asked swiftly, throwing Blackie a sharp, questioning glance.
“I’m afraid I was,” Blackie murmured in a low voice. “Ye did say ye’d had a tiff—”
Finn cut in, “Was the tiff about another lad, then?”
Alf let out a long sigh and was silent. After a moment, he said in a low tone, “Yes, that’s it. Do ye know Ian Craig?”
Blackie, Finn and Sarah all said, “Yes,” in unison. Then Sarah ventured, “He’s a bit of a chaser.… You know what I mean; he’s always after different women, makes no bones about it.”
“Has he been after you then?” Finn asked, giving Sarah a hard stare.
“Yes. And I soon sent him packing. He’s not the kind of lad I like. In fact, I wouldn’t touch him with a barge pole.”
“That bad, eh?” Blackie said, and then turned to Alf. “I hate to say this, but I don’t think she’s wandering around Upper Armley. That’s a silly thought, and I can only suppose she’s with this Ian chap. I don’t know him, sure and I don’t. Never met him. Just heard his name.”
Alf looked at Sarah very intently. “Was Gwen alone at the Dance Hall, or was she with him?”
Sarah said quickly, “Alone. I told you, she was sitting alone, drinking a lemonade. Ian wasn’t in the Dance Hall. I would’ve noticed him. He’s always got a swagger to him, makes himself seen, can’t help it.”