‘Oh, Jesus, she can’t even talk proper! Well, Peggy, you just stand right there until Stella gets back. She’s in charge around here and I’m guessing she will want to have a word or two with you – that’s if you’re lucky. She might want more than a word, get one of the fellas to help out. You see the thing is, Peggy, you can’t just come down here and take someone’s patch when you fancy. It doesn’t work that way, because if you did, others might think it’s easy and fancy their chances, and we can’t have that, can we? I think someone needs to teach you a lesson, P-p-peggy.’

Peggy shuffled forwards; the water wasn’t that far… if she could just get to the edge… but the woman stood in her way. ‘Oh no yer don’t! You aren’t going anywhere, missus, you stand right there until I say otherwise.’

Chapter Twenty-two

Maggie Trott looked in the mirror and checked her newly applied make-up. Cindy had given her a list of essential items and she had made the trip into town and bought her own supplies, to match those Cindy had used. Coty foundation and blusher, Outdoor Girl mascara in a palette with a brush, liquid eyeliner in a bottle, Aqua-green eyeshadow which went well with her hair and Portrait Pink lipstick were lined up before her.

‘Rub a bit of the lippy into your cheeks before you put it on your lips,’ Cindy had said. ‘It gives the blusher a boost and really makes a difference.’

When Cindy had finished restyling her fiery red hair and completed her makeover, Maggie had had to lean forward in the chair to check the reflection was really her. Her hair, which was normally straight unless she had slept in her curlers, crowned her head in ringlets. Her eyes peered back at her, twice as large as usual, and her lips pouted. She had always had good bone structure, but it had never looked as good as it did right now, defined by the powder and blush. Maggie was transformed. She looked thirty-five at the most. Her face had been spared the wrinkles and lines of other women her age, who spent their summers on the front step in a chair, watching the children play out in the street and her complexion was flawless.

Now she smiled at her own reflection. Her face looked just the way Cindy had made it up, earlier in the week.

‘There you go, you look amazing,’ Cindy had said as she spun Maggie around in her chair with a flourish.

‘It – it doesn’t look anything like me,’ gasped Maggie.