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Back Sisters of Gold
Chapters (64)
  1. Cover
  2. Title page
  3. Dedication page
  4. A Week’s Work in Birmingham
  5. I
  6. One
  7. Two
  8. Three
  9. Four
  10. Five
  11. Six
  12. Seven
  13. Eight
  14. Nine
  15. Ten
  16. Eleven
  17. Twelve
  18. Thirteen
  19. Fourteen
  20. Fifteen
  21. Sixteen
  22. Seventeen
  23. Eighteen
  24. Nineteen
  25. Twenty
  26. Twenty-One
  27. Twenty-Two
  28. Twenty-Three
  29. Twenty-Four
  30. II
  31. Twenty-Five
  32. Twenty-Six
  33. Twenty-Seven
  34. Twenty-Eight
  35. Twenty-Nine
  36. Thirty
  37. Thirty-One
  38. Thirty-Two
  39. Thirty-Three
  40. Thirty-Four
  41. Thirty-Five
  42. Thirty-Six
  43. Thirty-Seven
  44. Thirty-Eight
  45. Thirty-Nine
  46. III
  47. Forty
  48. Forty-One
  49. Forty-Two
  50. Forty-Three
  51. Forty-Four
  52. Forty-Five
  53. Forty-Six
  54. Forty-Seven
  55. Forty-Eight
  56. Forty-Nine
  57. Fifty
  58. Fifty-One
  59. Fifty-Two
  60. Fifty-Three
  61. Acknowledgements
  62. Further Reading
  63. About the Author
  64. By the Same Author

He drew close and looked down at her, seeking her permission to draw her into his arms. Very gently he removed her hat and handed it to her, before bringing her head against his chest with his hand, so tenderly that it made her want to weep.

Thirty-Six

Thirty-Six

The dinner bell rang out along the passageways of Masters, Hogg & Co. Within a second, all the women in the stamping room downed tools and the sounds of thumping presses were replaced by that of feet hurrying towards the door.

Annie made her way out beside Lizzie, as usual, though one or two of the others looked her in the eye with what appeared now to be friendliness. She noticed that Lizzie’s young face appeared pinker than usual, as if a flush of happiness had permeated her skin. And the girl’s pale eyes had a new light in them. She clutched Annie’s arm.

‘I’ve got summat to tell yer,’ she said excitedly as they hurried along the corridor, two little ripples in the river of women. Beyond the windows, the tall chimneys blackened the already lowering sky with smoke.

Unable to hold back until they were outside, Lizzie said, ‘Someone’s seen our dad! Mr B came and told us last night. ’E was working near the cut over Ladywood way – and he saw Dad in the road.’

‘Oh, that’s good news,’ Annie said, trying to sound as if she thought it was. But she wondered why, if Wilf Poole was so close to home, he didn’t come and see his family. ‘Did Mr B speak to him?’

‘No,’ Lizzie said. ‘’E said ’e only saw him in the distance, like, but ’e was sure it was him.’

They stepped out into the day. Everything about it was grey and bitterly cold. But as ever, Margaret was waiting near the factory gates. She approached with a smile, holding the basin of food which Aunt Hatt had requested Mrs Sullivan to fill to the brim every day, so that there was always extra for Lizzie Poole. They were determined to make sure the girl had a good feed at least once a day, with all the burdens she carried. Annie was deeply grateful to Aunt Hatt for this.

‘Hello, Margaret,’ Lizzie said, lifted out of herself by the good news. ‘You look ever so nice today.’

‘Oh – thank you!’ Margaret smiled and Annie noticed that her sister was looking radiant in a way she had not seen in a very long time. She did not have time to think about this because Margaret was handing her the basin and two spoons and asking after Mrs Poole. One or other of them always tried to call in at the Pooles’ house at some point in the week, but neither Annie nor Margaret had seen Mary Poole for a few days.