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Back Sisters of Gold Save as PDF
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

‘’Er’s going along, ta,’ Lizzie said, though her face fell a little. ‘’Er’s had a bit of a cold, like.’

‘See you later then,’ Margaret said, turning in her stately way and disappearing down the street. Annie watched for a second. It was at moments like these that she felt proud of having a sister like Margaret, so upright and calm and attractive-looking.

‘She’s lovely, your sister is,’ Lizzie said as they took their seats in the dinner room. ‘I wish I had a big sis.’

‘Yes,’ Annie agreed, unwinding the muslin cloth that Mrs Sullivan had tied round the top of the basin and unleashing a delicious smell of warm gravy. ‘You could do with one, with all you’ve got on your plate. Or a big brother – someone else to go out to work and not just you.’

‘If only Dad’d come home,’ Lizzie said, her face clouding. Her eyes filled with tears. ‘I know it’d make all the difference to our mom. I mean, I know he can’t go out to work any more – he ain’t right in himself. But just having him home . . . And maybe . . .’ Her eyes wandered a moment. ‘If he could just stay home with Nellie, and our mom could get a job . . .’ She wiped her eyes and took a mouthful of the stew and potatoes. ‘Oh, this is nice,’ she said dreamily. ‘You’re ever so kind, Annie, you and your auntie.’

‘You just eat,’ Annie said. She felt very protective of poor Lizzie. ‘You’ve got to keep your strength up.’

‘What I got to do,’ Lizzie said, looking troubled again, ‘is move up – learn so’s I can do piercing or slitting – so I can earn more.’

‘I’m sure you could,’ Annie said. ‘Have you asked Miss Hinks?’

‘No.’ Lizzie’s face fell further. ‘I think she’ll say I’m too young. But I’ll do it – one day.’ She looked puzzled for a moment. ‘Why don’t you move up, Annie? You could do that work.’

Annie smiled. ‘Oh – I don’t know how long I’ll be here,’ she said.

‘You’re not leaving, are you?’ Lizzie said anxiously, poised with her spoon over the basin.

‘Not yet,’ Annie said, not wanting to worry her.

‘One day, when I’m bigger,’ Lizzie said through a mouthful of beef, ‘I’m gunna get a really good job and then I can keep our mom and ’er won’t need to work. And we’ll live in a nicer house and . . .’ She trailed off as if something in her had deflated. ‘I just wish our dad’d come home.’

Daisy Tallis stood on the step the next morning, her feet neatly side by side. It was a Saturday and Annie was back at the factory. Margaret opened the door. Gravely, Daisy issued her invitation.