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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

‘Oh, ar, I’ll say. They do seem rather strait-laced – ’specially the older one,’ Eb said. He curved a hand stealthily round his wife’s warm breast. ‘You don’t think they’ll try and convert us, do yer?’

‘Eb . . .’ Hatt said, warningly.

The hand receded.

‘Margaret’s the image of the old man,’ he said, suppressing a sigh. ‘But that Annie – funny little thing she is. Looks a handful to me.’

‘D’you think she meant it – about getting a job?’

‘Well – why shouldn’t they?’ he said. ‘Can’t have them just sitting around here. They can get weaving – see a bit of life instead of all this religious claptrap.’

‘Your sister was a good woman,’ Hatt said. ‘She believed in it, proper like.’

‘Ole Lil? Oh, ar. She was – can’t think why she married that stuffed shirt of a husband, though. Leah. Changing her name as if her real name and her own family weren’t good enough or summat. I never could get used to calling her that. Hardly saw ’er after she moved down there anyway.’

‘She changed it when she got married, dain’t she? I suppose it sounded more religious. Not many Lils in the Bible, are there?’

‘There’s nowt wrong with the name Lilian,’ Eb said, stroking his wife’s full hip, still hoping pleasantly that there might be more on offer tonight, if he was lucky. ‘And what’s gone on there, d’yer think – them coming running here to us?’

‘I don’t know.’ Harriet’s voice was troubled. ‘It seems as if it’s summat to do with him – their father. I’ll see if I can get them to talk to me. Margaret, at least. The girl looked quite poorly when she arrived and things aren’t right – I can see by the look of her. Be gentle with her, Eb.’

‘I will!’ he said, indignant. ‘What d’yer think I’m going to do?’

‘And don’t be rude about their religion. It’s important to them. There are some very kindly religious people. Just because you don’t hold with it.’

‘Well, you know what I always say,’ Eb said, pressing his body hopefully against his wife’s. ‘Too much religion can make you go off pop!’

‘I know that’s what you always say,’ she said. ‘Just don’t say it in front of these young ladies, that’s all. Oh, Eb – get off me, will you? It’s far too hot for all that carry-on.’

Five

Five

By the next evening, Margaret felt she had lived a year instead of a day.

Far from the grilling with questions she had expected the next morning, her uncle and aunt asked nothing, were both very busy and seemed intent on keeping her and Annie busy all day as well.