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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 gave her a crestfallen, little-boyish look. ‘Don’t be angry. I just wanted you to come. I knew you would think Oxford was too far away – when it isn’t really very much further. I have not seen my dear grandmother – Elsie is her name – for far too long and I know she would love to meet you. She is my late father’s mother. As you know, my mother is also a widow, and she has gone back to live with her own mother in Enfield. It is rather far, so I do not see her often. But Elsie was always very kind to me and I hate to neglect her.’

‘Well, that’s all very nice,’ she said, angry and jarred by the fright he had given her. ‘But you really just should have said so. And what about Banbury – are you really moving there?’

‘Oh, yes, I am!’ he reassured her. ‘And I would like you to see it. Now – let me ask you. No secrets or ruses now, I promise. If you like, we can turn about tonight and go straight back from Oxford. Or – and this is your decision, dear Margaret – we might stay the night at my grandmother’s house. It’s quite central. I know she will be very reluctant to let us leave. She is over eighty now, and I never know each time I see her whether it is the last. We could easily take in Banbury on our way home tomorrow.’

‘But Charles – my uncle and aunt are expecting me back tonight! What on earth will they think if I don’t go home? And how much anxiety we should be causing. You don’t seem to stop to think!’

‘Of course, of course – I’m so sorry,’ he said miserably. ‘I’m so caught up with the excitement of seeing you again. Dear Margaret –’ he took her hand again. ‘There have been so many times when I have wanted to write to you and plead for you to come home so that we could talk to each other and set right whatever was wrong. But your father strenuously advised me against it and of course his word has been my rule. I’m sorry for getting carried away. Banbury will have to wait for another time.’

‘All right,’ she said, almost recovered from her fury. ‘We’ll stay for a couple of hours now we seem to be here. But you must just be straight with me.’

‘Shall we have the bread and cheese?’ he said, jumping up. ‘It’s getting late and there’s just time.’