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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

‘Margaret –’ Aunt Hatt said earnestly. ‘It isn’t not liking. Mr Tallis is a good man – anyone can see that. He’s just a bit different, that’s all. He does things his way – and I respect that and Eb does too. We’ve just never got to know him. I don’t think being a bit different has ever been a crime, has it? And anyway – I owe you an apology, my dear. My being taken in by that smooth snake in the grass of a man who turned up here . . .’

‘You weren’t to know, Auntie. Charles has always been able to turn on the charm. That’s why everyone falls for him.’

‘Except Annie.’

‘Yes, well . . .’ They laughed. ‘She’s mellowing,’ Margaret said. ‘I even heard her saying something nice to Jack Sidwell yesterday.’

‘Poor old Jack!’ Aunt Hatt said. ‘He’s got some young wench on his arm, though – I saw him the other day. He’s no match for Annie.’ Her face sobered. ‘But you said your father’s taking measures against that monster.’

Their father had returned to the village, happy that his daughters would soon be joining him. When Aunt Hatt had asked if he minded the girls staying for Christmas – ‘I don’t think Eb and I will get through all my puddings without some help’ (though Eb said he thought he might, with a little application) – William Hanson agreed peaceably.

‘Christmas is rather busy in the church,’ he told Aunt Hatt. ‘Which means I am not much present at home in any case. And I’m sure I shall be well taken care of by our members. I have a housekeeper – she won’t let me starve.’

‘Needless to say, Charles did not come back to finish his last few weeks as he was meant to,’ Margaret now told her aunt. ‘He should have been there over Christmas. I know Father said he has written to the Church administration to say that Charles should not be allowed to work for them again – and he’s told the police. No one knows where he is at the moment.’

‘Oh, I expect they’ll get him,’ Aunt Hatt said. ‘He can’t hide for ever.’ She shuddered. ‘Ooh, it gives me the creeps thinking about him.’

Margaret nodded. ‘Me too. But I’m determined to keep him out of my mind – to banish him completely as soon as I can. He has taken up too much of my mind for too long.’