BooksBarbecue
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

Annie heard the admiration in his voice for these two successful manufacturers, but it seemed to her that Uncle Eb was laughing at her. There was a definite gleam of amusement in his eyes and she was not sure she liked this.

‘Don’t you think it’s a good idea?’ she asked, rather pertly.

‘Oh, I do, I do,’ he agreed, holding his hands up as if to defend himself. But again, there was a teasing note in his voice.

‘Well, he might think so – but I’m not so sure,’ Aunt Hatt said, pouring water into the teapot, steam billowing round her. ‘I don’t know what you want to go and work in a place like that for. You won’t find it easy, I can tell you. But if you’re that set on it, you’ll have to see for yourself.’ She turned, holding out a bowl. ‘Go and sit down. Sugar on your porridge?’

‘Salt, please,’ Annie said, settling at the table.

‘You can come out at dinner time if you like,’ Aunt Hatt said. ‘You’re not too far away. Or I can get Margaret to bring your dinner over to you. That might be best.’

Annie was startled. She had not thought about these practicalities. Aunt Hatt stood over her in her apron, arms folded, her lovely face rather stern.

‘You’ll have to step out and get it off her. They won’t just have anyone wandering into the works.’

‘Have you worked in a pen factory?’ Annie asked, hurriedly eating her porridge. The last thing she wanted was to be late on her first day.

‘No,’ Aunt Hatt said, with an air of being a cut above that sort of thing. ‘Of course I haven’t. I worked for my father, God rest him. But I know one or two who have. I just hope you can keep up.’

Of course I’ll be able to keep up! Annie fumed inwardly. When in her life had she not been able to keep up with something? But she held these thoughts to herself. Aunt Hatt was still standing looking solemnly at her.

‘It’s not going to be the life you’re used to, you know.’

‘I know, Aunt,’ Annie said, trying to hide her irritation. That was what she wanted – a life that she was not used to! Demurely, she said, ‘I’ll do my best, though.’

She had dressed in her oldest grey frock and black shoes, carelessly combed her hair back into a low bunch on her neck and plonked her hat on. When she stepped outside the house, she found that the weather had changed. It was cooler, the sky a heavy grey over the rooftops, the streets wet and mucky beneath the many feet that were moving along them.