Lime Street Blues by Maureen Lee Read Free Book Online

bothered with other people’s rubbish.’
    ‘It’s not rubbish, Dad! Some of the things are quitesmart. Look at this! Mum said it’s a smoking jacket. It’s in perfect condition.’ Jeannie held up a maroon velvet jacket with frogging down the front. ‘And there’s some lovely handbags and loads of jewellery, though I don’t suppose it’s real. I’d buy this bead bangle, ’cept I need the rest of my money to have my fortune told.’ The compact and manicure set she’d hankered after had been bought and were safely in Rose’s shopping bag.
    ‘That’s exactly what I wanted,’ Colonel Corbett boomed.
    ‘What, the bangle?’
    ‘No, Jeannie, the jacket. And I’ll have the bangle too. Why not!’ He winked. ‘I’ll wear it next time I go dancing. How much do I owe you, Rose?’
    ‘A florin for the jacket, threepence for the bangle. But are you sure, Colonel . . . ?’
    ‘Quite sure, Rose, though, on reflection, I think the bangle would suit a narrower wrist than mine – your Jeannie’s, for instance. Here’s half a crown. It doesn’t matter about the change.’
    ‘Thank you, Colonel!’ Jeannie breathed when he handed her the bangle with a little, courteous bow. She slipped it on to her wrist. ‘Isn’t he lovely?’ she said when the two men walked away.
    Rose laughed. ‘You’ll never guess where that smoking jacket came from! Mrs Denning, the colonel’s housekeeper, brought it round. She said he never wore it.’
    ‘Perhaps we’ll get it back next year! Oh, hello, Rita!’
    Rita McDowd stood in front of the stall in the grubby, washed-out summer frock she always wore that was much too short. There was a look of longing on her peaky face as she stared at the biscuit tin full of cheap jewellery. ‘Hello,’ she muttered. ‘I thought you might like a hand.’
    ‘No, thank you, Rita. Mum and I can manage on our own, but thank you for asking.’
    ‘Actually,’ Rose said kindly, ‘I wouldn’t mind a cup of tea and one of my own fairy cakes, even though I’ll have to pay for it. Rita can stand in my place, can’t you, dear?’
    ‘If you like, Mrs Flowers.’
    ‘I’d like it very much, Rita. I’d love a little break.’
    Rose left and Rita came behind the stall. She always felt very conscious of how insignificant she was next to Jeannie, who was tall for eleven and outstandingly pretty. She had thick, wavy, light brown hair – like the Jeannie in the song – creamy skin with a sheen of pearl, a straight nose, and wide pink lips that always seemed to be curved in a slight smile. Her eyes were the colour of bluebells and they regarded people calmly and directly, full of trust, as if she couldn’t conceive of anyone being horrid. It meant that people never were. No one would dream of saying anything unpleasant to Jeannie Flowers and seeing a feeling of hurt cloud those innocent blue eyes. She seemed wise beyond her years, never giggly or silly like some girls.
    ‘Have you been busy?’ Rita asked.
    ‘Very, but it’s gone off a bit now.’ Jeannie turned away when a customer approached. ‘Good afternoon, Mrs Bonnington. Yes, they’re lovely handbags, aren’t they? Only sixpence each. Most are real leather, so Mum says. No, I don’t know where they came from, but I’m sure it was somewhere respectable.’
    ‘It’s not that, dear. I just don’t want to come face to face with someone I know when I’m carrying their old bag. I don’t think I’ll bother, but I’ll take that gold evening purse for my little granddaughter. She’ll enjoy playing with it.’
    ‘That’ll be threepence, Mrs Bonnington.’
    Rita’s eyes grew round when Jeannie put the three-penny-bit in a bowl full of coins, most of them silver. There were also a few folded ten shilling and pound notes. She’d never seen so much money before.
    The white elephant stall was one of the most popular, being the source of some remarkable bargains. Over the next hour, the girls were besieged with customers, many of them