Lime Street Blues by Maureen Lee Read Free Book Online Page B

field with Colonel Max, one step respectfully behind? I bet he never disagrees or says a word out of place, yet at home he’s nothing but a bully. I’d tell him what I thought of him, ’cept it would only upset Mum.’
    ‘Oh, Max, don’t . . .’ Jeannie paused.
    ‘Don’t what?’
    ‘Spoil things. Everything’s so nice . . .’ Her voice trailed away.
    ‘It’s only nice because we all kowtow to Dad, let himboss us around. Even Mum does as she’s told. I didn’t notice when I was young, but now I’m older, it really pisses me off,’ Max said with all the wisdom of a fourteen-year-old.
    Jeannie sighed. ‘It’s only because he loves us.’
    ‘No, it’s not. It’s because he’s a bully and he has to have his own way all the time.’ Max thankfully changed the subject. ‘Did you have a nice time?’
    ‘Sort of.’ She wrinkled her nose. ‘Mam deserted us and I was stuck with Rita McDowd all afternoon.’
    ‘You should have told her to sod off.’
    ‘I couldn’t, Max. The poor girl thinks she’s my friend. I’d feel awful if I hurt her. The thing is, she smells and she’s got no conversation. She’s got a lovely voice, though. I hadn’t realised. She sang ‘Greensleeves’ with the accordion band. She didn’t know I was listening.’
    ‘You’re too nice, sis. Still, you’ll get your reward in heaven.’
    It was funny, but Mam seemed more pleased with the pearls than the more important ciggies. Perhaps it was because, as she said, she couldn’t remember when she was last bought a present.
    ‘They’re not real,’ Rita warned.
    ‘Ah, but don’t they
look
real?’ Sadie cried. ‘Fancy you thinking about me! And our Sean too. He’ll love that scarf when he gets in. You’re a good girl, Rita.’ She bestowed an unaccustomed kiss on her daughter’s cheek, and became quite animated, demanding more details of the afternoon that had turned out so fortunately.
    Rita described how pleased she’d been when the guides, not the scouts, were first to boil a kettle, and what a wonderful surprise it had been when she’d stuckaflag in the ground with her name on and it had turned out to be the very spot where the treasure was buried.
    ‘D’you like me bag, Mam?’ she enquired. ‘There’s a purse to match inside. It’s where I put the money that’s over. You can buy hundreds of ciggies on Monday.’
    ‘Did you not just say the Flowers are spending tomorrow in New Brighton?’ her mother asked thoughtfully.
    ‘Yes, it’s Gerald’s birthday.’
    ‘Well, us McDowds aren’t due a birthday, but I’d like to spend the money on a day out too. What about Southport? It’s a far grander place than New Brighton and easier to get to. What do you say, girl?’
    ‘
Yes
, Mam,’ Rita breathed.
    ‘In that case, let’s start getting ready now. Take your frock off and I’ll give it a rub through. It’ll be dry in no time in this weather. Then we’ll wash our hair, but first of all I’ll get rid of these dirty dishes.’ Sadie jumped to her feet with a rare show of energy. ‘I’ll wear me pearls and Sean his scarf, and you can take your new bag. We’ll have a fine day out in Southport, so we will.’
    Sean McDowd was tall for thirteen, as thin as a lath, with hair as black as soot, and smouldering good looks – the spitting image of his father, according to Sadie. Unlike his sister, he had many friends, mainly boys older than himself over whom Sean was able to exert an extraordinary amount of influence. There was something magnetic about his dark blue eyes, his scowling face, that made his friends want to please him, change the scowl into one of his rare, heart-stopping smiles.
    Small gangs of lads, led by Sean, were the scourge of local farmers. At dead of night, they raided their hen coops, stealing not just eggs, but the occasional chicken.
    Rows of strawberry plants were stripped of fruit, trees denuded of their apples, potatoes and other vegetables dug up from the corners of fields, and sold