Liverpool Love Song by Anne Baker Read Free Book Online Page A

but when Marigold was four, he jumped ship in Australia and they never heard from him again.’
    ‘Oh my goodness! So they haven’t had a happy life.’
    ‘Anything but. Gran managed to find a job, but I know money was short and she found it a struggle to bring Marigold up. Then, just when she thought that job was done, she was landed with me.’
    Rex felt full of compassion. Who wouldn’t be?
    Helen gave him a wan smile. ‘They had me in chains from the age of fifteen and were deeply suspicious of any boy I looked at twice. They insisted I brought all boyfriends home for their inspection.’
    Rex smiled, ‘I bet they grilled them all.’
    ‘Yes, and that embarrassed me and put them off. I had to stop taking them home.’
    ‘But you did marry.’
    ‘Yes, I was only eighteen when I met John, but I knew he was the one and I could trust him.’
    ‘But your family didn’t?’
    ‘No, they were over-suspicious, doubted everything he said.’
    ‘They were afraid the same thing would happen to you?’
    ‘Yes, I understood why. I explained to John that they were afraid he’d make me pregnant and then abandon me. Marigold gave me Marie Stopes’ books to read so I’d know what I had to avoid.’
    ‘What did John say to that?’
    Helen pretended to assume his voice. ‘ “They’re bound to view me with a jaundiced eye.” ’ She laughed; it sounded hollow and mirthless. ‘Nobody could have had more honourable intentions than John. He didn’t lay a finger on me until our wedding night. He was ten years older than me and wanted us to be married. But we had to have their consent for that. I had to take him home.’
    ‘Surely that’s what they wanted for you?’
    ‘Yes, but they didn’t share my trust in John. He said, “The only way to deal with this is for us to be married as soon as we can.” He’d been offered a transfer to the London office. To start with, he’d been reluctant to go, but we decided that to get away might be the best thing for us.’
    ‘But time showed them his intentions were honourable?’
    ‘We were very happy together, but he was killed, so the result has been much the same. Except …’
    ‘He left you well provided for?’
    Helen nodded. ‘That’s about it.’ He heard the catch in her voice; she was getting emotional again. Did she have more to tell him? He had to put a stop to this before she said too much of what was in her heart. He was afraid she’d bare too much of her soul and later regret it and feel she’d made a fool of herself.
     
    As she pulled the front door shut behind her, Chloe felt Adam’s arm go round her waist and pull her closer. She put her lips up to meet his. They were both laughing with the joy of newly found love as he ushered her into his car.
    He drove out on the Southport road. ‘Have you brought some shoes you can walk in?’ he asked. ‘I thought we’d spend the afternoon at Formby. It’s lovely amongst the sandhills on the beach and there’s the nature reserve and so much open space.’
    When he parked the car, he tucked a couple of rugs under his arm and gave Chloe a windbreak to carry. It was a bright and blustery afternoon, too cool and windy for the crowds, so there was nobody much about. The sea was choppy and the wind was whipping up the sand and blowing it about. ‘It’s stinging my face,’ Chloe exclaimed.
    ‘Mine too,’ he laughed. ‘And it’s hard walking in such soft sand.’
    ‘It feels as though I have weights on my feet.’
    ‘Don’t worry, we’ll find a spot out of the wind and in the sun amongst these sandhills. Then we can sit down.’
    Adam knew where to go, and spread his rugs on the sand. They lay down. ‘Don’t even need the windbreak here,’ he said, pulling Chloe closer. She gave herself up to the kisses he was raining on her face. His body felt firm and strong against hers and he made her senses race. They stayed until evening was drawing in and it had grown cold.
    ‘Back to Liverpool now,’ he told