The Price of Love by Rosie Harris Read Free Book Online Page A

that she was extremely busy on the switchboard so that the time flew past.
    Although the rest of them dressed up in their best to go to church on Easter Sunday morning, to Lucy’s surprise her mother didn’t wear her red dress.
    ‘No one will see what I have on under my big coat. I want to keep that dress and your hat to wear later, because that’s going to be such a special occasion, and I want to look my very best then,’ she reminded Lucy as she fastened on her wide-brimmed black hat and picked up her bag and gloves ready to leave.
    After church, Lucy offered to clear up after their meal and told her dad he’d better go and spruce himself up while Sam went to fetch the car.
    ‘No need to go showing off by bringing it right here to the door, we can walk to the garage,’ Bill Collins protested.
    ‘No, Mam wants to find it waiting for her when she walks out of the front door,’ Sam insisted. ‘Letting the whole street see it arrive and then being driven off in it is half the treat for her.’ He grinned.
    ‘Well, I’ll walk along to the garage with you, Sam,’ Bill muttered, following Sam out into the hallway and picking up his flat cap and reaching for his coat that was hanging there.
    ‘Oh no, Dad, you can’t go out dressed like that,’ Lucy intervened quickly. ‘For a start, you are not going to wear that cap. It’s a smart trilby-and-no-muffler day,’ she added laughing.
    Sam took advantage of the interruption to disappear and with a sigh of resignation Mr Collins went to find his trilby as Lucy had requested.
    Five minutes later, Lucy felt really proud of them both as they stood in the living room, waiting for the car to arrive. She opened the front door the moment Sam pulled up outside but one or two of the neighbours were already on their doorsteps curious to see what was going on.
    Before Mr and Mrs Collins could get into the car, Patsy appeared. There was a look of astonishment on her face as she spoke to Sam and asked him what was happening.
    ‘I’m taking my mam and dad for a spin and then somewhere for afternoon tea,’ he said, grinning.
    ‘You planned all this and yet you never said a word to me about it?’ Patsy pouted, tossing her hair back from her face. ‘Did Mr Carter say you could use the car?’
    ‘Of course he did; I wouldn’t be outside my house with it otherwise, now would I?’
    Patsy waited until Mr and Mrs Collins were settled in the back seat and then looked enquiringly at Lucy.
    ‘I suppose you are going with them as well, are you?’ she asked.
    ‘No,’ Lucy shook her head, ‘Sam wants it to be a special treat for Mam and Dad.’
    Patsy beamed, her pretty face suddenly lighting up. ‘Then I shall come as well, Sam. I can sit in front beside you.’
    ‘Sorry, Patsy, but that’s not possible. Mr Carter said I could only take Mam and Dad.’
    ‘That’s not fair.’ Patsy scowled. ‘What am I supposed to do all afternoon? I was expecting you to take me out.’
    ‘I’ll be back before five and we’ll go out this evening,’ Sam told her as he turned on the engine.
    ‘No, that’s not good enough.’ Patsy shook her head, her mouth set in a tight line. She clung on to the car door as Sam engaged gear and began to pull away.
    ‘Come on, Patsy, don’t spoil things for them. It’s not Sam’s fault that you can’t go as well; he had to promise Mr Carter he would only take my mam and dad,’ Lucy told her, taking her arm and pulling her away.
    ‘Mr Carter probably meant that he didn’t want you riding around in one of his cars pretending to be Lady Muck,’ Patsy told her, shaking free of Lucy’s restraining hand.
    Lucy couldn’t think of a suitable answer as Patsy stalked off home in high dudgeon. She felt sorry for Sam, though, because she knew that Patsy was very angry and would have quite a lot to say to him when he came home.
    Knowing that there was nothing she could do about it and that Robert would be arriving almost any minute, she went back indoors