The Girl from Cotton Lane Read Online Free Page B

her father, Joe Maitland, took him on to manage his warehouse in Dockhead. Carrie was very pleased to see the change in her father now that he had settled into his new job, but she still fretted over her parents, and she had not forgotten her vow that one day she would have enough money to buy them a decent house to live in.
     
    The night was clear and the sky full of stars as she walked from the corner shop in Cotton Lane along River Street, then turned left into Bacon Street. The dark tenement block loomed up on her left and through the broken windows she could see the reflection of the naked gas jets that burned on each landing. There were four block entrances and Carrie entered the far one, climbing the rickety wooden stairs to the third floor. Each landing had four flats, two on each side of the landing. The front doors were almost bare of paint and shadows cast by the gas flame took on weird shapes. Carrie shuddered as she walked along the landing to one of the rear front doors. The sour smell from the communal rubbish bins in the alley below drifted up through a broken window and Carrie grimaced as she knocked on the door.
     
     
    A wind was getting up. It rattled the window frames as Nellie and her daughter sat talking. Despite the difference in their ages, the two women were strikingly alike, with small smooth-skinned faces and high cheekbones.
     
    At fifty Nellie Tanner was still slim and attractive. Her blue eyes were a shade or two deeper than those of her daughter, but her fair hair was exactly the same shade as Carrie’s. Life had been kind to her and there were few lines on her face, except in the corners of her eyes and around her swanlike neck just beneath the chin. She looked serious though as she confided in her daughter: ‘I dunno, Carrie. I was pleased as punch when yer farvver came ’ome an’ told me Joe Maitland ’ad offered ’im that job. Now I’m not so sure. It ain’t what ’e’s bin used to, but then nor was that watchman’s job wiv the council. Yer farvver’s never bin one ter talk much about ’is work but ’e clams up whenever I ask ’im what ’e’s bin doin’. ’E gets very tired too lately. After ’e ’as ’is tea ’e falls asleep in that chair an’ ’e’s like that till it’s time for bed. ’E’s never bin the same since the stables. ’E really loved those ’orses. I get all ’eavy in ’ere when I fink ’ow that ole goat Galloway treated ’im after a lifetime of work fer ’im,’ Nellie said, putting her clenched fist up to her chest.
     
    ‘George Galloway ’urt us all, Mum, but yer gotta try an’ put ’im out o’ yer mind,’ Carrie replied, reaching out and squeezing her mother’s hand in hers. ‘Yer won’t ’ave ter stay in this dump fer ever. One day I’ll ’ave enough money ter get yer both a nice place ter live. Danny as well if ’e’s still livin’ wiv yer.’
     
    Nellie laughed. ‘Gawd knows when yer bruvver’s gonna get married. I fink ’e jus’ loves ’em an’ leaves ’em. Still I’m pleased ’e’s got that lighterman’s job. I was worried ’e was gonna take up boxin’ after doin’ it in the army. That’s all Danny talked about when ’e first come ’ome from France. Mind you though, that Billy Sullivan ’ad a lot ter do wiv it. Yer bruvver worshipped ’im.’
     
    ‘They still go drinkin’ tergevver, don’t they, Mum?’ Carrie asked.
     
    ‘They was out tergevver the ovver night,’ Nellie replied, nodding. ‘Danny met ’im when ’e finished work. ’E come ’ome ’ere drunk as a kite. All I could get out of ’im was this gymnasium Billy was interested in. Danny said Billy Sullivan wants ’im ter ’elp out there. I do ’ope ’e ain’t finkin’ o’ chuckin’ that job in. It was ’ard enough gettin’ it in the first place. It’s a good job too. I know it’s ’ard and awkward hours, but at least it’s regular money comin’ in.’
     
    Carrie was eager to tell her mother how business was