Free Liverpool Annie by Maureen Lee Page B

Lirselves to food. There's wine opened in the fridge.' iylvia piled sausage rolls and mince pies onto a plate. 3me on, Annie. I'm dying to hear my record.' Halfway upstairs, she paused. 'You can see every-ng going on from here. It's how Bruno keeps an eye the bar when he's not there.'
    /Vnnie hadn't noticed the little oblong window in the .11 before. The girls sat on the stairs and peered ough. The bar was more crowded than ever and 3ple were still coming in. A few customers were
    singing drunkenly and there was the sound of breaking glass.
    'Normally, we'd be closed by now,' Sylvia explained, 'but there's an extension because it's Christmas Eve. It's not usually so crowded, either. Scarcely any of these are regulars and one or two are getting out of hand. Bruno will throw them out if they continue. He's very particular who he allows in his pub.' She pointed. 'See that lot over there! They look awfully common and are very much the worse for wear.'
    Annie followed her gaze. Half a dozen men and two young women were at a table in the centre of the room. As she watched, one man knocked a glass onto the floor with his elbow, but was too engrossed in the woman next to him to notice. The woman said something and the man grinned and kissed her full on the lips.
    Oh, Jaysus! Annie felt her blood run cold. The young woman was Marie! She wore a tight-fitting black jumper, emphasising her budding breasts. Annie gasped as the man on her other side angrily pushed the first away, and it looked as if there could actually be a fight, Marie appeared quite unconcerned. She seemed to be enjoying herself, and threw back her head, laughing uproariously, as the second man dragged her into his arms. The first got up and made his unsteady way towards the Gents.
    'Is something the matter?' Sylvia asked.
    Annie nodded numbly. 'The girl in the black jumper is me sister!'
    Sylvia frowned. 'But you said your sister is at Grenville Lucas and she's younger than you!'
    'That's her. That's our Marie. She's only thirteen.'
    'But she looks years older,' Sylvia gasped. 'Shall I tell Bruno? He'll throw them out immediately. He's strict about that sort of thing.'
    ['d sooner you didn't.' Annie felt unable to watch )ther minute. What on earth was she going to do )ut Marie?
    Come on, Annie,' Sylvia said gently. 'I'll play my V record and you can tell me all about it.'
    vas half one when Annie let herself in and she felt lost cheerful again. She'd told Sylvia everything, m living with Dot and moving to Orlando Street, to im stroking her head - or possibly stroking her head le other day. It was a relief to share her worries with neone else.
    )he crept upstairs and felt in the dark for her night-:ss so as not to disturb her sister, but as her eyes got :d to the darkness, she realised Marie's bed was pty and her heart sank. Where was she? Despite being so tired after all her hard work, she ildn't sleep. She tossed and turned, thinking about • sister. They weren't 'boys' she'd been with, but >wn men. Did they know she was thirteen? eventually she began to doze, but was jerked awake a sharp noise. She sat up, trying to work out what the ise had been when it came again. Stones were being own at the window. Marie!
    \nnie got out of bed. Her sister was in the yard about throw another stone. She flew downstairs and let her 'Where the hell have you been?' she demanded. Out and about,' Marie said airily. 'Ta, sis. I forgot ; key and I didn't want to wake the old fool up.' 'He's not old, and he's not a fool,' Annie hissed when ly were in the bedroom. 'He's a poor helpless man ing to do his best for us.'
    ■Really!' Marie said sarcastically. She threw her >thes on the floor and pulled on her nightdress, oodnight, Annie. Merry Christmas,' she said in the ne sarcastic voice as she got into bed.
    'I saw you in the Grand tonight,' Annie said accusingly.
    Marie hiccupped. 'Did you now! And what were you doing in the Grand, Miss Goody Two-Shoes!'
    'Me friend Hves there. I was