Free Sunlight on the Mersey by Lyn Andrews Page A

start worrying over Florence’s future yet, she’s only eighteen.’
    ‘Nearly nineteen and I was engaged to you at the same age, don’t forget,’ his wife reminded him sharply. She hoped that Florence would marry well, a bank manager or owner of a large, thriving business, certainly not a lowly working-class clerk, even if he did have good manners and stood to take over a pawnbroker’s shop in time. She wanted better than that for Florence. ‘You have to take into consideration that she is used to certain . . . standards, Edward.’
    ‘I’ve enough to worry about as it is, Ethel, with all the violence in Ireland and mass unemployment here, and I’ve just read in the paper that there are now two million workers involved in disputes over pay and with the miners on strike supplies of coal are getting scarce and that will force the price up. I’m worried about what impact it will all have on the business and therefore our “standards”,’ Edward reminded her.
    She sighed heavily. ‘Let’s hope the strike ends soon then,’ she said and wisely let the subject of Florence drop.
    As Charlie got off the tram and began to walk down the street towards home he caught sight of Iris and Florence coming out of the shop together. He frowned, wondering how he was going to ask Florence out with his sister seemingly always at her side. He’d have to choose his moment carefully. As they drew closer he realised that neither of them was looking very happy. ‘Is something wrong?’ he asked.
    ‘Iris is insisting on walking me to the tram but she’s not well, Charlie. I think it’s the sun, we spent rather a long timesitting in the park,’ Florence told him, looking anxiously at her friend.
    ‘I’ve got a splitting headache, that’s all. I suppose it’s my own fault for taking my hat off but it was so hot,’ Iris replied irritably. Her head was throbbing and even though she did feel awful she had refused to let Florence walk on her own, saying she’d never get there because everyone would waylay her, seeing as now everyone in the street knew her friend.
    Charlie at once became solicitous; Iris couldn’t have picked a better time to be suffering from the sun or the heat. ‘You go back, Iris, you’ve probably got sunstroke. I’ll walk Florence to the tram; it’s no trouble at all.’
    Iris nodded, grimacing at the pain the movement caused her. He could be right about sunstroke. Mam had said the same thing, although Kate had added that she hoped Iris wasn’t sickening for something. ‘I’ll see you tomorrow, Florence, in work.’
    ‘If you don’t feel well enough, stay off tomorrow,’ Florence advised.
    ‘And lose a day’s pay and have Mam moaning that I’ve brought it on myself? No, I’ll be in work. I’ll be fine after a night’s sleep,’ Iris insisted.
    ‘What on earth made her take her hat off? It’s so . . . common to be seen in public without a hat,’ Charlie commented.
    Florence sighed. ‘You know Iris, she’s so impetuous and she doesn’t care what people say or think about her. It’s one of the things I like about her; I often wish I could be more like her.’
    Charlie shook his head in amazement. ‘Florence, you don’t want to go taking too much notice of our Iris, you’re . . . fine as you are. Very ladylike.’
    Florence smiled at him. ‘Thank you for walking with me, Charlie. Did you enjoy your afternoon with your friends?’
    ‘I have a bit of a confession to make about that, Florence. I wasn’t with friends. I went to see . . . someone. In fact I went to see your father to seek his permission to ask you if you’d like to come out with me one evening or maybe at the weekend?’
    Florence stopped and stared up at him, her blue eyes wide. ‘You went to see Dad?’
    Charlie nodded. ‘We had quite a chat; he’s a very nice man, Florence.’
    Florence had regained her composure and felt a stirring of pleasure and excitement. He liked her and wanted to take her out! And he must be