Free A Daughter's Disgrace by Kitty Neale Page B

trouble for a while. She’d lived in Ennis Street for so long that she knew everyone’s histories.
    As if on cue, her next customer was Neville’s mother, Jill Parrot. She didn’t know the woman that well, but if they were to be family then that would change. She liked the look of her. Jill kept herself looking smart, even though you could tell her clothes weren’t top quality.
    ‘Good morning, Mrs Butler!’ she said. ‘Clearing up, isn’t it? We might get a nice day after all.’
    ‘Call me Cora. We can’t be having all this Mrs business now your Neville’s going to marry our Hazel.’
    ‘I’m sorry we’ve not had a chance to get together to celebrate the engagement. I’m afraid I’ve been down with a lousy cold. We’re so happy that Neville is going to marry Hazel. She’s a lovely girl and he’s working every hour God sends so they can have their perfect wedding,’ Jill said, smiling.
    ‘That’s lovely, isn’t it?’ Cora smiled back. ‘Mind you, Hazel’s got her hopes up for a big do. I hope they don’t bite off more than they can chew. She’s going to have June all dressed up too, from what they were saying yesterday. Though I have to say, for a three-year-old she’s beautifully behaved, so there’ll be no trouble. And she’s so little that she’ll hardly need a scrap of material. Not like Alison.’
    ‘Your youngest certainly is tall,’ agreed Jill. She could sense the impatience behind Cora’s remark but couldn’t really see what was wrong with the girl. She’d always found her perfectly polite. Of course she wasn’t as pretty as her sisters, especially Hazel, but then, not many young women were as fortunate to have looks like that.
    ‘Hazel was thinking of blue or green for the bridesmaid’s dresses. Will your Kathy like that?’
    ‘I’m sure she will,’ said Jill. ‘She’s lucky, being dark like Neville, she can wear most colours. That comes from my Lennie. It’s all right for some. I’m too pale to get away with strong oranges and yellows, for instance.’
    ‘I think we’re safe to say Hazel won’t choose orange,’ Cora replied. ‘With hair like hers she knows there are colours she has to steer well clear of. Linda can wear anything and look good in it. Whereas Alison looks terrible in everything.’
    ‘Oh, I’m sure that’s not true,’ said Jill, slightly shocked. It would help if the girl stood up straight, or tried to do something with her hair, but she sensed she’d only make things worse if she said that. She hastily changed the subject. ‘Neville was saying that Hazel’s only taking one day a week off from the café from now on, to save up more money for the big day. That’s going to be hard work for her.’
    ‘It is, but when she sets her heart on something there’s no changing her mind,’ Cora told her. ‘She’ll be on her feet six days a week and dead beat on Sundays. I suppose you’re only young once but where she’ll get the time and energy to organise everything she wants I do not know.’
    Jill beamed in anticipation. ‘Well, there’s nothing I like better than a good wedding, and I’m not bad at organising if I say so myself,’ she said. ‘So it looks as if it’ll be down to you and me.’

Chapter Nine
    Alison was a couple of minutes later leaving for work that morning and she was pleased to see that meant she was walking down Falcon Road just when Paul was winding open the hardware shop’s awning.
    ‘Nice day for it,’ he said, giving her a cheeky wink.
    She blushed immediately. ‘Yes, looks as if we might get a bit of sun for once,’ she managed to reply.
    ‘Suppose that means you’ll be out walking with your boyfriend, then.’
    She went even redder. ‘Oh no, I haven’t got …’ she began, but a call from inside the shop interrupted her.
    ‘Mr Lanning! We haven’t got all day.’
    Paul raised his eyebrows. ‘See what I have to put up with,’ he said quietly. ‘Bet you feel sorry for me, don’t you?’ He turned