Free The Leaving of Liverpool by Lyn Andrews

frightened her. What had made him act like that? She supposed he had some kind of illness but everyone was very vague on the subject. She stared morosely out of the window. It was hot and sticky. There wasn’t a breath of wind. Not a leaf rustled on the trees that lined the road. It was going to be a very boring weekend and a longer one than usual for Monday was a bank holiday. Everyone would be taking advantage of the good weather to go somewhere or do something.
    She turned away and sat down at the dressing table studying her reflection in the mirror with distaste. She hated her hair even more than usual today. When the weather was so hot it was heavy and even more inclined to curl up. She brightened as an idea took hold of her and she smiled. She’d have it cut in the new short style. Yes, that’s what she’d do! Papa wouldn’t like it but she wasn’t going to let that stop her. She gathered up the copper ringlets and tried to arrange them in an approximation of the short bob. She was certain she would suit it and perhaps she would start a trend. She’d read that lots of girls in London had had their long locks shorn, but she’d not seen a single girl in Liverpool who’d dared to follow the new fashion. But she would and she might even get her picture in the paper, in the society column of course.
    The sounds of the street came floating in through the open window and some of her excitement faded. It was Saturday lunch time so who could she ask to accompany her on her excursion? There was Abigail but she’d just go on and on about her forthcoming wedding and she was sick of hearing about how wonderful life would become when she was married. And Abbie was such a stick-in-the-mud that she’d probably be horrified by her plan. She could ask Marjorie but then she remembered that she was playing tennis with Freddie and he was so sickeningly stupid.
    ‘It’s another scorcher, miss.’
    Olivia turned at the sound of Phoebe-Ann’s voice. ‘I hate the heat and it gives me a headache!’ she replied, peevishly.
    Phoebe-Ann sighed. Olivia was obviously in one of her moods. It would take all her powers of persuasion and flattery to coax her into a better humour.
    ‘Shall I get you an aspirin?’
    ‘No, they make me feel sick!’
    ‘Shall I draw you a bath? It may cool you a little as long as it’s not too hot.’
    Olivia glared at her. ‘I’ve already had one bath today!’ She paused and tilted her head to one side. ‘Phoebe-Ann, do you think I’d suit my hair short?’
    Phoebe-Ann’s eyebrows shot up. ‘Short!’
    ‘Yes. I saw a new style in a magazine and it looked so . . . modern.’
    ‘Oh, miss! Don’t have your beautiful hair cut off!’
    ‘Why not? It’s so old-fashioned and so impossible to manage and it gives me a headache! I honestly think that’s why I get so many headaches! There is so much of it and it’s so heavy! So, you see it will be for . . . medical reasons as well!’
    Phoebe-Ann looked at her as though she had lost her senses. She often wished her own hair would curl, instead of being dead straight, but to cut it . . . !
    ‘Don’t look at me like that! As though I’ve suggested I walk stark naked down Bold Street! Look. It’s so . . . chic!’ Olivia picked up the magazine and leafed through the pages until she found what she was looking for, then she shoved it towards Phoebe-Ann.
    ‘Well, it does look . . . different,’ Phoebe-Ann conceded doubtfully.
    ‘That’s settled then! Has Papa gone out?’
    ‘Yes. About fifteen minutes ago.’
    Olivia’s eyes were shining. ‘I’ll get dressed and we’ll go to town.’ A plan was forming in her mind and it made her eyes sparkle with mischief.
    ‘We?’
    ‘You can come with me.’
    ‘Me?’
    ‘Yes, you! I’ve got this wonderful idea! It will be such fun!’
    Phoebe-Ann caught some of Olivia’s excitement. It was a great treat to be allowed to accompany Olivia, to see all the beautiful things she bought and they were treated