Free Lizzie of Langley Street by Carol Rivers Page B

might even run to a sixpenny bar of milk chocolate. She loved
seeing the kids’ expressions if she left a piece by each of their mugs at supper time.
    Kids, she thought to herself as she put the kettle on to boil. Hardly kids any longer. Only Flo really. Oh, if only she could get Tom to come out of that blessed bedroom and join in a bit more
with the family! It might even help Vinnie to settle down if he did. Boys needed a father. A visible one.
    Vinnie was going to have to change his tune. Bert was going to have to find a job. Sods, the pair of them, doing a bunk last night.
    Kate pulled back her shoulders. She intended to iron out a few creases in this family. First off, today, she’d push Tom out just as soon as Lizzie got back. He wouldn’t like it. He
wanted to sit and sulk in the bedroom all day. Well, if he was well enough to go up the market on Mondays, Wednesdays and Saturdays, he could come up the park with her for a breath of fresh air of
a Tuesday.
    From now on . . .
    Kate took a breath and stood still. Her hand went up to her breast. A pain shot across her chest and down her arm. For a moment she smiled at the irony. A bout of indigestion just as she was
going to put her family to rights. Well, indigestion or no, this was a day they were all going to remember.
    The smile was still on Kate’s lips as she reached out for the kettle, but somehow it slipped through her fingers, the heavy weight tumbling to the floor and bouncing on the stone. The
water trickled out and carved a curving passage towards the door, collecting the dirt and fluff on its journey that she had yet to sweep up. Kate’s eyes closed and a band of iron encircled
her chest.
    This time, it didn’t go away.
    Lizzie stood on the steps of Mr Bloome’s shop. Two women from Langley Street were coming up the road. She went back in and waited for them to go by. When the coast was
clear she walked out again and turned in the opposite direction. Mr Bloome had at first offered her eight shillings for the boots. They had finally agreed on ten.
    When she reached Westferry Road, she saw Lil Sharpe. Lil was wearing her outdoor coat and flowery turban. That was unusual for Lil. She never came out of the house without her hair done.
    Lizzie waved. Lil was in a rush and she wasn’t wearing her lipstick. That was a one off, too.
    ‘Lizzie . . .!’ Lil’s hand went up to her neck, holding the flap of her coat. Lizzie’s fingers tightened round the ten shillings buried deep in her pocket.
‘It’s yer Ma, Lizzie. She’s ’ad an accident. You better come quick.’
    ‘What sort of accident?’ Lizzie asked anxiously, her heart thumping.
    Lil chewed her lip. ‘Let’s get back to the house, love.’
    Neither of them spoke as they hurried back to Langley Street. Outside the house stood Dr Tapper’s pony and trap. Dr Tapper, a grey-haired man in a black frock coat, sat at the kitchen
table, his black top hat and Gladstone bag beside him. Lizzie knew him well. He had brought all the Allen children into the world and a good many more in the neighbourhood.
    He looked up as Lizzie came in. ‘Sit down, child.’
    She sat beside him. ‘Where’s Ma?’
    ‘Lizzie, I have some bad news.’
    Lil squeezed her shoulder, but Lizzie didn’t sit down.
    ‘Did you know your mother had a bad heart?’ the doctor asked.
    Lizzie shook her head. ‘No, but she has indigestion.’
    Dr Tapper paused, glancing quickly at Lil. ‘I’m afraid it wasn’t indigestion, my dear. She was very sick. This morning she suffered a heart attack.’
    Lizzie stared at him. She still couldn’t take it in. ‘Me Ma ain’t—’ she began as the doctor nodded slowly.
    ‘I’m afraid she didn’t recover.’
    Lizzie felt sick as she looked into the doctor’s sad eyes. He said quietly, ‘I’m very sorry, Lizzie.’
    ‘’Ere, gel, drink this.’ Lil pushed a mug of tea into her hands, but she couldn’t drink it. ‘Yer Ma’s in the front room and yer Pa’s in there