Lily’s War Read Online Free PDF Page B

David says there’s a quarter of a million Irish living in the city right now.’
    ‘I’m not surprised. Some would send them all back to Ireland now they want to be a real republic but most of us just accept them as part of the scenery. Anyway I’ve no call to speak against them. My grandparents were not native Liverpudlians.’ She paused, suddenly aware of his clear steady gaze and she blushed. ‘I’m sorry. I’m babbling on. I enjoyed your talk and the slides the other evening. I’ve always wanted to travel.’
    ‘Where would you go, Miss Thorpe?’
    ‘Where else but those far flung corners of the British Empire?’ she said with enthusiasm. ‘Those pink bits sprinkled all over the map of the world.’
    ‘Not for much longer. The world’s changing.’ He looked grim for a moment.
    ‘You’re talking about India?’ she said tentatively.
    ‘Not just India. Germany is rearming and Japan is touchy about what’s happening in China. They say they won’t stand for communism.’
    She was interested. ‘I hardly know anything about Japan.’
    ‘It probably doesn’t seem a threat to Britain, that’s why, but it could be to those far-flung corners of the Empire.’
    It was as if a shadow crossed the sun and she said slowly, ‘You make it sound as if what Japan does is serious?’
    He hesitated. ‘Forget I said it. Tell me about yourself, Miss Thorpe.’
    ‘I’d rather you told me more about the places you’ve been,’ she responded. ‘And my friends call me Lily.’
    He smiled. ‘I’d rather hear about you, Lily.’
    ‘Please! I’ve talked enough. You’ll be sick of my voice.’
    ‘Never,’ he said softly. ‘But we’ll take turns or you’ll be sick of mine.’
    She could barely believe he had paid her such a nice compliment, and after that it was only by the sheerest fluke Lily noticed they had reached Lord Street because the conversation was so interesting. They shot off the tram just in time to change on to the next at the Victoria monument and headed in the direction of the Custom’s House and then Park Road. It was not long before they were in Seiont Terrace.
    The houses were tall and narrow, as he’d said, with steps leading up to the front door. Matthew knocked and a few moments later the door opened. An old woman with pipecleaners in her white hair, a clay pipe in her mouth and a pair of men’s boots on her feet stood before them. She had both hands tucked into the massive bosom of her flowered pinny.
    Lily glanced at Matthew’s face but could not read his expression. Could this really be his aunt?
    ‘Mrs Rowlands?’ he enquired.
    She removed the pipe and poked him with it. ‘Yer aren’t from roundabouts here, are yer, lad?’
    He smiled. ‘Australia! I wrote to you.’
    ‘Can’t read. Yer shouldn’t be writing letters to them’s can’t read.’
    ‘I didn’t know you couldn’t read.’
    ‘Well, I can’t. So what are you going to do about it?’ The pipe came into play again.
    ‘He could always read them to you,’ interposed Lily, who was struggling not to laugh.
    Bright brown eyes inspected her. ‘He could. Will I like what’s in them, though? Because if it’s bad news I don’t want to know.’
    Matthew looked at Lily, who said in a quivering voice, ‘You’ll have to tell her.’
    He nodded. ‘Davy’s dead. I’m sorry, Aunt Jane, but he’s been gone years.’
    ‘That’s a shame. Nice funeral, was it?’ She placed the pipe back in her mouth and sucked on it.
    At that moment a voice called from inside, ‘Who is it, Mam?’
    The pipe was removed and she called, ‘It’s a man from some place or other and Davy’s dead.’
    There was silence before a woman of fortyish came into view. ‘Who’s Davy?’ She stared at Matt and Lily. ‘And who are you two? We don’t know any Davys.’
    Lily couldn’t control herself any longer and shot down the steps and round the corner into the next street. Matthew joined her a few minutes later where she was laughing