Liverpool Taffy Read Online Free PDF

she sets to and does it. You ’ad your dinner yet, Biddy?’
    ‘No, not yet,’ Biddy said, thinking again that the scouse smelled good. ‘I left Virginia Street before Aunt Edie got round to thinking about a meal.’
    ‘Right. Just for tonight you might as well eat in ’ere, wi’ us.’
    She waddled out of the room and Biddy followed her into a tiny, dark little kitchen with a knee-high sink in one corner and a smelly, coke-burning stove in the other. There was a broken-down chair, a bare electric light bulb overhead and a large table. It was warm because of the stove, but cheerless, unfriendly. All the rooms are the same, they none of them want me, any more than Ma Kettle or her boys do, Biddy thought despairingly. Oh, how will I live in this horrible house with all these horrible people?
    But it was not a question to which she could give an answer. Instead, she watched as Ma ladled a very small helping of scouse and a couple of boiled potatoes onto a plate and handed it, rather grudgingly, to her.
    ‘There y’are; same as us,’ she said, as though Biddy suspected that Kettles ate something far more glamorous than mere scouse. ‘You’ll be like a daughter to me, you shan’t go short.’
    Sitting down at the table and devouring the scouse in a couple of minutes, Biddy looked up hopefully as she scraped the spoon round the now-empty plate. And how had Ma managed to ladle out the stew without getting a single piece of meat in her spoon? There had been meat in Luke’s portion, lots of meat, she had noted it specially.
    ‘Done? Well, then, we’ll go through together and see about the toffee,’ Ma Kettle said, whisking the plate from under Biddy’s nose. ‘I won’t get you to wash up yet, since Luke’s still eating.’
    Biddy took a deep breath. It was now or never; she sensed it.
    ‘Mrs Kettle, I’ve not eaten since last night and I’m – I’m still hungry. Is there any scouse left?’
    The boys had all been busy with their own affairs, but now Biddy was painfully aware of three pairs of eyes fixed on her, as well as of Ma Kettle’s incredulous, beady gaze.
    ‘You’re still hungry ? After a plateful of me good stew, what’s full o’meat an’ luv’ly fresh veggies? Can I believe what I’m hearin’?’
    ‘Yes, I’m afraid you can,’ Biddy said clearly, using her very best ‘shop’ voice. ‘I’m extremely hungry and though I’m sure it was a mistake, there was no meat in my helping. However, if there’s none left, perhaps you could give me some money to get some chips? You did say you’d feed me instead of wages, and …’
    She shot a quick glance at Luke, opposite. His little eyes were like marbles, hard and glassy, and his small mouth was tight. Beside her, Kenny continued to ignore her, apart from giving her one incredulous glance from behind his spectacles, though whether he approved or disapproved of the stand she was taking, Biddy had no idea. Over by the fire, Jack was grinning, taking his toasted bread carefully off the fork, though he said nothing.
    ‘Ah … well, if you’ve ’ad no brekfuss, nor nothin’ else all day … I know, you can fill up on bread ’n’ jam,’ Ma Kettle said triumphantly. ‘There’s enough o’ that stew left for the boys’ dinners tomorrer, if I does extry spuds. Or rather, you can do ’em,’ she added, quite unable to keep a trace of sheer malice out of her tone. ‘Seein’ as ’ow you’re goin’ to gi’ me an ’and about the place.’
    ‘I don’t work so well on bread and jam,’ Biddy said demurely. ‘I need a decent dinner, Ma.’
    It was the first time she had omitted to call her employer Mrs Kettle and the shot went home. Ma looked uneasily at her boys, now all three of them studiously avoiding her glance, then heaved a great sigh. ‘Scouse it is, then,’ she said heavily. ‘Someone telled me girls couldn’t put away their food the way lads do, but I see ’twas just one of them tales folk tell. Come through to the kitchen,