A Christmas Gift by Katie Flynn

Author:Katie Flynn [Flynn, Katie]
Language: eng
Format: epub
ISBN: 9781473567245
Publisher: Random House

Limping through the back door into the kitchen, Ivy threw her hat on to the table. ‘Next time you can do your own dirty work. I nigh on broke me bleedin’ neck out there.’

Gertrude looked at the hat, which had left a spray of dirty water on the surface of the table. ‘Where did she go?’

Ivy glared at her mother. ‘I don’t know, ’cos I went arse over on a patch of meltin’ ice.’ She unbuttoned her jacket and swung it round in front of her. ‘Look at that! Covered in muck, not that you care.’

Gertrude rolled her eyes. ‘Stop whinin’. It’ll wash out.’

Ivy slumped into a chair by the stove. ‘Well I ain’t washin’ it, and you can’t ask Sally to, ’cos she’ll wonder why it got so dirty, so you’ll have to do it. And you can forget me doin’ any chores until me ankle’s better. I twisted it summat awful when I slipped.’

Gertrude picked the jacket up from the floor and pushed it into the sink. ‘Which way did she head?’

Ivy shook her head. ‘How the hell should I know? I didn’t even mek it to the end of the road.’

Gertrude filled the kettle and placed it on the stove. ‘Useless, that’s what you are. I allus say if you wanna job doin’ properly …’

Ivy pouted. ‘It’s not my fault everywhere’s covered in ice; it’s like a skatin’ rink out there. I’d like to see you tryin’ to walk across them pavements in a blackout!’

Gertrude tutted her disapproval. ‘I should’ve known better than to ask you. You’re allus gerrin’ it wrong.’ Ivy gasped indignantly, but Gertrude wasn’t interested. ‘At least the evenin’s not been a complete waste of time.’ She took a large bar of yellow soap out from under the sink and placed it on the drainer. ‘Whilst you were out there playin’ silly beggars, Arthur told me about his pal what’s havin’ an auction in aid of the war effort. It’s goin’ to be held at the feller’s house in two weeks’ time, an’ Arthur’s goin’ to be the auctioneer.’

Ivy rested her cheek against her hand. ‘Bully for Arthur.’

Gertrude poured more water into the sink. ‘Bully for Arthur indeed. It was plain to see he was pleased as punch they asked him to do the ’onours.’ She chuckled nastily. ‘It’s a pity we won’t be ’ere to see his face when the scuffers come knockin’.’

Ivy brightened. ‘We’re leavin’?’

Gertrude plunged the soap into the water. ‘Once we’ve got all the stuff we need we can hide it until we give in our notice, then move it into his study just before we leave.’

‘What if he finds it before we go?’

Gertrude rolled her eyes. ‘No fear of that – I’m goin’ to stuff it into that bottom drawer in his desk.’

‘Ain’t that allus gettin’ stuck?’

Gertrude grinned. ‘Exactly! He never uses it in case it breaks, but when the scuffers come knockin’ they ain’t goin’ to be put off by a dodgy drawer.’ She sighed blissfully. ‘And when they pull it open it’ll be like Aladdin’s cave.

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