Coming Home to Liverpool by Kate Eastham

Author:Kate Eastham [Eastham, Kate]
Language: eng
Format: epub
ISBN: 9780241371275
Publisher: Penguin Books Ltd
Published: 2020-02-20T00:00:00+00:00

12

‘Women dream till they have no longer the strength to dream …’

Florence Nightingale

As Maud walked out on to Church Street she glanced down to check that her black wool coat was perfectly straight. She felt a strong urge to walk in the direction of the hospital, there and then, and get straight back to work. She’d been left high and dry. If it hadn’t been for the knowledge that she’d have to explain herself over and over to all the people that she’d told, so excitedly, that she was going to spend an afternoon with her dear friend to celebrate her birthday, she would have definitely gone back to the ward and put herself straight back to work.

And there was another thing, of course. There was Alice. She couldn’t confront her on the ward about Nancy; that wouldn’t be fair to the patients. She would need to deal with Alice – and, of course, Eddy – this evening. Why, oh why, had they thought that the best option was to keep quiet about Nancy and the pregnancy and all that indicated. Why?

So her only option was to head back towards Lime Street and Stella’s place. Maybe she could help Marie with some of the chores, start to think about what her next move might be. She tried to make some kind of plan as she walked, but her head felt heavy on her shoulders and it took all of her concentration to weave her way through the people on the street and cross the road between vehicles. Even when a carriage wheel whisked by her, very close, and she was inches away from injury, Maud felt nothing. She was numb. When she reached Lime Street Station, the sound of a steam whistle shocked her and then, as a cloud of steam emerged, she felt lost within it. She was bumping into people, blindly stumbling along.

‘Watch where you’re going,’ hissed a woman’s voice.

Maud felt tears stinging her eyes. She felt as if she might never find her way. But then a kindly gentleman with silver hair took her by the elbow, leading her along like some maiden aunt. ‘There you go, my dear,’ he said, tipping his hat as he left her, clear of the steam and only a very short distance from home.

The quiet of the house met Maud as she walked through the door. She could feel the emptiness of the place, and then she remembered that Stella was out on some business and Marie had said she would be taking Victoria to see friends and they were going to visit the new Sefton Park. They’d told her this morning, when she was full of excitement at the prospect of seeing Harry. Now the emptiness of the house, and the cold dregs of tea in the cups on the table, made her feel even sadder.

Hugo lifted his head to look at her, as if asking a question, as he lay stretched out in front of the fire.

‘No, it didn’t go well,’ she murmured.

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