Maggie Rowan by Catherine Cookson

Author:Catherine Cookson [Cookson, Catherine]
Language: eng
Format: epub
ISBN: 9781780360256
Published: 0101-01-01T00:00:00+00:00

The door was pulled open and Nellie’s face was forced to show her astonishment. She gazed up at the tousled head of the girl before her. She did not really know in what condition she had expected to find her, but certainly she had not expected to find her doing such an ordinary thing as washing clothes. Her face was flushed, and over a tight-fitting jumper and skirt she was wearing a fancy apron, such a thing as Ann had made for herself before she was married. It was not a thing that any sensible person would wash in, and Nellie’s surprise turned to hard criticism. What could you expect from the likes of her!

She looked at the white soap bubbles blotting themselves out one after another on the girl’s arms, and again her thoughts momentarily softened. There was nothing about her that openly pointed to the whore. For one thing, her face wasn’t clagged up with paint; it looked an ordinary lass’ face, almost. Nellie would have said it could have looked a nice jolly face. But now it had taken on a look of sheer fright.

‘What do you want?’ The question was scarcely audible.

Nellie heard it but she found she could not answer it; and the girl said again, but impatiently, ‘Well, what you after?’

Her face was colourless and her lips looked almost blue.

‘You’re Beattie Watson, aren’t you?’

‘Yes, you know I am.’

Nellie took a deep breath and drew in her chin, and said, ‘I’ve got to talk to you.’ Whereupon Beattie looked around her wildly as if she was surrounded on all sides and could see no way of escape. Then her gaze returned to Nellie, but rested on the top button of her coat. And she said, ‘Well, I can’t see you now, I’m busy like. You see, I’m washing.’

‘It must be now,’ said Nellie, and her tone brought Beattie’s eyes up to meet hers.

Their eyes were holding each other’s when the child’s voice came from behind Nellie, saying, ‘I told you she was in.’

This interruption caused Beattie to step aside, and with a jerk of her hand she silently motioned Nellie over the step and into a room furnished with a complete bedroom suite. A double bed sporting a pink silk-covered eiderdown drew Nellie’s attention, and she immediately thought, the couch of the harlot.

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