The Girl with the Silver Bangle by Linda Finlay

Author:Linda Finlay [Finlay, Linda]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: HarperCollins Publishers
Published: 2021-08-15T00:00:00+00:00

Chapter 20

As Daisy made her way up to bed that night, she spotted something white hanging from the door handle. Picking it up, she saw it was a smart blouse and underneath was a long blue skirt. Her uncle must have put them there, she thought, remembering their earlier conversation.

Hurrying into her room, she held them up against her and looked in the mirror. They were certainly a great improvement on her own clothes, which were spattered with grease stains and even grimier than she’d realised. She couldn’t accept them though, could she? But then what choice did she have? Her uncle clearly hadn’t wanted her to hang wet clothes in front of the fire in the bar. He’d explained he couldn’t pay her for helping out in the kitchen so perhaps this was his way of thanking her for all her hard work.

Still, it was with some reticence that, next morning, Daisy dressed in the new things. Standing in front of the mirror, she frowned at the frizz of fair hair that now fell about her shoulders. It badly needed cutting, but her mother had always done that for her before. Carefully, she braided it then, using the string from around her pictures, neatly tied the ends. As she worked, the flashes of silver from her bracelet made her smile. If only you could see me now, Harry Wylde, she murmured. Perhaps there’d be a letter from him today, she thought as her spirits lifted and she tripped lightly down the stairs.

‘My dear, you look positively charming,’ her uncle beamed, looking up from his newspaper as she appeared. ‘And they fit perfectly.’

‘Thank you, Uncle,’ she replied. ‘It was kind of you, although I don’t know how you could possibly have known my size.’

‘Oh, I’m a good judge,’ he winked. ‘I’ve asked Polly to bring breakfast through to the parlour.’

Realising she was hungry, she eagerly took her seat in the comfortable back room, hoping that by some miracle the food wouldn’t be swimming in grease.

‘I couldn’t help noticing the rain has stopped, Uncle, so will I be allowed to go out this morning?’ she asked.

‘Gracious, my dear, this is not a prison you know.’ He smiled. ‘Whilst I appreciate your help with the shooting lunches, you can certainly go for a stroll before then.’

Daisy was about to say she’d actually like to spend the day at the workshops when Polly, tray in hand, entered. Seeing Daisy, her eyes widened and her lips pursed.

‘Them fancy clothes ain’t goin’ to be no good in the kitchen,’ she snapped, slapping the plates down so hard on the table, the fried egg, in its pool of fat, slid precariously to the edge of the plate. Quickly Daisy put out her hand to prevent it from landing in her lap.

‘Up to our tricks again, are we?’ Polly hissed at Rich, who coloured under her glare.

‘Don’t know what you mean,’ he replied. ‘And do be careful how you set those plates down. Can’t afford new ones,’ he joked.

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