Under the Mistletoe by Katie Flynn

Author:Katie Flynn [Flynn, Katie]
Language: eng
Format: epub
ISBN: 9781473567269
Publisher: Random House
Published: 2020-08-20T00:00:00+00:00

Chapter Five

Ruby and Jess alighted from the overhead railway at Pier Head Station and descended the steps to the pavement below. ‘I can’t wait to see George,’ said Ruby, her eyes sparkling with excited anticipation. ‘I’ve been tying myself in knots trying to work out what his big secret could be, apart from the haircut. Do you think he’ll look any different?’

Jess flashed an approving eye over her own appearance before doing the same to Ruby. ‘I reckon so. We look different, so George definitely will.’

Ruby slipped her arm through Jess’s. ‘What if he’s grown a moustache, or a beard?’

Jess snorted. Careful not to be overheard, she lowered her voice. ‘He’s only just turned fifteen! I’d be amazed if he’d managed to sprout a single hair, let alone a face full of them.’

‘I keep forgetting he’s younger than us,’ Ruby agreed quietly. ‘I hope he’s filled out a bit, and that those awful marks on his back have healed.’

Jess shuddered as she remembered the lashes which had scarred their friend’s back. ‘They were starting to heal over before he left for Sandhurst, so I should imagine they’ll be nowt but scars now. It’s been …’ her lips moved silently as she did the maths, ‘just over three months since we saw him last, so his wounds should be nothing but a distant memory.’

Ruby’s jaw stiffened. ‘Dunno about distant, I should imagine you’d not forget getting thrashed like that in a hurry.’

‘Perhaps I put that badly,’ said Jess. ‘What I meant was he won’t be reminded every time he leans back in a chair, like when he was in Edinburgh Road.’ She indicated a tram which was heading towards them. ‘This one’s ours.’

The girls waited until the passengers had alighted before boarding the tram bound for Lime Street Station. They gave the clippie their fare and took a seat on one of the varnished wooden benches on the top deck. The bell rang and the tram continued on its route.

Jess looked down at the people below as they tried to pick their way along the pavements without getting their feet wet. It had been snowing heavily the night before, but the volume of people and traffic ensured the snow was quickly turning to slush. She turned to face Ruby. ‘Is he still going to be staying with Swanny’s wife?’

‘Cassie? I believe so, George and Swanny are such good pals. She said it would be nice for George to stay with her for Christmas, especially with Swanny being away.’ Ruby’s cheeks paled slightly and she glanced hopefully at Jess. ‘Whatever George’s secret is, it can’t be anything to do with him going overseas. I’ve been giving it some thought, and I reckon if he was going to go, he’d have gone over with Swanny and the rest of them back in October.’

Jess smiled. ‘Very true, and as I can’t think of anything worse than going to the front line, I can only assume that it’s good news.’

‘Whatever it is has something to do with Swanny,’ said Ruby thoughtfully, ‘because that’s what George said in his letter.

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