Sister's Trio Squad

Chapter Eight

Chapter Eight

'What about you, Margaret?' Margaret was so tired she was having difficulty keep

ing her eyes open, and the heat and tobacco smoke weren't helping. Also she was thinking how unfair life was when the likes of Bernie O'Hagan, who was younger than her, could be walking out with a man who was obviously not short of money. Although the fact did encourage her, helping to dispel some of her unhappiness and guilt. 'I'll try for office work, but at the moment I'm so tired I can't think straight. We've been travelling since ten o'clock this morning.'

Bernie looked incredulous. Office work! Why, you had to have all kinds of examinations and a letter from the Holy Ghost Himself to get that kind of work, and as far as she knew Margaret O'Maxwell had neither. 'And how will you be after getting work like that?' She was openly sceptical.

Nancy was instantly on the offensive. 'She worked in the office at Hearn's Hotel, which is Clonmel's most respect able hotel - a proper hotel in case you've forgotten, but then you probably wouldn't know about things like that, being up in Dublin.'

With that subject dismissed and Bernie put firmly in her place, Nancy handed the now empty bottles back to her sis ter, along with the glass. 'Will you take these back, Lisa, please? I feel as though I could sleep for a week."

Bernie got to her feet as Lisa rose. Come on, I'll buy you a drink, Lisa. A real drink and we'll catch up on all the gossip, it seems there's a lot I've missed out on.'

Nancy glared up at her sister. None of them had ever been over the doorstep of a pub and no alcohol had ever passed their lips, except a hot toddy when they had a heavy cold. Ma would skin Lisa alive if she found out she was consorting- and worse-drinking, with the likes of Bernie O'Hagan. She was a bold piece if ever there was one and Nancy could well imagine the sort of man this Archie was! 'She doesn't drink. None of us do, it's common!' she snapped.

Bernie laughed. 'Well now, we're all in the "common" Saloon, aren't we? Come on, Lisa, one sherry won't hurt. I was thinking, if you get fed up with Liverpool, why not come up to Glasgow? My Archie says the shops on Sauchiehall Street are as good as those in London.' And with that she caught Lisa's arm and steered her through the throng.

'Did you hear that? Did you? Bold as brass, she is! You should have listened to me, Margaret! It would have been worth five shillings to have avoided being in the same room as that. . . that.. tinker's trollop!"

Her words fell on deaf ears. Margaret was asleep, her head drooping on her chest, her feet resting on her valise. Nancy tutted in annoyance, then tried to find a comfort

able position to rest her head against the hard, steel super structure. She might as well try to get some sleep herself. If Lisa wanted to stay up all night that was her affair and if she had a headache in the morning, then it would be her own fault, she wasn't going to lose any sleep over it. Despite the noise, which was gradually diminishing as people tried to settle down, she fell into a deep sleep.

The Connaught passed the Bar Light in the dim, grey dawn of the late April day. Those passengers on deck were denied the views of the distant Welsh coastline by the low, hazy cloud, but the coastline of Southport, Formby and Crosby was just visible.

They had all slept fitfully, their positions cramped, Their slumber disturbed when numbed limbs were moved and circulation restored with the accompanying pins and needles. It had been a calm crossing, but the consumption of too much alcohol by certain passengers resulted in many ashen faces and bloodshot eyes as people started to stir. Fortunately, there had only been one small fracas, the culprits having been quickly hauled away by the burly members of the deck crew.

The stench of the stale odours of tobacco, beer, whisky and sweat caused Margaret to screw up her face as she rubbed the sleep from her eyes. Nancy's head had been resting on her shoulder and the movement awakened her sister.

'Have we arrived?' Nancy mumbled.

'No, but I can't stand the smell in here, I'm going up on deck. Even if it's cold and damp it'll be better than this stink!' She got to her feet, stretched and then placing her hands in the small of her back, straightened up. She felt stiff, dirty and hungry.

With a groan of complaint Nancy also got up. I feel as though I've been wedged in a cupboard all night. You on one side and Lisa on the other and that damned Bernie O'Hagan snoring like a pig!'

'Should we wake Lisa?'

'No. Leave her alone! Up half the night and drink ing, too! I hope she has the mother and father of all hangovers!'

'Oh, Nancy, don't be so cruel. I don't condone it, but there's no need to be so nasty."

They were threading their way between people still asleep on the floor in the passageways, heading for the staircase that led up on deck.

"The sooner we get off this .. this floating pig-pen the better. And the sooner we see the back of "that" one the better, too! If Lisa has any ideas about asking her to come with us, she can just forget them. Aunt Maura isn't going to be falling about with delight when she sets eyes on us, the state we're in, without having "that" one tagging along, too!'

They turned their coat collars up and tried to pull the garments closer to them, for the air was damp and chilly.

It was also fresh and tangy with salt. 'It's only just dawn!' Nancy complained.

'We're supposed to arrive at seven o'clock and it can't be far off that now."

They both gripped the rail and looked towards the shoreline. Watery sunlight was just beginning to penetrate the clouds, its rays catching the murky, grey water and turning the top of the bow wave silver-gilt. Nancy shielded her eyes and peered into the distance, and at the sight of the faint outlines of the docks, the shipping and the buildings her heart gave a tiny leap. Of course, it wasn't the skyline of Manhattan, but she'd taken the first real step in what she knew was going to be a brilliant career. She'd left Ireland and ahead of her lay one of the biggest cities in England; one of the busiest ports in the whole of the British Isles. This was just the beginning!

The shafts of sunlight were stronger and brighter now, picking out the unmistakable landmark of the twin towers of the Liver Buildings atop of which the two Liver Birds looked out across the River Mersey. Nancy felt a surge of anticipation and she felt warmer. The next time she made this crossing it would be in style. Five shillings would be a paltry amount to her then. She'd need porters to carry all her baggage and the passengers would feel honoured to have made the crossing to Dublin on the same boat as the famous Miss Nancy O'Maxwell.

Margaret watched the waterfront drawing closer with mixed feelings. She tried to shrug off her darker thoughts. She just had to put the old life behind her now. She hadn't known what to expect of Liverpool, but she'd never envis. aged a sight like this. The fine buildings, the streets of houses that seemed to spread out for miles and miles and all the ships! She'd never seen so many ships; she'd never imagined that some of them could be so big! For the first time she felt her heart quicken with excitement. This fine, grand city was so... alive! She looked at her sister. Nancy must feel the way she did for she was smiling and there were dancing lights in her eyes. But there was something else as well.

You look pleased with yourself?'

'Just think, Margaret, this is really the beginning of a whole new life for us all! Doesn't it look fine and isn't it big?' Margaret didn't answer.

'What's the matter, don't you like the look of it? You're

not home-sick already, are you?" 'No, and it looks a wonderful place, it's just that I don't have the grand notions you have.'

Nancy laughed. Make sure your husband is rich, Margaret. Then sit back and be a Lady for the rest of your life! You're the one who is so sensible, make sure he's got plenty of money. 'Don't be so cold and calculating, there are other things

besides money."

'You have to be hard if you want to get on in life, I've learned that much. I know what I want and I'm going to get it." The expression on Nancy's face was one Margaret knew of old. 'You're up to something, I know you are?" 'And just what would I be "up" to?"

'You don't intend staying in Liverpool, do you? Tell me

the truth now?" 'No, I don't!'

You promised!'

settled then"."

'No, I didn't! I didn't say a word when Matty said, "It's

'But you nodded, it's the same thing. What will you tell Aunt Maura? What will you tell Ma? I won't have you worrying her!'

'Nothing.' Despite her ambition, Nancy did have a prac tical streak. 'I can't go anywhere just yet can I? I'll have to get a job and earn some money first, even if it's only for my fare and when the time comes, I'll tell Ma myself - you're not my keeper, I'm twenty-one!' 'Your fare to where?'

'America, of course! Look.' She pointed to the massive bulk of an ocean-going liner tied up in dock. The next boat I sail on will be one of those and bound for New York!' 'Then you'll have to find yourself someone like my Archie to pay the fare. It costs a fortune to sail on one of those.'

They both spun around to find a dishevelled Lisa standing behind them with Bernie at her side. 'I won't need any man to keep me, Bernadette O'Hagan, I'll earn my own money and make my own way in the world!'

Bernie laughed derisively. 'Oh, will you now? Everyone needs someone to give them a bit of a hand up now and then, even you, Nancy O'Maxwell!'

Nancy turned away. She wasn't going to lower herself by having a public argument with the likes of this bold piece. They were drawing near the Princes Landing Stage and the deck was crowded. She looked at Lisa. 'You ook awful, can't you tidy yourself up. You look as though you've slept in a ditch all night.' 'I've got a headache.'

'Serves you right!' Margaret intervened. 'Oh, for heaven's sake stop it, you two. We all look like tin. terrible! There must be somewhere we can tidy up a bit before going to Aunt Maura's.'

A woman standing on the other side of them craned her head forward. "There's the Ladies Waitin' Room at Exchange Station, luv. Yer can gerra wash an' tidy up there for a penny."

Margaret turned to her. "Thank Station?' you, where's Exchange

'When yer gerroff, walk up the floatin' roadway gerra tram. One that's got Walton or Anfield or Everton on the front, an' ask the Conductor ter put yer Exchange. Yer can't miss it, a great big, mucky, black buildin' it is.' off at an

'How much will the tram cost?' Margaret asked. 'A ha'penny, seein' as 'ow yer only goin' a few stops. Come over ter work? I've been over ter see me sister in Dublin, she's been took bad again an' I don't wonder! Molly, I says, why don't yer c*m 'ome what with all this fightin', and she ain't never been the same since 'er lad were killed.'

'I'm sorry for your trouble, Margaret replied. 'Is the road really floating on water?' Nancy was intrigued.