A Liverpool Legacy Read Free

said. ‘We have to go now if we’re going to have time to change and get to Beaumaris by half seven.’
    ‘All right, we’ll go,’ Pete said. ‘Really we have to. The girls will be worried stiff if we don’t turn up.’
    ‘They’d call out the coastguard,’ Sylvie said with a laugh.
    ‘ Sea Sprite is a heavy boat and it’s stood a few storms in its time. We’ll be fine. Let’s stow everything shipshape and get ready to leave.’
    Millie could feel a heavy ball of anxiety growing in her stomach. She had faith in Peter’s judgement and knew he was an experienced sailor but he rarely went out in the boat unless the weather was fine.

Chapter Two
    Pete hoisted the sails and got the engine running before they cast off. He tied a lifeline to Millie, securing her to the boat, and as soon as Sylvie jumped back on board he did the same for her.
    ‘You too,’ Millie reminded him.
    ‘You bet, there’ll be some big waves out there.’
    When they came in sight of the raging sea, Sylvie asked fearfully, ‘Had we better wear our lifebelts too?’
    ‘You’re tethered to the boat,’ Pete said, ‘but it wouldn’t do any harm.’ They were at the mouth of the inlet and could feel the spray being thrown up. ‘They’ll keep you warm and dry.’
    He had remarked on the size of the swell this morning but by comparison it was enormous now, and the rain had reached them so visibility was down to a few yards. No life jacket would keep them dry in this downpour. He turned to smile at Millie. ‘You two shelter in the cabin. You’ll be safer there.’
    They did as he suggested. Sylvie threw herself on one of the bunks, shouting, ‘This is awful!’
    She looked frightened and Millie didn’t blame her but she pinned the cabin door open and stayed in the opening watching Pete, in case he needed her to help in some way. He was gripping the tiller with a look of intense concentration on his face and pointing Sea Sprite ’s bow directly at the huge wave sweeping towards them. She’d been out with him often enough to know that if a wave like that caught the boat sideways on it could swamp it and turn it over, and that could mean curtains for them all.
    Millie’s heart was in her mouth but she couldn’t drag her eyes away from the next green curling wall that was advancing towards them. Suddenly, she felt the bow being tossed up and all she could see to the front of them was the dark sky. Then just as suddenly the boat plunged in the opposite direction and seemed to be diving to the bottom of the sea. As she grabbed the door for a handhold she heard Sylvie scream, ‘Mum, what’s happening?’
    The boat smacked on the water with a thump, and there were ominous creaks and cracks in Sprite ’s old timbers but behind the wave the boat popped up level again like a cork, and travelled on at breakneck speed.
    ‘We’re all right, love,’ she tried to comfort her daughter, ‘just a wave.’
    ‘A big one.’ Pete’s voice was snatched by the wind which was now a howling gale and she had to watch his lips. ‘Don’t worry, we can manage them.’ It helped to ease her panic that he still seemed quietly confident but the waves kept coming and her mouth had gone dry.
    She couldn’t help but think of all the ships that had been lost along the east coast of Anglesey. The place was notorious for shipwrecks. Not far from their house an obelisk had been erected to commemorate the loss of an ocean-going passenger ship. It had been heading for Liverpool and had foundered on its return from its first voyage to Australia. It had been newly built and state of the art for its time, but many people on it had lost their lives. She told herself that was a long time ago in the last century, though she couldn’t recall exactly when. It didn’t help to remember that Sea Sprite had been built in the eighteen nineties.
    Millie couldn’t stop herself leaning out of the cabin doorway to take another look. The wind felt strong enough to blow her head