Eve of the Isle Read Free Page B

years.’
    â€˜I’m not going to think about that now, Peg. We need to save all we can in the house. Don’t know how deep it’s going to get.’
    Peg went back to her room and Eve took the food upstairs relived to find the boys still fast asleep. The creaks and gurgles of the cottage hadn’t woken them.
    â€˜Blimey, look at your feet girl, they’re turning blue,’ Peg said when Eve returned to help her.
    Until that moment Eve hadn’t felt her feet; the cold water had numbed them.
    â€˜I took me boots off. They’re me only dry pair.’
    â€˜Well, bloody well put them on then again. You won’t be no use to God nor man if your feet are frozen off.’
    When Eve had put on her boots she lifted the two hooded capes from the nail on the wall.
    â€˜Yeah, better take them,’ nodded Peg. ‘If the roof falls in we might need ’em.’ Despite the severity of the situation, she gave a chuckle. ‘Run them upstairs then come and help me with the mattress. I’ve cleared a space on top of the sideboard where it could balance.’
    Eve was soon helping Peg to lift the sagging mattress on top of the wooden cabinet. It took them several attempts but finally it was in place.
    â€˜It’d have to come waist high to reach this.’
    Eve nodded. ‘Let’s roll up the rugs and put them high too.’
    When all was complete, Peg pushed back her bush of hair. Wiping her hands down her thin face, she frowned. ‘We’d better turn off the lamp for safety’s sake.’
    Eve did so, leaving the room in darkness. Only the lamps upstairs reflected a glow as they paddled through the wet passage and ascended the stairs.
    â€˜Oh, me flamin’ rheumatics!’ exclaimed Peg as she paused half way. ‘Me pins are creaking like trees.’
    â€˜Give me your hand,’ Eve extended her arm, ‘and I’ll help you up.’
    â€˜The bugger you will!’ exclaimed Peg, waving her off. ‘I might be old and slow, but I ain’t dead yet.’
    As Peg shuffled one stair at a time, Eve heard more gurgling outside. Was it about to force open the door?
    â€˜I never thought this could happen,’ she said as Peg joined her on the landing.
    â€˜Me neither,’ agreed Peg wearily, wiping the back of her hand across her forehead. ‘We’ve had a bit of spillagefrom the docks over the years, but nothing we can’t manage. Are the boys still kipping?’
    Eve nodded. ‘They were a minute ago.’
    â€˜Where the bloody ’ell has Jimmy got to?’ demanded Peg, frowning at the closed door to their left. ‘He should be here now, helping us out.’
    â€˜P’raps he got cut off by the river,’ shrugged Eve. ‘Or the paint factory needs help.’
    â€˜More like he’s onto a fiddle,’ grumbled Peg irritably.
    Jimmy’s no angel, but it’s unusual for him to be absent this late at night, thought Eve worriedly. Or was it now the early hours of the morning?
    A resounding crack came from downstairs. They both jumped as the cottage seemed to shudder.
    â€˜The front door’s gone!’ whispered Peg. ‘Gawd help us.’
    It was as they stood waiting for the next eruption that Eve realized the next few hours were going to be crucial. The cottage was old and already in a state of disrepair. Would it simply fall apart at its seams? Just how high would the river rise? What would they do if it came up the stairs?
    It was dark; the lamps had finally burned out and the four small bodies were huddled together on the mattresses for warmth. They had drawn Peg’s eiderdown over them, unable to sleep as they listened to the sucking and swirling noises below.
    â€˜Will Old Father Thames come in?’ said Albert in a small, frightened voice.
    â€˜No, chic,’ Peg assured him. ‘Not whilst me and your mum have a say in it.’
    â€˜Morning ain’t long now.’