Lizzie's Secret Read Free Page A

in the canteen. At night, her uncle met her from work and walked her home through the dirty and often smelly dock area, which meant he had to shut his workshop early for her sake. He was a busy man and mending shoes didn’t bring in a fortune. Lizzie had tried to persuade him that she could walk home alone, because as a self-employed cobbler, Uncle Jack couldn’t afford to shut his door half an hour early every night.
    He said it was because he didn’t want her to have another accident, but when she asked him to tell her more about it, he always shook his head and said the doctor thought it best if she was allowed to remember in her own time.
    Lizzie would have liked to know more about her accident. If she remembered, her aunt might stop treating her as if she was still fourteen.
    â€˜Have you got to wear a uniform for work?’ her aunt asked suddenly, bringing Lizzie’s wandering thoughts back to the present.
    â€˜Yes, I need a smart black dress. I’ve seen something in your Butterick patterns… if you would let me make it on your machine. I could buy some material on the market.’
    â€˜Yes, of course your aunt will let you use the machine,’ Uncle Jack took a pound from his pocket. ‘Get some good material, Lizzie. Jane has always told you that good cloth makes the clothes, and it lasts.’
    â€˜Well, at least someone listens to me sometimes,’ Aunt Jane said. ‘If you show me the pattern, I’ll cut it out for you.’
    â€˜Oh thank you, aunt,’ Lizzie smiled shyly at her uncle as he gave her the money. ‘If I’ve got a smart dress I may serve in the showroom sometimes – and that’s all good experience.’
    â€˜Well, I suppose it’s a better job than you had,’ her aunt sniffed. ‘But don’t let it go to your head – and I don’t want you staying out late at night.’
    â€˜I hardly ever go out…’
    Lizzie sighed, because it was never any use arguing with Aunt Jane, but at least she had the job she wanted…

Chapter 2
    â€˜Here, put this on, Lizzie,’ the girl handed her a dark grey striped overall with a wrap-over front and a tie belt. ‘We have to wear these or we get bits all over our clothes.’
    â€˜Thanks.’ Lizzie tied the belt tightly. ‘What’s your name?’ The girl was fair-skinned with fair hair and bright blue eyes and she wore a pale peach lipstick. Lizzie envied her the modern haircut she’d had done, brushed back off her face into a stylish DA, which resembled the feathers of a duck’s tail at the back. Lizzie’s own dark hair was scraped back in a bun.
    â€˜I’m Tilly Blake,’ the girl smiled. ‘I do most of the making up, sewing brims into place, sewing on ribbons and trimmings, things like that.’
    â€˜I think I saw you trimming a hat when I came for the interview. It looked interesting.’
    â€˜I’ll show you later.’ Tilly thrust a broom at her. ‘Best get this place a bit tidy or Mr Oliver will be on the warpath. It’s always a shambles by the end of the day, and we were busy on Friday evening so it just got left. He nearly blew a fuse when he saw it this morning. No one wants to clear up after anyone else – that’s why Grumble Guts got you…’
    â€˜Is that what you call Mr Oliver behind his back?’
    â€˜His nephew Harry started it,’ Tilly said, ‘and it just caught on.’
    â€˜His nephew – where is he?’ Lizzie looked round the workshop.
    â€˜He’s gone out delivering to the shops. The buyers come here, mostly once a month, and place an order. We make the hats up to their instructions, and then Harry takes the orders out. He fetches our stuff from the manufacturers, makes up orders, checks the stock – and he’s a trained cutter too, but he hates working on the shop floor. He’d rather be in the showroom or out in the van,