The Shop Girls of Chapel Street (40 page)

A smile appeared on Violet's lips and she spoke with confidence. ‘You suppose right. I'm very happy where I am, thank you.'

Sybil released Violet's hand and smiled back. ‘It was worth asking, at any rate,' she called over her shoulder as she walked on, heels clicking smartly along the pavement.

‘She only did it to annoy us!' Ida exclaimed when Violet reached Jubilee and told her what had happened.

‘You weren't tempted, were you?' Muriel gave Violet a searching look.

‘Never!' Violet swore. ‘I'm only just getting started as a dressmaker but believe me, I'm a Jubilee girl through and through.'

Saturday came and an invitation from Eddie via Ida for Violet to meet him at the Assembly Rooms at seven o'clock.

‘He said I should tell you that he was sorry he couldn't pick you up as usual – and very mysterious he was about it too,' Ida commented as she closed up for the day.

Violet didn't mind. ‘I'll walk,' she decided. ‘It's a nice night. The fresh air will do me good.'

So she dressed warmly in her red hat and best coat over her green dress and set off at a sprightly pace up Chapel Street in time to see what was left of the sun sinking behind clouds on the far horizon. She faced the biting wind and walked along Under-cliffe Road. On Violet went in the autumn evening, past the cemetery gates then the entrance to Linton Park, looking straight ahead along the busy road until she could see the lights of the Assembly Rooms and Eddie waiting for her on the steps outside.

Her heart quickened as the man she loved came to meet her, his hand in his jacket pocket, a nervous smile on his lips. Strains of music – the introduction to a waltz – drifted from the hall.

Eddie took a small red velvet box from his pocket and handed it to her, there in the middle of the pavement where couples brushed past in their eagerness to get inside the dance hall, where friends called to each other or gazed expectantly at passengers alighting from the tram.

Violet opened the box. Inside was a gold ring set with a small ruby, with two sparkling diamonds to either side.

‘Do you want me to go down on one knee?' Eddie's heart was in his mouth until he got a response.

‘No – people will stare!' The ring was beautiful, nestling in cream satin, glinting in the lamplight.

Trying to read the look on Violet's face, Eddie said the only thing he could think of. ‘I rode into Welby after work to fetch it.'

‘It's lovely,' she whispered, looking up at him with tears in her eyes.

‘Is that a yes? Does that mean you'll definitely marry me?'

Voices washed around them.

‘Yes I will,' Violet murmured.

Eddie breathed again. ‘Try it on. Is it the right size? Do you like it?'

‘I love it.' A ruby and four glittering diamonds seen through a blur of tears – five tiny stones signifying a life together. ‘I love
you
, Eddie Thomson.'

The music began full swing. Stan and Evie stepped from a tram and strolled hand in hand towards Violet and Eddie.

‘Hello, you two,' Stan said. ‘I hope you've got your dancing shoes on.'

Violet held up her hand to show them the ring, her heart so full she thought it would overflow. ‘You're the first to know – Eddie and I are getting married.'

Evie smiled and hugged her. Stan shook Eddie's hand. The band played ‘Blue Skies'.

‘That sounds like our tune.' Eddie spun Violet round and ran joyously up the steps with her into the dance hall.

Behind them, still visible, the moors formed a sweeping horizon against a sinking, melting sun. Tomorrow Eddie and Violet would announce their engagement then ride out on the bike. She would clasp her arms around his waist with a ruby ring glinting on her finger. They would swoop, swerve and sail along the moor road and not look back.

A huge thank-you to Francesca Best and the Transworld team for lighting the lonely road, providing signposts and pointing out the way ahead. You're the sat navs on this writer's journey.

Jenny Holmes
has been writing fiction for children and adults since her early twenties, having had series of children's books adapted for both the BBC and ITV.

Jenny was born and brought up in Yorkshire. After living in the Midlands and travelling widely in America, she returned to Yorkshire and brought up her two daughters with a spectacular view of the moors and a sense of belonging to the special, still undiscovered corners of the Yorkshire Dales.

One of three children brought up in Harrogate, Jenny's links with Yorkshire stretch back through many generations via a mother who served in the Land Army during the Second World War and pharmacist and shop-worker aunts, back to a maternal grandfather who worked as a village blacksmith and pub landlord. Her great aunts worked in Edwardian times as seamstresses, milliners and upholsterers. All told stories of life lived with little material wealth but with great spirit and independence, where a sense of community and family loyalty were fierce – sometimes uncomfortable but never to be ignored. Theirs are the voices that echo down the years, and the author's hope is that their strength is brought back to life in many of the characters represented in these pages.

The Mill Girls of Albion Lane

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First published in Great Britain in 2016 by Corgi Books
an imprint of Transworld Publishers
Copyright © Jenny Oldfield 2016
Cover photographs: woman © Jonathan Ring; background © Mirrorpix
Cover design © Becky Glibbery/TW

Jenny Holmes has asserted her right under the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988 to be identified as the author of this work.

This book is a work of fiction and, except in the case of historical fact, any resemblance to actual persons living or dead, is purely coincidental.

Every effort has been made to obtain the necessary permissions with reference to copyright material, both illustrative and quoted. We apologize for any omissions in this respect and will be pleased to make the appropriate acknowledgements in any future edition.

A CIP catalogue record for this book is available from the British Library.

Version 1.0 Epub ISBN 9781473525009
ISBN 9780552171502

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