‘Yes, she deserves a long-service medal,’ laughed Lotty. ‘But it’s no surprise; he’s a Todd. Shannons wouldn’t want one of us within a hundred miles of their precious wedding.’
‘It hurts you, doesn’t it? Specially us being cousins of Nancy’s. I shouldn’t have dragged you up there to see it; I was just been nosy.’
‘Course you were; so was I. You wouldn’t think Nancy and I had been close - went to Sunday school together. But she’s wiped twenty years of growing up from her memory. I can’t stand that in people – being ashamed of where they come from. So don’t worry, I wanted to be standing as near Nancy Shannon as I could and let her see that there’s no getting away from the past – at least not from Lotty Todd.’
Val gave her sister’s arm a squeeze; she always covered her hurt with fighting words. ‘Let me treat you to the pictures.’
Lotty smiled, smoothing hands over her piled up hair. One day soon she really must get rid of her beehive hairstyle; Charlie had never approved of it even in the sixties when it was fashionable.
‘Give me a minute to change skirts. Haven’t been out to the films since that one with Robert Redford – The Buzz or something.’
The Sting,’ Val laughed. ‘It’s time you had a night out; I’ll go and fetch Linda.’
Lotty hurried upstairs, thinking defiantly that however much Nancy was lording it over Brassbank today with her expensive clothes and flashy cars, Lotty was the richer woman when it came to family. She loved her children with a passion. Not for the world would she swap them for the snobbish Fay or that wild, feckless one with the way-out clothes: Carol.
Book three of The Durham Mining Trilogy, Never Stand Alone is available from all major eBook retailers.
Table of Contents
About The Author
Dedication
Chapter One
Chapter Two
Chapter Three
Chapter Four
Chapter Five
Chapter Six
Chapter Seven
Chapter Eight
Chapter Nine
Chapter Ten
Chapter Eleven
Chapter Twelve
Chapter Thirteen
Chapter Fourteen
Chapter Fifteen
Chapter Sixteen
Chapter Seventeen
Chapter Eighteen
Chapter Nineteen
Chapter Twenty
Chapter Twenty-One
Chapter Twenty-Two
Chapter Twenty-Three
Chapter Twenty-Four
Chapter Twenty-Five
Chapter Twenty-Six
Chapter Twenty-Seven
Chapter Twenty-Eight
Chapter Twenty-Nine
The Durham Mining Trilogy
Bonus Chapter: NEVER STAND ALONE