Read The River Flows On for Free Online Page B

belonged to his own squads.
    A murmured comment from a few rows in front of them floated back to the Cameron family. ‘Sweeties, is it? And we all know that the bastards in bowlers would pay you off as soon as look at you.’
    Neil Cameron’s Highland accent was more pronounced than ever. ‘Mind your language, man. I’ve got my family here.’
    ‘Oh, sorry, Neil. I didnae notice. Ladies present too, I see.’ The man had turned to look at them. Kate didn’t like the way he was looking Pearl up and down. She liked it even less when he did it to her.
    There was a bustle behind them.
    ‘Launch party coming through!’ bellowed a deep voice.
    ‘Mrs Donaldson,’ Neil informed his daughters. ‘The owner’s wife.’
    Mrs Donaldson was a tall woman, rolls of sleek blonde marcelled hair visible under a wide brimmed hat. She wore a light camel-hair costume with a fox fur round her neck. She swept past yards from the Cameron girls.
    ‘Oh, doesn’t she look lovely!’ breathed Pearl, staring after her in awe-struck admiration.’
    ‘Aye, if you want to festoon yourself wi’ dead animals,’ said Jessie acerbically.
    Kate grinned at her. Mrs MacLean had a fox fur which she brought out, smelling heavily of mothballs, on special occasions. She arranged it like Mrs Donaldson’s, with the fox’s head hanging down over her bosom. The first time Jessie saw it she had said, ‘The poor wee thing!’ and burst into inconsolable tears. Kate had to admit it gave her the willies too, glass eyes shining where once the fox’s own eyes had been, glittering and alive in the freedom of the night.
    Aware of other eyes on her, Kate turned and met the gaze of a girl who might have been her own age or perhaps a couple of years older. She was walking towards the platform, following the men in bowler hats who, in their turn, were walking behind Mr and Mrs Donaldson.
    If Pearl had admired Mrs Donaldson, she was all but speechless now. The girl, tall and willowy - and with practically no bust that Kate could see - was dressed in the latest fashion. Her silk afternoon frock had the new fashionable low waist and the skirt was cut on the bias so that the material hung and clung in the most flattering way. The cloth was almost the same colour as Kate’s frock but the pattern on it was abstract, modern and right up-to-date. Kate, so proud a few minutes before of her pretty sprigged cotton, felt dowdy and old-fashioned in comparison. The girl’s hair was short and fair, tucked neatly under one of the new little cloche hats. Two long strings of pearls completed the picture. She smiled at Kate and moved on, making her way elegantly up onto the launch platform. Her legs were slim but shapely, encased in shiny silk stockings.
    ‘Well, look who it is. The workers’ friend.’
    Several heads in the crowd turned and there was a rumble of disapproving murmurs. A couple were hurrying through the crowd - well, they were trying to hurry. The woman looked like a bad imitation of Mrs Donaldson. She had the fox fur all right, but her camel-hair costume wasn’t nearly so well cut and it was at least two sizes too small. She was red in the face from what seemed to be unaccustomed exertion.
    It was her husband who had caught the interest of the men. After a second or two, Kate recognised him. He was the Means Test Inspector. She glanced anxiously at her father’s thunderous face. With a few others he moved to bar the man’s progress. The Camerons weren’t the only family to have been visited by him in the past couple of years.
    ‘How you’ve got the brass neck to show your face here-’
    ‘I only do my job, Cameron. Just like you.’
    ‘Aye, but you enjoy it a wee bit too much for our liking,’ said another man, his voice a growl of soft menace. The three Cameron sisters exchanged anxious glances. They knew from experience that it often took a lot less than this for a fight to break out.
    ‘My lady wife and I have an invitation,’ blustered the man.