Katy's Men (35 page)

By
way
of
greeting
Jean
called
out
in
an
aggrieved
tone:
“Ah
was
beginnin
tae
think
ye
wisnae
comin.”

Refusing
this
early
in
the
evening
to
be
drawn
into
a
pointless
argument
Etta
let
the
town
clock
speak
for
her.
With
the
last
peal
of
the
hour
of
seven
she
gave
Jean
a
meaningful
look.

“Seven
o’clock,
we
said
and
so
now
that
it
is
seven,
mibbe
we
can
get
on
our
way.”

Jean
gave
Etta
a
sour
look
and
tightened
her
grip
on
the
cloth-covered
package
she
held
before
her.
She
caught
Etta’s
glance
at
the
parcel
and
said:
“It’s
just
a
wee
mindin
o
pancakes
ma
mother
tossed
thegether
for
poor
Aggie.”

She
let
this
sink
in
before
adding
with
a
satisfied
smirk:
“Ah
see
ye’re
goin
empty-handed.”

“No
only
dae
Ah
no
hae
a
mother
standin
bye
at
the
ready
tae
bake
a
batch
o
pancakes,
the
only
thing
Ah
could
offer
would
be
a
couple
of
crusts
o
bread-n-drippin.
Ill
or
no,
somehow
Ah
don’t
think
‘poor
wee
Aggie’,
as
ye’re
determined
tae
call
her,
would
be
overjoyed
at
such
a
Gorton
delicacy.
Now
can
we
get
tae
the
Ross’s
the
nicht
or
no?”

Etta
set
off
at
high
speed
with
Jean
trotting
to
keep
up
with
her.

Serve the fussy nit
-
picker right
.
Invitin herself along like this
.

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