Dearest Charlotte by Audrey Lockyer (mobi reader TXT) 📕

“You are.” Her intense green eyes flashed, angrily, “I ain’t being precocious!” “Don’t you argue with me, ‘cause I’ll tell your Pa and he’s going to wear you out.” “But, but Aunt Harriet-.” “Now, are you going to help me with the soup or are you going to sulk?” Her aunt asked her, going back over to the stove and stirring the soup which was in a big pot; she always made vast quantities of things whenever she came; her brother-in-law wasn’t the best cook in the world and, Charlotte, try as she might, was just as good as any fourteen girl should be at that age. “No, I’ll help. What would you like me to do?” She sighed, walking over to the table and her aunt passed her some carrots to chop. When she finished, her aunt gave her an onion to chop and told her to suck a piece of bread so that her eyes won’t water and to Charlotte’s surprise, it actually worked!
Mr Bromfield came home soon after darkness fell. He worked as a chimney sweep for the big houses in Coventry; he left at dawn and did not come back until it was dark. As soon as he came through the door, Charlotte got up and hugged him before taking his coat off for him so that he could sit down and relax. “How was work today, Robert?” Aunt Harriet asked, bring him over a cup of tea which he drank gratefully. “Not too bad, the people today were very nice, an elderly couple with an enormous house, a lot of money.” “Did the lady wear nice dresses?” Charlotte piped in; she had an avid interest in how the upper-class lived.