Chapter Ten
St John’s Market was the largest in Liverpool, a grand stone building that had been remodelled to look as though it had been standing for centuries, when in truth it had only been in place since Ava’s grandfather was a boy.
The grand awnings on Elliot Street extended nearly the full way to the pavement, the windows stuffed with what Ava hoped were empty boxes, and not truly pats of butter left to melt behind the glass.
She was grateful when they stepped inside, not just because they were finally shielded from the clawing wind, but because they were met with what she loved most about the market: the sea of sound it created.
It was hard to feel lonely when you were surrounded by hundreds of voices, some haggling, some shouting, but all raised to try and be heard amidst the squawk of live chickens, the wail of babies, and the discordant barks of hounds and lapdogs meeting snout to snout beneath the benches.
‘God,’ said Oliver, plugging his ears. ‘What a din.’
Stalls hugged the full circumference, and there were five great avenues that stretched from end to end and sold everything from thick back bacon to fluffy white bread, live geese to hand-whittled toys.
You could buy anything you could ever need, all under one roof, all in one pass.
She thought it was rather ingenious, actually.
Not to mention it was open a good hour or so later than the greengrocers on Argyle Street.
‘Potatoes,’ she said, grabbing Oliver’s sleeve and dragging him left, towards the vegetable stands. ‘These look good, don’t they?’
She picked one up, dusting some of the dirt from it and inspecting the brown skin. It wasn’t sprouting, and the mud on the underside was still relatively damp, which meant it was fresh.
‘Perhaps we should also get some more flour? Then I can put the leftover lamb into a pie, rather than having cold cuts for the week.’
‘Ava? Oliver?’
Ava froze. She knew that voice, and as she turned, she felt her stomach flip.
‘Jem,’ she said softly, barely noticing as the potato slipped from her hand and rolled underneath the stall.