Home for Christmas by Annie Groves

Author:Annie Groves [Groves, Annie]
Language: eng
Format: epub, mobi
Tags: Sagas, Book 2 Article Row series
ISBN: 9780007419395
Google: cO7pJPCtSuIC
Publisher: HarperCollins UK
Published: 2011-10-26T23:00:00+00:00

‘Here, you can’t sit there that’s our table,’ a shrill female voice objected, as Dulcie slid swiftly into one of the empty chairs round a table on the edge of the dance floor, directly facing the band, and pulled Tilly down into the chair next to her, seconds ahead of the four girls who had been about to sit down themselves.

‘Yes, we can. It’s our table now,’ she said firmly.

‘Well, I like that,’ one of the girls fumed, glaring at them, but whilst Tilly felt a bit guilty Dulcie merely pulled a face at their departing backs.

‘Just in time,’ she announced triumphantly. ‘I wasn’t going to have them beating us to this table. Everyone dancing past can see us here and I’m sure all the boys would rather look at us than at those four. Besides, your Drew will be able to see us here. If he comes, that is.’

‘He isn’t my Drew,’ Tilly insisted automatically.

Dulcie had been right to say that they should get here early. The tables were already filling up, and although they were still attracting glares from the four dispossessed girls, thankfully they didn’t seem inclined to do anything other than glower.

Tilly had visited the Hammersmith Palais many times since her first exciting dance here last Christmas, but she still felt a small fizzing sense of excitement and anticipation about being here. It was just about the best dance hall in London, so everyone said, with its good-sized well-sprung dance floor and its popular Joe Loss Orchestra providing the music. It was lovely, too, to see all the other women there dressed up in their dance frocks, the single girls determined to make the most of a few precious hours of relaxation and fun, and those with their partners looking forward to being held close in the arms of the person they loved. These days such happiness was sharpened by the knowledge that all too soon they could be parted by the duties of war. So many of the men were in uniform that the sight of them brought a lump to Tilly’s throat. She could imagine how proud and how afraid for them their girlfriends and wives must feel. Just thinking about that made her shiver, as though someone had walked over her grave, as the saying went.

The Palais had not yet been decorated for Christmas, but the gilded columns, reflecting the light given off by the chandeliers and the silver ball suspended over the dance floor, made everything look shiny and exciting. Coming here was a real tonic, a bit of an escape from the grim reality of the war, rather like going to the pictures, only at the Palais you got to create your own fun and happiness rather than watching someone else’s on the screen, Tilly decided happily, the bubbles of excitement inside her giving her cheeks a pretty pink glow. Of course, that excitement had nothing to do with Drew. Nothing at all.

People were already giving their table and Dulcie a

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