Hope for the Blitz Girls by Johanna Bell

Author:Johanna Bell [Bell, Johanna]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: null
ISBN: 9781399708791
Amazon: 1399708791
Publisher: Hodder & Stoughton
Published: 2024-09-16T23:00:00+00:00

18

Peggy smiled all the way into the village. The conversation between herself and Johnny flowed so naturally, and he’d made her laugh so hard that her face ached. He really did have a fantastic sense of humour, which felt so refreshing to Peggy. Having finally decided upon a plain navy-blue dress that she normally wore to special family lunches, she had nipped into her mother’s bedroom and taken one of her smart jackets to wear, knowing that she wouldn’t mind. A memory of the girls from school glaring at Peggy, whispering and laughing at her for dressing up to try and fit in with them flashed into her mind but she took a deep breath and pushed it away. She would never kid herself that she could ever be as classy as the women Johnny was used to spending time with at places like Café de Paris, but a smart jacket wouldn’t make it look like she was trying too hard. Peggy just wanted to look nice for Johnny.

Once Peggy was back downstairs, Mrs Miller had given her daughter a discreet nod of approval and Johnny had declared her ‘dashing’. Peggy had tried to hide her delight, reminding herself that Johnny was just there as a friend. But she had never been good at hiding her emotions and her big grin had most certainly given her away. When Johnny had beamed back at her she had instantly looked away, embarrassed.

Now, as they approached the cinema, Peggy could feel eyes on them. She blushed as she wondered what everybody would think of her stepping out with a RAF pilot. She knew how people liked to gossip in this small village, and she suddenly felt anxious. Would they think her foolish for swapping her usual bland clothes for something a little more sophisticated to step out in with Johnny? Possibly sensing Peggy’s feelings of unease, Johnny linked his arm with hers, and she was suddenly grinning from ear to ear again, standing taller, and feeling proud to be on his arm. It felt nice to pretend that this handsome and funny chap was as keen on her as she was on him. So what if she would have to explain to everybody afterwards that they were just friends because she wasn’t his type of girl?

There was a group of men from the Observer Corps sitting at a post right next to the cinema, watching for aeroplanes. When Johnny went over to talk to them, Peggy thought back to the very first time she had been to this cinema. She had gone with Joan to watch Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers in Swing Time, the week the cinema had opened, back in the summer of 1937. They had since built a café on the side of the building, and when Johnny came back over to her, she suggested they go and have a drink before the film started. Once they were settled in at a table with their drinks, Peggy found herself reminiscing out loud about the times she had been to the cinema with Joan.

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