Secrets of the Railway Girls by Maisie Thomas

Author:Maisie Thomas [Thomas, Maisie]
Language: eng
Format: epub
ISBN: 9781473571747
Publisher: Random House
Published: 2020-09-17T00:00:00+00:00

Chapter Twenty-Two

Who the heck was that knocking at the door at this time of the morning?

‘Go down and answer it, Reg,’ Dot said.

‘Can’t you do it?’

‘I’ve still got my rollers in.’

As Reg grumbled his way down the stairs, Dot unwound her rollers at top speed and combed her hair.

‘It’s for you,’ Reg called up.

‘Who is it?’ she called back, but he didn’t answer.

With a huff of annoyance, she ran downstairs to the hallway, where Reg had left the front door ajar before retreating to the kitchen. Dot pulled the door open.

‘Mabel! What are you doing here?’ Her insides sank. ‘What’s happened?’

‘Don’t be alarmed. Everyone’s fine.’

‘Come in, lass, and I’ll put the kettle on. Park yourself in there.’ She pushed open the parlour door and ushered Mabel inside. ‘Have you just come off first-aid duty? Have you had breakfast?’

‘Yes, and no, but please don’t prepare me anything. I couldn’t impose. I’m here to ask you about Mrs Cooper.’

‘At this time of the morning? You sit yourself down and I’ll make us a cup of tea and then you can tell me all about it.’

Reg wasn’t best pleased at being told he would have to wait for his breakfast. On the other hand, he didn’t leap up from his place at the table to prepare summat for himself, so presumably he wasn’t about to expire from hunger.

Dot took two teas into the parlour.

‘Now, chick, what’s this about?’

‘I got home from first aid to find Mrs Grayson in a right old state. Mr Grayson turned up last night and he wants her out of the house today.’

‘Today?’ Dot exclaimed. ‘He can’t do that. It can’t be legal – and if it is legal, it certainly isn’t moral. What changed his mind?’

‘Apparently, he and his, um, lady friend can’t stand living a moment longer in cramped conditions with all her family. Mrs Grayson doesn’t want to put up a fight. She doesn’t believe she has a case and she doesn’t want the publicity.’

‘Nay, love, it’s not her fault. Mind you, when did that ever stop a woman feeling the shame of a situation?’

‘That’s why I asked about Mrs Cooper. Did you call round yesterday evening?’

‘I’m afraid not.’ She had been too busy sitting in the Worker Bee café, plotting against a thief. Eh, when had life become so complicated?

Mabel’s shoulders slumped. ‘What now? It’s one thing to drop in on Mrs Cooper this weekend and ask if she could possibly take in a house guest starting next weekend, but we can hardly turn up this morning and say, “Would you mind? And by the way, she has to move in today, because her husband’s a rat.”’

‘Why not?’ Dot sat up straight. ‘This is wartime and folk have to put up with all sorts, aye, and pull together an’ all. Let me get my husband and our Jimmy’s breakfast sorted, then I’ll pop round to Mrs Cooper’s. She’ll take it on the chin, just you wait and see. My generation has already lived through one of these wars, remember.

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