Tenement Girl: an endearing wartime saga of love and friendship by Anne Douglas

Author:Anne Douglas
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Canelo
Published: 2022-02-15T00:00:00+00:00

Thirty-Four

It seemed that on Sundays Rod, or his assistant, Dougie Howat, whichever was on duty, had to manage alone for part of the day. Mrs MacArthur, the woman who cooked for the hostel, always left after Sunday dinner, and Florence, the one maid, never came in at all.

‘It’s no trouble,’ Rod explained, making Lindy sit down at a long scrubbed table in the large, dreary kitchen after he’d put a kettle on one of the two gas stoves. ‘There’s a cold supper on Sunday evenings and the men take it in turns to wash up, so no problem there. We like ’em to help with the chores, anyway, and most don’t mind. They’ve lost so many of their interests, you see, the little jobs fill the gap.’

Setting out cups, filling a milk jug and finding plates for shortbread, Rod was smiling as he proved his efficiency.

‘Mind you, I’m not saying that the end result is always what you’d want. You should see some of the beds they make – like great mounds concealing heaven knows what! But they do their best.’

‘Beats me how you keep so cheerful,’ Lindy murmured, shaking her head. ‘Didn’t you say once that these fellows could drive you mad? You seem to me to be very patient.’

‘I told you, you just have to keep calm, do what you can. But there’s the kettle going – I’ll make the tea.’

Passing Lindy her tea and the shortbread biscuits, Rod’s eyes seemed to her, as she glanced up, to be rather considering, as though he had something he wanted to say. ‘Yes?’ she asked, sipping her tea. ‘What did you want to tell me?’

‘Why, Lindy, how well you read me!’ Rod, stirring milk into his tea, seemed embarrassed. ‘I can see I’ll have to try to develop a poker face… Well, the fact is, I haven’t been altogether straight with you.’

‘What do you mean?’ Her eyes widening, Lindy gazed into his face. ‘You’re always straight!’

‘Except when I say you’re from the council.’ Rod ran his hand through his hair. ‘Look, it’s just that when I said I wanted you to come here because it’s important to me, well, that was true, but it wasn’t the whole truth.’

‘What other reason was there, then?’

‘I was thinking – if you saw the sort of work people like me do, the sort of difference it can make, to some, anyway – you might be interested in it yourself. I mean, I know you want to change your job, do something more worthwhile, and this could be it.’

Rod’s eyes on her face held such appeal that Lindy’s own eyes fell and she stared for some moments into the interior of her teacup. What to say to him? She couldn’t think of how to put it, although she had once told him, she remembered very well, that never in a million years could she do his job. Had he not believed her? His hand suddenly on hers was warm and firm, he was making her

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