The Home Front Girls by Susanna Bavin

Author:Susanna Bavin
Language: eng
Format: mobi
Published: 2024-04-16T00:00:00+00:00

CHAPTER TWENTY-ONE

‘You’re chirpy this morning,’ Mrs Beaumont said to Betty as she served breakfast in the dining room. The landlady wore a wraparound apron, but, whereas every other such pinny Betty had ever seen in her life had been plain, Mrs Beaumont’s was patterned with a vivid array of colourful flowers – peonies, roses and huge daisies against a background of foliage in apple green and forest green. It must be because of her being a theatrical landlady.

Betty beamed at her. ‘Yes, I feel chirpy. There’s a new girl starting at the depot today, so I shan’t be on my own any more – and I’ll have this coming Saturday off.’

What a treat that would be. She’d only been allowed one Saturday off per quarter at Tucker’s and now she was due to have a free Saturday every other week.

She got ready to go to work, bending down to fuss Minnie before she set off. The early mornings were noticeably cooler now that they were halfway through September. The sun was already bright in a periwinkle-blue sky, promising a fine day ahead. Betty caught hold of that thought and hung on to it. It wasn’t going to feel like a fine day for a lot of people. There had been raids in the early hours of Sunday morning and then a four-hour raid on Sunday night. How many had lost their homes and their precious possessions, built up over years of family life? Worse, had there been injuries? Deaths?

Betty had set off in plenty of time, wanting to open up the depot and be ready to welcome her new colleague, but as she passed the local shops she saw a girl up ahead, hanging about outside the depot’s high fence.

Betty put on a spurt. The girl was facing away from her and Betty could see that, beneath her straw hat, dark-blond hair sat in a plump roll at collar length. Mum always said you could tell a lot about a person from their hair.

‘Hair and shoes. A good haircut, neatly styled, and polished shoes. That’s how to create a good first impression.’

The girl turned round. All set to utter words of welcome, Betty stared, the words freezing on her lips.

‘You!’ The word burst out of her.

She couldn’t believe her eyes. It couldn’t be – but it was. The butter-wouldn’t-melt girl herself – here!

The girl had recognised her too.

‘Oh.’ Her cheeks coloured. ‘I remember you.’

‘Oh aye?’ snapped Betty. ‘Remember all of the idiots who fell for your act, do you? Or am I memorable because I was so easy to fool? I lost my job because of you.’

‘I’m truly sorry to hear that.’

‘You shouldn’t be. Thanks to you, there’s one less person out there daring to flout the rules and help a fellow human being in need.’

‘I was just doing my job.’

‘Well, that’s all right, then,’ Betty retorted.

‘I hated doing it, but it was one of my duties.’

‘You tell yourself that, love, if it makes you feel better.’

So much for Betty’s chirpy spirits.

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