Rose's Choice: A heart-wrenching wartime saga of love, family and secrets (The Colliery Rows Book 1) by Chrissie Bradshaw

Author:Chrissie Bradshaw [Bradshaw, Chrissie]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Vallum Publishing
Published: 2020-07-16T22:00:00+00:00

34

It was a cool spring night and Lottie and Rose were going into Ashington to see Annie Get Your Gun at the Hippo.

‘Why aren’t you going with Dennis?’ Rose had asked earlier in the week.

‘Musicals aren’t his thing and I love them. Please say you’ll come.’

Rose agreed to go. Dad would be home to look after the boys and she liked a musical herself.

As they reached the entrance to the Hippo, Rose spied Danny and Dennis. She tugged at Lottie’s sleeve. ‘Have you set me up, Lottie Simpson?’

‘What?’ Lottie saw the boys too. ‘Eeeh, no! I wouldn’t do that. It’s that Dennis, he knew we were coming.’

Lottie went straight up to Dennis. ‘What a flaming nerve. You’re going to get me into trouble with Rose here.’ She sounded cross but she was laughing and clearly pleased to see Dennis.

The frown on Danny’s face showed that he wasn’t sure what was going on. As the trick Dennis had pulled dawned on him, his neck turned blotchy and he studied a film poster intently. Until then, Rose had been about to turn on her heel and go home but she could tell that Danny was as embarrassed as she was. Danny, who was usually so sure of himself, couldn’t meet her eyes.

She gave him a nudge. ‘Hi Danny, from your face I can tell we have both been stitched up by Dennis the Menace.’

‘I could punch him, I could! He told me you wanted to go to the pictures with me and I don’t even like flaming musicals.’

Rose linked his arm. ‘We can either leave these two to go to the film on their own or join them. What do you think?’

Danny recovered his composure. ‘Seeing as we’re here, we might as well go in. No holding hands though, Rose Kelly.’ He grinned and the blotches had faded slightly.

‘No holding hands,’ she agreed.

Danny insisted on paying for her ticket so she got the ice creams at the interval. Danny rolled his eyes towards Lottie and Dennis when they cuddled up together after the interval and pulled a silly face. She was glad that he didn’t try to do the same. They shared a bag of chips from Charlie’s afterwards and he walked her right to the door.

‘How’s work going, Danny?’

‘It’s grand. Old Mr Williams is that pleased with me that he’s got me working in the back and learning the trade when deliveries are slack.’

‘Baking?’

‘No. Choosing the best suppliers, ordering the ingredients and making sure the equipment is running properly, shop management and the like.’

‘That’ll put a hole in your bookie’s running. What happens to your side line then?’

‘How do you know about my running?’ he asked.

‘I just do. Does Mr Williams know, though?’

‘He misses nothing. He turns a blind eye because I’m the quickest delivery lad he’s ever had and I’m honest, no missing loaves or stotties and the takings are always correct on my rounds.’

‘Honest except for a few extra house calls for the bookmaker in work time?’

‘I don’t take a tea break, Rose, and I work later than I need to finish my deliveries.

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