Whitsunday Dawn by Annie Seaton

Author:Annie Seaton
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Mira

CHAPTER

18

15 May, 1942

South Molle Island was a more established resort than the Ellis bungalows at Sawmill Bay and, being closer to the mainland, it had more guests. Lily had started work in the kitchen early in the new year—Dad had secured the position for her to help the Bauers now that some of the local workers had joined the war effort, and to earn herself some money. Much to her surprise, she had settled in and was enjoying the work. Here she was treated like an adult, and the pay packet meant she could save for new books, although being at the sink for a couple of hours at a time did test her patience when it was her turn for scullery duty.

To Lily’s disappointment, four months had passed since Jack’s visit and she wondered if he’d ever come back. Maybe he’d moved away to another base. More likely, he’d found her a bit childish. All she hoped was that he was safe. The occasional newspaper that made its way to the island frightened her more each time she read the headlines. They’d made no plans to write to each other, and the weight of regret seemed to get heavier as each day passed.

‘Lil, where are you?’ Her sister’s voice came from inside the house. Lily rolled over and shoved her book under the bed. For some reason, her reading tastes had taken a different turn lately, and she’d taken to raiding the bookcase in Mama’s sewing room. Her dorm mates had seen Gone with the Wind at the Rialto theatre in West End one winter when Lily had been late going back to school. It was all she’d heard for weeks once she’d gone back to All Hallows’.

Amelia had stood on her bed with her hands clasped to her chest. ‘And he said, “No, I don’t think I will kiss you, although you need kissing, badly. That’s what’s wrong with you. You should be kissed and often, by someone who knows what he’s doing.”’

Peggy’s shoulders had dropped along with her dramatic sigh. ‘If Rhett Butler or Clark Gable said that to me, I’d be much more sensible than Scarlett O’Hara. She made me so angry, the silly woman!’

Now Lily understood what all the fuss had been about. She adored the book, and had read by torchlight until the early hours this morning. As soon as she’d woken up, she’d picked it up again.

‘Lil, are you still in bed!’ Tat’s voice was full of indignation.

‘Yes, I am. What’s wrong?’

‘Mama and Daddy are catching the early launch to the mainland so they can take the fish to the train. You’ve got to come with me, we have to bring some boxes of veggies back to the house. Hurry up, Lil. I’m not doing it by myself.’

‘Okay, okay, I’m on my way.’ Lily climbed out of bed and pulled on a pair of shorts and a cotton top that she tied in a knot above her waist. Her hair was loose and tangled, and she gritted her teeth as the hairbrush caught in the knots.

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