The Bells of Bow (52 page)

Alice popped in another strawberry. ‘Stuffed hearts,’ she mumbled, her usually sunken cheeks bulging.

Minnie shuddered. ‘We can’t bear them, can we, Clara?’

Clara shook her head. ‘No!’

‘See, they remind us of the hospital. That’s all they seem to cook for the poor sods in there, and when yer cleaning of a morning yer can smell ’em from the night before, mixed with that horrible stench yer get in the hospital anyway.’ She held her nose to demonstrate her distaste.

‘But we mustn’t complain too much though, eh, Min?’ Clara said. ‘Since a lot of the firms where we was charring up the City got bombed out, we’ve lost a lot of our regulars.’

‘She’s right,’ Minnie admitted. ‘I never thought we’d say it, but we’re really glad of the cleaning work down the hospital lately.’

Evie was not only not very happy with the way things were going, but now she was bored as well. She sucked a final strawberry into her mouth and tipped the rest of the fruit onto the children’s plate.

Alice screwed up her mean little face in anger. ‘Oi, I wouldn’t have minded a few more of them.’

‘Tough,’ said Evie.

‘I dunno,’ fumed Alice, shaking her tiny fists with temper at being spoken to like that. ‘There’s you two old girls working all hours God sends and there’s this young madam here sitting around on her arse all day with nothing better to do than upset her elders.’

Minnie and Clara looked mortified to be brought into Alice’s ravings, but it didn’t seem to bother Evie. She folded her arms and, putting her head to one side, said, ‘You talking about me, Alice?’

‘If the cap fits,’ grumbled Alice, staring at the two little ones tucking into the strawberries.

‘Well, yer wrong then, ain’t yer,’ she said, with a satisfied smirk on her face. ‘’Cos I won’t have time to sit around on me arse, as you put it so charmingly.’

‘Eh?’ Babs said, suddenly interested.

‘You know,’ said Evie, flashing a signal with her eyes for Babs to agree. ‘Betty starts going to the nursery in Olga Street first thing in the morning and I go back to me old job at Styleways making uniforms.’ She smiled sweetly. ‘We all have to do our bit for the soldiers, don’t we, Alice?’

Alice opened and closed her mouth like a stranded fish and then stormed back across the road to take her frustration out on the long-suffering Nobby.

Babs curled her lip and shook her head at this new wonder. ‘I never knew about all this.’

‘Never knew meself,’ grinned Evie, ‘not until I said it just now, anyway.’ She stood up and stretched. ‘I’ll just nip in and get meself tidied up. Gina’ll be waiting if I don’t move meself.’

‘But I never said—’

‘She’s a real good’un this sister of mine, ain’t she, girls?’ Evie said to Minnie and Clara, then kissed Babs loudly on the cheek and ran indoors.

‘A real idiot, yer mean, don’t yer?’ Babs said to herself.

The next morning, Monday, Maria had been in the workroom at Styleways for less than five minutes when Ginny started on her.

‘Heard any news from Mussolini recently, Axis? He ain’t doing very well at the minute, they reckon. Even the flaming Jerries ain’t got no time for him no more. I bet you and your mob don’t like that very much, do they, eh?’ Ginny shoved Joan in the ribs. ‘These Eyties stick together, see? They have to, ’cos no one else can stand the sight of ’em, or the stink.’

Maria settled herself in her seat and picked up the first jacket from the pile ready for finishing.

‘Oi, Axis,’ Ginny shouted. ‘I’m talking to you. You ain’t deaf as well as stupid, are yer?’

Maria bit off a length of khaki button thread and began lining it up with the eye of her needle. ‘Don’t waste yer time talking to me, Ginny, ’cos I ain’t listening to yer.’

Ginny’s mouth fell open. ‘Will you listen to her? Cheeky Eytie mare!
She
won’t listen to
me
?’

‘Have a nice weekend, Maria?’ Babs called along to her from her end of the row.

‘Yes thanks, Babs,’ Maria called back. ‘You?’

‘Charming,’ fumed Ginny. ‘She’ll talk to the old tart’s sister but she won’t talk to a decent person like me.’

The double doors at the end of the workshop swung open and Evie wiggled her way in. ‘You still stirring it, Ginny?’ she asked, waving and grinning at Lou and Maria.

Ginny’s mouth fell open. ‘What you doing here?’

‘I work here. Why? Is it a problem or something?’ Evie pulled out the chair next to Babs. ‘This where Blanche usually sits, ain’t it?’

Babs nodded.

‘Good, ’cos Silver said I was to work here for now, till he knows what she’s gonna do.’

‘What else did he say?’ Babs asked.

‘The usual.’ Evie shrugged and began to intone what the governor had said to her, counting the points off on her fingers. ‘Yer a good little worker, Evie. I could do with another pair of hands while Blanche is taking all this time off. I’m glad yer got the nursery to agree to take yer kid, but yer’ve gotta behave yerself or yer out. All that.’ She winked at Babs. ‘Aw yeah, I forgot, he also said I was looking as beautiful as ever, much better than me boss-eyed, knock-kneed twin.’

Babs threw a reel of cotton at her.

Evie ducked. ‘But if he reckons I’m gonna stay here all night fire watching, he’s got another think coming. He thought I’d jump at it. Cheek. He must be mad. Who’d wanna stay here in the dark for three bob a night? Let him do it if he’s so bloody keen.’

Ginny threw back her head, sucked in her cheeks and looked at Evie down her nose. ‘We should all do our bit, Evie.’ She twisted round in her chair and said to Joan, ‘But I suppose she’s too busy doing her bit for the Yankee soldiers.’

Evie pushed her chair back from the bench. ‘Did I hear you right?’

‘Dunno. What d’yer think I said? You know what yer up to.’

‘Right, that’s it.’ Evie was on her feet.

Babs grabbed her arms and held her.

‘Ignore her, Eve,’ Maria said, with a shake of her head. ‘The only reason she likes to do the fire watching is so that she can look through all the papers in the office – she’s desperate to find out something bad about me.’

‘And so she can nick bits of cloth,’ Lou reminded her.

‘Aw yeah,’ said Maria, ‘that and all.’

Evie laughed and Babs let her go. She sat back down at the work bench. ‘I’m glad I’m back, I missed all this friendliness.’

‘I’m glad you’re back as well, Eve.’

‘Thanks, Maria.’

Maria stared hard at Ginny. ‘The more decent people like you that work here, Eve,’ she said, ‘the easier it is for me to bear having poisonous witches like her around the place.’

Ginny stood up, very slowly. ‘What did you say, you rotten, Eytie mare?’

Evie calmly began sewing a button onto a soldier’s tunic.

‘Oi, deafy, I spoke to you. What did you say?’

Evie stabbed her finger towards Ginny. ‘You heard what she said.’

Ginny lunged across the work bench at Maria and grabbed her by the collar of her blouse, but she had hardly touched her before Evie had hold of her by the hair.

Ginny squealed like a pig. ‘Let go! Let go of me!’

The double doors flew open. ‘Girls, girls.’ Mr Silver stood in the doorway with his hand to his forehead. ‘Evie. I might have known – back two minutes and there’s trouble.’

Evie let go of Ginny’s hair and stood up. She smoothed her skirt down over her thighs. ‘Only having a laugh, Mr Silver,’ she pouted. ‘All the girls are so glad to see me.’

Lou said, ‘That’s right. Delighted, we are.’

Mr Silver relaxed. ‘Go on back to work,’ he said, and went back to his office.

Ginny’s face was twisted with hatred. ‘I’ll have you, yer rotten Italian cow,’ she hissed.

Evie smiled cheekily at Babs. ‘I dunno,’ she said, her dimples appearing deep in her cheeks. ‘What a welcome back, eh. Yer know, I feel like I’ve never been away. Nothing changes, does it?’

‘It don’t seem to, where you’re concerned,’ said Babs.

On the 3rd of September 1943, as summer faded into yet another autumn, people all over the country marked the fourth anniversary of the outbreak of the war. But it was no time for celebrations. There was still no sign of it coming to an end, and now when people said that surely it couldn’t go on for much longer, they sounded as though they didn’t really mean it; there was no longer any confidence in their words as they reassured one another that it would soon be at an end and that life would return to normal.

There were, as always, brief moments of relief, such as when Italy capitulated, and again when, at the end of September, services were held on Battle of Britain Sunday in remembrance of the RAF’s victories over the Luftwaffe in what now seemed the distant summer of 1940. And, for a while, the country became almost enthusiastic about the war again when rumours began to circulate that the Allies were going to go over to France and give the Germans what for, once and for all. But, by November, gloom had settled in once more, and the thought of starting yet another New Year with the country still at war was beginning to seem like some terrible nightmare that, even with the coming of the early morning light, would not go away.

But, difficult as life was for everyone, Georgie Bell was a man who still had much to be grateful for. Even though Evie was causing the usual ructions at home and Babs had taken to shouting at her even more than usual, at least his family were fit and well, and his little granddaughter was wonderful, his pride and joy. He had a job that made him feel like a man again and not just some useless drunk who people sneered at or pitied. He had good mates at work who really seemed to like him and enjoy his company. And then, to crown it all, there was his relationship with Maudie Peters.

Since they had started seeing each other and Maudie had taken the post at the sub-station, Georgie had watched her open like a flower that had been put in the sunshine after having been starved of light. He had been afraid to admit it at first, after the pain and loss he had suffered when Violet had left him, but now, whenever he looked at her shining like a freshly polished penny, Georgie was absolutely sure that he was in love with Maudie.

He checked his watch: one minute to six, right on time. He straightened his tie and rapped his knuckles on the door of number seven.

As Maudie opened it, she smiled up at him. ‘George, come in, I’m nearly ready.’

Georgie stepped into the dark passageway and waited for her to adjust the blackout curtain across the doorway before she turned on the light.

‘I won’t be a moment, I’ll go up and fetch my coat.’ She paused on the second stair, her hand on the banister rail. When she looked over her shoulder at him, she was smiling shyly, the smile that Georgie thought made her look like a young girl. ‘I wish you’d tell me where we’re going. I’ve no idea if I’ve dressed properly.’

‘You could wear a potato sack and yer’d still look just the job,’ Georgie said. ‘And I mean that, Maud. Yer a beautiful woman.’

Maudie blushed. ‘I’ll just go and fetch my coat.’

As they stepped from the theatre into the sharp cold of the November night, Maudie looked up at Georgie, her eyes sparkling. ‘Oh, George, I enjoyed that so much, it was a wonderful surprise. Irving Berlin’s music
and
going to the Palladium. What a treat. I’ll be singing those tunes in my head for days.’

‘Did yer really enjoy yerself?’ George asked as he placed himself protectively between her and the crowd that was now pouring out of the theatre.

She nodded. ‘I really did. Thanks.’

‘Thanks for coming with me.’ Suddenly he was frowning. ‘I’m standing here rabbiting and you’re shivering. I’ll get us a cab. There’ll be plenty in Regent Street.’

‘I’d like to stretch my legs, if that’s all right. Do you mind if we walk for a bit?’

‘Course not. Whatever suits you.’ He jerked his head sideways. ‘It’s this way.’

Maudie pointed in the opposite direction. ‘But isn’t the Underground that way?’

Georgie looked sheepish. ‘There’s another little bit to the surprise. I’ve got us a table in a little place what Vic Johnson told me about. For our supper like. He took his missus there on their anniversary once.’ George concentrated on looking at the wall over Maudie’s shoulder. ‘Said it was right romantic. Candles and that. And music. Dancing. You know.’

Maudie tucked her arm through his. ‘It sounds perfect.’

Georgie felt that he was going to burst with happiness as they strode along in the dark, cold air, with Maudie snuggling into his side to keep warm.

‘It must be about three years, you know, since I started to realise what I was feeling.’ He laughed at himself. ‘Three years. I ain’t a very fast worker, am I?’

‘Your feelings about what, George?’

‘About …’ He hesitated. ‘About …’ Then he came to a complete halt.

‘Is the restaurant far?’ Maudie asked, sensing his awkwardness.

‘No, not too far.’ He gulped. ‘I wanted to tell yer that …’

‘Listen, George, I’m not sure if the restaurant’s a very good idea.’

Georgie looked crushed. ‘If yer’d rather I took yer home straight away …’

Maudie shook her head. ‘No. Listen.’

He realised what she meant and listened: there was the unmistakable drone of planes approaching and it was growing louder all the time.

‘Wonder if they’re ours or if they’ve broken through,’ Georgie said, squinting up at the searchlights crisscrossing the black night sky.

‘There’s your answer,’ said Maudie as the sound of an incendiary shower whistling down was quickly followed by the flash and fizz of one of the bombs falling almost at their feet.

Maudie kicked it hard with the side of her shoe and sent the metal canister sputtering into the gutter.

Georgie laughed in amazement. ‘You’re game for a little’un,’ he said admiringly.

‘What do you expect from an auxiliary fire woman?’ she demanded with a grin and grabbed his hand. ‘Come on, let’s make a run for it. We can shelter in the Underground.’

‘Looks like it’s gonna be a bit of bread and scrape when we get home for our supper,’ he said. ‘I’d really like to have taken yer to the restaurant and all.’

‘Bread and scrape sounds wonderful, George.’ Maud was panting as they ran along. ‘I don’t mind what it is so long as it’s with you.’