stared resentfully at the shabby tin shelter. ‘The Anderson is a reminder of the bombing. How the war took people’s lives away. And
there’s our Alfie, thinking a bomb shelter is a toy . . .’
‘He don’t know the difference, love.’
‘No, but I do.’
Vi leaned forward. ‘It’s been a difficult time for you, Kay. Don’t go thinking too deep.’
‘Doris spent every day with Alfie,’ Kay continued relentlessly. ‘But I have to leave him and go to work tomorrow.’
Vi lifted her shoulders. ‘I’ll take good care of him. You know that.’
‘It’s just that Doris and Len – well, they’ve got everything –
everything!
The war hasn’t affected them. It’s as if it’s passed them by
and they live in this enchanted world of their own. But me and Alan and you, we’ve lost our friends and neighbours and you’ve lost your house. There’s nothing to eat and
we’re all beginning to look like Woolton Pies—’
‘Listen,’ Vi broke in sternly, taking the cloth from Kay’s hands and folding it over the handle on the stove, ‘what’s happened is not the war, but you’ve seen
how the other half live. War or no war, there are the haves and the have nots. Always has been, always will be. But remember, you might not have a cottage in the country but you’ve something
far more precious in Alfie than money can buy. Your brother don’t have no son and heir, does he? I’ll bet he’d trade his nice house and lovely garden, if he and Doris could have a
kiddie.’
Kay knew Vi was talking sense. But Kay still found it hard to square things up; yet again her emotions were all over the place. Alongside the feeling of relief at having Alfie home, she was
tormented by these silly notions going around inside her head all day. Was she depriving Alfie of something he should have, simply because she and Alan had made their home on the island and wanted
it to be their future? Before going to Hertfordshire she had been quite content to stay at the factory and knew that, if she was to speak to her employers, they would allow her to continue
part-time to look after Alfie rather than lose her. Everyone wanted to do their best in wartime and she was no exception. She and Alan had planned their future on the Isle of Dogs, had loved it
from the first moment they’d moved there in 1938. So why should she be feeling so unsettled after one short visit to her brother and sister-in-law’s?
Kay was certain Vi was right in that Len and Doris wanted children desperately. They had a lovely home, a pretty garden and none of the worries that city dwelling presented, including that of
having been the focus for Germany’s Luftwaffe. But they sadly lacked a family.
‘So, what’s all this about?’ she murmured to herself. ‘Is the truth that you’ve saddled yourself with a touch of the old green eye, Kay Lewis?’
It was not a happy admission to make, she realized, as she set about peeling the spuds. But then, she was only human and at times, she reminded herself, a flawed one. A few minutes later she had
the potatoes on the stove and was humming to herself, thinking of how Alfie’s room would eventually look when she had everything in place.
Chapter Ten
On the last Sunday of August, while Alan and Vi were trying to persuade Alfie to eat his breakfast, Kay was upstairs attempting to restore order to their wardrobe. One half had
been given over to Alfie’s clothes and shoes and toys. Kay was busy trying to squeeze everything into a small space, when there was a knock on the front door. She hurried downstairs,
expecting to see Jenny Edwards who sometimes called by on her way back from church.
‘Babs! Eddie! What are you doing here?’
Eddie hugged her. ‘It’s good to see you, Kay.’
‘Come in, come in.’
‘We thought we’d announce our good news,’ Babs said, stepping in. She opened her bag. ‘Eddie collected this on Friday.’
Kay stared at the key in Babs’s hand. ‘What’s
there’s our Alfie, thinking a bomb shelter is a toy . . .’
‘He don’t know the difference, love.’
‘No, but I do.’
Vi leaned forward. ‘It’s been a difficult time for you, Kay. Don’t go thinking too deep.’
‘Doris spent every day with Alfie,’ Kay continued relentlessly. ‘But I have to leave him and go to work tomorrow.’
Vi lifted her shoulders. ‘I’ll take good care of him. You know that.’
‘It’s just that Doris and Len – well, they’ve got everything –
everything!
The war hasn’t affected them. It’s as if it’s passed them by
and they live in this enchanted world of their own. But me and Alan and you, we’ve lost our friends and neighbours and you’ve lost your house. There’s nothing to eat and
we’re all beginning to look like Woolton Pies—’
‘Listen,’ Vi broke in sternly, taking the cloth from Kay’s hands and folding it over the handle on the stove, ‘what’s happened is not the war, but you’ve seen
how the other half live. War or no war, there are the haves and the have nots. Always has been, always will be. But remember, you might not have a cottage in the country but you’ve something
far more precious in Alfie than money can buy. Your brother don’t have no son and heir, does he? I’ll bet he’d trade his nice house and lovely garden, if he and Doris could have a
kiddie.’
Kay knew Vi was talking sense. But Kay still found it hard to square things up; yet again her emotions were all over the place. Alongside the feeling of relief at having Alfie home, she was
tormented by these silly notions going around inside her head all day. Was she depriving Alfie of something he should have, simply because she and Alan had made their home on the island and wanted
it to be their future? Before going to Hertfordshire she had been quite content to stay at the factory and knew that, if she was to speak to her employers, they would allow her to continue
part-time to look after Alfie rather than lose her. Everyone wanted to do their best in wartime and she was no exception. She and Alan had planned their future on the Isle of Dogs, had loved it
from the first moment they’d moved there in 1938. So why should she be feeling so unsettled after one short visit to her brother and sister-in-law’s?
Kay was certain Vi was right in that Len and Doris wanted children desperately. They had a lovely home, a pretty garden and none of the worries that city dwelling presented, including that of
having been the focus for Germany’s Luftwaffe. But they sadly lacked a family.
‘So, what’s all this about?’ she murmured to herself. ‘Is the truth that you’ve saddled yourself with a touch of the old green eye, Kay Lewis?’
It was not a happy admission to make, she realized, as she set about peeling the spuds. But then, she was only human and at times, she reminded herself, a flawed one. A few minutes later she had
the potatoes on the stove and was humming to herself, thinking of how Alfie’s room would eventually look when she had everything in place.
Chapter Ten
On the last Sunday of August, while Alan and Vi were trying to persuade Alfie to eat his breakfast, Kay was upstairs attempting to restore order to their wardrobe. One half had
been given over to Alfie’s clothes and shoes and toys. Kay was busy trying to squeeze everything into a small space, when there was a knock on the front door. She hurried downstairs,
expecting to see Jenny Edwards who sometimes called by on her way back from church.
‘Babs! Eddie! What are you doing here?’
Eddie hugged her. ‘It’s good to see you, Kay.’
‘Come in, come in.’
‘We thought we’d announce our good news,’ Babs said, stepping in. She opened her bag. ‘Eddie collected this on Friday.’
Kay stared at the key in Babs’s hand. ‘What’s
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