Hedley,’ Pearl answered quietly. ‘But I’m sure he’ll write soon.’
‘Well, give him my best, won’t you? He’s doing a grand job. We’re all very proud of him.’
Once again Pearl felt a glow of pride. So many in the department had asked after him.
On her way home she splashed out. From Gwen she bought dried egg and a tin of corned beef. Both Gwen and Fitz were eager to know of Jim’s progress.
Pearl climbed the stairs and opened the door. She was beginning to get used to being single again. As she did the housework she listened to ‘Boogie-Woogie Bugle Boy’ and managed a chorus or two of ‘White Cliffs of Dover’. That afternoon she was going to tea at Roper’s Way. Pearl smiled ruefully to herself. She hadn’t paid a visit to Jim’s mum. But she could always say she’d had a cold. As Em said, there were lots of germs about. And Mrs Nesbitt didn’t like germs.
‘So you’ve heard nothing from Jim?’ asked Ruby as they strolled to the market. They were walking down the aftereffects of their tea.
‘No, nothing.’
‘He’ll have to be careful what he writes. The censor vets every word.’
Pearl shrugged. ‘I only want to hear how much he misses home.’
‘He can’t fill up two pages with that.’
‘Yes, he can. If he doesn’t, he’ll get it in the neck when I see him.’
They laughed as they walked arm in arm. It was a mild December afternoon, with a hazy sun. The winter hadn’t been cold so far, more dull and dreary. Christmas decorations and trees were as rare as bananas. It was a year when the public at large were tightening their belts to the last notch.
‘I’ve heard from Ricky too.’ Ruby smiled dreamily from under her plum-coloured scarf, which she’d wound round her head.
Pearl wished Ruby wouldn’t go on about him. She tried to think of something else to say but Ruby was determined.
‘Even Ricky can’t guess how long the war will last. It could be over in a year. Or four or five. I want what you’ve got, Pearl: a man of my own. And not just any man. One as good as Jim. And I know that man is Ricky.’
If only he was one-tenth the man that Jim was, Pearl thought, but kept quiet. It seemed that being parted from Ricky was making Ruby even more eager to have him. Could love really change a man so much that, in Ricky’s case, he was really serious about Ruby?
‘Let’s go to the clothes stall,’ Pearl said as they came to Cox Street. ‘My astrakhan coat was a real bargain. She might have something nice for Christmas.’
‘You mean you’re not buying new?’
‘No, I’ve got to save.’
‘Some hopes,’ Ruby giggled.
Pearl grinned. ‘I haven’t got Jim to feed and I don’t like me own cooking.’
‘So when Jim comes home he could find a new woman in the kitchen?’
‘As long as it’s me. Look at these passion killers,’ chuckled Pearl as she held up a pair of extremely baggy drawers.
‘They’re enough to put you off having a bit of the other.’ Ruby screwed up her small nose. ‘When Ricky comes home I’m going to buy a pair of silk knickers like you had for your honeymoon.’
Pearl froze where she stood. ‘What do you mean?’
‘You know what I mean. I want to know how to please him. After all, one day he’ll be my husband. And don’t give me that old-fashioned look. This is the nineteen forties, not the fourteen hundreds.’
Pearl was horrified. ‘But you might – you could get pregnant.’
‘It’s a chance I’m willing to take,’ Ruby reasoned calmly. ‘Who knows what could happen? I don’t want to think the worst. But I may not have much time with the man I love.’
Shocked at this turn of events, Pearl wished more than ever that she could speak honestly to her sister, as they had always shared everything, but now Ricky was creating a chasm between them and Pearl was powerless to prevent it.
Chapter 8
It was six o’clock on Sunday evening and Jim was lying on his bunk in the Nissen hut. He was trying to compose a
‘Well, give him my best, won’t you? He’s doing a grand job. We’re all very proud of him.’
Once again Pearl felt a glow of pride. So many in the department had asked after him.
On her way home she splashed out. From Gwen she bought dried egg and a tin of corned beef. Both Gwen and Fitz were eager to know of Jim’s progress.
Pearl climbed the stairs and opened the door. She was beginning to get used to being single again. As she did the housework she listened to ‘Boogie-Woogie Bugle Boy’ and managed a chorus or two of ‘White Cliffs of Dover’. That afternoon she was going to tea at Roper’s Way. Pearl smiled ruefully to herself. She hadn’t paid a visit to Jim’s mum. But she could always say she’d had a cold. As Em said, there were lots of germs about. And Mrs Nesbitt didn’t like germs.
‘So you’ve heard nothing from Jim?’ asked Ruby as they strolled to the market. They were walking down the aftereffects of their tea.
‘No, nothing.’
‘He’ll have to be careful what he writes. The censor vets every word.’
Pearl shrugged. ‘I only want to hear how much he misses home.’
‘He can’t fill up two pages with that.’
‘Yes, he can. If he doesn’t, he’ll get it in the neck when I see him.’
They laughed as they walked arm in arm. It was a mild December afternoon, with a hazy sun. The winter hadn’t been cold so far, more dull and dreary. Christmas decorations and trees were as rare as bananas. It was a year when the public at large were tightening their belts to the last notch.
‘I’ve heard from Ricky too.’ Ruby smiled dreamily from under her plum-coloured scarf, which she’d wound round her head.
Pearl wished Ruby wouldn’t go on about him. She tried to think of something else to say but Ruby was determined.
‘Even Ricky can’t guess how long the war will last. It could be over in a year. Or four or five. I want what you’ve got, Pearl: a man of my own. And not just any man. One as good as Jim. And I know that man is Ricky.’
If only he was one-tenth the man that Jim was, Pearl thought, but kept quiet. It seemed that being parted from Ricky was making Ruby even more eager to have him. Could love really change a man so much that, in Ricky’s case, he was really serious about Ruby?
‘Let’s go to the clothes stall,’ Pearl said as they came to Cox Street. ‘My astrakhan coat was a real bargain. She might have something nice for Christmas.’
‘You mean you’re not buying new?’
‘No, I’ve got to save.’
‘Some hopes,’ Ruby giggled.
Pearl grinned. ‘I haven’t got Jim to feed and I don’t like me own cooking.’
‘So when Jim comes home he could find a new woman in the kitchen?’
‘As long as it’s me. Look at these passion killers,’ chuckled Pearl as she held up a pair of extremely baggy drawers.
‘They’re enough to put you off having a bit of the other.’ Ruby screwed up her small nose. ‘When Ricky comes home I’m going to buy a pair of silk knickers like you had for your honeymoon.’
Pearl froze where she stood. ‘What do you mean?’
‘You know what I mean. I want to know how to please him. After all, one day he’ll be my husband. And don’t give me that old-fashioned look. This is the nineteen forties, not the fourteen hundreds.’
Pearl was horrified. ‘But you might – you could get pregnant.’
‘It’s a chance I’m willing to take,’ Ruby reasoned calmly. ‘Who knows what could happen? I don’t want to think the worst. But I may not have much time with the man I love.’
Shocked at this turn of events, Pearl wished more than ever that she could speak honestly to her sister, as they had always shared everything, but now Ricky was creating a chasm between them and Pearl was powerless to prevent it.
Chapter 8
It was six o’clock on Sunday evening and Jim was lying on his bunk in the Nissen hut. He was trying to compose a
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