start sailing again soon and then trade is bound to pick up.’
He decided not to tell her that all the shipping agents and bankers he had spoken to in the past few weeks were predicting the opposite. ‘What time is Judy’s audition tomorrow?’
‘Four o’clock. Want to come round for tea about five?’
‘As she’s only in the New Theatre, I’d prefer a picnic here. Less likelihood of being disturbed. Then I’ll walk you home and Judy can tell us whether or not she’s been successful.’
‘In that case I’ll make a special supper for the three of us and we can offer Judy our congratulations or sympathies, whichever is appropriate.’
‘Sounds perfect. I’ll even call in and walk you down here.’ He dropped a kiss on her forehead before opening the door of the cabin.
‘So you’re going to Penniless Point with Uncle Jed tomorrow?’ Judy said to David when he escorted her back to Edyth’s bakery. She had wanted to walk back alone, but over protective as always, her uncle had insisted that someone take her and as David was anxious to see Edyth, he was the obvious choice.
‘He seems to think I’ll get a job.’
‘Not a paying one.’ She reinforced Jed’s warning.
‘My keep would be a start and I can work up from there.’
‘Like my uncles?’ She couldn’t resist reminding him that they were out of work.
‘It’s different for them.’
‘Because they’re coloured.’
‘Jed told me about having to register as aliens although they were born on the Bay. But I didn’t mean that,’ he said swiftly. ‘They have families to support; I have only myself to look after so I don’t need as much money.’ He stopped in front of the baker’s shop.
‘We use the back door when the shop’s not open.’ Judy led the way around to the yard. Edyth and Micah were standing, locked in one another’s arms, oblivious to everything outside of one another.
David cried out.
Judy turned and saw a look of pure anguish on his face before he raced back down the alley into Bute Street.
When Edyth heard David cry out, she turned and saw him and Judy standing at the entrance to the yard. She pushed Micah away and tried to follow David when he ran off but Micah held her fast. She fought to free herself.
‘Let me go,’ she shouted.
‘If anyone should go after him, it should be me.’
‘You don’t understand,’ Edyth continued to struggle.
‘Your brother telephoned after you left, Edyth,’ Judy explained. ‘He asked me to pick David up at the station. He wants to be a sailor.’ After the way David had snapped at her since he’d arrived, Judy wasn’t sure whether to go after him or not.
‘David doesn’t want to be a sailor.’ Edyth finally wrenched free from Micah’s grip. ‘He’s in the Bay because of me.’
‘He’s staying with Helga.’ Judy dashed after Edyth when she darted into the street but Micah was quicker. He reached Bute Street before Judy. Edyth was standing on the pavement looking up and down the road. A tram hurtled around the corner and passed a procession of white-garbed Sunday school children from the Catholic Church. A donkey cart loaded with fresh fish meandered slowly up from the direction of the docks. Several groups of people stood gossiping but there was no sign of David.
Micah touched Edyth’s arm. ‘Did you hear? Judy said David’s lodging with my sister.’
‘Do you think he’d head back to Helga’s?’ Edyth’s eyes were dark with concern.
He frowned. ‘Is there something you’re not telling me about you and David?’
‘There is no me and David,’ she countered touchily. ‘Not as far as I’m concerned.’
‘But David thinks otherwise?’ he guessed.
‘I have to find him, Micah,’ she insisted. ‘After seeing us together like that, he could do something stupid.’
‘Aren’t you being rather melodramatic?’
‘I wish I was.’ Finally giving up on David, she faced Micah. ‘The night I married Peter, David tried to kill himself by
He decided not to tell her that all the shipping agents and bankers he had spoken to in the past few weeks were predicting the opposite. ‘What time is Judy’s audition tomorrow?’
‘Four o’clock. Want to come round for tea about five?’
‘As she’s only in the New Theatre, I’d prefer a picnic here. Less likelihood of being disturbed. Then I’ll walk you home and Judy can tell us whether or not she’s been successful.’
‘In that case I’ll make a special supper for the three of us and we can offer Judy our congratulations or sympathies, whichever is appropriate.’
‘Sounds perfect. I’ll even call in and walk you down here.’ He dropped a kiss on her forehead before opening the door of the cabin.
‘So you’re going to Penniless Point with Uncle Jed tomorrow?’ Judy said to David when he escorted her back to Edyth’s bakery. She had wanted to walk back alone, but over protective as always, her uncle had insisted that someone take her and as David was anxious to see Edyth, he was the obvious choice.
‘He seems to think I’ll get a job.’
‘Not a paying one.’ She reinforced Jed’s warning.
‘My keep would be a start and I can work up from there.’
‘Like my uncles?’ She couldn’t resist reminding him that they were out of work.
‘It’s different for them.’
‘Because they’re coloured.’
‘Jed told me about having to register as aliens although they were born on the Bay. But I didn’t mean that,’ he said swiftly. ‘They have families to support; I have only myself to look after so I don’t need as much money.’ He stopped in front of the baker’s shop.
‘We use the back door when the shop’s not open.’ Judy led the way around to the yard. Edyth and Micah were standing, locked in one another’s arms, oblivious to everything outside of one another.
David cried out.
Judy turned and saw a look of pure anguish on his face before he raced back down the alley into Bute Street.
When Edyth heard David cry out, she turned and saw him and Judy standing at the entrance to the yard. She pushed Micah away and tried to follow David when he ran off but Micah held her fast. She fought to free herself.
‘Let me go,’ she shouted.
‘If anyone should go after him, it should be me.’
‘You don’t understand,’ Edyth continued to struggle.
‘Your brother telephoned after you left, Edyth,’ Judy explained. ‘He asked me to pick David up at the station. He wants to be a sailor.’ After the way David had snapped at her since he’d arrived, Judy wasn’t sure whether to go after him or not.
‘David doesn’t want to be a sailor.’ Edyth finally wrenched free from Micah’s grip. ‘He’s in the Bay because of me.’
‘He’s staying with Helga.’ Judy dashed after Edyth when she darted into the street but Micah was quicker. He reached Bute Street before Judy. Edyth was standing on the pavement looking up and down the road. A tram hurtled around the corner and passed a procession of white-garbed Sunday school children from the Catholic Church. A donkey cart loaded with fresh fish meandered slowly up from the direction of the docks. Several groups of people stood gossiping but there was no sign of David.
Micah touched Edyth’s arm. ‘Did you hear? Judy said David’s lodging with my sister.’
‘Do you think he’d head back to Helga’s?’ Edyth’s eyes were dark with concern.
He frowned. ‘Is there something you’re not telling me about you and David?’
‘There is no me and David,’ she countered touchily. ‘Not as far as I’m concerned.’
‘But David thinks otherwise?’ he guessed.
‘I have to find him, Micah,’ she insisted. ‘After seeing us together like that, he could do something stupid.’
‘Aren’t you being rather melodramatic?’
‘I wish I was.’ Finally giving up on David, she faced Micah. ‘The night I married Peter, David tried to kill himself by
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