The Dover Cafe On the Front Line, page 16
‘Jasper, you’ll give me away, won’t you?’ Marianne asked.
Jasper beamed. ‘I’d be honoured, love. Truly.’
‘And you two will be bridesmaids,’ Marianne continued happily, nodding at Edie and Lily.
‘What about us?’ Marge asked. ‘Can’t we be your bridesmaids too?’
‘Oh. I just thought you might . . .’ Marianne blushed.
‘Don’t tell me you thought we were too old?’ Marge rolled her eyes. ‘I reckon me and Reenie would do you proud, what do you say, Reens?’
‘No way! I was bridesmaid at my sister’s wedding and she made me wear a pink dress with ruffles all down the front and a skirt that stuck straight out. I looked like a blinking sugarplum fairy.’
Marge broke out into laughter. ‘You still got that dress? We could get Edie to wear it.’
Edie pulled a face. ‘I’d rather wear my overalls. In fact, seeing as clothes are scarce, I might have to.’
‘I will play the “Wedding March” when Mum walks in,’ Donny piped in. ‘Alfie’s teaching me.’
‘That’ll be . . . nice, Don.’ Marge’s expression set the table rocking with laughter and the earlier solemn mood was dispelled.
By the time Marianne brought out the marmalade pudding, everyone had relaxed. ‘So Rodney,’ Bert said, ‘when are you and Marge going to get it together?’
Marge snorted. ‘Shall we say never? You know I’m not the sort to be tied down.’
‘Ah, but if it’s the right man, Marge,’ Bert teased.
‘I’m sure Marge will know when it is the right man,’ Rodney said, visibly annoyed. ‘And it won’t be me, so stop stirring and concentrate on your own life.’
Bert laughed. ‘Oh, don’t worry about me. I’ve got my sights set on a certain little lady.’
Pauline, who had been hanging on Bert’s every word throughout lunch, smiled at that.
‘Any woman who falls for you should have their head examined,’ Lily said.
‘Oh, this one definitely doesn’t need her head examined. And I have it on good authority from the manager of the Hippodrome that she’ll be here at Christmas to raise the spirits of the troops.’
Pauline sat back, deflated.
‘What are you gabbling about? Last I heard, the best the Hippodrome could come up with was a woman with a couple of raggedy snakes,’ Nellie said. ‘And what she did with them is not for the ears of children.’ She nodded towards Donny.
Bert tapped his nose. ‘It’s hush-hush so keep it under your hat, but they’ve only managed to get a promise from Vera Lynn.’
There was a gasp around the table. ‘You’re not serious,’ Alfie said excitedly. ‘Do you think she’ll need a trumpeter to accompany her? I was on the bill with her once, a couple of years back. She might remember me.’
‘You’ll have to sort that out with the Hippodrome, mate. But I’m ready to welcome her with open arms and show her the sights of Dover.’
‘It’ll do you good,’ Nellie said. ‘Cos I bet that girl wouldn’t look at you twice. About time you got taken down a peg or two.’
Bert put his hand to his chest. ‘How could you, Mum?’
Nellie pointed her knife at him. ‘Your trouble is you’re too much like your dad. You need a strong woman to tame you.’
‘You saying I need a woman like you?’
‘That’s exactly what I’m saying.’
Bert held up his hands. ‘That’s me never getting married then. What about Jim and Rodney? What sort of women should they have?’
Nellie stared at her other two sons reflectively. ‘Jim needs someone kind. Someone soft with a happy nature.’ She winked at Reenie, who blushed. ‘As for Rod. He needs a woman who’ll stand up to him. Someone who can show him he’s not always right and can’t control everything.’
Rodney frowned. ‘I don’t think I’m always right.’
‘Course you do, Rod,’ Marge scoffed. ‘It’s what makes you so good at your job and so bad at having fun.’
Nellie smiled smugly. ‘There you go. Right in front of your nose.’
‘Not on your Nellie, Nellie.’ Marge laughed.
‘And while I’m on the subject, Edie, you need a man that can put up with your temper and not let you walk all over him.’
‘Flamin’ cheek!’ Edie gasped. ‘There’s nothing wrong with my temper.’ She slammed her spoon into her bowl to a chorus of jeers from all except Rodney who was sitting opposite the large front window, and stiffened suddenly. ‘Who the hell . . .?’
Everyone turned to look and Lily gasped, her eyes shooting to Pauline in surprise.
As soon as Pauline saw who it was, her face paled and she dropped her spoon in shock. Because standing with his nose pressed flat against the window and a grin on his face was Dick Brown. Lily half rose, ready to tell him to bugger off, but Pauline beat her to it. She pushed her chair back with a clatter and ran out of the door, wobbling on her high sandals. As soon as she reached the man, she grabbed his arm and pulled him round the corner onto Castle Street.
‘Who’s that? And why’s he pulling stupid faces through the window?’ Donny asked curiously.
‘He works up the hospital,’ Lily said. ‘Nasty piece of work.’
‘That’s the man from the dance!’ Bert suddenly realised. ‘Cheeky sod. What’s he doing here?’
Lily got up. ‘I don’t know, but I’m going to check Pauline’s all right.’ She hurried into the backyard and, inching open the gate, peered out to the right towards the market square. Pauline and Dick were standing very close on the corner, Dick holding Pauline by the arms. Lily couldn’t hear what he was saying, but her friend looked distressed and was shaking her head. Lily was about to tell him to take his hands off Pauline when Dick shoved her slightly against the wall and raised his voice. ‘You better think about it soon, Paul. Otherwise you know what will happen.’
He turned and walked away, whistling tunelessly, his hands in his pockets.
Lily rushed up to Pauline, who was slumped against the wall holding her stomach.
‘What was that about?’ she asked urgently. ‘Did he hurt you?’
Pauline shook her head. ‘Nothing. It was nothing. He just wants me to . . .’ She waved her hand around.
‘To what?’
‘Have a drink with him.’
Lily’s eyes widened. ‘So he came here and stuck his nose against the window just so’s he could ask you out?’ she said disbelievingly.
Pauline nodded. ‘But then we always knew he was a queer one.’ She reached her hand into the pocket of her dress and pulled out her hip flask.
‘Paul!’ Lily was shocked as she watched Pauline take a swig.
‘I just need something to calm me nerves,’ she said.
Lily clamped her mouth shut; it was obvious Pauline wasn’t going to tell her what the conversation with Dick had been about, and she’d be even less likely to if she had a go at her about her drinking, so she took her arm and led her back into the café. ‘You can tell me later, all right?’
Pauline didn’t answer, but once back inside, her demeanour changed. ‘It’s all right, folks,’ she said cheerily. ‘I sent him off with a flea in his ear. Bloomin’ cheek of him. The man can’t leave me alone.’ She grinned at Bert. ‘But I have bigger fish to fry. You fancy that walk now?’ she asked.
Bert looked surprised. ‘Now?’
She put her hand on her hip and cocked her head. ‘No time like the present, eh?’
Bert grinned. ‘Never a truer word spoken. Excuse us, Mum. And thanks for the grub, Marianne. I’ll see the rest of you around. Come on then, you.’ He took Pauline’s arm, and together they walked out of the door while the rest of the group watched them go in amazement.
‘Well,’ Nellie huffed indignantly. ‘The little floozie. Right in front of his mum’s nose and all.’
‘They’re only going for a walk, Mum,’ Marianne said.
Jimmy sniggered. ‘Yes. Just a walk.’
Alfie stood up suddenly. ‘I think that’s a very good idea. Marianne?’ He held his hand out to her.
She immediately took it. ‘Sorry, Mum. Don’t suppose I can leave the clearing up to you lot?’
Nellie sighed. ‘Go on then. At least you two are engaged.’ She watched them leave then heaved herself up from the table. ‘Well, looks like the party’s over. Jasper, come and have a tipple with me upstairs. As for the rest of you—’ she gestured at the table ‘—sort this lot out, will you?’
Lily folded her arms and frowned. Bloody typical. She was left with the clearing as per. And as for Pauline . . . Whatever was going on with Dick Brown, it was driving her friend to drink. And jumping straight into Bert’s arms was only going to make matters worse for her.
*
Lily was already in bed when Pauline returned much later that night, flushed and rumpled. As she walked in, Lily sat up and looked at her enquiringly, but Pauline refused to meet her eyes as she got ready for bed.
‘So? Are you going to tell me what that was all about?’ she asked eventually when Pauline had finally snuggled under the covers.
‘Me and Bert had a walk then went for a few drinks in the Oak. That’s all.’ Pauline’s speech was slurred as she turned her back on Lily and let out a loud yawn.
‘That’s not what I’m talking about and you know it.’
‘Shut up, Lil. I’m tired. And we got work and the pictures tomorrow.’ She pulled the blankets over her head.
Lily lay back with a sigh; she wouldn’t be getting any more information out of her tonight. Still, at least she had tomorrow night to look forward to.
Chapter 20
It was four in the morning when the air raid siren went off and Lily groaned, pulling the pillow over her head.
Marianne opened the door and shouted, ‘Get up! Air raid!’
‘I’ve only just gone to bed,’ Pauline moaned.
But Marianne was already running down the stairs. She bashed on her mother’s door, before gently opening Donny’s.
‘Come on, Don. We need to get downstairs.’
Donny burrowed further under his covers. ‘Can’t I stay here this time, Mum?’
‘No, love. Come on.’ She pulled back his blankets and he rolled out of bed straight onto the floor. Marianne bent over to tickle the bare flesh that showed between his waistband and stripy pyjama top. He giggled and jumped up, his hair sticking up around his head, making him look a little like Polly.
The noise of the planes was louder now, and Nellie came out of her room, pulling her pink quilted dressing gown around her, her hair in curlers under a yellow scarf.
‘Lily! Get a move on!’ she shouted as she went into the sitting room to collect the birdcage.
Lily and Pauline appeared and together they trooped downstairs, their pace increasing as a loud crash told them that this was no false alarm.
The air was chilly in the basement and Marianne covered Donny with a patchwork blanket as he lay on some cushions, his eyes shut, while the others sat around the table, blankets wrapped around themselves.
‘You got this place set up nice,’ Pauline said, looking around in the dim light. As well as the rag rugs and cushions, Nellie had hung some of the more colourful pictures the local children had drawn at the Christmas party the previous year on the walls, and despite the damp chill, the place looked inviting bathed in the warm glow of the hurricane lamp.
Nellie watched Pauline closely as the girl got up to explore the basement, going towards the back and bending down to get a better look at the shelves.
‘What’s this?’ she asked, moving aside a sheet and exposing the set of shelves on which several cardboard boxes had been arranged.
‘Leave that. It’s just old stuff we’ve not thrown out. Come back and play cards with us,’ Nellie said.
‘You want to play cards, Gran?’ Donny said sleepily. ‘You never let me play cards in night raids cos you say I should sleep. But I know it’s cos you just don’t want to.’
‘It’s practically morning, Don. And I can’t think of a better way to start the day than a good game of rummy, can you?’
Pauline walked over to the table. ‘Sorry, Mrs C. My mum always said my nosiness would be the death of me.’
‘You’re all right, love. It’s just junk,’ Nellie said.
‘It didn’t look like junk,’ Pauline said archly.
‘Well it is! And I’d prefer it if you didn’t poke around, or it’s back to the Citadel with you! Although, judging by the time you got back tonight, that ship’s already sailed.’ She gave Pauline a disapproving look. ‘You do know Bert’s not serious about you, don’t you?’
Pauline folded her arms. ‘How would you know?’
‘Because I’ve lost count of the number of girls who’ve had their hearts broken by him. If all you want is a bit of fun, then Bert’s your man. But if you’ve set your sights on anything else, you’re going to be disappointed.’
‘I don’t think you know your son as well as you think you do.’
‘I forgot to tell you, Mum,’ Lily said hastily before her mother could reply, ‘me and Paul have our first night duty starting next week.’
‘That should keep both of you out of trouble then. ’Ere, did you see this?’ She held up a newspaper. ‘There’s an article about them four pillars.’
‘Who?’ Lily asked, bemused by the swift change in subject.
‘English people who support the Nazis and are secretly helping them here. The lot of them need to be rounded up and shot if you ask me.’
‘I think you mean Fifth Columnists. I read that and all,’ Pauline said.
‘Did yer? When did you find the time between drinking and flirting with my son?’
‘Leave it out, Mum,’ Lily said, shooting an apologetic glance at her friend. ‘Tell me more about these people. You reckon there are any here in Dover?’
‘Bound to be. Hey, what if Mrs Palmer’s one? Or her no-good brother, Horace Smith?’ She chortled. ‘To be fair, Mrs P’s all right when all’s said and done. But I’d pay good money to see Horace get his comeuppance.’
Horace Smith had always made his contempt for Marianne very plain, and had done his best to stop his own son, Davey, from playing with Donny.
‘I hate Mr Smith,’ Donny said. ‘But I think that might not be nice for Davey, Gran.’
Nellie looked at her grandson in surprise. ‘Donald Castle, you put me to shame. Given the man has tried to stop you and Davey being friends all these years, he don’t deserve your consideration. Anyways, I reckon it’d be a good outcome for Davey. The man’s a horror.’
Marianne couldn’t disagree. He’d denounced her loudly to any who’d listen ever since she’d had Donny. And all because she wasn’t married. She wondered if the man would change his attitude once she was Mrs Lomax. Somehow she doubted it.
Another loud explosion rocked the building and all conversation stopped as they held their breath and waited.
Finally, Nellie huffed and picked up the cards. ‘Come on then, Don. Let’s play. Anything to keep our minds off what’s going on out there.’
Lily yawned. ‘If you’re not using the cushions, Donny, think I might try to grab forty winks.’ She lay down and wrapped her blanket tightly around her and within minutes she was asleep.
*
Lily was woken by Marianne gently shaking her shoulder. ‘Lil, it’s over.’
Nellie rose stiffly to her feet. ‘Gordon Bennett, I could do with another few hours in bed.’
Lily checked her watch. ‘Barely worth going back to bed for half an hour.’
Marianne yawned. ‘Not for me either. I’m going to get started on some bread.’
‘And I might take myself up to the Citadel,’ Pauline said pointedly. ‘Watch the sun rise before work.’
Nellie rolled her eyes. ‘Seems like you could teach Hitler a thing or two about bearing a grudge,’ she said. From under the cloth in the corner came a soft squawk from Polly, and Nellie shook the cage in annoyance. ‘And you can shut up and all.’
Lily sighed. It seemed her mother and Pauline were not destined to be the best of friends. And if Bert carried on with Pauline, she knew it would end in tears.
*
When they got to the hospital early that morning, Lily and Pauline stopped in the canteen as usual before their shift started. They had just sat down at their regular table when a voice came from behind them.
‘Morning, girls.’
Lily wrinkled her nose. Dick Brown; just who she didn’t want to see.
Lily pointedly ignored him, but Pauline took a breath, before turning round. ‘All right, Dick?’
‘Looked like you lot had fun yesterday.’ He grinned.
‘It was all right. Though we could have done without the interruption,’ Pauline said sharply.
‘How’re your mum and dad?’ he asked her.
‘They were fine last I heard.’
‘Due back soon, are they?’
‘That’s none of your business,’ Pauline snapped.
‘Keep your knickers on, girl. I was just bein’ friendly. How about we have a chat later?’
Without waiting for an answer, he walked away, leaving Pauline staring after him, her face pale.
‘I thought you had a chat yesterday,’ Lily said. ‘Come on, Paul, what’s going on? He wasn’t really asking you out yesterday, was he?’
Pauline shrugged.
‘What were you arguing about?’
She shrugged again. ‘I was just having a go at him for staring in the window like that. It was rude.’
Before Lily could reply, Dot and Vi joined them at the table. ‘Good morning,’ Dot said cheerfully. ‘Hope you managed to get some sleep last night. Bloomin’ siren never seems to shut up. Still, our last day shift, eh? Don’t know about you, but I’m looking forward to night duty. Bit of a break from routine. And I’m used to staying up all night with lambing and whatnot on the farm.’
‘I’m not looking forward to it,’ Vi said sulkily. ‘Only time I like to stay up all night is when I’m having fun. Still, I expect I’ll manage. Not sure about you, though, Pauline.’
‘What do you mean?’
‘You keep swigging from your flask, chances are you’ll pass out on duty.’
