Polly's War Read Online Free PDF Page B

Have a look in there. You might both find something of interest.’
    Sarah Jane came running, half glancing at her mother as if wanting reassurance that it was all right to take pleasure in a gift on this sad occasion. Lucy smiled and nodded at her to dig deep.
    ‘Happen you’re too old for toys now?’ Benny idly commented, helping the children to search. Then he held out a rag doll for Sarah Jane, and a small brown and grey dog for Sean.
    Two pairs of shining eyes met his. ‘Oh no, Uncle Benny. I haven’t had much in the way of toys, there being a war on,’ Sarah Jane gravely explained.
    ‘Me neither,’ Sean agreed, reaching for the dog. ‘Can he sit on my pillow?’
    ‘I reckon he’d like that,’ Benny agreed.
    There was a box of mints for his gran, cigarettes for Charlie, a scarf for his mother, and silk stockings for his sister. ‘No questions asked,’ warned Benny, tapping the side of his nose with one nicotine-stained finger, which for some reason took some of the pleasure out of the gift for Lucy, though not for the world would she say as much.

    The excitement and trauma of the day meant it took a while to get the children to sleep, and their new playmates naturally must be suitably tucked up. But then as she lay listening to the even rhythm of their breathing in the bed beside her own, Lucy finally succumbed and sobbed out her grief, stuffing the pillow into her mouth so that she wouldn’t wake them. The hours of darkness seemed to protect her from prying eyes and gave her at last some release from the build-up of constrained emotion, if not from her heartache. She slept for a few short hours after that, out of sheer exhaustion but the first shafts of a grey dawn found practical matters once more occupying her mind.
    Her dreams of being able to spend more time with Sarah Jane and Sean were bitter dust in her mouth. She was particularly sorry about Sean. The boy was growing a bit wild and although Lucy did what she could, he was sorely in need of a father. Life had always been hard and she didn’t need telling that it would become even harder without a husband to provide for their future. She might still get her allowance from the army, little as that was, but the long hours and backbreaking drudgery would continue indefinitely. Even when she’d finished work there was still all the washing, ironing and endless make-do-and-mend to do at home, not to mention the daily worry of finding something to eat.
    And what about fun, she asked herself with a bitter twist of self-pity. She was still a young woman, with all her life before her. When did she get to enjoy that? Never, by the looks of it, for all the longed for peace had finally arrived, which brought on a fresh spurt of tears.
    Losing one of her best clients had made things worse. She worked five mornings a week for Minnie Hopkins. In the afternoons she cleaned for Mrs Shaw, the Beckworth’s and the Taylors, while on Fridays she went right through the house behind the corner shop for the Benson sisters. Now, in one gesture of stupid defiance, she’d lost nearly half her week’s wages.
      There was no help for it but to do as her mam suggested, swallow her pride and go and apologise to Minne Hopkins. Temper or no temper, she needed that job or they’d all starve.

    ‘So, you’ve had second thoughts, eh? You’ve remembered them as don’t work, don’t eat.’ Minnie Hopkins stood on her clean doorstep, arms folded, queen of her own domain and treated Lucy to her most blistering glare.
    Lucy drew in a calming breath, gritted her teeth and forced her lips into a smile. It made her face feel all stiff and uncomfortable. ‘I thought you’d might be having second thoughts yourself. After all, somebody has to clean this place for you. It’s a big house.’
    ‘Aye, and there’s plenty would be glad of the chance to work  
    here.’
    Silence fell while Lucy wondered how much more humiliation she could bear. Should she reveal the truth of her