Put Out the Fires Read Online Free PDF Page A

have any more for the time being, Dad,” Sheila said firmly, “least not off me. Cal’s put his foot down; no more kids till there’s no more war. He said six kids and a wife is already enough to worry about whilst he’s away at sea.”
    They carried the children across the street to Number 21. “Send the boys home if they come back to yours, sis,”
    Sheila said to Eileen as she was leaving, adding in a whisper, “Don’t forget, there’s always room on the sofa In the parlour for you and Tony if there’s trouble from you-know- who.”
    “Ta, Sheil, but I don’t think that’s likely.” What was it Francis had whispered as soon as he’d come home? “I’m sorry about the way things have gone in the past, particularly last Christmas. But I promise I’ll be a good husband from now on. You have my word on that, luv.”
    As soon as she was back in her own house, Eileen put the kettle on. “Would you like a cuppa, Dad?” she called when he came in.
    “No, ta, I’m parched for a pint. I’ll be off in a minute.
    Will you be all right, like?” He nodded upstairs. He was never quite sure what Francis had done to his girl, but it must have been something pretty bad to make her want to leave him, not to have him back. It were nowt to do with Nick at the start. Nick had turned up once the decision had been made. He shuffled his size-twelve boots awkwardly on the shiny oilcloth. “Y’know, luv, you can still see him.”
    She knew straight away he meant Nick, and shook her head emphatically. “No, I can’t, Dad.”
    His big, swarthy, handsome face flushed. He wasn’t used to discussing intimate matters with anyone, least of all a woman, even if she was his daughter. “I can’t see that it would do any harm,” he protested.
    “It wouldn’t be fair on Nick,” she said flatly. “He’s only young, twenty-five. We were going to be married, but how can I go ahead with the divorce under the circumstances?
    No, it’s best to set Nick free. He’ll soon get over us and meet someone else.” She quickly went into the back kitchen to hide her face, because the thought of Nick with another woman was more than she could bear.
    “You know that’s not true,” her dad said gruffly. He’d never felt so close to his girl as he’d done that day. There’d been times when it seemed as if his own heart was breaking along with hers. He followed her. “Anyroad, I reckon nowt’ll keep Nick away. He’ll be round to Dunnings on Monday looking for you.”
    Eileen was already prepared for that eventuality. She’d ask one of the girls to send him away and tell him, for the final time, that it was all over. “Well, he’ll look in vain,” she said briefly.
    Jack Doyle persisted, “What about that card he sent with Tony? What did it say?”
    “We’ll meet again,” she said in a low voice.
    “I reckon you will,” he mumbled. “I reckon you and Nick were made for each other.”
    “Oh, Dad!” She gave him a half laughing, half tearful push. “Get away with you! Any minute now you’re going to turn into a beetroot, you’re so red. You’re making me feel dead embarrassed.”
    Jack Doyle retreated thankfully to the living room.
    “Anyroad, as Sheila said, everything might be over by Christmas.” She might feel differently about leaving Francis then.
    “D’you honestly think so?”
    He wished he’d kept his big mouth shut. He was as straight as a die, was Jack Doyle, and he would never lie to anyone, let alone his daughter. There was no way, as he saw it, that the war would be over by Christmas. He said gravely, “Well, at least we’re seeing some action since Winston Churchill took over the reins, which was more than we ever had with Chamberlain.”
    She came to the door and to his relief she was grinning slightly. “You’re a right ould hypocrite, Dad. I thought you always hated Churchill.”
    “Oh, I do,” he nodded firmly, “but it doesn’t mean to say he’s not a good war leader. Not only that,