The Clippie Girls Read Online Free PDF Page B

‘Look, I tell you what, I’ll see if I can get you on training up to be a clippie.’
    ‘Oh, Mr Bower, thank you.’ Rose flung her arms around his neck and kissed him soundly on the cheek.
    ‘ ’Ere, steady on, lass. What if someone sees us?’
    Rose giggled deliciously. ‘Well, it wouldn’t be the first bit of scandal in the depot, would it?’
    Now that women were being trained as conductresses, rumours were always rife about tram drivers and their clippies getting a little too close to each other. But when you thought about it, Rose said, they spent more hours with their work colleagues than they did with their families. And look at Peggy and Bob, though at least neither of them was already married.
    Laurence found himself smiling; you couldn’t help it for long when Rose Sylvester was around. For a lot of reasons she’d make a good clippie, and her passengers would love her. He just dreaded the moment when her ticket takings would be counted each night! Now, though, he chuckled. ‘Well, there’s never been any gossip about me and I don’t want there to be, even though I’m a widower and thought to be fair game by some of the older women. So keep your kisses for your boyfriend, there’s a good lass.’
    ‘Haven’t got one, Mr Bower,’ Rose said cheerfully.
    ‘I can’t believe that. I’spect you’re keeping them all at arm’s length until Mr Right comes along, eh?’
    Rose stared at him and the smile faded from her face.
    ‘What? What have I said?’
    ‘N-nothing,’ Rose stammered, but he had. Mr Right, he’d said. And now the full force of the truth hit her like a sledgehammer. Mr Right – her Mr Right – had come along.
    The only problem was – he was in love with her sister.
    That night, in the single bed set close to Myrtle’s in the small attic room, Rose lay awake staring into the darkness, trying to come to terms with her devastating realization about her feelings for Bob Deeton. He was so kind and caring. He was good-looking too – at least Rose thought so. With light brown hair and hazel eyes. He had a stray curl that flopped onto his forehead and Rose longed to stroke it back into place. She even found his shyness endearing. He was nothing like one of those conceited, full-of-themselves young men and she liked that. But he wasn’t hers, he was Peggy’s, and so Rose must treat Bob like the brother none of them had ever had. She’d laugh and joke with him but she’d be careful never to let him – or anyone else – see how much she cared for him.
    It wasn’t going to be easy, but she’d do it. For her sister and for him. If Peggy was the one he wanted, then she just hoped her sister would make him happy. Instead, Rose vowed, she’d give up all thoughts of Bob Deeton and concentrate on being the best clippie Mr Bower had ever had.
    ‘I won’t have to have a medical, will I, seeing as I already work for the company?’
    ‘I think it would be best, Rose,’ Laurence Bower said. ‘It’s a very different job from working in the canteen.’
    Rose shrugged. She was confident that she would pass A1. She’d rarely had a day’s illness in her life, except for the usual childish complaints in her school days. Since she’d started work she’d never taken a day’s sick leave.
    The doctor was a dour man, who spoke little and when he did it sounded as if he was permanently angry.
    ‘Have you brought another woman with you as chaperone?’ he asked when Rose entered the room where the medical inspections were being held.
    ‘Eh?’ Rose blinked in surprise and then she smiled impishly. ‘It’s all right, Doc. I don’t mind.’
    ‘But I do,’ he snapped. ‘I don’t want some foolish young woman making a complaint about me.’ Rose opened her mouth to protest angrily, but he ignored her and went to the door, opened it and asked the secretary seated outside to come in. The woman was clearly embarrassed, but did as she was asked, standing awkwardly in the corner whilst Rose was