Although the families were no longer at loggerheads Alice was nevertheless rather annoyed that Sophy had gone off so readily with Danny. Clearly she still had a yen for him despite the way he’d treated her, and she wasn’t able to resist when he paid her a bit of attention. Alice felt regretful that she’d not got up and followed them and told Danny Lovat that he’d better treat Sophy right this time.
‘Did you get taken on at the biscuit factory?’ she asked to change the subject. If Sarah continued probing and hinting an argument was sure to erupt between them and Alice felt too warm and lethargic to get involved in any of that. Ever since Alice had started full-time work Sarah had been keen to get a proper job too. But although Ginny Whitton was keen to appropriate Sarah’s part-time earnings from odd jobs she was reluctant to let her youngest daughter be too in dependent. Sarah was the only child left at home now, and Ginny wanted her to be on hand to do her fetching and carrying. Only on odd occasions when she was desperate – usually for a bottle of medicine, as she called it – could Ginny be seen outside the house, hobbling up the road towards the off licence.
‘I didn’t even go for an interview,’ Sarah said sulkily. ‘Me mum put the block on it. Said she’d get the truancy officer on me if I took on full-time. She’d do it too, the cow. Still got me doorsteps in Tollington Park. I did three this morning.’ She looked at Alice. ‘Your Beth got any spare she don’t want to do? I could use another couple to boost me takings.’
Alice briefly shook her head. ‘What will you do when you get to fourteen and she still won’t let you get a proper job?’
‘I’m gonna be off, that’s what I’m gonna do!’ Sarah said emphatically. ‘Ain’t staying with the mad old bag and livin’ off charity ‘n’ scraps forever. ’S’not fair. It’s time Connie or Louisa come back and took a turn with her. I don’t see why I should be the one looking after her till she pegs it.’
Alice sat up. She put her arms around her knees and rested her sharp little chin on them. ‘Is Connie really going to marry that copper?’
‘Dunno. They’re meant to be getting engaged, but that don’t mean nuthin’. No plans for a wedding been made as far as I know. She don’t like his people. All airs ‘n’ graces. Yet she said they’ve not got much to brag about.’
‘At least she got away from The Bunk,’ Alice remarked reflectively.
‘Yeah. Can’t blame her for that, even if she is with a rozzer.’
‘You’ll be a bridesmaid if it’s a fancy do,’ Alice said with a grin. ‘You’ll get to wear a frilly frock and hat ‘n’ all that.’
Sarah scowled unhappily at the thought.
‘Don’t want to imagine how your Louisa’d suit a frilly frock and hat though.’ Alice began to chuckle as she imagined Sarah’s fat bruiser of a sister kitted out all dainty.
‘Bleedin’ hell! What a fright!’ Sarah gasped and joined in with Alice’s increasingly uproarious laughter.
‘Geoff’s on his way back with Herbert.’ Alice wiped her streaming eyes and grinned. ‘Looks like the boat’s home ‘n’ dry after all.’ She watched as the two boys jumped lithely onto dry land.
‘I reckon Geoff’s sweet on you.’ Sarah looked at Alice. ‘I reckon you ‘n’ ’im are going to be walking out together soon.’
‘Don’t be daft.’ Alice blushed. ‘He’s me friend … like you.’ She turned her head away from Sarah’s astute gaze and met Geoff’s eyes. A pleasant little sensation rippled through her as he smiled.
‘I reckon he’d like to be more’n yer friend. You’d best hope he ain’t like his brother with the girls, or you’ll be sorry, like your sister was.’
‘He’s nothing like Danny.’ A firm shake of Alice’s head stressed that. ‘He’s much nicer than Danny. Generous ‘n’ all, he is. Treated me ‘n’ Sophy to something to eat in Blackstock Road last Friday when me mum was on the warpath. She had every penny off us both to square her rents for Mr Keane. Cheek she’s got! She came looking for us after work before we could spend any. Said she’d give us a bit back in the week but she’s not.’
‘Well, he would do, wouldn’t he?’
‘Eh?’ Alice said.
‘Geoff was showing off ’cos he’s keen on you.’
‘Oh, shut up!’ Alice said irritably. The thought of her and Geoff as sweethearts … well, it was daft. As far as she was concerned, she was never marrying anyone tainted by The Bunk. Not even someone as nice as Geoff Lovat. She was going to work hard and save as much as she could and escape to clean air and flowers in the garden.
Besides, Alice impressed on herself, she didn’t have time to bother with romance. What occupied her thoughts was getting better work than she had at the toy factory. Not that she was unhappy there. Although the work was demanding and boring her colleagues were nice enough and she’d struck up quite a friendship with Annie Foster. Annie had helped her no end when she’d first started and had found keeping up with the production rate difficult and the machinery cumbersome to use.
Constantly in Alice’s thoughts was the interesting rumour she’d heard that a new factory was opening up in Isledon Road to make stuff to do with the war. She’d heard that there might be jobs going soldering hand-grenade cases. She’d also heard that the pay was likely to be about twelve shillings. That was more than she was getting in the toy factory. She might still be young but she knew she was an experienced factory hand now. If she needed a reference she was sure that Mr Wright would give her one. She’d worked hard and kept her nose clean. She’d seen a nice skirt and blouse down in Chapel Street market. She’d had enough of her mum buying her stuff second hand. If she was old enough to work full-time she was old enough to buy her own clothes.
‘Bleedin’ hot!’ Geoff exclaimed then flung himself down beside Alice on the grass.
Herbert sat down too before lying back and shielding his eyes with his arm. ‘We goin’ off to the flicks this afternoon?’ he mumbled against his sleeve to Geoff.
‘Nah,’ Geoff replied, squinting into the distance. ‘It’ll be sweltering in the fleapit on a day like this.’
‘We were just saying,’ Alice ribbed him, ‘hope you two ain’t about to apply for a job in the navy. You’d sink ships.’
‘Weren’t that bad,’ Geoff jovially protested. ‘Got back on dry land alright. Anyhow Dan can be skipper.’ He concentrated his narrowed gaze on the spot in the lake where his brother was smoothly rowing. ‘He looks like he’s got the hang of it alright.’
‘That ain’t all he’s got the ’ang of by the looks of it.’ Herbert smirked insinuatingly. He peered from under his arm at Alice. ‘Your sister don’t never learn, then.’
Alice jumped up. She didn’t like Herbert much at the best of times. She remembered him sticking his oar in on the day that Louisa had set about Sarah over her missing blouse. ‘You want to mind your own business, Banksie,’ she said. She looked at Sarah. ‘I’m going to walk down to the water and wait for Sophy. Coming?’
‘What for?’ Sarah sighed and used a hand to fan her warm face. ‘Be better off waiting here in the shade. We’ll get roasted by the sun.’
Alice knew that was true but she simply wanted to avoid any more hints or questions concerning her sister and Danny Lovat and what they thought they were playing at, considering all the trouble they’d caused.
‘See you later then,’ she said and started to walk off towards the water.
Geoff levered himself up. He fell into step beside Alice. Obliquely she was aware that Sarah had got up too and was following them, probably to avoid being left alone with Herbert.
‘Me