‘She’s teething,’ said Olive, putting the next lot of cups into the now cooling water and beginning to wash them. ‘You know what children are like at that age.’
‘Is Dulcie still looking after her sister’s boy?’ Audrey asked conversationally.
‘Yes, most definitely,’ Olive said. She told Audrey almost everything about her life. Being the good friend she was, Audrey would tell nobody else, and she was the only person with whom Olive could comfortably discuss her private concerns. ‘Dulcie and David are quite attached to the little fellow. They treat him exactly like their own child, and little Hope loves him to bits, and why wouldn’t she? Dulcie has reared him since he was born; he is like a son to her.’
‘It’s wonderful to see Dulcie’s caring nature come to the fore,’ Audrey said, smiling.
‘I know. She was quite a game girl when she first came to Article Row,’ Olive said, laughing, as she put the clean cups and saucers onto the draining board ready to be dried and put away. ‘I almost didn’t let the room to her, although she did have quite a forceful personality back then and I didn’t seem to have much choice.’ Both women smiled at the thought. ‘You are right, though, Audrey,’ Olive continued, ‘marriage and motherhood have been the making of Dulcie. She has such a happy little family now.’ As they finished their chores Olive told Audrey that she would go and see Dulcie later.
‘Well, if you’ve a couple of hours spare and don’t mind terribly, I could do with a hand at the Red Cross shop.’
‘Of course.’ Olive was glad to be of service and it would take her mind off Tilly. ‘I’ll just get my coat and hat.’
The two women headed towards the Red Cross shop, where they took in anything that could be sold off to raise funds to send parcels to servicemen in need. ‘Oh, look, somebody has left a box,’ said Audrey, bending to pick it up.
Olive unlocked the door and switched on the electric light, as Audrey put the brown cardboard box onto the L-shaped counter, the long side of which ran along the length of the shop. On the far wall, there was a tall bookcase that contained very old and much-thumbed books, which could be bought for coppers.
‘I heard that, the Japanese won’t let any ship into their waters, not even ones flying the Red Cross,’ said Audrey as she went to open the box.
‘I heard that too.’ Olive furrowed her brows. ‘I was told that food parcels meant for POWs in Japanese camps are being stockpiled in Vladivostok because the Japs won’t let anything through.’
‘Poor souls,’ said Audrey, ‘as if it isn’t bad enough our men are being taken prisoner and held under who knows what kind of conditions?’
‘All we can do is keep trying to get something out to them, a book or a packet of cigarettes …’
‘Talking of little luxuries, would you come and have a look at this lot.’ Audrey sounded surprised and when Olive looked inside the box she could understand why. There were luxury items that Olive had seen only in shop windows before the war; silk negligés, a fur jacket, beautiful leather shoes … Audrey’s eyes were wide with surprise. ‘Somebody has left us a fortune’s worth of stuff, and look at this!’ Beneath the quality clothing there were rings of gold; a beautiful sapphire pendant …
‘Oh, Olive, wouldn’t this be perfect for Tilly’s birthday – if you don’t mind, of course?’ Audrey said, handing the sparkling gem to Olive, who went over to the latticed sticky-taped windows and held it up to the bright sunshine.
‘Audrey, you are so right. Come and have a look at this!’ Olive exclaimed as dazzling violet and vivid purplish tones shot through the exquisite blue stone. ‘It is perfect, just the colour to compliment Tilly’s eyes – I can imagine her wearing it so clearly … How much shall I put in for it?’
‘That’s completely up to you, dear,’ Audrey said, patting Olive’s arm. ‘What do you think it’s worth?’
‘Well, I have put a bit by for Tilly’s present, and I do want to contribute … What do you think?’
‘It’s a fine piece,’ said Audrey, examining the beautiful pendant shaped like a tear- drop. ‘I hardly think the chain will be real gold, though; probably brass. How about two shillings and sixpence?
‘Oh, I couldn’t!’ Olive exclaimed. ‘It must be worth more than that. The stone is exquisite and that alone would tempt me to part with thirty shillings.’
‘I don’t think that much, dear,’ Audrey said, having another look at the beautiful stone. ‘I know, what do you say to a pound?’
‘A pound it is.’ Olive was thrilled with her purchase. ‘It is perfect at twice the price.’
‘Here, I think we’ve got a box somewhere,’ Audrey said, fishing in the counter drawer. Moments later, she held a dark blue leather box triumphantly aloft. ‘You won’t find a better gift in Hatton Garden!’
‘Audrey you are a life-saver,’ Olive declared, ‘and even though Tilly won’t be home to open it, it will be waiting for her as soon as she is.’ In a moment of exhilarated happiness she threw her arms around her long-time friend.
‘You always manage to come up with something special for the occasion.’ Olive laughed as tears filled her eyes. The pendant looked so delicately exclusive nestling in the white silken folds of the leather box that she could not fail to imagine Tilly being thrilled with the gift. ‘I hope it will be something for her to treasure and remember her twenty-first birthday by.’
‘I’m sure she will,’ said Audrey with a little catch in her voice. Then rallying: ‘Now who’s going to put the kettle on while the other one puts out the collection boxes?’
‘I’ll do that right now.’ Olive laughed, so relieved that she had secured Tilly’s gift. ‘And I’ve still got enough saved up to do a little buffet … You will come, won’t you, Audrey?’
‘I wouldn’t miss it for the world and I’m sure there might be a spare bottle of communion wine knocking about somewhere to toast Tilly’s big day, even if she isn’t going to be there.’
‘You are so kind,’ Olive said. ‘But I wonder who left the box outside.’
‘We may never know. Some people don’t want to be recognised when they are giving to charity,’ Audrey said as the shop began to fill.
For the rest of the morning, Olive and Audrey operated as a team, each knowing how the other worked, having been working together for most of the war. Olive had never had a friend before Audrey. Having been orphaned and married young, she had not really had time for a close friendship and would have welcomed someone like Audrey when she was nursing her sick husband after the Great War. After that, raising Tilly alone and looking after her in-laws, she didn’t have a social life. And if there was one thing she did have to be grateful to this war for – if anything about it could make her grateful – it was joining the WVS and palling up with Audrey, who was a wonderful friend and always there if Olive needed discreetly to voice her worries about anything that was bothering her. Strangely, though, she had never mentioned her meeting with Drew Coleman’s father, letting Audrey think that Tilly’s relationship with the young American journalist had fizzled out naturally.
She enjoyed her days in the Red Cross shop with Audrey. It gave them a chance to catch up with everything that interested them and usually swap books they had just read. Also, as the air raids had become less frequent of late, it gave them a chance to review the stock and get on with the important work of sending parcels to prisoners of war and servicemen in colder climates, who needed new socks and balaclavas, which the other WVS members knitted in the church hall each morning. There was always something to keep them busy, and that was just the way Olive liked it.
‘How’s Archie these days?’ Audrey asked when they closed the shop at lunchtime