‘Didn’t tell us that you had such lovely lady friends, though,’ said Ronald, the taller one, with a kindly face. ‘Kept that under your hat, you did, Billy.’
Peggy stepped forward a little. ‘We didn’t tell him we was coming,’ she said. ‘We kept it as a surprise, though we thought he would be here.’
Edith watched her friend with a hint of amazement. She herself was in no mood for talking pertly to a group of strange men, even if they were Billy’s mates. She couldn’t imagine flirting with anyone ever again. But perhaps this was Peggy’s way of coping.
‘Then we’re lucky twice over,’ smiled Ronald. ‘And this here’s my brother, Alfie. He’s not one of us from the warehouse, as you can see.’ He indicated a man with tightly cropped sandy hair, in Royal Air Force uniform, who turned to acknowledge the newcomers.
‘Hello,’ he said, and his voice was pure East End, just like his brother’s. ‘Yes, got a spot of leave so came to see my kid brother. Brought along my mate Laurence, as he’s so far from home.’
Another man turned to the group, his uniform jacket over his arm. ‘Hello, ladies,’ he said, his accent immediately marking him out. ‘Thanks for brightening our evening.’
Mary perked up. ‘I say, are you Canadian?’
Laurence’s eyes crinkled in appreciation. ‘Got it in one. Must say I’m impressed. Most folks think I’m from the States.’
‘Oh, it was a lucky guess,’ said Mary.
Edith smiled to herself. Before her colleague had met Charles, she had been extremely keen on going dancing to meet Canadians. She could see that this particular Canadian liked Mary’s attention – but then, plenty of men took notice of her friend’s curves.
‘Where are you stationed?’ asked Belinda.
Billy and Edith looked sharply at her. Everyone knew that it was best to say as little in public as possible when it came to such matters, as you never knew who might be listening. There was even a new poster out from the government, warning that ‘Careless Talk Costs Lives’. Belinda registered their disapproval and hastily explained. ‘I mean, my brother is in the RAF and I know it’s a long shot but maybe you know him. He was meant to be in London this weekend and I was looking forward to seeing him, but he wasn’t able to make it in the end.’
Edith noted with relief that she hadn’t said why. A call had come through to say his leave had been cancelled. Gwen had been cross that the home’s single telephone had been used for a personal message, but their superintendent, Fiona, ruled that it was allowable in such circumstances as long as the message was kept brief.
‘Suppose we might. What’s his name?’ asked Laurence.
‘David. David Adams,’ Belinda replied, but both men shook their heads.
‘But if we bump into him in the future we’ll say we met you,’ offered Alfie, picking up on her disappointment.
She shrugged, and her tight black curls caught the evening sun. ‘I know it was a bit unlikely,’ she said. Rallying again, she turned to Laurence. ‘So, where have you visited so far?’
He smiled easily and even Edith admitted to herself he was very good-looking. ‘Well, my mother’s from Scotland and so when I first got here I went to see my long-lost relatives up near Edinburgh. But for the rest of the time I’ve been down south. Alfie here took me to Brighton yesterday but it wasn’t how we imagined it.’
‘No,’ said Alfie. ‘For a start you aren’t allowed on the beach now. Even the streets near the sea have a curfew, so you can’t go down the seaside pubs after nine thirty. Put a bit of a kybosh on our plans.’
Peggy patted her hair. ‘All the more reason to enjoy tonight then,’ she suggested.
Billy met Edith’s gaze behind their friend’s back, and gave her a quizzical look. Edith gave him a little shrug. She didn’t know what Peggy’s game was either, but this wasn’t turning out to be the quiet night out she’d foreseen.
Laurence and Alfie offered to get in a round of drinks. Edith didn’t mind that; she only wanted half a shandy, and it was well known that the RAF men generally weren’t short of a bob or two. Peggy ordered a port and lemon, while Mary and Belinda chose lemonade.
‘They seem nice,’ Peggy said, coming over to her. ‘Makes a change, seeing new faces in here. Usually it’s full of people I’ve been to school with, or at least their brothers and sisters.’
‘Yes, but that’s why I like it,’ said Edith. ‘Not that I was at school with them all but … well, you know, Harry was, and so I felt like I had this new group of friends to count on. It was never like that where I came from.’
Peggy bit her lip. ‘I know. I’m only having a bit of fun. You don’t mind, do you? It feels as if I’ve been sitting in Pete’s mum’s front room for ever. It was driving me nuts. It’s a real breath of fresh air coming here again.’
Edith recognised that Peggy was dealing with her grief in a very different way, but didn’t want to blame her. ‘Of course not. I’m just not feeling very chatty yet. It’s nice to be out, so don’t mind me if I’m a bit quiet.’
Peggy’s face broke into a big smile. Then the RAF men returned and she hurried over to help hand round the glasses. She took her own and raised it. ‘Cheers!’ she said, beaming at Alfie and Laurence, then knocked back half of the gleaming purple drink in one go. ‘To having fun.’
‘Blimey,’ said Billy under his breath, yet loud enough that Edith heard, while Laurence raised his own pint and said, ‘To a fine evening, in the best city in England!’
‘To the best bit of the best city in England!’ said Peggy, and knocked back the rest of the port and lemon.
After a couple of hours, Edith was more than ready to go home. She’d tried her best, keeping up her end of the conversation when one of the others spoke to her, but it was an effort and her heart wasn’t in it. After a while she drifted to the edge of the group and watched them rather than joining in. Billy’s friends seemed nice enough, but she wasn’t remotely interested in getting to know them any better. What would be the point? She’d probably never see them again anyway.
Peggy, however, continued to accept the port and lemons, which the RAF men obligingly bought her, and to drink them down as if there was no tomorrow. Her voice grew louder and she laughed at everything they said, playing with her hair or shaking it loose around her shoulders. Edith was slightly shocked. She was no prude, but it was no time at all since Pete had died, and here was Peggy behaving as if she hadn’t a care in the world.
Mary detached herself from the conversation she’d been having with Ronald and Kenny and came over. ‘You all right, Edie? You’ve gone quiet.’
Edith grinned awkwardly. ‘Just tired.’
Mary nodded. ‘Me too. Shall we go?’
Edith nodded, grateful that Mary had made the suggestion. As a point of pride she hadn’t wanted to say anything, but the light was beginning to fade and she wasn’t keen to stumble back in the blackout. Besides, she simply didn’t have any energy left to socialise. She longed for her bed in her little attic room, where she wouldn’t have to speak to anyone.
‘Would you mind?’ she said.
‘Not a bit. I’ll see what Belinda wants to do.’
After a brief chat with Belinda, and a word or two with Billy, Mary came back and told Edith: ‘Belinda wants to stay longer, but Billy said he’d make sure she gets back all right. I’ve said goodbye on your behalf, so we can leave whenever you like.’
Edith