them into warm coats. And on finding Gerald Phipps. If we do, and his drop is working, I won’t have to tell them at all.
“‘Sufficient unto the day,’” Miss Laburnum was saying. “Is that from Hamlet?”
“It is from the Bible!” Sir Godfrey roared.
“Oh, of course. And it’s excellent advice, but with winter nearly here and so many shortages, beach sandals may prove difficult to find, and if we don’t purchase them now—”
“I don’t mean to interrupt, Sir Godfrey,” Polly said, taking pity on him, “but I must ask Miss Laburnum something.”
“Pray do, Viola,” he said with a grateful look at her. “‘Mark what I spake to thee,’” and fled.
“Do you have the address of Mrs. Wyvern’s assistance center?” Polly asked. “I must speak with her about getting coats for my cousin and Mr. Davis.”
“Coats?”
“Yes, they lost theirs in the bombing.” She hoped Miss Laburnum wouldn’t ask her which one. “I thought Mrs. Wyvern might be able to help.”
“Oh, I’m certain she will. What sizes?”
“My cousin’s my size, though a bit shorter. When I gave her my coat, it was too long. I’m not certain about Mr. Davis—”
“Gave her your coat? But what are you doing for one?”
“I’ll be all right. Townsend Brothers is only a short way from Oxford Circus—”
“Oh, but it’s dreadfully cold out. You’ll catch your death. You must take mine.” She began unbuttoning it. “I have an old brown tweed at home I can wear.”
“But what about you? It’s a long walk to Mrs. Rickett’s. I hate to take—”
“Nonsense,” she said briskly. “It’s our duty to help each other, especially in time of war. As Shakespeare says, ‘No man is an island.’”
And thank goodness Sir Godfrey wasn’t here to hear that.
“‘Each is a piece of the whole, a part of the main,’” Miss Laburnum said, handing Polly the coat. “Now is there anything else you need?”
The name of the airfield Gerald’s at, Polly thought, and looked around for Lila and Viv, but they’d left.
She glanced at her watch. She couldn’t afford to go after them. It was nearly nine, and she couldn’t risk losing her job by being late. Room and board and train fares to airfields would all take money. But asking Mrs. Rickett about Eileen’s sharing her room couldn’t wait till after work. “There is something you could do for me, if you would,” Polly said. “If you could tell Mrs. Rickett what happened and—”
“Ask her if your cousin can stay with you? Of course. You go on to work, my dear. I’ll take care of everything.”
“Thank you,” Polly said gratefully, and raced off, arriving at Townsend Brothers with seconds to spare. “Where did you go off to last night?” Doreen asked as she uncovered her counter. “Marjorie wanted to speak to you.”
“I had an appointment,” she said, and, to avoid questions—Which is all I seem to do, she thought—she asked, “Did Marjorie tell you what she was doing on Jermyn Street the night she was injured?”
“No, Miss Snelgrove wouldn’t let us ask her anything. She said she was too ill to have us yammering at her. She insisted on escorting her back to the hospital herself. What sort of appointment? With a man? Who is he?”
Luckily, Sarah arrived just then, full of the news of Padgett’s, and Polly didn’t have to answer her. On the other hand, she couldn’t bring the conversation round to airfields either. She had to wait till the opening bell had rung and Doreen came past with a stack of lingerie boxes on her way to the workroom. When she did, Polly said, “I met an airman in the shelter night before last, and we rather hit it off.”
“I knew it. Appointment, my eye.” Doreen set the boxes down and leaned her elbows on the counter. “I want to hear all about him. Is he good-looking?”
“Yes, but there’s not much to tell. His leave was up, and he was on his way back to his airfield. We were only able to talk for a few moments, but he asked me to write him, only I can’t remember which airfield he was stationed at. It began with a D, I think, or a T.”
“Tempsford?” Doreen said. “Debden?”
“I’m not certain,” Polly said. “The name might have had two words.”
“Two words?” Doreen said thoughtfully. “High Wycombe? No, that doesn’t begin with a T or a D. Oh, look out, here comes Miss Snelgrove.” She scooped up her boxes and scurried into the stockroom.
Polly tore off a scrap of brown wrapping paper, jotted the