want to make sure I sit next to him at the party. But I know he’ll want to sit next to Danny so I need you to get Danny to sit next to you instead.’
‘Can’t you just sit next to Danny as well?’
‘Ugh! No, thanks. He gives me the creeps.’ Ruby shuddered. ‘Anyway, he’ll only spill something or dribble down my dress. I can’t have that, can I? No, it’s best if you keep Danny busy. Keep him at the other end of the table, well away from us.’
‘I don’t think Nick likes Danny out of his sight.’
‘He’ll be all right about it if he knows he’s with you. Nick trusts you. Anyway, I’ll keep him so busy looking at me he won’t even remember he’s got a brother. Please, Dora? Will you do it?’ Ruby batted her eyelashes appealingly.
‘I suppose so,’ Dora agreed. ‘But I still don’t know why you’re bothering.’
The party was a great success. They crammed in along the length of the table, shoulder to shoulder, tucking into sandwiches, cakes, fruit jellies and blancmanges. There was lemonade for the kids, while beer flowed for the adults. They toasted the health of the King many times.
It was a pity Josie wasn’t there to enjoy it, Dora thought. She still couldn’t get her sister’s face out of her mind. The hollow, despairing look in her eyes was one she’d seen in the mirror too many times.
She tried to push the thought from her mind and enjoy the party. There was time to talk to Josie later, she decided.
Thanks to Ruby’s deft shuffling, Nick ended up with her at the far end of the table, with Danny beside Dora at the other end. She didn’t mind keeping an eye on him or helping him with his food, although she was conscious of Nick’s eyes on them from the other end of the table as she cut up Danny’s sandwiches and spooned out a portion of jelly for him.
Ruby, meanwhile, was doing her best to impress Nick, laughing and flirting and batting her eyelashes for all she was worth.
After they’d eaten, there were games and races for the children. Dora was dragged into joining in the three-legged race, fastened to her sister Bea, while Nick was attached to Danny. They screamed with laughter as they hobbled forward, trying to trip each other up. Dora pitched head first over the finish line, but Nick and Danny still beat them.
‘Well done!’ Ruby made sure she was the first to congratulate Nick, throwing her arms around him as if he’d just won the Grand National.
‘All right?’ Nick put out a hand to help Dora up as she struggled to her feet. ‘Better luck next time, eh?’
‘We’ll see.’ They gave each other a quick smile.
‘Oi,’ Ruby hissed in her ear. ‘No flirting. He’s mine, remember?’
Dora laughed. ‘As if he’d look at me when you’re wearing that dress!’
She was still laughing as she left them racing and headed back into the house to check on Josie. But her smile disappeared when she met Alf stomping down the stairs.
Her blood turned to ice. ‘Where’s Josie?’ she said.
‘Still in bed, I s’pose. How should I know?’ He shouldered past her into the kitchen. Dora followed him.
‘What were you doing upstairs?’ she demanded.
‘If it’s any business of yours, I went to get some of your Nan’s indigestion pills. Got a right pain in my gut, I have.’ He rubbed his hand across his belly under the stretched fabric of his shirt. ‘You’re meant to be a nurse. What d’you reckon it is?’
‘I don’t know and I don’t care. What have you done to Josie?’ Dora stood squarely in front of him, her eyes cold.
He stared back at her for a moment. Then a slow, nasty smile spread across his broad face. ‘Why? You jealous?’
It took all her strength not to lash out at him. ‘If I find out you’ve laid your filthy hands on her, I swear I’ll—’
‘All right, you two?’ Rose came in through the back door, her hands full of empty plates. ‘What you doing hiding in here? Where aren’t you out enjoying the party with the others?’
‘I came to check our Josie was all right,’ Dora said, her eyes still fixed on Alf.
‘Poor lamb. I’ll go up to her.’ Rose put the plates on the table and headed for the hall. ‘You go out and check on Bea. She’s howling her head off, I think she’s fallen over.’
Luckily Bea was more annoyed at being pushed off