you get washed and dressed?’
He nodded and tucked his head beneath her chin as she carried him to the bathroom. ‘That was ’er, weren’t it?’ he asked.
‘Of course it was, silly,’ she said, as she tried to tickle him out of his doleful mood. ‘Who else snores like that? Eh?’
He wriggled and giggled and it took some time to get him washed and into his clothes. Having taken him down for his lunch, she ran back up and prepared for the day, her thoughts on Florrie, and the thing that had been worrying at her since her arrival. She came to the conclusion that if she didn’t do something about it now, she might live to regret it.
She went to the dressing-table drawer and took out the jar of money. Peggy had already opened a bank account for her, and the passbook showed a healthy balance – but there was at least another five pounds still in the jar which she’d been saving to put towards her keep at Pearl’s. She wouldn’t have time today to go to the bank, but first thing tomorrow morning, she’d pay the money in.
But where could she hide the jar and the passbook until then? Everywhere seemed too obvious until she looked up. Dragging the chair over to the wardrobe, she put the passbook in the jar and pushed it as far back as she could, and checked to see if it was visible from anywhere in the room.
Sick at the thought that her mother might stoop so low, but suspecting she was quite capable of it, Sally put the chair back, checked the room was tidy and went to wake her.
She tapped nervously on the door and got no reply, so she opened it a fraction and wrinkled her nose as she peeked into the darkened room which stank of fags and cheap perfume.
‘Mum? Mum, you’ve got to wake up. You’re going to work this afternoon and lunch is on the table.’
The bedcovers moved and, with a groan, Florrie flung her arm over her face. ‘Tell Goldman I’ll come in later. I’ve got an ’eadache.’
‘Mr Goldman’s very particular about good timekeeping,’ she replied, switching on the light which made Florrie burrow beneath the covers. ‘It won’t look good if you’re late on your first day.’
‘Bugger off,’ growled Florrie, throwing a pillow at her. ‘Solly will smooth things over with Goldman.’
Sally realised she was wasting her time and shut the door and went downstairs. ‘She won’t be down for lunch,’ she said to Peggy.
‘Got a hangover, has she? I saw her coming in.’
Sally reddened with shame. ‘I’m sorry she’s upset everyone. I feel horribly responsible.’
‘Don’t be silly,’ replied Peggy. ‘You can’t help it if she’s your mother, and no-one is going to blame you for what she does.’
‘They might not,’ she replied with a watery smile, ‘but she’s only staying here because of me. Perhaps, once I’ve gone, she’ll go too.’
‘Perhaps,’ said Peggy. She poured tea and became businesslike. ‘It’s only dried eggs, but there’re tomatoes and a bit of fried potato to go with it, so eat up.’
Sally had little appetite, but she tucked in, knowing how wrong it would be to leave anything on the plate now the rationing was so restrictive.
Peggy eyed her thoughtfully. ‘Isn’t Florrie supposed to be working today?’
‘She’s going in later,’ mumbled Sally. ‘But she probably won’t get out of bed until tea time.’
‘What time are you finishing today, Sally? Only the Billeting Office shuts at five, and I’ll need to make an appointment.’
‘I’ll meet you there at four thirty,’ she replied, pouring a second cup of tea, and trying not to show the emotions that were welling inside her. ‘I’m sure Goldman won’t mind as it’s so important.’
‘Then I’ll make sure Jim gets there in time. He’s on the late showing tonight. But I can’t promise I can get an appointment; there’s bound to be the usual endless queue, and we’ll probably be stuck there for hours.’
Having kissed Ernie and quietly warned Peggy not to leave Florrie alone with him, Sally left for the factory.
It was a bright, breezy summer day, the sea and sky an innocent blue, with no hint of the horrors that had taken place during the night. But, as she walked the familiar route to the factory, she was made all too aware of how dramatically the landscape of Cliffehaven had been changed over the past week.
She carefully picked her way over and around the piles of rubble, dodging burst water pipes and