For the first time since the war began, the children of Sunderland gathered in the town centre for a Good Friday celebration. Bel and Joe took Lucille and the twins, and Polly and Gloria, who had taken a rare day off work, took Artie and Hope. Thousands of Sunday-school children sang hymns, after which they all left in a procession that led them back to their various churches. Polly then took Artie to visit his great granddad’s grave, where she told him all about his namesake, and also about his uncle Teddy, whose grave they couldn’t visit as it was on the other side of the world in a place called Sidi Barrani. As they made their way back home, her voice lifted as she told her sleepy little baby boy all about his daddy, whom he would be seeing soon. Hopefully.
Hannah, Rina and Olly enjoyed a different religious celebration as it was the start of the Jewish Passover, which officially began at sunset, but the preparations had started earlier in the day. For the first time, Olly mentioned to Hannah’s rabbi his desire to convert. The rabbi had smiled and said he would teach him all about Judaism, after which, if he still felt the same, they could talk further.
Following the afternoon shift at the Tatham, Pearl hurried off to West Lawn. She had given in to Vivian’s bullying that she be allowed to cut and dye Pearl’s hair. It also meant that Pearl would be able to see Maisie in her home environment – a place she had only visited once before, just hours before the showdown with Charles Havelock on Christmas Day. Pearl would never judge her daughter for the work she did, but she had been pleased when Maisie had confided that Lily had given them the go-ahead to develop the Gentlemen’s Club and the ‘escorting’ side of the business.
En route to the bordello, Pearl took the opportunity to pop in to see Gracie’s parents, Mr and Mrs Evans. Since she had first gone to see them both at Christmas, she had visited them regularly. They had been disappointed to hear that Bel had decided not to bring Charles Havelock to justice, but they had agreed that at least something good had come of it all. Every time Pearl visited them thereafter, they would remind her that they were prepared to help in any way, if and when needed. The couple’s hatred for the man who, they said, might as well have put the noose around their daughter’s neck himself, was very much alive and it easily matched Pearl’s hatred for the man who had changed the course of her life.
Meanwhile, Helen was spending time with her grandmother, having let the office workers leave work early as today would have been classed as a common-law holiday, were they not at war.
‘You haven’t that glow about you today,’ Henrietta commented as Helen sat down to read another chapter of Persuasion. ‘Which means,’ she added as she poured them both a glass of water, which she liked to pretend was her Russian vodka, ‘you didn’t see your doctor friend before you came here.’ Helen smiled and told her grandmama that she was indeed right, but she would be seeing him tomorrow at the wedding of Henrietta’s ‘Little Match Girl’. Helen had told her grandmother about Pearl’s upcoming nuptials, and Henrietta had declared how fabulous it would be if she were able to attend. Something, Helen thought, Pearl might not be so keen on, even if Henrietta was allowed out.
At the same time that Helen was visiting her grandmother, Bobby was heading off to see their little sister. On arrival he was gutted to find that Dorothy wasn’t there. Gloria told him that she was staying in and washing her hair in anticipation of a hectic weekend. Dorothy had made it known to anyone who would listen that this was a particularly important couple of days as not only was there a wedding to attend, but she was taking Toby to meet her parents. Gloria didn’t have to say it, but the inference was clear. If Toby wanted to meet Mr and Mrs Williams, it could only mean one thing – marriage was on the cards. Dorothy’s prediction at the start of the year was coming true, although Gloria couldn’t help but wonder if this was still what Dorothy really wanted. There was undeniable chemistry between her and her son. Just looking at Bobby now and seeing the fleeting look of deep disappointment on his face, it was clear that her eldest had been struck by Cupid’s arrow. She felt for him. And Toby. Someone was going to end up with a broken heart. The path to true love was never an easy one, as she knew only too well.
Gloria would have loved to talk to her son about this, as well as what was causing the tension between them, instead of the usual superficial chit-chat she’d had to endure since his return. She had an idea of what really lay beneath the surface of Bobby’s suppressed ire towards her, which she believed didn’t concern her living arrangements, regardless of how scandalous they might be. But much as she wanted to give Bobby the opportunity to air his grievances and tell her what was really bothering him, she knew now wasn’t the right time. Her son was distracted by a love that looked destined to be unrequited. She would have to wait and hope that in the meantime the frostiness Bobby felt towards her – and Jack – might start to thaw.