Doreen Aspinall who lives at number one.’
‘That must be the girl I saw leaning on the gate,’ said Billy. ‘How does she know my name?’
‘I told her,’ said Beryl proudly.
Billy took the letter, which was sealed in a blue envelope and addressed in a large hand ‘To William’.
‘Very odd,’ he said.
‘Maybe it’s a proposal of marriage,’ said Titch.
‘You’re not very far out. Listen to this,’ said Billy, reading the letter. ‘ “Darling William, I am sorry to hear that you have been bombed out. Will you go with me? I love you. From Doreen Aspinall. P.S. We are having a game of Truth or Dare outside my house tomorrow night and you and your friends are invited. ” ’
‘Talk about fast worker! How come she loves you and not us?’ asked Titch.
‘I thought I was the one with the film-star face around here,’ said Robin.
‘You are. You are,’ said Billy. ‘But we didn’t say which film star.’
‘How’s about Charles Laughton as the Hunchback of Notre Dame?’ suggested Titch.
‘Anyway, for Doreen Aspinall it must have been love at first sight,’ said Billy.
‘Ah, she probably just feels sorry for you ’cos you look so pathetic,’ said Robin. ‘Are we going to accept?’
‘What do you think?’ said Billy. ‘Of course we’re going to accept. I haven’t played that game since infant school but I think I can still remember the rules. I suppose they’re the same here in Blackpool. Come on, though, we’d better go down and eat.’
Downstairs, Mrs Mossop had prepared a meal of mashed potatoes and cabbage.
‘I’m sorry, Mrs Mossop,’ Billy said. ‘I don’t eat cabbage.’
‘Can I have yours, Hoppy?’ asked Titch.
‘And why, may I ask, do you not eat cabbage?’ enquired Mrs Mossop.
‘It’s ever since I saw a whole load of caterpillars on some cabbages. You can’t be sure they’ve all been washed off.’
‘On second thoughts, I won’t have any cabbage either,’ said Titch. ‘Could we have some of the Spam, Mrs Mossop?’
‘You’ll have none of that Spam today. I’ve put that in the larder for a rainy day. And you’ll all have to get used to eating what’s given to you. Don’t you know there’s a war on?’
As they tucked into their mashed potatoes, she stood over them and said:
‘We’d better get a few things straight as long as you’re in this house. First, I am the one to say what food we’ll eat - not you. Secondly, you do not help yourself from my kitchen; in there I’m the boss, d’you understand?’
‘Yes, Mrs Mossop,’ they chorused.
‘We share our food with you and so it’s only right that you should share any food you get with us.’
‘Yes, Mrs Mossop.’
‘And you can stop calling me Mrs Mossop. Call me Auntie - it’s more friendly.’
‘Yes, Mrs Mossop - Auntie.’
‘I’ve got some other rules as well. I don’t want you in this house during the day. During the week don’t come back here before five o’clock. As I said, the house is a bit small; we have only this kitchen, a lounge and three small bedrooms and so I can’t have you cluttering up the place.’
‘What do we do about dinner when we’re at school?’ asked Billy. ‘Do we take sandwiches?’
‘I haven’t time to be making sandwiches. Besides, I