Chapter Fifty-One

Mick the Magician took over the entertainment as Vera, Rina, Harvey and Olly started to bring out the buffet. Bobby and Quentin carried out the big bowl of punch, putting it down on a long table before returning to the kitchen and fetching tumblers and glasses. Once everything had been laid out and the last trick performed, Polly and Gloria were put in charge of the gramophone and told by Dorothy to ‘keep the music going’.

It didn’t take long for everyone – the wounded soldiers, their families, the doctors and nurses and, of course, the organisers themselves, to fill their plates and return to their tables, after which Rina and Vera went to take over the music.

‘Yer must be starving? Bet yer’ve not had owt to eat since this morning,’ Vera said, pushing them towards the buffet.

Polly and Gloria smiled. It was true, they hadn’t. The sausage rolls and pies had been heated up in the kitchen and the smell was making their mouths water.

‘Yer missing Tommy?’ Gloria asked as they put food onto their plates. ‘Silly question, really.’

Polly smiled. ‘I am, but I keep thinking that next year he’ll be here – and we’ll all be together for Christmas. And every time I think of him back home, I feel excited.’

‘I feel the same about Gordon,’ Gloria said, as they made their way over to the women’s table. ‘It feels possible now.’

‘More so than ever,’ said Polly.

‘Good selection of songs,’ Angie complimented them both as they sat down.

Martha, Hannah, Rosie and Georgina agreed. They all looked at Dorothy, but she was oblivious to Polly and Gloria’s arrival and was staring over at Dahlia, who was standing at the punch table, chatting to Bobby.

‘Can’t that woman get her own bloke?’ she said, her eyes still glued to her boyfriend and the Swedish seductress.

‘Perhaps that’s Dahlia’s thing,’ Polly said. ‘She likes the ones she can’t have.’

‘Well, I wish she’d go and pick on someone else,’ Dorothy huffed.

Rosie thought that Bobby wasn’t the real focus of Dahlia’s attention. She had noticed how Matthew’s secretary kept glancing over to the table where her boss was.

‘At least you know that Bobby only has eyes for you,’ Rosie reassured her.

As if on cue, Bobby looked over at Dorothy and gave her what appeared to be an apologetic smile.

‘Well,’ Gloria said, changing the subject, ‘I think yer deserve a huge pat on the back, Dor – ’n yer, too, Ange.’

‘Thanks, Glor,’ Dorothy said, finally bringing her attention back to her workmates. ‘But it really was a team effort.’ She took a bite of her sandwich. ‘I’m just glad I don’t have to do any more compèring.’

They were quiet for a moment while they tucked into their food.

Rosie looked over to check on Charlotte, who was sitting with Peter, both chatting away to a couple of soldiers, one of whom was in a wheelchair and was wearing one of Agnes’s knitted jumpers on his top half and hospital regulation pyjamas on his bottom half.

Following Rosie’s line of vision, Georgina picked up her camera and left the table. She returned a minute later, having got just the shot she was after.

‘So, Hannah,’ Dorothy said tentatively, ‘was it all right – talking to the Germans?’

Everyone was quiet.

Hannah smiled a little sadly. ‘Yes, it was.’ She paused. ‘Funnily enough, it probably helped me more than it did them.’

‘How so?’ Martha asked.

‘I think it’s easy to see people – situations – in a two-dimensional way,’ she tried to explain. ‘But it’s never that simple, is it?’

Angie frowned, showing she was still unclear as to her friend’s meaning.

‘Well, it’s easy to say they’re the enemy and therefore they are bad … evil … but when Olly and I were chatting to them, they were just normal people. One of them was even telling us he wanted to stay here. That he didn’t want to go back to Germany.’

‘Really?’ Polly said, surprised.

‘Olly thinks he might have a soft spot for one of the nurses – and she for him.’ Hannah looked over at Olly by the punch table, subtly trying to add a slug of spirits to each cup pushed in his direction.

‘Blimey,’ Angie said, incredulously. ‘And there’s me and Quentin putting off meeting the parents ’cos of their reaction – imagine taking a Jerry home?’

Seeing Quentin leave his post as bartender and start walking over to the toilets at the far end of the canteen, Angie announced: ‘Quentin’s off to the lav again. If he were a woman, I’d say he was preggers.’

‘Why’s that?’ Martha asked.

‘’Cos every time my mam’s up the duff, she’s never off the loo.’ Angie watched as he disappeared into the men’s washroom.

‘I suppose nerves can do that to a person,’ Dorothy said without thinking.

‘What’s Quentin got to be nervous about?’ Angie asked.

Dorothy didn’t answer, pretending not to have heard.

‘So, when do you think you’ll be getting married, Glor?’ Polly asked.

Gloria chuckled. ‘If it’s up to Jack, he’ll be dragging me down to the registry office as soon as the divorce-absolute document drops on the doormat.’

Dorothy looked horrified. ‘You can’t get married on your own. You have to invite all of us, you know? And Georgina will have to take the photographs.’

Georgina smiled as she ate her sandwich. The relief she felt at finally having told the truth was great. Their acceptance and forgiveness had made this Christmas for her.

Gloria smiled. ‘Don’t worry, Dor, I think I’ll make sure we pop in ’n tell yer en route.’

‘No, Glor, you have to do it properly. Make sure we’ve all got warning so we can sort out a party and get new outfits. You can’t just do it on the spur of the moment. I’ll get Bobby to have a word with Jack.’

‘I thought you’d be telling Gloria not to bother,’ Polly laughed.

‘Why’s that?’ Dorothy said, confused.

‘Lately, you don’t seem to be the biggest fan of marriage,’ Rosie said.

‘Yeah,’ said Angie, ‘yer knar, it being all about “baking and breeding”.’

The women hooted with laughter.

Dorothy looked at Gloria, then back at Angie. ‘I think marriage is perfect for certain people.’ She kept her focus on her best friend. ‘For some, it’s the best thing ever – but I’m not sure I’m one of those.’

Gloria glanced at Dorothy and then over to Bobby. She wondered what her son thought of his sweetheart’s recent change of heart.

Martha got up. ‘I’m just going up for some more – anyone want anything?’

The women shook their heads.

‘Talking of marriage,’ Polly asked, turning her attention to Rosie. ‘Have Lily and George decided on a date yet?’ It was now two years since they had gifted their wedding to Polly and Tommy before he went back to Gibraltar.

‘Still on the back burner,’ Rosie said. ‘“Too much happening at the moment to organise the wedding of the decade” is all I’m ever told.’ They chatted on for a while about Lily’s plans to go legit, how she’d bought a few properties in town, which Rosie was managing, and how Rosie believed it was Lily’s closeness to Charlotte that had her wanting to turn the West Lawn house into a proper home.

‘Oh. My. God!’ Dorothy suddenly said. ‘Look at Martha! Chatting away to that tuba player!’

Everyone looked. Martha was indeed chatting to the Salvation Army soldier, who had joined their workmate at the buffet.

‘She’s allowed to chat to the opposite sex,’ Hannah defended her. Martha had confided in her that the tuba player had introduced himself.

‘I can’t believe it, Martha – with a bloke!’ Dorothy exclaimed.

‘She’s not exactly with him,’ Polly said.

‘Yeah, Dor, they’re only talking,’ said Angie.

‘They actually look a bit like each other,’ Dorothy said, still stunned.

‘Well, they do say like attracts like,’ said Rosie.

‘Yeah, like yer ’n Bobby,’ said Gloria.

‘Yes, now that you point it out,’ said Hannah, ‘you are both quite tall, and dark, and very good-looking.’

‘Thank you, Hannah!’ Dorothy said, preening herself.

‘Although they do also say opposites attract,’ Angie said, nodding over in the direction of Dahlia, who was still chatting to Bobby.

‘Don’t goad her,’ Polly said, ‘otherwise there’ll be handbags at dawn.’

Hearing a loud burst of laughter, their attention went to Matthew Royce, who was sitting with Helen, Dr Parker, Dr Eris, Henrietta and the elderly doctor with the outrageous moustache.

The women caught Helen watching Dr Parker, unaware that anyone else could see.

They all looked at each other. They had seen the love etched on Helen’s face. Their hearts went out to her. Helen had made such a huge sacrifice for them all. She’d given up her love for their sakes and the sakes of their families. A love that could have been, were it not for Dr Claire Eris.

They would not forget what Helen had done for them all.