4

‘I’ve not seen you in here before,’ a smartly dressed young man said as a young Nippy handed him a menu.

‘I can’t say I’ve seen you in here either,’ she replied cheekily, looking behind her to check she hadn’t been overheard.

He nodded appreciatively before giving her a wink. ‘What’s your name, or are you a Gladys like all the rest?’

‘Gladys?’

The man tutted. ‘Dear me, you must be new not to know about the company you work for . . . I’ll have a pot of tea, the Spam fritters followed by syrup pudding and custard,’ he said, brushing away the proffered menu.

‘My name is Jennie. I’ve worked for Lyons for a while,’ she said, giving him a defiant look even though she was taken with his appearance. He wore a smart suit, which was different to most men, who were in uniform, and he smelt of soap as though he’d not long had a bath. She’d noticed as he walked into the teashop that he wasn’t over tall and held himself confidently, as if he was used to women watching him.

‘My, my, you’re a cheeky one. I bet you keep your boyfriend on his toes.’

‘I don’t have a boyfriend; I live in digs and answer only to myself,’ she answered, chin held high, not adding that no lad had ever asked her out.

He raised his eyebrows. ‘So if I asked you out for a drink at the end of your shift, you’d not be interested . . .?’

Jennie was caught off guard. She’d never been invited out by a young man before now. Although she kept herself clean and tidy, she always thought there were other Nippies ahead of her in the queue for the attentions of the male customers; who’d want to go out with a younger woman who wasn’t yet twenty? Even so, she was proud of her shiny light brown hair and large brown eyes. There again, perhaps it was time she started to make more of herself and accept invitations to walk out with men.

‘I’ll get your order, sir,’ she replied, giving him a smile before she hurried to place his order. ‘That’s a cheeky one,’ she couldn’t help saying to the cook, who was standing at the service station taking the Nippies’ orders.

‘You’ll be for it if you get caught being over friendly with the male customers. You know Mrs Jones doesn’t like that sort of thing going on during her watch,’ the cook sniffed.

‘Well, Katie isn’t here,’ Jennie retaliated. ‘Besides, she knows me, so I won’t get the sack. All the same, can you give him an extra dollop of custard? I want to keep him sweet in case I accept his offer . . .’

The cook tutted but made a note with the stub of a pencil on the order form Jennie had handed to her. ‘I don’t know, you girls will chase anything in trousers.’

Jennie ignored this. ‘By the way, what is a Gladys?’

‘It’s what the waitresses used to be called here before the bosses decided they was to be called Nippies; but that was a good few years ago. What made you ask such a thing?’

‘The young man mentioned it. He seems quite charming.’

‘They are all charming when they’re after something, so you be careful and mind he only gets extra custard.’

Jennie glared at her. ‘I know how to take care of myself, thank you very much.’

‘On your head be it,’ the cook said. ‘You’d best get his pot of tea over to him before he forgets you and starts chatting up one of the others.’

Jennie hurriedly did as she was told; was that how it worked when a man was interested in you? She didn’t know much about courting and such like, although she was keen to experience such things. She wasn’t about to tell the cook she was innocent of the ways of men; she would have to learn – and quick.

The man looked over the top of his newspaper, surveying the tearoom. It was a quiet day with not many staff on duty and he began to feel easier about entering the premises, but he was beginning to feel more comfortable. He’d not been back to the area in a while since leaving the town in a hurry several years before.

‘Here’s your tea and food, sir,’ Jennie said as she placed a heavy tray onto the table and started to remove the silver teapot along with the hot meal. ‘I’ll bring your pudding when you have finished your first course so it’s still nice and warm.’

‘Thank you.’ He placed his newspaper to one side. ‘Tell me, is there a Nippy working here called Lily?’

Jennie frowned, wondering what Lily was playing at. The last she’d heard, there was an RAF pilot in her friend’s life. ‘Why do you ask?’

He could see she was miffed at him mentioning another woman. So she was interested in him . . . He’d found in the past that entertaining a Nippy made for a cheap night, as the women tended to have eaten at work. A glass or two of gin wasn’t a great expense. ‘No reason, she’s a friend of the family; as I was passing, I thought I’d say hello. Not to worry.’

Jennie relaxed; the last thing she wanted was to attract the wrath of Lily. God forbid! She was grateful that Lily now worked at the larger teashop in Margate with the veranda that looked out over the beach. Here at the Ramsgate branch it was cosier, and she had more chance of talking to the young men who came in for a meal. ‘I’ll leave you to eat your food before it goes cold,’ she said as he lifted his knife and fork. She picked up the silver tray to walk away. ‘I finish my shift at five o’clock, if you fancy a walk and a bag of chips?’

He nodded, his mouth full of Spam fritter. A glass of gin and a quick fumble would be more to his liking; he’d soon bend her to his ways.

She waited for him to swallow his food. ‘By the way, what’s your name?’

‘Tom . . . Tom White.’

Jennie felt lightheaded but happy. Tom had treated her like a queen as he escorted her into the pub, guiding her to a seat out of view of the bar while he looked about as if seeking someone. She was confused, until he explained that he wouldn’t want her embarrassed by the landlord asking her age. Perhaps now she was courting she should think about dressing more appropriately and wearing a little make-up, she thought. Some of the other Nippies kept make-up and a change of clothes in their lockers as they went out straight from work. She would do the same from now on, as she wouldn’t like anyone to think Tom was taking out an underage woman. She’d hoped they would take a walk and stop for chips as she’d suggested, as her stomach thought her throat had been cut; there hadn’t been time to stop and eat at work as they were so short of staff. She just hoped Tom couldn’t hear her tummy rumbling. After a glass of port quickly followed by gin, she began not to care.

‘I think I ought to be going home,’ she said as he helped her on with her coat. Although she was enjoying herself and feeling special for the first time in her life, she knew her landlady, Flora, was relying on her to come home and keep an eye on the children. Flora was going out with the other women of Sea View to their weekly bingo session, which was held in the tunnels beneath the town.

‘There’s no need, the night is still young. Why not come back to my hotel? I happen to have a couple of bottles of brown ale we can enjoy together,’ he said as he tucked an arm around her and steered her out of the pub and up the street, pausing by an alleyway to pull her in and press her against a wall. He stopped any excuses with a hard kiss, leaving Jennie breathless. As much as she was enjoying her first ever kiss with a man, she pushed him away, laughing. She’d heard it never paid to be too keen.

‘No, I have something I promised to do this evening,’ she said, straightening her hat and pulling her handbag and gas mask over her shoulder from where they’d slipped during the embrace.

‘As long as I can see you tomorrow,’ he said, breathing heavily against her as he tried to kiss her once more.

Jennie almost burst with excitement. He wanted to see her again! She would make sure to eat something next time and wear some make-up; she’d dash out during the day and see what there was to be had in Woolworths. They might even have stockings on sale if she was lucky. ‘I’d like to see you again,’ she said, feeling shy as she stood on tiptoe to give him a quick peck on the cheek. ‘Would you mind walking me home? I’m feeling a little unsteady on my feet.’

He grudgingly agreed and walked along holding her close to his side, which made walking harder. She pointed the way. ‘It’s this way, up Madeira Walk; Sea View is at the top.’

Tom frowned. Where had he heard that name before?

They set off at a brisk pace. He was keen to deliver her home now he wasn’t going to get any further with her. Besides, there was someone at home that would suit his needs, and she was older and worldly wise. Jennie was sweet enough, but sweet girls were hard to woo. He much preferred an older woman. His thoughts went to Lily; it had been an age since he’d seen her and although he wasn’t the marrying kind, he knew he’d be happy with someone like Lily warming his bed each night.

‘Nearly there,’ Jennie said as they crossed the road. ‘Oh, there’s Flora. Hey, Flora, wait for us,’ she called out, hurrying Tom towards her landlady. ‘I want you to meet Flora.’

A feeling of dread ran through Tom and he held back. Now wasn’t the time to come face to face with one of her fiercest defenders. Why, oh why had he come here with the idea of finding Lily?

‘I really ought to get back; I have things to do. You’ll be fine now you have someone to walk with,’ he said, struggling from Jennie’s grasp. ‘I’ll see you tomorrow.’ He turned and hurried down the sloping Madeira Walk, disappearing from sight in the dark night.

‘Oh, I wanted you to meet my boyfriend,’ a disappointed Jennie said as Flora joined her from where she’d been crossing the top of the road towards Sea View.

‘Boyfriend? When did this happen?’ Flora asked, watching the retreating figure as he walked away. He looked familiar, but she couldn’t be sure why. She cursed the blackout and lack of moon as it also meant she couldn’t see enough of the departing man to tell if he was really who she thought he might be.

‘This afternoon. He came into the teashop; he took me for a drink after work. We’re going to meet again tomorrow.’

‘That’s nice, dear, but don’t appear too eager or he may get ideas. Why not bring him to tea on Sunday? I’d like to meet him,’ she said, feeling protective of the girl who had no family of her own. ‘What’s his name, is he from around here?’ she asked, wondering if that was why she recognized him.

Jennie giggled and seemed to be unsteady on her feet. ‘He used to be, but for now he’s visiting. I do hope he comes back to live here,’ she said with a loud sigh. ‘His name? It’s Tom White; he said his family knows our Lily. Isn’t that funny?’

Flora was pulled up short and couldn’t think of a word to say. It was as she had feared. Why was Tom White back in Thanet and what did he want?