13

14 April 1942

‘This way,’ Flora shouted to a group of distressed women calling for help. ‘Come inside, and for goodness’ sake try not to touch your eyes or they will sting even more.’

Her voice was muffled by the gas mask strapped to her face. Inside she was fuming: what should have been a simple drill, instructing the people of Ramsgate about what to do in the event of a gas attack by the enemy, had deteriorated into confusion and panic.

‘Why is this happening?’ Miss Tibbs asked, looking at Flora through streaming eyes. ‘We were only queuing at the butcher’s. Is there an invasion?’

Flora nodded her thanks to the Nippy who was pulling people into the Ramsgate teashop while doing her best to close the door after each person in case gas crept inside. Pulling off her mask, she addressed the crowd. ‘I repeat: do not rub your eyes or you will exacerbate the pain. Have none of you seen the posters all around the town, or indeed thought to carry your gas mask, let alone wear it?’ she fumed. ‘What if this had been a real enemy attack? Or worse, an invasion? How would you be able to fight back in the state you are in now?’

The women fell silent; one opened her gas mask box and pulled out the mask, along with a lipstick and a powder compact. ‘Is it too late to wear it?’ she asked, looking at Flora, her face smudged from where she’d rubbed the mascara lining her eyes.

Flora felt suddenly deflated. ‘I apologize for shouting at you all, but this exercise has been planned for a while now and there’s been plenty of notice. It is for your own safety.’

‘Lesson learnt,’ Miss Tibbs said as two of the Nippies handed out damp napkins for them to dab at their eyes. ‘Shall we have a cup of tea, now we are in here?’

Flora shook her head and looked around the teashop. It seemed some of the other women had had the same idea and were sitting down at tables. She waved to Katie, who’d come out of her office to check all was well. ‘I suppose you’ve heard what happened?’

‘I couldn’t help notice,’ Katie said, looking back towards the window set in the wall of her office. ‘At least we won a few customers. It’s been dead quiet all morning with so many people staying home.’

Flora sighed, raising her hand to her forehead. ‘I don’t feel the council put nearly enough thought into this exercise. And as for the local bobbies, running about making a racket with those wooden rattles! My head is throbbing.’

Katie looked concerned, taking her arm. ‘Come and sit down over here where it’s quieter, and perhaps we can have a chat over a hot drink. It’s about time I had a break.’

‘Miss Tibbs . . .’ Flora turned back to look for her elderly friend.

‘Miss Tibbs has joined the other ladies and is putting the world to rights,’ Katie said, steering Flora to a less busy part of the teashop and waving to a Nippy to serve them. ‘How do you feel?’

‘I’ll be fine in a minute or two.’

‘You do look rather pale. I wonder if you are sickening for something? How did you sleep last night?’

‘To be honest, I was having a bad night even before we had that air raid. I know it was over and done with within a couple of hours, but I woke up with such a feeling of foreboding . . . I just couldn’t shake it off.’

They fell silent as the Nippy approached with a tea tray. ‘I’ve added some toasted teacakes as well,’ she said, placing the tray onto the table and giving the ashen-faced Flora a sideways look as she left them alone.

‘You’ve had a lot to cope with lately,’ Katie consoled Flora as she lifted the lid of the silver teapot and stirred the contents. ‘You need to put your feet up and rest more. With Anya away and Jennie and Alexsy staying at Captain’s Cottage, at least you don’t have so many residents to run after. I hear Joyce is doing well at the Margate teashop.’

Flora smiled her thanks as she was given her tea. ‘Yes, it seems she loves working as a Sally; Rose wanted her to experience being a Nippy, but she is set on staying behind the counter and serving customers. The customers seem to like her as well. Oh, I received a postcard from Anya yesterday.’

‘How is she getting on? I had wanted to let her know that Alexsy has settled in, but she never gave me an address.’

‘Oh, you know Anya. She doesn’t say much apart from that she is learning a lot, and the food is terrible, and to send her love to her son. There is an address – is says care of, but I’m sure it will reach her,’ Flora said, holding out the letter for Katie to copy the address. ‘It does seem strange for her to say the food is terrible when she is working for Joe Lyons . . .’

‘Perhaps she has to dine in the staff canteen?’ Katie chuckled. ‘Lily has some photographs from the Easter Sunday tea party. I’ll pop one in my letter to Anya; I’m sure she would love to see Alexsy’s smiling face while she is working hard training the new intake.’

‘She most certainly would . . .’ Flora stopped speaking as Katie stared straight past her, looking out of the front window that faced the street. ‘Whatever is wrong?’ she asked, turning round to follow the girl’s gaze. ‘Oh goodness. I had hoped we’d seen the back of him after Joyce gave him a talking to,’ she said angrily, spotting Tom White looking into the teashop.

‘I’ve seen him hanging about a few times in the past few days. He never comes in and seems to be looking for something . . . or someone. What do you think we should do?’

‘If it’s Jennie he is looking for, he’s out of luck, since she was moved to work at the other teashop. I do wonder, though, if the penny will drop and he will check there instead.’

Katie agreed with her. ‘He’s not going to go away, is he?’

Flora got to her feet, placing her napkin on the table. ‘Something needs to be done before he goes to the other teashop and causes a scene. The last thing we want is Jennie, or come to that Lily, being sacked if there is a confrontation in front of customers. I’m going to have a word with him right now.’

‘Be careful,’ Katie said, looking worried. ‘He has a vicious temper.’

And so have I if pushed, Flora thought to herself as she hurried towards the door, noticing that Tom was starting to walk away towards the harbour. Rather than call out, she increased her pace until she caught up with him as he waited to cross the road. Grabbing the sleeve of his jacket so he couldn’t move away from her, she smiled sweetly. ‘Hello, Tom. Do you remember me, Flora Neville from Sea View guesthouse? I wonder if we could have a few words.’ She began leading him towards a nearby bench, not letting go of his sleeve until they had sat down.

Tom looked confused. ‘What do you want with me?’

‘You do know Sea View, don’t you? Where Jennie lives, and where Lily Douglas used to live.’

His face paled. ‘Where is Lily now?’

Flora shrugged her shoulders. She wasn’t about to tell him, nor would she start to tell lies; she wasn’t one to do that. ‘Why are you taking such an interest in a girl who is still a child? Some would say it was rather unhealthy.’

Tom’s eyes flashed as he pulled away from her. ‘What do you think I am? I’m not that kind of man.’

‘I think you are up to something,’ Flora spat back. ‘And I want to know what it is.’

‘I was just being friendly to the child; I thought she might be able to tell me something about my daughter, Mary. I want to see her.’

Flora couldn’t believe her ears. ‘Excuse me for asking, but why, after you caused all that rumpus after the child was born, do you now want to see her?’

‘I’ve been thinking about how I messed things up and I want to try again, if Lily would allow it.’

‘Sorry, you are confusing me. Kindly explain how courting Jennie gets you closer to our Lily and her child?’

‘I went into the teashop one day and she was there; we got chatting, that’s all. She’s a nice kid. I meant to ask her if she knew about Lily’s, I mean our daughter, but it went out of my mind after we started chatting.’

‘So much for wanting to become a doting father,’ Flora said.

Tom thought for a while, choosing his words carefully, which didn’t go unnoticed by Flora. ‘I left under a bit of a cloud, and I didn’t want Mr Grant to hear that I was back in case it caused problems for Lily.’

‘Mr Grant has retired due to ill health,’ Flora answered, before belatedly realizing that it might have been better to let Tom think the kindly area manager was still working in the Thanet area.

‘I’m sorry to hear that. He was a decent sort, until he got the wrong end of the stick over my romance with Lily.’

Flora laughed. ‘What romance? From my understanding, you had a sordid one-night relationship with Lily at a time she wasn’t quite herself, and then you wriggled out of your responsibilities.’

Tom raised his hands in protest. ‘It wasn’t like that, believe me. Who is the area manager now?’

‘Rose hasn’t told me, but it has nothing to do with you. I thought you had been reported to the draft board?’

He gave a cynical laugh. ‘It turns out I do have a problem with my health – my dicky ticker has kept me out of the forces. I’ve tried to find war work but there’s nothing going for a man of my calibre. I’ll keep looking, though,’ he said, seeing her angry glare. ‘That’s why I’ve not been around. I wanted to find a decent position before I reacquainted myself with Lily.’

‘Why don’t you try at the airfield? I believe there is one position going begging in the staff canteen,’ Flora said, thinking of the job Joyce had recently left.

He looked hurt. ‘I couldn’t do it. Imagine wanting above anything else to work for one of the services and, due to ill health, not being able to, and then seeing all those brave pilots going off to do their bit when I couldn’t? I’d be too ashamed to face them.’

Flora was thoughtful. Perhaps she should give him the benefit of the doubt . . .

‘Where are you living at the moment?’

‘I’m presently staying in Boundary Road. It’s all I could find at short notice,’ he said, noticing her wrinkle her nose. ‘Perhaps you could tell me of something more suitable; do you have a vacancy?’

I know what you’re thinking of, my laddie, and I’m not that gullible, Flora thought to herself. If every room was empty at Sea View, I’d still not have you under my roof; but I do want to keep my eye on you. They do say, keep your enemy close . . .

‘The air force is still billeting servicemen in the town, but I’ll put the word out,’ she replied. ‘But you will have to find work, if only to hold your head high and show the world you are a reformed person – even if you say you did nothing wrong,’ she added quickly, seeing he was about to protest. ‘Get yourself off to the labour exchange and see what they have to offer. I’ll meet you here this time tomorrow to hear what you’ve done to improve your lot. At that point, I may encourage Lily to let you see your daughter.’

Tom’s eyes lit up. ‘You’d do that for me?’

‘I like to give everyone a second chance. But don’t let me down, you hear me?’

‘I promise,’ he said, before shaking her hand and walking away.

Flora was deep in thought as she walked back to the teashop to collect Miss Tibbs, who would be wondering what had happened to her.

Katie was waiting for her at the door. ‘What was all that about?’ she asked. ‘I could just about see you talking to that horrid man who made our Lily’s life hell.’

Flora put a finger to her lips. ‘I don’t want anyone else to know, but I’ve arranged to meet him tomorrow. I want to keep an eye on him,’ she grinned before going over to where Miss Tibbs was still holding court, talking animatedly about the first war. ‘Come along, it is time we got ourselves back home; there are potatoes to peel and this beef shin to stew to feed the five thousand.’

‘I’ll make the dumplings,’ Miss Tibbs replied quickly, draining her cup and hurrying after Flora.

‘Don’t forget this,’ Katie called after her with a chuckle, holding out her gas mask.