Across the Mersey - Annie Groves [7]
‘Well, I can understand that you’d want to keep him safe,’ Vi agreed, ‘but for myself I can’t help feeling that it’s a young man’s duty to serve his country. My Charlie joined the TA the minute he could.’ She gave her twin a lofty look. ‘Of course, we fully support him,’ she added untruthfully, conveniently forgetting how furious Edwin had been when he heard what Charlie had done, and how he’d said that Charlie should have waited until he had a few words in the right ears before jumping the gun like he had.
‘As busy as he is, Edwin’s still volunteered to oversee our local ARP unit and of course now that he’s on the local council he’ll be expected to take on a more managerial role. I dare say he’ll be put in charge of something or other – not that he believes for one minute that there’s going to be a war.’
‘Sam thinks there will.’
Vi gave her twin a superior smile. ‘Well, I rather think that my Edwin is in more of a position to know what’s going on than your Sam, Jean. After all, he’s got important men from the War Office and the navy coming down to see him all the time, on account of the work that’s needed to be done refitting so many Merchant Navy ships.’
‘But surely that means that there’s more likely to be a war than not be one?’ Jean argued valiantly.
‘It might look that way but, take it from me, the Government is just taking precautionary measures, that’s all. Now I think we’ve got everything. Will you bring the milk and the hot-water jug for me?’
Outside in the garden Sam and Edwin were standing together looking awkward whilst Luke and Charlie were laughing at something and the twins, Jean was glad to see, were playing with Jack, who had obviously been allowed to escape from his homework.
‘I had a letter from Francine yesterday wishing us both a happy birthday,’ she told Vi. ‘She’s still in America singing with Gracie Fields. She said that she misses Liverpool but I don’t expect she’ll be coming back now with all this talk of war.’
‘Well, I certainly hope that she doesn’t. I haven’t forgotten all the trouble she caused, and now that Edwin’s moving up in the world, the last thing he needs is a sister-in-law who’s on the stage parading herself all over the place.’
‘Vi,’ Jean objected, ‘that’s not very nice. And not very fair either. Our Francine’s done really well for herself.’
‘Yes, and we all know how,’ Vi retorted darkly. ‘Edwin refuses to so much as have her name mentioned, and no wonder. America’s the best place for her. I don’t want her coming back and showing us all up, especially not now, with Isabella joining the Tennis Club and mixing with such a smart set. Did I tell you about the young man she’s seeing? His father is on the council, and his mother comes from a very well-to-do family. He’s taking Bella to the big Tennis Club dance next weekend. Bella is so generous. She wants your Grace to make up a foursome with her and Alan and Alan’s cousin. Of course, I told her that poor Grace would probably feel a bit out of her depth, what with all the other young people at the Tennis Club either working for their parents or, like Bella, working in an office, but no, she’s determined that Grace should be included. She’ll have to spend the night here, of course, and I dare say that Bella will have a dress she can borrow.’
There was no chance for Jean to make any response because they were now within earshot of the men, but she could feel her heart burning with indignation on her daughter’s behalf.
As she put the milk jug and the hot water down on the table next to the cups and saucers already laid out with military neatness, Jean tried not to feel envious of her twin’s pretty Royal Albert china, with its roses and its gold edging, nor to compare it with her own far more practical and robust cups and saucers, oddments, in the main, bought from the market. Every time she saw Vi’s tea set she felt envious, and then cross with herself for being so silly. What did a few