Across the Mersey - Annie Groves [79]
‘There’s lots of kiddies being brought back as their mothers don’t see any sense in them being away when there’s not been any bombs or anything. Is that enough breadcrumbs yet, Mum?’
Jean peered into the bowl. ‘Better do some more, love. We’ve got old Mr Edwards coming in for a bit of Christmas dinner and I thought I’d ask Miss Higgins, that you used to run errands for, as well, seeing as she’s all on her own. I know she likes to keep herself to herself but no one wants to be on their own at Christmas. I don’t know if I’m going to be able to get this goose in the oven, Grace. I told him what has the poultry stall in the market that I didn’t want it more than twelve pounds.’
‘At least he let you have it for the same price as a twelve-pound one, Mum.’
‘Yes, because he’d probably gone and sold mine to someone else. Next year I’m going to order from someone else.’
Grace smiled. Every year her mother grumbled about the goose and the poultry stall owner she always bought it from, threatening to buy from someone else.
‘At least Dad and Luke won’t be arguing over who’s got the biggest drumstick this year,’ Grace joked, and then bit her lip when she saw her mother’s face. ‘I’m sorry, Mum,’ she whispered. ‘I don’t know what I was thinking of, saying a daft thing like that. Christmas just won’t be the same without our Luke.’
‘No it won’t.’
‘He said in his last letter that the officers have to serve the men their Christmas dinner and that that ENSA – you know, the singers and actors and them that go doing shows for the men – are putting on concerts for them and they’ve been told that Gracie Fields will be performing at them, and Billy Cotton and his band.’
‘Well, I’d be surprised if she does, seeing as how it’s bin in all the papers how poorly she’s bin and how she’s gone to that Capri place for a rest.’
The newspapers and the fan magazines had been full of veiled and not so veiled references to the cancer of the cervix the star had suffered, and her ongoing recovery from it.
‘I thought you might have gone out dancing tonight, Grace, with them nurse friends of yours.’
‘We can only afford to go out dancing the one night, so we’ve decided to get tickets for New Year’s Eve,’ Grace told her. ‘For the Grafton.’ Although she tried hard not to, Grace could feel herself colouring up slightly, as she remembered what Teddy had said to her when he had made her promise to keep the last dance for him. He probably wouldn’t even be at the Grafton, never mind remembering what he’d said to her.
‘I dare say that young lad will be there, hoping to get a dance with you, will he?’ Jean asked her shrewdly.
‘Teddy?’ Grace tried to look nonchalant but she knew she was blushing again. ‘He did say something about going, but I dare say I won’t even see him, it will be so packed.’
Jean saw the blush and sighed inwardly. Grace might be trying to pretend that she wasn’t interested in this Teddy lad, but Jean, with a mother’s instinct, knew better.
‘Here’s your Dad back,’ Jean told Grace unnecessarily as they both heard the squeak of the side gate into the garden from the passage. ‘It will have to be a scratch supper tonight if I’m going to get everything finished here in time for the Midnight Carol Service.’
‘By, it’s cold out there,’ Sam complained as he came in. ‘I was talking to one of the old chaps from the allotments earlier and he reckons we’re in for a bad winter.’
‘Sam, them are hot. I’ve not long since taken them out of the oven,’ Jean warned as he reached out for one of the mince pies cooling on a wire tray on the table. ‘It will serve you right if you burn your tongue. They’re for tomorrow, not for now.’
‘That’s if Father Christmas leaves us any,’ Grace joked, straight-faced.
Bella looked towards the Tennis Club bar where Alan was standing drinking with some of the other men.
She was wearing the new dress he had bought her by way of a making-up present. It was red silk and very sophisticated, and a copy of one that Vivien Leigh had been photographed wearing, the owner of the dress shop had told her. Bella knew it