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Authors: Annie Wilkinson
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Danny and brought him home, and now she’s got even more reason to be terrified during the bombing, and he’s got her on a
string, the crafty little twerp. Don’t let Alfie pull the wool over your eyes. Give it a bit longer, see how things go. It’ll probably do him the world of good to be somewhere where
he’s not coddled. Toughen him up a bit.’
‘He might not survive being toughened up by a lad twice his size; Ernie strikes me as a nasty piece of work. And his mother’s face would turn the milk sour. They haven’t a good
word for our Alfie, either of them.’
‘Well, just let’s forget about Alfie for a bit. Are you going to ask me in?’
She nudged him and nodded towards the couple who were approaching, linked arm in arm.
‘That’s Hannah, that woman who cleans for your mother, isn’t it?’ Marie said. ‘I thought her husband was on the convoys.’
‘He is.’
‘That’s not him, then. He’s in an army uniform.’
Charles eyebrows shot up, and his eyes widened. ‘So he is!’
‘Mam! Mam!’ A little girl dashed out of a gate and ran to greet her. As soon as she was within striking distance Hannah landed a slap on her face that sent her reeling off the
pavement and into the road.
Marie jumped out of the car and bounded down the street, reaching them just as Hannah was inserting the key into her front door.
‘Just hold on,’ she shouted, ‘just hold on a bit. I saw that.’
‘Saw what?’
‘I saw what you just did to that bairn. I saw the crack you gave her. You ought to be ashamed of yourself.’
Hannah looked her up and down. ‘You get away and mind your own business. It’s no concern of yours how I look after my own daughter.’
Marie exploded. ‘I’ve just watched you walk down this street, and this bairn’s been sitting on the doorstep, waiting for you. How old is she? About six? You leave her roaming
the streets on her own till this time of night and you call that “looking after”?’
Hannah flung the door open. ‘Jenny! Get in that house.’
With her nose and eyes streaming and stifling her sobs, the little girl pulled her cardigan round her skinny frame, and with a wary eye on Hannah, dodged quickly under her arm and went inside.
Three strides brought Hannah to the gate, where she tried to stare Marie down – while addressing her comments to Charles, who was just approaching them. ‘Can’t you control your
young woman, Charles?’
‘I’m sorry, Hannah, you’ll have to excuse her. She’s got a lot on her mind. Come on, Marie. Come away,’ Charles urged.
‘That’s right, you get her away, tell her to mind her own bloody business, before she gets a piece of my mind. It’s nothing to do with her if I give my own bairn a
tap.’
Marie couldn’t believe her ears. ‘I’m sorry, Hannah? That wasn’t just a tap!’ She turned to Charles, outraged. ‘She nearly knocked the bairn’s head off
her shoulders. You saw it yourself! And who’s that she’s with, while her husband’s away risking his life on the convoys? Standing there watching her knock the poor man’s
bairn about?’
Charles grabbed her shoulders, pulling her away. ‘Come on, Marie. Come away, it really is nothing to do with us.’
The soldier with Hannah shrugged and gave Charles a wink before following Jenny into the house.
Marie shook Charles off, and advanced on Hannah. ‘I saw what you did, and if I see any more of it, I’ll have the law on you. Don’t think I won’t.’
Hannah went in and slammed the door.
‘Marie, let’s go,’ Charles begged. ‘It’s really none of your business.’
She gave him a blistering look. ‘What’s wrong? Are you scared of falling out with her? She’s your mother’s charwoman – it’s her that should be scared of
falling out with you! Are you worried your mother might have to scrub her own bloody floors for a change?’
‘Marie, you’re not being rational.’
‘Rational! Is it rational to leave a bairn her age roaming the
string, the crafty little twerp. Don’t let Alfie pull the wool over your eyes. Give it a bit longer, see how things go. It’ll probably do him the world of good to be somewhere where
he’s not coddled. Toughen him up a bit.’
‘He might not survive being toughened up by a lad twice his size; Ernie strikes me as a nasty piece of work. And his mother’s face would turn the milk sour. They haven’t a good
word for our Alfie, either of them.’
‘Well, just let’s forget about Alfie for a bit. Are you going to ask me in?’
She nudged him and nodded towards the couple who were approaching, linked arm in arm.
‘That’s Hannah, that woman who cleans for your mother, isn’t it?’ Marie said. ‘I thought her husband was on the convoys.’
‘He is.’
‘That’s not him, then. He’s in an army uniform.’
Charles eyebrows shot up, and his eyes widened. ‘So he is!’
‘Mam! Mam!’ A little girl dashed out of a gate and ran to greet her. As soon as she was within striking distance Hannah landed a slap on her face that sent her reeling off the
pavement and into the road.
Marie jumped out of the car and bounded down the street, reaching them just as Hannah was inserting the key into her front door.
‘Just hold on,’ she shouted, ‘just hold on a bit. I saw that.’
‘Saw what?’
‘I saw what you just did to that bairn. I saw the crack you gave her. You ought to be ashamed of yourself.’
Hannah looked her up and down. ‘You get away and mind your own business. It’s no concern of yours how I look after my own daughter.’
Marie exploded. ‘I’ve just watched you walk down this street, and this bairn’s been sitting on the doorstep, waiting for you. How old is she? About six? You leave her roaming
the streets on her own till this time of night and you call that “looking after”?’
Hannah flung the door open. ‘Jenny! Get in that house.’
With her nose and eyes streaming and stifling her sobs, the little girl pulled her cardigan round her skinny frame, and with a wary eye on Hannah, dodged quickly under her arm and went inside.
Three strides brought Hannah to the gate, where she tried to stare Marie down – while addressing her comments to Charles, who was just approaching them. ‘Can’t you control your
young woman, Charles?’
‘I’m sorry, Hannah, you’ll have to excuse her. She’s got a lot on her mind. Come on, Marie. Come away,’ Charles urged.
‘That’s right, you get her away, tell her to mind her own bloody business, before she gets a piece of my mind. It’s nothing to do with her if I give my own bairn a
tap.’
Marie couldn’t believe her ears. ‘I’m sorry, Hannah? That wasn’t just a tap!’ She turned to Charles, outraged. ‘She nearly knocked the bairn’s head off
her shoulders. You saw it yourself! And who’s that she’s with, while her husband’s away risking his life on the convoys? Standing there watching her knock the poor man’s
bairn about?’
Charles grabbed her shoulders, pulling her away. ‘Come on, Marie. Come away, it really is nothing to do with us.’
The soldier with Hannah shrugged and gave Charles a wink before following Jenny into the house.
Marie shook Charles off, and advanced on Hannah. ‘I saw what you did, and if I see any more of it, I’ll have the law on you. Don’t think I won’t.’
Hannah went in and slammed the door.
‘Marie, let’s go,’ Charles begged. ‘It’s really none of your business.’
She gave him a blistering look. ‘What’s wrong? Are you scared of falling out with her? She’s your mother’s charwoman – it’s her that should be scared of
falling out with you! Are you worried your mother might have to scrub her own bloody floors for a change?’
‘Marie, you’re not being rational.’
‘Rational! Is it rational to leave a bairn her age roaming the
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