real.
She frowned, thinking about what he’d said about Gertie, and, though she had denied them at the time, his concerns echoed her own. Gertie had looked annoyed when Doug arrived, and she’d been funny with him all day.
Doug turned in his sleep and as his arm wrapped around her body, Hilda at last lay down. She didn’t want to worry about Gertie, didn’t want her short time with Doug ruined. She’d continue to deny her concerns and, anyway, Gertie hadn’t really tried anything – just an occasional hug that didn’t really make her feel threatened in any way. If Doug thought there was more to it, he’d go mad, so she would just have to alleviate his worries somehow.
Hilda snuggled closer, pushing thoughts of Gertie away. For now she could hold Doug – for now he was safe, but already she was dreading the thought of him going back to sea.
Chapter 8
The dawn chorus woke Ellen, and finding herself in a different room for a moment she was disorientated. Her last memory was of falling asleep on her dad’s lap, that thought causing her to sit bolt upright in bed. Her dad! Her dad was here and must have carried her up to bed in Gertie’s room.
Excitedly, Ellen flung back the blankets, careless of the cold linoleum underfoot as she scampered to see him. ‘Dad!’ she cried, jumping onto the bed.
An eye opened, a groan, and then he said, ‘Blimey, pumpkin, you’re up early. Come on, you’re cold. Get in between me and your mum.’
Ellen scrambled into the bed, uncaring that she had woken her mum as her arms wrapped joyfully around her father.
‘Ellen, your feet are freezing,’ Hilda complained, ‘and you’re a bit big for getting into bed with us now.’
‘Leave her, Hilda. She’s all right with us for a while.’
‘Doug…you…you haven’t got anything on.’
‘Bugger, I forgot about that.’
‘Why haven’t you got your pyjamas on, Dad? Did you forget to bring them?’
‘Er…no,’ he said, ‘but shift over for a minute and I’ll put the bottoms on.’
As his arm reached out to grab them from a nearby chair, Ellen was aware that her mother was getting out of bed. She turned over, eyes wide when she saw that her mum was naked. ‘Mum, where’s your nightdress?’
‘Stop looking at me. I forgot to put it on, that’s all.’
‘Hilda, now that you’re up, how about a nice cup of tea for your old man?’
‘See what you’ve done, Ellen,’ she complained, shrugging her flannelette nightdress over her head.
‘Blimey, talk about a passion killer.’
‘Doug, watch what you’re saying in front of Ellen.’
‘What’s passion?’ Ellen asked. ‘See what I mean?’
‘It’s just another word for enthusiasm, that’s all.’
Ellen still didn’t understand, but after wriggling about under the bedclothes her dad managed to get his pyjama bottoms on and she snuggled up to him again.
‘You needn’t think you can stay there for long, my girl,’ her mother warned. ‘Now that you’ve got us up at the crack of dawn you can give me a hand with our breakfast.’
‘I’ll get up when you fetch Dad his tea.’
‘Oh, so now he’s to have it in bed, is he?’
‘Cor, yes, please, love.’
Though her mum was trying to look cross, Ellen could see that she was happy, her brown eyes bright as she left the room. It was lovely to see her smiling all the time and she said sadly, ‘Dad, I wish you didn’t have to go back to sea.’
‘So do I, but buck up. We’ve got three lovely weeks together before that happens.’
There was the sound of a miaow and moments later Socks jumped on the bed, lying down on her father’s chest. He stroked his head, saying, ‘He was only a kitten the last time I saw him. He’s a whopper now.’
‘Yes, but he isn’t around much. He turns up every morning for something to eat and it’s my job to feed him, but then he’s off again.’
‘He should have been neutered.’
‘What’s that?’
‘Er…it’s something that’s done to tomcats to
She frowned, thinking about what he’d said about Gertie, and, though she had denied them at the time, his concerns echoed her own. Gertie had looked annoyed when Doug arrived, and she’d been funny with him all day.
Doug turned in his sleep and as his arm wrapped around her body, Hilda at last lay down. She didn’t want to worry about Gertie, didn’t want her short time with Doug ruined. She’d continue to deny her concerns and, anyway, Gertie hadn’t really tried anything – just an occasional hug that didn’t really make her feel threatened in any way. If Doug thought there was more to it, he’d go mad, so she would just have to alleviate his worries somehow.
Hilda snuggled closer, pushing thoughts of Gertie away. For now she could hold Doug – for now he was safe, but already she was dreading the thought of him going back to sea.
Chapter 8
The dawn chorus woke Ellen, and finding herself in a different room for a moment she was disorientated. Her last memory was of falling asleep on her dad’s lap, that thought causing her to sit bolt upright in bed. Her dad! Her dad was here and must have carried her up to bed in Gertie’s room.
Excitedly, Ellen flung back the blankets, careless of the cold linoleum underfoot as she scampered to see him. ‘Dad!’ she cried, jumping onto the bed.
An eye opened, a groan, and then he said, ‘Blimey, pumpkin, you’re up early. Come on, you’re cold. Get in between me and your mum.’
Ellen scrambled into the bed, uncaring that she had woken her mum as her arms wrapped joyfully around her father.
‘Ellen, your feet are freezing,’ Hilda complained, ‘and you’re a bit big for getting into bed with us now.’
‘Leave her, Hilda. She’s all right with us for a while.’
‘Doug…you…you haven’t got anything on.’
‘Bugger, I forgot about that.’
‘Why haven’t you got your pyjamas on, Dad? Did you forget to bring them?’
‘Er…no,’ he said, ‘but shift over for a minute and I’ll put the bottoms on.’
As his arm reached out to grab them from a nearby chair, Ellen was aware that her mother was getting out of bed. She turned over, eyes wide when she saw that her mum was naked. ‘Mum, where’s your nightdress?’
‘Stop looking at me. I forgot to put it on, that’s all.’
‘Hilda, now that you’re up, how about a nice cup of tea for your old man?’
‘See what you’ve done, Ellen,’ she complained, shrugging her flannelette nightdress over her head.
‘Blimey, talk about a passion killer.’
‘Doug, watch what you’re saying in front of Ellen.’
‘What’s passion?’ Ellen asked. ‘See what I mean?’
‘It’s just another word for enthusiasm, that’s all.’
Ellen still didn’t understand, but after wriggling about under the bedclothes her dad managed to get his pyjama bottoms on and she snuggled up to him again.
‘You needn’t think you can stay there for long, my girl,’ her mother warned. ‘Now that you’ve got us up at the crack of dawn you can give me a hand with our breakfast.’
‘I’ll get up when you fetch Dad his tea.’
‘Oh, so now he’s to have it in bed, is he?’
‘Cor, yes, please, love.’
Though her mum was trying to look cross, Ellen could see that she was happy, her brown eyes bright as she left the room. It was lovely to see her smiling all the time and she said sadly, ‘Dad, I wish you didn’t have to go back to sea.’
‘So do I, but buck up. We’ve got three lovely weeks together before that happens.’
There was the sound of a miaow and moments later Socks jumped on the bed, lying down on her father’s chest. He stroked his head, saying, ‘He was only a kitten the last time I saw him. He’s a whopper now.’
‘Yes, but he isn’t around much. He turns up every morning for something to eat and it’s my job to feed him, but then he’s off again.’
‘He should have been neutered.’
‘What’s that?’
‘Er…it’s something that’s done to tomcats to
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