about this Pete? Tall, dark and handsome isn’t enough. I’d rather yer had a steady boyfriend who was honest and hard-working. Being a good dancer doesn’t mean a thing. Yer can’t spend the rest of yer life dancing.’
‘Mam, I’m nineteen! It’ll be a few years before I think of courting and getting married. And I don’t know how we went from me not having a coat to wear, to me going to the flicks with a bloke who is nice enough to keep me company, but not the sort I’d fall head over heels for. When I do meet someone I really like I’ll let yer know. But I warn yer, it might be a long time, because my ideal man would look like Cary Grant, sing like Frankie Lane and dance like George Raft. Oh, and he’d have to be rich enough to keep me in nice clothes.’ Poppy took a deep breath, then blew it out slowly. ‘That’s the longest speech I’ve ever made, and I’m back to square one with no coat to wear.’
‘If you’re only going to the pictures, you can wear the raincoat,’ her mother said. ‘No one is going to see it. It’s dark out and dark in the picture house.’
David left his seat to put his arm across his sister’s shoulder. ‘I go on full pay soon, kid, and although it’ll take me a few weeks to sort me money out, I promise I’ll go half with yer for a new coat.’
‘I’ll help out, too,’ Eva said. ‘The three of us can each put ten bob away for four weeks, and that should be enough for a good coat.’
‘I can’t let yer do that,’ Poppy said, her eyes wet with tears she was determined not to shed. ‘You’re the best mam and brother anyone could have, and I love yer very much. But I’m a big girl now, and I’ve got to learn that if I want anything, I’ve got to save up for it. I can’t sponge off you. I earn a wage same as you, and if I have to stay in every night for a few weeks, it won’t kill me.’ The threat of tears gone, her eyes filled with mischief and she giggled. ‘If Pete turns out to be good company, I won’t need to use my own money. I’ll see if he takes me in the best seats tonight, and if he does I’ll know he’s not skint and make another date with him. That’s if he asks me, of course.’
‘You shouldn’t do that, sweetheart,’ Eva said. ‘It wouldn’t be fair on the poor man if you lead him on just for the sake of using him.’
‘Oh, Mam, I was joking! You should know me better than to think I’d really give any bloke the runaround for the sake of a few bob. I like nice clothes, yer know that, but I’m fussy how I come by them. And if you’ll tidy the raincoat up as best yer can, I’ll wear it until I’ve saved up for a new one.’
David left his chair and made a dash for the door. ‘I bags the bathroom before you, sis. I didn’t realize the time with all the talking. If I don’t put a move on I’ll be late for my date.’ Taking the stairs two at a time, he called down, ‘Ten minutes, kid, I promise.’
Poppy stood in the hall with hands on hips and shouted up the stairs, ‘You sneak, David Meadows! What sort of man would treat a lady like that?’
‘A man who doesn’t want to keep a lady waiting, that’s who.’ The bathroom door closed on his voice promising, ‘Ten minutes, kid.’
Poppy put her arms round her mother and hugged her tight. She could remember her father, and knew how much her mother missed him. And she remembered how hard she’d worked to keep the house going. ‘I’ll stay in tonight, Mam, and keep you company. I know it’s mean to let Pete down, but if I ever see him again I’ll say I didn’t feel well.’
‘You’ll do no such thing, Poppy Meadows; that would be a mean trick. And you shouldn’t tell lies, ’cos God will pay you back if you do. So let’s see if we can sponge the dirt off the raincoat and make it presentable. Not that your date will worry about how it looks, anyway. He’ll be too busy looking at your pretty face.’
In the kitchen Eva spread the raincoat over the scrubbed
‘Mam, I’m nineteen! It’ll be a few years before I think of courting and getting married. And I don’t know how we went from me not having a coat to wear, to me going to the flicks with a bloke who is nice enough to keep me company, but not the sort I’d fall head over heels for. When I do meet someone I really like I’ll let yer know. But I warn yer, it might be a long time, because my ideal man would look like Cary Grant, sing like Frankie Lane and dance like George Raft. Oh, and he’d have to be rich enough to keep me in nice clothes.’ Poppy took a deep breath, then blew it out slowly. ‘That’s the longest speech I’ve ever made, and I’m back to square one with no coat to wear.’
‘If you’re only going to the pictures, you can wear the raincoat,’ her mother said. ‘No one is going to see it. It’s dark out and dark in the picture house.’
David left his seat to put his arm across his sister’s shoulder. ‘I go on full pay soon, kid, and although it’ll take me a few weeks to sort me money out, I promise I’ll go half with yer for a new coat.’
‘I’ll help out, too,’ Eva said. ‘The three of us can each put ten bob away for four weeks, and that should be enough for a good coat.’
‘I can’t let yer do that,’ Poppy said, her eyes wet with tears she was determined not to shed. ‘You’re the best mam and brother anyone could have, and I love yer very much. But I’m a big girl now, and I’ve got to learn that if I want anything, I’ve got to save up for it. I can’t sponge off you. I earn a wage same as you, and if I have to stay in every night for a few weeks, it won’t kill me.’ The threat of tears gone, her eyes filled with mischief and she giggled. ‘If Pete turns out to be good company, I won’t need to use my own money. I’ll see if he takes me in the best seats tonight, and if he does I’ll know he’s not skint and make another date with him. That’s if he asks me, of course.’
‘You shouldn’t do that, sweetheart,’ Eva said. ‘It wouldn’t be fair on the poor man if you lead him on just for the sake of using him.’
‘Oh, Mam, I was joking! You should know me better than to think I’d really give any bloke the runaround for the sake of a few bob. I like nice clothes, yer know that, but I’m fussy how I come by them. And if you’ll tidy the raincoat up as best yer can, I’ll wear it until I’ve saved up for a new one.’
David left his chair and made a dash for the door. ‘I bags the bathroom before you, sis. I didn’t realize the time with all the talking. If I don’t put a move on I’ll be late for my date.’ Taking the stairs two at a time, he called down, ‘Ten minutes, kid, I promise.’
Poppy stood in the hall with hands on hips and shouted up the stairs, ‘You sneak, David Meadows! What sort of man would treat a lady like that?’
‘A man who doesn’t want to keep a lady waiting, that’s who.’ The bathroom door closed on his voice promising, ‘Ten minutes, kid.’
Poppy put her arms round her mother and hugged her tight. She could remember her father, and knew how much her mother missed him. And she remembered how hard she’d worked to keep the house going. ‘I’ll stay in tonight, Mam, and keep you company. I know it’s mean to let Pete down, but if I ever see him again I’ll say I didn’t feel well.’
‘You’ll do no such thing, Poppy Meadows; that would be a mean trick. And you shouldn’t tell lies, ’cos God will pay you back if you do. So let’s see if we can sponge the dirt off the raincoat and make it presentable. Not that your date will worry about how it looks, anyway. He’ll be too busy looking at your pretty face.’
In the kitchen Eva spread the raincoat over the scrubbed
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