Read Online The Clippie Girls by Margaret Dickinson - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: Margaret Dickinson
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prepared properly.’
‘What do you mean, Mother?’
‘We might be down there for several hours at a time. We’ll need to sort out bedding and warm clothing. Food in tins or jars and drinking water, which we’ll have to change regularly. Thermos flasks we can leave at the ready in the kitchen and fill them up when the sirens start.’
‘My word! You have been giving it some thought.’
‘Torches and batteries,’ Grace went on. ‘I’d like to take a wireless set, but I’ve only the one, so I’ll have to do without that. And I suppose,’ she added reluctantly, ‘we’ll have to sort out some sort of toilet arrangement.’
‘Oh no!’ Myrtle was adamant. ‘If you think I’m going to the lav with those two little tykes from next door listening, you can think again. I’d sooner dash across the yard – bombs or no bombs.’
Grace and Mary smiled. ‘Well, I can’t help agreeing with you, Myrtle, but we’ll have to see.’
‘I’ll make a list,’ Mary said, ‘and we can start collecting all the things we’ll need.’
‘And don’t forget some books and games to keep those little rascals from next door quiet. And my newspapers. Don’t forget to take my newspapers.’
‘How are we going to read in the dark?’
‘There’s an electric light down there, but if that fails, we’ll use candles. It’s surprising what light candles give off, if you can get enough of them.’
‘You’ve got an answer for everything, Gran,’ Myrtle murmured in admiration.
A little while later a knock sounded at the front door.
‘Oh Gawd,’ Grace muttered morosely. ‘That’ll be him again. Has he been daft enough to trudge through all this snow? Never gives up, does he, even though it’s obvious she’s not interested in him. I hope he doesn’t stay long. I want the news at nine.’ Mary and Peggy were still washing up in the kitchen. Grace sighed. ‘You’d better let him in, Myrtle.’
The girl glanced up sullenly. ‘Why do I always have to be the one—?’
‘I’ll go.’ Rose turned from where she’d been folding the tablecloth and putting it away in the sideboard drawer. She paused for a moment and stared at her grandmother. ‘What – what d’you mean, Gran, Peggy’s not interested in him?’
‘She’s not exactly acting like someone head over heels in love, is she? She must have heard the knock and yet she’s not coming rushing through to answer it, even though she must know it’s him.’ Grace sniffed. ‘Like we all do.’ Then a wistful smile played briefly on the old woman’s mouth. ‘Even I can remember what it was like when I fell in love with your grandad. Besotted, I was. Almost made myself ill with the excitement of it all. But then, he was a very handsome man – tall and dark-haired and—’
‘Oh, Gran, Bob’s good-looking, he . . .’ Rose began and then stopped, appalled that she might have given herself away by extolling Bob’s virtues. Instead, she muttered, ‘I’ll go, seeing as no one else seems to want to.’
As she went into the narrow hallway, her mind was in a whirl. She had never thought for one moment that Peggy might not be in love with Bob. Rose couldn’t imagine anyone not being, but maybe . . .
‘Hang on a minute while I put the light out.’ She opened the door and smiled a welcome, forcing a light, teasing note into her tone. ‘Now fancy seeing you. Whatever brings you here, Mr Deeton? As if we didn’t know.’
Bob grinned shyly as he stepped across the threshold. ‘Is she home?’
‘She’s in the back just finishing the washing up. I bet you could do with a cuppa.’
‘Ooo, I could. Ta, Rose.’ He stamped the snow from his boots. ‘I reckon it’s getting colder.’
Rose closed the door and switched the light back on. ‘Let me take your coat.’ She shook the snow from it and hung it on one of the pegs on the wall. ‘Gran’s paper said that the other night was the coldest for years. Parts of the Thames were frozen over. Can you
‘What do you mean, Mother?’
‘We might be down there for several hours at a time. We’ll need to sort out bedding and warm clothing. Food in tins or jars and drinking water, which we’ll have to change regularly. Thermos flasks we can leave at the ready in the kitchen and fill them up when the sirens start.’
‘My word! You have been giving it some thought.’
‘Torches and batteries,’ Grace went on. ‘I’d like to take a wireless set, but I’ve only the one, so I’ll have to do without that. And I suppose,’ she added reluctantly, ‘we’ll have to sort out some sort of toilet arrangement.’
‘Oh no!’ Myrtle was adamant. ‘If you think I’m going to the lav with those two little tykes from next door listening, you can think again. I’d sooner dash across the yard – bombs or no bombs.’
Grace and Mary smiled. ‘Well, I can’t help agreeing with you, Myrtle, but we’ll have to see.’
‘I’ll make a list,’ Mary said, ‘and we can start collecting all the things we’ll need.’
‘And don’t forget some books and games to keep those little rascals from next door quiet. And my newspapers. Don’t forget to take my newspapers.’
‘How are we going to read in the dark?’
‘There’s an electric light down there, but if that fails, we’ll use candles. It’s surprising what light candles give off, if you can get enough of them.’
‘You’ve got an answer for everything, Gran,’ Myrtle murmured in admiration.
A little while later a knock sounded at the front door.
‘Oh Gawd,’ Grace muttered morosely. ‘That’ll be him again. Has he been daft enough to trudge through all this snow? Never gives up, does he, even though it’s obvious she’s not interested in him. I hope he doesn’t stay long. I want the news at nine.’ Mary and Peggy were still washing up in the kitchen. Grace sighed. ‘You’d better let him in, Myrtle.’
The girl glanced up sullenly. ‘Why do I always have to be the one—?’
‘I’ll go.’ Rose turned from where she’d been folding the tablecloth and putting it away in the sideboard drawer. She paused for a moment and stared at her grandmother. ‘What – what d’you mean, Gran, Peggy’s not interested in him?’
‘She’s not exactly acting like someone head over heels in love, is she? She must have heard the knock and yet she’s not coming rushing through to answer it, even though she must know it’s him.’ Grace sniffed. ‘Like we all do.’ Then a wistful smile played briefly on the old woman’s mouth. ‘Even I can remember what it was like when I fell in love with your grandad. Besotted, I was. Almost made myself ill with the excitement of it all. But then, he was a very handsome man – tall and dark-haired and—’
‘Oh, Gran, Bob’s good-looking, he . . .’ Rose began and then stopped, appalled that she might have given herself away by extolling Bob’s virtues. Instead, she muttered, ‘I’ll go, seeing as no one else seems to want to.’
As she went into the narrow hallway, her mind was in a whirl. She had never thought for one moment that Peggy might not be in love with Bob. Rose couldn’t imagine anyone not being, but maybe . . .
‘Hang on a minute while I put the light out.’ She opened the door and smiled a welcome, forcing a light, teasing note into her tone. ‘Now fancy seeing you. Whatever brings you here, Mr Deeton? As if we didn’t know.’
Bob grinned shyly as he stepped across the threshold. ‘Is she home?’
‘She’s in the back just finishing the washing up. I bet you could do with a cuppa.’
‘Ooo, I could. Ta, Rose.’ He stamped the snow from his boots. ‘I reckon it’s getting colder.’
Rose closed the door and switched the light back on. ‘Let me take your coat.’ She shook the snow from it and hung it on one of the pegs on the wall. ‘Gran’s paper said that the other night was the coldest for years. Parts of the Thames were frozen over. Can you
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