by Ellie Dean
‘I hate to leave you like this,’ said Peggy as the Town Hall struck six. ‘But Daisy needs her breakfast, and there’s a bit of a crisis at the factory, so it’s vital I go into work this morning. But I promise to call in during my lunch break. If you hear anything, ring the factory. Madge will pass a message on.’
‘I should go and make sure John gets a good breakfast inside him before we have to be in the office,’ said Doris. ‘Unless you want me to stay, Rosie?’
Rosie managed to dredge up a smile. ‘None of us are really doing any good here,’ she said quietly. ‘I appreciate the offer, Doris, but I’m all right, really.’
Doris squeezed Rosie’s shoulder in sympathy and went to join the Colonel, who’d unexpectedly appeared in the doorway.
‘I’ll keep you company, Rosie,’ said Cordelia. ‘And young Fran has promised to keep us informed with any news from theatre now she’s on duty.’
Rosie clasped her hand in gratitude and then lit a cigarette. Now Peggy had left, she was very grateful for Cordelia’s company, and for all the wonderful kindness she’d been shown by everyone, but her mind was on what the X-rays might have revealed, fretting over the possibility that the shrapnel might have crippled Ron for life – or worse, that he might die whilst he was under the knife.
‘That surgeon better have very steady hands,’ she muttered to Cordelia. ‘Or he’ll have me to answer to.’
Peggy arrived home to discover that Sarah was cooking breakfast, and Ivy had stoked the fire and laid the table whilst Danuta and Rita were having their baths. She told them Ron was still in theatre, then saw to Daisy, who was a bit grumpy at having had a disturbed night’s sleep. Although she didn’t feel at all hungry, Peggy managed a boiled egg and a piece of toast with a very welcome cup of tea and a fag.
Robert dashed downstairs and rushed off to Castle Hill Fort with barely a word, shortly followed by Rita and Danuta, who’d bathed and changed, and now tucked into the food ravenously.
‘So, what exactly happened last night?’ asked Peggy. ‘The men would tell me nothing, and Rosie and I need to know.’
The girls shared a glance, and it was Rita who replied. ‘Ron had an accident in the hills,’ she said. ‘He got trapped in a landfall. That’s really all I can say.’
‘What the heck was he doing out there at that time in the morning?’
‘I don’t know,’ said Rita. ‘He never came round, so couldn’t tell us.’
Peggy suspected that the rescuers had rehearsed their story and were hiding something from her, but she was determined to get to the bottom of it. ‘If he was trapped underground, then how did anyone know where to find him?’
Rita shrugged and Danuta kept her head bent to her breakfast. ‘Someone did say that Bertie Double-Barrelled led them to him,’ said Rita eventually, succumbing to Peggy’s level stare. ‘I’m sorry, Auntie Peg, but we were all told not to breathe a word of what happened last night, because it would be a breach of the Secrets Act.’
‘Good grief!’ gasped Peggy. ‘What on earth was the old devil up to out there?’ She realised it was a rhetorical question, for she now knew she’d get no answer from anyone that had been involved. ‘I suppose I should just be grateful you got to him at all, and that he’s in the best place to be treated properly,’ she said with a sigh. ‘But, oh, God, the waiting to hear if he’s pulled through is killing me. Lord only knows what it’s doing to poor Rosie.’
Both girls gave her a hug, then cleared their dishes and rushed off, leaving Peggy none the wiser. The house felt strangely deserted and horribly silent without Ron, Harvey and Cordelia, and so she turned the wireless on for company and quickly made a flask of tea and a pile of sandwiches to take to the hospital for Rosie and Cordelia.
Wrapping the sandwiches in newspaper, she then went down to the basement with Daisy to see to the ferrets and feed the chickens. Returning to the kitchen some time later, she switched off the news broadcast, which didn’t really have anything new to say, and prepared herself and Daisy to leave the house.
With Daisy snugly protected beneath the waterproof covers of the pushchair and happily dozing, Peggy tied her headscarf under her chin, buckled the belt on her raincoat and opened her umbrella. The driving rain came at her in horizontal sheets and she found she really had to struggle against it – especially when it blew up from the sea as she crossed over into Camden Road.
It was a foul day and her spirits were at their lowest ebb. She couldn’t bear the thought of Ron going under the knife. He’d looked so helpless lying there, his face ashen beneath the oxygen mask, and suddenly looking old and frail – not the Ron she knew at all.
And the thought of poor Rosie having to sit and wait while her imagination must be running riot was hard to take as well. Peggy felt awful about leaving her there with Cordelia, who was far too old to be sitting about after a poor night’s sleep, but it was imperative she speak to Solly today before Mavis’s troublemaking went any further.
As she reached the Anchor, she was surprised to see the lights blazing in the bar. Thinking they must have left them on in their rush to get to the hospital, she hurried inside and took in the sight of Brenda and the other two barmaids busy clearing up the abandoned party.
‘Oh, Brenda, that is kind. Rosie will be so grateful.’
‘It’s the least we can do in the circumstances,’ Brenda replied. ‘Fred came to fetch Monty, so he’s all right, but if you could tell Rosie we’ll keep the pub going for her. She doesn’t need the worry of this place with everything else going on.’
Peggy nodded and promised to keep them informed on Ron’s progress, then went back out into the rain. She hurried to the hospital and found Rosie and Cordelia where she’d left them. ‘Any news?’
‘He’s out of theatre,’ said Rosie, her face drawn and pale with worry. ‘Fran popped down and told us, but she doesn’t know how the operation went.’ She took a tremulous breath. ‘He’s in recovery now, but she warned us not to expect much more information for at least another hour or so.’
‘At least it seems he’s come through,’ Peggy said soothingly. ‘I’ve brought you sandwiches and tea,’ she added, fishing them out of her string bag. ‘I’ll pop back later with something hot from the factory canteen.’ She looked at Cordelia, who was clearly very tired. ‘Would you like me to take you back to the Anchor so you can rest?’
‘No, thank you,’ she replied, sitting a little straighter in her chair. ‘I’m staying put until I know that old scallywag is on the mend.’
Peggy knew better than to argue. She told Rosie what Brenda and the other two barmaids were doing.
‘That’s so typical of Brenda,’ said Rosie, once more on the verge of tears. ‘How very kind everyone has been. I seriously don’t know how I can ever repay all their love and care.’
‘You don’t need to,’ Peggy assured her. ‘They love you and Ron, and are only too pleased to have something to do that might help you both.’ Daisy was starting to wriggle and grizzle, so Peggy quickly kissed Rosie and Cordelia, then wheeled the pushchair back outside before it became a full-blown tantrum.
Hurrying to the crèche, she explained to Nanny Pringle what had happened to bring them so early to her door, and was greatly relieved when she took it all in her stride and promised to look after Daisy and make sure she had a sleep.
Peggy had noted Solly’s Rolls-Royce parked at the kerb. The day shift was yet to begin, so this would be the perfect time to have a quiet word with him about Mavis. Not wishing to be seen by Mavis or the girls on night shift, she ran through the rain to the fire escape and let herself into the outer office.
Madge had yet to arrive, so she dumped her wet umbrella in the stand by the coat rack and hurried through to tap on Solly’s door.
‘Come in.’
Peggy was surprised to hear Rachel’s voice, for she rarely arrived at the factory before nine – but in fact was rather relieved, for Rachel would be easier to talk to. She went in and found her alone behind the large desk.
‘Hello, Peggy,’ she said, getting to her feet in surprise. ‘I’m sorry we both missed the parties last night, but Solly was held up late at the synagogue, and I got called in here to deal with Fanny Rawson, who’d taken a nasty fall and had to be rushed to hospital with two broken ribs and a badly twisted ankle.’
Peggy was startled by this piece of news and decided her own, however monumental, could wait. ‘Fanny’s not usually clumsy,’ she said, undoing her coat and taking off her headscarf. ‘Is she all right?’
‘They strapped up her ribs and ankle and are keeping her in for the day to make sure she isn’t suffering from concussion. She took a nasty blow to her head, you see, and had been knocked out cold.’
‘How did it happen?’ asked Peggy.
Rachel poured them both a cup of strong, aromatic coffee from the percolator that sat on a nearby filing cabinet, and added milk and sugar. ‘That’s the odd thing,’ she replied as they both settled into the chairs. ‘Fanny said she’d tripped on the stairs leading up to the offices, but when I asked around, no one would admit to seeing her fall. It beats me what on earth she was doing coming up here at all. She had no cause to know neither Solly nor I would be here.’
‘What did Mavis say? I’m assuming she was in attendance?’ asked Peggy.
‘Of course she was,’ said Rachel. ‘She confirmed what Fanny told me. Why do you ask?’
Peggy sipped the delicious coffee and decided not to answer directly. ‘It’s strange no one else saw her fall,’ she said finally. ‘Most of the women down there have eyes like hawks.’
‘Yes, I know, and that does bother me,’ murmured Rachel. She sat back in Solly’s creaking chair and regarded Peggy evenly. ‘Do you think there’s more to this, Peggy?
‘I’m very much afraid there might be,’ she replied. She put down her coffee cup and told Rachel about the personal files, Mavis’s snooping, and the switch of personnel. ‘I burned everything except for the work records, basic medical information and their references,’ she finished.
‘You did the right thing, Peggy,’ Rachel sighed. ‘Loretta should have destroyed all those notes once she’d finished her social history degree. I can’t believe she’s been so careless.’
She opened the silver cigarette box, offered it to Peggy and then lit up. ‘I have no doubt your suspicions about Mavis are correct – I never trusted her from the start. But what on earth do we do about it? We have absolutely no proof of anything unless one of those women talks to us.’
Peggy remained silent, for she really didn’t know what to suggest.
‘Do you think there was some sort of confrontation between Mavis and Fanny?’ Rachel asked. ‘Is it possible she and Mavis were fighting on the stairs and Fanny really did lose her footing – or do you think she was pushed?’
‘I strongly suspect the latter could have been the case,’ said Peggy. ‘But if there was a confrontation, it was in full view of the entire night shift. So why isn’t anyone speaking out about it? Fanny has lots of friends down there, and Mavis isn’t popular. It doesn’t make sense.’
‘Who is Fanny’s best friend? Perhaps she can be persuaded to speak out.’
Peggy thought for a moment, remembering the notes in Fanny’s file. ‘Julie Raymond shares her room at the hostel and they’ve become very close. But it wouldn’t be a good idea to approach her here. Better to wait until she’s gone off shift.’
‘Would you do that, Peggy? She might be afraid to talk to me as I’m the boss’s wife. I’ll keep Mavis here on some pretext at the end of the shift so you have time to whisk Julie off somewhere quiet.’
Rachel reached into a drawer and pulled out a ten-bob note from a tin cash box. ‘Take her to the Lilac Tearooms and treat yourselves to some scones or something.’
Peggy took the money and slipped it into her handbag. ‘When’s Solly due in?’ she asked.
‘Not until this afternoon,’ said Rachel. ‘My car’s broken down, so he’s waiting at home to pick it up from the garage.’ She thought for a moment, and then stubbed out her cigarette. ‘I think it’s best if we clear this up together, Peggy. Solly has a great deal on his plate at the moment, and I don’t want him blowing a fuse over Mavis and her shenanigans. His blood pressure simply won’t stand it.’
She smiled at Peggy’s worried expression. ‘Don’t fret, Peggy. I know how to handle him. He’ll thank us in the end, believe you me.’
‘I hope so,’ said Peggy, who doubted it very much.
Rachel became businesslike. ‘Now, Peggy, what can I do for you? It’s still very early, so something must be up.’
Peggy told her about the night’s dramas.
‘Oh, Peggy, I’m so sorry,’ Rachel gasped. ‘I’ve been rattling on about Mavis and Fanny and you must be in a terrible state. Forget about talking to Julie, and get yourself back to the hospital.’
Peggy shook her head. ‘I’m of no use there, and Cordelia’s keeping Rosie company until the others can pop in,’ she said. ‘If you don’t mind, I’d rather deal with what’s happening here. It’ll give me something else to think about.’
‘Well, if you’re sure,’ Rachel murmured.
‘Quite sure,’ she said firmly. She glanced at her watch. ‘I’ll slip outside and wait for Julie. The end of the shift is only five minutes away.’
Rachel nodded, and as Peggy pulled on her coat, she pressed a button on the intercom connected to the shop floor office.
‘Mrs Whitlock. Would you be so kind as to come up to my office at the end of the shift? There are some time sheets I need to go through with you before you leave for home.’ She disconnected the line without waiting for a reply and winked at Peggy. ‘It’s up to you now. Good luck.’
Peggy grabbed her umbrella and hurried through the fire-escape door to avoid Mavis. Making her way down the rattling iron staircase to the factory forecourt, she stood beneath her umbrella, waiting for Julie, her mind working on how to approach the tricky subject of Fanny’s fall.
As the men and women began pouring out of the factory, and others poured in, it was quite a task to pick her out, for Julie was small and slight, with pale brown hair and ordinary features which didn’t make her stand out in a crowd. But eventually Peggy spotted her, and as she came out of the gate, followed her down the street for a little way and then tapped her on the shoulder.
‘Hello, Julie, Remember me? Peggy Reilly.’
‘Course I do.’ The girl grinned, making her sallow face light up and her pale eyes shine. ‘You helped me get the job here, and I’m ever so grateful.’
‘I’m just glad you’re happy here,’ said Peggy, tucking her hand into the crook of Julie’s arm. ‘Why don’t we have a cup of tea and a bit of cake or something at the tearooms? My treat.’
The girl’s expression was immediately guarded, and she eased her arm away. ‘Why’d you want to treat me, Mrs Reilly? What you want?’
‘Just a chat,’ said Peggy. ‘I thought it might be nice to catch up on all your news and hear how you’re getting on now you’re on night shifts.’
Peggy could see the girl was tempted, so she encouraged her with a friendly smile and a nudge against her shoulder. ‘Come on, Julie. It’s cold and wet out here, just think of a lovely cup of tea and bit of cake sitting by that fire in the tearoom where it’s all warm and cosy.’
‘Well, all right,’ she replied with obvious reluctance. ‘But only for a bit. I’m tired and need me sleep.’
Peggy steered her along the road to the teashop which had stood in Camden Road for years, and chivvied her inside to the jolly sound of the tinkling bell above the door. ‘Good morning, Bella,’ she said to the owner. ‘A pot of tea and a plate of cakes, please.’
Julie was clearly overawed by it all. Peggy suspected the girl had never set foot in the place before today, and rather regretted having to spoil her treat by pumping her for information. She chose a table at the back of the room where they couldn’t be seen by anyone passing the window, and slipped off her coat and scarf.
She held her hands out to the fire in the hearth. ‘This is nice, isn’t it?’ she said. ‘Much more pleasant than standing about in the wet and cold.’
Julie nodded warily, perhaps already suspecting where this meeting was heading. She too shed her coat and warmed her hands, and stared in appreciation at the plate of delicious-looking cakes Bella had just placed on the table. ‘Blimey,’ she breathed. ‘I ain’t seen the like since I don’t know when.’
Peggy encouraged her to choose the large slab of chocolate cake, whilst she selected the Victoria sponge. ‘Bella does the best cakes in Cliffehaven,’ she said. ‘But then her uncle owns the dairy, so she can always get butter and cream.’
She waited for Julie to tuck into her slice. ‘It’s just such a shame Fanny couldn’t be here to share it. Perhaps we should ask Bella to wrap up that piece of sponge for her so you can take it to the hospital?’
Julie paused in her chewing and then nodded and carried on eating, the temptation of such a delicious treat too great to resist.
Peggy wasn’t in the least bit hungry and nibbled at the cake as she surreptitiously watched Julie eat a second slice and wash it down with the hot, strong tea. When she’d gauged the girl was ready, she began to probe.
‘Mrs Goldman tells me that poor Fanny will be staying in hospital for a while. I do hope her injuries won’t stop her from working.’
‘She’ll be back tomorrow,’ said Julie, her gaze firmly fixed away from Peggy. ‘Fanny’s not one to shirk because of a few bumps and bruises.’
‘It was rather more than that, Julie,’ said Peggy. ‘She’s got two broken ribs and a very nasty bump on the head as well as a twisted ankle. She’s lucky she wasn’t killed after falling down those stairs.’
‘Yeah, I know, but like I said, Fanny ain’t one to make a fuss.’
Peggy chuckled. ‘Now, Julie, we both know Fanny enjoys making a fuss when she thinks someone’s playing unfairly, and I wouldn’t mind betting she’ll get the union representative on to Mr Goldman for having such a dangerous staircase.’
The girl looked back at her like a startled fawn. ‘Oh, she wouldn’t do that, Mrs Reilly, not with …’ She clamped her mouth shut.