‘I think I’ll go and find you a nice strong cup of coffee,’ Emily said. ‘We’ll never get you home like this.’
‘You can get me another drink, though, Emily,’ Nell asked. ‘I need it.’
They sat beside Lizzie whilst she drank the coffee, pulling a face at its taste. ‘This isn’t coffee. Ugh!’
‘There is a war on, you know,’ Emily said, trying to lighten the tension between them but, at that moment, there were thunderous crashes in the square and people were rushing into the hotel from the street.
‘Incendiaries are dropping in t’Square. There’re fires everywhere.’
‘Come on, we’re getting out of here,’ Nell said, standing up and grasping Lizzie’s arm roughly. ‘And you’re coming with us, m’girl.’
‘No, I’m not. I’m staying here. They’ve got a good cellar here. It’s the safest place to be.’
‘I said, we’re going. Emily, get her other arm.’ They dragged Lizzie towards the door into the street.
‘Let me go, let me go,’ she cried, struggling and kicking out at Nell, but the two women were stronger than she was. Briefly, Emily was aware of the young RAF pilot watching them go. She saw him put down his drink and start to push his way through the crowd to follow them.
But once they were in the street, people were still running towards the hotel and Emily lost sight of him. The siren still wailed as they half dragged, half carried Lizzie between them. Suddenly, as they heard the noise of more aircraft overhead, she stopped fighting them and the three of them ran down the street.
‘Where shall we go?’ Nell panted. ‘It’s too far to get home.’
‘Just keep running . . .’
Fifty
As they ran, all Emily could think was, ‘Thank goodness we sent the children away.’
‘We’re nearer the workshops than our homes,’ Nell shouted. ‘Let’s go there.’ Without even waiting for an answer from the other two, she veered off to her left. ‘Come on.’
Lizzie seemed to have given up trying to argue as she and Emily ran after Nell.
‘Have you – got a key?’ Emily gasped.
‘Always carry it,’ Nell said shortly. ‘You never know –’ she turned the corner into Rockingham Street and ran on ahead – ‘when you might need it,’ she finished as the other two caught up with her. She opened the door, but for a few seconds, just before they entered, Emily turned back to look at what they had left behind. ‘My God! It looks as if the whole city’s on fire.’
The sky was alight with the flames leaping into the air. And overhead, the shadows of bombers still lurked.
‘Ne’er mind sight-seeing, Emily. Get inside.’ Nell pushed her roughly through the door. ‘Quick – under the stairs.’
Afraid to put on any kind of light, they felt their way across the darkened workshop. As soon as war had become a certainty, Trip had insisted that Emily have a reinforced air-raid shelter constructed under the staircase at all three workshops. It was something he’d done at his factory and he wanted to be sure the girls were as safe as they could be.
‘It’ll be a squeeze for all the workforce to get in there, but it’ll be better than nothing,’ Trip had said and now Emily had cause to be thankful for her husband’s foresight. Once inside with the door shut, Emily took the small torch from her pocket. ‘I brought this in case we were late getting home.’
Lizzie sat down, huddled against the wall, her knees drawn up, her head buried against them. Nell was still standing, her hands pressed against her sides as she tried to regain her breath. She appeared to be listening intently.
‘I think they’re going. I can’t hear the planes now.’
‘You won’t in here, will you?’ Lizzie said morosely.
‘Sit down, Nell. Let’s get as comfortable as we can. I think there’s a box of emergency rations somewhere. I asked Maisie to keep it stocked up and to check it every day.’ She shone her torch around until she saw a hamper basket tucked away in one corner. ‘Ah, here we are. I don’t know about you two, but I’m famished. Hold the torch, Nell, will you?’
Whilst Nell shone the torch into the basket, Emily pulled out various packages of biscuits and bottles of water.
‘Here, Lizzie, have something to eat.’
‘I don’t want anything from you, Emily Trippet, not ever again.’
Emily sighed. ‘Suit yourself, then.’
‘Oh, I will, don’t you worry about that. I’m giving you my notice right now. I don’t want to work for the wealthy Mrs Trippet any more, thank you very much. And I expect I’ll have to leave town now, because by tomorrow everyone will know about me, won’t they?’
‘Not from us, they won’t, but I can’t guarantee what the folks in The Marples might say. There were plenty of people overheard you in the bar, Lizzie, and I suspect it’s likely that one or two of them know Billy.’ There was silence between them until Emily added softly, ‘So, what about Billy and that RAF lad too? You’re not being fair to either of them.’
‘Huh! He’s gone now, hasn’t he? You’ve seen to that.’
Emily decided not to say that she thought she’d seen the young airman trying to follow them. Better that Lizzie thought he’d deserted her. ‘Maybe – maybe not,’ she said carefully. ‘I hope he has, for his sake as well as yours.’
‘Thanks – for nothing.’
‘What about Billy?’ Nell asked bluntly. ‘I hope you’re not going to do anything stupid like writing him a “Dear John” letter.’
There was silence for some time before Lizzie said huskily, ‘No, I wouldn’t do that. Besides, I’m not planning on leaving Billy. I’m – I was – just having a bit of fun. It’s so awful here now, what with the rationing, the blackout and the constant fear of being bombed. Look at us now. Huddled together in a dark, damp place like rats in a trap, just waiting to be killed. I’m not standing for any more of it. Tomorrow, I’m off. I’ll volunteer for war work. The land army or something. All I know is, I’m not staying here. There’s nothing to keep me here. Though what I’m going to tell Jane, I don’t know.’
‘Jane? What’s she got to do with it?’
‘We’ve been going out together. See, I’m not so wicked as you’re trying to make out. We look after each other.’
‘Was she with you tonight?’ Emily asked in alarm. ‘Why on earth didn’t you say? Oh my, we haven’t left her there, have we?’
‘No, her dad wouldn’t let her come out tonight.’
‘So you were out on your own,’ Nell persisted and gave a sniff of disapproval. ‘And besides, I don’t think Jane can be held up as an example of virtue, do you?’
In the dim light from the torch, Lizzie glared at her mutinously for a moment, and then dropped her gaze.
‘What about your mother?’ Emily said. ‘You wouldn’t leave her on her own, would you?’
‘She can do what she likes.’
‘You really don’t care about anyone else but yourself, do you, Lizzie?’ Nell said softly. ‘You’re more like that brother of yours than you realize.’
‘Don’t you dare compare me with him. I’ve never been involved in his scams.’
‘Mm,’ was all Nell said, but there was no mistaking the note of doubt in her tone. There was a pause and then she added, ‘Did you mean it about always being in love with Josh and not Billy?’
‘Eh?’ Lizzie was startled. ‘What are you talking about?’
‘Back there, in the bar, that’s what you said and loud enough for everyone there to hear.’
‘I didn’t say anything of the sort,’ she denied Nell’s accusation, but then uncertainty crept into her voice. ‘Did I?’
‘’Fraid so, Lizzie, but,’ Emily added kindly, ‘I expect it was the drink talking.’
‘They always say,’ Nell murmured, ‘that you get the truth from a drunk.’
They sat there for hours.
‘We ought to try to get home,’ Emily fretted. ‘Our families will be worried sick.’
‘We’re not going un
til the All Clear sounds. They’ll know we’d’ve had the sense to get into a shelter.’
‘We should have gone into the cellars at the Marples,’ Lizzie said. ‘They’re huge.’
The All Clear didn’t sound until four in the morning, by which time the three women were cramped and stiff with cold. They left the workshop and stepped out into the street. Their quickest route home was not past Fitzalan Square, but they saw plenty of bomb damage on their way. Houses reduced to a pile of rubble, some half gone, with the interiors showing. They could see people’s possessions strewn in the roadways and folks climbing over what remained of their homes, trying to find their precious belongings.
Firemen were still damping down and the homeless were wandering about with dazed expressions on their white faces. And the grim task of searching the ruins for bodies had already begun.
The three of them said nothing though they were each thinking the same thing; just let our families be safe.
They parted where they took different directions to get home. Trip was standing in the doorway and as he heard her footsteps, he came out into the street and held his arms wide. ‘Thank God, you’re all right,’ he said holding her tight, not caring if anyone saw them. ‘I’m never letting you out of my sight again. Where have you been?’
For a moment Emily clung to him, grateful to be home and even more thankful that Trip was unharmed too. Even the house was untouched.
‘Oh Trip, we’ve seen some terrible sights. Let’s get inside and I’ll tell you.’
‘Steve came round about one o’clock this morning. He’d not been to bed and neither have I,’ he told her as they went inside and closed the door. ‘He wasn’t sure where Nell was going except that she was coming round here.’
‘He hasn’t gone looking for her, has he?’
Trip shook his head. ‘No, we decided – since we had no idea where you’d gone – it’d be foolish to try to roam the streets in an air raid. All we could do was pray that you’d found a shelter.’
‘We were in The Marples and everyone was going down to the cellar there. It’s reckoned to be one of the safest places to be, but we decided to make a dash for it before the bombing started in earnest, but then it got a bit hairy so we went to the workshop.’ She smiled up at him. ‘Thanks to you, we were in the shelter under the stairs.’ There was a pause as she stared at Trip. He had turned white and his hands were shaking. ‘What? What is it, Trip?’
Haltingly, he said, ‘When Steve came round he told me that he – he’d heard that The Marples had taken a direct hit.’ Once more he held her close. ‘I could have lost you. We could have lost both of you.’
‘The three of us,’ Emily murmured against his chest. ‘Lizzie was with us too.’
No more was said about Lizzie. The dreadful shock that awaited them when more news came through about the night’s tragedies left them stunned and appalled. The loss of life had been horrific. All but seven people in the hotel had been killed and throughout the city there had been more deaths. A lot of the city centre had been destroyed. ‘Why,’ folk asked, ‘did they go for the city centre?’
But there were quiet acts of unsung heroism too. ‘Did you hear about the brave clippie girl whose tram was hit on High Street?’ Trip said. ‘She got all her passengers to safety before she even thought of herself.’
But Emily’s mind was, as always, on the welfare of those who had been left homeless. ‘We must do whatever we can to help. I’ll talk to Mrs Dugdale. She’ll have contacts in the WVS.’
Trip and Emily were fortunate; none of their workplaces were damaged and work could proceed more or less normally, though the transport in the city was at a standstill.
Lizzie did not arrive at work the day after the air raid, but the following morning, the Saturday, when she knew they’d be working to catch up on the backlog, she appeared at the workshop in Rockingham Street.
Her face was mutinous. ‘I meant it – I’m going. I’m not having the pair of you trying to run my life. Me mam’s bad enough. Besides, there’re more useful things I can be doing to help the war effort than polishing knives and forks.’
‘Oh aye,’ Nell said sarcastically, ‘being a comforter for the troops.’
Lizzie raised her right hand as if to slap Nell across the side of her face, but Nell was quicker than she was. She grabbed her wrist mid-air. ‘Don’t you dare, Lizzie Nicholson. And just remember what your name is now. Nicholson. You’re married to a decent guy who volunteered to fight for his country when he needn’t have done. You’d do well to remember that.’
‘What are you going to do, Lizzie?’ Emily hated to see her band of workers being broken up. She thought they’d all been a happy team.
‘What’s it to you?’
‘I – I just want to know you’re going to be all right.’
‘I’m going to work in munitions.’
‘Then maybe Trip could—’
‘I don’t want any help from any of the Trippet family, thank you very much. And besides, I’ve got a job.’ Her glance went to Jane standing meekly at the back of the room. ‘I s’pect you haven’t told them.’
Jane flushed and hung her head.
‘Me and Jane went together yesterday. The air raid did a lot of damage in the city, but surprisingly, a lot of the factories weren’t touched. Me and Jane are going to be lady welders. The pay’s better, for starters.’
Emily turned questioning eyes towards Jane.
‘I’m sorry, missus. I should have told you. Me dad never stops going on at me at home about – well, you can guess, can’t you? I can’t stand it any longer. I’m leaving home and going into lodgings with Lizzie.’
‘You’re going to live with Mrs Dugdale and Lizzie?’
Jane shook her head. ‘No, me and Lizzie are finding lodgings together on the other side of town, nearer where we’ll be working.’
Nell gave an unladylike snort of derision. ‘Aye, so you’re well away from anyone who might know you.’ She turned away in disgust. ‘You’d better both get on with it, then. But don’t come running to me when you need help. Nor Emily. She’s done more than enough to help the pair of you and this is how you repay her. Right, Flo, let’s get on with our work. If we’re two down, we’ll be here all night.’ She glanced briefly over her shoulder. ‘Oh, and by the way, two of the girls I trained up, Emily, might like to come here. Beryl and Phyllis. I’ll tell them to come and see you, shall I?’
‘Er – oh – yes,’ Emily said hesitantly. Her head was still reeling. ‘Lizzie – please don’t do this. If you want to work in munitions, then fine. I can understand that. But please don’t leave home. Think about your mam. Maybe she would have Jane as a lodger.’
But Lizzie shook her head adamantly. ‘No, we’re going.’
That evening Bess came round to Emily’s in tears. ‘She’s gone, Emily. She’s packed her bags and gone.’
‘Come in, Mrs Dugdale. I’ll make us some tea.’
‘Do you have any idea why she’s done it? All she would say is that she’s given you notice and that she’s signed up for war work. Well, I don’t mind her doing that, but there’s plenty of other war work she can do here in the city. She doesn’t need to go away.’
‘I don’t think she’s left Sheffield, but her and Jane have both gone to train to be lady welders.’
‘They don’t need to leave home to do that.’
‘Jane’s not happy at home.’
‘Then they could both stay with me. I wouldn’t mind having a lodger.’
‘I think they want to be nearer where they’re going to work.’ It sounded a lame excuse, even to her own ears.
Bess dried her tears and seemed to regain some composure as she asked, ‘Emily, what’s been going on and don’t say “nothing”, because I know there’s summat. Have you had a falling out?’
Emily set two cups of tea on the table and sat down with a sigh. Avoiding a direct answer, she said, ‘I think Lizzie’s very unsettled. Maybe she feels she’s not doing enough t
o help the war effort.’
‘But she is. You’ve got a contract, haven’t you, to supply cutlery? She’s involved in that, isn’t she?’
‘Well, yes, but . . .’ Bess was putting Emily in a very awkward position. She didn’t want to tell tales on Lizzie. ‘But maybe she feels it isn’t enough when Billy’s away fighting.’
Bess frowned. ‘I reckon there’s summat you’re not telling me, Emily Trippet, but I can guess. She’s been going out almost every night for weeks now, dressed up to the nines. I warned her, but she wouldn’t listen.’
Emily glanced down at her teacup and said nothing.
‘Aye, I thought as much. Your face says it all.’ She gave a wry laugh. ‘Do you know, Emily, you’re a very bad liar. All right, I’m not asking you to tell me what’s been going on. I take it you tried to put a stop to it an’ all. She did let one thing out, though. She said the three of you – you, her and Nell – were out together the night the air raid happened and that you were at The Marples. That frightened her, I can tell you. She said she’d wanted to go down to their cellar, but that you and Nell dragged her – dragged her, she said – out of there and tried to get home. Well, if that’s what happened, then I’ve even more reason to be grateful to you than I had before, because you’ve saved her life, Emily.’
She heaved herself up and stood for a moment. ‘Whatever’s been going on, Emily, I just hope it’s finished, that’s all. I respect your loyalty and I won’t ask you any more except this: is she staying with Billy?’
Emily looked up at her. ‘She says so. That’s all I can tell you.’
‘Ah, well. So be it.’
Fifty-One
The following night, the enemy bombers returned again and this time their target was the East End of Sheffield. Several steelworks were hit, but the damage was miraculously not serious enough to affect production.
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