Home Front Girls

now,’ Lucy said. ‘I just hope those two make a go of it, as they obviously think the world of each other. I reckon Dotty used to believe that she wasn’t good enough for him, but Miss Timms has changed all that, bless her. Now Dotty knows that she came from a good family and she’s a fairly wealthy young woman in her own right, she may have a little more confidence in herself from now on.’
    ‘And what about you, darling?’ Miranda smiled at her gently. ‘When are you going to put the past behind you and look around for a nice young man? You can’t let what happened between your mother and father spoil your life too. Not all men are like your father.’
    ‘I don’t need a man to make me happy. I’ve got Harry,’ Lucy retorted immediately. ‘And once Joel comes home we won’t need anyone else.’
    ‘I shouldn’t be too sure about that,’ Miranda told her worriedly. ‘If I remember rightly, Joel and Annabelle seemed to be quite attracted to each other before he went away, so the chances are that even if they don’t get together he’ll meet a girl eventually and want to lead his own life.’ When Lucy’s face fell, she hurried on, ‘That doesn’t mean to say that he won’t still care about you. Of course he will! You are his sister and you’ll always be important to him – but both of you are too young to face a life alone.’
    ‘We’ll see,’ Lucy sniffed haughtily, and realising that she had inadvertently upset the girl, Miranda hastily changed the subject and got back on to safer ground. Lucy was always as prickly as a porcupine, when her family were mentioned, and Miranda vowed that she wouldn’t speak about them again. When she came to think about it, Lucy was becoming increasingly withdrawn and touchy, but then it was to be expected. What with no word from Joel, losing her mother and then her little sister, it was hardly surprising that the girl wasn’t a ray of sunshine. Miranda suppressed a shudder as she thought back to the secret Lucy had shared with them. It must be very hard for her, coming to terms with the fact that her mother had been a murderer. Even so, as far as Miranda was concerned, none of it was the girl’s fault and she wished she could shake her out of her melancholy. Miranda thought of her own daughter then and the traumatic impact on her of the secret she had kept from her for all these years. Poor Annabelle. She seemed to be floundering, not knowing who she was any more. And then there was Dotty, torn between being thrilled to finally discover who her mother was, and anger at losing her so quickly.
    All three of the girls had an awful lot to come to terms with, Miranda concluded, and sadly, they were all going to have to work out their problems for themselves. No one else could do it for them.

Chapter Thirty-Two
     
    ‘Don’t look so glum, Dotty,’ Laura said bracingly after she had returned from taking her children to school. ‘It won’t be long now and your plaster will be off, then you’ll be able to get cracking on your writing again.’
    ‘Sorry, I didn’t mean to be a moaning minnie. It’s just that I get so frustrated at only being able to use one arm,’ Dotty apologised.
    ‘I can understand that. I know Paul has his moments, being stuck in that wheelchair, and I dare say I would be just the same,’ Laura answered sympathetically as she straightened the cushions on the settee. ‘But why don’t you just relax this morning? You could listen to some music on the wireless or read. As it happens, I’m only doing half a day in the office today so how about we go and do a bit of Christmas shopping this afternoon?’
    Dotty instantly brightened. ‘I’d like that. I need to get something for Annabelle and her mum – and Lucy, of course. Robert is going to come with me back to Coventry one day next week so that I can see them all before Christmas – if Annabelle manages to get home, of course, but I hope she will.’
    ‘Hmm, I can imagine the nurses are being kept very busy with all the raids we’re having.’ Laura paused in the act of pinning her hat on.
    Dotty couldn’t stop herself from grinning as she replied, ‘Actually, from what I can make out in her letters, the poor thing hasn’t been doing much actual nursing. It sounds like all she’s done up to now is clean the wards and empty bedpans. The nearest she’s got to proper nursing was being allowed to roll bandages when they had a bit of spare time. I just can’t imagine her