Home Front Girls

tap at the door then and when Dotty answered it to find Miss Timms on the doorstep she almost yanked her into the room and pressed the letter into the startled woman’s hand.
    ‘Read this,’ she said bluntly, then remembering her manners she flapped, ‘Oh, I’m so sorry. Hello, Miss Timms. I didn’t mean to be rude but I just got home and opened this and don’t quite know what to make of it. I’m afraid I’m all flustered.’
    Miss Timms took off her new silk scarf, then removed her gloves and read the letter. Her face broke into a wide smile. ‘Why, Dotty, this is absolutely marvellous!’ she exclaimed delightedly. ‘Well done. I’m so pleased you finally plucked up the courage to show your work to someone. Didn’t I always tell you it was good enough for publication?’
    ‘But I didn’t show it to anyone,’ Dotty said. ‘At least, not to this magazine. I let Annabelle’s mother read it and she must have sent it to them.’
    ‘Then in that case well done to her for recognising talent,’ Miss Timms responded. ‘You really must telephone them, Dotty. They obviously love your work – and who knows where this might lead? I have a friend who has been trying to get some of her work published for years, so I know how hard it is. I’m so proud of you.’
    Dotty shook her head, trying to take it all in. Then she paled. ‘It says they want to arrange a meeting with me and they’re in London,’ she gulped. London sounded like the other side of the world to her. ‘And what would they think of me if I was to go? I mean, I’m hardly a raving beauty, am I? I bet they’d be expecting someone really glamorous and fashionable.’
    ‘Nonsense,’ Miss Timms snapped. ‘The trouble is, Dotty, you don’t realise how attractive you are. Why, your skin is flawless and I’m sure if you had your hair styled and we got you a new outfit, you’d be stunning.’
    ‘ Me stunning?’ Dotty scoffed with a nervous giggle. ‘I doubt that very much.’
    ‘Even so, I refuse to let you throw this chance away.’ Miss Timms was adamant. ‘We’ll get that friend of yours – you know, the blonde one, Annabelle isn’t it? – to take you shopping and in the meantime I insist that you telephone these people first thing tomorrow. Do you promise me you’ll do that?’
    ‘I suppose so,’ Dotty said hesitantly. ‘But what shall I say to them? I’m not very good with strangers.’
    ‘Rubbish! You will just be yourself and tell them that you would be delighted to meet them to discuss your work, and I’m convinced they will love you just as much as I . . .’ The woman’s voice tailed away and Dotty had to stop herself from reaching out and hugging her. She was about to tell me that she loved me, she thought wonderingly, and the knowledge gave her joy. No one had ever told her that they loved her before in the whole of her life, and the thought that Miss Timms might love her boosted her confidence.
    ‘All right then, I’ll do it,’ she promised as the kettle began to sing on the gas-ring. ‘And then we’ll just play it by ear.’ She hurried away then to spoon some tea leaves into the teapot but her hand was shaking so much with excitement that she spilled half of it all over the table. And tea is on ration too, she thought as she giggled nervously. This was turning out to be quite an evening.
    Much later, when Miss Timms had left, Dotty wrapped up warmly and walked to the nearest phone box to ring Miranda.
    ‘Oh hello, dear – was it Annabelle you were after?’ Miranda asked pleasantly.
    ‘No, it was you I wanted to talk to, as it happens.’ Dotty said, then quickly went on to tell the woman what had happened.
    When she’d finished there was silence for a moment before Miranda asked tentatively, ‘Are you very annoyed with me, Dotty? I know I shouldn’t have sent the story away without your permission, but you have such a talent for writing and I thought you should be recognised. I’m not at all surprised that the magazine wants to publish you.’
    ‘No, I’m not annoyed. More shocked, I think,’ Dotty admitted. ‘I’m not too sure about the trip to London though. I’ve never ventured that far away on my own before.’
    ‘Oh, you’ll be absolutely fine,’ Miranda said confidently. ‘But I could always come with you if you liked? I’m certainly not going to let you miss this opportunity. Look, why don’t you come here for tea after work tomorrow with Annabelle and we’ll talk about it