Home Front Girls

taken with the idea.
    ‘First aid!’ she exclaimed. ‘But won’t that be rather boring?’
    ‘It isn’t meant to be exciting,’ her mother pointed out. ‘And what would you rather do? Stay in and sulk?’
    ‘Well, I shall definitely go,’ Lucy said and Dotty nodded in agreement.
    ‘And so shall I. It will be nice to feel we’re learning something worthwhile.’
    ‘In that case I suppose I ought to come along too,’ Annabelle said with bad grace and she then ushered her friends up the stairs ahead of her. She still had an outfit to sort out for Lucy but she wouldn’t be letting her wear any of her nylon stockings. They were getting like gold dust now.
     
    An hour later, Lucy regarded herself uncertainly in the mirror on Annabelle’s dressing-table. She was wearing a cream cotton summer skirt and a lacy figure-hugging jumper in a lovely shade of cornflower blue. She had managed to squeeze her feet into a pair of Annabelle’s high-heeled shoes too, although she had no idea how she was going to walk in them. To complete the picture, Annabelle had loosened her lovely auburn hair from the band she usually tied it back with and teased it into thick shimmering waves that fell about Lucy’s slim shoulders. Annabelle had even persuaded her to wear a little make-up and now as Lucy stared at her cherry-red lips and her new look she scarcely recognised herself.
    ‘I er . . . I’m not too sure I feel comfortable like this,’ she mumbled, but Annabelle waved her concerns aside.
    ‘Oh, don’t be so silly. You’re too used to walking about dressed like an old schoolmarm,’ she chided. ‘Wait until we get to the dance. The boys will be queuing up to dance with you.’
    ‘I hope not,’ Lucy retorted, horrified at the very idea. She had never had a boyfriend and had no wish to have one now.
    ‘You do look lovely, Lucy,’ Dotty said, quietly envious. Lucy’s eyes and hair were stunning, and Dotty had never realised just how very attractive she was up until now. She made Dotty feel like a little grey fieldmouse.
    ‘Yes, you do,’ Annabelle retorted, slightly concerned that Lucy might steal the limelight. ‘And now we’d better get going otherwise it will be over before we even get there.’
    Dance halls tended to close a lot earlier than they had used to; when they opened at all, that was. This was to allow people to get home whilst public transport was still running. It seemed like ages since Annabelle had had a really good night out, and she was champing at the bit. She herself was wearing a silk dress in green and gold, one of her particular favourites that she knew she looked good in, and Dotty was wearing the outfit they had all now christened ’her London suit’.
    ‘Wow!’ Miranda exclaimed when they all went back downstairs to collect their coats. ‘You all look absolutely beautiful. Have a lovely time, won’t you? But don’t forget to leave early enough to get the last buses home.’
    Dotty giggled, thinking that Miranda had made them all sound like Cinderella.
    Annabelle gave a martyred sigh as she yanked her coat on and added another layer of Romance, her latest bright red lipstick, in the hall mirror. ‘Yes, Mother! I dare say it will be a lot more fun than this first aid class you’ve nagged us all into going to.’
    Miranda bit back the hasty retort that sprang to her lips. She had no wish to spoil the girl’s night out but at that moment she was heartily ashamed of her daughter. Admittedly, Annabelle had mellowed slightly over the last few months since being forced to take a job, but deep down the girl was still very self-centred and selfish.
    Dotty and Lucy thanked Miranda again for their meal and for allowing them to get ready at her home, and after Miranda had kissed them all they set off.
    Once they reached the city centre they queued to get in then made a beeline for the ladies cloakroom where they hung up their coats and touched up their make-up.
    Annabelle patted her hair into place again before telling them, ‘Come on, girls, I’m ready if you are. Let’s go and get ourselves a drink.’
    Out in the dance hall, they saw that the majority of those present were girls and Annabelle sighed. ‘I thought it would be like this,’ she said despondently. ‘Nearly all the halfdecent-looking fellows have gone to war. Still, we may as well have a drink and make the best of it.’
    She crossed to the bar and ordered three drinks which Lucy and Dotty stared at uncertainly when