Home Front Girls

Mind you, she was still her mother at the end of the day, wasn’t she?’
    Seeing the sadness that flitted across Dotty’s face, Robert’s heart went out to her. It couldn’t have been easy for her being brought up in an orphanage not knowing who her parents were, or even why they had chosen to abandon her, which was why he was so surprised at how nice Dotty had turned out to be. She didn’t seem to have a single nasty bone in her body and always had a kind word for everyone.
    ‘How about we head for the centre?’ he suggested now. ‘I’m determined to get you some clothes of your own before I go back. I’ve brought some cash and clothes coupons.’ He tapped his coat pocket and winked at her. ‘You’d be surprised what money can buy, even in wartime. It’s like they say – money talks. Oh, and we’ll get you another typewriter as well while we’re at it. We can’t have you slacking, can we?’
    Dotty knew that he was only trying to cheer her up, but she was so down in the dumps that she doubted anything would do that.
    Once outside the station they decided to walk into town. It was a beautiful day and they both wanted to take advantage of the sunshine while they could. On their way, Dotty told him all about Mrs Cousins and her children, shedding tears, and he sucked in his breath and squeezed her hand in his good one. Dotty still felt terribly guilty because she hadn’t gone straight home that dreadful night and found the note that poor Mrs Cousins had left for her, and she knew that she always would.
    ‘Her sister came to fetch her to go and live with her and her family in Wales,’ Dotty said, wiping her eyes, ‘but Mrs Cousins wouldn’t go until they had buried her children. I went to the funeral. Poor thing, I think she’ll always blame herself – if only I had gone straight home!’
    ‘You couldn’t have known what was going to happen, and she was only doing what she had to do, to feed her children,’ Robert said with no condemnation whatsoever. ‘I think this war is making a lot of people do things that they wouldn’t normally dream of doing.’
    Dotty glanced at him in surprise. He was so understanding and kind that he never failed to amaze her.
    ‘Laura has been worried sick about you too,’ he told her then, and the old familiar jealousy instantly flared up at the mention of her name. Dotty had allowed herself to get a little carried away when he had offered to come and see her, but now she realised once more that he had come merely as a very dear friend and she became silent.
    Once in the city centre they went into a café for a cup of tea, then Robert bought her some new clothes so at least she felt as if she had something of her own again, and a typewriter – another second-hand one from a pawnshop as Dotty refused point blank to allow him to buy her a brand new one. Then they headed back to Annabelle’s to unload the purchases, which were far too heavy to carry about for the rest of the day.
    ‘I’m afraid I’m going to have to catch the four o’clock train home to London,’ Robert told her on the way. ‘Otherwise I might get stranded here. Not all the trains are running.’
    Dotty felt a stab of disappointment but knew they would just have to make the best of the time they had.
    Miranda greeted them warmly and winked at Dotty as Robert took his coat off, making the girl blush. They settled him in the parlour then went through to the kitchen to make some tea.
    ‘What a nice-looking young man,’ Miranda said archly. ‘And he’s so polite. I think you may have struck gold there, Dotty.’
    ‘We’re just friends.’ Dotty blushed an even deeper red.
    ‘Well, you might regard him as a friend – but judging by the way he looks at you, I’d say he regards you as rather more than that,’ Miranda said knowingly.
    Dotty felt a flash of irritation. How could Miranda ever imagine that someone like Robert would ever look at her in a romantic light? She was under no illusions; she was a plain Jane and always would be, and she was sure that Robert was in love with Laura. And why shouldn’t he be? she asked herself. Laura was everything that she would have liked to be. But not wanting to upset the woman who had shown her such kindness, she decided that it might be best to ignore the remark and so she busied herself getting the tea tray ready.
    ‘So what are you two planning on doing for the rest of the day?’ Miranda asked.
    ‘Oh, we’ll probably just go back into