Home Front Girls

the centre and have a wander around until it’s time for Robert’s train.’
    ‘You’ll do no such thing!’ Miranda said. ‘You can both stay here. Annabelle’s gone out and I’m going out too, shortly, so you may as well make the best of having the house to yourselves for a while.’
    ‘Are you quite sure you don’t mind?’ Dotty asked hesitantly.
    ‘Of course I don’t. Now get that tray into the parlour before it goes cold and I’ll see you later.’
    Dotty did as she was told after flashing a grateful smile, and it was as she and Robert were sitting together drinking their tea that he suddenly put his cup down and regarded her seriously.
    ‘Actually, Dotty, there’s something I need to tell you, which is one of the reasons I’ve come today.’
    ‘Oh?’ Dotty raised her eyebrow quizzically as Robert looked slightly uncomfortable.
    ‘The thing is, I know how awful everything has been for you over the last few days and I’m not sure that this is the perfect timing for the news, but . . . . well, the long and the short of it is, Paul, my friend who agreed to look at your book, got in touch with me yesterday and told me that he’d like to publish it.’
    Dotty stared at him speechlessly. ‘What?’ she managed to croak eventually. ‘Is this a joke?’
    ‘It most certainly isn’t,’ Robert assured her. ‘Of course, he wouldn’t discuss your advance or anything like that with me. But he told me that he absolutely loved it and he’d like to meet you at the earliest opportunity.’
    Dotty continued to stare at Robert in amazement. Her book was going to be published and she could hardly believe it. After all the terrible things that had happened recently, it was a dream come true.
    ‘So . . .’ His face broke into a wide smile now. ‘When do you think you’ll be able to come and meet him?’
    ‘Not before next week,’ Dotty squeaked. ‘I can only make it on a Thursday, my day off. Unfortunately Annabelle, Lucy and myself have lost a few days off work over the last week helping the WVS out. Mrs Broadstairs, our boss, has been very understanding, but I don’t think she would be if she knew I wanted more time to go gallivanting off to London.’
    He chuckled. ‘Well, you might not need to work at Owen Owen when you become a bestselling author.’
    Dotty didn’t like the sound of that. She enjoyed working in the department store; it was her security and she had no intention of giving her job up.
    ‘I suppose I could make it next week, that’s if the trains are running all right,’ she said as the wonderful news finally began to sink in.
    ‘Next week it is then. I’ll tell Paul,’ he answered and they then went on to talk about the plot of her novel – Dotty became quite animated as she spoke of ‘War-Torn Londoners’ and the hardships her main characters were forced to endure throughout the book and Robert listened, enthralled.
    The afternoon seemed to race away and all too soon Robert glanced at the ornate French clock and told her regretfully, ‘I ought to be getting back to the station now. Do you think Miranda would mind if you used her phone to call me a taxi?’
    ‘Of course she wouldn’t. I’ll do it now and when it comes, I’ll go to the station with you,’ she said, springing up from her seat.
    ‘No, I’d rather you didn’t,’ he told her in a no-nonsense sort of voice. ‘I’d rather you stayed here where you can get down into the cellar should there be another raid. I’d never forgive myself if anything happened to you because you’d seen me back to the train.’
    Dotty went to ring a taxi firm and fetch his coat, holding it close to her as she went back to the parlour, feeling miserable. They seemed to have had so little time together and it had gone so fast, and now she would have to wait for another whole week before she could see him again.
    They were standing in the hallway waiting for the taxi to arrive when Robert suddenly took her hand and awkwardly drew her towards him.
    ‘Promise me that you won’t go taking any silly risks,’ he said urgently. ‘You are very precious to me, Dotty.’
    She was so shocked that she could only nod in reply. And then he leaned forward and just for an instant his lips brushed hers and longing rose in her.
    ‘B-but won’t Laura mind you kissing me?’ she asked him in a choky voice when he released her and he looked at her, baffled.
    ‘What on earth would it have to do with Laura?’
    ‘W-well, I thought . . .