a heartwarming WW1 saga about love and friendship (The West End Girls Book 1)

by Elaine Roberts

  Kitty wrapped her hands around the cup, enjoying its warmth. The normally strong aroma of coffee was lost in the splash of brandy she had poured in. Gulping down half its contents, she moved the cup away from her lips and gave a little shudder.

  Matthew watched her closely. ‘Do you think you’ll be all right to perform tonight? We have no understudy for you.’

  ‘That’s because I don’t need an understudy, darling, I’m always here, and what’s more, I’ve never missed a show in my entire life.’ Kitty took another sip from the cup she was holding. ‘The show must go on, sweetie. I’m the star.’

  Matthew raised an eyebrow. ‘I hope that’s only coffee in that cup?’

  ‘It’s black.’

  ‘I didn’t mean milk or sugar.’ Matthew smiled. ‘As you well know.’

  Kitty gently ran her hand down his cheek. ‘Now, darling, let’s not start the day with a disagreement, it’s far too early for my liking, and I’ve already had a nasty shock. I just can’t stand it.’

  ‘Hmm.’ Matthew’s lips lifted slightly. ‘I suppose it might be good for you this time.’

  ‘Exactly, sweetie, you don’t want me collapsing in a heap, do you?’

  Matthew almost whispered when he spoke again. ‘Obviously not, darling.’

  ‘Hmm, I know that distracted voice, there must be a pretty girl in your line of sight.’ Kitty peered over her shoulder, following Matthew’s gaze. A young girl was fiddling with the curtain hanging at the side of the stage. She stooped down to pick up a broom.

  Kitty cleared her throat. ‘Oh darling, you’re not going to get distracted by another slip of a girl, are you? You should know by now that us older girls know the lie of the land and what’s expected of us.’

  Matthew smiled, but his eyes stayed focused on the girl as the broom handle rested against her breasts. He watched her gather up her mass of long dark hair and tie it with a ribbon. He dragged his attention back to Kitty. ‘Now, my darling, you know that wherever my eyes stray, no one could ever replace you.’ He smiled and couldn’t resist another look at the girl before glancing back at Kitty. ‘You’re not just the star of the show, you’re my star and always will be, but there’s no harm in admiring nature’s artwork is there?’

  The musical sound of Kitty’s laughter filled the auditorium. ‘You always know what to say. I think I’m in love.’ She brushed a greased tendril of his dark hair away from his forehead. ‘Perhaps we could go out for dinner later.’

  ‘Maybe.’ Matthew’s eyes were drawn back to the girl pushing the broom across the stage. ‘We have to get through today first; there’s a lot to do. The rehearsals haven’t been going well so I need to start working everyone harder, otherwise the show will never be ready to open in June.’

  Kitty followed his gaze before standing up. ‘Well, let’s get on with it then, although I don’t know who made you the director of this show.’

  Bending down, Kitty examined the tear in her skirt. ‘I might have to borrow a skirt while a seamstress tries to repair this, although I’m not sure it can be done.’ She followed Matthew across the stage. She reached out and stroked his soft woollen jacket. ‘You could always come back to my dressing room later for a little something.’

  Matthew pulled her hand lower. He sniffed into the warm cup of coffee she was holding; the strong smell of brandy was unmistakable.

  Kitty pulled her arm away from him. ‘What do you think you’re doing? You of all people should know not to cross the line.’ She scowled at him. ‘I’m the star and could have you fired.’

  ‘Someone has to look out for you, otherwise you’ll destroy yourself and the show.’ Matthew smiled, lifting one eyebrow at the same time. ‘And anyway, what are the lines for if not for crossing?’ He ran his fingers over the piano keys again. ‘You must have half a bottle in that cup, just make sure you don’t have any more, otherwise they’ll be looking for another star.’

  Kitty lifted her cup. ‘It’s only for medicinal purposes; my throat’s scratchy this morning, and you wouldn’t want me not to be able to sing tonight, would you?’

  Matthew raised his eyebrows but kept his own counsel, not wanting to push his luck. ‘Of course not, you are Violet, the star of the show and no one could replace you.’

  ‘What about old George, with his slicked back hair and his fancy suits?’

  It was the same game they played every day. Matthew forced himself to smile. ‘George is a great leading man for your Violet, and he plays Harry really well, but he doesn’t have your talent.’

  Kitty lifted her cup and gave him a wry smile. ‘Here’s to you for trying to look after me.’

  ‘Haven’t I always?’

  Kitty gave him a sideways glance. ‘Only when you’ve wanted something, darling.’

  ‘You and I play the same game so we both know the rules, so please don’t pretend otherwise.’ Matthew let his long fingers glide across the piano keys; the melody of The Purity Brigade rang out.

  Kitty gave a hollow laugh. ‘Everyone knows it’s a man’s world.’

  Matthew nodded. ‘As it should be. Maybe you could make sure those women demonstrating outside Parliament get the message.’

  Kitty opened her mouth to speak but quickly closed it again. She frowned as she took a sip of the hot dark liquid; it warmed her on its way down. ‘I know you want me to practise singing that dreadful song, darling, but I can’t function until I’ve had my morning coffee.’

  George’s heavy footsteps alerted Matthew his day was about to begin in earnest.

  ‘Morning.’ George’s deep voice rang out.

  ‘Morning,’ Matthew called back.

  The rest of the cast followed George onto the stage and the chatter gradually grew louder.

  ‘Ahh, good morning, George.’ Kitty’s voice trilled out across the stage. ‘Are you ready to transform yourself into the rich American playboy, Harry Bronson?’

  The cast stood back from the stars, whispering to each other as they stared on in awe.

  ‘Of course, Kitty, that’s an easy part for any man to play, especially opposite so many beautiful women.’ George’s lips lifted at the corners. ‘You, on the other hand, have got the more difficult role of playing the young Salvation Army girl, Violet Gray. Now that’s going to take some doing.’

  Matthew clapped his hands together loudly, bringing a halt to their conversation. ‘Right positions please.’ He paused for a moment, glancing down at his running order. ‘The director won’t be in until later so we’ll have less chat and more work, thank you.’

  Kitty glared at George before hissing at Matthew, ‘He’s not going to get away with that.’

  *

  The earlier heat of the May sunshine had lessened, as the afternoon became evening. Rose and Annie’s footsteps crunched on the gravel path as they strode towards the Spencers’ cottage. As it came into view the bow in the roof showed the age of the property. Every winter Annie had wondered if it would collapse under the heavy snowfall that rested on it, but it seemed to survive every year. The air was fresh after the shower that had caught them all unawares a couple of hours ago. The chickens were clucking as they ran free in the grass, and the cockerel was strutting around, only stopping to stare at Rose and Annie as they approached. They glanced across at the fields full of produce and the green hills that was the view they took for granted every day. Rose’s father and three older brothers were just visible in the distance, bending and stretching their backs. Their laughter could be heard on the breeze as they shared a joke between them.

  Annie watched them for a moment. ‘They seem to love what they do. Is this what you want for your future? You know, be a farmer’s wife?’

  Rose followed Annie’s eyesight line. ‘I do believe they’re happy; they appreciate nature and all that it delivers. None of them seem to want much from life, maybe a good wife, children, some land to work and food on the table.’ Her sudden rush of pride was clear to see on her face. ‘There’s worse than the Spencer family out there I can
tell you, we’re a loyal family that work hard and any one of my brothers would make an excellent husband.’

  Annie’s colour began to rise in her cheeks. ‘I’m sure they would.’ Folding her arms in front of her, she looked back at Rose. ‘We’ve been friends for a long time, Rose, and I want to say something but I don’t want us to fall out over it.’

  Rose studied her friend. ‘I’m not sure anything can come between our friendship, can it?’

  Annie took a deep breath. ‘You probably already know, and to be honest I’m surprised you haven’t said anything.’

  Rose frowned. ‘What?’

  Annie’s heart pounded, a band of pain tightened around her chest, her hands gripped her sides. ‘Sam has asked me to marry him.’

  ‘What?’ Rose opened her mouth to say more but closed it again.

  Annie gave her a weak smile. ‘Look at you exercising control.’

  ‘He kept that quiet.’ Rose shook her head. ‘What did you say? I hope you spared his feelings.’

  ‘I said yes—’

  ‘What?’ Rose stepped away and began pacing up and down the path.

  ‘You don’t sound very happy about it.’ Annie shook her head. ‘At least I now know you weren’t avoiding saying something to me.’

  ‘I can’t believe it.’ Rose stopped pacing; she scowled at Annie before peering at her family working in the field. ‘I’m sorry, I would love to have you as my sister-in-law, in fact you’re already family to me.’ She looked back at Annie. ‘But you aren’t right for Sam and he isn’t right for you either, and what’s more I would have told him, if I’d known about it. He wants all the things you don’t. To be honest he should be going out with Fran Cooper.’

  Annie nodded. ‘You’re right. I was wrong to say yes, and if I’m honest I knew it was wrong before I said it, but I didn’t want to hurt him or my family.’ She paused. ‘I’ve tried to tell my parents but they aren’t listening, and I know Sam is going to be heartbroken when I speak to him.’ She peered out at the field. ‘I don’t want to hurt him but I know I wouldn’t be any good for him. He’s lovely and deserves the best but that’s not me. I’d make him miserable, then you and I would fall out and all because I don’t love him.’

  Rose shook her head. ‘I can’t believe it. I knew he was smitten with you but I had no idea he was thinking about marriage.’ She stepped forward. ‘You need to tell him, it’s better now than later.’

  ‘I know, and then I’m leaving for London. Will you come with me?’

  ‘Well, you’re not going without me. It seems we have something to thank Sam for.’ Rose shrugged. ‘Don’t be surprised if he thinks you’ll come round once you’ve had your little adventure.’ She turned to walk away.

  Annie glanced out at the men working before turning to follow her friend. ‘No one takes me seriously. I’ll show them all.’

  Rose frowned as she glanced over her shoulder. ‘You don’t have to prove yourself to anybody. It’s your dream and no one else’s.’ She paused. ‘It’ll be exciting visiting London.’ A smile spread across her face. ‘Do you think we’ll see the king? We could go to Buckingham Palace and where the Prime Minister lives.’

  Annie laughed. ‘You mean Mr Asquith.’

  ‘Yes, that’s it and then there’s all the museums. It’s exciting, isn’t it?’ Rose clapped her hands together. ‘I’ve already written to Joyce so I’m sure she’ll show us around.’

  Rose pushed hard on the cottage door. Its rusted hinges creaked in agony as it was forced open. ‘Sorry, Annie, I think you can tell we don’t really use the front door anymore.’ The muddy boot scraper, standing to the right of the door, caught her eye and she glanced down at their ankle boots. Annie chuckled. ‘I’m not sure I’ve ever entered your home through the front door.’

  Rose stepped over the threshold just as a black and white border collie came bounding towards her, his tail wagging energetically, threatening to knock everything over in its wake. ‘Hello boy, what are you doing in the house? I’m surprised you ain’t out with Pa.’

  Annie bent down and stroked the soft fur of the excitable dog, which was now trying to lick her face. She turned her head away in a bid to avoid the dog’s tongue. The collie took on the challenge and laughter erupted from her as she ended up sprawled out on the cold red-and-black floor tiles. Annie tried to catch her breath and was hit with the strong smell of beeswax. Glancing round, she noticed for the first time all the highly polished wood in the narrow hall. An unlit beeswax church candle took centre stage on top of a boot cupboard.

  ‘Come on let’s find the parents and tell them we’re going to London. If you’re lucky you might get offered a cup of tea.’

  ‘Don’t worry about making a drink.’

  Rose giggled. ‘You’re all right, it wouldn’t be me making it. You should know by now I don’t have the urge to be polite.’

  Annie couldn’t stop herself from smiling. ‘Yes, I may have witnessed that on the odd occasion.’ She stopped petting the dog and stood up. ‘Perhaps I should leave? I mean they may want to talk to you on your own, especially if they don’t want you to go and I should talk to Sam before telling your parents.’

  Rose frowned. ‘That’s true, I’ll tell them tomorrow. You’re funny with all your worrying. You do know I could probably just go and they wouldn’t notice until something needed sewing.’

  Annie raised her eyebrows and thought how her own parents were so against her leaving home and wanted to know where she was all the time. She groaned. ‘I wish mine were more like that.’

  Rose forced herself to laugh, but it didn’t sound real. ‘Be careful what you wish for, you know what they say about the grass is always greener on the other side. I think that’s where we all go wrong, we think there’s more out there than what there is so we chase for something we don’t actually want or need, we just think we do.’

  ‘Hark at you, when did you get all knowing?’

  Rose lifted her arms. ‘I don’t actually know.’ She giggled. ‘But I do know there’s more to me than people realise.’

  A middle-aged woman stuck her head round the door. ‘I thought I could hear voices.’ She pushed the door open. ‘What are you doing coming in through the front door? Hello Annie, it’s good to see you, it’s been a while.’

  Annie felt her colour rise in her face. ‘Hello, Mrs Spencer.’

  Rose pushed her best smile forward. ‘Hello, Ma, I thought I’d be polite for a change and bring our visitor through the front door.’

  ‘Annie’s not a visitor, I’ve known her since she was a babe in arms, she’s just Annie.’ Rose’s mother turned away from the girls and disappeared behind the door.

  Rose turned to Annie and shrugged. ‘Come on, Ma clearly doesn’t know about you and Sam, she’d be shouting it from the rooftops if she did, so that’s a good thing.’

  *

  An owl hooted outside while the breeze could be heard rustling the leaves on the trees. The chickens were all settled in for the night, safe from any foxes hunting for their dinner.

  Annie’s fingers tapped a rhythm of the night-time noises on the bed before pulling at the edge of the plain white sheet that was just visible over the coarse grey blankets. She wrapped it around her hands as her thoughts wandered to her burning desire to perform on the stage. She frowned; it consumed her every waking thought at the moment and she couldn’t seem to think about anything else these days. She immediately thought of Sam. He hadn’t been happy when she finally steeled herself to tell him she was going to London. His words filled her mind. “How ridiculous you’re being, throwing everything away for some idiotic nonsense. Well, if it’s off it’s off, I’m not waiting for you. I’ll not be made a fool of.” Annie shook her head; it wasn’t a conversation she would ever want to have again. His anger boiled over when she suggested it was better that way and he must have known they wouldn’t get married because he hadn’t told anyone.

  ‘Are you all right?’ Margaret broke into her thoughts.

&nb
sp; Annie forced a smile and nodded. Her mind drifted to Rose’s parents; they didn’t have much but their home was full of love and always smelled of baking bread and pies. When Rose had mentioned London to them, they had wanted to know where they were staying but then they were quite encouraging to Rose to go on an adventure, said it would do her good. Is that why Rose thought she wouldn’t be missed? Annie hoped and prayed her parents would be as encouraging when she plucked up the courage to tell them her plans. She sighed; looking down at her bedding, she knew that wouldn’t be the case. The sheet was screwed up in her hand; she released it and ran the flat of her hand over it.

  A light rap on the bedroom door sounded in the silence.

  Annie looked up. ‘Come in.’

  The door handle creaked as it was turned, quickly followed by the hinges squeaking as it was pushed open. David poked his head round the door. ‘It’s only me.’

  Annie smiled. ‘Hello, only you.’

  David chuckled. ‘I just wanted to make sure you are all right and say goodnight to you both.’ He stood tall and muscular in the doorway. ‘I know pa’s not happy, he’s hardly said a word all afternoon, and I suspect you’re the cause, Annie.’

  Annie sighed. ‘I expect so, it seems to come so naturally to me.’

  David stepped further into the room and sat on the edge of Annie’s bed. ‘Don’t take it to heart, he just wants what’s best for you.’

  Annie groaned. ‘In his eyes. What about what I want? You know I’m fed up being ridiculed by everyone just because I want something different, just because I dare to dream.’

  David shook his head. ‘He loves you and just wants to protect you. The problem is he doesn’t know how, if you’re not living here on the farm.’

  Margaret looked over at her older brother and sister. ‘Is that what you’ve been worrying about? It’ll be all right, you know.’

  They both peered over at her.

  Margaret sighed. ‘If it’s meant to be, it will happen, you’ve just got to stop worrying about it all.’