by Rosie Harris
Snow, ice and freezing fog made getting about something of a nightmare but Megan scarcely noticed. She was cocooned in a blanket of happiness that kept her oblivious to what was going on around her.
There were moments when she wondered how she was ever going to get through the weekend without blurting out her wonderful news, she felt so keyed up.
The only thing that stopped her was the fact that she didn’t know where she was expected to meet Miles on Monday night, and if she mentioned her date to Lynn then she would be bound to ask.
By midday on Monday, she was convinced he’d forgotten their date, or else that he’d been stringing her along. She stayed at her desk right through the lunch hour, hoping against hope that at any minute he’d drop by to confirm that he was taking her out that night.
It was late afternoon when Miles finally breezed into the office. He deposited a pile of shipping documents on her desk and when he left again, without a word, Megan felt sick with disappointment.
As she blinked away the threatening tears, her heart quickened. Lying on the top of the pile was a scrap of paper with ‘Tatler, Church Street. 7 p.m.’ scrawled on it.
The rest of the afternoon passed in a dream. In a whirlwind of excitement she rushed home to get ready. When she told them that she was going to the pictures with a friend, Lynn immediately wanted to know who the friend was.
‘Someone from the office,’ Megan told her and kept her fingers crossed that her sister wouldn’t ask any more questions.
‘Can I come with you?’ Lynn asked.
‘No, you can’t,’ her father said sharply. ‘You have homework to do. You’d better put your back into it my girl or you’ll not be passing your exams.’
‘I don’t want to pass any exams,’ Lynn said with a pout. ‘I want to leave school and get a job so that I have some money of my own.’
‘The sort of money you could earn serving behind a shop counter wouldn’t keep you in stockings,’ her father told her scornfully. ‘Get some qualifications behind you and then you’ll be able to earn a worthwhile salary.’
While they were arguing, Megan slipped away to get ready. She was still frantically debating what to wear when Lynn burst into the bedroom they shared.
‘Say I’m coming with you, Megan,’ she begged. ‘I won’t really tag along! I want to get out so that I can meet some friends. Mam knows … she says it’s all right,’ she added hopefully, her grey eyes pleading.
‘No!’ Megan’s chin was set stubbornly. ‘If I did that I would have to arrange to meet you afterwards so that we come home together.’
‘No, you won’t. Mam said she’ll give each of us a key and persuade Dad to have an early night. As long as we both come in quietly he’ll never know. Be a sport, Meg. Go on! I’ll let you use my new red lipstick.’
Lynn’s wheedling voice and plaintive face overcame Megan’s resistance. How could she refuse when she was going to have such a wonderful evening herself, she thought guiltily.
‘All right, then. One thing, though, Lynn. Although we leave the house together we go our separate ways at the end of the road. I’m not having you spying on me.’
‘What makes you think I’d waste my evening by following you,’ Lynn said scornfully.
‘I don’t know. You haven’t said where you’re going.’
‘Only to the Stork Club to see if Flash is there. I haven’t seen him for ages. Someone said he’d been down with this flu bug that’s going round.’
When they parted company at the end of the road, Megan took a devious route to Church Street, constantly stopping to look in shop windows so that she could check if Lynn was following her. She dallied so much that she had to run the last few hundred yards and arrived at the Tatler out of breath.
She scanned the crowded foyer for Miles, worried in case he had arrived early and thought she wasn’t coming. Then he was at her side, and she hardly recognised him he was dressed so differently from when she saw him in the office. Instead of the smart suit and discreet tie, he was wearing a tweed sports jacket and grey flannel trousers.
They stumbled into the darkness of the back row. Megan struggled out of her coat, clutching it on her lap as she sank into the plush seat.
As the big picture started, Miles slipped an arm round her shoulders. After that, she had very little idea of what was on the screen, aware only of his closeness. She could feel his breath fanning her cheek and the sharp clean smell of his newly shaved face, that was almost touching hers, made her senses reel.
After a while, the weight of his arm across her shoulders became increasingly uncomfortable. She moved cautiously, not wanting him to think she was rejecting him.
As she leaned forward slightly, his arm slid down until his hand rested on her waist. Involuntarily, she stiffened, pulling away. His hand tightened, drawing her body closer until she was resting against him.
When the interval came, and the lights went up, he withdrew his arm, flexed his shoulders and stood up.
‘Sit tight, I’ll be back in a minute.’
As Miles edged his way along the row, she felt a wave of panic at being left on her own. The lights were just dimming when he returned with a box of chocolates.
As she tried to open it, she was loudly shushed by the people sitting near them. Miles took the box from her, ripped away the rustling wrappings and placed the box in her lap. Putting his arm around her again, he turned his attention back to the screen, helping himself to the chocolates from time to time.
After they came out of the pictures he took her to a milk bar near Lime Street Station. As they sipped milkshakes, Megan felt she’d never before experienced such a wonderful evening.
She would have liked it to last for ever, but suddenly Miles said abruptly, ‘Come on, I’ll see you to the end of your road. Don’t breathe a word to anyone in the office that I’ve taken you out … understand?’ he warned, tucking her hand into the crook of his arm as they emerged into the street.
‘Are you trying to tell me that I’m not good enough for you?’ she asked, drawing away from him.
‘Come here.’ Before she could stop him, Miles had pulled her into the shelter of a shop doorway and his mouth was on hers, hot and hungry. ‘Now do you know how I feel about you?’ he asked softly as he released her.
‘I’m not sure!’ she gasped, shaken and trembling.
‘I want to see you again,’ he assured her, ‘but you musn’t mention it to anyone, because of my father. He’s so old-fashioned in his ways. He believes that unless the boss keeps his distance from the workers it destroys discipline.’
‘Indeed! Then why did you take me to the pictures if you knew your father would disapprove?’ Megan asked, puzzled.
‘Perhaps I don’t think the way my father does,’ he murmured, pulling her back into his arms, his lips nuzzling her neck. ‘It’s best if it stays our secret, though, Megan. I don’t want you to mention to anyone that we’re seeing each other … especially to anybody at the office. Understand?’
Chapter Eleven
‘OH NO! THERE must be some mistake!’
White faced, her grey eyes bleak and her lower lip trembling, Lynn looked up from the letter she had just opened and stared helplessly round the breakfast table.
‘Let me see that,’ demanded her father, holding out his hand for the letter.
With a smothered sob, Lynn flung it across the table. ‘Don’t start lecturing me,’ she snuffled. ‘I knew I wouldn’t get through those stupid exams. You should have let me leave at Easter like I wanted to do. I hate school and I’m not going back.’
‘You are going back, my girl. This isn’t the end, far from it,’ Watkin declared waving the sheet of paper in the air. ‘You can sit those exams again.’
‘But, Dad …’
‘It’s no surprise to me that you’ve failed,’ he went on relentlessly. ‘All this gallivanting about and going to the Stork Club when you should be studying. From now on you’ll stay in at night and at the weekend as well. Disgracef
ul, I call it. You’ve every opportunity to get on and what do you do? You cavort around with those jazz-mad imbeciles that you call friends. Wastrels they are! Every one of them! I don’t know what the world is coming to. When I was your age …’
‘All right, Watkin, all right. We know you’ve never had the chances our Lynn has had,’ Kathy interrupted shrilly. ‘We know all about that, but things are different now. The world is changing …’
‘I can see that for myself,’ he snapped. ‘And not for the better, either.’
‘Well, that’s neither here nor there and nothing at all to do with our Lynn. It’s happening and we have to live with it. No need to go shouting your head off at the girl, now, is there? She’s upset enough as it is.’
‘I’m fed up with school and I’m never going back,’ Lynn blubbered. ‘Let our Megan take all the exams she likes. I want to live!’ Dramatically she pushed back her chair, tossed her head and stalked from the room.
‘Come back here, girl, and finish your breakfast,’ roared Watkin, his face set and angry as the door crashed shut behind her.
‘Let her be, luv,’ Kathy begged as he stood up to go after her. ‘Sit down and have another cup of tea,’ she murmured placatingly, refilling his cup.
‘I’ll not have her behaving like that,’ Watkin muttered crossly.
‘Leave her alone and she’ll soon calm down. Talk to her again when she’s in a more reasonable mood.’
‘You’re not to let her take the day off school, mind,’ he warned.
‘Come on, drink your tea and get off to work. We’ll sort it all out tonight.’
When he arrived at Albert Dock, where he and Robert Field were to collect a load from one of the bonded warehouses, Watkin Williams was far from happy. It was hard, heavy work, but he hardly noticed because he was so upset over Lynn.
When the lorry was loaded, and they took a well-earned break before setting off to the Midlands to deliver their consignment, he confided his disappointment to Robert.
‘I shouldn’t worry about it too much. Lynn’s a good-looker and has a winning way with her. She won’t starve. Probably get married in next to no time.’
‘There’s rubbish you’re talking, Robert Field,’ Watkin said bitterly. ‘She has the chance of a fine education and all you can think of is that she will be getting married. I want her brain sharpened first so that she can do something useful with her life. Get married, yes. I want grandchildren the same as the next man, but I want her to have a rewarding life as well.’
‘For some, getting married is reward enough,’ Robert stated mildly. ‘It wouldn’t be for your Megan, I can see that, but young Lynn is a different type of girl altogether.’
‘Well, you’re right on that score! They are as different as chalk and cheese, I’ll grant you that,’ Watkin agreed as he stirred his tea angrily.
‘Come on!’ Robert Field drained his mug and stood up. ‘Let’s get on the road or we’ll be working overtime and we don’t get extra pay for doing that, remember!’
While Robert was at the wheel, Watkin brooded over Lynn’s future, planning how he could persuade her to adopt a more serious attitude to life.
In some ways he blamed himself for what was happening. Uprooting her from Wales only a few months before taking her exams was bound to have upset her concentration. She wasn’t the studious type like Megan.
His heart filled with pride when he thought of his eldest daughter. He knew how hard it had been for her to leave Wales, to exchange the tranquillity of the mountains for the bustle of city life, yet she was making the best of it.
He had never once heard Megan grumble. And the way she had settled at Walker’s delighted him. There was only one thing that disappointed him: the fact that she didn’t seem to like Robert Field.
He studied his companion’s profile. It was a strong, clean-shaven face, with a firm set to the jaw. The widely spaced, light-blue eyes, fair hair brushed back to reveal a deep brow, and strong, straight nose gave him a Nordic look. There was such power in the brawny forearms and square, capable hands resting on the wheel. Watkin could imagine him at the oars of a Viking ship, looking as calm and determined as he did now driving a lorry.
Yes, Watkin reflected, Robert would make an admirable son-in-law. Give it time and perhaps Megan would soften, he thought hopefully. At present, though, she only seemed to be interested in carving out a career and he would never want to force either of his daughters into a relationship they didn’t want.
When he returned home that night he found the house in uproar. Kathy was in tears and a grim-faced Megan was trying to reason with her.
‘Is there something wrong?’
‘It’s Lynn,’ sobbed Kathy. ‘She’s not come home from school.’
‘She’s probably with her friends and forgotten about the time.’ He frowned, checking his watch.
‘She’d let me know,’ Kathy told him, shaking her head.
‘Maybe she forgot to tell you.’
‘No, she wouldn’t forget. Even if she’s only going to look round the shops, she always pops home first to let me know where she will be.’
‘Then perhaps some of her friends know where she went when she came out of school,’ Watkin persisted, turning to Megan.
‘All her close friends left school at Christmas,’ whined Kathy, her tears flowing anew.
Megan and her father exchanged anxious looks. Uppermost in both their minds was the likelihood that Lynn hadn’t come home at four o’ clock because she hadn’t been to school at all.
‘I’ll just check with one or two people who might have seen her,’ Megan said, slipping on her coat. ‘I won’t be long.’
She made her way to Queen Square, knowing that if Lynn was anywhere it would be at the Stork Club.
‘Looking for your sister again, are you?’ the doorman commented. ‘Well, now you’ve no call to go in because she’s not here.’
‘Have you any idea where I might find her?’ asked Megan anxiously.
‘Heavens, yes! I can tell you that in a minute. A working girl is our Lynn!’ His eyebrows shot up in surprise. ‘Are you telling me you didn’t know?’
‘Working? Lynn hasn’t left school, yet.’
‘Well, she has now! Sure, it’s a fine little number she’s got herself and happy as a lark she is to be there. Saw her myself only an hour ago. Chipper as can be! A smile on that pretty face of hers and a ready answer to all the banter she gets from the customers. She makes a little cracker of a waitress and no mistake.’
‘Waitress!’
‘That she is! Working at the Copper Kettle. Hasn’t she told you?’
‘Not a word! Mam is out of her mind with worry because she didn’t come home from school at her usual time.’
‘Oh, she’s a bad one!’ His eyes twinkled. ‘I bet she wanted to make sure she liked working there before she told you. Do you know how to find it?’
‘I’m not sure. Is it the one in Slater Street?’
‘That’s right. You can’t miss it. There’s a big copper kettle in the window. Nip up Church Street, into Bold Street and it’s the first road on your right. Now, have you got all that?’
‘I think so. And thanks for all your help.’ Megan smiled gratefully.
‘Off you go, then, and remember – don’t be too hard on that little sister of yours,’ he warned. ‘Grand girl she is, to be sure.’
Megan found the Copper Kettle without any difficulty. Sure enough it was easy to spot with its shinning copper kettle in the window. Inside it was packed, but Megan couldn’t see Lynn anywhere.
‘I’m looking for my sister, Lynn Williams. Do you know if she’s here?’ she asked a couple of young girls about Lynn’s age who were sitting at one of the tables.
‘She was here a minute ago. That chap over there, Alan, he’s the owner so ask him,’ one of them told her. She pointed to a stocky, bearded man with curly black hair who was loading a tray with steaming cups of coffee and plates of toasted bread thick with jam that were b
eing passed to him through a hatchway.
As she made to move towards him, the girl grabbed her by the arm. ‘Hey, kiddo, are you related to Alan?’
‘No? Why do you ask.’
‘You have the same surname and your Lynn sounds Welsh sometimes so I thought perhaps that’s how she managed to get a job here. Alan!’ The girl raised her voice to a shrill scream so that it could be heard above the general babble.
‘Coming! Have patience or else come to the counter and collect it yourself,’ he said in a good-natured reproof as he brought the loaded tray over and dumped it on the table.
‘Someone here looking for Lynn,’ the girl told him.
‘Oh? Nothing wrong is there?’ he asked, his dark eyes scanning Megan.
‘Lynn is my sister, I was told she was working here.’
‘That’s right. She started today.’
‘She never said a word about it at home. We were worried when she didn’t come home from school at the usual time,’ Megan explained.
‘There’s a bad one she is.’ He laughed. ‘Mind, she didn’t know herself when she left home this morning that she’d end up the day working here, though.’
‘What do you mean?’
He shrugged. ‘She walked in and asked for a job saying that since she spends so much time here she may as well get paid for it.’ He grinned, widely. ‘Short handed I was, see, so naturally when she said she could start work right away I agreed to give her a trial.’
‘Can I have a quick word with her, please?’
‘She’s finished for the night. She left about twenty minutes ago.’
Megan didn’t hurry when she left the café. She knew Lynn would be in trouble when she got home and she didn’t want to be dragged into it. There would be heated arguments between them all and she didn’t intend to take sides. It was Lynn’s future and something she had to sort out for herself, Megan decided.
She had problems of her own. Her relationship with Miles was not going smoothly. She knew she was head over heels in love with him, but she was not at all sure what his feelings were for her.
