The Serial: The Pepper Girls At War Day 1

She was turning into an ‘auld maid’ and if she didn’t do something to change her life, she’d be on the shelf for good

Dundee was at war. Since 1939, the whole of Europe had taken up arms, fighting the mighty German Army, Navy and Air Force, under the command of Adolf Hitler. The jute mills in the city were working day and night, producing sacking and canvas to service the military and with so many men called to war, it was the women who were called on to work in the mills to fill the void.

Nancy Donnelly was one of them, a skilled weaver and with Billy, her husband, enlisted in the Scots Guards and somewhere in a camp in England, she had answered the call.

Their son wee Billy was 11 years old now and his big sister Mary Anne was 12, well able to look after themselves and get to school, unaided, while their mum worked at the looms.

She didn’t miss her husband. In fact, she’d been glad to see the back of him.

Ten years ago, not long after their son had been born, Nancy found out Billy had been visiting a local prostitute, Gladys Kelly, while keeping her starved of his love.

Fear of getting her pregnant again, he’d said but Nancy knew it was more than that. Billy liked the excitement and danger, knowing it was forbidden.

Grown apart

For a long time now, well before the war began, she and Billy had grown apart, only keeping up the pretence of a happy family for the sake of the bairns.

But things were different now, Nancy had money in her pocket and the freedom to spend it and make her own choices.

She could stay at home or join the growing ranks of women who had taken to spending their evenings in the darkness of the cinemas or at the dance halls that had sprung up.

They catered for the many servicemen in the camps around Dundee, looking for distractions from the deadly situation they found themselves in.

But for Lexie Melville, Nancy’s cousin, life held little excitement. At 29 years of age, she was fast becoming an “auld maid”, as Nancy had called her one Saturday, when they’d met by chance in JL Wilson’s department store.

She’d done well in the business world, managing Baxter Brothers Head Office in King Street, since Amy Fyffe had passed away five years ago and had focused all her energy in continuing Amy’s standards to the letter. But Nancy’s comment had stayed with her long after it had been said.

She was leaning into the small mirror on the wall in her office, tracing her fingers over the fine lines that had begun to develop at the sides of her eyes when the sound of a discreet cough made her jump back.

Joanie Kelly, the office junior stood open-mouthed, as Lexie smoothed her hair and forced a smile, embarrassed at being caught by the girl, in the act of gazing at her reflection. “Yes, Joanie,” she clipped, “what is it?” Joanie indicated a handful of envelopes. “It’s gone five o’clock,” she said, “did you want me to post them, afore I go hame?”

Lexie looked at her watch. Usually, the office was closed at five o’clock exactly but here she was, so caught up in herself and her appearance, she’d forgotten the time.

Joanie waited. She hadn’t been Lexie’s first choice for the job but there hadn’t been any other applicants who had the ability to type, so her dumpy figure and wild hair had to be overlooked.

Broken engagement

“If you would, please Joanie,” Lexie nodded, “and thank you for reminding me of the time.”

Joanie backed out of the office. “Goodnight Miss Melville,” she said nervously, “see you Monday.”

Once Joanie had left her office, Lexie turned back to the mirror. The weekend loomed and she’d be spending it, as she always did, in the company of her mother and stepfather.

Nancy was right, she was turning into an “auld maid” and if she didn’t do something to change her life, she’d be on the shelf for good.

She slipped into her tweed jacket that matched her skirt and pulled on her white kid gloves.

Amy Fyffe had gifted Lexie her first pair, when she’d learned to type and she’d replaced them herself every year since.

She’d been 16 at that time and the whole world had been her oyster.

However, a broken engagement to Charlie Mathieson followed by an emotional disaster with her first love, Robbie Robertson, had left Lexie feeling rejected. She feared that she may be more damaged than she cared to admit.

She moved through the main office, tidying up loose paperwork and straightening blotting pads as she went, before taking a last look round and switching off the electric lights.

George, the doorman was waiting to lock the main door and saluted her as she approached.

“Have a nice weekend Miss Melville,” he said as she passed, “let’s hope the ‘Jerries’ leave us alone again.”

Lexie nodded, Britain had been taking a battering of late from the German Luftwaffe, especially London and the news on the Radio and Pathe News in the picture houses had been terrifying. “Let’s hope so, George,” she replied “let’s hope so.” She crossed the road to the tram stop and looked at the sky.

It was getting dark already and pretty soon, the city would be in total blackness with the wardens patrolling the streets to make sure not a chink of light was showing at a window, which might indicate to the German bombers overhead that people were living below.

Home comforts

Lexie shivered and checked her handbag for her torch as the tram clanked nearer to her stop.

Lexie’s mum and Euan her stepdad were both home when she came through the front door.

Euan was a police sergeant with the Dundee Constabulary and also an air raid patrol warden, while Annie did her bit for the war effort.

She, along with the other middle-aged women in Dundee, had rejoined the Women’s Institute, the WI as it was known, along with Isabella Anderson, her sister-in-law, to provide “home comforts” for the soldiers, as they’d done in the First World War.

“Have a good day?” Annie asked, smiling at her daughter and patting the sofa, indicating she should sit a while.

She loved her daughter dearly and wished for nothing more than for her to find the love and happiness she had found with Euan.

However, as time went on and now, with so many men away fighting, she felt that for Lexie, life would be forever spent alone.