The Pepper Girls At War Day 16

You’ve not been out dancing while Billy’s been away at war. Have you?” Nancy felt the colour drain from her face

When Nancy’s shift finished at 1 o’clock, she hurried home not knowing what to expect, but safe in the knowledge that Jim Murphy wouldn’t be at the Palais that night. Mary Anne and wee Billy were playing on the sloping grass around the air raid shelters, Billy and his pals pretending to be soldiers like their dads and Mary Anne and the girl next door, kneeling on the grass playing at being housewives like their mums.

Nancy watched history repeating itself. It wouldn’t be long now before Mary Anne would be grown up and looking for the love and happiness that had eluded Nancy.

A shiver of fear for the future ran through her heart.

She dropped her message bag and coat on the coal bunker inside the kitchen and made her way to Mrs Jeffries’ house to ask her to mind the bairns again tonight.

A bemused Mrs Jeffries screwed up her eyes in confusion.

“But, your man was here earlier and asked if I’d minded the wee ones in the past and when I said I did and was happy to do so, he said I wouldn’t be needed in the future and that your Auntie Annie would be looking after Mary Anne and Billy the night.”

Blood ran cold

Nancy’s blood ran cold. So, Billy now knew she’d gone dancing more than once and would make sure she never did so again, especially after he’d gone back to his regiment. She was going to be watched.

Di Auchterlonie popped her head round the top of the stairwell. “A’right for the night Nancy?” she asked breezily.

Nancy hurried her inside the house. “Billy knows,” she stated bluntly, lighting a cigarette and inhaling the tobacco deeply to calm her nerves, “and he’s taking me to the Palais tonight to see who knows me.”

“You mean, he knows about Jim Murphy?” Di asked worried now for her pal.

“NO, NO, not Jim anyway I’ve warned him not to turn up tonight.

“But Billy spoke to Mrs Jeffries earlier and he knows that I went dancing on more than one occasion.”

Tears of fear and dejection filled her eyes. “If he stops me going back to the Palais then me and Jim will be over before we’ve begun.”

“Do you want me to speak to him?” Di asked, trying to defuse the situation. “You know, I could tell him it was all my idea and...”

Nancy lit another cigarette from the first one and shook her head.

“I think the less said the better, but thanks for the offer.”

There was still no sign of Billy when Nancy called the bairns in for their tea. “Me and your dad are going out tonight, but your Auntie Annie is coming over to mind you.”

Mary Anne cheered, “I like Auntie Annie,” she said, “she always brings sweeties.”

“For me too!” exclaimed wee Billy, “I want some too.”

“Eat your tea, or you’ll be getting no sweeties from anyone,” Nancy chided, peeping around the net curtain for signs of Billy’s return.

The knock at the door made Nancy jump, until she realised that Billy wouldn’t knock. She hurried to the door and opened it to Annie.

“Nancy,” Annie smiled, “how are you... and Mary Anne and wee Billy...how are they?” Nancy took her coat and hung it on the hook at the back of the door.

Innocently

“Just fine, Auntie Annie,” she said, ushering her into the small kitchen. I’m sorry to have bothered you, but Billy insisted we go out tonight before he goes back to his regiment.”

Annie reached into her bag and produced two paper bags of sweeties and handed them over to the bairns.

“There,” she said, ruffling wee Billy’s hair and patting Mary Anne on the shoulder. “Now are you going to be good while mummy and daddy go dancing?”

“We’re always good when mummy goes dancing,” Mary Anne said innocently.

Annie turned sharply to Nancy. “I don’t understand,” she said, pulling up a chair and sitting down at the table.

“You’ve not been out dancing while Billy’s been away at war. Have you?”

Nancy felt the colour drain from her face. She busied herself clearing the table while the children ran outside to eat their sweeties sitting on the stairs.

“Just the once,” she mumbled, “Diane Auchterlonie needed some company, so... I went to the Palais with her... just the once.” “Does Billy know?” Nancy nodded. Annie fixed her eyes on her niece. She’d always worried that Mary’s temperament had come through in the blood and that Nancy would become flighty and promiscuous, like her mother before her.

The pregnancy and Nancy’s hurried marriage to Billy Donnelly had done nothing to allay her fears and now, with the war on, women were becoming bolder in their dealings with men and it looked like Nancy had become one of them.

Annie stood up and faced her niece. “Is there someone else, Nancy?” she asked quietly.

“NO, NO,” Nancy responded a bit too quickly for Annie’s liking.

The silence deepened till Annie spoke again. “Then you’d better get yourself ready for your husband. Annie looked at the clock. Half past six. “He’ll be here soon,” she added, pushing her disquiet to the back of her mind.

Handsome

Billy came in at seven o’clock. He was wearing his uniform and had grown even more handsome as he’d matured into manhood.

He’d had a drink or two at the Thrums Bar but nothing like his usual capacity.

“Thanks for coming at such short notice,” he said, shaking Annie’s hand, “It’s just that I’m off overseas tomorrow and this will be my last night with my wife till God knows when.”

Annie noticed he didn’t refer to Nancy by name, but only as his wife, but his eyes seemed to light up when she came through from the back room wearing the sequined top Annie had given her and a tight black skirt and high heels. Nancy kept her eyes downcast.

The usual blackout was already in place in the town, with no street lamps lit and windows covered with heavy curtains or blinds.

“Mind how you go,” Annie said to the pair “and Euan’s going to come and get me at 11 o’clock, when his shift with the ARP finishes, so be home in good time,” she stated “we’ll both be ready for our beds by then.”

(More tomorrow)