East End Angel (14 page)

‘How can you be so cheerful?’

‘It’s easy when I look at you.’

‘Oh, Jim, I don’t want you to go.’ It was all she kept saying. ‘A weekend’s not long enough.’

‘Some of the blokes didn’t even get that.’

‘How will I know if you’re in Africa?’

‘I’ll write to you.’

‘But you can’t say where in your letters!’

‘Listen, we’ll get a code going. If I tell you I miss me slippers, you’ll know I’m in the desert. See? So keep up with the news and you’ll have a fair idea of what’s happening.’

‘I only have to listen to Moira for that.’

He laughed, swirling the razor in the water and rinsing his chin by cupping his hands under the tap. He had such a powerful body, Pearl thought longingly. He was all man, with long legs and lovely muscular thighs that had improved on the army diet. She knew every inch of his body and never wanted to let him out of her reach. Suddenly she jumped up and rushed to him. He turned, his eyes full of tenderness.

‘I’m sorry I went on about your mum.’

‘She ain’t that bad.’

Pearl didn’t say what she was really thinking, but stood on tiptoe and kissed him, pulling his head down with her hands so that their teeth met with a chink. She was wearing a soft blue slip and she deliberately let the straps slide down. She knew what she was doing and so did he. She didn’t care if she made him late. He was her husband and the army had claimed him and she hated them for it. She didn’t have the power to stop him going to war, but at least she could delay it.

When would she hear from Jim, Pearl wondered as she walked home from work one cold Friday in February. Almost six weeks had passed since he’d gone back. Where was he? What was he doing and why hadn’t he managed to send a letter? One page would do, a half, even.

Britain had experienced a freezing cold winter, one of the coldest in years. A snowstorm had been and gone. If he was in Africa, surely the censor would allow him to write about the weather? He’d told her all the blokes were always discussing it after reading letters from their wives and girlfriends. She would have thought he’d have something to say on the subject, if not on anything else. Was the rest of the war always going to be like this – living on a knife edge until news came through?

Pearl knitted her brow in an attempt to concentrate on the food and fuel situation. The coalman didn’t call as much these days. When he did, the sacks were half dust. Wood was scarce too, unless she paid a street kid to look for some. There were plenty of those about. Many had escaped evacuation and hung around street corners waiting for the nod from a housewife. It was so cold! On Saturday she was going to buy another eiderdown from the market. Without Jim beside her in bed, she couldn’t get warm.

Hemsley’s was packed out. Fitz’s tall figure was head and shoulders above the others. When he saw her, he pushed the customers aside and hurried towards her.

Pearl saw the look on his face. ‘What is it?’ she asked, as he took hold of her arm and steered her away from the shop door.

‘Pearl, we just got word a bomb’s gone off,’ he said, trying to sound calm.

‘A bomb?’

‘Yes, over Roper’s Way. No need to panic. I’ll come with you, if you want to go there. Hang on while I get me coat.’

‘Oh God, no,’ she gasped as Fitz ran back inside to pull on his jacket.

‘Take care of yourselves,’ shouted Gwen, but Pearl didn’t hear. She had begun to run and didn’t stop running till she got to Roper’s Way.

The first figures she saw were the shiny suits and masks of the decontamination men. They were sweeping the road and moving slowly over the ground.

‘It’s our house and next door’s,’ whispered Pearl, staring at the two badly burned buildings. The windows were all blown out, leaving the tape hanging down like streamers. A crack about a foot wide went from the top to the bottom of number twenty-four.

‘Mum? Dad?’ she screamed.

‘Don’t panic,’ said Fitz. ‘They might not have been in there.’

Pearl’s gaze was on the walls of the front room, all covered in soot. But it was the crack that worried her most. The house looked as though it might collapse any moment.

She broke free and ran forward, but a warden grabbed her arm.

‘Hold on, love, who are you?’

‘Pearl Nesbitt,’ she babbled. ‘That’s me mum and dad’s house. They might be in there!’

‘Hold your horses, love. No one goes near till the decontamination unit has finished.’ He pulled her back. ‘It’s all right, your folks have been taken to a rest centre. They’ve had a shock, but they’re all unharmed.’

Pearl felt her knees go weak. ‘Oh, thank God. What about my sister?’

‘A young woman was with them too.’

‘Was it a raid? I didn’t hear the siren go.’

‘No. We think there was an explosion in the factory,’ explained the warden. ‘It went up with a bang and these house bought it too.’

‘But that’s where my dad works!’

‘Yes, I know.’

‘He ain’t hurt?’

‘No. It’s Friday and the hooter went early. Most of the men had left before it happened. Your dad told me he’d gone off to get himself some baccy from the corner shop. He heard the bang from there. There was only one casualty, the caretaker, who we think’s broke his leg as he was blown over. There wasn’t any pedestrians as it was gone knocking-off time, and luckily your mum was shopping at the market and your sister walking home from work.’

‘I can’t believe it,’ Pearl whispered to herself, and Fitz put his arm round her. ‘What’s going to happen to our house?’

‘That I can’t tell you.’

To Pearl it seemed impossible that something like this could happen when Roper’s Way had survived nine months of the Blitz.

‘What about number twenty-two?’ she asked anxiously. ‘It’s an old couple, Mr and Mrs Sampson. I used to do their errands for them and Mum was always going in to see they were all right.’

‘Not such good news there, I’m afraid. As you can see, it took a worse hammering than your place. The old boy was in bed with a cold and Mrs Sampson took a tumble down the stairs. They’re both in hospital.’

Pearl closed her eyes. They were a lovely old couple, but very deaf. They’d lived in Roper’s Way for years. So long in fact, Pearl couldn’t remember anyone else living there.

‘Once the gelly boys are finished we’ll be able to start clearing,’ said the warden gently. ‘Meantime we’ll have to find somewhere for your folks to live. Evacuation, no doubt.’

‘Evacuation?’ Pearl repeated. ‘Mum and Dad would never leave the island.’

‘They might have to.’

‘They can live with me till our house is repaired.’

He frowned. ‘Dunno if it will be, love.’

‘But it’s our home. They’ve got to mend it.’

‘Yes, along with the rest of London. See that crack there? It’s a bad sign. You won’t be able to bodge that up, no.’ He gave a sad smile. ‘Well, come along and we’ll get you off to be with your people. Your friend can be on his way.’

‘I’d prefer to stay with her,’ said Fitz. ‘She’s had a big shock.’

‘Who are you?’

‘A friend of the family.’

‘Thanks, mate, but I’ll see she’s all right.’

‘Don’t worry about me, Fitz,’ Pearl said shakily. She was still getting over what the warden had said. ‘Go back to Gwen.’

‘Are you sure?’

‘Yes.’ Pearl was led away by the warden. She didn’t even have time to look back as a truck pulled up beside them. The driver climbed out and helped her in.

‘Take this young lady to headquarters,’ said the warden. ‘She’s related to the people in number twenty-four.’

There were two long benches facing each other under the big canvas roof. Pearl sat on one them, holding tight to the rail as the vehicle moved off. It had been a dreadful shock to see their home so black and battered. She had been rushed off quickly. But why? Were they going to break the news to her that something had happened to her family?

Pearl shielded her eyes from the big lights that shone down inside the building. Someone took her arm. ‘This way, please.’

‘Where are you taking me?’ Pearl tried to hide the fear in her voice.

‘You’re going to see your family.’

‘Are you sure they’re all right?’

‘Yes,’ said the big woman in army uniform. ‘You mustn’t worry.’

‘That’s easy for you to say,’ Pearl snapped, pulling away. ‘You haven’t just seen your home in pieces.’

‘There’s no use in creating a scene, my dear. Just calm down.’

Pearl was very angry. She had been robbed of her husband, now her old home had gone and they were telling her not to worry!

‘Commander Knowles would like to speak to you. It’s called a debriefing, something that has to take place after a large, and in this case, unexplained event.’

She marched on and reluctantly Pearl followed. The female officer stopped and knocked hard on a door. It was opened by a tall man also in uniform.

‘Ah, Mrs Nesbitt,’ he smiled, reaching out to take Pearl’s hand. ‘I’m Commander Knowles. Please come in. That’s all, thank you, Corporal.’

When they were alone, he gestured to a large leather chair. ‘Do sit down and make yourself comfortable. Would you like some tea?’

‘No. I just want to see my family.’ Pearl sat on the edge of the chair.

‘All in good time.’ He took a seat behind his desk. ‘This must seem rather cloak and dagger but we have to be on our toes. After an unexplained explosion, the Ministry of Defence has to investigate. Hence the decontamination unit.’

‘But there wasn’t a raid.’

‘Exactly. So finding evidence is very important. It will tell us exactly why the factory blew up and unfortunately took several houses with it.’

Pearl shuddered. ‘My parents and sister could have been killed.’

‘Yes, this concerns us too.’

‘How long will all these
investigations
take?’

He smiled and pleated his fingers. His steady eyes looked at her without blinking. ‘A little while, I’m afraid. You see, one of our aims is not to cause panic amongst the general public. And in this case, as we don’t know what actually happened, it’s imperative that we be discreet about our work. It might take weeks, but more likely months.’

‘Those men in shiny suits ain’t very discreet.’

‘No, but they are absolutely essential. When a major disturbance happens – and we are not under air attack – then it’s up to the special units to find out the cause. In cases such as this, we follow up every lead, yet try to keep a low profile. Gossip and panic soon spreads, and with them an undermining of the country’s confidence.’

‘But the factory only made things for ships. It was just an ordinary factory. Why should it blow up?’

‘You are very astute, Mrs Nesbitt. The factory made steel, yes, and everything from bridges to blast furnaces. But also important parts for our warships and aircraft.’

‘You mean someone might have done it deliberately?’

‘What we have to remember,’ he said evasively, ‘is that the enemy know a great deal about us. Well-trained foreign saboteurs look exactly like you and me. They speak fluent English, mix freely with the public, sometimes marry and have families. If not detected, one insider can wreak havoc, disrupting the workforce or–’ he paused – ‘planting bombs.’

Pearl stared at him. ‘You mean a spy could have blown Dad’s factory up?’

‘We investigate every possibility.’

‘Do Mum and Dad know about this?’

‘We have had the same conversation, yes.’ Commander Knowles flattened his palms on the table. ‘Now, our first concern is to get your family housed.’

‘They can come and stay with me for the time being.’

‘Have you enough space?’

‘I’ve got two bedrooms. And there’s only me there, now my husband, Jim, has been called up.’

‘What’s his name?’

‘Jim Nesbitt. He’s in the Engineers.’

The commander looked thoughtful. ‘We shall have to talk about evacuation, if only for a short while.’

‘But they’ve always lived on the island!’ Pearl protested. ‘Can’t you get them somewhere here?’

‘We shall have to see.’

Ten minutes later, Pearl was reunited with her parents and Ruby. But not even her dad’s big bear hug and her mum’s whispered words of how lucky everyone had been to escape death, could comfort Pearl. They might still be alive but the war had taken everything else.

Two days later the back door opened and a hunched figure appeared. Unrecognizable in his woollen hat, Jim pulled down the collar of his greatcoat and grinned at his wife and sister-in-law.

‘Jim!’ screamed Pearl and Ruby together. They were standing at the sink, washing the breakfast dishes in cold water. Pearl dropped the cup on the drainer and rushed forward to be lifted off her feet.

He was laughing as she pulled off his hat. ‘Hello, beautiful. Give us a kiss.’

She planted her lips on his and kissed him for all she was worth. Setting her gently down he scooped Ruby into an embrace.