Secrets of the Singer Girls (13 page)

‘And there’s St Paul’s Cathedral the other way,’ Daisy said proudly. ‘Managed to survive more or less unscathed throughout the Blitz, thanks to the fire-watchers up
on the roof.’

‘Whoever should want to bomb something so magnificent?’ Robert said in dismay. He swept his arm along the length of the Thames and fell silent. Seeing it through his eyes, Daisy also
felt a little heady.

‘The sights of London are nearly as beautiful as you,’ he said, impulsively bending down to kiss her.

Daisy felt as if she were floating on air as they continued the walk back to Bethnal Green and she chattered brightly all the way, pointing out the churches and buildings that had survived the
raids.

‘You folks sure did cop it,’ he said as they passed yet another sealed-off street, peppered with roofless houses and rubble. ‘However did you manage to survive this,
Daisy?’

‘Camaraderie,’ she answered, without hesitation. ‘Singing in the shelters and at work gave us a common purpose – you know, like we were all in it together. It still
does.’

Robert nodded his head thoughtfully. ‘I’ll remember that when we get posted abroad.’

But all too soon the walk was over and they arrived back at Bethnal Green.

‘You can leave me here,’ Daisy said reluctantly, when they reached the Tube station. ‘I don’t live far from here, and I’m not sure you’re ready to face my
sister or the neighbours just yet.’

‘I understand,’ Robert replied.

Thank goodness the blackout was useful for one thing, thought Daisy as Robert planted a lingering kiss on her lips in the shadows of the doorway.

‘Until we meet again, Daisy,’ Robert breathed, reaching round and clipping her heart pendant round her neck before planting a last kiss as soft and sweet as marshmallow on her lips.
‘May God go with you.’

No matter that the odds were well and truly stacked against them – it truly had been the most magical night of Daisy’s life, and Robert had already left an indelible mark on her
heart.

The next morning, Daisy could scarcely wipe the silly grin off her face as she sat at the table and played with her bowl of porridge laced with Bemax.

‘Eat up,’ urged Vera from across the table. ‘Rationing’s kicking in something awful now. Do you know how long I had to queue at the butcher’s for, after work on
Saturday? I had hoped to get us some pork chops for our tea, but after queuing for nearly an hour, all I came away with was a tin of corned beef.’

Her big sister’s talk of tinned meat floated clean over Daisy’s head, and in a trance she took a mouthful of porridge. Even the Bemax food supplement she loathed so much didn’t
seem to leave such a nasty taste in her mouth this morning. All she could taste were Robert’s kisses, and all she could feel was his hand still warm in hers.

‘Glad to see you’ve got Mum’s necklace back on,’ Vera remarked. ‘Where did you find it?’

‘Do you know,’ Daisy replied with an enigmatic smile on her face, ‘it turned up in the last place you’d expect. Talking of which, the kids loved our sing-song at the
hospital yesterday.’

‘Did they?’ Vera replied guardedly.

‘Oh, absolutely.’ Daisy nodded enthusiastically. ‘Matron said we were welcome back anytime. As a matter of fact, Vera,’ she said, rising to her feet and taking her bowl
out to the scullery so her sister couldn’t see her face, ‘I offered to nip back quickly on my dinner break today to say hello to the kiddies.’

She had tried to keep her voice light, but she still felt her sister bristle behind her.

Vera frowned. ‘Well, you don’t need my permission, but you had better make sure you’re back before your forty-five minutes is up. If you’re even one minute late, I shall
be docking your pay. Rules are rules. The fact that you’re family means, if anything, I shall have to impose them more firmly. Besides,’ she added suspiciously, ‘you’ve
never showed much interest in this sort of thing before.’

‘I know, but I like to do my bit, Vera,’ Daisy said, turning to face her with a bright smile on her face. It was only half a lie, she reasoned. She
had
actually loved their
trip to sing to the children in hospital. She had already resolved to corner Ivy, Doris, Betty and Kathy at work that morning and apologize for her sudden display of affection for the visiting
soldier. She would blame it on the emotion of the visit and say it was to put a smile on the children’s faces. A sudden thought flashed alarmingly through her mind.

‘You’re not planning on joining us, are you?’

Vera’s body stiffened. ‘I don’t think so. Mr Gladstone’s asked me to do some overtime.’

At that moment, a bleary-eyed Frank walked into the kitchen.

‘Morning, Dad. What plans have you for the day?’ Daisy asked.

‘They’re hiring down the docks,’ he replied, greedily wolfing back his porridge.

Vera went to speak but clearly thought better of it. Turning away from their father, she gathered her coat from where it was neatly folded over the back of her chair and quickly pinned on her
hat.

‘Fetch us a couple of brown ales on your way back from work tonight, will you, sweetheart? Your sister’s working late. Reckon she’s set her cap on that old windbag Mr
Gladstone.’

‘He’s more of a man than you’ll ever be,’ Vera said defiantly.

‘Come on, Vera, or else we’ll be late,’ Daisy said, taking her sister’s arm and deftly guiding her from the house.

She loved their father, but Daisy did wish he wouldn’t rile Vera so. Never mind the battlefields abroad, sometimes she felt like she was living on the front line at number 24 Tavern
Street. Daisy had often found herself wondering why it was that Vera loathed their father. He wasn’t perfect, but what man was? Daisy suspected that Vera’s bitterness at having to take
over the running of the house after their mother’s death was the real reason behind her dislike of their father. She could not blame her for that, she supposed. Having to be a mother, sister
and housekeeper rolled into one at such a tender age was enough to make any woman weep, but that was hardly their father’s fault, was it? Just as much as it wasn’t that he suffered a
heart condition that made work difficult.

A sudden sadness crept into Daisy’s heart as she and Vera strode in the direction of Trout’s. How different life would be today if her mother were still alive and hadn’t
perished in that awful fire. She knew from the framed picture in the good room that she was pretty, all right, and Vera never tired of saying what a hard worker she had been. But with a sudden jolt
of anguish, Daisy realized that was all she knew. Had she liked sugar in her tea? Did she prefer her toast with the crusts on or off? What was her favourite scent? And it wasn’t just the
silly little details she was missing. Had she loved their father with the intensity she knew she already felt in her heart for Robert? She longed to ask her big sister, but she knew she would get
short shrift like she always did when she tried to talk to her about anything emotional. Thanks to Vera, her past was a sealed envelope, and its memories were shut within.

But none of that mattered any longer. A sweet rush of delirium flooded through Daisy’s veins as she relived her evening with the handsome GI all over again. She couldn’t wait to tell
Sal and Poppy, but she had an agonizing three-hour wait until their eleven-o’clock tea break. No sooner were they seated at the canteen table than she was away, rattling off the details.

‘Robert bought me scones with real jam. Did I tell you he works in an orchard back in America, picking apples? Perhaps I could help him during harvesting. Imagine that. And his kiss . . .
Oh my.’ She touched her cherry-red lips and smiled dreamily.

‘Slow down, Dais,’ said Sal. ‘I hate to bring you down to earth, but surely he’s being posted out to fight soon?’

Daisy’s face hardened. ‘Oh, where’s your sense of romance?’ she replied peevishly.

‘Well, I think it’s all terribly romantic,’ smiled Poppy shyly. ‘He’s ever so handsome.’

‘Oh, he is, isn’t he?’ gushed Daisy. ‘I know it’s all happening so fast and we’ve only met twice, but honestly, girls, I think I love him.’

‘I dare say you think you do,’ sighed Sal with a heavy heart. ‘But there’s no future in it. All men are pretty much the same in the end. Limbs, loins and a roving eye,
and that’s if you’re lucky. Besides, I thought you were marrying an officer, not an apple-picker?’

‘Oh, I’m not talking to you,’ Daisy snapped back. ‘You’re obviously in a lousy mood.’ She turned back to Poppy. ‘Only the other day I was reading a
report in the
News of the World
about all these women engaged to GIs. War brides, they call ‘em. They’ll be setting off across the Atlantic soon as this wretched war’s
over, and do you know what?’ Her green eyes flashed with determination. ‘I’m going to be setting sail with them.’ With that she flounced from the canteen with the sound of
wedding bells in her head and the whiff of sea salt in her nose.

Sal turned to Poppy with a weary look in her eye. ‘Never mind apples. That’s a forbidden fruit that’s going to taste sour when she takes a bite. You mark my words.’

Over the course of the following week, Daisy managed to meet Robert for a few snatched moments, stealing a clandestine kiss under the secluded arches by the train station, but
she had to wait until Sunday for their first proper date, when Robert had a pass to leave his base.

When the morning dawned, she rose early to complete her chores so she could escape the house in time to meet him.

Vera looked as if she might faint on the spot when she came down into the backyard to find Daisy running sopping-wet clothes through the mangle.

‘Good heavens,’ she exclaimed. ‘It usually takes wild horses to drag you from your bed at this hour on a Sunday. Whatever has come over you?’

Daisy looked up, flushed from her efforts. ‘I just thought I’d seize the day, Vera,’ she puffed. ‘You’re always asking me to help out more, so I’ve done all
my chores. When I’ve finished this, do you mind if I nip to the hospital? I said I’d put in a few hours up at the Red Cross aid centre after, so I might be late back. Is that all
right?’

‘I don’t see why not,’ replied Vera, flabbergasted at the sea change in her sister. ‘As long as you’ve completed all your jobs.’

‘Guide’s honour,’ Daisy replied brightly. ‘I’ve done the washing, scrubbed down the scullery and black-leaded the stove. Now, am I free to go?’

‘Very well, then,’ sighed Vera, picking up the mangled clothes to peg out on the line. She watched in total astonishment as her little sister breezed out of the house. ‘Well,
I’ll be,’ she murmured.

Free at last, Daisy hopped on a bus in the direction of the West End. She felt a momentary pang of guilt for lying to her sister, but she squashed it down just as quickly. Robert didn’t
have long left of his time in London and she was determined to enjoy every single precious second.

Daisy’s heart skipped a beat when she saw her handsome soldier leaning against the wall outside Piccadilly Tube Station. Everything about him gleamed, from the shine on his boots to the
sparkle on his silver buttons.

‘Daisy, you look beautiful.’ He took her hand in his to kiss. ‘Shall we get out of here?’

‘Yes, let’s.’ She smiled back, marvelling at the effect this dashing man had on her. Even her hand was tingling from where he had kissed it.

Despite the early hour, the place was teeming with soldiers of every creed and colour, all intent on finding fun, and Daisy noted with a wry grin that there were no end of Piccadilly commandos,
as the prostitutes of this area were called, happy to aid them in that search.

No one else was staking a claim on her man, though, and she gripped Robert’s hand tightly.

‘Where we going, then?’ she grinned, fizzing with excitement.

‘It’s a surprise,’ he winked.

By the time they drew level with the Ritz, Daisy must have seen at least fifteen different uniforms, from Poles and Swedes through to Australians and Canadians. They hadn’t called it the
‘friendly invasion’ for nothing. The city was swarming with foreign soldiers all babbling away in a hundred different tongues.

‘Oh my,’ she breathed, as they slowed down to look at the grand hotel at number 150 Piccadilly. With its liveried doormen and marble foyer, this was definitely up Daisy’s
street. ‘Are we taking tea in the Palm Court?’ she asked excitedly.

‘Sorry, but we’re not going to the Ritz,’ Robert replied. ‘Boy, but you sure can beat your gums, Miss Shadwell. All will be revealed soon,’ he teased.
‘Besides, this area of London is swarming with GIs – they’re calling Mayfair “Little America” now – so I’d actually like to get out of here.’

They walked and walked, taking in Berkeley Square, where Daisy couldn’t help but sing a few bars of A Nightingale Sang in Berkeley Square’, which Robert likened to having honey
poured in his ears.

Finally, he stopped in front of the beautiful stretch of water that ran through Hyde Park.

‘Why are we at the Serpentine?’ Daisy puzzled.

‘We’re having a picnic on the other side,’ Robert beamed. ‘Your cruise ship awaits, madam.’ He pointed to a small wooden rowing boat.

‘I’m not getting in that.’ Daisy screeched with laughter. ‘I’ll rip my nylons.’

Suddenly, she found herself being swung high up into the air as Robert swept her off her feet. ‘Come on,’ he laughed. ‘Where’s your sense of adventure?’

Giggling helplessly, she let Robert lower her into the boat and watched admiringly as he used his strong arms to row them along the glittering waters. Robert had thought of everything and when
they alighted on the other side, he produced a picnic blanket and a mouth-watering spread of food.

‘I was the first at the American post exchange this morning to get this. Gotta spoil my girl,’ he said excitedly, laying out things Daisy had never seen before. There was macaroni
salad, potato salad, pickles and even a big box of chocolates, and Daisy feasted.

‘After years of corned beef and cabbage, this is like the food of the gods,’ she said appreciatively between mouthfuls. ‘Who needs the Ritz with this?’

‘I’m glad you’re happy, Daisy,’ Robert smiled. ‘You sure do deserve it.’