The Teashop Girls Page 6

  ‘I did step on your foot,’ Rose said, trying to put a smile on his serious face.

  The smile appeared for a second, then disappeared. ‘If I were you, I’d advise your friend to marry her sweetheart while she can. We never know what’s on the horizon, and . . .’

  ‘. . . And it is better to have some memories. Is that what you’re saying?’ Rose finished his sentence for him.

  Ben’s face broke into a gentle smile, creating small laughter lines around his eyes as he reached across the table and took both her hands in his. ‘You are right. Better still not to fall in love in wartime and leave broken hearts behind,’ he said, a shadow crossing his face fleetingly.

  It’s far too late for that, she thought to herself, although she wondered what had happened to change his expression. ‘I agree. Perhaps friendship is best for everyone until Herr Hitler’s been sent packing.’

  ‘Are you two lovebirds going to order something?’ an elderly waitress said as she shuffled over to their table with a notebook and pencil in hand. ‘If not, can you be on your way, as I’ve got people waiting.’

  ‘A pot of tea for two, and perhaps two slices of your gypsy tart, if we may?’

  ‘It will have to be one thin slice, and you can share. We can’t get the sugar, yer know,’ she huffed as she shuffled off towards the counter, putting her pencil behind her ear.

  ‘Welcome to Ramsgate,’ Rose grinned as she pulled away from him, knowing the spell was broken – for now.

  ‘Pass that tray of loaves to me, Katie,’ Lily called to where her friend was arranging rock buns amongst the cardboard display cakes that stood behind a glass screen in the window of the teashop. ‘The area manager’s going to be here before too long, and Miss Butterworth will give us what for if the place isn’t spick and span.’

  Katie handed over the heavy wooden tray. ‘Here, take the other end before I drop it. She’ll have our guts for garters then,’ she grinned.

  ‘You look blooming happy considering the long day we’ve got ahead of us,’ Lily said as she stepped back to admire the food laid out in the window and along the shelves behind the counter. ‘Has it got anything to do with your Jack and a certain wedding, by any chance?’

  ‘It might have, but I’m not saying just yet. Wait until Rose is with us, then I’ll share my news, otherwise I’ve got to say it all over again. Do you want me to go outside to check the window display in case something’s not right? You know what the old dragon’s like. I swear she keeps a tape measure in her pocket to make sure we line the buns up straight.’

  ‘Go on then, but look snappy. There’s a queue forming out front already. Don’t let any of them in,’ Lily called as Katie unlocked the door. Lily took out a small dustpan and brush and carefully brushed away any crumbs from the food she’d been laying out. It wouldn’t do to have Miss Butterworth on their backs this early in the morning just because they forgot to sweep up crumbs.

  Katie nodded hello to a few of the customers she recognized in the queue. ‘We will be open soon,’ she smiled before wiping down the window ledges and stepping back to inspect the white-painted shop front with the gold lettering that distinguished Lyons teashops from other tearooms. The snow had stopped falling but it was bitterly cold, and Katie wasn’t going to hang about to catch her death. Everything looked spick and span – although Lily hadn’t lined up the scones neatly . . . Satisfied the shop front looked as sparkling and smart as the Nippies who served inside, she went back to her duties.

  ‘I’ve laid out the tables on both your workstations, girls,’ Rose said as she approached the serving area at the front of the shop, where customers would go to purchase bread, cakes and other provisions rather than to sit and dine in the restaurant section of the tearooms. ‘Where is Janie? She’s usually here by now. What is it with these Sallys being late all the time? It’s not right that you have to do her work as well as your own. Miss Butterworth has already added three extra tables to each of our workstations due to staff shortages. It is such a shame Miss Butterworth didn’t hire that young woman, Grace. She seemed nice. No doubt her face didn’t fit.’

  ‘I don’t mind,’ Lily said as she straightened up, rubbing her back before pushing a wisp of hair back under her starched white cap. ‘At least the job gets done. Miss Butterworth said that one of the girls from the kitchen could serve if Janie hasn’t arrived by the time the shop opens. I offered to do the job myself, but the old so-and-so said I was being lazy wanting to sell bread and cakes rather than serve customers – then pointed out I’d not been trained to be a Sally. I quite fancied it myself. Thanks for laying out my tables; it would have been touch and go whether I was ready before the doors opened.’

  ‘Could you see me waving at you?’ Katie huffed as she came back into the teashop. ‘There is a row of scones all over the place on the bottom shelf. You’d best get them sorted out before you-know-who notices, or she won’t stop going on about it all day long.’

  ‘At least when she’s moaning at me she’s leaving the other girls alone,’ Lily laughed.

  Rose giggled. ‘Blimey, you’ll be asking for a medal next for services to teashops. Look out, here she comes. Let me give you a hand taking these wooden trays back to the kitchen.’

  Clarice Butterworth approached. ‘Miss Neville, Miss Donavon, Miss Douglas: stop all this loitering. I’m about to open the shop, so please get to your workstations immediately.’

  Rose almost bobbed a curtsey as she took the other end of the pile of wooden trays to help Katie carry them to the kitchen. Behind her she could hear Miss Butterworth admonishing Lily for having a crooked cap and breadcrumbs on the front of her black uniform. ‘Does she never stop moaning?’ she asked Katie. ‘Just for once it would be nice for her to say something pleasant.’

  ‘I would faint from shock if she did,’ Katie said as the two girls checked each other over, making sure their uniforms were correct and their caps were securely pinned without a hair out of place. ‘Come on, let’s get to our stations. I’ve checked the work rota; we all have the same tea break. Don’t be late – I have something to tell you,’ she added with a secret smile.

  For the next couple of hours the girls worked hard. The teashop was short-staffed, with some of their colleagues having volunteered for the women’s sections of the armed services and a couple of the younger women deciding to take work at the nearby Manston airport. Miss Butterworth fussed about, watching over the waitresses, making sure customers were served and not left waiting for their food. Rose kept watching the door in the hope that Ben would appear again. She didn’t even know for sure where he was billeted. Her mum had mentioned that many servicemen were being put up in the empty rooms of guesthouses that once upon a time were rented by holidaymakers visiting the seaside towns of Ramsgate, Broadstairs and Margate. News was that billeting officers would be visiting all houses shortly, looking for empty rooms in which to put up soldiers and officers. Rose just hoped that the servicemen who moved into Sea View would be a decent sort and would fit in with the motley group of people who had made the guesthouse their home. Her heart skipped a beat as she wondered what it would be like to live under the same roof as the handsome Benjamin.

  ‘Miss Neville, you have customers waiting. Please stop daydreaming and do the job you’re paid to do,’ snapped Miss Butterworth. ‘With the area manager due to call any time now, I don’t want my staff putting a foot out of step. If we were not so short-staffed I’d be giving you your marching orders,’ she sniffed before moving on to Katie to berate her for spilling hot tea over a crisp white linen tablecloth. It had splashed close to a customer, who jumped up in alarm. Katie was horrified at what had happened and was apologizing profusely. Miss Butterworth snapped at her, ‘Show your customer to an empty table while we have this mess cleared up.’ She turned to the customer, giving her a charming smile and offering her a free meal for the inconvenience.

  Rose watched with concern, knowing that the cost of the food would come out of Katie’s pay packet. At that mom
ent she hated Miss Butterworth as she had never hated anyone before. Every penny counted for Katie, who lived alone in a small rented room over the chip shop in the middle of Ramsgate. She was saving hard for her wedding to Jack.

  ‘It’s almost time for my break.’ Katie bravely said to her boss.

  ‘Clear this mess up and go; you obviously care more for your own comfort than you do for our customers.’

  Katie lowered her head in shame and headed to the staffroom, taking with her the dirty tablecloth, which she threw into a laundry bin. Rose stepped in to take the customer’s order of toasted teacake and coffee before following her friend. She noticed Lily was not on the shop floor, so must be in the staffroom already. Thank goodness all Nippies covered for each other, or they would never have a break. With around twenty serving staff on the floor at the busiest times of day, the girls were fortunate to be able to meet for a chat over a meal.

  ‘Blimey, she’s more of a battle-axe than normal. Why do you think that is?’ Rose said, joining her two friends at a small table after kicking off her shoes and sitting down. ‘Ah, that’s better.’

  ‘She must be worried about her sister. For all her bullying tendencies, she obviously cares for her,’ Lily said as she passed a plate of Spam sandwiches to her friends.

  ‘Do you think she will take time off to care for her?’ Katie asked hopefully.

  ‘We should be so lucky,’ Lily said as she bit into her sandwich.

  One of the Nippies from another table leant over to speak. ‘My boyfriend, who delivers the baked goods each morning, told me that the manageress of the Margate teashop has been transferred. It seems she is moving to London to work at one of the larger corner shops.’

  ‘Lucky cow,’ Lily said, putting the remains of her sandwich back on the plate. ‘I’d give anything to work in London; it always sounds so glamorous. Did you know that the staff up there have their own sports and social club? I’ve even heard that film stars pop in for a cup of tea, and sometimes something stronger. They have proper orchestras playing in the big corner shops as well,’ she sighed. ‘It’s a million miles away from life in Ramsgate.’

  ‘What would you do in a sports club? You’re not exactly the sporting type, are you?’ Rose said.

  Katie giggled. ‘I’ve heard Lily can be quite social at times.’

  ‘Here, less of your lip,’ Lily said, giving her a playful nudge. ‘I do nothing the pair of you wouldn’t do – which reminds me, what is it you wanted to tell us, Katie?’ she asked, taking no notice of her two friends as they looked at each other with smiles and raised eyebrows.

  ‘We’ve named the day,’ Katie beamed, ‘and I want you both to be my bridesmaids.’

  Rose felt relief flow through her body. Since Ben’s words she had been worried that Jack would go off to war and something terrible would happen, leaving Katie wishing she’d married her childhood sweetheart before waving him goodbye. ‘Go on, tell us when it’s to be?’

  ‘Christmas. It will give us time to plan, and as we are being told the war could be over by then, we will have a double celebration.’

  Rose sighed. Her friend was naive in so many ways. It was hard to believe all three girls were close in age. ‘Lovely – but from what Mum has told me, they said the very same thing in the last war, and look how long that lasted. If I was you I’d grab hold of that lovely man and rush him up the aisle before he gets shipped off.’

  ‘I agree with Rose. Jack could find some foreign beauty and before you receive a Dear John letter he will be married with half a dozen kiddies – or dead and buried,’ Lily added without thinking.

  ‘No, I don’t believe either of you. Jack promised me we would be together always.’ Katie started to sob. ‘How can you both be so horrid? I thought you would be happy for me.’

  Lily rushed round to comfort Katie, while Rose passed a clean cotton handkerchief across the table.

  ‘There, there, no need to get so upset. Please don’t take any notice of what I said. Was it Jack who wanted to wait?’ Lily asked as she hugged Katie.

  ‘No, he was all for popping off to a registry office and doing it on my next day off. But I want to marry in church and have a wedding I’ll remember all my life,’ Katie sniffed. ‘I thought that if we saved up a bit of money it would pay for a nice dress – and we’d have time to find a small flat or a couple of rooms to rent. I didn’t think for one minute that the war would interfere with my life.’

  ‘My dear, this war, for however long it lasts, will turn our lives upside down whether we want it to or not,’ Lily said. ‘Look at all the women who lost their loved ones in the last war and haven’t remarried. Some never had the chance to marry at all and remain spinsters to this very day.’

  Lily’s words had Katie crying once more. It was only the girls on the next table getting up to return to their workstations that prompted Rose to look at the clock. ‘My goodness! Miss Butterworth will have our guts for garters. Just look at the time,’ she exclaimed, picking up her cup and knocking back the remains of her tea. ‘Yuck, it’s cold. Come on, you two.’

  Lily and Katie followed Rose from the staffroom, heading down the long narrow corridor that led from the staff and kitchen area to the more opulent-looking cafe and shop. Katie wiped her eyes and did her best to calm herself.

  ‘Look, why don’t you both come round to my house this evening and we can chat about things? If money is the only thing holding you back from marrying Jack, perhaps we can come up with a solution. We can have fish and chips so as not to bother Mum providing us with a meal. It will be my treat.’

  ‘That sounds like a plan,’ Lily said as Katie gave a watery smile and nodded her head as way of thanks. ‘Look out – I can see Butterworth with a couple of chaps. Straighten your stocking seams, girls!’

  The three friends quickly checked their uniforms before stepping into the bright lights of the shop. Rose always got a thrill from seeing the brass fittings on the counters and white porcelain light fittings hanging from high ceilings. With their crisp white table linen, shining cutlery and smartly dressed Nippies dashing here and there, who could fail to be impressed with the teashops owned by J. Lyons & Co.? Even the smaller seaside teashops like the one in Ramsgate had an air of importance about them. The Ramsgate teashop was quite a small affair compared with the London Corner Houses or with the teashop in nearby Margate, which had a first-floor terrace overlooking the sea. Rose had worked there several times when they’d been short-staffed and had thoroughly enjoyed herself in her new surroundings.

  ‘Miss Neville, can you spare me a few minutes, please?’ Miss Butterworth called out as Rose headed to her workstation. Rose looked towards Lily, who had also heard their boss’s words; she nodded to indicate she would cover Rose’s tables.

  ‘Of course, Miss Butterworth,’ she answered obediently, following her boss to the small office close to the kitchen area. Two men were already squeezed inside. She recognized Mr Grant, the area inspector, and was introduced to a Mr White, a younger man who it seemed was to work under Mr Grant overseeing orders and sales in the teashops around the Kent coast. Rose wondered why she been called into the office, imagining something must be wrong; but try as she might, she couldn’t think of a thing – unless it was that argument with Silvano the other day. Lyons didn’t like their Nippies to answer back to customers. Well, if she was here to get the sack, what could she do about it? No doubt she could find another job around Ramsgate, although she didn’t relish working in an ordinary cafe after her prestigious job in Lyons.

  Mr Grant cleared his throat with a small cough. ‘Miss Neville, I wish to put you in the picture about the management of this teashop – and also the one in Margate. I believe you are aware of the other establishment?’

  Rose frowned. Whatever did he mean? ‘Yes, sir. I worked at the Margate teashop when several of the girls went down with influenza.’

  ‘Good, good,’ he said. ‘An opening has appeared for the position of manageress at the Margate shop. Ordinarily I wou
ld have offered the position to Miss Butterworth, as the Margate teashop is larger than this one. However, as Miss Butterworth will be leaving shortly, it seems foolish to move her for a few weeks. I wish to offer you the position, Miss Neville – as long as you complete your manageress training course in London, that is.’

  If Rose hadn’t been surprised by the turn of events, she was now. Standing with her hands clasped behind her back, she was able to pinch herself, and tried not to flinch when it hurt. No, she wasn’t dreaming. ‘I’m sorry to hear you are leaving, Miss Butterworth. You will be missed.’

  Clarice Butterworth stared at her with beady eyes. They both knew Rose was not telling the truth. ‘My sister is poorly, and I’m needed to nurse her. Mr Grant has allowed me extended leave, for which I am most grateful,’ she said with a smile towards the area manager.

  ‘I hope your sister’s health improves soon,’ Rose said, before turning to Mr Grant. ‘Could I not stay here as manageress?’ she asked, and at once realized she sounded most ungrateful. ‘It’s just that I would have thought someone older, and with more experience, would have suited the Margate teashop. It is twice the size of this teashop, what with it having the upstairs veranda.’

  ‘We have someone coming down from London to take on the position temporarily until we know whether Miss Butterworth is returning. We value our staff at J. Lyons & Co.,’ he said, puffing himself up. ‘The person stepping in only has experience of smaller teashops, so it seemed prudent to train up someone who knows the area and would become a permanent member of the management team. We are giving you an opportunity to go far in this company. By the way – are you planning to marry?’ he asked, peering to look at her left hand in search of a wedding or engagement ring. Both hands were still hidden behind the skirt of her dress.

  Rose waved her bare left hand. ‘No, sir, no ring and no boyfriend. I’m footloose and fancy free,’ she said, trying to ignore the smile spreading over Mr White’s face. ‘Not that I’m . . . er, I mean I’m not one for . . .’