The Teashop Girls Read online

  ‘I think we know what you mean, Miss Neville. Shall we move on?’ Mr Grant said with another small cough. ‘Perhaps Miss Butterworth could drum up a pot of tea while we go over the small details?’ He pulled out a chair at the desk for Rose.

  Rose dared not look Miss Butterworth in the eye as she accepted the seat. There would be hell to pay for this if she didn’t take up Mr Grant’s offer and move to Margate.

  4

  ‘Well, I’ll be blowed,’ Flora remarked as she listened to what Rose had to say. ‘Fancy them thinking that highly of you and sending you to Margate! I’m so proud of you, my love.’

  ‘Thanks, Mum,’ Rose said as she stirred her tea. They were chatting at the kitchen table and for once, they were alone.

  ‘You look thoughtful, love. Are you not sure about this promotion? Is it about going up to London for the training course? I know you were nervous when you went to learn how to be a Nippy but it turned out all right in the end, didn’t it?’

  ‘It’s not that, Mum. I’m just wondering if I’m doing the right thing . . .’

  Flora observed her pretty daughter. At times she looked so like her father. She’d spotted it when Rose got fired up about something. A certain way with her hands and a tilt of the head . . . Perhaps Rose was changing her mind about being a Nippy? She’d been shocked when, along with Lily and Katie, Rosie had declared she wanted to work for Joe Lyons in his teashops. For a while she’d thought that meant going to work in London at one of the big Lyons Corner Houses. Flora had been more than a little relieved when she heard the girls intended to stay in the Thanet area. If things had turned out differently, her plans for her only child would have meant a proper career, perhaps in an office. ‘If you would like to do something else with your life, I’ll support you,’ she said. ‘Is there anything . . .?’

  Rose took a deep breath. Now was the time to say how much she loved to sing. ‘Mum, I’m probably being daft, as the offer of this manageress job is such a great opportunity for me to earn more money – but I’ve always had a dream . . .’

  Flora closed her eyes fleetingly. She had dreaded this moment. She’d ignored comments from friends, when they’d heard her daughter sing at parties and dances, that Rose should be on the stage. But if Rose’s yearning to sing was as strong as her own desires had been when she was young, what could she do to stop her? ‘You mean, to be a singer?’

  ‘Yes. Do you think it’s a silly idea?’

  ‘No dream is silly, my love, but I feel you’d be missing a great opportunity if you turned down this job offer. How many young women of your age can say they are in charge of a teashop? Why not enjoy singing as you do now, when you go dancing?’

  Deep down, Rose was disappointed, but she knew her mum had a point. No doubt Flora’s advice was because she didn’t want to see her daughter leave home, especially during wartime. She decided she wouldn’t bother mentioning it again.

  Flora watched Rose’s thoughtful expression and prayed the girl wouldn’t argue. She’d never told Rose, but she had once performed on stage and led a gay life in the music halls. Until she’d met Rose’s father – then her life had changed forever.

  ‘Forget I said anything, Mum. I was just having fanciful thoughts. It’s the shock of being offered that job. Shall I make us another cup of tea? By the way, where is everyone? It’s very quiet here, considering you have a guesthouse full of residents.’

  ‘Round and about. They’ll all be back home for their dinner, don’t you fear. I was given a rabbit and made a pie. I’ve only got the crust to make in a while. Mr Cardew is up in his room; I heard him banging about earlier. Goodness knows what he’s up to now.’

  ‘He’s a strange one. With his room above mine, I’ve lost count of the times he’s woken me up with the floorboards creaking.’

  ‘Oh dear, we can’t have that with you about to be taking on an important job. I’ll have a word with him when he brings me his rent money.’

  ‘Don’t worry, I’ve got used to it. We don’t want to upset him and have you lose the rent money if he leaves. By the way, I’ve invited Lily and Katie round tonight for a chat. Katie’s talking about getting married, and we want to make some plans.’

  Flora’s face fell. ‘Oh dear, I’m not sure I’ve got enough to feed the two of them as well. I suppose I could boil a few extra spuds . . .’

  ‘There’s no need, Mum. I’m treating them both to fish and chips to celebrate my promotion. That means I won’t want my dinner, so more for the guests.’

  Flora nodded absent-mindedly. ‘We’d best make sure your bicycle is checked over as you’ll not want it letting you down. Or were you thinking of catching the bus to Margate each way? It’s more than a couple of miles each day. Mind you, the bus has been a bit on the unreliable side recently . . .’

  Rose took a deep breath. ‘Mum, there’s something else I’ve not told you. I’ll be living in Margate. With the long shifts and having to be available most of the time the teashop is open, Mr Grant told me I’m to live close to the premises. There’s a flat nearby – we can both go and take a look, if you’d like?’ she asked cautiously.

  Flora bit her lip and reached for the teapot, pulling off the knitted cosy and putting her hands around the brown earthenware pot. ‘No need to make more tea. This is wet and warm and more than enough for another cup each.’

  Rose slid her cup and saucer over the table towards her mum. ‘Don’t be too sad that I’m leaving home. I’ll be over here on my days off. And they have a telephone, so if you need to speak to me you can ring me from the box on the corner of the road. You are all right about this, aren’t you?’

  Flora gave her daughter a watery smile. ‘I’m so pleased for you, Rose. I just never expected you to be taking off for pastures new like this. With me having to billet those soldiers and not having you around to give me a hand like you usually do, I’m going to be pressed for time, what with my ARP work and all.’

  ‘Excuse me, I do not wish to interrupt you. May I make a drink? It is cold out there. I’m thinking we could have more snow,’ Anya said as she entered the room and went to the stove to warm her hands. ‘That feels much better,’ she added, rubbing both hands together.

  ‘Sit yourself down here and I’ll make a fresh pot,’ Flora said as she got to her feet. ‘You must tell me how you got on today. Any luck with looking for a job?’

  Anya looked downcast. ‘I’m very sad to say I have not been lucky. But I’m trying very hard, I promise you.’

  ‘I don’t doubt you for one minute, my love,’ Flora said, putting her arm around Anya’s shoulders and giving her a squeeze. ‘Why, you’re frozen half to death. Don’t you have something thicker to wear than this dress?’

  ‘When I have a job I will be able to purchase clothes to wear; I have only a few clothes in my small suitcase. My other possessions were stolen while I was travelling. I still have money to pay my rent,’ she added quickly, in case Flora thought otherwise. ‘I sewed some into the hem of my coat.’

  ‘That was clever of you, Anya. It was very brave of you to travel across a strange country on your own – and how awful to then have someone rob you,’ Rose said, looking concerned. ‘I think we should tell the police.’

  ‘We did that when I took Anya to the police station to see if she had to register with them,’ Flora said as she banged the kettle on the stove. ‘We were told there was not much hope of retrieving her possessions. I could wring the neck of whoever it was that stole from a woman on her own who is a visitor to this country. It leaves a bad taste in my mouth, I can tell you.’

  ‘What kind of work are you looking for, Anya?’ Rose asked.

  ‘I will do anything – I am not proud. I just need to survive while . . . while I decide what to do next. I am allowed to work here. The kind policeman told me I could,’ Anya said with a weak smile.

  ‘I wonder if Miss Butterworth would take you on at the teashop,’ Rose said thoughtfully.

  ‘And wear a pretty dress like you?’ Anya said
with glee.

  ‘No, it would be in the kitchens, and only part-time; but it would be a way to earn some money while you looked for something else,’ Rose said, giving her an encouraging smile.

  ‘I don’t think you need look elsewhere. I could do with a hand here, and I’d gladly pay you and give you bed and board thrown in,’ Flora said. ‘That’s if you are interested?’

  ‘You want me to help you here in this beautiful house?’

  ‘It wouldn’t be anything much. Just helping me with the laundry and cleaning to keep our guests comfortable. With Rose going away, I will have lost a pair of hands.’

  ‘You are going away?’ Anya asked, looking between Flora and Rose. ‘I am sorry to know this.’

  Rose’s laugh tinkled around the kitchen. ‘There’s no need to look sad. I’m going to be living in Margate, and I will be the manageress of the Lyons teashop that overlooks the beach. You and Mum will have to come and have tea there one day, as my treat. I want you to look at where I’ll be working. Now, I must dash off and get the fish and chips or Katie and Lily will be here and no doubt very hungry.’ Rose got up to go. ‘Oh, and I have a cardigan you can have. It shrank a little in the wash and no longer fits me. Can you get it for Anya please, Mum? It’s the green one with the embroidered rosebuds down the front. You’ll find it in my chest of drawers.’

  Flora nodded her head as her daughter hurried out. She knew the cardigan that Rose spoke of, and it hadn’t shrunk at all. She was such a generous girl. Making the fresh pot of tea and taking it to the table, she spotted Anya put a protective hand across her stomach. ‘You can tell me to mind my own business if you like, but I need to ask. Are you having a baby?’

  Anya glanced down at her hand and snatched it away. Looking sad, she gazed up at Flora. ‘No, I am no longer with child,’ she answered, not saying any more.

  Rose pulled the collar of her coat up around her ears. Anya was right, it was certainly turning colder. She prayed there wouldn’t be any more snow. Not now, when it was almost February. She’d be starting at the Margate tearooms in a couple of weeks, after she’d been up to London to undertake her management training. The thought gave her a little thrill. Perhaps there would be time to take in a show, and even go to a dance and listen to the singers? That’s if the government had truly decided to reopen the cinemas and places of entertainment. It would be a drab old war if they didn’t.

  Marching down Madeira Walk at a brisk pace, she crossed the road and headed towards the fish and chip shop. There was only half an hour before Lily and Katie were due to arrive, so hopefully she wouldn’t have to wait long if the fish needed frying . . . She sighed as she spotted the queue. It would be a miracle if she was back at the house before her friends arrived. She’d been so deep in thought after talking to her mum that she’d also come out without her gas mask; it was still hanging on the back of her chair in the kitchen. Just my luck if we get gassed right now, she muttered to herself. And me with a new job and some excitement to look forward to.

  She was deep in thought until a woman ahead of her in the queue gave her a nudge. ‘Excuse me, love, there’s a man up the front trying to catch your eye.’

  The woman alongside her screeched with laughter. ‘He can catch my eye any day of the week,’ she cackled as her mate joined in with the laughter, causing many in the queue to turn round to see what was so funny.

  ‘Rose, what was it you wanted? I’ve forgotten,’ she heard from the front of the queue.

  She peered through the row of people. It was Ben waving to her. ‘Fish and chips three times please,’ she beamed.

  ‘That’s right,’ he called back. ‘I’ll forget my own name one of these days.’

  She stepped out of the queue and waited for Ben to join her, trying hard not to meet the suspicious eyes of others who were queuing.

  ‘Here you go,’ he said, passing her three portions wrapped in newspaper. ‘Mind how you hold them, they’re rather hot.’

  ‘Thank you,’ she said, holding them close to her body and enjoying the heat from the packages through her coat. ‘I feel rather awful for jumping the queue like that.’

  Ben shrugged his shoulders. ‘No one died. Besides, this way I get to talk to you rather than have those old girls listening to every word we say. Can you spare five minutes?’

  ‘I’m sure I can – I can put them in the oven to warm when I get back. There’s a bench down there,’ she said, nodding to a wooden seat facing out over the harbour.

  ‘It’s not very romantic, is it,’ Ben said as they sat down.

  ‘Oh, I don’t know. It’s rather magical to see the moonlight shining through the snow onto barbed wire, and the few fishing boats bobbing in the water.’

  ‘Perfect for the Luftwaffe,’ Ben said, causing them both to look skywards.

  ‘Don’t say that.’ Rose shivered. ‘Do you think they will bomb us down here in Thanet?’

  ‘It’s only a matter of time before this war heats up. Then it could be hell, especially with Manston Airport on our doorstep. I believe the enemy did drop bombs here in the Great War, so you never know.’

  ‘Shh,’ Rose hissed, looking from left to right dramatically. ‘Walls have ears.’

  ‘My dear girl, apart from the fact we are nowhere near a wall, everyone in Ramsgate knows that Manston Airport is just up the road,’ he chuckled.

  Rose knew he was pulling her leg and chose to ignore him. ‘Eat your chips before they get cold,’ she admonished him.

  ‘I’m taking them back to my digs,’ he said. ‘It’s my turn to provide dinner. What about you – are you treating your mum?’

  ‘No, she’s cooking for the people in our guesthouse. These are my treat for my friends, Lily and Katie,’ she said before clamping her hand to her mouth. ‘I need to pay you,’ she exclaimed, reaching into her pocket for her purse while trying not to let the parcels slip from her hands.

  Ben raised his hand to stop her. ‘No, let this be my treat. You can buy them next time.’

  ‘There may not be a next time,’ Rose blurted out without thinking.

  Ben didn’t answer and focused instead on a small boat heading out to sea.

  ‘What I mean is, they are transferring me to Margate,’ Rose said, stumbling over her words in order to correct the way she’d spoken.

  Ben visibly perked up. ‘Have you been so naughty that they’re sending you away?’ he laughed.

  Rose laughed with him. ‘It may appear that way to you, but in all honesty, I am a good Nippy and I know my job. I’ve been offered the job of manageress at the Margate teashop. It means we may not bump into each other so often,’ she added sadly.

  ‘I don’t know; Margate isn’t far away, and I may need a change of scenery. Don’t forget, we met in Margate. My toes remind me of this from time to time.’

  Rose felt a warm glow inside her at the thought of seeing Ben when she started work in Margate. ‘It won’t be for a few weeks, as I have to go to London to train for my new position,’ she said excitedly.

  Ben was thoughtful. ‘Have you been to London before?’

  ‘Yes, just the once, when I was younger. I went to train to be a Nippy, along with Lily and Katie. We didn’t go anywhere as we were too scared to wander further than where we were staying,’ she laughed at herself. ‘It sounds funny me saying that now when I’m dying to see so many things on this trip, and the war likely to stop most of it.’

  ‘It needn’t interfere too much. What is it you want to do?’ he asked, moving closer to allow another couple to sit at one end of the bench, as she started to speak.

  ‘I’ve always wanted to see a musical performed on the London stage. I’ve seen plenty of seaside shows, but it’s not quite the same thing. I dream of seeing the famous stars I read about in the magazines. Do you think I’m being silly?’

  ‘No, not at all. Is there anything else you’d like to see or do?’

  ‘Well . . . you know I like to sing, but I’ve never been to a proper dance. I don’t mean the ones
round here. I mean the ones where women wear beautiful dresses and the band is one I’ve heard of. If I never sing with a big band, I would at least like to watch and hear how it’s done by the professionals,’ she sighed.

  ‘That’s a dream and a half,’ Ben said thoughtfully.

  Rose got to her feet. ‘That’s enough of my daydreaming. I must get this food home before my friends arrive. And by the way this snow is falling, it’s not going to let up for a while,’ she grinned, looking up into his face where softly falling white flakes were starting to settle on his cap.

  ‘I’ll walk you,’ he said, taking her arm. ‘You’ve probably left your torch at home as well as your gas mask. We can’t have you stepping in front of a bus, can we?’

  ‘How did you guess?’ Rose chuckled.

  ‘From what I’ve seen, many young women use their gas mask case like a handbag. I noticed you checking to see if you had it when I first saw you in the queue at the chip shop.’

  ‘Nothing much gets by you, does it?’ she laughed. ‘I go this way, up Madeira Walk. Mum’s house is at the top over there, the one with the blue front door. Not that you can see that in the dark – and mind yourself, as this snow is getting slippery.’

  ‘There’s enough moonlight for me to see what I need to see,’ he said.

  Again Rose felt a thrill run through her as they walked up the hill in companionable silence.

  As they approached Sea View, the door opened and Flora appeared. ‘There you are, Rose. Lily and Katie have arrived, and I wondered what had become of you. You can never be too careful in this blackout. Look at what happened to poor Anya. Oh . . .’ she trailed off as she spotted Ben.

  ‘Mum, this is Captain Benjamin Hargreaves. He’s a friend. I bumped into him in the chip shop and he walked me home as I’d forgotten my torch,’ Rose explained, thankful that it was dark and Flora couldn’t see her cheeks, which were beginning to feel hot.