little girls to make friends with. Perhaps you and Emily can walk home together?’
Miss O’Malley smiled too. ‘What a good idea. Now, let’s go and find your desk.’
As she watched them walk away Sophie felt a little anxious, hoping this Emily would indeed befriend her daughter, for everything was still so unfamiliar to Bella.
‘At least there were no tears or tantrums,’ Maria commented as they walked towards the tram stop.
The girls parted company further along Stanley Road, full of enthusiasm for their plans, agreeing to meet up at this same tram stop when they’d completed their objectives.
Maria arrived first, feeling hopeful and relieved. The shop had surprised her for it was not as small as she’d at first imagined. She’d wandered around a few departments but had lingered longest in Haberdashery, making a mental note of what was in stock.
After fifteen minutes waiting she was beginning to get impatient and decidedly cold. At least her sister’s absence was a good sign, she thought as she walked up and down to keep her feet from becoming numb. Obviously Sophie hadn’t just been turned away with a curt refusal.
It was another five minutes before she caught sight of her sister hurrying towards her, a smile on her face.
‘I’m sorry I was so long, Maria, but I had to wait to see Mr Phillips, he’s the manager, and I had to do some sewing to prove I can use a machine, but I’m to start tomorrow morning.’
‘Oh, Sophie, that’s great!’ Maria cried.
‘He was actually very nice and praised my bit of work andI assured him I’m diligent, neat and hard working. How did you get on?’
‘I didn’t see Katie but it’s a much bigger shop than she led us to believe. I looked around some of the departments – Aunty Lizzie was right, there’s not a lot of choice but I saw a couple of materials that might suit us and their selection of trimmings wasn’t too bad.’
‘Were they practical materials, Maria? There’s no point in buying something we won’t get much wear out of,’ Sophie asked.
‘I suppose so but I thought these were to be special dresses? Bella thinks she’s going to have a party frock.’
Sophie sighed. ‘Oh, we’ll see.’ She decided to change the subject. ‘Who did you meet last night when you were out with Katie and John?’
‘Two girls called Ivy and Daisy Caldwell – they live at number ten and they were very friendly – and then two lads, Matt and Ben Seddon at number twenty,’ Maria informed her.
‘What were they like?’ Sophie probed.
Maria shrugged. ‘All right, I suppose. They’d both been in the Army with John, but at least they had more to say for themselves than he did. Honestly, Sophie, all he does is stare at me.’
Sophie grinned. ‘He’s a bit . . . in awe of you. I hope he isn’t falling for you, though,’ she added more seriously.
Maria looked sceptical. ‘He’d better not. For one thing he’s my first cousin and for another, well . . .’ She shrugged, looking wistful.
Sophie looked at her sister closely and then sighed. ‘I thought you’d got over him? You told Mam you had.’
Maria’s dark eyes filled with tears. ‘I only said that to pacify Mam but I know I’ll never get over Hans, Sophie. I really loved him. You should know how I feel, you loved Andrew.’
Sophie put her arm around her sister. ‘He’s gone, Maria. You know you’ll never see him again. He had no choice; they made them all go back to their own countries. You
have
to forget him and think about the future. That’s why we thought it best for you to come here to live. You’re young, you’ll meet someone else. There was no future for you with him, Maria. In most people’s minds there is little difference between Germans and Austrians. Hitler was Austrian, don’t forget.’
Maria nodded miserably, but she couldn’t forget Hans. What Sophie had said about people thinking he was a Nazi sympathiser wasn’t true. He’d fled with his family before the
Miss O’Malley smiled too. ‘What a good idea. Now, let’s go and find your desk.’
As she watched them walk away Sophie felt a little anxious, hoping this Emily would indeed befriend her daughter, for everything was still so unfamiliar to Bella.
‘At least there were no tears or tantrums,’ Maria commented as they walked towards the tram stop.
The girls parted company further along Stanley Road, full of enthusiasm for their plans, agreeing to meet up at this same tram stop when they’d completed their objectives.
Maria arrived first, feeling hopeful and relieved. The shop had surprised her for it was not as small as she’d at first imagined. She’d wandered around a few departments but had lingered longest in Haberdashery, making a mental note of what was in stock.
After fifteen minutes waiting she was beginning to get impatient and decidedly cold. At least her sister’s absence was a good sign, she thought as she walked up and down to keep her feet from becoming numb. Obviously Sophie hadn’t just been turned away with a curt refusal.
It was another five minutes before she caught sight of her sister hurrying towards her, a smile on her face.
‘I’m sorry I was so long, Maria, but I had to wait to see Mr Phillips, he’s the manager, and I had to do some sewing to prove I can use a machine, but I’m to start tomorrow morning.’
‘Oh, Sophie, that’s great!’ Maria cried.
‘He was actually very nice and praised my bit of work andI assured him I’m diligent, neat and hard working. How did you get on?’
‘I didn’t see Katie but it’s a much bigger shop than she led us to believe. I looked around some of the departments – Aunty Lizzie was right, there’s not a lot of choice but I saw a couple of materials that might suit us and their selection of trimmings wasn’t too bad.’
‘Were they practical materials, Maria? There’s no point in buying something we won’t get much wear out of,’ Sophie asked.
‘I suppose so but I thought these were to be special dresses? Bella thinks she’s going to have a party frock.’
Sophie sighed. ‘Oh, we’ll see.’ She decided to change the subject. ‘Who did you meet last night when you were out with Katie and John?’
‘Two girls called Ivy and Daisy Caldwell – they live at number ten and they were very friendly – and then two lads, Matt and Ben Seddon at number twenty,’ Maria informed her.
‘What were they like?’ Sophie probed.
Maria shrugged. ‘All right, I suppose. They’d both been in the Army with John, but at least they had more to say for themselves than he did. Honestly, Sophie, all he does is stare at me.’
Sophie grinned. ‘He’s a bit . . . in awe of you. I hope he isn’t falling for you, though,’ she added more seriously.
Maria looked sceptical. ‘He’d better not. For one thing he’s my first cousin and for another, well . . .’ She shrugged, looking wistful.
Sophie looked at her sister closely and then sighed. ‘I thought you’d got over him? You told Mam you had.’
Maria’s dark eyes filled with tears. ‘I only said that to pacify Mam but I know I’ll never get over Hans, Sophie. I really loved him. You should know how I feel, you loved Andrew.’
Sophie put her arm around her sister. ‘He’s gone, Maria. You know you’ll never see him again. He had no choice; they made them all go back to their own countries. You
have
to forget him and think about the future. That’s why we thought it best for you to come here to live. You’re young, you’ll meet someone else. There was no future for you with him, Maria. In most people’s minds there is little difference between Germans and Austrians. Hitler was Austrian, don’t forget.’
Maria nodded miserably, but she couldn’t forget Hans. What Sophie had said about people thinking he was a Nazi sympathiser wasn’t true. He’d fled with his family before the
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