a shuddering breath – ‘he didn’t
come back.’ Surprisingly, her tone was a little bitter as she added, ‘But he was homelong enough to leave his wife pregnant again.’ Then she smiled and her voice lightened.
‘Mind you, our Becky’s a little darlin’. We wouldn’t be without her now, but having an extra mouth to feed doesn’t make life any easier.’
They reached the court again and went straight to the house where Emily had seen the young woman with two children. The woman paused with her hand on the doorknob.‘I’d better
introduce myself, since you’re going to be Rosa’s neighbours. I’m Clara Jacklin.’
‘I’m pleased to meet you, Mrs Jacklin, and I’m Emily Ryan. We’ve moved here for my brother to find work.’
Clara Jacklin nodded and opened the door, not, at the moment, curious to know any more about the Ryan family. ‘Rosa,’ she called, ‘you there, luv?’
Rosa turned from the sink, dryingher hands on a ragged piece of towelling. ‘Aw, Mam, you shouldn’t have struggled with all that. I could have gone later, if you’d’ve
minded the kids. Oh . . .’ She looked startled as Emily stepped through the door and set the two heavy bags on the table. Rosa was only young. She doesn’t look much older than me, Emily
thought, yet already she was a widow with two youngsters, who were playing onthe floor around her feet.
‘This is Emily. Her family have come to live across the yard.’
‘Yes, I saw you arrive yesterday. Thank you for helping Mam. It’s good of you.’
Emily shrugged off her thanks. ‘We’ve come from a small village where neighbours helped each other. I thought it might be different in the city –’ her smile widened
– ‘but I see it isn’t. Mrs Dugdale made us so welcomeyesterday. This –’ she gestured towards the bags of shopping – ‘was the least I could do. Anyway,
I’d best be going. Bye for now.’
She reached the door but then turned back. ‘Oh, do you know where the Trippets’ factory is?’
Rosa gave a little cry. Her hand flew to cover her mouth and tears sprang into her eyes.
Startled by the young woman’s reactions, Emily said, ‘Oh, my goodness.I’m so sorry.’ She turned towards the older woman. ‘What have I said?’
Clara Jacklin smiled sorrowfully. ‘It was where my son – her husband – worked. That’s all. His loss is still so raw with us. Any sudden reminder . . .’
‘Of course. I’m so sorry. I’ll ask someone else.’
‘No, no, it’s all right,’ Rosa said recovering quickly. ‘It’s a big square building in Creswick Street
.
It’s afair way from here, though. Ron used
to cycle to work. Sometimes he went up to Solly Street and through all the little side streets, but your best way would be to go down ’street, turn left into Broad Lane and then . . .’
Rosa reeled off a number of street names that Emily couldn’t remember. She didn’t like to press the young woman any more, so she thanked them and left, glad to escape from thegloom of
the small house. She’d felt suffocated in there. Obviously, Rosa wasn’t coping very well, but then she was young and only had the help of her elderly mother-in-law. Emily sighed. The
war had an awful lot to answer for.
Seven
The city centre was buzzing with people and Emily felt excitement rising within her. It was dinner time now and workers of all sorts had spilled into the streets for a quick
half-hour’s break. Three girls were walking arm in arm down the pavement. They were wearing calico aprons, once white but now covered with black smuts. Even their faces were smudged with
black, but they werelaughing and singing together and calling out to people they knew. As Emily stepped to the side to let them pass, she heard her name called.
‘Emily!’ One of the girls stopped, pulling the two others with her to a halt too. ‘It’s Emily from near me.’
‘Oh Lizzie,’ Emily smiled, ‘hello.’ She hadn’t recognized the girl dressed in her
come back.’ Surprisingly, her tone was a little bitter as she added, ‘But he was homelong enough to leave his wife pregnant again.’ Then she smiled and her voice lightened.
‘Mind you, our Becky’s a little darlin’. We wouldn’t be without her now, but having an extra mouth to feed doesn’t make life any easier.’
They reached the court again and went straight to the house where Emily had seen the young woman with two children. The woman paused with her hand on the doorknob.‘I’d better
introduce myself, since you’re going to be Rosa’s neighbours. I’m Clara Jacklin.’
‘I’m pleased to meet you, Mrs Jacklin, and I’m Emily Ryan. We’ve moved here for my brother to find work.’
Clara Jacklin nodded and opened the door, not, at the moment, curious to know any more about the Ryan family. ‘Rosa,’ she called, ‘you there, luv?’
Rosa turned from the sink, dryingher hands on a ragged piece of towelling. ‘Aw, Mam, you shouldn’t have struggled with all that. I could have gone later, if you’d’ve
minded the kids. Oh . . .’ She looked startled as Emily stepped through the door and set the two heavy bags on the table. Rosa was only young. She doesn’t look much older than me, Emily
thought, yet already she was a widow with two youngsters, who were playing onthe floor around her feet.
‘This is Emily. Her family have come to live across the yard.’
‘Yes, I saw you arrive yesterday. Thank you for helping Mam. It’s good of you.’
Emily shrugged off her thanks. ‘We’ve come from a small village where neighbours helped each other. I thought it might be different in the city –’ her smile widened
– ‘but I see it isn’t. Mrs Dugdale made us so welcomeyesterday. This –’ she gestured towards the bags of shopping – ‘was the least I could do. Anyway,
I’d best be going. Bye for now.’
She reached the door but then turned back. ‘Oh, do you know where the Trippets’ factory is?’
Rosa gave a little cry. Her hand flew to cover her mouth and tears sprang into her eyes.
Startled by the young woman’s reactions, Emily said, ‘Oh, my goodness.I’m so sorry.’ She turned towards the older woman. ‘What have I said?’
Clara Jacklin smiled sorrowfully. ‘It was where my son – her husband – worked. That’s all. His loss is still so raw with us. Any sudden reminder . . .’
‘Of course. I’m so sorry. I’ll ask someone else.’
‘No, no, it’s all right,’ Rosa said recovering quickly. ‘It’s a big square building in Creswick Street
.
It’s afair way from here, though. Ron used
to cycle to work. Sometimes he went up to Solly Street and through all the little side streets, but your best way would be to go down ’street, turn left into Broad Lane and then . . .’
Rosa reeled off a number of street names that Emily couldn’t remember. She didn’t like to press the young woman any more, so she thanked them and left, glad to escape from thegloom of
the small house. She’d felt suffocated in there. Obviously, Rosa wasn’t coping very well, but then she was young and only had the help of her elderly mother-in-law. Emily sighed. The
war had an awful lot to answer for.
Seven
The city centre was buzzing with people and Emily felt excitement rising within her. It was dinner time now and workers of all sorts had spilled into the streets for a quick
half-hour’s break. Three girls were walking arm in arm down the pavement. They were wearing calico aprons, once white but now covered with black smuts. Even their faces were smudged with
black, but they werelaughing and singing together and calling out to people they knew. As Emily stepped to the side to let them pass, she heard her name called.
‘Emily!’ One of the girls stopped, pulling the two others with her to a halt too. ‘It’s Emily from near me.’
‘Oh Lizzie,’ Emily smiled, ‘hello.’ She hadn’t recognized the girl dressed in her
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