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Chapters (84)
  1. All the Days of Our Lives
  2. 1945
  3. 1931-1944
  4. I
  5. One
  6. Two
  7. Three
  8. Four
  9. Five
  10. Six
  11. Seven
  12. Eight
  13. Nine
  14. Ten
  15. Eleven
  16. Twelve
  17. Thirteen
  18. Fourteen
  19. Fifteen
  20. Sixteen
  21. Seventeen
  22. Eighteen
  23. Nineteen
  24. Twenty
  25. Twenty-One
  26. Twenty-Two
  27. 1946
  28. II
  29. Twenty-Three
  30. Twenty-Four
  31. Twenty-Five
  32. Twenty-Six
  33. III
  34. Twenty-Seven
  35. Twenty-Eight
  36. Twenty-Nine
  37. IV
  38. Thirty
  39. Thirty-One
  40. Thirty-Two
  41. V
  42. Thirty-Three
  43. Thirty-Four
  44. Thirty-Five
  45. VI
  46. Thirty-Six
  47. Thirty-Seven
  48. 1948-1949
  49. VII
  50. Thirty-Eight
  51. Thirty-Nine
  52. Forty
  53. VIII
  54. Forty-One
  55. Forty-Two
  56. Forty-Three
  57. IX
  58. Forty-Four
  59. Forty-Five
  60. Forty-Six
  61. X
  62. Forty-Seven
  63. Forty-Eight
  64. Forty-Nine
  65. Fifty
  66. Fifty-One
  67. Fifty-Two
  68. Fifty-Three
  69. Fifty-Four
  70. XI
  71. Fifty-Five
  72. Fifty-Six
  73. XII
  74. Fifty-Seven
  75. Fifty-Eight
  76. XIII
  77. Fifty-Nine
  78. XIV
  79. Sixty
  80. XV
  81. Sixty-One
  82. Sixty-Two
  83. 1953
  84. All the Days of Our Lives

‘Oh – the usual. We’ve been pretty pushed actually.’ Molly knew that Phoebe worked in the government department dealing with roads and transport, though she had no real idea what she did there and Phoebe showed no enthusiasm for it.

Molly sipped her tea, wondering just why Phoebe had asked her to come. She didn’t seem to have anything to say, and yet, somewhere in the woman’s manner, she could sense something: a kind of excitement.

‘So,’ Phoebe said. ‘Have you heard?’

‘No. Heard what?’

‘About the army. Recruiting women again. Of course, a few ATS have been hanging on, scattered about the place. But now it’s serious – they’ve just got royal approval. They’re calling it the Women’s Royal Army Corps.’

Phoebe sat back with a what-d’you-think-of-that? look on her face.

Molly stared at her over her cup. Her mind was spinning. It had been over, for them – for all the women. Go back home, get on with another sort of life: we don’t need you now. We only need the men. That had been the message. But now . . .

‘D’you mean . . . ? There’s really going to be another army?’

‘There is indeed. I’ve had a good think and I’m already pretty set on joining up again. I know it’ll be different – after all, there’s no war on. It’ll take adjusting to, in its way. But I don’t find much joy in civilian life, to tell you the truth. Forces life is more my thing. And what about you, Fox?’

That Phoebe Morrison had already switched back into army parlance didn’t escape Molly.

‘Me?’ she felt giddy. ‘They wouldn’t want me – would they?’

Phoebe Morrison leaned forward and said sincerely, ‘My dear girl, whyever not?’

XIV

EM

Sixty

April 1949

‘Is that you, Em?’ Cynthia called as the front door banged shut.

‘Yep – only me,’ Em said, shedding her wet coat. Talk about April showers.

‘Hello, love!’ She heard Dot’s voice as well. She and Mom were obviously having one of their chinwags.

Cynthia and Dot were in chatting position at the table with the teacups, and Cynthia was already pouring a cup for Em. Dot, their old neighbour, smiled up at her.

‘All right, bab? You’re looking well.’

‘I’m all right – you OK, Dot? What about Lou: is he better?’

‘Oh, we’re not so bad. His Majesty has to take it a bit careful – they say his heart’s weak, but there’s no stopping that one, when he gets going.’ Dot spoke with fond exasperation. ‘I do worry – but what can you do?

Dot’s Italian husband, Lou Alberello, was a big-hearted, vigorous man, a life-and-soul-of-the-party type. It was hard to imagine him ever quietening or slowing down. ‘Norm all right?’ Dot asked.

‘Oh, he’s all right, yes,’ Em said. ‘Where’s Robbie?’