‘What about the spare tin you keep in the drawer at home?’

Rosie hummed and hawed. ‘Aye well, you never want to burn all yer bridges,’ she argued, and would say no more on the subject.

Chapter Eighteen

Sandra threw open the door and bounced in. ‘I think I know where to find him,’ she told Molly excitedly, not stopping to say hello. ‘There were a bloke in the pub, and he said I should look for my Dave in Skegness.’

With the children round her feet, Molly had been peeling potatoes for dinner. Now she ushered them into the front room to get on with their drawings. ‘I’ll call you when dinner’s ready,’ she promised.

Returning to the scullery, she washed her hands and left the potatoes to soak in the bowl. ‘You’d best sit down,’ she told Sandra, ‘and calm yerself. You’re all red in the face.’

Sandra threw herself into a chair. ‘That’s ’cos I’m excited. I’ve been searching for the bastard these past weeks, and now I’ve found him, I can’t believe it.’ She grinned. ‘I’ll tell yer summat else an’ all. I can’t wait to see his face when I walk up to him.’ She laughed out loud. ‘Gawd knows what he’ll do when I tell him he’s gonna be a daddy!’

‘Have you told your mam yet?’ Molly thought that was just as important, maybe more so.

Sandra’s face dropped a mile. ‘Have I heckerslike, and you mustn’t neither.’

‘I’ve already promised I won’t say a word. Though I think it’s a big mistake, and very selfish of you not to let Rosie know what’s going on.’

‘It’s best she don’t know, at least till I’ve got him to admit it, and made him face up to his responsibilities.’

‘And when are you thinking of doing that?’

‘Tomorrow morning, first thing. I’m taking a day or two off.’

‘If you do, you’ll lose your job for sure this time.’ Molly had lost count of the number of days Sandra had taken off work. ‘If you’re pregnant and without wages, it’ll only make things harder, and I should know.’

‘What d’you mean?’ Her eyes nearly popped out of her head. ‘Jesus, Mary and Joseph! You’re not, are you? Our Alfie didn’t leave you with a bairn on the way, did he?’

Molly dispelled Sandra’s excitement with a wave of her hand. ‘No, he didn’t.’ More’s the pity, she thought. ‘I meant with that little lot in there…’ She pointed to the door.

‘But you’re doing all right, aren’t you? Now that you’ve got the errand thingy working well?’

‘That’s not what I’m saying.’

‘I know what yer saying, Moll, and it doesn’t bother me one bit. I’m going after him if it’s the last thing I do, and I’m going in the morning, job or no job!’

‘It’s up to you.’

‘That’s right. It is.’

‘It seems to me he’s not worth running after. Do you really think he’ll accept responsibility on your say so?’