BARNEY: Champion. [Heading for the piano] That’s one headache out the way—

BUBBA: Should be glad I’m here. To help you plan your gettin’ out. How you’ll celebrate with the girls—

BARNEY: We know that already.

He busies himself securing the end of the telephone flex to the skirting board behind the piano.

ROO: [dropping into an armchair] What d’you think they’d like, Bub?

BUBBA: [enthusiastically] Olive’s got it all worked out. [Plunging into the programme] Start off with a family party here, just us—and after that a big one at the Morrises’, the Victory shindig that they promised—then Nancy said the four of you should have a good week’s holiday. Somewhere in the country, like that place at Selby—

ROO: This time of the year? It’d be freezin’.

BUBBA: Olive says that it’s got fireplaces. You could go for nice long country walks, and then come home and sit around a roaring fire.

BARNEY: Oh, lovely. Just out of the infantry, a nice long country walk is what you need. [Pushing the piano back into position] And who d’you think is gunna cut the wood, and drag it in to make the roarin’ fire? Not them two, you bet your sweet life—

The sound of the garden gate opening and shutting reaches ROO and he rises to move to the front window.

ROO: Stop your laughin’, Alfie—’s them.

BUBBA moves to join ROO at the window, as BARNEY hastily sets the telephone in a prominent position on the piano top.

BARNEY: They got Emma with ’em?

BUBBA: No. Just Nance and Olly—

BUBBA rushes to open the street door as ROO greets the arriving NANCY by rapping on the front window.

ROO: Thought you’d never make it.

NANCY: Oh, you’re here, are you? [Calling back] Ol, they’re here.

OLIVE: [as she appears on the front verandah] Well, where’d they get to?—Hello, luv.

This last greeting is to BUBBA. As they enter the hallway, BUBBA closes the door and slips back into the living room to await events. Meanwhile OLIVE and NANCY remove gloves, coats and hats, sounding off in aggrieved preoccupation.

NANCY: We kept waitin’ at the bar for you to come in for your beers.

ROO: Couldn’t make it. Had to go to Royal Park.

OLIVE: Afterwards we hung around outside the pub. And the wind on that corner—

ROO: Royal Park and then back to the depot, we was pushed for time.

NANCY: ’Least you might have rung the pub and left a message.

BARNEY: [exasperated] Might as well give up. You’re never gunna get it through.

This interruption claims the girls’ attention and they turn towards the room in a questioning pause that is answered by an outburst from BUBBA.

BUBBA: Didn’t you hear what Roo’s been sayin’? Royal Park.