‘I know it does. But hopefully with a good man it won’t be so bad. We have to do it if we want to have babies.’

Vivian breathed deeply. The noises had stopped now. ‘Night, Queenie.’

‘Night, Vivvy. Sleep tight and don’t let those bed bugs bite.’

Arriving home the following evening, Vivian was peeved to see her sister all done up to the nines again.

‘You look all dirty and sweaty, Viv. What you been up to?’ asked Queenie, as she carefully applied her eye-liner.

‘Playing rounders with Mary Moggins and Nelly Brown. You’re not going out again, are you?’ Vivian snapped.

Queenie swung around and held her sister’s dirty hands. ‘I’m seventeen now, Viv. I’m too old to be playing rounders and hopscotch. You’ve got Mary and Nelly to play with, haven’t you? I know you’ve got a cob on because I’ve started going out on a Friday night. But I’m just at a different stage of my life than you. It doesn’t mean I love you any less. You’ll always be my number one best friend. Just think, in a year or so, you’ll be working and as soon as you look old enough, we can go to the pub together.’

‘Really? What, on our own? Without Doreen? I don’t mind Aggie so much.’

Queenie smiled. It was only natural Vivvy was a bit jealous. She’d probably be the same, if the boot was on the other foot. ‘Yes, really. Without Doreen. Never forget, blood is thicker than water, Sis.’

It was Queenie’s idea that she and Aggie get to the pub early, so they could get all their hellos to the regulars out of the way before Eliza and Doreen arrived.

Bagging their usual table, Aggie Brown was beyond herself with excitement when Terry Marney kept looking over and smiling, then approached her and offered to buy herself and Queenie a drink.

‘I told you he kept staring at you last week,’ Queenie said, genuinely pleased for Aggie. ‘I bet he asks you on a date before the evening is over.’

Eliza and Doreen turned up just after eight. Queenie stood up, hugged both and introduced them to Aggie. ‘Aggie comes here quite often, so knows a lot of people in here. She’s been introducing me to some.’

‘Ooh, do you know Albie Butler?’ asked Doreen.

‘Yes. He’s a nice chap. His fiancée is lovely too. He’s singing in here tonight,’ Aggie replied, repeating word for word what Queenie had told her to say.

‘Albie’s engaged?’ Doreen exclaimed.

‘As far as I know, yes. To Suzanne,’ Aggie replied.

Queenie wanted to laugh at the look of shock on Doreen’s face, but obviously couldn’t, so instead insisted she get the first drink. In Queenie’s eyes, this was payback. Doreen should never have left her alone with that Yank who’d tried to take advantage of her. It wasn’t a total lie that she and Aggie could get caught out on, as Dennis the pianist had told them only last Friday that Albie had been engaged to a lass called Suzanne and they’d broken up when Albie had gone away at the start of the Blitz.