‘Thanks,’ Queenie smiled. ‘I don’t know where he’s taking me yet.’

‘When will we get to meet him?’

‘Soon, hopefully. That’s if all goes well, of course.’

It was Albie’s idea they go to a pub for their second date so they could get to know one another a bit better. ‘We can hardly rabbit all the way through a film, can we?’ he chuckled.

Queenie had seen enough of Albie to guess he only owned two suits. Tonight he was wearing the grey one and as usual looked clean and smart. Not as suave as Daniel, but Daniel only wore the best clobber and had a style of his own, as did Patrick.

Albie’s choice of pub was the Hoop and Grapes in Aldgate. As he sauntered inside, lots of people made a fuss of him, shaking his hand and slapping him on the back. Queenie was impressed by this. Was Albie a bit of a force to be reckoned with, like Daniel, she wondered?

‘Hello, me old china. Who’s this lovely lady? I’ll get these,’ said the man behind the bar.

‘Thanks, Micky. This is Queenie. She’ll have a gin and tonic and I’ll have a pint of stout please, mate.’

Micky winked at Queenie. ‘Punching above his weight with you, is our Albie.’

Albie chuckled and put a protective arm around Queenie’s shoulders. ‘Take no notice, my dear. He’s only jealous.’

Albie led Queenie over to a table in the corner. ‘It’s quiet ’ere and we won’t be pestered.’

‘You seem well known in here. Is this your local?’

‘No. I used to sing in ’ere on a Sunday lunchtime. Micky’s a good pal of mine. He sings too. Everyone calls him Micky One Ear. If you look at his left ear, he lost half of it. Was bitten off by a dog I believe, but Micky likes people to think he lost it in a fight,’ laughed Albie. ‘He’s not long taken over as landlord. Gonna give me my Sunday lunchtimes back soon.’

‘Do you have a day job too?’

‘Nah. My old mum’s disabled, bless her. She’s only got one leg. Me and my brother Bert take it in turns to look after her. He works daytimes and I work the nights. I don’t just sing, I’ve got other money coming in. I’m me own person, me. Prefer earning a few bob for meself than making some other git rich,’ Albie grinned. ‘What about you? Tell me more about your job.’

Queenie told Albie all about life working at Cohen’s shop and how much she enjoyed her job. He had just gone up in her estimation if anything. Not many men would look after their disabled mother. That alone showed what a good heart he had. His brother must be a decent man too. ‘I take it you live with your mum then?’

‘Yeah. And my brother. We got a house in Whitechapel.’

‘Whitechapel!’ Queenie was shocked. She’d never seen Albie around before. ‘Whereabouts?’

Queenie’s heart sank a little when Albie reeled off his address. That was the street her mum had once forbidden herself and Viv to play in. The church on the corner had been bombed during the Blitz and it had since become a haven for prostitutes to work from.