Free Bia's War by Joanna Larum Page B

had a slap-up meal in the kitchen, to celebrate our new
business venture.”
    ‘I’m very pleased to be going
into business with you, Sam.’ I said as we sat round the range
after we’d eaten.
    ‘The feeling is mutual, Bia.’
Sam replied. ‘I think we should have a toast to our new partnership
to begin it in the right way.’
    ‘I’m afraid I’ve only got either
ginger beer or lemonade to use to toast our business with, but if
either of those is good enough for you, I will happily join you in
toasting our new partnership.’ I told him.
    ‘Ginger beer is good enough for
me.’ Sam smiled. ‘Come on, fill your glasses everyone. To mine and
Bia’s new business venture and let’s hope it proves to be very
lucrative.’
    “And was it, Nana?” Victoria
couldn’t resist her need to know how everything had turned out.
“Did you make a lot of money from renting out the house?”
    “Nobody makes a lot of money
from renting out one house, darling. But it was a good start and it
soon blossomed into bigger and better things, which I will explain
as we get through the story. But I must keep to the chronology of
the tale; otherwise I might miss important points out of it, which
may be vital in understanding the whole. I know you want to jump
forwards in time, but I’m too old to be able to cope with that.
You’ll just have to bear with me and we will both reach the end of
the tale together. But, before we go any further, don’t you think
it’s time for a tea break? I could really do with wetting my
whistle.”
    Victoria jumped up immediately
to go and make tea for her Nana, but she crept down the stairs with
her heart in her mouth in case her mother was in the kitchen and
she demanded that Victoria had to work in the shop. Luckily, the
kitchen was deserted and she set the kettle to boil and was
rummaging in the cupboard for biscuits to go with the tea when she
heard the door open. She whirled round with an excuse ready on her
lips to try and head her mother off before she could get into her
stride, but it was unnecessary because it was her father who had
entered.
    “It’s ok.” He said, raising his
hand to stop her blurting out the excuse she had ready. “I’m not
going to insist that you come and work in the shop. You stay with
Nana and keep her company and I promise I won’t tell your mother
that I’ve seen you.”
    “Are you sure?” Victoria felt
she should ask, but she really didn’t want to work in the shop that
day.
    “Yes, I’m sure. Keith’s here
today and it doesn’t seem as busy as it’s been the last few days.
Most people have got their Christmas shopping done by now, so it’s
not as frantic as it was. Don’t take any notice of your mother, she
just gets herself worked up at this time of year and she always
takes it out on us. Go on; take that tea upstairs before it goes
cold.”
    With a light heart, Victoria
picked up the tray and made her way back upstairs. Nana greeted her
arrival with a sweet smile.
    “I was beginning to think you’d
been waylaid by your mother.” She said, carefully choosing a
biscuit to dip in her tea.
    “No, I saw Dad and he told me to
come back up here. Keith’s working today and Dad says it isn’t as
busy as it’s been the last few days. He said Mam always takes it
out on us when she’s busy and tired.”
    “She always makes sure everyone
knows how she’s feeling, that’s right enough. But enough of today,
let’s go back to the war.”
    “Ok, Nana, I’m ready and
waiting.” Victoria curled her legs beneath her and concentrated all
her attention on her grandmother.
    “Right, where was I? Oh yes, the
first house I bought with Sam. The partnership turned out to be
every bit as lucrative as we had hoped. In the first twelve months,
we bought another three houses to go with the one we had bought in
Cromwell Road and we rented them all out to couples with young
families. Sammy always made all the arrangements when we bought
another house, although I