Free Bells of Bournville Green by Annie Murray

best!’
    She stayed as long as she could at the Biddles’ house that evening, playing canasta with Trevor, Alf and April.
    ‘I can’t be doing with all those card games,’ Nancy said, sitting back, content to watch them and smoke her Embassy cigarettes. She’d switched to them to collect the gift coupons. ‘They get me all in a muddle.’
    Then they watched television, Alf’s favourite, Step-toe and Son, and by ten o’clock Greta said she’d better be off home. Trevor jumped up immediately and said he’d walk her up the road.
    It was snowing again and everything felt very cold and still outside, with cosy lights in the windows of the neighbours’ houses. He kissed her again on the doorstep.
    ‘Thanks for the best Christmas ever,’ he said fervently.
    ‘Thanks, Trev – and for this.’ She patted the Beatles record.
    ‘See you tomorrow?’ he said hopefully.
    ‘I’ve got to go to Pat’s tomorrow,’ she remembered. ‘Her Mom’s asked me round for tea.’
    ‘Soon though – next week? We’ll go to the pictures or summat – whatever you want.’
    With a pang of guilt, she said, ‘OK then. See yer, Trev.’
    He backed away down the road, waving, skipping, twirling, until her laughter rang behind him.
    Her spirits plummeted at the thought of going back into the house. The light was on at the front, and when she stepped inside she heard Ruby giggling and found her sitting beside Herbert Smail on the sofa, in a high old state, both very well oiled. Herbert’s tie had disappeared and his shirt had several buttons open and they were both pink-cheeked and very merry.
    ‘Well that was nice, running off and leaving us!’ Ruby said. But she didn’t really sound cross. She was having too nice a time to get angry. ‘Saw Trevor did yer? You’d like Trevor, Herbert – he’s ever such a nice boy.’
    ‘Where’s Marleen?’ Greta asked, trying not to look at Herbert at all. The sight of him sitting there with his legs splayed apart made her feel sick. He was making himself thoroughly at home.
    ‘Gone to bed,’ Ruby said. ‘She had a job getting Mary Lou settled.’
    Greta rolled her eyes. Another broken night coming up, she thought.
    ‘I’m going up,’ she said abruptly.
    ‘Goodnight then—’ Herbert made a vain attempt to get off his seat and failing, bowed in a courtly manner anyway.
    ‘’Night,’ she said, and went to the back, shutting the door with a bang.
    Filthy old sod, she thought.
    Undressing silently in the bedroom by the light from the stairs, she thought about Trevor, her heart sinking. What had come over her? It was Dennis she wanted to go out with, not Trevor Biddle! What was she going to do now? It would have seemed too cruel to Trevor just to turn him down. She sank into bed – thank God today was over! – trying to block out the sounds of laughter from downstairs. She’d have to go along with Trev for a bit, just to be kind, and then get out of it somehow. Because she was in love with Dennis Franklin, wasn’t she, and he with her? And she mustn’t let anything spoil that.

 
    Chapter Ten
    ‘You ready you two? Edie’ll be here any minute!’
    Ruby was fussing at her hair by the mirror in the front room. Instead of peroxide blonde it was now bright copper. They were on their way to Selly Park for the traditional New Year’s Eve which they always spent with Janet and Martin Ferris. Edie, who had started work at Cadbury’s the same days as Ruby, and her husband Anatoli were giving them a lift. Greta had always liked going to the Ferrises’ house, especially when Janet’s mother Frances was alive, as she’d been like a grandmother to Marleen and herself. Though she was a bit shy of them, there was something so reassuring about Janet and Edie, and their calm houses full of books. She longed for her own home to be more like theirs.
    ‘Do we have to go?’ Marleen said sulkily as they came through for their coats.
    ‘Yes, of course we do!’ Ruby snapped through a cloud of