Free Lost in the Flames by Chris Jory Page B

haven’t got room for four,’ said Alfred.
    The four of them stood clustered around the nurse.
    ‘We’re only little, mister,’ said Billy. ‘We won’t take up much room.’
    ‘Shut up, Billy,’ said Bobby.
    ‘How old are you, son?’ asked Alfred.
    ‘Twelve,’ said Billy. He jerked his thumb at Bobby. ‘He’s fourteen but he acts like a ten-year-old.’
    ‘And you two girls?’ said Elizabeth.
    ‘They’re sixteen,’ said the nurse.
    ‘What, both of them?’
    ‘Twins,’ said the nurse. ‘Can’t you tell?’
    ‘We can’t be separated, mister,’ said Billy. ‘We told our mum and dad we’d look out for each other.’
    ‘I’ll go and see Vera and Norman,’ said Alfred. ‘I’ll be back shortly.’
    ‘Please be as quick as you can, Mr Arbuckle,’ said the nurse. ‘I have to get back to collect another lot.’
    Elizabeth sat the four of them down on the settee and brought each of them a glass of barley water and a biscuit.
    ‘I’m flipping starving,’ said Bobby.
    ‘Eat some of your chocolate, then,’ said Billy.
    ‘Eaten it already.’
    ‘Pig.’
    ‘Did you see those fat pigs outside?’ said Sarah.
    ‘Stink like pigs,’ said Billy.
    ‘Course they stink like pigs,’ said Bobby. ‘They’re bleedin’ pigs, aren’t they?’
    ‘Sod off, Bobby!’
    Elizabeth stood out of sight in the kitchen and exchanged raised eyebrows with the nurse as they listened to this vaguely familiar form of conversation, reminding Elizabeth of Jacob and William at the Bampton boys’ age. She came in and sat opposite the children.
    ‘Now listen,’ she said. ‘This is my house, and if any of you are going to stay here you’ll have to learn to behave a lot better than you’re behaving at the moment.’
    ‘Sorry, miss,’ said Billy. ‘It’s Bobby, he’s always like this.’
    Bobby bit his lip and regarded Billy with unbrotherly eyes while the twins attempted to recover the situation by asking Elizabeth about the town and the neighbours and what she thought would become of them if the war really did progress as expected and the Germans sent airmen to drop their bombs on London.
    Then Alfred and Norman walked in, and Jacob too, covered in dirt from the fields where he had been helping Norman with the weekend jobs.
    ‘Let’s have a look at you,’ said Norman, sizing up the newcomers. ‘All right, then,’ he said after a moment’s thought. ‘Vera and I will take the boys. If that’s all right with you, nurse?’
    ‘Thank you, Norman,’ she said.
    ‘But we promised we’d stay together,’ said Helen.
    ‘It’s for the best, love,’ said the nurse. ‘You two boys will be fine with Norman. His farm’s just a short walk down the road so you can all see each other every day. And you’ll be at the same school during the week anyway.’
    ‘Are these dogs yours, mister?’ asked Bobby.
    Norman nodded.
    ‘Come on then, Billy,’ said Bobby, getting to his feet. ‘I like the sound of living on a farm.’
    Billy stood up and Norman took their suitcases and the otherswatched them set off up the lane towards Elm Tree Farm.
    Jacob smiled at Helen and Sarah.
    ‘Do you want to come and see my birds?’ he said. ‘They’re just round the back, in the out-house.’
    ‘What kind of birds?’ said Helen.
    ‘Pigeons. Half a dozen.’
    ‘Ugh,’ said Sarah.
    ‘What’s wrong with pigeons?’ said Jacob.
    ‘Dirty things,’ she said, looking Jacob up and down, her eyes lingering upon the filthy state of his trousers.
    ‘Pigeons aren’t dirty,’ he said. ‘As a matter of fact, they’re one of the cleanest of British birds. Haven’t you ever seen them preening?’
    ‘Seen them what?’
    ‘Preening,’ he said. ‘Like this …’ and Helen laughed at his imitation of a cooing, nuzzling bird.
    ‘I think I’d like to see them,’ said Helen, smiling at Jacob, and he took her round to the out-house to show her what was inside
    Down at Elm Tree Farm, Vera was waiting at the gate, peering up the