Free Two Penn'orth of Sky by Katie Flynn Page B

about his family being rich and I always assumed he had some sort of private income, but I was wrong. If I’d known we had nothing behind us, I could easily have put away a bit of money every month towards Diana’s schooling, if nothing else. Peter was always generous; he never asked me to go careful this month, or anything like that, and now, of course, it’s all down to me. I can’t stay in this house, Diana will have to go to a council school and I suppose I’ll have to start looking for a job, because we certainly couldn’t live on the pension.’ She turned to her friend, unable to keep the sudden anxiety out of her voice. ‘Oh, Beryl, I wish to God I was still living in the court; at least I’d have friends round me instead of strangers.’
    Beryl smiled at her. ‘There are worse places than Nightingale Court,’ she agreed, ‘so why not come back, queen? The Vaughans moved out of your mum’s old house months back an’ no one’s took it since. It’s in a pretty bad state, but nothin’ you an’ me an’ Wally couldn’t put right with a big bucket of whitewash, a tin of scouring powder and a bottle of Jeyes fluid.’
    Emmy stared at her friend, almost unable to believeher ears. ‘And – and d’you think Mr Freeman would let me rent it?’ she asked incredulously. ‘Oh, Beryl, if I were back in Nightingale Court, I’d manage somehow, I know I would.’
    ‘You’ll manage, wherever you’re livin’,’ Beryl said bluntly. ‘You’d have to, queen, but as you say, you’ll be much better off in the court. Either meself or one of the other women will keep an eye on Diana for you, so’s you can get a decent job, and you know how we stick together when times is hard, so you needn’t fear you’d not have support. The fact is, when they know you’re lookin’ for work, everyone will keep an eye open and let you know when jobs are comin’ vacant. As for Mr Freeman, he’ll be so glad to see No. 2 bringin’ in money again that he’d let it to Sweeney Todd if he came knockin’.’
    Emmy jumped to her feet. For the first time since the dreadful news of Peter’s death, she felt a surge of hope. ‘I’ll go round there at once, if you don’t mind, queen,’ she said excitedly. ‘Oh, Beryl, just to know I had somewhere to go to would be good, but to go back to Nightingale Court is best of all! And wait till Diana hears. She’ll be thrilled to bits.’
    ‘I’m glad you feel like that, though mebbe Peter would have been happier if you tried somewhere else first,’ Beryl was beginning, but Emmy cut her short.
    ‘Peter didn’t know you at all,’ she said, taking her coat down from its peg by the back door. ‘If he had, he’d be glad I was going back.’ She glanced across at the clock above the kitchen mantel. ‘If we hurry, we can get to Mr Freeman’s house and back here well before Lucy and Diana are home from the park.’
    By the time Emmy entered the house again that afternoon, it was all arranged. She had paid MrFreeman a month’s rent in advance and would move out of the Lancaster Avenue house just as soon as No. 2 Nightingale Court had been cleaned up. As Beryl had warned her, the old place was in a disgraceful state and would need a good deal more than whitewash and Jeyes fluid to put it to rights, but even the prospect of the hard work ahead of her did not damp Emmy’s spirits. Besides, she had had a rare piece of luck as she had emerged from Raymond Street on to Vauxhall Road. A tall young officer, whose face seemed vaguely familiar, had given her a charming smile, taken off his cap, and reminded her of his name.
    ‘Carl Johansson, Mrs Wesley, Second Officer from SS Queen of the South – I was best man at your wedding.’ The young man spoke with a slight foreign accent.
    At the first sight of the uniform, Emmy’s heart had missed a beat, before recollection flooded in. She tried to smile but guessed it was a poor effort. ‘Oh . . . Mr Johansson, yes, of course I remember you.