Free The Silent War by Victor Pemberton

that Lennie Jackson fancied Pearl and not her? How could she treat her best friend with such disdain? Pearl was more like her sister, she trusted her, she loved her. In fact, after her own mum, she probably loved Pearl more than anyone else in the whole world.
    ‘Don’t drink it too fast, gels,’ said Lennie, calling from the pub door. ‘You ain’t gettin’ anuvver one ’til turnin’-out time!’
    The two fellers, hot and sweaty after their battle to squeeze past the crowd of drunks inside the pub, finally reached Sunday and Pearl with their drinks held high over their heads.
    Harry smiled at Sunday, and gave her the glass of lemonade she’d asked for. ‘I wish you’d ’ave somefin’ stronger than that,’ he said, standing as close to her as he possibly could. ‘Makes yer relax,’ he added, with a cool smirk on his face.
    ‘I know,’ replied Sunday. ‘That’s what I’m afraid of.’
    All four laughed, including Lennie, who had his drink in one hand and his other arm around Pearl’s waist. ‘Yer know, I really enjoyed that ternight,’ he said. ‘Old ’Enry puts on a pretty good show, don’t ’e?’
    ‘Well don’t sound so surprised,’ Pearl said, scoldingly. ‘Some people’d give their right arm to get in ter see that show. Fanks ever so much, ’Arry. It was a real treat.’
    ‘Any time,’ replied Harry, who, not to be outdone by Lennie, now had his arm around Sunday’s shoulders. ‘Fank my Aunt Lil, not me.’ Sunday turned her face away when he tried to kiss her on the side of her lips, but when she saw Lennie doing the same thing to Pearl, she turned back again, and virtually forced Harry’s lips against her own.
    Although there was now a crowd on the pavement outside the pub, nobody took any notice of the two servicemen snogging with their girls. Across the road, the audience was just flowing out of the majestic Astoria Cinema, and almost immediately bus queues had formed on either side of the Seven Sisters Road, whilst hordes of people hurried across to catch late-evening trains from Finsbury Park Tube Station.
    Once Lennie had pulled away from Pearl he used the back of his hand to wipe her dark red lipstick from his lips, allowing them both to take a swig of their drinks. Harry took a little longer to pull away from Sunday. Although she knew he would make a meal of it, she did nothing to discourage him, as long as she could be quite sure that Lennie could see everything she was doing. What she didn’t notice, however, was that someone else was also interested . In fact, that same person had been watching her every movement from inside the pub ever since she had arrived.
    It was Ernie Mancroft.
    ‘Last orders please, ladies and gents!’
    The landlord’s voice was used to yelling above the din of his rowdy customers, so it easily reached the pavement outside.
    Lennie quickly downed the last dregs of bitter from his pint glass. ‘Feel like a fill-up, ’Arry? One fer the road?’
    ‘No fanks, mate,’ replied Harry, after draining his own glass. ‘Don’t fink I could cope wiv gettin’ back to that counter.’
    ‘Come on!’ Lennie was already collecting the girls’ empty glasses. ‘I’ve got ter make the best of me last night.’
    Sunday swung a startled glance at him. ‘Last night?’
    ‘Yeh. I’m on postin’ termorrer.’
    Sunday immediately switched her glance to Pearl.
    ‘I’m tryin’ ’ard not ter fink about it,’ sighed Pearl, who looked thoroughly miserable.
    ‘Does that mean . . .’ Sunday asked, tentatively. ‘Is it the invasion?’
    ‘You don’t ask questions like that,’ replied Lennie, half scoldingly.
    ‘Why not?’
    ‘’Cos I can’t answer them.’
    Harry put one arm around Sunday’s waist, and leaned his head on her shoulder. ‘Yer know wot they say, Sun. Careless talk costs lives.’
    ‘There’s too many lives been lost in this war already!’ snapped Sunday. ‘It’s time it was all over!’
    ‘Well there’s no chance of that,’