He raised his hand and began to tick off things as he told her.

  ‘Enforcing the blackout, advising the public, firefighting, rescue and first aid, monitoring and reporting and maintaining order.’ He nodded as if reciting this list made everything transparent.

  ‘Are you in the most dreadful hurry to get back to your round, Mr Hatch? If not, can we just go through those things quickly before you leave?’

  ‘As long as I get everything delivered by lunchtime I’ll not be in any bother. What is it you want me to explain?’

  Half an hour later, Lucinda thought she knew enough to join him that night without making a complete fool of herself. She also knew where he lived in Station Road and had agreed to be there at six o’clock sharp to collect her own metal helmet, blue overalls and official armband.

  ‘Will I be working every night, Mr Hatch?’

  ‘Once you know the ropes I’d be that grateful if you’d do the weekdays and then I’ll do the weekend. How does that sound?’

  ‘Just the ticket, Mr Hatch, I won’t let you down.’

  ‘Why did you decide to volunteer for the night patrol? Young lady like you would be better off working the day shift.’

  ‘I understand that there are already more than enough daytime volunteers and absolutely no one to help you.’

  He’d been talking to her long enough for his coat to be gently steaming and his cap was already dry.

  ‘Crikey, I nearly forgot, I better give you the post for the house before I go. My youngest works at the yard, he’s a joiner and they don’t work late in the winter. I’ll send him with the overalls and that so you’ll be ready when you turn up.’

  Lucinda ushered him out, excited by the prospect of doing something useful for a change.

  ‘Lunch will be late, it’s a good thing it’s only you, Mrs Roby and the baby today.’ Lily seemed a bit upset that she’d been unable to get into her own domain for so long.

  ‘I’m so sorry but I’m starting as an ARP warden tonight and really needed to know exactly what I had to do in the event of any of the emergencies.’

  Lily’s expression changed. ‘That’s different, Miss Somiton, Dougie Hatch works too hard and you sharing the work with him will make things easier for him.’

  ‘What can I do to help you as I’ve hindered you for the past half an hour?’

  ‘Nothing at all, thank you, Miss Somiton, but I appreciate the offer.’ Lily pointed at the half a dozen envelopes on the table. ‘Don’t forget those, they go on the hall stand by the telephone.’

  Two days ago Lucinda would have taken umbrage at being told something she already knew but today she just nodded and smiled. As she walked along the passageway towards the table outside the sitting-room door, she flicked through the letters.

  Her attention was immediately caught by the expensive cream envelope amongst the brown manila ones. Her heart thudded uncomfortably. She’d received several letters that looked just like that.

  She carefully placed the post addressed to Mr Roby in the wooden box before turning over the odd one out. It was addressed to her, had been posted in London yesterday, and she recognised the writing. Why was Ralph writing to her?

  This wasn’t a letter she wanted to read and she was tempted to throw it straight into the sitting-room fire. Instead, she pushed it under the inlaid wooden box where the post was kept and forgot about it.

  3

  Emily and her brothers were drenched by the time they got home and to make it even more miserable it was already dark. She just hated creeping about with no streetlights as the tiny beam they were allowed on their torches was scarcely any use at all.

  When it was wet, they always went in through the back door so they could leave their coats and macintoshes to dry on the rack in the kitchen. The front door was hardly used at the moment as even Daddy came in and out this way.

  To her surprise, Lucinda was waiting for them. ‘Here, give me your things and I’ll get them hanging up ready for tomorrow. I expect you’re wet through so bring down your uniform when you’ve changed and I’ll deal with that as well.’

  ‘Thank you, we usually do it ourselves but if you’re prepared to do it for us tonight then all the better,’ George said.

  ‘I’m liking this new version,’ Emily said to her brothers as they ran down the cold passageway in their socks and headed up the stairs.

  As Emily slept in the attic, it took her longer to get organised than her brothers as she had to light the oil lamps before she could do anything at all. There was no electricity upstairs, which was a nuisance sometimes, but her room was warmer as the chimney breast from the big range ran up one of the walls. Fires weren’t allowed in the bedrooms unless the occupant was unwell – of course baby Grace was different.

  ‘Hello, Ginger, have you been on my bed all day?’

  The big cat purred, stretched and rolled onto his back, waving his legs inelegantly in the air, demanding she tickled him. He didn’t do this for any other member of the family and if they were silly enough to attempt to touch his tummy then he immediately grabbed their hand with his claws. Sometimes he bit them for good measure.

  ‘Silly boy, let me get my wet things off and then I’ll spend a few minutes with you.’

  Although he couldn’t possibly understand what she’d said to him, she thought that sometimes he did as he immediately rolled back onto his front, continued purring, whilst watching her with his gorgeous golden eyes.

  As Emily always put out her warm winter slacks, flannelette blouse and thick jumper ready to change into when she got back from school every night, it didn’t take her long to get ready. She dropped onto her bed, scooped Ginger onto her lap and immediately recoiled.

  ‘Oh, no, you horrible cat, not another dead mouse.’

  This small rodent had been hidden under Ginger, apparently deceased, but as soon as the cat’s weight was removed, the mouse revived. Emily wasn’t really afraid of mice or rats, but the sudden movement made her grip tighten just as Ginger realised his prey was escaping.

  He did what all cats do when incensed or restrained, and dug his claws into her before pouncing. She yelled at him and the mouse shot under the chest of drawers. Ginger flattened himself and attempted to squeeze under to catch his prey.

  Emily had more sense than to try and pick him up as this was the only other time she was likely to get scratched or bitten. The top of her legs and her arms hurt where he’d scratched her and she was pretty sure he’d drawn blood.

  The racket must have been heard by her brothers, whose room was directly beneath hers. They thundered up the stairs and burst into the room.

  ‘Crikey, Armageddon in here, Emily, from the sound of it,’ George said, dancing about as he watched the increasingly futile and furious attempts of the cat to reach the mouse.

  Sammy was less impressed and sidled up beside her. ‘You yelled, Emily. Did he bite you?’

  She shook her head. ‘No, thank goodness, but he did scratch me and I can feel the blood trickling, so I’d better find the first-aid tin and do something about it.’

  George was all for staying but she insisted that he left the cat to do his job. ‘If the mouse has any sense it’ll stay under the chest of drawers until Ginger gives up or needs to go outside.’

  ‘That cat will never give up. The mouse is doomed to a grisly death and I want to see him perish.’

  To her surprise, Sammy punched his brother and it wasn’t a gentle one either. ‘You’re a cretin to even think something like that. What’s that little defenceless mouse ever done to you?’

  George didn’t retaliate but rubbed his arm and pulled a face. ‘Fair enough, sorry, Emily, I got a bit carried away. I know I can’t stay in your room without your permission.’

  He walked out and ran down the stairs whilst she exchanged a worried glance with Sammy. George hadn’t apologised for wishing to watch the mouse die, just for the fact that he’d said he was going to remain in her bedroom.

  ‘That’s not like him, he’s never been a bloodthirsty boy,’ Emily said.

  ‘He’s changed, Emily, he’s not the boy he was last year when I first met him. I shouldn’t really tell you this, but he’s been involved in a few fights lately and has been coming out the winner every time. So far the boys he’s been fighting have been a bit older than him which means that they’ve got the blame.’

  Her legs and arms were really stinging but she had to hear the rest of this. ‘Are you saying that George instigated these fights with bigger boys?’

  ‘He goes out of his way to antagonise them into lashing out. Emily, he’s got really aggressive these past few weeks and when the teachers eventually realise it’s his fault I’m really worried that he’ll be expelled.’

  ‘Oh dear, that’s not good news at all. Leave it with me, I’ll find out what’s going on. I really must do something about my scratches as I don’t want to ruin my slacks or my blouse by bleeding all over them.’ George had always had a volatile temper but this was something different, something really worrying.

  Again, Lucinda surprised Emily by taking charge of the medical emergency, if a few deep scratches could be considered one. She told the boys to play in their bedroom until they were called down and after a few grumbles they did as she asked.

  ‘I have my St John first-aid certificate, Emily, all sixth-formers had to do it. I can take care of this for you if you’ll allow me to.’

  ‘Good show. I’ll take everything off and sit by the range in my knickers and vest.’

  ‘Goodness, they are quite deep,’ Lucinda said as she began to dab the injuries with Dettol which stung like billy-o.

  ‘Ouch, that hurts. I hope you don’t think Ginger’s a vicious cat, he’s not. It was my fault, he saw a live mouse and I held onto him. Of course he dug his claws in.’

  ‘Your cat isn’t fond of me, but then neither are any of you. Hopefully things will be different soon for all of us.’

  ‘Where’s Lily? I don’t want her walking in on me like this.’

  ‘She’s gone home early tonight, I said I’d do supper before I leave for my first shift as a trainee ARP warden.’

  ‘I don’t envy you out in this awful freezing rain, but I’m glad you’re doing something useful.’

  ‘So am I. It’s about time I did my bit for the war effort. Now, just a couple of plasters on these two scratches and I’m done.’

  As Emily was dressing, she wondered why Lily had left early. ‘Is Lily unwell? I hope not.’

  ‘She’s tickety-boo, Emily. I offered to help and she was happy to accept.’

  ‘Thank you for helping me. I’ll fetch my wet uniform as I forgot to bring it down with me.’ This sudden change by Lucinda was rather confusing, but nice. Emily wondered if it was genuine or because Mummy had threatened to send her away?

  The boys’ short school trousers, purple blazers and other things were waiting to be hung up. Lucinda had put away the first-aid tin and was washing her hands in the scullery.

  The kitchen door opened and Mummy came in carrying Grace, who was in her nightie and ready for bed.

  ‘Are you all right, darling? You should have told me about Ginger scratching you.’

  ‘It’s nothing a bit of Dettol couldn’t fix, Mummy, and Lucinda did it for me. I knew you were getting the baby ready for bed.’ Emily held out her arms and Grace threw herself into them. Fortunately, she was ready as her little sister had an unnerving habit of doing this.

  ‘I wish she didn’t launch herself at us, Emily, she’s going to be dropped one of these days,’ Mummy said, smiling at them both.

  ‘She doesn’t fling herself at Daddy or the boys, I wonder why that is?’

  Lucinda reappeared and Grace hid her face against Emily’s shoulder.

  ‘I’m doing supper tonight, Elizabeth. I spent one summer in the kitchen learning how to make the most of what’s available, and I’m actually quite a good chef,’ Lucinda told them. ‘I know that seems rather unlikely, but my parents were happy as it kept me out of trouble during the long break.’

  Emily waited until she heard the light go out in her brothers’ bedroom and then crept down the attic stairs. She paused outside her parents’ room and could hear someone moving about – she guessed it was her mother and that Daddy was still in the sitting room. It was him that she wished to speak to.

  When Sammy had told her about George and his fights, she’d been horrified and decided immediately she would have to tell Daddy about it. He was less likely to overreact, and it would be better if he spoke to George – man-to-man sort of – than either she or Mummy doing so.

  This might be a difficult conversation and she almost changed her mind. The sitting-room door was closed and although there was no need for her to knock for some reason she thought she ought to. The sound of band music filtered through the door and this gave her the necessary courage. If he was listening to Joe Loss and his orchestra he’d be in a good mood.

  She tapped on the door, didn’t wait for him to call out, and opened it. ‘I’m really sorry to come down when I know I should be asleep in bed, but I need to speak to you most urgently.’

  Daddy was beside her before she’d finished her sentence. He didn’t ask why she was there, what it was about, just hugged her.

  ‘Don’t hang about in the passageway, come into the warm. Sit with me on the sofa and when you’re ready tell me what’s wrong.’

  After a few steadying breaths, Emily blurted out everything Sammy had told her and what had happened upstairs with the mouse. He listened without interrupting as he always did. Then he smiled and the lump in her chest began to go.

  ‘There’s no need to worry, sweetheart, your mother and I know about this. The school got in touch with us a couple of weeks ago. Fighting is so out of character for George that even though he wasn’t thought to be the instigator they were initially concerned he was being bullied by the older boys.’

  ‘Have you spoken to him? Asked why he wants to fight? I know we’ve had a few scraps in the past but he’s never been a violent boy.’ She frowned as something else occurred to her. ‘Where did he learn to punch people? If he’s been winning fights against bigger boys then he must have learnt from somewhere.’

  ‘He joined a boxing club at school at the beginning of the school term. It seems he’s rather good at it and the boys he’s been fighting are older club members.’

  This didn’t make any sense to Emily. Why was Daddy so relaxed about things? ‘I don’t understand why George didn’t tell me. Sammy didn’t mention the boxing club – I’m assuming he doesn’t go to it.’

  ‘They had a choice and George chose boxing and Sammy does fencing. I’m surprised you didn’t know that. We’ve noticed that you’ve grown apart recently and that’s a shame.’

  ‘I’ve one foot in the grown-up camp whereas George and Sammy are still boys. I spend my free time with my own friends now. Also, as we’ve stopped visiting Nancy until the nights are lighter again, the boys and I hardly spend any time together at all.’

  ‘I’ll speak to George about being so bloodthirsty. He’s been warned that fighting anywhere but the club’s forbidden. The three of you are going over on the ferry on Saturday to that party so you’ll have plenty of time to talk about it then.’

  A gust of wind and rain made the sitting-room windows rattle. ‘Golly, I don’t envy Mr Hatch and Lucinda being out in this weather. I think I’ll put a hot water bottle in her bed so I’m going to do it now. Then it’ll be cosy when she goes to bed.’

  Lucinda wasn’t exactly regretting her impulsive decision to become an ARP warden as since she’d started spending the nights patrolling the blacked-out streets of Wivenhoe her life at Harbour House had become so much better.

  Every morning when she tottered into the house, a thermos of cocoa and a sandwich wrapped carefully in greaseproof paper was waiting for her on the kitchen table. There was also a rubber hot water bottle – not one of the china ones – warming up her bed and a fire would be burning, making her bedroom absolute bliss after trudging round the streets in the blistering cold all night. Jonathan must have made an exception for her as fires weren’t usually allowed in the bedroom.

  On Friday night, as she pulled on her overalls over her clothes, Emily came into the scullery with the last of the plates from the dining room.

  Lucinda had no idea who was making her life so much easier by lighting the fire in her bedroom and making her a hot water bottle. This angel must be getting up at dawn to do this and also to fill up the thermos with cocoa and make the sandwich which were always waiting on the kitchen table.

  ‘Is it you making my life so comfortable, Emily? I can’t tell you what a difference it makes to know someone’s thinking about me whilst I’m miserable and cold and doing my duty all right.’

  ‘It is, but I don’t want your thanks as you deserve it. I’m not sure I’d have volunteered. When you become a WAAF next spring it’ll seem like a walk in the park after what you’re doing now.’

  ‘I jolly well hope so. I know it’s unpatriotic, but I sometimes wish there would be a fire, a bomb dropped somewhere, an accident – anything to break the monotony would be good.’

  Emily giggled. ‘I still think on balance you’re better off being miserable and wet on your own than knitting socks for sailors with the WI or doing something even more boring with the WVS.’

  Lucinda joined in the laughter. ‘My idea of absolute hell. I hope the weather improves for you tomorrow or the three of you are going to get as wet as I do every night when you go over to Rowhedge for your party.’

  ‘Penny’s mother has found us all a change of clothes so it won’t matter if we do get wet. Hopefully, as we’re going to be there a long time, our own things will be dry when we need them.’

  Lucinda plonked her black metal helmet on her head and pulled the chinstrap tight. If she didn’t do this it would fall off. ‘Right, I’d better get going. I’m hoping that at least I’ll get a few houses showing illegal light so I can shout at them. I’ve had only two of those so far. I bet there would be more in London.’