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I tried to keep my face straight, but my blood still boiled after our little, heated chat. “Not for long. Soon, I’ll be assigned to someone else.”
“Honestly.” Gladys licked her fingers. “That man is crazy about you.”
I rolled my eyes. “No, he isn’t.”
“But he kissed you.” Doris snatched a bonbon from the box in front of Gladys. “Surely, that means something.”
“I don’t think that kiss means anything.” Gladys swatted Doris’s hand away when she tried to take another bonbon.
“Hey.” Doris huffed. “You brought those bonbons for Kristin.”
“Exactly,” Gladys said among chews.
“Shush.” I snarled at the two bickering girls. Roy was asleep in the room next to mine.
Unfazed by my scolding, Gladys propped herself on her elbows. “Let me tell you this. A kiss is rubbish when it comes to understanding a man’s intentions. It’s the fact that he came here to accompany Kristin that matters. That shows his commitment. That, and the dishwashing thing.” She clicked her tongue. “If a man washes the dishes for you, it’s true love.”
“He’s here for a business trip,” I said, selecting a coffee bonbon and earning a glare from her. “Hardly something romantic.”
“What kind of business does he have to take care of in the middle of Christmas in Crawley Farm of all places?” Doris asked, managing to steal a bonbon.
She had a good point, but Roy’s work followed mysterious paths.
“I think he lied about the work meeting,” Gladys said, winking. “He hoped you’d ask him to stay.”
“If Roy had planned to stay here, he would’ve plainly asked. The man isn’t subtle at all when he wants something.” The bonbon’s dark chocolate, mixed with the creamy filling, created a combination that was a good excuse to forget about Roy. “Let’s stop talking about him. Tell me about you.”
Gladys shrugged, munching on another bonbon. “I have a new boyfriend.”
“Really?” Doris asked at the same time I said, “Who is he?”
She grinned, enjoying the attention, and patted her dark curls. “Mrs Hoggins’s nephew, Mark. He’s moved here from Coventry. Cute chap. Nice arse.”
Doris chuckled. “Cheeky.”
I squeezed Gladys’s hand. “Hope he’s the right one.”
She smiled, but the smile didn’t reach her eyes. There was a lingering fear on her face. Marked as the trollop of the town, she hadn’t met nice men. No one seemed to think she was a person with fragile feelings behind that cheeky mask and easy laugh.
She squeezed my hand back. “Oh, I don’t know, but he treats me nicely, not like them other dumb boys I’ve been with. We went to the cinema the other night, and he brought me flowers.” Her brown eyes lit up. “No one has ever brought me flowers.” Her voice dropped. “He doesn’t care about the rumours about me, you know. He told me I’m special.”
“Because it’s true.” I hugged her, a lump swelling in my throat.
Too many young men had treated Gladys like a tart, only because she enjoyed life and wasn’t afraid to tell a man she liked him.
“I’m happy for you.” Fighting a sob, I released her.
“I have news as well.” Doris giggled, a stain of chocolate on the tip of her nose. “I’ve applied to the Wrens.” She threw her hands up with a flourish.
“The what?” I asked at the same time that Gladys said, “What the heck is that? A bird-watching group?”
Doris scoffed. “The Women’s Royal Naval Service.” Another bonbon left a smudge on her lips. “The association was disbanded after the end of the war, but the government might revive it next year. For now, they’re accepting requests of enrolment to see if there are women interested in joining. I’m very interested.”
A chill crawled up my neck. When the government recruited women in the navy or in the army, it meant that desperate times were close. “Why would the government revive the Wrens?”
“Something happened in the past few days. Apparently, someone is taking Churchill and his fears of war seriously,” Doris said, her tone dropping to a low whisper. “I guess the government wants to be prepared, just in case.”
Dash it. Could it be that Allen had convinced the ministry to take Roy’s work seriously? “Why are you so eager to join them?” I asked.
