Home Front Girls by Rosie Goodwin Page B

was Mary?
    After flashing an apologetic smile at Dotty and Annabelle, she stepped into the scullery then hurried towards the kitchen and flung the door open. The light was on, and as her eyes settled on a large kitbag to the side of the door her heart began to pound even harder and she dashed into the room, praying that what she was hoping for was right.
    Joel was sitting in the fireside chair with Mary snuggling contentedly on his lap and Lucy suddenly felt as if her Christmas had come early as her heart threatened to explode with joy.
    ‘Joel!’ She was across the room in a second and her arms went tightly around his neck, threatening to choke him as he chuckled.
    ‘Calm down, sis, I can’t breathe.’ But then the laughter died away as he caught sight of Dotty and Annabelle.
    Following his eyes, Lucy hastily told him, ‘Oh sorry, Joel. These are my friends from work, Dotty and Annabelle. They’ve come for tea. I didn’t know you’d be here, you see. But how long are you home for? Why didn’t you let me know you were coming? And are you all right?’
    ‘Whoa with the questions, eh?’ he said, very conscious of the two strangers. ‘I got two days’ leave but I didn’t know about it until this morning.’
    ‘Only two days? But that means you won’t be here for Christmas. Why couldn’t they have given you longer?’ Lucy could not keep the disappointment from her voice.
    ‘Because we’re being shipped out the same day I go back to camp,’ he told her calmly. ‘And before you ask, I have no idea where we’re going.’
    His eyes moved back to the two girls standing uncomfortably in the doorway then, and without even realising he was doing it, he sniffed at the air.
    ‘Oh, that’s Annabelle you can smell.’ Lucy giggled now. ‘She works in the cosmetic department and she has to spray herself so that the customers can decide which perfume they want to buy.’
    But Annabelle didn’t hear a word she said because her eyes were glued to the flame-haired young man sitting by the fire; the weirdest sensations were coursing through her. He looked at her and suddenly he too felt colour flood into his cheeks. She was undoubtedly the most beautiful girl he had ever set eyes on, and for no reason that he could explain, his stomach flipped. They both seemed to realise that they were staring at each other at the same time, and both hastily averted their eyes, wondering what the hell was going on. It was as if an unspoken message had passed between them and they were both confused and bewildered – a rare experience for Annabelle at least, who had had more boyfriends than she cared to remember. Yet none of them had ever made her heart dance as this Joel did. It was all very strange. He certainly wasn’t the best-looking young man she had ever seen, but there was something about his shorn red hair and the intense green eyes that she found mesmerising.
    ‘Look, you two have an awful lot of catching up to do. Annabelle can come to my flat for tea,’ Dotty said tactfully.
    ‘Oh no, there’s no need for you to go, is there, Joel?’ Lucy asked as she stared up at her brother. He had placed Mary in the chair and was standing now, and Annabelle saw that he was tall; so tall that he towered over her.
    ‘No, of course there isn’t. You’re very welcome to stay,’ Joel said immediately, but Dotty would not be swayed. She could see how thrilled Lucy was to see her brother and thought they deserved some time alone. She and Annabelle could always come for tea another day and it wouldn’t take very long to get back to her flat, although she couldn’t offer pork chops. In fact, they might have to stop at the local chippie on the way and take their meal home with them. Taking Annabelle’s elbow in a firm grip, she was surprised to find that the girl was shaking. Annabelle was staring at Mary now and was relieved to see that she was actually a very pretty little girl. Nothing at all like the freakish monster she had