The Mersey Daughter (Empire Street #3)(78)

Dolly looked steadily at her youngest child, registering how tired she seemed, but now wasn’t the time for defeatist attitudes. ‘Come on, love,’ she said briskly. ‘That’s not like you. We need you to help get everyone sorted out and to safety. Here’s the flask, look – you get that filled while I pack the blankets. Where’s the big torch? Let me just check the batteries are all right. Violet will get Georgie into his siren suit. Thank goodness I’m not on fire-watching duty tonight, I can help out with him.’

Sarah poured the hot water for the tea, carefully closing the stopper on the enamel flask. The last thing they wanted was anyone getting burnt from it. ‘Where’s Rita, Mam? Has she stopped by today?’

Dolly shook her head. ‘She’s on lates, she’ll be at the hospital now. We’ll just have to keep our fingers crossed they are all right over there.’ She sent up a quick prayer for her eldest daughter, who she knew full well would put the safety of her patients above her own. ‘Well, that means one of us should go and check that Ruby knows what to do. I can’t see Winnie doing anything to help her.’

Sarah groaned. She avoided going to the shop if she could, partly because Violet always brought back whatever they needed, but also because she couldn’t stand Winnie. But now Violet was busy and she knew that Rita would want somebody to do it. She didn’t have a choice.

‘All right, I’ll go.’ She put the flask of tea into Dolly’s capacious bag. ‘I’ll see you down at the shelter.’

Swiftly she crossed the alley over to the corner shop, and went round to the back door. She tapped on it. ‘Ruby! Are you there?’

The door swung open and Winnie glared at her. ‘What do you want? Come round to get more fuel for your gossiping lies, have you?’

Sarah noticed how the old woman had lost weight since she’d last seen her, her skin sagging from prominent cheekbones, her jaw slack but her eyes bright with spite. ‘No, I’ve come to see Ruby to the shelter,’ Sarah replied firmly, drawing on her nurse’s training to remain calm under threat. She’d faced far worse than a vindictive neighbour over the last few months and couldn’t let this encounter rattle her. ‘Will you come too, Mrs Kennedy?’ She thought it best to ask, even though she could guess the answer.

‘Down to that fleapit? They let anybody in there,’ snarled Winnie. ‘You wouldn’t catch me dead in there.’ Sarah didn’t say that she might well wind up dead if she didn’t go. She could tell it would be pointless. ‘I’ll be perfectly safe in my own cellar, thank you very much.’

Sarah didn’t try to persuade her otherwise – she could see the old woman’s mind was made up. But she still had to find the younger woman. ‘Is Ruby in there? She needs to come with me.’

Winnie tutted loudly, but Sarah could see Ruby’s shock of white-blonde hair in the dimness of the kitchen doorway. She was loitering shyly, not wanting to provoke Winnie when she was in a temper. Sarah coaxed her forward. ‘Come on, Ruby, you have to get to the shelter. Have you got some warm things to wear? We’ve got tea and biscuits so you won’t go hungry.’ Sarah thought it was ironic – here was Ruby living above the goldmine of Winnie’s hoard, which probably contained enough biscuits to feed the whole of Bootle, and here she was offering the girl her own.

Ruby edged closer. She reached to take what looked like a shapeless jersey off a hook, and emerged into the dim light of the yard. ‘Thank you,’ she said quietly. ‘Did Rita send you?’

‘Rita’s at the hospital, I’ll look after you,’ Sarah said hurriedly. She didn’t want to be caught in Winnie’s back yard if the bombs started falling. ‘She’ll be safe there, but she would want you to come with me.’

Ruby shot a look at Winnie, but the old woman turned away. ‘All right, if Rita says so,’ Ruby said uncertainly.

‘And Violet will be at the shelter with Georgie,’ Sarah went on. ‘Are you ready? Right then, let’s go.’ She didn’t want to wait any longer. She took the young woman’s arm and led her away, with Winnie still glaring at them from the back door. ‘Quick, Ruby, let’s not hang about.’

The pair of them hurried down Empire Street, as neighbours emerged from their doorways from both sides. Sarah spotted Danny ahead of them and called out. ‘Danny! Wait for us!’

He turned and waved, and if he was surprised to see Ruby hanging on to Sarah’s arm, he didn’t say so.

Sarah could feel that Ruby was nervous but she couldn’t do much about it. ‘You know Danny,’ she said as they drew level with him. ‘He’ll look after us both, you’ll see.’ She flashed Danny a grateful smile. She felt safer when he was around, knowing he wouldn’t let her come to any harm if he could possibly avert it.

‘Hurry up, ladies,’ he said now, seemingly relaxed. ‘It’s probably nothing, but we’d better get to that shelter as fast as we can.’ He offered to take Sarah’s satchel, which she’d hurriedly slung around her shoulder. ‘What’s in there, Sarah? All your precious bits and pieces?’ he joked.

‘Yes, exactly,’ said Sarah smartly, to let Ruby know he was teasing. ‘My most precious possession ever – my first-aid kit. I’m never seen out without it, I’ll have you know.’