Read Bluebirds for Free Online Page B

volunteered. It’s horrible here and I miss Terry ever so much. I cried myself to sleep last night.’
    â€˜Terry?’
    â€˜My fiancé. I’m engaged.’ Enid held out her left hand for Winnie to see her ring. Little chips of red stones formed a flower on her fourth finger. ‘They’re real garnets, you know. It cost ten pounds, but Terry said it was worth every penny. He’s ever so generous.’
    Winnie admired the ring. She said shyly: ‘I’m engaged too.’
    Enid looked surprised. ‘Oh! Are you? Can I see your ring?’ She inspected the small turquoise stone carefully. ‘How much was yours?’
    Loyal to Ken, Winnie lied. ‘I don’t know. I’m not sure.’ She put her hand away under the table. The ring had cost less than half the price of Enid’s.
    She ate some of the lumpy porridge. It was lucky that she felt better and not sick any more or she would never have been able to manage it, or the fried bread and baked beans. The tea out of the urn tasted just as bad as before – sweet and bitter all at the same time. It made her shudder to drink it.
    Enid gave her a nudge. ‘That girl over there – the one in the blue – she’s an honourable. Did you know that?’
    â€˜Is she?’ Winnie wasn’t sure what an honourable was, but the girl looked very smart in her blue costume. She was wearing a pearl necklace and some bright pink lipstick, and her fair hair had beautiful waves.
    â€˜Her name is The Honourable Susan Courtney-Bennet and her father is a Lord. Someone told me. She didn’t come on the train with us. She has her very own car and she came in that. Fancy! I heard her talking to Sandra last night. She went to Buckingham Palace once and curtsied to the King and Queen. She was telling Sandra all about it.’
    Winnie stared at the girl. It seemed extraordinary to be sitting at the same table as someone who had actually met the King and Queen.
    Enid was delving into her skirt pocket. ‘Would you like to see a picture of my Terry?’
    Winnie took the snapshot gingerly between her thumb and forefinger, aware that she was handling something precious. She looked at Enid’s Terry who was dressed in some sort of sailor’s uniform with a big collar and a round hat. He was standing with his legs planted apart, as if on deck, although the picture had been taken in agarden. His hands were behind his back and he seemed to be squinting into the sun. Privately Winnie thought he wasn’t a patch on Ken, but she said politely:
    â€˜He looks very nice indeed.’
    â€˜Oh, he’s lovely! And such a gentleman. I’m ever so lucky.’ Enid took the snapshot away and returned it carefully to her pocket. ‘I do miss him, though. I only joined up because he’s away so much. He’s in the Royal Navy, you see. That’s his uniform he’s wearing. He’s an Able Seaman. I thought if I joined up too it’d take my mind off things . . . him being in danger at sea and that. He could be sunk any time by one of those German U-boats and he can’t swim . . .’
    Her eyes had begun to fill with tears.
    Winnie said hurriedly: ‘I’m sure he’ll be all right. You mustn’t worry.’
    Enid sniffed and dabbed at her eyes with her handkerchief. ‘What does your fiancé do then?’
    â€˜He works in a shop. His mother has the village stores at home and he helps her. She’s a widow, you see.’
    â€˜Oh. Well, I don’t suppose he could afford much for the ring. He’s not in the Services then?’
    â€˜No, he has this asthma. They wouldn’t take him.’
    â€˜Then you don’t have to worry like me.’ Enid sounded pleased.
    An aircraft went over suddenly, rattling the hut windows. Enid dropped her spoon and covered her ears. ‘They make ever such a din those things. It’s awful.’
    â€˜I