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happy.’
    ‘Then give me a hug – please?’
    As she pulled Ruby against her, Pearl felt the tears fill her eyes. Why was this happening? She wanted to be happy for Ruby but how could she be?
    Ruby was just leaving when Jim came up the stairs.
    ‘Hello, Jim. Pearl said you’ve had a wonderful honeymoon.’
    He kissed her cheek. ‘You bet.’
    ‘She told me all about it.’
    ‘Not all, I hope.’
    Ruby smiled. ‘Only the best bits.’
    Jim looked her up and down. ‘So where are you off to, the Savoy?’
    Pearl saw Ruby blush. ‘No, I’m going to my first-aid class.’
    ‘Go on, pull the other one. Bet you’re being wined and dined.’
    ‘No, not till Ricky comes home.’ She looked at Pearl and before Jim could reply, she ran down the stairs.
    Jim turned, his expression dark and angry. ‘Did I hear right?’
    ‘Yes, but please don’t get upset.’
    ‘Of course I’m bloody upset.’
    ‘Come in, we don’t want everyone to hear us.’ Pearl closed the kitchen door. ‘Jim, you haven’t even kissed me.’ ‘Listen,’ he said, throwing down his lunch box in an angry gesture, ‘your sister is playing with fire and, God help her, she’s going to get burned.’
    ‘Jim, she’s all grown up. There’s nothing I can do to change her mind.’
    ‘Yes there is, if you tried. You’re like two peas in a pod. She always takes notice of you.’
    ‘It’s different this time,’ Pearl protested. ‘She thinks she’s in love.’
    ‘That’s ridiculous! And you should put her right on the subject.’ He took hold of Pearl’s arm. ‘Sit down. I’m going to tell you something. And perhaps after what I’ve said, you’ll come to your senses.’
    ‘What about your dinner?’
    ‘It can wait. Now sit down.’
    Pearl sat on the kitchen chair. She felt her happy world crashing down around her. Ruby wouldn’t listen no matter what she said, and Jim was angry with her for something she had no control over.
    Jim loosened the straps of his overalls and sat on a chair. ‘Winters and me were members of the Dockland Settlement Club as you know. We was at each other’s throats from the off He did everything for show, and me and the lads couldn’t stomach it. Our company wasn’t good enough. It wasn’t until he chucked in the Docklands Rowers for the Essex Flyers that people began to see he didn’t give a toss for the club, or the island, for that matter. He wasn’t born here, just worked for the PLA and lived in digs. No one knew him and he only joined the club ’cos there was nothing else around.’
    ‘But I thought you always won the rowing,’ Pearl said helplessly.
    ‘Not against the Flyers we didn’t. They had better boats, good men and the time to train. Sounds like green-eye, don’t it? But he is a rat. One of the worst.’
    ‘I’ve never heard you talk like this before.’
    ‘And I don’t want to now, as I promised a mate I’d never tell a soul.’ There was a long silence. ‘Danny’s family and hers wanted it hushed up and I gave them me promise that they could count on me.’
    ‘Danny’s family?’ Pearl whispered.
    ‘My cousin, Danny Shorter, lived over Blackwall.’
    ‘I didn’t know you had a cousin on the island,’ Pearl said, bewildered.
    ‘Danny was Mum’s nephew–her sister’s boy. Mum didn’t have much to do with her sister as she married into trouble, apparently. The two sisters never spoke and Mum don’t know about this–but I was friendly with Danny. We didn’t have no grievances, in fact I like him a lot. He was a good kid, a bit rough round the edges but he was solid enough and worked on the roads for the council. When Aunty Madge died, Danny took up with Gladys. She was a bit of a daft moo, but Danny was saving up to get spliced. Then Gladys had a bit of a fling with guess who.’
    Pearl swallowed. She knew the answer without Jim saying.
    ‘Yes, lover boy. He got her up the duff, then gave the poor kid the boot. She jumped off one of the bridgers. Lived over Ebondale