Read Secrets of the Singer Girls for Free Online Page B

she couldn’t stop herself speaking her mind.
    ‘Angels with dirty faces? I like that, Poppy.’
    ‘So where are they now?’
    ‘I had them evacuated a year before the Blitz began, as soon as the first wave of evacuations started,’ Sal replied. ‘It made sense. And I’m glad of it too. They’re
safe now, staying with a postmistress down in Devon.’
    ‘You must miss them very much,’ said Poppy.
    ‘You have no idea. But I know it’s the right thing for them. And I know I’ll see them again.’ Her voice cracked and Sal allowed Daisy to fold her into a hug.
    Poppy watched the touching scene in awe. Gently, Daisy rocked her like a mother might a sick child.
    ‘It’s all right,’ Daisy soothed. ‘Better out than in, I always say.’
    And there they remained, wrapped in a cuddle, bound by deep ties of care and loyalty that Poppy could never even begin to fathom. Their friendship left her breathless with admiration and envy.
East End women clearly made friends for life. What real friends did she have back in Norfolk? None that she knew of. And her mother? At least Sal had sent her boys away to keep them safe; her mum
had got shot of her the first chance she had simply to save face.
    ‘I’m sorry,’ Sal sniffed, composing herself. ‘It’s like a part of myself has gone. And every single day I wonder what it is they’re doing, what I’m
missing. Joey lost his first tooth the other day and it wasn’t me pretending to be the tooth fairy. But I don’t regret it,’ she blazed. ‘Oh no. Three days after the Blitz
began, a junior school over in Canning Town, near the docks, copped it. Hundreds of poor souls buried alive. The East End was ringed with fire that night, wasn’t it, girls? We saw the flames
billowing up into the night sky from the top of Trout’s.’
    Daisy nodded sadly. ‘They were piling the dead up in the street. Those poor little kiddies.’
    The table fell silent. Even Vera’s usually brisk expression seemed haunted by the memory.
    ‘That day changed the East End forever,’ murmured Pat.
    ‘So you see why I sent them away, Poppy?’ said Sal.
    ‘I do,’ Poppy replied softly. ‘Sounds like you’ve done the right thing. At least you evacuated your kids out of London. My mum evacuated me
into
London.’
    Sal screamed with laughter and slung her arm around Poppy. ‘I like you, Poppy Percival. I reckon you and me are going to be all right. What do you reckon, girls?’
    She turned to the rest of the Singer Girls, who Poppy realized were all staring at her curiously. She found she was holding her breath as she waited for their response. She yearned for the
approval of her new workmates. Suddenly, it seemed to matter very much what they thought of her.
    ‘I think she’s the prettiest, sweetest little thing I ever saw, Sal.’ Daisy grinned and a deep ripple of warmth spread through Poppy’s stomach, this time not caused by
whisky. Even Vera was smiling warmly at her from across the pub table.
    By the time the last-orders bell sounded, Poppy was happy but plainly exhausted.
    ‘You look dead on your feet, Poppy,’ remarked Vera. ‘Tonight you will stay with me. It’s too late to find your new lodgings now.’
    ‘I don’t wish to be a burden, Mrs Shadwell.’
    ‘Nonsense. I promised Mr Gladstone I would look out for you and that’s precisely what I intend to do,’ she said, and then as an afterthought she added, ‘I just hope
he’s out tonight on a night shift.’
    Poppy was about to enquire who
he
was when she noticed the smile had frozen on Vera’s face and she was staring hard at something.
    ‘Talk of the devil and you summon him up,’ she muttered, hurriedly draining her drink. ‘Come on, Poppy, let’s go.’
    Poppy turned and found herself staring up at the face of a strange man.
    ‘Well, this is a cosy scene, ain’t it.’ He grinned, revealing a set of cracked yellow teeth. It wasn’t a warm smile, more of a sneer, and judging by the way he was
swaying,