‘Well?’ Jessie grins at Helen over the counter ‘You could’ve flipping rung me! Aren’t I your best friend?’

‘Hello’ Helen gives a distracted smile, frowning at the letter in her hand before looking up. ‘Rung you?’

‘To tell me you and Kester were an item! Blimey, that was a good stunt to pull. Wish I’d’ve thought of that one when I was younger’

Helen feels the colour rising to her cheeks ‘What do you mean?’ she asks, abrupt despite her caution in asking. .

‘Rigging it so’s you could stay over!’ Jessie titters ‘Just how poorly was he?’ She bats her eyelashes.

‘Kester was very unwell’ Helen reacts snappily. ‘Still being very sick and feeling extremely weak’

‘And you?’ Jessie probes.

‘I became…unwell….that evening’ Her colour heightens even further.

‘Ah…’ Jessie sees what she takes to be embarrassment in Helen’s expression. ‘Touch of the other was it? ‘ She says in a whisper of comprehension. ‘You don’t have to say any more. I used to flop out every time when I was a girl. Bit of a bugger, that…especially if you’d got things you wanted to be getting on with. Perhaps the doc could help. Have you been to see him? They’ve got all sorts of stuff nowadays to help us women through. Those men, they don’t know the half of it, do they?’

Helen shakes her head noncommittally, happy to let Jessie’s explanation stand.

‘So…’ Jessie leans forward, her face alight with anticipation ‘How did it all come about then? I know you are going out with him, because Nathan told me. He laughed when I said I’d asked everyone I knew and they didn’t know anything’ she huffs indignantly, making Helen smile. ‘Go on..tell us’

Helen looks either side of her ‘I can’t talk about it here’ she hisses.

‘I don’t need any details…just gimme the facts!’

‘You really are a very nosy woman, you know that?’ Helen gives her a brief tolerant smile, her cheeks still flooded with colour.

‘Of course I am! You don’t get to find out anything otherwise’

‘He was very…. kind to me…and it just…happened’ Helen stumbles over her words as memory of the evening seeps into her mind again.

‘Did you ask him out, like I said?’ Jessie asks eagerly.

‘No…he asked me’

‘Aaaw. George was right then, he said the boy was holding a candle for you and he weren’t wrong. I am glad. He’s a nice man’

Helen lowers her eyes ‘Yes…he is’

Jessie reaches across the counter to squeeze Helen’s hand. ‘And just what you needed, I’m thinking’ she says quietly.

Helen lifts her head, her eyes brimming.

Jessie squeezes her hand once more ‘No need to answer. I know he is’ She stands back abruptly and slips her handbag onto her wrist while she pulls on her gloves ‘Better get on, you take care, now. Give Alfie a cuddle for me’

‘If…if you’d like to visit him…us…..sometime, you would be very welcome’

Jessie beams ‘I might just do that. Think I’ve spent as much time at your house as in mine just lately but we never see each other to talk. That would be really nice, thank you. Best be off. Bye bye now’

The Village Library

Chapter Six

25 Piper Street

‘Look at me floor!’ Edna Smith grumbles ‘Flipping mud everywhere!’

‘I can’t help that!’ Charlie mutters ‘It’s been wet… and when it’s wet, yer gets mud’

‘But it don’t have t’be all over me lino, does it? Take em off outside!’

‘Then me feet gets wet!’ Charlie complains, not unreasonably.

‘Well you can bloomin’ well clear it up fer I ain’t!’

‘Cor, blimey…I reckon Ernie’s got the right idea, buggerin’ orf ‘n’ getting away from the carpin’. You don’t arf go on!’

‘You want t’watch I don’t leave you, you ole sod. Then where would yer be?’

‘Here’ Charlie sniffs the cold from his nose ‘An’ it wouldn’t arf be quiet! Get us a cup o’tea and stop yer mitherin, woman, before I clocks yer one’

‘You wouldn’t dare!’

‘Nope…that’s right enough. Can’t run like I used ter’ he winks.

‘No…and it’d be no good you running upstairs neither. Be the time you got there, you’d a forgot what yer went for!’

‘Cor, that were fun, weren’t it? Smack a the arse and you’d have our Pete packed off t’see Lady B afore yer could say knife!’

‘Them were the days’ Edna giggles girlishly.

‘You reckon we gets another go?’

‘Go?’

‘At livin’

‘Beggered if I know. Don’t you starts thinking like that again’ Edna wags a finger at him  ‘Don’t do no good. We’s old an’ we neither of us knows how long we got. Best we just live it an’ see’

Charlie puts his arms around her. ‘Would yer change owt if you gets another go at it?’ He smiles lovingly.

‘Me an’ you, yer mean?’ Edna gives him a strange look as his hands creep towards her buttocks and he stands even closer.

He nods.

‘Not one day of it’ she says with a sigh, laying her hands against his chest and gazing into his eyes. ‘….but…’

‘But?’

Edna tuts loudly and pushes him away. ‘Today might be that day. Now get that bloomin floor cleaned!’

Samms Plant Hire, Oatfield

Ingrid is on the telephone...

‘Sorry, Nathan, that wasn’t something you wanted to hear as soon as you got home..........………….. Eric’s right. We have been carrying her for too long. This has just saved us the bother of sacking her that’s all………………….....No, I can manage.................... it’s no real problem, there’s not exactly any slack to take up……………….........................Oh no you won’t! You stay there and get properly well………………………..Erm…..filing probably. I hate that….If they can type it would be a bonus..I don’t really mind who they are as long as I can get on with them. Gemma was difficult at the best of times. Why?……………………............Oh! Really?…………….No, I know she isn’t but would that matter too much? Probably better than being too good for the job like Gemma seemed to think she was. It’s what she can make of it. Any help would be good. She seemed nice enough when I met her in the hospital. Cheerful at least………..What do I think?………………..It’s not up to me is it? You’re the boss………………….That’s sounds fair. Like I said, any help would be good and if it’s only while she finds something else or we find someone permanent, why not?……………….Yeah…hang on a sec while I get a pen…Ok..go on.............…………….....................Sure…Yeah…of course I will…….I understand. Wouldn’t do for her to think this was some sort of favour would we?’ Ingrid laughs. ‘Ok, then. You take it easy, ok?….See you soon. Byeee’

Ingrid puts down the receiver and lifts it again, looking at the number written on her pad as she keys it in. She taps her pen against her teeth as she waits for the call to be answered.

‘Hello. Charlene? It’s Ingrid……’ She grins and lifts the phone away from her ear. ‘Hello to you too, glad you remembered me…..Nathan tells me you might be looking for a temporary job?………………….’