She smiled. ‘You ask that every time I see you.’
‘Well, one day I might strike it lucky. I still say you’re wasted on that little country rag.’
‘And I still love that little country rag.’
‘I know, more’s the pity.’ He laughed, nodding to the bar. ‘Speak of the devil. Look who just turned up.’
Bobby turned to follow his gaze, but the pub was too crowded to see where he was looking. ‘Who is it?’
‘Tony, out on a date by the look of it. I knew he had a girl on the go. Poor cow doesn’t know what she’s letting herself in for.’ He squinted. ‘What’s this one, a Wren? It was an ATS girl last time. The lad’s got a real thing for uniforms.’
‘A Wren?’ Bobby felt a sense of foreboding. ‘Let me see.’
She stood up to get a better look, and her fears were confirmed when she saw the profile of the woman in the navy-blue Wren’s uniform that Tony was out with.
It was Lilian.
Chapter 38
Bobby didn’t confront her sister right away. Instead she made her excuses to Don and slipped out before Tony and Lil saw her, then waited in their room at the boarding house for Lilian to come home.
There were many things she didn’t understand, chief of which was why her twin, who had never been short of attractive, appealing suitors, would want to go on a date with Tony Scott. She knew Tony had always been keen on Lil – every time he saw Bobby, he would enquire after her pretty sister. Of course he was keen on any pretty girl, but he’d made a special effort to single Lilian out. Lil, however, had never shown any romantic interest in Tony. She liked the man, she found him amusing and she smiled when he flirted with her, but Bobby knew she’d turned him down for dates on plenty of occasions before. He just wasn’t her type. So why now was Lil out on a date with him – and the even bigger mystery, why had she lied to her sister about it?
It was after midnight when Lilian came in, looking weary.
‘Oh. Hello,’ she said when she saw Bobby sitting up in bed in her nightgown with her arms folded. ‘I thought you’d be fast asleep by now.’
‘Good date, was it?’
Lilian shrugged, bending down to remove her shoes. ‘It was OK.’
‘Is he good-looking, this boy from out of town that I don’t know?’
‘He’s not bad.’
‘Financially stable? Good career prospects?’
‘We haven’t really talked about his work. Have you turned into Dad or something?’
‘He smokes those Egyptian cigarettes, I notice.’
Lilian frowned. ‘How do you know?’
‘I can smell them on you a mile away.’
‘Is there a reason you’re glaring at me like that?’ Lilian asked as she unhooked her stockings and rolled them down. ‘I am over twenty-one, you know, Bobby. Well over it, sadly.’
‘Don’t play innocent with me, young lady,’ Bobby said sternly. ‘You lied to me, Lil. And I’d very much like to know why.’
Lilian sighed. ‘You saw us.’
‘At The Swan. I was in having a drink with Don Sykes.’
‘I should have known you’d find out from someone around here. Tony won’t be able to stop himself bragging about it. He looked as smug as a peacock when he took my arm to escort me into the Palais tonight.’
Bobby patted the bed to invite her sister to join her. ‘Why didn’t you tell me you were going out with Tony tonight?’
‘I was ashamed, wasn’t I?’ Lilian said, sitting down next to her. ‘I mean, it’s Tony Scott. He’s not exactly my dream man.’
