Bobby glared at her. ‘That’s neither here nor there. What had you been doing at the pictures?’
‘Watching Gary Cooper inPride of the Yankees.’
‘All right, and what else?’
‘That’s it.’ Lilian shuffled to look into her eyes. ‘That really is it, Bobby. I know what it must look like, but I swear that man has never so much as held my hand. We’re friends, that’s all. Just… good friends.’
Bobby shook her head. ‘Friends don’t go to the cinema. Lovers go to the cinema.’
‘Don’t be daft. Friends go to the cinema all the time.’
‘Not when one’s a man and the other’s a woman. Especially not an engaged man and a married woman.’
Lilian turned away, scowling. ‘Honestly, I can’t believe you sometimes. Who did you say you were with when you saw us?’
‘Ernie King.’
‘Arm in arm, I suppose?’
‘Only because I was weak,’ Bobby said, flushing. ‘That’s what any gentleman would do.’
‘But he’s not your husband, is he? It wasn’t so long ago he wanted to marry you.’
Bobby laughed. ‘He’s unlikely to swing me on to a stallion and ride off into the sunset with me now, is he? He’d damage his back.’
‘If people saw you arm in arm, there’d be talk.’
‘I’m seven months pregnant, Lil.’
‘Which is exactly what there’d be talk about. Why am I always getting the lectures while you act like you’re the respectable one? You’re not Mam.’
‘You know it isn’t the same. There wasn’t anything secretive in my meeting Ernie. He just happened to be there.’
‘Isn’t it the same?’ Lilian demanded. ‘How many times have you been to the pub with one of your men friends, just the two of you? Even married men, like Don Sykes?’ She was glowering now. ‘And am I to be denied the one thing that truly makes me happy? The one thing that makes it worthwhile getting out of bed each morning? Why must it be one rule for me and another for you?’
‘You can’t compare this to my relationship with Don. He’s never behaved in any way that wasn’t brotherly. He doesn’t give me fur coats and knicker elastic for presents either.’
‘He gave you a fountain pen.’
‘That was a leaving gift. He was my boss, Lil. We never went for a drink without the blessing of his wife. I’m godmother to their child.’ Bobby raised an eyebrow. ‘I take it Tony doesn’t know about your cinema dates with the captain?’
‘Well, and what if he doesn’t? He expresses precious little interest in anything else I tell him about my day.’
‘Look, I don’t want to have a row over it,’ Bobby said soothingly, putting one hand over her sister’s. ‘I’m sorry if I sounded like I was accusing you. It’s because I’m worried for you, Lil.’
Lilian’s black expression lifted slightly. ‘All right.’
‘How long has it been going on?’
‘Since not long after that day I told you about, when he found me drunk and was so kind. It was an accident really. We bumped into each other while he was in town hunting for a gift for Veronica’s birthday.’ She smiled fondly. ‘Poor man, he looked so thoroughly bewildered that I couldn’t help taking pity on him. I said I’d be happy to help pick something out, and we chose a gift for her together.’
‘How does that end up at the pictures?’
‘George was so grateful, he asked what he could do to pay me back – what my favourite little treat was. I tried to brush it off, but then he remembered I’d told him how much I used to adore the movies. When I said Annie was with you for the afternoon, he insisted on paying us both in to see a new Humphrey Bogart. He said a break from my routine was exactly what I needed, and… well, I felt it was what I needed too.’
‘So you went?’
‘I didn’t think it was wrong. He wanted to repay a favour, and I couldn’t resist an afternoon away from my life.’
