Every head at the table nodded and Bella took the opportunity to guide the last fragment of lordly fish under the lumpy mash. She was smiling as she thought to herself that if Neville Taylor had sold his soul to Poplar town hall for the last twenty years then he was welcome. It had taken her only twenty days if that, to recognize the fact she would never fit at Dixons no matter how long she worked there. She was the odd man out and always would be. Lately she had even wondered if she wouldn't be better off bottling onions in the pickle factory and having a laugh with the girls in the canteen than stuck with the boredom of office life.
'Bella deserves her success, Dad,' Dolly broke in earnestly. 'She was always top in English and arithmetic. Dunno how she added up so quick and always got the right answer. Left us all standing she did.'
'You weren't so bad yourself, Dolly.' Bella placed her knife and fork together, hoping she had disguised the leftovers sufficiently to fool Mrs Taylor. If she offered to clear the plates, she could throw them away in the bin. 'You always got high marks.'
Dolly giggled. 'Yeah, but only 'cos I sat next to you.'
Silence suddenly descended and Mr Taylor's satisfied smile disappeared. 'What do you mean by that Dolly?'
Dolly went scarlet. 'Well, I mean, I – '
'She means that we always practised our tables together,' Bella provided swiftly, glancing at her friend. 'It was a good way of learning them by testing each other. Isn't that right, Dolly?'
Still blushing, Dolly nodded. 'Oh yes, it is!'
'An exceedingly good idea,' her father nodded, a look of relief on his face. 'And a perfect example of working as a team.'
Bella glanced at Dolly. They smiled conspiratorially and Bella remembered how it really was at school with Dolly being totally ignorant of what she was supposed to learn and Bella being streets ahead, passing notes or writing the answers on her arm or fingers. Even on her dirty knees if the case warranted it. It was a perfect arrangement and the girls milked it for all it was worth. In return, Bella had Dolly's undivided loyalty. And considering the wide berth everyone else gave Bella at school, it was fair.
'I'll help Dolly clear the table.' Bella stood up.
'You're both such good girls,' Mrs Taylor beamed.
Bella glanced at Dolly as they took the plates to the kitchen.
'We are such good girls,' Dolly mimicked and they burst into laughter.
'Right little angels in fact.'
'Dad's still upset about me not getting the council job,' Dolly confided softly as they stood at the sink. 'He thinks Burlingtons is nothing more than a dead end.'
'Well, it is for the fish.'
The two girls shrieked. Dolly's eyes were watering. 'Oh, Bella, you're a real tonic you are.'
Bella nudged her friend's arm. 'Where shall I throw the left-overs?'
'Chuck it in the bin under the sink. Mr Attwell collects it every Saturday for his pigs.' As Bella was scraping the remains from the plate, Dolly said enquiringly, 'It's your birthday soon. I expect you'll be seeing Micky … going out somewhere nice…?'
Bella tried not to look into Dolly's searching gaze. The chances of Micky remembering her birthday were probably zero. 'Well, I'm not sure exactly, what I'll be doing.'
' 'Cos if you had some free time, Percy and me was wondering if you'd come out with us. Have tea at Lyons and see a film afterwards.'
'That's nice,' Bella murmured distractedly, still thinking about Micky.
'You aren't being very enthusiastic.' Dolly scrubbed the plate fiercely. 'We wouldn't want you to put yourself out for us.'
'Don't be daft, Dol. I was just thinking.'
'About what? If money's the problem, stop worrying. The treat is on us. And your precious Micky could come too.'
'Oh, for goodness sake!' Bella exclaimed, as Dolly's sarcasm finally got under her skin. 'I keep telling you he's not my Micky. And in fact, I probably won't be seeing him anyway.'
Dolly dropped the plate with a splash. 'Pardon me?'
'Don't make a big thing of it,' Bella shrugged, one half of her wanting to tell Dolly the truth, the other half insistent that she keep up a pretence that everything was just as normal.
'What's going on?' Dolly probed, frowning into Bella's pale face.
'Nothing. Nothing at all. As I said, I've been busy at work and made new friends.'
To her surprise Dolly nodded encouragingly. 'At last the penny's dropped, has it? I wondered when you'd realize that lots of boys would give their right arm to go out with you. But you'd never stand a chance of meeting anyone with the likes of him around.' As Bella glared at her friend, Dolly's full mouth tightened. 'I'm only saying what's obvious.'
'Well, you've said it, but don't forget the fact that the Bryants were the only ones who stepped forward to help me and Terry when we was kids. And the only living souls who set foot inside our four walls and painted them. If it wasn't for them the cottage would have fallen down around our ears long ago.'
Dolly dropped her gaze and resumed the washing of the dishes. The two girls worked in silence, Bella's last remark still crackling in the air. Dolly hated going anywhere near Bow Street, a road condemned in more ways than one.
'Thanks anyway,' conceded Bella, breaking the uncomfortable silence. 'It was a nice thought.'
'What if you brought Terry?' Dolly said, suddenly hopeful at Bella's softening tone. 'He'd love it wouldn't he? Our treat! Something special.'
'I wouldn't expect that.'
'No more argument, we're going, ok?'
Bella hesitated. 'All right. You're on.'
Dolly threw her wet hands around her shoulders. 'Oh, it's going to be wonderful, just like the old days.'
'Here, what's going on?' Ray strolled into the kitchen, a frown on his face as
