The 9 by Madalyn Morgan (tools of titans ebook .txt) 📕

out together when you were young, she said, ‘“Old Highbrow Henry hasn’t always batted for the other side then.”’

‘Who is this friend? If I were you’d I’d steer clear of her. Sounds to me as if she’s jealous.’

Ena laughed. ‘Binkie Brinklow jealous of me? I don’t think so! Binkie is very beautiful and very rich.’

‘Then she’s probably used to men falling at her feet, and when Henry didn’t, she made something up to save face.’ Bess threw her head back and tutted. ‘Henry wouldn’t fall for the likes of this Binkie character, she sounds too superficial for him.’ Bess looked at Ena, her brow furrowed. ‘Henry’s lovely. He’s a bit serious – and of course there’s the age difference – but if you like him, I’m happy for you.’

As they pulled up outside their parents’ cottage, Ena said, ‘Don’t say anything about Henry to Mam or Dad, will you. Henry might not feel the same about me. Even if he does, it’s early days.’

‘It’s our secret.’

‘And for goodness sake don’t mention that I was followed,’ Ena said, jumping out of the car. ‘Dad would go mad.’

‘I won’t, but you must promise me that you won’t go walking around a strange town on your own again – especially at night.’

‘I promise. Thanks for the lift.’ Ena closed the front door, opened the back, and hauled out her case and handbag. ‘See you during the week.’

‘Goodbye, love. And be careful.’

‘I’m always careful.’ As she said the words, a vision of the faceless man in the trilby hat who had followed her flashed into her mind. Pushing a strand of hair out of her eyes, Ena metaphorically brushed the man away.

Waving off her sister, Ena went up the path and into the house by the back door. ‘Mm, something smells good,’ she said, entering the kitchen.

‘It’s your dinner,’ her mother said. ‘We’ve had ours an hour since, yours is in the oven keeping warm.’

Ena’s father got up from the table and kissed her on the cheek. ‘Good to have you home, love. I’ll put this in your bedroom,’ he said, taking the case out of her hand. ‘I’ve got to organise the ARP rotas. I’ll be in the living room, at the table,’ he said to Ena’s mother and left the room.

‘What’s Freda’s uncle like?’ Ena’s mother asked, placing her Sunday dinner on the kitchen table. ‘Is his house posh? I expect it is.’ She sat down to hear Ena’s news. ‘Well? What was it like?’

‘Nice. A bit like our Margaret’s in-laws house in Coventry. You know, semi-detached, three bedrooms, small front garden, long narrow back garden,’ Ena lied.

‘And her uncle?’

‘Nice. He was out when we got there yesterday, and he went off early this morning, so I didn’t see much of him, but he was very nice.’ Ena’s mother leaned forward, ready to hear more. ‘I’m starving hungry, Mam. Can I eat my dinner while it’s hot and tell you about the weekend later?’

Clearly unimpressed by the lack of information, Lily Dudley frowned. ‘I’ll put the kettle on then,’ she said, getting up from the table and busying herself at the stove.

When Ena had finished eating, her mother brought the tea tray to the table, and asked Ena one question after another. ‘Did you and Freda have a nice time at the dance?’ ‘Did you meet any nice young men?’ ‘I suppose that American was there?’ What her mother had against Ben, Ena couldn’t imagine. She had only ever said nice things about him. There were only nice things to say.

When she had answered her mother’s questions, keeping what she told her simple, so she’d remember what she’d said if her mother asked her again, Ena yawned and pushed her chair away from the table. ‘Thanks, Mam, that was lovely.’ Getting up, she stacked the tea things on the tray and put them on the draining board. ‘Don’t you like to listen to the wireless at this time on a Sunday afternoon? Come on, let’s go into Dad. He must have finished the ARP rotas by now.’ Ena opened the kitchen door and waited for her mother.

CHAPTER TWENTY-ONE

Ena arrived at work before Mr Silcott and Freda. Mr Silcott had no appointments in the diary and would probably arrive soon. Goodness knows what time Freda would get in, coming all the way from Northampton.

Ena put on the kettle to make a cup of tea and, while it boiled, sorted through the post. There were four letters. One for Freda and three for Mr Silcott, which she put on their respective desks.

Mr Silcott arrived as the kettle whistled. ‘I timed that well.’

‘You did,’ Ena said. She poured their tea and took Mr Silcott his.

A despatch rider arrived with the usual large brown envelope from the Ministry of Defence. Ena took charge of it, and asked him if he would like a cup of tea. Checking his watch, he said, ‘I’ll have one in the canteen, if it’s all right.’

Several couriers delivered work orders from the MoD, but this young chap, Ena remembered, had been talking to one of the girls on the factory floor the last time he was here. Ena had asked the girl afterwards if he’d asked her about the work she did. He hadn’t. The courier looked at his watch again. Ena smiled. The cheeky monkey had purposely arrived at morning tea break, so he could talk to the girl he was sweet on. ‘You know where it is.’ Before she had time to thank him, he was gone.

Thinking about the young dispatch rider’s lack of subtlety, Ena ran the paper knife along the top of the envelope, slicing through the words Top Secret. Every time she opened an envelope, or read a work order from the MoD, she was reminded that the work she and Freda did at