A Sister's War by Molly Green (the reading strategies book txt) 📕

to make herself heard with all the background noise and a sultry brunette crooning on the microphone.

‘Well, now we’re here, what’ll you have?’

‘Um, just a lemonade or something,’ Ronnie muttered, the band drowning out her words.

‘Did you say lemonade?’ Jessica said. ‘It’s your birthday. You must have a proper drink to celebrate. What about some punch?’

‘All right,’ Ronnie said, feeling herself pulled into something beyond her grasp, but not wanting to draw attention to herself, though that seemed impossible with all the ceiling spotlights changing colour as they turned, picking out one area of the floor and then another. Eventually, the lights will pick me out, she thought miserably, and what a fool I shall look.

The barman poured two glasses and Jessica pointed to a table over the other side of the room. Ronnie’s heart sank. She would never be able to bring herself to walk across that enormous expanse of dance floor in her rubber boots. But when she looked through the chattering crowds she couldn’t see any other vacant seats except a few single spaces on the three-seater sofas lined up against two of the walls, all of which were occupied by courting couples who only had eyes for each other. She certainly wasn’t going to intrude on any of them.

‘I’m sorry, Jess, I can’t do it,’ she said miserably.

‘Well, we’ll have to stand here all night then,’ Jessica said, taking a gulp of the punch while watching the dancers.

Ronnie smoothed her dress, knowing full well it wouldn’t hang down any further and hide her boots. She’d really messed up poor Jess’s evening. She’d made it clear that Jess was not to leave her side, which meant her friend wouldn’t even be allowed to have a dance.

She picked up her glass and took a sip. It tasted of different fruits. ‘Thanks for this, Jess. It’s really refreshing.’ She took another sip. ‘Don’t take any notice of me. It’s not your fault. I want you to have fun.’

Out of the corner of her eye Ronnie saw a tall fair-haired officer in RAF uniform approach them. He was making directly for Jess. Ronnie smiled to herself and stepped back so he had a clear path to her friend. At the same moment she felt someone behind her trip over the heel of her boot.

‘Careful, young lady.’

She knew that voice! Her pulse racing, she swung away, desperate for him not to recognise her.

Oh, if she could only become invisible. It was too much. The last person she wanted to see her looking so ridiculous. Before he could say another word she’d pushed through the dancers, clinging on to her glass and working her way to the other side where Jess had spotted the empty table. Just as she was about to take possession of one of the chairs and put her bag on the other to save it for Jess, a party of giggling girls deliberately flung themselves in front of her and plonked down.

‘Excuse me, but this is my table—’ Ronnie started.

‘Oh, my dear, aren’t we hoity-toity?’ one of them said, giving a horrible impersonation of Ronnie’s accent, eyeing her through heavily made-up lids.

‘Do you own the table, then?’ another challenged.

‘No, but—’

‘Sorry, no buts. Just clear off.’

Ronnie swallowed. She couldn’t just stand there. But she didn’t want to give up the table that she felt was rightfully hers.

One of the girls glanced at Ronnie’s feet and dug her friend in the ribs, pointedly jerking her head down. The friend followed her gaze.

‘Setting a new fashion trend, are we?’ she jeered, then collapsed into shrieking giggles.

Heat flooded Ronnie’s cheeks. She was about to turn away when a voice behind her said, ‘Can I help?’

Oh, no. Not Michael again.

He put his hand lightly on her arm. This time she couldn’t escape.

‘Ronnie, I thought it was you. Why don’t you come and sit with us? We’re just a few tables away.’

Who’s ‘us’?

‘I’m with Jess,’ Ronnie muttered.

‘That’s all right – I met her on the boat that time.’ He gave her a knowing grin. ‘There are a couple of empty chairs at our table. Do come and join us – both of you. I’m with my sister and a friend.’

Ronnie felt she’d been put on a spot. She peered over the floor at the couples dancing, hoping to catch Jess’s eye and let her know where she was sitting, but when she spotted the tall figure firmly held in the arms of the fair-haired officer, she could tell her friend was miles away.

‘I should go with him,’ the first girl giggled. ‘He must be special if he can put up with his girlfriend wearing rubber boots at a posh dance.’

Ronnie glared at her, which made the girl giggle even louder. She had no choice but to follow Michael to a nearby table where two women sat chatting. They both stopped talking as she and Michael approached.

Both looked wide-eyed as they caught sight of Ronnie’s boots but one woman, her shining brown hair pulled back in a victory roll, and with an animated expression, quickly regained her composure. The other, a raven-haired beauty, raised an amused eyebrow, and a mocking smile hovered over her lips as she fixed her gaze on Michael.

Ronnie hesitated. She knew instinctively that she didn’t want to spend time with this woman. And from the way she was ogling Michael, this one was patently not the sister.

She’s too old for him, was her immediate thought. She must be thirty, if a day. Ronnie gave an inward shrug. Why should she care?

‘Can I introduce a friend of mine, Ronnie Linfoot,’ Michael said. He glanced at Ronnie. ‘This is my sister, Kathleen—’ he gestured towards the young woman with the victory roll and she smiled warmly and held out her hand. ‘And this is Penelope,’ he went on, ‘a friend of ours.’

‘Oh, how funny. I live on a boat that’s your namesake,’ Ronnie blurted out, her nerves jangling as she attempted to stifle a sudden chortle. By Penelope’s glare the woman obviously didn’t