We'll meet again

Thursday came. The inspector was leaving that day. She was safe.

I could sense her relief. But then, during that morning, Billy Bunter came to our table.

He said: "Mrs. Owen, the inspector would like a word with you.”

I saw the color rush into her face, and then she turned so pale that I thought she was going to faint. I wanted to run to her but restrained myself. Billy Bunter was smiling his urbane smile. We watched her as she followed him through the door, then we looked at her in dismay, too shocked to speak.

We just sat there, pretending to work, shifting our papers round and seeing nothing but Marian's stricken face.

And then, at last, she returned.

We stared at her. We had not expected to see her. We had imagined her handcuffed and taken away to prison. Spying for the enemy. Or perhaps she had murdered someone years ago and it had just been discovered.

She was smiling as I had never seen her smile, and she looked at least ten years younger.

We waited breathlessly. There was a new air of confidence about her.

"It's all right," she said. "I've been worrying about nothing.”

"What was it?" demanded Florette.

Marian looked around the table.

"I shall not tell you now," she said. "I want you all to come as my guests to the Cafe Royal this evening. Is that all right? Free, are you?”

"Oh, you are mean; making us wait to know," cried Florette.

"We're dying to hear.”

"You must be patient," said Marian.

She picked up her papers with a happy smile on her face and began sorting them.

Florette was right when she said we were all eager to know. We all sat at our favorite table and Marian ordered sherries and then she started.

"You see, I was very worried. I'll tell you frankly. I needed this job badly. I had my little pension, but I just could not make ends meet. Then the war came and they wanted people for work. This was the kind of job I fancied. I didn't want anything menial. This was a nice office job where you met nice people.”

"All right," said Florette. "You wanted the job. What else?”

"They didn't want people over sixty. Well, I have a confession to make. I lied about my age.”

"Is that all?" demanded Florette.

"It's lying," said Marian "It's a terrible thing to do in wartime, and when this inspector came, I thought, he's going to find out. He's getting us all and you know how thorough they are? I thought he'd turn me out and then what would I do?”

"And what happened?" I asked.

"Well, I went along and Billy left me with him. He was a nice man.

He had a ledger open on his desk and he said, 'Sit down, Mrs. Owen.”

I was shaking all over like a leaf. Then he said: 'It's this matter of age." Then I knew it had come. He was going to send me away, I thought, and I just wondered what I would do. It's made such a difference. It was just what I wanted.”

"Yes, yes," said Florette impatiently.

"'According to your records,' he said, 'you are sixty-two."" She looked at us searchingly, to see what effect this information was having on us.

"You see, I'd let them believe I was ten years younger. Nobody had doubted it. You didn't, did you?”

"Never thought of it," said Peggy.

"None of us did," I said.

"I never think about people's ages," added Mary Grace.

"Then he laughed," went on Marian, "and I burst out, 'I wanted the job. I needed the job. If they had known my real age, they wouldn't have had me." 'Well, Mrs. Owen,' he said, 'it's always best to tell the truth. But I suppose you're right. There would have been some question about employing you at that age. Well, you're here now and Mr. Bunter tells me you are as good a worker as the rest.

I don't think Mr. Hitler is going to care very much whether you are too old for the job, do you?" He laughed. That seemed very funny, so I laughed with him. I thought I'd burst into tears if I didn't.

'Let's say no more about this, Mrs. Owen,' he said. 'I don't blame you for knocking off those years. Nobody would guess." Then I came away.”

"Is that all you've been worrying about all this time?" demanded Florette.

The four of us looked at each other and smiled, remembering what we had imagined.

"How did you know I was worrying? Was it so obvious?”

"Poor old Marian," said Florette. "People in show business always knock off a few years. It's all part of the game.”

We all laughed. That was a very merry evening at the Cafe Royal.

The End of a Dream

May had come and there was a feeling of anticipation everywhere.

Great events were about to burst upon us and people were saying that the end of the war was not far off.

Richard was reticent about his activities and I guessed that he was involved in some secret operation. His leaves were less frequent and when they did come we made the most of them.

He very much enjoyed those evenings we spent in the Victoria flat.