Classic Bestsellers from Josephine Cox: Bumper Collection. Josephine Cox

a pretty white collar, it was perfect. The waist was fitted, the skirt was straight, and it was her size. She need look no further. ‘How much is it?’

      ‘Er, let me see …’ The little woman peered at the label again. ‘It says two pounds ten shillings here, but, seeing as it needs a bit of a wash, give us two pounds. It’s good material, and it’ll look wonderful on you. This is the kind of frock you’ll wear again and again.’ She gabbled on, eager to make a sale, and reducing the price a bit at a time, until the deal was finally done. ‘All right … give us one pound ten shillings,’ she decided. ‘It’s daylight robbery, but I’ll settle for that.’

      Ten minutes later, armed with her dress, and a new pair of blue, small-heeled sandals, Kathy called into the corner café for a well-earned break. ‘Tea and toast, please,’ she told the friendly waitress. That morning she had rushed out to catch the bus, with no time for breakfast, and now her stomach was turning somersaults.

      ‘There you are, Miss.’ The waitress was in her mid to late fifties, already burdened with age and weariness, yet with the brightest of smiles in her eyes and a way of putting folk at their ease.

      While Kathy patiently waited, she lazily offloaded the tray, explaining each item as it was placed on the table. ‘One pot of tea … nice and hot, and a slice of toast and dripping.’ Sliding the tray away, she gave Kathy her best smile. ‘How’s that, m’dear?’

      Kathy nodded. ‘That’s lovely.’ She smiled back. ‘Thank you.’

      Grateful for another satisfied customer, the woman ambled away, as if she had all the time in the world; even though she appeared to be the only waitress, and the café was already beginning to fill up.

      Digging into her breakfast, Kathy felt good about life. She had her house and her health, and now she had the chance of a job. On the face of it, everything seemed to be shaping up to her expectations.

      ‘All right are you, dear?’ All too soon, the waitress was back with the bill.

      ‘Yes, thank you.’

      ‘And did you enjoy your cuppa?’

      Kathy assured her, ‘It was just what I needed.’

      She checked the bill and managed to find the exact change in her purse, together with a few coppers for the woman.

      ‘What you got in your bag then, dear?’ Straining to see inside Kathy’s shopping bag, she seemed disappointed when she couldn’t make out its contents. ‘I never get time to go shopping … not proper, like. I’m allus on the rush.’

      Kathy had got used to these kind, friendly folk. They took an interest, and that was something she had not really been used to, but she was amused at being asked what was in her bag. That was a new one on her.

      ‘I’ve bought myself a frock and a new pair of shoes,’ Kathy replied. ‘I’ve applied for a job at the caravan site and I want to look my best for the interview.’

      ‘Oh, that’s good.’ The woman sat herself in the chair opposite. ‘Let’s have a look then, dear.’

      Seeing how the woman looked tired and was probably using her curiosity as an excuse to sit down for a minute, Kathy took out the dress and let her see. ‘Ooh!’ Fingering the material, the woman smiled with pleasure. ‘That’s really nice … though I’d never squeeze myself into that, I wouldn’t! Never in a month o’ Sundays.’

      She pointed to the bag. ‘What else you got in there, dear?’

      Kathy took out the shoes and, being careful not to incur bad luck by placing them on the table, she handed them over, smiling to herself as the woman lovingly ran her hands over the shoes. This kindly woman was a complete stranger, yet here she was, handing her shoes over to be examined. Because of the woman’s naturally disarming nature, it seemed as though she’d known her for years.

      The woman caressed the shoes. ‘You might not think it now,’ she remarked with a sigh, ‘but, when I were younger I used to wear shoes like this. It’s a pity, but when you get older your feet get all swollen up and you’ve to wear what’s comfortable, not what’s pretty.’

      When she gave a full smile, as she did now, Kathy could clearly see a number of gaps in her otherwise surprisingly white teeth. ‘Just look at you, dear … such a pretty little thing you are.’ Giving Kathy a smile and a nod, she gestured to the dress and shoes together. ‘I bet you look a treat in this little lot.’

      Warming to this dear soul by the minute, Kathy confided, ‘I was really lucky to find them, and at a reasonable price. I need to look smart if I’m to get this job. I’m really keen to stay in West Bay,’ she admitted. ‘When I came here, I wanted to make a brand new start … I wanted to be on my own, away from it all,’ she added, almost to herself.

      ‘I see. And have you no family?’

      Kathy took a moment to reply, and then it was with a bitter taste in her mouth. ‘No,’ she answered, ‘I’ve no family, not to speak of anyway.’

      ‘You’re like me then, dear. I were an only child, and my parents are long gone. Oh, I’m wed o’ course, but we never had children, more’s the pity.’ Her eyes clouded over. ‘I would have loved a daughter.’ She looked down at Kathy, then glanced round the room. ‘I know this isn’t much to show for a lifetime’s work, but it’s all bought and paid for. It’s provided us a living. But it would have been nice to have children to hand it all down to.’

      She gave Kathy a wink. ‘Got a boyfriend, have you, dear?’

      Kathy shook her head. ‘No.’

      ‘What!’ The woman was shocked, ‘A good-looking girl like yourself. Oh well, never mind, dear. I expect once you’re settled in you’ll have more time for that sort of thing.’ Suddenly her face dropped and she seemed unbearably sad. ‘Listen, my dear,’ she began in a warning tone, ‘when you do meet somebody, take your time. Don’t rush into any old relationship, because sometimes they’re not what they seem, and you can get really hurt.’

      ‘I won’t.’ Kathy suspected from her manner that the poor soul might be talking from experience.

      ‘Make sure you love him and he loves you … moreover, make sure he respects you as a person. He has to allow you an opinion, otherwise you’ll never feel part of a couple. Instead you’ll feel left out and useless, and you don’t want that, do you?’

      She sighed, a long, deep sigh. ‘It’s funny how you let the years go by without seeing things … then, when you come to realise it’s all been a terrible waste, it’s too late to do anything about it.’

      Getting up, she pushed her chair back and seemed as before, smiling and wishing Kathy well. ‘I hope you get the job, dear.’

      ‘Thank you.’ For a few minutes there, Kathy had glimpsed a deep sense of loneliness and regret.

      Suddenly, startling them both, a man’s voice boomed out from the far side of the room. ‘Mabel!’ Standing behind the counter, the man was a large, red-faced, angry mound of flesh.

      Both Kathy and the woman glanced back. Grimacing and pointing, the man made it plain he was none too pleased at Mabel hob-nobbing with the customers. ‘Get a move on!’ He appeared oblivious to the customers’ curious stares. ‘I can’t do everything myself!’

      ‘That’s my husband,’ the waitress told Kathy nervously. ‘He’s a miserable old git!’

      Suddenly she leant down to confide, ‘I don’t mind telling you, dear … if I were thirty years younger and had a figure like yours, I’d not be working in this dump. I’d be away, somewhere exciting.’ Rolling her eyes, she muttered, ‘Somewhere as far away from that old bugger as I could get.’

      ‘Mabel! Come on, will you!’

      She grimaced. ‘See what I mean?’ Taking out her pencil and pad, she wrote something down and handed