A Store at War. Joanna Toye

for instance?’

      ‘Lily?’ Jim was incredulous.

      ‘That’s the one. You know about that business in the shelter. With the Tunnicliffe daughter.’

      ‘Yes, of course. But …’

      ‘She got lucky there,’ mused Robert. ‘Turns out she did the right thing. But in other circumstances … With that sort of attitude, if she turned her mind to workers’ rights … she could be a proper troublemaker.’

      ‘Lily, a troublemaker!’ Jim burst out. ‘She wouldn’t dare, not now, anyway. I think she feels lucky to have kept her job. I can only say again,’ he repeated, ‘I’ve heard nothing about strikes from the people I talk to.’

      Jim didn’t add that he didn’t really talk to many people at all. Lily and Gladys, yes – and they were nice girls but only kids – junior even to him. On his department, apart from the buyer, Mr Hooper, and Mr Seddon, first sales – both retired staff brought back for the duration – and a couple of juniors, there was only Maurice Bishop, who’d seemed jealous of Jim from the start and had never been over-friendly. In the canteen, the nearest Jim had heard to a complaint was the lack of a decent football team to follow or the comments when a promised cottage pie turned out to be thickened Bisto topped with mash.

      Robert, however, seemed relieved.

      ‘Well, that’s good to know. And look, Jim – I don’t want you to think I’m sounding you out as a sort of spy in the camp. I wouldn’t ask you to do that. I’m going to be talking to other younger staff members – men and women, all grades, all departments.’

      ‘I didn’t think that for a minute,’ Jim reassured him, though he had, of course. What he was pondering now was his next move. Since he had Robert’s attention, should he or shouldn’t he say something about Sir Douglas and the whole delivery business? There might never be another chance.