Broken City

Chapter Two

Chapter Two

We stare at her as she tosses the thick blonde strand over her shoulder as if she is unaware of the stir she has caused.

“What do you mean?” asks Jan.

Clare leans back a little in her chair.

“Janny darling you may be young but you’re not stupid; in our world, to us girls, marriage is everything because none of us are deemed suitable for the outside world, we are…” she lifts one long leg and slides it slowly across the other allowing her fringe to fall sultrily over one eye, “much too soft.”

Somehow she manages to make it sound incredibly attractive.

“But if Keya is allowed to join, then there can be no objection to us joining up either,” she finishes.

“You don’t seem very worried about it?” exclaims Jan.

“But Janny you’re forgetting something; I’ve already hooked a man, there’s no reason for me to join up now,” Clare smiles dreamily.

“If you ask me, he’s hooked you!”

Clare smiles, content to let us tease her, a knock falls on the door and Clare moves to open it.

From where we are sitting we can’t see the door but there is nothing wrong with our hearing.

“Clare put him down for goodness sake; you’ve only just eaten.”

Philip blushes rosy red as we crowd around the door.

“H-hello girls, how are you?” he asks.

I’ve often wondered how Philip managed to court my sister, let alone ask her to marry him. After intense pressure from Jan, who was dying for a detailed word and picture account, Clare told her that it had been very romantic but more than that she would not say, much to Jan’s disappointment.

When they are gone the flat is very quiet. I generally go up to the Jepsjons’ after dinner and put the children to bed, but I don’t want to leave Jan by herself. I pull on a jumper and fluff her hair as I walk past her seat.

“Coming, Janny?”

“Sure!”

From her display of alacrity, I gather there is nothing she would like better.

~~~~~~~~

The children are listening to one of Uncle Jep’s stories as we enter the flat, it is an idyllic picture: Tarri has again wrapped herself around Uncle Jep and with her head on his shoulder is staring sleepily into the fire. The rest of the children are huddled on the floor, the fire’s warm glow playing over their excited faces.

Of Tom there is no sign.

“Jan my dear, so pleasant to see you—come you must sit by the fire.”

Ricky stands and offers her his seat to one side of the fire, but she motions for him to sit down and settles herself on to the floor, hugging an excited Carris to her as Carris endeavours to recite the story so far.

The Professor heaves himself from his chair and offers us refreshment.

“I’ll do it Uncle Jep, you’ve had a hard day,” I take the saucepan out into the hall and fill it with water from the tap. There is a communal tap on every floor that is fed from the tank on the roof. Usually there is a restriction as to how much water we can use but at this time of year the restriction is relaxed.

I had expected the Professor to continue with his story but as I enter the kitchen I find he has set out the cups for me and is awaiting my return. As I place the pan on the range he leans against the work surface and studies my face.