Chapter Eight – The Outbreak of War
When Albert returned home, Tilly was sleeping. He went through to the bedroom to see her and took her tiny hand.
“Everything will work out,” he told her, trying to convince himself more than his sleeping child. “We’ll get our cafe by the sea. You’ll see. There’ll be a beach for you to play on and fresh air and seagulls.”
He observed how dependent his daughter looked as she slept and felt a great responsibility to provide for her. It made the long hours in the darkness and heat of the pit worthwhile.
“Are you ready for the big meeting tomorrow?” he asked Emily.
“Are you sure we should go?” she replied. “It’ll cost so much to get there and back. And you’ll want to drink beer.”
“Well, maybe if you made a budget before you went out shopping and stuck t
