“Here comes the tea,” the shout went up. “Good girls.” They saw Barney in a corner with a group and he came over, but there was no time to talk; everybody wanted refreshment. First the tea ran out, then the cups, then the tea again. It took five journeys to the kitchen before all were catered for.
Collecting the teacups afterwards was an altogether more relaxed task, with time for a bit of banter, meeting up with old acquaintances and being introduced to new, so many new people they couldn’t possibly remember them all. When the crowd around them thinned out a bit, Barney slipped across, taking a place beside Norah.
“Any bit of news from the front lines?” Peg asked.
“Nothing much,” said Barney. “Just prep work, still.”
“But we’re definitely going to make a strike?”
“Definitely. But not
