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her about the room, but when she took her along to see it, Dotty’s first glimpse had been somewhat of a disappointment, to say the very least. It was an attic room situated in a large Victorian terraced house that had been divided into three floors, and it was barely big enough to swing a cat around in, consisting of a small bedsitting room and a kitchenette that housed a sink and two grimy gas-rings. A grubby settee pulled out to make into a bed at night with the addition of pillows and an eider-down, but then she had consoled herself; at least the place would be all hers and she wouldn’t have to share it with anyone, which was a first for Dotty. To get to the attic meant a long climb up a number of steep stairs. The bathroom, which was shared by all the residents, was on the second floor, but after one glance inside, Dotty knew that she would rather die than ever use it. She would make do with a good strip wash each night and then visit the public baths once a week.
    Dotty had always shared a dormitory with other girls and she had become used to keeping herself to herself, so she’d decided that she would look at ‘going it alone’ as an adventure. The only person she had ever been remotely close to was Miss Timms, a gentle woman who had worked at the orphanage for as long as Dotty could remember. Miss Timms had been a great favourite there, especially with the younger children, for she would read to them at bedtime and sit them on her lap and rock them when they were feeling unwell. In actual fact, Dotty realised that Miss Timms was the only person she would really miss, although the woman had promised to visit her often, which had made the parting bearable. And the fact that the room was so rundown would give her something to do each night after work, Dotty told herself. She would buy some paint and brighten it up no end, and it was quite exciting to think that she could choose any colour she wanted – if she could get hold of the paint, that was. Everything was suddenly in short supply since the war had broken out.
    The next big step had been when Miss Wood, the welfare worker, had taken her along for an interview at Owen Owen. Dotty had been quaking in her shoes and sure that she would never get the job in such a posh department store. All the other shop girls they passed on the way to the office looked so pretty and so smart that she didn’t think she stood a chance. But much to her amazement she had got the job, although she did wonder if it was because many of the shop girls had now gone into munitions factories, where they were paid better money.
    Miss Timms had taken her shopping to purchase two black skirts and two white blouses as well as a pair of sensible black shoes that would be suitable for work, and in no time at all she had been deposited in the flat. For the first time in her life she was truly alone and it was more than a little daunting. Dotty had become institutionalised over the years and was used to following a strict routine. Admittedly, the staff at the orphanage had never been cruel to her, but apart from Miss Timms the rest of them had been too busy to give any one particular child any special attention, and so she had become used to doing as she was told and obeying orders. And now suddenly here she was, free as a bird to do whatever she chose and it was taking some getting used to.
    Up until now, the other girls she worked with had more or less ignored her, although Dotty would find them huddled in small groups, smoking and chatting about what film they had been to see or what music they liked, in the staff dining room at break. She herself had never been to the cinema and longed to go but was too afraid to venture into a picturehouse on her own. The other girls would glance at her and smile but rarely tried to include her in their conversations, for on the few occasions that they had, Dotty had blushed furiously and become tongue-tied. And so she would sit and watch enviously,