Gertie said, Mo following suit, both looking at the woman appraisingly. Alice was a strong-looking young woman, with fair hair pulled back in one long plait that hung down her back.
‘And this is Pearl, our other waitress.’
‘Hello,’ Alice said. ‘Have you been managing the tables on your own?’
‘Yes, but I’ve coped.’
‘She has,’ Dolly agreed, ‘for a new girl she’s done remarkably well. Mind you, a lot of our customers ain’t got time to hang about and they’ve been getting a bit impatient at the slow service.’
Pearl flushed. She’d heard the complaints, and on occasions a few costermongers walked out, saying they’d go across the road to the pie-and-mash shop. She hadn’t realised that Mrs Dolby knew, and hung her head.
‘Now then, girl, I ain’t criticising. As I said, you’ve done well. Now go on back to the dining room and fetch us all a cup of tea.’
‘Yes, Mrs Dolby.’
‘Well, Pearl,’ Bernie said as she walked up to the counter, ‘we’ve got another waitress at last, and an experienced one at that. Things will be easier all round now.’
Pearl managed a small smile, watching as Bernie poured the tea. She took the cups through to the kitchen, finding Alice chatting to Mrs Dolby, the two women obviously getting on well.
‘Don’t worry, Mrs Dolby,’ Alice was saying, ‘I’ll be able to show Pearl the ropes and her speed will pick up in no time.’
‘Did you hear that, Pearl? You’ll learn a lot from Alice, so take note of what she tells you.’
With a small nod, Pearl placed the tray on the table. Alice was looking at her, a strange look in her eyes, one almost of triumph. But why?
Pearl found out on Monday. When she arrived at the café, Alice was already there, standing behind the counter and making a pot of tea.
‘Right, Pearl, once I’ve poured this you can take one through to Mrs Dolby. I’ve sorted out our tables. You can have the ones at this end, and I’ll take the others.’
Alice had chosen the easiest tables to work, those nearest the kitchen, and Pearl looked at Bernie for his reaction.
He was emptying bags of coins into the till, and just smiled, saying, ‘Good morning, love. It’s good that you won’t have to manage on your own now. There’ll be no complaints about the service today.’
Pearl had a bad feeling about Alice. She was already asserting herself, but since her days in the orphanage Pearl had never had the courage to speak up for herself. Now, taking a cup of tea through to Mrs Dolby, she had a sinking feeling in the pit of her tummy.
‘Good morning, Pearl,’ Dolly said. ‘Now that Alice has started, watch and learn from her. It was rough on you starting with no one to show you the ropes, but you ain’t done bad.’
‘Thank you, Mrs Dolby.’
Dolly’s broad, flat face broke into a smile, her voice unusually soft. ‘Go on, get on with your work.’
As Pearl went back to the dining room she saw both Bernie and Alice chatting as they drank their tea.
‘Come on, Pearl, I’ve poured a cup for you too,’ Alice called.
It was a friendly gesture and Pearl responded, chatting to the woman whilst Bernie popped out to the kitchen.
Alice glanced around the café. ‘I expect it’s the same routine as the Trafalgar and I’ll soon settle in.’
‘I’m sure you will, but I think there must be an easier way to take the orders.’
‘What do you mean, love?’
‘We have to write out a separate chit for each customer, and sometimes if there are four on a table it takes ages.’
‘That sounds a bit daft to me and not very efficient.’
‘I think it would be easier to write out one slip per table, listing the order with the customers initial beside it. Most come from the market, they know each other, and nine times out of ten sit with the same crowd each day. Of course, if strangers sit at the same table it wouldn’t work, but that doesn’t happen very often.’
‘It sounds like a good idea to me.’ The bell pinged, and as customers came in, Alice said, ‘Right, Pearl, shake a leg.’
Pearl frowned. Alice made it sound like a command, but the first four men took a seat at one of her tables so she went to take their order. ‘Good morning, and what can I get you?’
‘Morning, love,’ Frank said. ‘I’ll ’ave me usual.’
‘Me too,’ another man said, adding, ‘Is that another new waitress?’
‘Yes, she’s starting today.’
‘She looks like a battle-axe, Frank.’
‘Yeah, a bit of a Boadicea, if you ask me.’
Pearl was smiling as she wrote out their chit. It was obvious these men liked to find nicknames for people. During her first week, Frank had started to call her Minnie Mouse, but she didn’t mind. It was just their way, and she was getting used to them now.
The smile left her face when she went into the kitchen. The new waitress was talking to Mrs Dolby and she looked as pleased as punch at what she was hearing.
‘Blimey, Alice, that’s a great idea and I don’t know why I didn’t think of it myself. My old gran set up the present system, and as it worked we just carried on. Now though, if we do things your way, not only will it speed up service, it’ll also save us a fortune on order pads. Well done, Alice, and it’s lovely to have someone who takes an interest in the business.’
‘Thanks, Mrs Dolby,’ Alice said.
‘Pearl, our new waitress has just come up with a marvellous idea for taking orders and we’ll start using it straight away. I’d best get these breakfasts on so I’ll leave Alice to put you in the picture.’
With a smile of satisfaction, Alice beckoned Pearl to the dining room. ‘Mrs Dolby was dead chuffed when I suggested writing out one order chit for each table and it’s certainly got me into her good books.’
‘But … but it was my idea.’
‘Well, yes, but does it matter who came up with it? As long as it makes things easier for us, that’s all that matters. Oops, better get a move on, customers are waiting.’
Pearl stood rooted to the spot for a moment, unable to believe that Alice had pinched her idea. It was her own fault, she should have plucked up the courage to speak to Dolly herself, but now it was too late. She heaved a sigh. Maybe Alice was right – after all, it would make things easier for them – but she still had a bad feeling about the woman.
By eight thirty the café was heaving, and when Derek Lewis came in he took a table at the far end of the café, surprised when Alice came to serve him.
‘Hello, where’s Pearl? She hasn’t left, has she?’
‘No, she’s in the kitchen. I’m doing the tables down this end. Now then, what can I get you?’
‘Just a couple of eggs on toast.’
Carrying two plates, Pearl came backwards through the swing door, and as she rushed past she didn’t see Derek. He watched her, his face showing his disappointment. He’d decided to pluck up the courage to ask her out today, and now felt deflated. He’d been rehearsing what he was going to say, his stomach knotted as he came in the café, but now he wouldn’t have the chance. Maybe he’d be able to catch her on her way home.
Derek kept his eyes on Pearl as she worked, and when Alice put his breakfast in front of him he hardly looked at it as he picked up his knife and fork. Would Pearl say yes? Christ, he hoped