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They laughed as Percy’d hoped they would. He took the special treat off the stove where it’d been cooling and put it in the middle of the table.
“What’s the second reason?” Des asked.
“Well, the reason number two is,” Percy said, taking the cover off the small pot, “that Albie wasn’t here to stop me.”
The three men at the table peered into the pot. “What’s that?” Albie said.
“Sweets,” Percy said. “Cocky’s Joy my grandma used to call it. It’s a sweet damper baked with treacle syrup.”
It was only very small. Maybe one or two bites each and no more.
Percy could feel Albie’s gaze on him, but he didn’t dare look. Instead, he cut the small sweetbread into quarters and scooped it out, each with some syrup on top.
“It wasn’t much of the flour ration,” Percy said, feeling the need to explain. “I thought it’d be nice, is all.”
“And because I wasn’t here to stop you,” Albie said.
Percy looked at him then and found him smiling at him, his eyes soft. “Well, yes.”
Robert made an obscene sound and both Percy and Albie turned to him. He had his eyes closed, savouring the flavour. And Des was shaking his head as he chewed, smiling.
It prompted Albie to taste it, and Percy did the same.
It wasn’t as good as his grandma’s, but oh boy, it was heavenly.
“Now Albie,” Des said. “I got the utmost respect for you, and we sure do appreciate you taking on the cook’s duty, but I think we can all agree that Percy should take over.” He looked at Robert. “Right?”
Robert nodded. “Sorry, Albie, but he’s got you beat. That was the best thing I’ve had in a long time.”
Albie turned to Percy, still licking treacle from his lip.
“Oh, I don’t want to take anyone’s job,” Percy said quickly. This was the last thing he needed today. “I’m not stepping on toes, or upsetting?—”
“Dinners, yes,” Albie said. “Let’s see how you go with breakfast tomorrow. We’ll see whose porridge is best, huh?”
Robert and Des both laughed, and Percy nodded, embarrassed. Or maybe it was how Albie smiled at him...
He needed to clear his head. He stood up and began stacking plates. “I’ll get this squared away,” he said.
“You don’t have to do that,” Albie began, but Percy was already on his way to the kitchen.
He already had some water boiling on the stove, so it was no trouble. And he wanted to keep busy. He needed to keep busy. And he could get all this squared away while the others finished their tea and talked of the trip into town, and by the time he was done, he could say goodnight and go to bed.
That was his plan, anyway.
And he almost had it. The kitchen was clean and Robert and Des were putting on their coats, so Percy went to join them.
“I’ll see you in the morning then,” he said to Albie, still avoiding eye contact. He had his coat, almost to the door, when Albie stood up.
“Percy,” he said. “A word, please.”
Percy’s heart almost stopped, his belly in knots. He ducked his head, and while Des looked between them, he did no more than clap Percy on the shoulder and pulled the door closed behind him.
Percy stood by the door, half ready to bolt. He wanted to run, though he doubted he could get his feet to move. He held his coat, knuckles white, and blinked a few times, waiting for the axe to fall.
“About this morning,” he whispered. “I didn’t mean it, and I’m sorry. I won’t say anything like it again. I really like this job, Albie, and I want to help as much as I can?—”
Albie took the coat from Percy and hung it up on the coat rack. “I wasn’t going to talk about that,” he breathed.
