Always in My Heart (49 page)

She reached the steep slope that led down to the alleyway between the houses, eager to tell the other girls about the invitation to a cocktail party at the mansion the following night. It might be fun for all of them, but most of all it would be interesting to see how Rita reacted to such an invitation. She was a strange, rather prickly little thing, but she had a marvellous sense of humour, and if she could be persuaded to put on a dress for a change, she would be quite pretty, she was sure.

‘Hello, Sarah.’

She looked up and waved at her sister, who was approaching Beach View from the other end of the lane. Jane had been taken on part-time by Solomon’s factory to deal with the accounts for three hours every afternoon, and Sarah still couldn’t quite come to terms with how smart and grown-up she was looking now in her skirt and blouse, a cardigan draped over her shoulders and her hair coiled fetchingly off her face. Her little sister was slowly blossoming into the young woman she was meant to be, and Sarah’s heart swelled with pride.

‘You were so deep in thought you didn’t even see me,’ said Jane, and laughed as she tucked her hand in the crook of her arm. ‘Had a good day?’

Sarah nodded and told her about the arrival of the Americans and the invitation to the cocktail party the following evening.

‘What fun that will be,’ said Jane, her face alight with enthusiasm. And then she came to an abrupt halt. ‘But what on earth can we wear?’ she breathed. ‘Neither of us has anything suitable for a party – and besides, won’t it be a bit dangerous going over the hill late at night?’

Sarah shrugged. ‘I’m sure we can borrow something from one of the others – if not, we’ll just have to make do with what we have.’ She opened the back door and pressed a finger to her lips. ‘As for transport, the General promised to send a jeep to pick us up and ferry us home,’ she whispered, ‘but don’t say anything until everyone’s home from work. I want it to be a complete surprise.’

They went up the steps into the kitchen to find it deserted. Daisy was cooing in her pram, which Peggy had parked in the hall, but all was still. Assuming Peggy was upstairs waking Cordelia from her afternoon siesta, they quietly made their way to their bedroom and Sarah pushed open the door to find Peggy sitting waiting for them.

‘I hope you don’t mind me coming in here when you were away,’ she said quickly, ‘but I thought it would be best if I gave you these in private.’ She handed them
the letters with a short explanation and quietly left the room, closing the door behind her.

Sarah dropped her gas-mask box on the floor and they both sank onto the nearest bed. ‘I can’t believe it,’ she murmured as she held the two letters and saw they’d been addressed to Amelia. ‘We’ve waited so long and now I’m almost frightened to read them.’

‘If you don’t open one, then I will,’ said Jane impatiently. ‘Mummy must be desperately worried that we haven’t replied, and I want to know why she’s in Queensland and not here.’

Sarah chose the earlier letter, eased it open, and began to read it out.

My darling girls
,

I am writing this in the hope that it will get to you somehow, for we received no reply from Jock’s telegram to the great-aunts. My thoughts have been with you from the moment I recovered from the fever, and I pray each day that you got to England safely and are being well looked after.

As you can see by the address, I have managed to get to my parents’ home in Cairns, and will stay here until the war is over and we can all be together again. I won’t go into too many details, suffice it to say that your baby brother, James, arrived earlier than planned and your father managed to get both of us on one of the last ships leaving Singapore. I so desperately wanted to be in England with you, but I had no choice – and I
count myself lucky that the ship was going to Australia and not South Africa. At least I’m familiar with things here, but you must be finding it very strange having to settle in a different country where everything must seem confusing.

I have had no news from your father, or from Philip, my darlings. The last time I saw them was on the docks in Singapore as my ship, the Narcunda, set sail. They looked very forlorn standing there and we were all in tears, for none of us knew when we might see one another again – or indeed if we would ever see each other again. The Japs were fast approaching the causeway by then, and all hell was breaking loose as their bombers tried to sink every ship in the harbour. The ship behind us was torpedoed, so the Narcunda set sail immediately and made a run for it, hiding behind one of the islands overnight to return and pick up the last few women and children that had been left behind. It was a terrible time for everyone – a time of tears – a time of dying and of farewells. I can only pray that Jock and Philip come through, but it is in God’s hands now Singapore has fallen.

I love you, my darlings, and know that you will stay strong throughout this time of uncertainty and do the best you can. The mail is erratic, and I don’t know how long this will take to reach you, but I long to hear from you.

With all my love
,

Mother.

Sarah folded the letter as the tears ran down her cheeks. ‘At least she and the baby are safe,’ she whispered.

Jane was crying too as she picked up the second letter, which had been posted almost three weeks after the first. She blew her nose and calmed herself before opening it and reading it out loud.

My darlings
,

I am still waiting to hear from you, and each day is torture as the mail arrives and there is no letter. I realise the mail is unreliable and that it could takes weeks to arrive – but now I’m fearful that you have not received my letter, or are unable for some reason to reply to it. Please, my darlings, send a telegram and put me out of my fear and misery, for I cannot sleep or eat with worry.

I have had no confirmed news about your father, or Philip, only rumours that have come to me through Jock’s contacts in the military – and I don’t wish to distress you, but you have a right to know as much as I do, for I am certain you have been worried sick about them.

According to these rumours they are both alive, for which I can only thank God. Jock is in Changi prison along with several other volunteers, and it is thought that Philip was one of several hundred troops who were captured during a skirmish shortly after the fall. These prisoners-of-war were put on ships and sent north to a prison camp somewhere in Siam – but no one has
yet confirmed that Philip was amongst them – and of course the only witnesses to what really happened are still in Singapore, with no possibility of getting information to the outside world.

‘Oh, Sarah,’ sighed Jane through her tears as she gripped her sister’s hand. ‘Poor Philip, and poor Daddy. I can’t bear to think of them in prison.’

‘As prisoners of war they will come under the rules of the Geneva Conventions,’ said Sarah as she tried very hard to quell the awful fear that was threatening to overwhelm her. ‘They will come through this,’ she said fiercely. ‘I just know they will.’

Jane grasped her hand. ‘Of course they will,’ she murmured. ‘We must believe that, Sarah, we really must.’

Sarah clung to that belief, trying so very hard not to let it slip away from her. ‘Finish the letter, Jane,’ she urged.

Jane took a deep breath, but her hands were shaking, and her voice was unsteady as she returned to their mother’s letter.

We must all stay strong and optimistic, no matter what happens, my dearest, sweetest girls. The Americans and the other Allies will defeat the Japs and the Germans, and although it may take time, we have to believe that the end is now in sight and the enemy will be vanquished.

I will write again, and keep writing in the hope that I will hear from you very soon.

I love you both with all my heart
,

Mother.

Sarah took a deep restorative breath, determined to remain positive. ‘We’ll write a long letter tonight, and then in the morning you must go to the Post Office and send a telegram so that Mother knows we’re safe. We can work out what to say when we’ve finished the letter.’

Jane rested her head on Sarah’s shoulder as they sat together on the bed. ‘I’ll do it the minute I finish my milk round,’ she promised, her voice thick with tears. ‘Daddy and Philip will be all right, won’t they, Sarah?’

Sarah heard the fear in her voice and held her close, finding comfort in their embrace. ‘We have to pray that they will,’ she replied softly.

They sat in silence, each with their own thoughts as Peggy’s old clock ticked away the seconds. Sarah drew back from the embrace eventually, and tenderly kissed her sister’s forehead.

‘Mummy wants us to stay positive, Jane, and we must try our best for her sake. After all, she and baby James have survived, and so have we. We’re safe here at Beach View – safe with Peggy and Cordelia, and it’s up to us to make the best of things until our family can be together again.’

As Jane lifted her head and looked into her eyes,
Sarah knew that as long as they had each other they would stay strong. ‘Mummy and Daddy’s love has given us the strength to get this far, and we must not give in to fear or doubt,’ she said firmly. ‘We will come through this, Jane. We’re Fullers – and the Fullers never give up.’

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Published by Arrow Books 2013

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Copyright © Ellie Dean 2013

Ellie Dean has asserted her right under the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988 to be identified as the author of this work.

This novel is a work of fiction. Apart from references to actual historical figures and places, all other names and characters are a product of the author’s imagination and any resemblance to real persons, living or dead, is purely coincidental.

First published in Great Britain in 2013 by
Arrow Books
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ISBN 9780099585275