Sweet Memories of You (Beach View Boarding House) (7 page)

‘Are you meeting Matthew there, or is he coming here first?’

Rita gave a great sigh. ‘He’s on ops again. I haven’t seen him for days, and as long as they keep bombing Germany, I doubt he’ll have any leave at all. Cissy’s in the same situation now Randy’s American squadron has been set up at Biggin Hill – but at least Matt is still local and I’ll get a chance to see him sometime.’

Peggy said nothing as she tested the boiling potatoes to see if they were cooked through. Flight Lieutenant Randolph Stevens and Squadron Leader Matthew Campion were fine young men who risked their lives every day, just as her son-in-law Martin Black did – and she shared the girls’ anxiety every time she heard the aircraft taking off from Cliffe.

She drained the potatoes, her thoughts with her daughters. Anne might be far away, but that didn’t lessen her worry over Martin, and she knew that Cissy counted the planes out on every raid and waited in an agony of apprehension to count them all back again. So many lives had been lost in this battle to defend Britain.

Rita shot off upstairs to get changed and moments later Sarah and Jane came up the basement steps. Peggy took one look at their wet hair and sodden clothes and ordered them both upstairs to dry off and change. As Sarah passed her she raised an eyebrow in question and Sarah gave a small nod, clearly keeping her emotions under tight control. It seemed that Captain Hammond had left the Cliffe estate, and now Sarah would have to find the inner strength to accept that her foolish heart had been misled and it was time to move on.

The front door slammed some minutes later and Fran came into the kitchen, shaking out her damp nursing cape. She kissed Cordelia almost distractedly, which was most unusual, and then pecked Peggy’s cheek. ‘Is Jane back yet?’ she asked as she unpinned her riot of autumnal curls and shook them out to tumble over her shoulders and down her back.

Peggy frowned. Something had been eating at Fran for the past two weeks, and by the looks of her, she was about to blow. ‘She and Sarah are upstairs getting out of their wet things.’

Fran’s green eyes glinted. ‘Right. Well, I’ll be having a wee word with her, so I will.’

Peggy was all too familiar with the Irish girl’s mercurial temper, and realised there could be trouble ahead if she didn’t put a stop to this now. ‘If you’ve got something to say to Jane, then it can wait until after tea when you’ve calmed down,’ she said evenly as she grabbed Fran’s hand to stop her leaving the room.

‘I’ll not be putting up with it, Auntie Peg,’ she retorted.

‘Putting up with what, Fran? You’re not making any sense.’

‘She’s been seeing Robert behind my back, that’s what.’ The green eyes flared as furious colour flooded her face.

Peggy blinked in astonishment. ‘Jane isn’t that sort of girl and Robert—’

‘Jane might give the impression that she’s sweet and innocent,’ Fran snarled, ‘but I know better.’

Peggy still had tight hold of Fran’s arm to stop her from dashing off, but the girl’s astonishing accusation was beginning to make an awful kind of sense. Jane had been preoccupied lately and coming in unusually late – and there was little doubt that she was keeping something secret. ‘Fran, dear, you really shouldn’t throw those sorts of accusations about without any proof.’

‘I saw them together, Aunt Peg,’ she snapped. ‘Not just the once either, but tonight was the absolute limit. All cosy and very much involved, they were – to the point where they didn’t even see me as they left the Lilac tearooms.’

‘I’m sure it was all perfectly innocent, Fran,’ said Peggy quickly. ‘Are you certain you’re not just jumping to conclusions?’

‘I know what I saw.’ Fran folded her arms and scowled.

‘You’ve got it all wrong, Fran,’ said Jane as she and Sarah came into the kitchen.

‘Oh, yes?’ stormed Fran. ‘I see you and my man, heads together, smiling, laughing as if you hadn’t a care. How the hell do you think that makes me feel? Eh? Eh?’ She jabbed a finger at the younger girl, who stood her ground and kept her gaze steady as Peggy swiftly put herself between them.

‘What on earth is going on down here?’ asked Rita from the doorway.

‘Fran’s accusing my sister of stealing Robert,’ snapped Sarah, ‘and if she doesn’t apologise immediately then she’ll have me to deal with.’

‘Girls, girls,’ pleaded Cordelia. ‘For goodness’ sake, isn’t there enough trouble in the world without you fighting in the home?’ Her expression became stern, her blue eyes cold. ‘Sit down,’ she snapped. ‘Sit down and be still, all of you.’

Everyone turned to stare at Cordelia, who’d never been heard to talk like that or look so fierce. As one, they sat down: Fran at one end of the table, Jane at the other, Sarah, Peggy and Rita acting as buffers between them.

‘Right,’ said Cordelia, who was clearly in no mood for nonsense. ‘Fran, we’ve all heard what you have to say – now it’s time to let Jane speak.’ As Fran opened her mouth to protest, Cordelia raised an imperious hand. ‘Silence! You’ll get your turn later.’

Jane glanced first at her older sister and then at Peggy before shaking back her long fair hair and focusing on Cordelia. ‘Robert and I have been meeting over the past few weeks to—’

‘There, see!’ shouted Fran as she shot to her feet. ‘I told you!’

‘Sit down, Fran.’

Cordelia’s glare would have stopped a rampaging bull at fifty yards and Fran was no match for it, so, with poor grace, she did as she was told. Satisfied, Cordelia nodded to Jane. ‘Continue,’ she ordered.

‘As you know, Aunt Peggy,’ said Jane, with a nervous glance at Fran, ‘I’ve always enjoyed doing puzzles and mathematical posers.’ At Peggy’s nod, she carried on. ‘Well, it seems there is a very urgent need for people who can do such things, so Anthony suggested Robert should approach me to see if I’d be interested in doing something a little more complex.’

There was silence in the room but for the ticking clock. ‘It’s all very hush-hush, and I shouldn’t be talking about it, even here. But as Fran has got such a bee in her bonnet about it, and I don’t want there to be any misunderstandings between us, I’ll have to trust you all not to breathe a word of what I’m going to say outside this kitchen.’

They stared at Jane in utter astonishment as they nodded.

Satisfied, Jane carried on. ‘Robert brought something for me to work on that was a test, just to see what I could do. After I’d done several other things for him, he brought me something else.’

Jane’s long fair hair drifted over her face as she looked down at her hands. ‘It was very complex, and although I worked on it for hours, I just couldn’t do it. It was upsetting, to be honest, because it just went to prove that I wasn’t as clever as I thought I was, and I felt as though I’d let him down. I was actually at the point of giving up when I suddenly saw the links in the sequence and understood what they meant.’

‘So you’ve not been having an affair with Robert?’

Jane looked across the table at Fran, her blue eyes innocent of guile. ‘Of course not, Fran. Robert was just treating me to afternoon tea as a way of celebration.’

Fran blushed and looked rather shamefaced. ‘Well, it’s sorry I am, Jane. But it’s hardly surprising I got the wrong end of things, is it? You’ve been very secretive lately.’

‘Yes, I noticed that,’ said Rita. ‘And you’ve been coming in late.’

‘I knew something was on your mind,’ breathed Peggy, ‘but I’d never have guessed …’

Jane’s blue eyes widened. ‘I didn’t realise it was so obvious. Oh dear.’

Peggy laughed. ‘And here’s me worrying about you getting involved with some unsuitable GI.’

‘But why didn’t you say anything of this to me?’ asked Sarah. ‘You used to tell me everything.’

Jane reached for her hand. ‘You’ve had other things on your mind, and there wasn’t anything that I could tell you without breaking the Official Secrets Act that I’ve had to sign.’

Sarah blushed. ‘You knew?’

‘About Captain Hammond?’ She smiled fondly. ‘Of course, Sarah. I’ve known how you felt about him for ages, but it was obvious you didn’t want to talk about it, so I decided to wait until you were ready to confide in me.’ She squeezed her fingers. ‘So you see we’ve both had our secrets.’

‘I don’t know what the pair of you are talking about,’ said a ruffled Cordelia, ‘but at least we seem to have cleared the air. A storm in a teacup as usual. Now perhaps we could have our supper?’

‘There is something I have to tell you before we eat,’ said Jane hesitantly.

Peggy regarded her warily, wondering what bombshell the girl was about to drop now.

‘I’ve been offered a job and I’ve accepted it.’

‘What sort of job?’ Peggy asked swiftly.

‘I can’t really tell you. I’m sorry, Aunt Peggy.’

Peggy’s thoughts whirled. Anthony and Robert worked for the MOD. Jane was clearly a natural at solving puzzles, so logically, there was only one kind of job they would have offered her: code-breaking.

‘Are you sure about this, Jane? I thought you were happy and settled at the dairy?’

‘Oh, I am. I love my shires, and really enjoy chatting to all my customers, but it’s not really doing anything important, is it? There are lots of boys and girls who could easily do my job there, but I will miss Cliffehaven.’

There was a general gasp and Sarah grabbed her hand. ‘What do you mean, miss Cliffehaven? Where are you going?’

Jane looked uncomfortable in the spotlight of everyone’s attention. ‘I’m sorry, Sarah, I can’t tell you that, but it’s quite a long way away.’

Sarah paled. ‘Exactly how far is a long way?’

Jane shrugged. ‘Again, I’m sorry, but I really can’t say any more. I’ve already told you far too much.’

‘But you’re too young to be going off on your own like that,’ Sarah retorted. ‘What am I supposed to tell Mother?’

‘You don’t tell her anything,’ said Jane firmly. ‘One word of this in a letter could see me sent to prison – and you know how sharp-eyed the censors are.’

‘But we can’t just lie to her.’

‘You don’t need to lie. I’ll still write to her and to you. We just won’t let her know we’re living apart.’

‘I don’t like any of this,’ Sarah fretted tearfully. ‘I promised Mother I’d look after you – but how can I do that if you’re leaving Cliffehaven?’

‘Oh, Sarah, I’m not a little girl. I don’t need molly-coddling any more.’ Jane gripped Sarah’s hand. ‘This is my chance to do something that might make a real difference. And surely we should all use what we do best to try and turn the tide of this war?’

‘But you’ve never been away from me before, and the thought of you on your own, miles away … Are you absolutely sure, Jane? Have you really thought this through?’

Jane gave a sigh of frustration. ‘Of course I have. Do give me some credit, Sarah.’

‘I’m sorry. I don’t mean to be so smothering, but you’re my little sister, so of course I’m going to worry about you.’

‘Well please don’t. It’s time I stood on my own feet and got on with things,’ Jane said determinedly. ‘And although it might be a bit scary, it’s also very exciting, and I can’t wait to get stuck in.’

As everyone bombarded Jane with questions, Peggy noted that the girl’s eyes were shining and her face was aglow with happiness. Although she too had misgivings about her leaving, she realised they all had to accept that she was entitled to her own life and the freedom to do her bit for the war effort.

However, the thought of losing another of her precious chicks to the dangerous world outside the walls of Beach View made her feel tearful, and she had to clear her throat before she could speak. ‘When are you leaving, Jane?’ she managed as the hubbub of excited chatter died down.

‘On Thursday.’

Peggy felt a jolt of shock. ‘But it’s already Monday,’ she gasped. ‘Why so soon?’

‘It is all a bit of a rush, I know. But with the way things are with the war and everything, Robert thought it best.’ She looked round at their astonished faces then hurried on, ‘I wanted to tell you sooner, but Robert didn’t think it was wise until all the paperwork and travel arrangements were in place.’

Peggy nodded, unable to speak for the lump in her throat, and she saw that Cordelia was also trying very hard not to cry. It would be a wrench for her too, as she’d been so happy to have her nieces here after the long years of separation from the rest of her family, who were in Canada.

Jane looked round the table. ‘I shall miss all of you dreadfully, and will no doubt be horribly homesick for Beach View at first. But I promise to write often and will telephone when I can.’

‘I don’t understand why you have to leave in the first place, let alone rush off so quickly,’ said Cordelia gruffly. ‘Anthony and Robert work up at the Fort. Why can’t you?’

Jane moved to crouch down by her elderly aunt, and, careful of her arthritic fingers, gently took her hands. ‘It’s because they do different jobs there, Aunt Cordelia, and I’m needed somewhere else. Please say you’ll give me your blessing.’

Cordelia patted her cheek, her eyes misted with tears. ‘Bless you, child, of course I will. Just you be careful, that’s all.’

‘I will,’ she murmured, kissing her cheek. ‘I promise.’

Once Peggy had settled Cordelia comfortably in bed with a hot water bottle and a cup of warm milk, she sat for a while and they talked about Jane’s extraordinary announcement before Peggy went on to explain about Sarah and Captain Hammond.

Reassured that Cordelia wasn’t too upset by all that had happened today, Peggy left her reading her book by the bedside light. Rita and Fran had gone to the Anchor, and as the sisters needed time to talk things over in their room, Peggy went downstairs.

The house was quiet but for the usual moans and groans of old timbers and pipes, and she sat by the range fire to have a last cigarette before bed. It had been quite an emotional day and her mind was so busy with it all, she doubted she’d sleep just yet. A glance at the clock told her it was almost ten, so the girls should be back soon. Whether Ron turned up was another thing, for no doubt he was now being the life and soul of the party at the Anchor.

These quiet moments were rare, and Peggy began to relax as her thoughts meandered through the events of the day. Poor Sarah was no doubt already feeling adrift following Captain Hammond’s departure; now she had to contend with losing her young sister too. She would feel Jane’s absence the most, for they’d rarely been apart and had relied on one another during their long journey from Singapore, bolstering each other when they were feeling low, and sharing their concerns over what might have happened to their father and Philip.