The Uncertain Years (3 page)

‘I wish you’d tell me how you can still manage to smile?’ Jane Greenwood, from the same hut as Becky, eased herself on to the bed and scowled at her.

‘A sense of humour helps.’

‘What the hell’s funny about square bashing? I joined up because I wanted to do something useful in this blasted war, but what have we done? Nothing! I’m afraid to take my shoes off. I think my feet are frozen to the leather. It’s snowing, for heaven’s sake, and they’ve still had us marching around for hours.’

‘Only just over an hour this morning. I think the sergeant took pity on us.’

‘Pity? Come on, Becky, they don’t know the meaning of the word. I think you’ve enjoyed all this. You’re not human, do you know that?’

‘Stop grousing, Jane. We’re almost at the end of our basic training. We should get some leave soon.’ 

Jane sat up, the scowl draining from her face. ‘Hey, you’re quite right. I’d forgotten that in all my pain. Now I know why you’re smiling.’ She began to unlace her shoes. ‘How long do you think they’ll give us?’

‘No idea. We’ll find out after they’ve done our assessment and given us our new postings.’ Becky couldn’t wait. She was hoping to be sent to a transport section, but nothing was certain. Look what had happened to Jim. He’d wanted tanks and had ended up in the paratroopers. If they put her in clerical, she’d just keep putting in for a transfer. That’s what she’d told Jim to do, but he wouldn’t. Always the tough bloke, he’d do whatever was asked of him. She was proud of him – proud of all her boys.

Jane had removed her shoes and was inspecting her feet. ‘Oh, dear. My feet were so cold I didn’t realise I had so many blisters. Have you got any plasters, Becky?’

‘Nope.’ She leant over and peered at the damage to Jane’s feet. ‘You’ll have to see the medical officer and get those blisters seen to, if you want to wear fancy shoes on your leave.’

‘I’ll wear them, even if it’s agony. I’m determined to dance the nights away once they open those gates and let us loose.’ She glanced up, smiling now. ‘What you going to do?’

‘I don’t know. Jim’s in the army, Bob’s in the navy, and I don’t expect Will to have much free time. If I can get my hands on the motorbike, I’ll tinker with that. I expect it needs a good tune-up by now.’

Jane’s mouth had dropped open in surprise. ‘Have you got three boyfriends?’

‘What? Oh, no, of course not. Will’s my brother, and we’ve all been friends since we were little.’

‘Only friends?’

Becky nodded. ‘They’ve always treated me like one of them. They don’t think of me as a girl.’

‘Don’t they like girls?’ Jane eased her shoes back on.

That question made Becky laugh. ‘They like them very much, and some of the local girls gaze at them with longing. They’re an interesting bunch.’

‘Got any pictures?’

‘Hmm.’ Becky rummaged in her kitbag and found a couple of dog-eared photos. She handed them to Jane, and leant over so she could explain who they were. ‘That’s my brother, Will. The tallest one is Bob, and the one next to him is Jim.’

‘Wow! No wonder you hang around with them. Is that the motorbike you were talking about?’

‘Yes.’ Becky sat on the bunk next to Jane, her expression wistful. ‘They let me ride it on some spare ground near us, and Bob taught me all about the engine.’

‘Ah, that’s why you’re hoping for a posting to transport.’ Jane was still examining the pictures. ‘You look like your brother. Has he joined up as well?’

‘No, he wanted to, but he’s got a slight disability, and they wouldn’t take him. His left arm’s slightly shorter than the other one, and it’s not as strong, but his right one makes up for that. He’s got a grip like iron, and can do anything with that arm. He was terribly disappointed, but he’s a reporter, so he’ll be kept busy.’

Jane nodded, not taking her eyes off the boys in the
pictures. She pointed to Jim. ‘This one’s in the army, you said?’

‘That’s right. They’ve put him in the paratroopers.’

‘Really? I’m not surprised about that. He’s a tough looking man.’

‘He is. He’s always been someone you could rely on. If any of us had problems, he’d wade right in and sort everything out for us. Bob’s quieter, and has a gentle way with him for such a big man.’ Becky took the pictures back and held them in her hands for a moment. ‘I do miss them so much.’

‘Adams!’

Becky winced and shot to attention. Their sergeant might be a woman, but she had a piercing voice. ‘You’re wanted outside. Move!’

It hadn’t taken long to learn that when told to move, it meant at once. Becky ran to the door, making the sergeant step aside smartly.

Once outside, she stopped and looked around, puzzled. No one was waiting for her. ‘Who wanted me, Sergeant?’ she asked. But when she looked back there was no sign of her. Well, she wouldn’t have been called for nothing, so she had better find out what this was all about. That corporal with his head under the bonnet of an officer’s car might be able to help. He seemed to be the only one around at the moment.

She marched over and tapped him on the shoulder, making him come up so quickly he bashed his head on the open bonnet.

‘Bloody hell! Did you have to creep up on me like that?’

‘I didn’t creep, I marched, but the snow must have muffled the sound. Sorry. You having trouble?’

‘Damned thing just died on me. My officer’s not going to be happy if I’m late picking him up.’ He stepped back, rubbing his head. ‘Suppose I’d better go and find a mechanic.’

‘Hang on a minute. Let me have a look.’ She couldn’t resist messing about with an engine again. ‘I can strip down a motorbike engine and put it back together again, but I’ve only had a look at cars a couple of times. Still, an engine’s an engine. I might be able to help.’

‘Go ahead then.’ He stepped out of her way.

It didn’t take her more than half a minute to spot the trouble and, furious, she spun round, hands on hips. ‘All right. Who put you up to this? I know you men think it’s a great joke to tease us girls, but you really didn’t think I was daft enough to fall for this, did you? Hand them over.’

‘What?’

‘Don’t play the innocent. You know what I mean.’

‘Are you looking for these?’ a quiet voice said from behind her.

She recognised the cultured tone, and turned slowly. Without a word, she took the spark plugs from his hand, ducked under the bonnet and put them where they belonged, then slammed the bonnet down. ‘Keys,’ she demanded from the corporal.

When he tossed them to her, she got in and started the car. Leaving it running, she climbed out and faced the officer, and as much as she wanted to give him a piece of her mind, she knew she must be careful what she said.

‘There you are,
sir
. No need for you to be late now you’ve had your fun.’ She was so hurt it was hard to curb her tongue. ‘If you’d wanted to make a fool of me, you should have made it a little more challenging. Sir!’

‘That was not my intention,’ the officer said, his eyes alight with amusement.

‘Really?’ She could hear the corporal trying to stifle his laughter and she was angry – and hurt. She’d liked this man the first time she had met him, and had talked freely about herself – and now he’d played this prank on her. Their sergeant was obviously in on it, and goodness knows how many others. Oh, they were all going to have a good laugh in the mess tonight.

Upset that he had been trying to make a fool of her, she turned and, without saluting, marched back to the hut, not giving him a chance to say anything else. Men! Did they never grow up?

‘Oh – oh,’ Jane said when she saw Becky’s face. ‘You look furious.’

‘I am. These bloody men think we’re a joke, but when this war really gets going, they’re going to need us.’

The other girls gathered round, wanting to know what had wiped the smile from Becky’s face. She told them, in great detail, giving release to her anger. Quite a few of them had had jokes played on them, and were sympathetic.

‘They didn’t make a fool of you, though, Becky.’ Jane gave her an admiring look. ‘I wouldn’t have known what was missing from that engine, but you did. I’d say their little game backfired on them.’

Becky sighed, her anger seeping away. ‘I know, and if I
hadn’t seen that particular officer there, I’d have probably joined in the joke. It hurt to think he was trying to make a fool of me. He was the officer I saw when I went to sign on, and I liked him.’

‘Nice, was he?’

‘I thought so …’

‘Make yourselves decent,’ their sergeant bellowed from the doorway. ‘There’s an officer present.’

The girls scrambled to stand to attention by their bunks. The sergeant nodded her approval and turned to someone standing behind her.

‘Please don’t take us back on the parade ground,’ Jane groaned under her breath.

Becky kept her eyes straight ahead, and listened to the firm footsteps echoing on the bare hut floor. They were coming straight for her – she just knew it. She was in trouble. You didn’t cheek a colonel and then march away without permission. She should have joined in the joke and laughed. Fool, fool! She’d thrown away any chance she had of getting the posting she wanted.

The officer stopped in front of her, just as she knew he would. Well, she would accept her punishment, and apologise if she got the chance, even if it did go against her nature. She met his gaze steadily, and kept her mouth shut.

‘Do you have a decent frock with you? Something feminine.’

That threw her into confusion. She had braced herself for a reprimand – and he was asking about a frock? ‘I don’t do feminine, sir.’ The words came out without thinking.

‘In that case, do the best you can, but no uniform. My driver will collect you at six o’clock.’

‘Pardon, sir?’ She cast a quick glance down the hut, and knew all the girls were straining to hear their conversation.

‘I thought my instructions were quite clear. You will wear civilian clothes, and we shall dine together this evening.’

She couldn’t believe she was hearing this. What was he up to? He was breaking every rule in the book! She leant forward and whispered, ‘Full blown colonels don’t date privates.’

‘This isn’t a date. I’m going to give you a chance to tell me exactly what you think of my behaviour. And then I shall explain why I arranged that little test.’

‘Test?’

‘That’s what I choose to call it. We shall both be out of uniform and able to speak freely. If you try to tear me off a strip now, and I know that’s what you are itching to do, I’ll have to put you on a charge for insubordination. So, obey my order now, Private Adams, and you can safely let rip this evening.’

‘Yes, sir.’ She spoke clearly, and then lowered her voice. ‘You don’t know what you’re letting yourself in for – sir.’ She tacked that on for safety.

‘Oh, I believe I do.’ He turned on his heel and marched towards the door, smiling. ‘At ease, ladies.’

‘We’re here, Miss,’ the corporal said as he opened the door for her.

‘I’m not going in there.’ She folded her arms and refused to move.

The corporal stooped down to look in the car. ‘I’m told it’s a very good restaurant.’

‘I’m sure it is.’ She smoothed her hand over the skirt of her simple dark red frock. ‘Is he in there?’

‘Yes, and waiting for you.’

Becky gave him an imploring look. ‘Would you go and tell him I haven’t got the right clothes for a place like this.’

‘You don’t have to worry about that. You look just fine.’

‘Oh, come on,’ she snorted. ‘I’m a tomboy, and have never been near a posh place like this in my life. I’ll embarrass him.’

‘No, you won’t,’ a quiet voice told her. ‘Stop putting yourself down, Rebecca. You are an attractive and intelligent young woman. I shall be proud to have you join me for dinner.’

She gave a resigned sigh and clasped the proffered hand, allowing him to help her out of the car. ‘I can see you’ve been trained well in the art of being a gentleman. What school did you go to?’

‘Eton.’ He tucked her hand through his arm.

‘I might have guessed,’ she muttered, and wiggled her fingers over the fine material of his sleeve. This certainly wasn’t a ready-made suit.

‘Thank you, Corporal,’ the colonel said to his driver. ‘Come back for us in three hours.’

‘Begging your pardon, sir, but isn’t that leaving it a bit tight? We’ve got a way to go and you mustn’t be late.’

‘Of course you’re right,’ he said on a regretful sigh. ‘Collect us in two hours.’

‘Yes, sir.’

‘Come on, Rebecca, let’s eat, I’m hungry.’

The head waiter greeted them as they entered, all smiles,
and led them over to a secluded table in the corner of the most sumptuous room Becky had ever seen. It was all gold and royal blue with subdued lighting. She felt completely out of her depth, and wondered if he’d done this to intimidate her. Another glance at his superb suit was enough to wipe that idea from her mind. No, they were here because this is what he’s used to.

A menu was placed in her hands and she found herself looking at a lot of meaningless words.

‘What do you fancy, Rebecca?’

Not prepared to show her ignorance, she closed the menu and placed it on the table. ‘I’ll eat anything. You choose for me, please.’

While he was ordering their meal she studied her dinner companion. He was a very attractive man of around thirty, she guessed, and this was the first time she’d seen him in civilian clothes. He looked marvellous.

‘I’ve ordered a dry white wine to go with our meal. Will that be all right for you, Rebecca, or would you prefer something else?’

‘I’ve never had wine with a meal before, but I’m sure it will be all right.’ She smiled, for there was no point pretending she was something she wasn’t. ‘I don’t know what I’m doing here. It’s ridiculous. I don’t even know your name.’

‘David Hammond.’

‘Everyone calls me Becky.’ Why hadn’t she noticed before that he had the clearest blue eyes she’d ever seen?

‘I prefer Rebecca.’ He sat back. ‘Now is your chance to tell me what you think about that little stunt I pulled on you.’

‘I can’t do that in here. Anyway, I’m not angry now, but I would like to know why you did it.’