by Lou Kuenzler
“Oh, Edie! Is that what you think happened between us?” Aunt Roberta sat bolt upright. Her eyes were wet with tears. “It was never about anything like that. I never judged her for having a baby. Never!” The pain on her face told Edie that what she was saying was true.
“I was so happy the day you were born,” said Aunt Roberta, swinging her legs off the bed and taking hold of Edie’s hands. “You were so perfect. My little baby niece. A brand-new hope for all our family.” She swallowed hard. “I knew I would never have a baby of my own, you see… ”
“Because of Jim?” whispered Edie, remembering the young boy who had been killed in the war. The one who had written the inscription in the front of her book.
“Yes.” Aunt Roberta’s eyes darted towards the copy of Heidi on the bedside table.
“You were in love?” said Edie, and Aunt Roberta nodded.
“After I lost him, I knew I would never give my heart to anybody else,” she said. “That’s why Fliss and I fell out – not because I judged her, but because I knew how precious you were: the gift of life. Yet she was determined to go back to flying when you were only a few weeks old. I told her she had responsibilities. I said she ought to behave like a proper mother from now on… Fliss was furious. She never forgave me for trying to interfere with the way she lived her life.”
“Oh,” whispered Edie. “Was that all?” She reached out and took Aunt Roberta’s hand. “You can make up now. I’m sure you can. None of that matters, not now.”
“You’re right,” said Aunt Roberta.
Edie felt as if a great stone had been lifted from her chest – Aunt Roberta hadn’t been judging her for who she was, or how she was born. She was just trying to look after the people she cared for… She was trying to keep them all safe from harm. That’s what Aunt Roberta always did – what she’d done since the first moment Edie arrived at Three Chimneys. It was the same with Gus and Greta and Uncle Peter. And her patients too, of course. She was a nurse, just like the inscription Jim had written – a wonderful nurse, always looking out for everyone.
“There is one thing, though. I’m glad you didn’t stop Fliss from flying,” said Edie, glancing towards the window and staring up at the darkening sky. “That’s part of who she is. She loves adventure… ”
“I know that now.” Aunt Roberta kissed the top of Edie’s head. “I was wrong,” she said quietly. “Fliss has always behaved like a perfect mother. She has loved you in the very best way she can… That’s what being a mother is.”
“Yes!” said Edie. “I suppose it is.”
Then they both lay back on their beds again. Neither of them said anything else for a while. There was no need. They just stayed there, listening, as a train rattled past on the railway at the end of the meadow.
“I’ll send your love to Fliss in the morning, if you like,” whispered Edie. “I’ll send it from both of us. Uncle Peter too. I’ll send it by the 9.15.”
“Thank you. I’d like that,” said Aunt Roberta. Edie could tell by her voice that she was smiling.
The next morning, Edie very nearly overslept. The kitchen was empty when she came downstairs. The others must all have been out doing chores already. She didn’t even stop for breakfast. She dashed out straight away so as not to miss the 9.15. There was no point in looking for Gus or Greta and asking them to come with her; they didn’t need to send love to their papa any more – not now he was here.
She ran flat out across the long meadow and reached the fence just as the train roared past. She blew a kiss and waved and shouted. “Send our love, Green Dragon! Send it from me and Bobbie and Pete. Send our love to Fliss.”
She leant against the wooden railings until she caught her breath again. After the huffing of the smoke and the rattle of the carriages was gone, everything seemed very quiet and still. It felt sad and lonely to be here without Gus and Greta.
Edie sat on the bank lost in her own thoughts for a while. So much had happened in the last week or so, and there were so many things she would have loved to tell Fliss if only she could see her. Then she gave herself a little shake.
“Come on, stiff upper lip!” she said out loud. There was no point in feeling sorry for herself. At least everything had been cleared up with Aunt Roberta. And things would return to normal soon, anyway. With Uncle Peter’s help, Friedrich had convinced the British Government that he really was determined to join the fight against Nazi rule in Germany. He was going to return to London at the end of the month to help with the war effort and work as an engineer. Meanwhile, Gus and Greta would stay on at Three Chimneys for as long as they needed to.
Edie stood up and wandered back across the meadow. Mr Hitler was still waiting to be milked, and there were plenty of other chores to do too…
As she reached the big oak tree, she heard someone calling her name.
“Edie!” Perky was standing in the middle of the meadow, jumping up and down. He seemed to be waving something in his hand.
She saw that the others were all outside as well – the adults were standing in a line by the door and Gus and Greta were pelting towards her.
“Look up!” cried Greta. “Look up!”
“What?” Edie shielded her eyes with her hands and squinted into the sun. What was Greta talking about?
“Look up!” bellowed Gus. “Can’t you hear it?”
Edie pricked her ears. There was a low buzz far off.
“A plane?” she gasped.
“Of course a plane!” shouted Perky. “What else did you think it would be?”
Edie stared up at the cloudless blue sky and saw the shape of an aircraft coming straight towards her.
It was flying fast and low. Too low…
“Oh, no!” she cried. “Not another crash!” She couldn’t bear that. The plane seemed to be so close to the ground.
“A Spitfire!” cried Gus.
“Whoa!” roared Perky.
They were right beside her now with Greta too. They all ducked down as the little plane screamed over their heads. Greta squealed and threw herself flat on the ground.
Edie put her hands to her ears. The plane roared away, circled over the train line and came back.
“Look! It’s not going to crash after all!” she cried.
“Of course it isn’t.” Perky laughed and thrust something into her hand. “I delivered this not five minutes ago and your uncle Peter read it… ”
Edie glanced down and saw that what he’d been brandishing in the air was a small brown envelope.
“A telegram!”
The Spitfire roared over their heads again. It was so close, she could see the pilot waving. She could make out the leather flying cap and goggles.
“Fliss!” Suddenly Edie understood. Excitement tingled inside her like electricity. This was the “beat-up” Fliss had promised for so long. She was here, flying low over Three Chimneys to say hello. She had come … in a Spitfire!
“Hello!” roared Edie. She didn’t care about the noise of the plane any more; she had taken her hands off her ears and was leaping up and down, waving wildly.
The boys and Greta were jumping up and down beside her. She could hear Uncle Peter, Aunt Roberta and Friedrich clapping and cheering from the doorway of the cottage.
“Look!” cried Gus. “I think it’s going to land.”
Sure enough, the Spitfire had turned again over the railway line and was heading back to the edge of the flat meadow for a third time.
It was lower than ever. The boys cheered as the plane touched the ground and began to bounce along the grass.
“Phew!” Perky whistled through his teeth. “That’s skill, that is! To land a plane like that without a runway.”
Edie stood still and put her hands to her mouth. She couldn’t quite believe what was happening. But, when the plane had come to a halt at last, she began to run. The pilot stepped out on to the wing, raised her goggles and lifted her helmet. Long auburn hair tumbled down her shoulders.
“Fliss!” There w
as no doubt who it was now. “It’s really you. You’re here at last,” cried Edie, tears streaming down her face as she ran.
A moment later, she was in her mother’s arms.
When they’d had tea and all the children had been allowed to sit in the cockpit of the plane, Fliss and Edie went for a walk alone.
They stood above the railway and waved as a little locomotive chugged by below.
“It was very brave the way you saved the train,” said Fliss. She had her arm round Edie’s shoulder, and Edie could smell the scent of Chanel mingling with the wild roses in the hedgerow along the side of the track.
“We won’t get a medal or a fancy gold watch like you and Aunt Roberta and Uncle Peter,” said Edie. “Not now everyone knows we tried to hide a German pilot.”
“There are more ways to show bravery than with a medal,” said Fliss. “You know you did the right thing and that’s what matters. Here. Inside.” She laid her hand on her heart, then slipped her fingers into the pocket of her flying suit and brought out a tiny package wrapped in soft pink tissue paper, tied with a silky white ribbon. “I brought your birthday present, by the way.”
“Trust you to find fancy wrapping even when there’s a war on!” Edie grinned as she pulled the ribbon off and turned the little parcel over in her hand. Inside the tissue paper was a delicate silver chain with a little charm on the end. As Edie held it in her palm, she saw it was a tiny steam engine, just like the Green Dragon.
“It’s perfect,” she whispered as Fliss fastened the chain around her neck.
“The trains have carried your love to me and now I am sending mine back,” said Fliss, gently kissing the top of Edie’s head. “From one railway child to another – Happy Birthday, darling.”
“Thank you. I’ll wear it always.” Edie’s eyes prickled and her nose tingled. But she took a deep breath. “I am not going to cry,” she said in a croaky voice. “Not even after you have flown away tonight and I have waved to the last glimpse of you disappearing on the horizon. It has been a wonderful day and I am not going to spoil it with any more tears.”
She held the tiny silver train between her fingers knowing no medal could ever mean more to her than her mother’s gift and the love she would always feel when she wore it.
But, all too soon, it was time for Fliss to leave. They gathered together in the meadow to see her off.
“I’m sorry I can’t stay the night. I’ve already taken a bit of a detour. They’ll be wondering where this old girl has got to,” said Fliss, patting the Spitfire as if it were a faithful horse. She pulled on her flying helmet. “I’ll be back at the end of August for two whole weeks. I’ve booked in for a long leave and they can’t change that.”
“We’ll look forward to it,” said Uncle Peter, hugging Fliss tightly.
“Goodbye,” said Gus and Perky. They both looked suddenly awkward, as if meeting a real-live Spitfire pilot – especially one who was a woman – had all been a bit too much excitement for one day.
“Take care, won’t you?” said Aunt Roberta, stepping forward. “Just promise me that.” The two sisters held each other for a moment, before Aunt Roberta broke away, quickly wiping her eyes on her sleeve.
“Come along, now. You’ll want to get to the airbase before dark,” she said briskly.
“Goodbye!” said Greta, clinging to Friedrich’s hand. “I’m going to fly aeroplanes when I’m a grown-up lady too!”
“I bet you will!” said Uncle Peter and everybody laughed and cheered.
Edie dashed forward and flung her arms around Fliss one last time. “I’m so proud of you,” she whispered. And in that moment, she knew that nothing else mattered. It didn’t matter if she didn’t know who her father was – or if people wanted to judge her for it. There was her and Fliss – just as there had always been. And, even if they were separated by miles of railway track or acres of endless sky, it was enough to know that her mother was out there, somewhere, waiting to return.
And the war had brought Edie a bigger family now too – Aunt Roberta and Uncle Peter, Gus and Greta, even Perky.
My railway family, she thought as Fliss climbed into the spitfire.
The propellers whirred into life and, with a final wave, Fliss was away. The plane bumped across the meadow and rose up, flying over the rooftops of Three Chimneys and off into the cloudless sky.
“Goodbye!” they all cried, clapping and cheering.
“Goodbye!” Edie ran to the edge of the meadow alone. She watched as the plane disappeared, growing smaller and smaller, until it was just a tiny dot on the horizon.
“Stay safe!” she whispered. “Please, stay safe.”
Then the plane was gone.
As she turned towards the house, she saw that the grown-ups had already gone back inside. But Gus and Greta and Perky were standing a little way off, waiting for her.
Without another word, they all set off and started to walk in the direction of the railway.
“I’m so pleased we’ll still be here together – for a while longer, at least,” said Edie.
“Until the war is over,” agreed Gus.
“We’ll be like real sisters by then,” cheered Greta, waving Mr Churchill in the air.
“We will!” agreed Edie. And she made a silent promise never to fall out with Greta like Fliss and Aunt Roberta had fallen out with each other for all those years.
Perky grinned. “You lot will have to go back to school in September, mind,” he said. “Then you’ll have to do some proper work.”
“I know,” Edie sighed. “But not yet. We’ve still got weeks of summer ahead of us.” She glanced over her shoulder towards Three Chimneys and touched the little silver train hanging around her neck.
“Whatever happens, we’ll always be the Railway Children,” she said. “Nothing can ever change that.”
Acknowledgements
Many thanks to my agent Claire Wilson at RCW and the whole team at Scholastic, especially my wonderful editors, Gen Herr and Sophie Cashell, and copy-editor Pete Matthews, for all your fantastic wisdom, hard work and support. I would also like to thank Keighley and Worth Valley Railway for answering so many of my questions over the phone and in person, either on the smoke-filled platforms or at your museums. But most especially, of course, I’d like to thank everyone at the railway for keeping those magnificent steam trains running, so that any of us can still hop aboard and imagine we might be “Railway Children” too!
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