‘It’s a bit more than that,’ George told them as he stacked the cases under the seats in the back. ‘We brought this instead of the farm truck because it’s more comfortable and we knew you’d have a lot of luggage with you. In you get.’
Hanna couldn’t help smiling. There were steps which folded down to make it easy to climb into the back, two seats in the front for George and Pete, and two long padded leather seats in the back for passengers. It was like a coach of olden times, but without a roof, and everything was dark polished wood. ‘This is beautiful, Mrs Harcourt.’
‘Yes, my husband found it in a barn when we bought the farm and he restored it himself. It took him a long time because he could only work on it when he was on leave, but it was worth all the effort.’
‘Have we got far to go?’ David asked as the horse moved off at a gentle trot.
‘About five miles, and it’s a good job it isn’t raining.’
‘I’m glad. This is perfect.’ Hanna was enthralled as they made their way along country lanes. She had never been out of London before, and she could now understand how Jack felt when he travelled to all those different places.
The boys were talking to each other and pointing out things of interest to them. It wasn’t always easy to understand them when they were like this, for they seemed to have a language of their own.
Hanna was almost sorry when the journey was over, but when they pulled into the farm she studied the house with interest. It wasn’t as large as the house in Kensington, but certainly large enough for all of them.
Unloading and settling into bedrooms already prepared took some time, and by the time they were finished, the boys were very tired. They stayed awake long enough to drink milk, and then Hanna tucked them up for a nap. They were asleep as soon as their little heads touched the pillows.
Jane Harcourt smiled down at her children, and sighed. ‘This is all a huge adventure to them. At least they are too young to really understand the dangers of war.’
‘And we’ll try to keep it that way,’ Hanna said, as they tiptoed out of the room. ‘From what I’ve seen they will have plenty here to occupy their young minds.’
‘Yes, I didn’t want to leave London, but Sam was right. Their safety must come first. Now, Hanna, dinner won’t be for another hour, so why don’t you go and have a look round. I’ll listen for the boys.’
‘Thank you, I’d like to do that.’
Once outside Hanna took a deep breath of fresh air, tinged with all sorts of strange smells, none of them offensive. Looking round the first thing she saw was a high brick wall with an ornate iron gate and, curious, she opened the gate and went in. ‘Oh, my,’ she gasped, ‘I never expected anything like this on a farm.’
‘Lovely, isn’t it?’ Pete scrambled to his feet, brushing soil from his hands. ‘We grow everything here. Those are fruit trees and fruit bushes all along the wall, and the beds are full of every kind of vegetable you can think of. The small patch at the other side is for flowers. My gran says we must have flowers even if there is a war on. There’s a seat in the corner there if you ever want to have a quiet place to sit. Nice and warm in that spot it is because it catches the sun most of the day. The high wall protects the garden and everything grows well.’
‘It’s beautiful.’ She smiled at the boy. He was obviously so proud of the garden.
‘I love growing things. Do you?’
She shook her head. ‘I’ve never even tried. Mrs Harcourt said I could do some work around the farm, so would you show me how while I’m here?’
‘I’d love to. There’s a spare plot right down the end you can start on, and the kids might like to get their hands dirty as well.’
‘I’m sure they would,’ she laughed, ‘but you might not want them running around your lovely garden.’
He grinned. ‘I was out here as soon as I could toddle. I’ll see they don’t do any damage. You come along any time and I’ll get you started. I’m here most of the day.’
‘Thank you, Pete. We’ll be here some time tomorrow morning.’
She had only just begun to walk towards the gate when it swung open and the boys were running full pelt towards her, leaving their mother far behind. She always marvelled at how little sleep they needed before they recovered from their tiredness.
‘Keep to the path,’ Jane Harcourt called.
‘We will!’ they shouted, never slackening their pace as they shot past her to reach Pete. Their never-ending questions began to pour out.
‘Oh, dear, I’d better go and rescue Pete,’ she said dryly.
‘He seems to be coping well,’ Jane laughed. ‘This is my favourite spot on the farm. You soon found it.’
‘It’s lovely. I’ve been talking to Pete and he said we could have that spare plot at the end and he’ll teach us how to grow things. I thought the boys might enjoy having a little piece of garden each. What do you think?’
‘That’s a splendid idea. Let’s go and have a word with him.’
Pete grinned as they approached. ‘I think we could have a couple of budding gardeners here.’
‘Hanna’s been telling me you would be willing to teach them how to grow things, Pete.’
He nodded. ‘That’s if it’s all right with you, Mrs Harcourt?’
‘It certainly is.’ She gazed around the garden. ‘This place is a credit to you. We won’t be short of fresh vegetables.’
‘Ah, well, growing things has always been my passion.’
‘It shows.’ Hanna could see the pride in the young boy’s eyes after hearing Mrs Harcourt’s praise, and just managed to catch David before he stepped on to new plants just showing above the ground. ‘What are these?’
‘They’re cauliflowers. Be ready for the winter. Come with me and I’ll show you the plot you can have.’
As they walked to the end of the garden, Hanna smiled with pleasure as she noted the neat rows and rows of plants.
‘Here we are. You can take half, Miss, and I’ll divide the rest into two for the boys. It will need to be dug over first, and I’ll do that for you.’
‘Oh, no, you must let me do that,’ Hanna protested. ‘If this is going to be our plot then we must do everything ourselves, following your instructions, of course.’
He picked up a fork and began turning over the soil. Hanna watched for a while and then stopped him. ‘Let me try.’
The twins thought it was hilarious to see her digging the garden, and although it was hard work, she loved doing it. There was a kind of satisfaction in seeing the newly dug ground.
When she had a patch that looked almost as good as the piece done by the experienced gardener, she looked up. ‘What do you think, Pete?’
‘Very good, but you do a little at a time until you’re used to it. You will find it makes you ache at first.’
‘I will, and thank you.’ She stooped down to the boys who were obviously finding the whole thing fascinating. ‘We are all going to have our own piece of garden and grow food for the war effort. That will help all the sailors who have to bring in their precious cargo to keep everyone fed.’
They nodded, serious for a moment. ‘Can we choose what we grow?’
‘Of course you can, Andrew. When I’ve got the ground ready we’ll talk it over with Pete, and then he’ll show us what to do.’
‘Ah, there you all are!’ Mrs Green came into the garden. ‘Dinner’s ready, Mrs Harcourt. Pete, you find your grandfather and tell him.’
Every spare moment Hanna had she was in the garden digging. It took her three days to finish, and her muscles certainly knew about the unusual activity.
‘You’ve made a grand job of that,’ Pete said as he inspected the plot. ‘I’ll divide it up for you now. I’ve got some spare planks of wood. How do you feel?’
‘I ache in every joint,’ she laughed, ‘but I’ve really enjoyed doing it, and can’t wait to start planting things. The hard work has helped to ease my worries about my brother. He’s in the merchant navy, and I don’t
know where he is, or what he’s doing.’
Fourteen
An enormous flash lit up the sky, and Jack remained rooted to the spot, knuckles showing white as they grasped the rail. ‘There goes another one, Bill. Looks like a tanker this time. Poor devils. I hope a ship near them will stop and pick them up?’
‘Everyone’s been told that they must not drop behind the escorts.’
‘I know that, but if we were closer do you think the captain would disobey that order?’
‘I wouldn’t be surprised. They are our men and I don’t believe he could just sail past and leave them in the water.’ Bill put the binoculars to his eyes. ‘One of the escort ships is there. He’ll pick up as many as he can, but he’s taking a hell of a risk.’
Jack took the glasses from Bill and focused on the burning ship. ‘You’re right. Good for him.’
‘Why don’t you try and get some sleep, lad? You’ve been on the go for hours.’
Jack snorted. ‘So have you and everyone else in this convoy, Bill. Do you really think anyone can sleep when at any moment a torpedo might hit you?’
‘You’re right.’ Frank joined them carrying mugs. ‘Thought you might like a cuppa. There must be more than one U-boat stalking this convoy. Since the fall of France it’s easy for them to gather in packs. Wish we could see the buggers!’
‘How many ships have we lost?’ Jack thirstily drained his mug and handed it back to Frank. ‘Is anyone keeping count?’
‘No, this is a sizeable convoy and is spread over a large area of ocean, but we’ve lost far too many,’ Bill replied. ‘We’ve got another two days before we reach Liverpool and we’ll be lucky if there’s half the convoy left.’
‘Hope the RAF comes out to meet us.’
‘They will, lad. Now, you really must get some rest. You’re exhausted.’
Giving a deep sigh, Jack nodded. ‘You’re right. Wake me if a torpedo hits us.’
‘You can be sure of that.’ Bill gave a grim smile at Jack’s feeble joke, and watched as Jack walked away.
‘That kid’s made of solid stuff, Bill. It’s bloody dangerous out here, and yet he can still joke. It makes you wonder if the kind of life he’s led so far has made him tougher.’
Bill nodded. ‘I’ve no doubt he’s learnt to bend with the blows. He’s scared, like all of us, but he’s kept his head and shown no sign of panic. He’s gaining a lot of respect from the crew, but this is a hell of a way for him to grow up.’
‘True, but he isn’t going to quit, however much we wish he wasn’t putting his young life at risk.’
Both men lapsed into silence, looking out at what remained of the convoy. The sky was getting lighter and another day dawning.
‘Hey!’ Jack waved frantically as the Hurricane roared overhead, followed by two more. ‘We’ve got our escort home, Bill!’
‘That’s a welcome sight.’ Bill glanced at the men crowding the deck, smiling now. Only about a third of the original convoy was steaming towards the coast. ‘A few hours and we’ll be home, lad. Battered and bruised, but some of us have got through, and I’ve got some good news. We’ve got five days before we join the next convoy.’
‘Well, I know what I’m going to do,’ Frank said. ‘Sleep!’
‘Pity we aren’t docking in London, but I’ll be able to see Hanna for a couple of days.’
‘And we could all do with the rest. This trip has been hell, and things aren’t going to get much better any time soon.’
‘I’m afraid you’re right, Bill.’ Frank gazed up at the planes circling overhead. ‘But if our country is going to survive, we’ve got to keep bringing in vital supplies. The trouble is the Germans know that as well, and they’re going to be after us all the time.’
Jack and Bill nodded, their faces drawn and tired.
When what was left of the convoy reached Liverpool, the dock workers were waving and ready to unload as soon as they could.
‘They’re pleased to see us,’ Jack said, waving back. ‘But not as glad as we are to see them.’
As soon as they had docked, a line of ambulances turned up next to them. Everyone watched in silence as the injured survivors were carried off the ship.
‘They picked up a lot of men. From the state those poor blokes are in they must be from the tanker, but I thought the escort ship was doing that?’
‘It was hard to see,’ Bill said, ‘but she might have been providing protection while the cargo ship hauled the men on board.’
Jack nodded and turned away from the distressing scene. ‘Where are we going to get a bath? I can’t get on a train like this.’
‘There might be a public baths here, if not we’ll find somewhere. We all need a good brush-up before we’re presentable again.’
It was an hour before they could leave the ship, and Bill asked the first dock worker they met where they could get a bath.
‘There’s a place just outside the gates, mate. It’s been opened to help sailors when they come ashore. You’ll be able to clean up there and get a meal. They also have beds if you’re stuck for the night.’
‘Thanks, that sounds perfect.’
The dock worker studied the three men, his eyes resting on Jack. ‘You’ve had a rough trip by the looks of it.’
‘Hah.’ Jack grinned and turned to his companions. ‘It was a pleasure cruise, wasn’t it?’
‘Never had one like it,’ Frank replied with a perfectly straight face.
‘Some pleasure cruise when you need a fleet of ambulances to meet you.’ The man shook his head, frowning. ‘I don’t know how you do it, but we’re grateful you do.’
Bill hoisted his bag on to his shoulders, thanking the man again, and the three of them headed for the gates.
The Women’s Voluntary Service running the centre was very helpful, and they were soon clean and sitting down with a tasty meal of vegetable pie in front of them. Feeling refreshed and more presentable they made for the station to catch the first train to London.
Jack was looking forward to seeing Hanna again, and although he was feeling exhausted, there was a smile on his face as he rapped on the kitchen door and stepped inside.
Mrs Potter was busy at the sink and she turned. ‘Jack! How lovely to see you.’
‘It’s good to be here. Is Hanna around?’
‘No, she’s in Suffolk with the family. The captain insisted that they take the children out of London to a safer place. Didn’t you receive her letter?’
He shook his head. ‘I’m afraid not. Do you have the address?’
‘Of course.’ She looked him over carefully. ‘But you can’t go today, Jack. You look as if you can hardly stand. Stay here for the night, and then you can catch an early train in the morning. Mrs Harcourt left instructions for your room to always be kept ready, in case you wanted to stay here when you came home.’
‘That’s good of her.’ Eager as he was to see his sister, he knew Mrs Potter was right. He was in no condition to make another journey today.
‘Sit down, son, and I’ll get you something to eat.’ Mrs Potter ushered him into a chair. ‘And then you can go and have a nice sleep.’
Jack didn’t even remember getting into bed, and he slept so soundly that he woke up feeling more refreshed. He hadn’t caught a train as early as he’d intended because Mrs Potter had let him sleep until he woke at nine o’clock.
Stopping at the gate of the farm he gazed around, drinking in the beauty and tranquillity of the place, pleased his sister was staying in such a safe place. His stay would be short, but he was glad he’d made the journey.
There wasn’t a sign of anyone around as he walked towards the house, so he made his way round to the back. It was then he heard children laughing and he followed the sound to a walled garden. He opened the gate and stepped in. Hanna was on her hands and knees planting something with the twins chatting and laughing as they watched. A young boy was with them, obviously giving advice. It was such a happy, normal scene after the mayhem at sea that he watched f
or quite a while before one of the twins turned and saw him.
‘Jack!’ he yelled, already running with his brother right behind.
He dropped his bag and braced himself for the onslaught. The next thing he knew he was on the ground with the boys climbing all over him. ‘Let me up!’ he laughed.
Giggling and laughing, they allowed him to scramble to his feet so he could greet Hanna. He engulfed her in a bear hug, holding her longer than he would normally have done, because it was now he realized how close he had come to never seeing her again. That last convoy was the most dangerous they had been on so far, and the next one could be just as bad. But he wouldn’t think about that now. His ship had come through without a scratch, and he would enjoy this short time with his sister.
‘Let me look at you.’ Hanna stepped back so she could look him up and down. ‘My goodness, Jack, you’ve grown even taller. I would hardly have recognized you if I had seen you in the street. Oh, it’s good to see you. How long can you stay?’
‘Only a couple of days because I’ve got to get back to Liverpool.’
Hanna’s disappointment showed for an instant, but was quickly wiped from her face. ‘Never mind, at least we’ll have a little time together.’
He nodded and turned his attention to the twins who were waiting patiently by his side. ‘And what have you two been up to while I’ve been away?’
‘We’re learning to grow things,’ Andrew told him. ‘It’s fun.’
‘I expect it is.’ Jack turned to the young lad hovering near them. ‘Are you the one who has taken on the task of teaching them?’
Pete stepped forward. ‘Yes, sir.’
Being called sir took Jack by surprise. He wasn’t much older than this youngster, but he did feel ancient in comparison. ‘Please call me Jack. I’m Hanna’s brother.’
‘My name’s Pete, and I’m pleased to meet you.’
At that moment the garden gate opened and Mrs Harcourt walked in. ‘Welcome, Jack. It’s lovely to have you home.’
‘I’m afraid it’s only a short visit, but it’s good to be here.’ He had a lump in his throat at her greeting. They’d never had a home before, but everyone here did make him feel welcome, as if he belonged. It was a good feeling.
A New Day Page 10