As it turned out the weather closed in and flying was out of the question for nearly two weeks. They were flying the moment it was clear enough to take to the air again, and the demand on all of the pilots was relentless. It was a relief when they had a break and could relax for a day or so. The strain was showing, not only on them, but on everyone involved in the fighting. It seemed never-ending and they were all war-weary.
‘Lord, I’m tired,’ Lester groaned as he clambered out of the plane.
James was inspecting a hole in his friend’s plane and sucked in a deep breath. ‘Are you all right? That was damned close.’
‘I know. I could use a drink.’
‘Wonder if everyone made it back.’
‘Let’s hope so.’ Lester scanned the empty sky anxiously. ‘They call us the lucky duo to have lasted this long. I do remember you telling me that we were going to survive. It’s getting to be a struggle, though.’
‘Agreed, but we must keep on being lucky, because this can’t go on for ever. It must end soon.’
‘Can’t be soon enough for me.’
‘Your piano will need tuning when you get back,’ James joked, turning the subject away from a distressing situation.
‘It will be fine. The professor is looking after it for me, and he won’t let it deteriorate, neither will Mother. It’s a very special instrument.’
‘I gathered that. Was it already in your mother’s family?’
‘No, it was a gift to Mother before we were born.’
‘Some gift. Who gave it to your family?’
‘Mother told us she is saving that news for us when we get home at last.’
James thought about the newspaper cutting he was still keeping carefully hidden, and was concerned that here was yet another mystery. His friend couldn’t wait to get home for good, but there was unpleasant news waiting for him and his sister. He was determined to be close by to support them if they needed it.
‘Ah, there you are.’ Preston handed them a sheet of paper. ‘You two need a break, so you are off-duty for two days. That is advertising a concert taking place tonight at the church in town, in honour of the renowned French pianist, Pierre Le Fort, who was killed six months ago.’
‘That’s terrible.’ Lester was studying the leaflet. ‘I heard him once and he was very good. I was only eight at the time, but I remember thinking that I wanted to play as well as him when I was older. Thank you, sir. I’d like to go to this concert.’
‘I’m coming as well,’ James told him. ‘It will be good to relax and enjoy some music.’
The church was crowded and they just managed to find two seats at the back. James was disappointed because he wanted his friend as close to the grand piano as possible. Although Lester never said anything or complained, he knew he must be starved of music. After all, it had been his life until being sent to the academy, and once in France he hadn’t touched a piano.
‘Keep my seat,’ he whispered. ‘I’ll go and see if there is any room down the front.’
Lester pushed him back. ‘This is fine. The acoustics should be good in here.’
‘All right.’ He craned his neck to see the front and nearly gasped out loud. There was a large poster of the deceased musician seated at a grand piano. He looked from the picture to his friend. ‘Hey, look, that could be you when you are older. You sit just like that at a piano.’
‘So do all pianists. Be quiet now, they are about to begin.’
Lester closed his eyes and allowed the music to sweep through him, releasing the tension that had built up from month after month of flying into danger.
His friend watched him as the concert continued, and saw him relax. He also sat back and enjoyed the music, glad they had come. They had been under a lot of strain lately, and they were all getting touchy, easily irritated. He was worried they might start getting careless, and that mustn’t happen. They had survived this long, when many hadn’t, and they must continue to be sharp and alert. Preston had recognised this and had arranged an outing for them. He must thank him in the morning.
Having thoroughly enjoyed the concert they had a drink as they weren’t flying the next day, and slept soundly that night.
The next day they were eager to tell Preston all about the concert and thanked him for suggesting it. James told him, ‘We needed a distraction, and you know Lester is a good pianist, so he really enjoyed it.’
‘So I understand. When I saw the leaflet I thought of him.’
‘Very good of you, sir. We really enjoyed it. He’s got a twin sister who is a nurse at a field hospital and she’s a singer. They are very talented, and gave us a concert one Christmas. We packed the house with people who wanted to hear them.’
‘He is also a skilled pilot, you both are, or you wouldn’t still be alive. In my time here I have seen pilots come and go, but you keep coming back.’ He smiled and slapped James on the back. ‘See that you keep that up. It would break my heart to lose you now.’
‘Not a chance. I promised my friend we’d survive this war, and that’s what I intend to do.’ He winked at Preston. ‘And I’m going to marry his beautiful sister and help her with her musical career.’
‘Congratulations.’
James laughed. ‘Thank you, sir, but that’s a bit premature. She doesn’t know about it yet.’
‘Ah, good luck. I hope she accepts you.’
‘She will,’ he said confidently.
When James came and sat beside him, Lester looked up from the letter he was reading. ‘What did Preston have to say?’
‘Nothing about flying. I was telling him about the concert you gave us that Christmas.’
‘Heavens, that seems a lifetime ago now.’
‘It was.’ James leant across. ‘Who is the letter from?’
‘Ruth. She has apologised for not writing for a while, but she’s been on one of those trains again, and there wasn’t a moment to spare.’ He held up the letter. ‘Look, she’s written pages and pages.’
‘I told you she would write soon. When you reply don’t forget to tell her how much you are longing to see her again.’
‘I will. How are you getting on with my sister?’
‘Making good progress.’ He grinned. ‘We could have a double wedding.’
‘You’re impossible,’ Lester laughed. ‘Lillia won’t share the stage with someone else; you ought to know that by now. When she marries, if she marries, she will be the star of that day, and no one else.’
‘You’re right. You can be our best man, and I’ll be yours.’
‘We’ll see.’
Chapter Twenty-Nine
‘You are injured, sir. Let me have a look at it.’
Alex glanced down at his torn blood-soaked tunic. ‘It looks worse than it is. Just needs a dressing, I expect.’
‘Take off your jacket, sir; I’ll need to stop the bleeding.’
‘I’m all right. You have plenty of other patients after that battle. See to them first.’
‘They are being dealt with, but you are the highest ranking officer still standing. The men need you, so remove your jacket, sir.’
‘This is a significant breakthrough, and if we can keep this up the war will be over this year.’
‘If you don’t let me attend to you, you will not see the end of the war.’ The medic signalled to another soldier. ‘Help the brigadier.’
‘I don’t need …’ Alex swayed and the men caught hold of him before he hit the ground. They sat him against a wall of the ruined house they were sheltering in, and he tried to stand up again.
‘Stubborn,’ the medic muttered. ‘Do as you are told, sir, and sit down. I’m in charge now. Hold him, Corporal, while I see to that wound.’
‘Ouch!’ Alex glared at the medic as he probed at the gash in his side. ‘Where did you learn first aid?’
‘I trained at the best teaching hospital in London, and had just qualified as a doctor when I volunteered for this lot. Sit still.’
‘That’s hard to
do. What the hell are you doing?’
‘There’s something in here. Ah, here it is; a piece of shrapnel, and another. Hope that is all there is.’
‘So do I.’ Alex wiped the sweat from his face. ‘You nearly finished?’
‘Just got to clean it and put in a few stitches. You are lucky; nothing vital has been damaged as far as I can see. I suppose it’s useless to ask you to go to a field hospital for further examination?’ The look he got from Alex gave him the answer. ‘Silly request.’
Another soldier arrived with a mug, handed it to Alex and winked. ‘Thought you might like a little drop of brandy, sir.’
‘Thanks.’ He took a gulp and gasped. ‘Where did you get it?’
‘Found it in the cellar of this abandoned house, sir. We thought it might come in handy.’
He took a more cautious sip this time. ‘Are you sure it’s brandy?’
‘Well, we can’t read the labels, but the bottles were still sealed. It’s a spirit of some kind and we are calling it brandy.’
‘Bottles? How many did you find?’
‘A crate full, sir. We’ve tried one and it’s perfectly drinkable. Quite pleasant, really.’
He laughed and drained the mug. ‘That’s a matter of opinion.’
The soldier smirked. ‘Would you like a drop more, sir?’
‘I wouldn’t dare risk another one of those, and if you’re handing that round make sure no one gets enough to make them drunk. The last thing we need is an inebriated squad.’
‘The sergeant has got it under tight guard, sir. At the moment we are only giving it to the wounded.’
‘Good man.’ Alex gritted his teeth as the medic stitched his wound.
‘There you are, sir. Be careful not to tear the stitches or you’ll start bleeding again. I still think you ought to get that looked at by the field doctors.’
‘Out of the question. You’re a doctor and that’s good enough for me.’
The medic sighed. ‘In that case I want your promise that you will come to me if you get feverish or feel unwell in any way.’
‘I’ll do that.’
‘Make sure you do. Now, try and sleep while there’s a pause in the fighting. You’ve lost quite a lot of blood and need rest. I can give you something to—’ When he saw Alex’s expression he shook his head. ‘Well, I tried.’
The medic hurried away and Alex settled against the wall and fished in his pocket for the letter he had received from his father. It had taken weeks to reach him, and this was the first quiet moment he’d had to look at it. The news from his father was astonishing. Barber had died of a heart attack in prison, and there was no longer any reason to pursue the legality of the marriage, or file for divorce if that had proved necessary. Now he was dead, Sara wanted the whole thing forgotten. She was free.
Relief that this burden had been taken from her, made him relax and tiredness swept over him. He knew he had to rest while there was a chance. The end of the war couldn’t be far off, and he was determined to keep going until then. There was even more reason now to want the war over and return home.
He woke suddenly to the sound of gunfire and groaned as he moved. Someone had covered him with a blanket, and he pushed it aside struggling to get to his feet.
The medic and a captain arrived. ‘We’ve got to move, sir,’ the officer told him, holding out a hand to pull him up.
‘Easy does it. How do you feel?’ the medic asked, frowning.
‘I’m fine.’ He stood up straight. ‘Just a little stiff, that’s all. You did a good job, Doc.’
‘I want to have another look at your side the first moment we get.’
‘Right. Come on, Captain, fill me in on the situation. How long was I asleep?’
‘Five hours, sir.’
‘Damn! Whatever was in that mug really knocked me out. Why didn’t you wake me?’
‘It was quiet, and you needed the rest. We sent out a scouting party to get the lie of the land, and as far as they could tell, the enemy is still retreating.’
‘That’s good news. Let me talk to them. I want a full report.’
Ruth signalled to Lillia that it was time for them to take a break before the next load of ambulances arrived.
‘Not quite so many casualties arriving now,’ Ruth said when they sat down.
‘I hadn’t noticed.’ Lillia yawned. ‘I’m going to sleep for a week when this is over.’
‘Me too, and will you stop yawning? You’ll set me off and we’ve got another five hours before we can collapse into bed, and then there’s no guarantee we won’t be dragged out in the middle of the night.’
‘Sorry, I’ll try not to yawn too much. I had a letter from James and my brother yesterday. They told me about a concert they had attended.’ She sighed. ‘It must have been lovely. I do miss music so much.’
‘Hang in there. This war will be over in a matter of weeks, and then you and Lester can get back to your studies.’
‘Do you really believe it’s nearly over?’
‘Everyone says so. I wrote and asked Alex for his opinion, but I haven’t heard from him for some time.’
‘Neither have I.’ She had been dismayed when she’d heard he was in France. He had been good to her brother at the academy, and as she had come to know him, she had grown to like him very much. Wherever he was it was probably in the thick of the fighting. ‘I do hope he’s all right.’
‘We’d have heard if he wasn’t,’ Ruth said without much conviction.
‘I don’t know about that. News from the front line can get delayed. Every time a new batch of wounded arrive, I scan the faces hoping there isn’t anyone there I know.’
‘I’m just the opposite. I try not to look, but we’re worrying unnecessarily. A pile of letters will arrive together, I expect.’
‘You’re right. I received three from James and four from my brother yesterday.’
‘Lucky you. I didn’t get that many and we do so look forward to the letters, don’t we?’
‘Yes, everyone does.’
Ruth sighed sadly. ‘It would be lovely to see them again. Wouldn’t it be wonderful if we were all home by Christmas?’
‘Home seems just a distant memory.’
Both girls ate in silence, deep in thought. The general feeling was that the war was in its final stages, but they didn’t dare dwell on it too much in case there was a setback. Also, in this often confused situation, rumours flew around and there was no telling if they were true or not.
‘Here they come!’ Ruth pushed her chair back and headed for the ambulances with her friend right behind her.
Ruth’s optimism that they were receiving fewer casualties was shattered. There were more than they could accommodate this time, and as a hospital ship was expected to dock within the next week, the girls were assigned to help out on the next train. Some nurses rode the trains almost continually, but at times extra help was needed when they packed the men on board. The only way they could get them all on was to make up beds on the floor for some casualties. Every available space had to be used.
With the loading finally completed, Ruth gave her friend a concerned look. ‘Hope we don’t get many hold-ups on the way because this is going to be a difficult journey.’
‘We’ll manage.’ Lillia eased herself along the crowded train to her working carriage. ‘See you at the other end.’
Some of the men were so seriously wounded that there were fears they might not make it to the ship, but the medical staff on the train worked tirelessly to see they did.
Lillia went to one soldier who was distressed, delirious and calling out. Her heart ached for him; he was so young. He was waving his arms around so she caught hold of them and held on firmly. ‘It’s all right; you are not on the battlefield any more. You are on your way home.’ She began to sing softly to him, and slowly his struggles ceased, and he fell into a deep sleep.
‘Remarkable, Nurse.’ A doctor stood beside her. ‘Your voice has had a soothing effect on him.’
‘Music can do that.’ She smiled up at the weary doctor. ‘But it would have had the opposite effect if I belted out an operatic aria.’
‘You’re a singer?’
‘I hope to be one day. That ambition is on hold, though, until this mess ends.’
‘Hey, Nurse!’ one of the other men called. ‘I’d like to hear you let rip. From what I’ve just heard that’s some voice you’ve got there.’
‘Thank you, but what is needed on this train is music to sooth and calm.’ She was still holding the boy’s hands and felt him squeeze gently as if to say thank you.
‘You’re welcome, Soldier. Rest now and I’ll come and sing to you again later.’
‘I do believe he is hearing you.’
‘Who knows, but in cases like this we must do everything we can to ease the pain and trauma these men are suffering.’
‘And you understand that only too well, being one of the nurses from the hospital ship that was torpedoed.’
She gave him a startled look. They never mentioned that and were under the impression no one knew. ‘Where did you hear that?’
‘I know someone who was on the recovery ship, and he told me about the courage of you and your friend.’
‘Courage?’ She gave an inelegant snort. ‘I was terrified.’
‘So would we all have been.’ He put his head to one side and studied her carefully. ‘Have you got a boyfriend?’
‘There is someone who insists he’s going to marry me.’
‘And is he?’
‘I haven’t decided yet.’
The doctor laughed. ‘When you have made up your mind and perhaps refuse him, my name is Ben Redman. Remember that. I haven’t got a girlfriend.’
‘Are you flirting with me, Doctor?’
‘I think I am. It’s nice to do something normal, isn’t it? Will you sing to my patients before lights out and help them have a peaceful night without bad dreams?’
‘Of course,’ she replied, and he winked cheekily before walking away.
When the Music Stopped Page 21