‘You rat!’ Teddy turned over and started tickling Alex, discovering that he was acutely ticklish, and as he writhed and wriggled under her fingers, their mouths came together, and Teddy broke her vow.
*
The next morning, Teddy awoke, wracked with guilt, and she feigned sleep until Alex had dressed, kissed her gently (trying not to disturb her) and slipped out of the front door. She sat up in bed and analysed the previous night, trying to apportion blame for her weakness. Had Alex deliberately wanted to make her succumb? No, she decided not. Had her lusts intentionally tried to seduce Alex? No, again, she decided not. Teddy concluded ultimately that it was pure circumstance and perfectly natural for two people, who were so much in love and in such proximity, to be intimate. She decided that she would not spoil her happiness by feeling guilty, but she also decided that it would be far better if Alex slept at his mother’s until after the wedding. It was, after all, only two nights.
*
Alex, meanwhile, went to Victoria Street and was surprised to find his colleagues in disarray. ‘We’re on the move again!’ Simon announced when Alex enquired what was occurring. ‘It seems that they want to reduce the number of buildings used by government departments, so we are moving to Broadway Buildings just around the corner.’
‘I thought the colonel wanted to keep out of their clutches?’ commented Alex.
‘It seems that the hierarchy overruled him, and from all accounts he is not best pleased,’ confided Simon. ‘Did you want something specific?’
‘Not really, I just wanted to discuss something with Commander Jeffers,’ replied Alex.
‘He’s out for most of the day today. Is there anything I can do?’
‘I doubt it,’ Alex said, ‘Teddy and my mother have concocted the notion of us going on a honeymoon together for a few days after the marriage on Thursday, and I promised to discuss it with the commander, but if he’s not in, I can’t.’
‘He did ask me whether you were planning anything, and I said that you were not,’ announced Simon, ‘though he thought you should go somewhere for a long weekend, but be back by Monday or Tuesday. We hope to have the preliminary investigation report by then, and he wanted to go over any areas of concern so that there would be no surprises on Wednesday. In the meantime, unless you want to help me pack, there is little for you to do, so why don’t you spend the time with Teddy and your family, making sure that everything is tickety-boo?’
‘Are you sure? I don’t want to shirk my responsibilities,’ Alex responded.
‘You won’t be, and you will be one less thing to get in the way. Go and enjoy your time together, because when you are posted, God only knows when you will be together again. I’ll square it with Jeffers.’
Alex smiled, shook Simon by the hand and thanked him.
‘However,’ Simon said, ‘if we need you quickly, make sure Miss Willoughby has a telephone number where she can reach you. Oh, and take your typewriter with you when you go; if it stays here, it will likely get lost in the move!’
*
Alex arrived back at Cavendish Court in the mid-afternoon having dropped the typewriter at Onslow Gardens, where he had asked his mother about staying with her on the night before the wedding because he had heard it was bad luck to see the bride before the ceremony. He was a little surprised to find the flat empty, as Teddy had not said that she was planning to go out that day, but, on the other hand, he had left without talking to her, so she may have had plans.
Switching on the wireless, Alex listened to the news. German attacks on the French lines were increasing, and there was speculation that this was a prelude to an all-out invasion; the British Expeditionary Force that was being sent to bolster European defences was still under discussion. A Member of Parliament had asked in the House of Commons whether there was an alternative to the rum ration currently issued to servicemen, and the Secretary of State for War, Leslie Hore-Belisha said that cocoa or tea was a good alternative. Alex thought that offering servicemen a mug of cocoa instead of a shot of rum would probably lead to mutiny. He mused on something Simon had once said: that Leslie Hore-Belisha was otherwise known as “Horrible-isha” by his opponents! With little to keep his interest, Alex turned the wireless off and picked up the daily newspaper; there was little good news to read in that, so he lay back on the settee and fell asleep.
Sometime later, Teddy arrived home with some shopping, and she complained that some inconsiderate person had left the gate of the lift open on the third floor, so she had been forced to walk upstairs carrying her bags until she found the lift cage. Alex stirred on the sofa and grunted his agreement, and that upset Teddy further. She looked as if she wanted to embark on their first argument, but Alex wisely took her in his arms, kissed her and told her to sit down while he made her a nice cup of tea.
She sat, and Alex considerately placed a footstool under her feet and took off her shoes. He made tea, covered the tray with a cloth, found a couple of biscuits (which he placed in the saucer of the cup), and took the whole ensemble in to Teddy. Play-acting being a waiter in a good restaurant, he mimicked the actions of preparing the cup of tea asking whether “madam” would care for milk or sugar, and then serving it with a flourish causing her to giggle uncontrollably.
‘I managed to find a couple of chops in the butcher’s shop in the Earls Court Road, which were quite reasonable,’ she told Alex, ‘but old Mr Davies had not got anything apart from sausages and faggots. The prices are all going up everywhere, and I think the shopkeepers are profiteering from the shortages.’
‘They probably are,’ Alex replied, ‘and who can blame them? If Hitler starts bombing London the same way that he has bombed elsewhere, who knows whether they will have a business in six months? You cannot really blame them for making hay when the sun shines. It’s unfortunate for those who cannot afford what they would normally buy, but I’ve heard that the government is trying to fill the gaps with all sorts of different products, like rabbits, and something called “snoek”, which I gather is some sort of fish.’
‘It is still not right, though.’ Teddy was not to be deterred. ‘So I hope you appreciate our pork, while we can still get it.’
‘I shall, my love,’ Alex reassured her. He remembered he had something else to tell her. ‘By the way, I’m going to stop at Onslow Gardens on Wednesday night because somebody said that it was unlucky for the groom to see the bride before the ceremony on her wedding day. I’m not superstitious, but I don’t want to tempt fate.’
‘I think that’s a good idea,’ agreed Alex, ‘Cordelia is coming around early on Thursday to help me get ready, and your mother is also coming, so I think you would just get in the way!’
‘Well, thank you very much!’ Alex joked.
‘And while we are about it,’ Teddy continued, ‘would you mind sleeping there tonight also?’ She saw the surprise in his eyes. ‘Last night I broke my vow not to… well, you know, and I don’t want to be tempted to break it again, but if you are here, I will be.’
Alex looked disappointed, and then he said, ‘Would it help if I was an ugly monster that you would not want to do “you know what” with?’ He screwed his face up to make himself look dreadful.
‘No, it would not,’ Teddy declared with a giggle, ‘and, besides, I think that’s a distinct improvement!’
Alex threw the cushion at her. ‘Of course, I don’t mind,’ he said, ‘if that’s what you want, but I shall miss my little Teddy Bear!’ He tried to look pitiful.
‘Please don’t, it is only for two nights, and it will be hard for me also; I shall miss my little… what is it that your mother calls you?’ She thought for a moment. ‘My little Sashenka,’ she said, holding him close, ‘and then we will have many long years together.’
He smiled at her and kissed her forehead, praying silently that her wish would come true while acknowledging that they had just assigned affectionate nickna
mes to each other, which was a sign that they were even closer than before.
*
The meal was simple but delicious; Teddy grilled the chops and mashed some potatoes, hiding a small knob of butter in the mash, so that when Alex plunged his fork into the potato, he was rewarded with an eruption of melted butter.
‘Quick,’ Teddy said, ‘don’t let the fairy get away, mix her into the mash!’
‘What?’ Alex was confused.
‘The fairy! The fairy!’ Teddy was getting quite agitated. ‘Mix the fairy into the mash.’
‘What are you talking about?’ Alex remained confused.
Teddy sighed, ‘You have let her escape!’
‘My darling, I have no idea what you’re talking about. What have I let escape?’
‘When I was younger,’ Teddy explained, ‘I did not like mashed potato, so Mummy used to hide a spoonful of butter inside so that it melted. This was the fairy, and every time I let the fairy escape, I had to mix it quickly into my mashed potatoes so that the good luck that she brought stayed on my plate. When I ate my mashed potatoes, the good luck went inside me and that brought me good fortune. It was a childish thing that Mummy used to do to make me eat my dinner, but I have always done it since, and now you’ve let the fairy get away!’
Alex used his knife to try to scrape the butter into the mashed potato, but his efforts did not impress Teddy.
She reiterated, ‘It’s too late now! The fairy escaped, and she has let her luck go, so you will be awfully unlucky now!’
Alex smiled at Teddy, remarked that it was a lovely story, and then he teased her, ‘I know that I am destined for bad luck; after all, I’m marrying you on Thursday!’
Teddy gave the impression of being outraged, but there was a twinkle in her eye that showed she appreciated the humour of Alex’s joke. ‘Well, if you are going to be so profligate with our good fortune, I’m not sure that I want to marry you anyway!’
Alex fell to one knee, and held his hands up as if in prayer. ‘Please don’t abandon me, my darling,’ he begged, ‘I promise that I will never let another fairy escape ever again, I promise that I will always eat my mashed potatoes, so please marry me on Thursday?’
‘Oh, all right then; I had nothing better to do anyway!’
They fell into each other’s arms and kissed. Realising that things could develop quickly to a point where Teddy would succumb again, Alex pushed her away gently and told her that he should leave. Teddy looked disappointed, but Alex was adamant; he did not want her to do anything that she might later regret, so he kissed her gently, took up his coat and hat, and left, with the promise to return the next day so that they could go into town, and collect his uniform together.
*
Alex took a circuitous route back to Onslow Gardens, and he even sat for a while in the communal gardens, so it was noticeably later when he finally went home. He was surprised to still see the light burning in the downstairs window, but he let himself in quietly and found his mother sitting in a high-backed chair, apparently waiting for her son.
‘Theodora telephoned,’ she began, ‘and was surprised to find that you were not here. What are you not telling me, Sasha? Have you and your fiancée been arguing? And where have you been until this time?’
‘Mamochka,’ Alex explained, ‘I have told you that there is nothing wrong, and there is nothing wrong. Teddy and I decided that it would be better if we waited until after the wedding before we stayed together. I left Earls Court, walked home and then sat in the gardens to clear my mind. So, what did she want?’
‘I think she wanted to say goodnight to you, but do not telephone her now as she has probably retired for the night, as I should have done long ago.’
‘Mama, I am a grown boy now, so you really do not have to keep waiting up for me. In a few short days, I shall be God knows where, and I do not want my last memory of you to be you being cross with me. Go to bed, Mama, and – despite your concerns – I will telephone Teddy because I am sure that she is worrying as much as you were, and I want to say goodnight to her also.’ He kissed his mother, went to the entrance hall, picked up the telephone receiver and asked the telephone operator to connect him with Teddy’s number.
After a couple of rings, a sleepy Teddy answered the telephone, ‘Kensington 3625.’ She yawned.
‘Teddy Bear, it’s your Sashenka,’ he announced, ‘Mama said you telephoned?’
‘Yes,’ she replied, ‘I was missing you and wanted to say goodnight. Where have you been?’
Alex explained that he had just been for a stroll so that he could get focused for Thursday.
They then bade each other a soppy good night, liberally sprinkled with several kisses from each to the other, and replaced the telephone receivers.
Alex went to bed and dreamed pleasant thoughts of a long and loving future together with Teddy, and Teddy did likewise.
XXVIII
The Swedish newspaper article that absorbed Alex’s interest most the next day was the one entitled ‘Finns Quit Capital’. It claimed that – as a result of there being thirty divisions of the Russian Army, backed by an air armada, on the Finnish frontier – the Finnish government had decided to begin the evacuation of the capital, Helsinki along with Viborg (Viipuri) on the Russian border, Åbo (Turku) and Tammerfors (Tampere) today. Urho Kekkonen, the Finnish Minister of the Interior, had announced over the wireless the that the decision had been taken, ‘because of the gravity of the situation,’ and that children would be evacuated first, with extra trains and buses laid on to take half of the Helsinki’s population into the interior. If the situation grew worse, the government would order a general compulsory evacuation, and many of the Britons who were living in Finland were reported to be leaving the country. Alex thought poignantly that here he was getting ready to go to Finland while those with any sense were departing rapidly.
Alex also realised that the situation in Finland was worsening by the day and that if he was travelling to this country, his departure must surely be imminent. As the decision of the board of inquiry seemed to be already known, would they even wait for the official statement before shipping him out? How long would it take to get to Finland? Was this going to disrupt his and Teddy’s plans?
After selecting a pair of good-quality brown brogues and his best windproof trench coat, and pulling his trilby firmly onto his head, Alex left the house and went to the office. He needed to know how this news was going to affect his situation.
*
When he arrived, a general sense of abandonment ruled the Victoria Street offices, and so Alex turned up Broadway towards number fifty-four, the building that Simon had told him would be the department’s new home.
‘Commander Jeffers,’ Alex announced to the stern-faced receptionist as he entered Broadway Buildings.
‘Do you have an appointment?’ came the response.
‘No, but I am sure that he will see me if he is in.’ Alex showed his security pass. ‘Or if not, Lieutenant Potts will.’
The receptionist indicated that Alex should take a seat as she scribbled on a piece of paper and handed it to a runner, who disappeared into the bowels of the building.
After about five minutes, Simon appeared. ‘Hello, Alex,’ he greeted his friend, ‘I didn’t expect you to drop in today; I thought you’d be too busy.’
‘Hmm,’ Alex responded, ‘I wondered whether the commander could spare me a few moments?’
‘He’s currently in a meeting,’ Simon said, ‘but it should not take long. Come on up. We shall have to get you a pass organised for this place, but I will sign you in this time.’
Alex was issued with a temporary pass by the severe-looking receptionist, and Simon took him upstairs.
Simon’s office was on the fourth floor of the building, substantially larger than his previous two “cupboards”, and immediately adjacent to Miss Willoughby’
s room, which led into the commander’s inner sanctum. Simon asked Miss Willoughby to arrange Alex’s building pass, which she agreed to do, and Simon asked Alex what he would like to drink as the tea trolley trundled up the corridor. Alex took a cup of amber-coloured, sweet and milky tea, and they sat in Simon’s office and chatted.
‘I have been reading about the situation in Finland,’ Alex began, ‘It looks like things are going from bad to worse very quickly.’
‘I think the Finns are overreacting,’ Simon ventured.
‘Evacuating the cities does not seem to be an overreaction to me; we have evacuated our children to try to protect them, so the Finns must be extremely worried.’
‘Yes, but all the indications are that Stalin is not really that interested in Finland presently,’ Simon countered.
‘Thirty divisions and half the Soviet Air Force might suggest that he is!’ pursued Alex, ‘If I were Finnish, I think I might be a little worried. That’s a huge force!’
‘We think that the figures are overestimated and that the numbers are much smaller.’ Simon appeared entirely at ease with the situation.
‘I just want to make sure that nothing disruptive is going to happen over the next few days. I know it is selfish, but will I actually have to wait until the board of inquiry has delivered their report? Everybody seems to know what it is going to say, so is there any danger of me being deployed before the meeting next week? And am I really going to have the weekend with Teddy? If it is likely that there are going to be any disappointments, I would like to know.’
At that moment, the door opened, and Commander Jeffers entered and greeted Alex warmly. Simon explained Alex’s concerns to the commander, who repeated Simon’s reassurances that it was all a storm in a teacup and that nothing was going to happen in Finland for the foreseeable future. He reassured Alex that he would not be deployed before the board of inquiry, as he was still technically on remand and suspended from duty until being cleared officially by the board. Alex was not sure how to take this news, but the commander reassured him that it was just procedure, and quite usual.
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