Wings of the Morning

by Beryl Matthews

  Sam smiled at the girl in the bed and looked back at Reid and Bouncer. ‘This is Maria. Jacques’s mother.’ He put a finger to his lips to stop them asking questions. ‘I’ll tell you about it later.’

  The nurse came over to them. ‘She should be in hospital, sir.’

  ‘No!’ Maria’s voice was weak but determined. ‘I wish to be near my son.’

  ‘You will be,’ Reid said, disturbed by the anguish in the woman’s voice. ‘We’ll be flying you to him today.’

  ‘I do not wish Jacques to see me like this.’ Maria lifted a skeletal arm with difficulty, and grimaced. ‘But I want to be near to him.’

  ‘My sister’s suet pudding with treacle will soon have you on your feet again.’ Annie grinned at Maria’s puzzled expression.

  ‘What is this suet treacle?’ Maria asked Sam.

  He bent over and kissed her. ‘You’ll soon find out. It’s marvellous stuff.’

  Reid touched Annie’s arm to gain her attention. ‘I thought she was dead?’ he murmured.

  The nurse, now firmly in charge of her patient, ordered them to be quiet. ‘That is enough talking. She must rest now, and we shall need a light meal for her before she can travel.’

  ‘I’ll see what I can get.’ Annie opened the door.

  ‘A thin soup and perhaps a slice of bread will suffice.’

  Annie nodded and left.

  The nurse turned her attention to the men. ‘Now, sirs, if you will leave us alone for half an hour I will prepare my patient for the journey.’

  They left meekly and made their way downstairs to the dining room, where the manager of the hotel supplied them with a pot of tea and toast.

  Sam rubbed his eyes then sat back and smiled at Reid and Bouncer. ‘I hope you didn’t have too much trouble arranging this?’

  ‘None at all.’ Reid stirred sugar into his tea. ‘Everyone was tripping over themselves to be helpful. Now why would that be, do you think?’

  ‘I gathered some useful information on this trip. They sent someone along to collect it last night, and in return for that service they have given me everything I need.’

  Reid nodded in understanding. So, he’d been behind enemy lines. ‘What the hell happened, Sam?’

  ‘Soon after the D-Day landings I hitched a ride and made straight for my home. While I was there a villager told me that he thought Maria had been shipped to Germany.’ Sam paused, a look of utter pain showing in his eyes. ‘I dismissed it at first because her mother had said Maria was dead, but then I met a man who’d escaped from a labour camp. He told me Maria was definitely alive but that she couldn’t survive much longer. So I went after her.’

  ‘Into Germany?’ Reid asked.

  ‘Yes. What had started out to be a visit to my home turned into a mission of great importance. I saw unimaginable things and was able to bring back a lot of useful information.’

  ‘Hell, that was risky.’ Bouncer shook his head in amazement.

  ‘I didn’t have any choice. If it was Maria, then I had to try and rescue her.’

  ‘How did you manage to find her?’ Reid asked. His respect for this man was growing with every word he spoke. And for the first time he began to have an inkling of the things Annie had been involved in. The two of them had worked closely together, and Reid remembered the talk of parachute jumps. Dear Lord, what had she been doing? His love and respect for her grew.

  ‘That was easy enough. The problem was rescuing her. Thank heavens the weather was still warm because I had to wait for three days before she came out with a working party. I remained hidden, and with only a loaf of bread and a bottle of water with me I was damned hungry, but I couldn’t leave. If there was the slightest chance that Maria was there, then I had to stay, no matter how dangerous and uncomfortable the conditions.’

  ‘How did you recognize her?’ Reid couldn’t help remembering the pitiful sight he had seen upstairs.

  Sam gave a sad smile. ‘We have known each other since children and were about to be married when the war tore us apart, and she is the mother of my son, so I would have known her whatever state she was in.’

  ‘How did you get her away?’ Bouncer was sitting forward in his chair, obviously riveted by the story.

  ‘It was dusk when they returned, and as they passed by I shot out of some bushes, swept Maria up and ran like hell. Luck was on my side, the guards never saw me.’

  ‘What about the other prisoners?’ Bouncer asked. ‘Didn’t they make a noise when you dived out of the undergrowth?’

  ‘They were too weak to respond, all except one girl who tumbled into the bushes with us.’ Sam grimaced, obviously remembering the sight of those starving men and women. ‘When the column was out of sight, we supported Maria and got as far away from there as possible. We moved at night and hid during the day. I don’t know what I’d have done without that girl, she was a wonder at finding food and shelter for us.’

  ‘What was her name?’ Reid asked.

  Sam gave a dry laugh. ‘I never found out. We didn’t talk much. We were exhausted, and our situation was dangerous, so we focused all our attention on not getting caught. If the Germans had found us they would have shot us as spies for sure.’

  Sam paused as if to gather his thoughts, then continued. ‘We eventually crossed into France, but by that time we could hardly stand upright. It was too much for Maria and from then on I carried her. We still couldn’t take a chance on there not being any Germans around, so we kept to the wooded areas and rough ground where we could move without being seen. Dear God, but it was hard going. Maria didn’t weigh much, but I was getting weak by then.’

  Bouncer handed Sam another cup of tea. ‘There’s a nip of brandy in that, it’ll do you good.’

  ‘What happened then?’ prompted Reid, eager to hear more of this extraordinary story.

  ‘We just kept walking until we met up with some British soldiers. They told us that Paris had been liberated and the girl took off. It was her home, evidently. Maria and I were transported to the coast and on to a ship returning to Dover.’ Sam gave a tired smile. ‘So here we are.’

  Reid could only guess at the horrors of that journey, but it was clear from the condition they were in that it had taken a superhuman effort.

  The nurse appeared and addressed Reid. ‘We are ready to leave now, sir. Maria cannot walk so I shall need help.’

  Reid was immediately on his feet, placing a hand on Sam’s shoulder to keep him in his seat. The man looked as if he could hardly stand up, let alone carry someone. ‘I’ll see to her.’

  Nurse Stevens had wrapped the frail woman in a blanket and he lifted her carefully off the bed. She weighed practically nothing.

  Reid had an ambulance waiting outside and once Maria was settled they headed for the airfield. When they reached the plane, and the nurse had made her patient comfortable and secure, Reid and Bouncer prepared for the flight.

  Permission was given for immediate take-off, and they were all soon on their way to Wales.

  32

  Maria was fast asleep. Annie looked at Sam leaning over the bed. Rose had given them the cottage so they could have peace and privacy. Before George had died he’d had an extension put on the stable at the end of the garden and converted it into a two-bed cottage. When Rose had argued against it he’d told her that The Haven wasn’t big enough for all the people she kept taking in. He’d won that battle, and now it was going to be very useful as there was room for Nurse Stevens to stay near her patient.

  ‘Sam,’ Annie said quietly. ‘You’ll come and see Jacques as soon as you’re ready?’

  ‘I do not want him to see his mother like this. It will frighten him.’ Sam gave a lingering look at Maria, almost as if he was afraid that if he took his eyes off her she would disappear.

  ‘We all understand,’ Annie said. The last thing any of them wanted to do was heap more distress on the child. He would stay in the main house with Rose and Marj until it was right to move him in with his real mother and fat
her. ‘You need have no fears on that score.’

  ‘Thank you.’ He gazed at the woman in the bed and sighed. ‘I have put her through hell dragging her across country like that. She wasn’t strong enough.’ His hand shook as he swept it across his eyes.

  ‘You’ve given her a chance of life, young man.’ Marj’s voice was firm as she walked in with a tray of tea. ‘She might not have lived much longer, and who knows what the Germans would have done when they knew defeat was staring them in the face. You have nothing to reproach yourself for.’

  ‘You’re right, of course. But I still feel guilty.’

  ‘Now you know how I felt when Jack Graham died after getting him home,’ Annie told him gently. ‘The feeling passes, and when you look back you’ll see you did the right thing.’

  Sam merely nodded and sipped his tea.

  Marj smiled and patted his arm. ‘I’ll bring dinner over for nurse and Maria, but you must join us. Jacques will be so pleased to see you.’

  Annie and her mother walked back to the house. ‘How is Jacques?’ she asked her mother.

  ‘He’s been unhappy and fretful. He keeps asking if his father has left him.’

  Annie could understand that. Jacques would feel very insecure, and his father disappearing must have thrown him into a panic, wondering if he’d been abandoned.

  They walked into the kitchen. Wally was peeling potatoes and Rose was busy making pastry. The old black wood-burning cooker was covered in bubbling pans, and Annie breathed in the lovely aroma. This kitchen seemed to have retained the glorious smells of years gone by, and she always loved coming in here. George’s presence was greatly missed in the house. The children had been very upset when Rose had arrived back with the news that he had been killed. They had spent most of their time with him since the outbreak of war, and like everyone else in the family had loved him very much.

  ‘Hello, sweetheart.’ Wally wiped his hands and gave her a hug. ‘It’s good to see you again. Are our guests settled in?’

  ‘Yes. It was a relief to get Maria here. She’s in a poor way.’ Annie smiled at her sister. ‘But your cooking will soon have her on the mend.’

  ‘Let’s hope so.’ Rose dusted the flour from her hands. ‘Where’s Reid?’

  ‘He’s still at the airfield with Bouncer.’

  ‘Auntie Annie!’ James rushed to greet her when she walked into the lounge.

  ‘My goodness,’ she laughed, ‘you’re nearly as tall as me.’ He allowed her to kiss his cheek. At fifteen he was looking quite the young gentleman, and she could now see his grandfather in him.

  He straightened up proudly and measured up against her. ‘I’m taller than you now.’

  ‘So you are, and by a good inch.’ She smiled at Jacques who was sitting on the floor trying to fit a piece into a jigsaw puzzle.

  ‘And how are you?’ she asked gently.

  ‘All right, thank you,’ he answered politely, and then picked up the toy rabbit, which was looking quite bedraggled by now, and started to stroke one long ear.

  James sat next to the child and helped him put the piece of jigsaw into the right place. ‘He’s worried about his dad.’

  ‘He’ll see him soon,’ Annie told James very quietly. ‘Where’s Kate?’

  ‘I’m here.’ She came in carrying some more toys, and, when she’d put them down by Jacques, kissed Annie.

  The children were obviously doing everything they could to amuse Jacques.

  At that moment Reid and Bouncer strode in and said hello to everyone. Reid went over and swept Jacques off the floor. ‘Hello, young man, I’ve got a really big aeroplane this time. Would you like to see it tomorrow?’

  Jacques nodded and began to run his fingers over the wings on Reid’s uniform.

  ‘What’s up?’ he asked, obviously sensing the strained atmosphere.

  Rose explained and he shook his head sadly. ‘I expect he’s been bewildered, poor little devil.’

  Marj put down a tray loaded with cups of tea and Wally winked at Annie. ‘Do you know that the first thing she did when we met was to give me a cup of tea, and she hasn’t changed in all these years. Not even rationing has stopped her making her favourite brew. It’s a bit weaker now, of course.’

  The little boy had settled himself on Reid’s lap and took a glass of milk from Kate. He started to drink, his troubled eyes searching all the faces in the room.

  Suddenly Jacques squealed as Sam came into the room. He shot off Reid’s lap – Reid deftly fielded the glass when it shot in the air – and threw himself at his father. The child was swung into the air and then hugged and kissed.

  Jacques started to chatter in rapid French and wave his arms about.

  ‘What’s he saying?’ Reid asked Annie. ‘I can’t keep up with that.’

  ‘He’s telling Sam how he thought he’d left him for good, and he likes everyone here but he wants to go home.’

  It was then that the full import of Jacques’s real mother being found settled on Annie. There was no longer any question of Sam persuading her to marry him for his son’s sake, and she was swamped with a feeling of intense relief. It would have been so wrong for all concerned, and when she looked at the little boy she was not sure she would have had the courage to refuse.

  Maria had made remarkable progress in only four days, and Annie guessed that it was her desire to see her son again that had accelerated her recovery. Rose had a tape measure in her hand and Marj was pinning some of Annie’s clothes on Maria. Annie, being the smallest, had given her a few garments but they all needed altering.

  Sam touched Annie’s arm. ‘We must talk.’

  They left the women to. it and wandered outside. It was late September now, but the day was pleasant, and warm enough for them to walk around the garden in comfort. The singing of the birds was soothing, and Annie smiled at a thrush in the tree warbling out its tune. These little birds were quite oblivious of the drama unfolding all around them.

  ‘Maria is looking so much stronger,’ Annie remarked.

  ‘Yes, it must be Rose’s suet treacle.’

  They both laughed at Maria’s description. She spoke a little English but it often came out with words missing.

  Sam turned his head and looked at Annie, a hint of regret in his eyes. ‘I have been very selfish. I thought only of making a family for my son, and I was prepared to use you,’ he admitted.

  Annie’s glance was quizzical. ‘What makes you think I would have allowed you to do that?’

  ‘I did not doubt it after you tried to seduce me.’ He grinned then.

  ‘I was drunk, Sam.’

  ‘Yes, and very revealing it was too.’ His smile faded. ‘Nevertheless, I owe you an apology. I gave no thought for your happiness, I saw you as a suitable mother for my troubled son.’ He was looking rather embarrassed and uncomfortable.

  ‘Oh, Sam, you don’t have to apologize for that. I would probably have done the same thing in your position.’

  ‘I expect you would,’ he agreed. ‘Family is important to you, isn’t it?’

  ‘Yes, I grew up watching Rose fight to give us all a better life, and what we have now is very precious to all of us.’

  ‘She’s a very special woman.’ Sam sighed. ‘I don’t know what would have become of Jacques if she hadn’t taken care of him.’

  They walked in silence for a while, then Annie asked, ‘What are your plans now?’

  ‘I won’t be coming back with you. My work is finished and I have been discharged on compassionate grounds.’

  ‘I’ll miss you,’ she told him. It was going to be strange without Sam around. She’d worked with him since 1940 after becoming a wireless operator, and he’d become a part of her life.

  ‘We have shared much in the last few years, but we’ll still be friends. Yes?’ he asked.

  ‘Of course.’ Annie slipped her hand through his arm. ‘I want to see Jacques grow up.’

  ‘Rose has given us permission to stay at the cottage for as long as we need it.
I will marry Maria as soon as it can be arranged.’

  ‘Good. That will make her very happy, and speed her recovery, I’m sure.’ Annie stopped to cut a late pink rose with a pair of dressmaking scissors she had in her pocket. ‘Give her this from me.’

  Sam smelt the perfume and smiled. ‘Thank you, she’ll love it; there hasn’t been much beauty in her life for a long time. My home is still standing, Annie. It will need a lot of work, but as soon as the war’s over we shall return to France.’

  ‘Oh, I’m so glad you have something to go back to. When are you going to take Jacques to meet his mother?’

  ‘As soon as Marj and Rose have finished making her look nice.’

  ‘Nice?’ Annie laughed. ‘Sam, she’s lovely, and even in her frail state the beauty shines through.’

  ‘Just wait until she has put on some weight and is in full health again.’ Sam’s eyes shone with love, and he swallowed back emotion. ‘I never thought to see her again.’

  Annie squeezed his arm. ‘I’m so happy for you.’

  Sam stopped and turned her to face him. ‘I hope I haven’t ruined things for you with Reid. I told him that I intended to make you mine, and I warned him off.’

  ‘So? That wouldn’t have bothered him.’

  ‘You don’t know, do you?’ Sam gave a rueful shake of his head.

  ‘I haven’t the faintest idea what you’re talking about.’ Annie tipped her head to one side and frowned. ‘I think you’d better explain.’

  ‘The man is in love with you, Annie.’

  Her mouth opened in astonishment. ‘Where on earth did you get that idea from?’

  ‘He told me.’

  Annie gave him a disbelieving look. ‘Oh, I’ve heard that tale before. He was pulling your leg.’

  ‘No.’ Sam was adamant. ‘We were rivals for your love, but I was determined to win, even though I knew Reid loved you deeply. And for that act of selfishness I am very sorry.’

  Annie was speechless. Reid had been telling the truth when he told her to look in the mirror to see the woman he loved. Dismay and shame swamped her. What a heartless fool she’d been, and how she must have hurt him by calling him a liar that night at Roehampton …