‘How do you feel about the test?’ Dan asked Grace, as they headed out of London the next morning.
‘Nervous,’ she admitted. ‘I hope I’m good enough, because we won’t be coming here again, will we?’
‘No, this is the last session for both of us.’ Dan cast a quick glance at her. ‘I’m fully fit again. The sergeant has done his job well. I wouldn’t have made such rapid progress without him.’
‘They have been very kind, and I have enjoyed the challenge of learning to drive.’ She tried to keep her tone bright, but to be honest she was feeling a little sad. This wasn’t just the end of the early morning trips – it was more than that. He hadn’t said anything, but it didn’t take a genius to know that her job with him was coming to an end. The change in him was remarkable. The limp had completely disappeared, and for such a big man, his movements were now quite graceful. She smiled to herself. That seemed a silly thing to say about a man who exuded power and strength, but that was how she saw it. And that was what the medical examiners would see. There was no doubt in her mind that he would be declared fit for active duty again.
Helen had settled into whatever she was doing, and was happy. They wrote regular long letters to each other, but never mentioned their jobs. Everyone was continually reminded not to talk, as you never knew who was listening.
Grace had been lost in thought and hadn’t noticed the miles slipping away, so she was surprised when he stopped.
‘You drive now,’ Dan told her, getting out of the car and holding the door open for her. ‘Don’t look so worried. You need practice before we get there.’
Now she really was nervous. This was the last thing she had expected him to ask her to do. He adjusted the driver’s seat so she could reach the pedals. It had been pushed right back to accommodate his long legs. At five feet eight inches, she was by no means short, but he was over six feet.
‘That seems right,’ he said. ‘Can you reach the pedals easily?’
‘Yes, that feels fine. Thank you.’
He adjusted the passenger seat, and got in. ‘All right, Grace. You know the way by now.’
She drew in a deep, silent breath, and started the car, concentrating hard to remember everything Bob had taught her.
‘Relax,’ he told her after a few miles. ‘You are doing fine.’
It wasn’t easy with him sitting beside her and watching every move she made, but those few words of encouragement was the only comment he made. By the time she reached the camp she was relieved, and rather pleased with herself. She didn’t feel as if she had made any bad mistakes, or he would certainly have corrected her. It boded well for the test.
Bob smiled with pleasure when he saw Grace getting out of the driver’s side. He saluted the major. ‘How did my pupil do, sir?’
‘Very well, Corporal. I felt quite safe.’
Grace gave him a disbelieving look. She had noticed his foot pressing on an imaginary brake once or twice.
He laughed softly, reading her expression accurately. ‘Don’t change out of the slacks straight after the test. There’s something else I want you to do before we leave.’
‘Very well, sir. I’ll see you in about an hour.’
‘You didn’t ask Major Chester what he had planned,’ Bob remarked as they walked towards the car.
‘I quickly learnt not to ask him questions.’
‘I know,’ Bob laughed. ‘He tells you what to do, and you do it.’
She smiled, and nodded towards another soldier waiting by the car. ‘Is that the man who is going to do the test?’
‘That’s right. You don’t have anything to worry about. You are a good driver. All you’re lacking is experience. Just forget he’s there and concentrate on the driving.’
‘I’ll try not to let you, or myself, down.’ Putting on a confident air, she walked towards the examiner.
‘We’ll go straight to the assault course, Sergeant.’
‘Yes, sir. I’ve got a few volunteers who will give you a bit of competition. They are looking forward to beating an officer. All I’ve told them is that you are an officer who wants to see if he can still tackle the course. They don’t know who you are.’
Dan grinned. ‘So they think they can beat me, do they? We’ll see about that. I used to be quite good at this.’
‘And I’m sure you still are – now you’re fit again, sir.’
‘Let’s not keep them waiting, then.’
There were six soldiers at the course, laughing and joking. They snapped to attention when Dan arrived.
‘At ease. Thank you for volunteering to run the assault course with me. I haven’t tackled it for some time, and it will be more fun to be running with others.’
The men smiled smugly, and one said, ‘We’re looking forward to it, sir. We don’t get the chance to run against an officer.’
Dan put on a slightly worried frown as he studied the course, making the sergeant turn away to hide his grin.
‘Confident bunch you’ve gathered together, Sergeant,’ Dan remarked quietly.
‘They are new here, sir, and don’t know you, or your reputation of never expecting your men to do anything you can’t. I can’t wait to see them brought down a peg or two.’
‘You really think I can do that?’
The sergeant nodded, hardly able to contain his amusement. ‘Working with you over the last few weeks I’ve seen for myself what you can do, and I’m sure they won’t find it as easy as they think it’s going to be.’
‘I appreciate the vote of confidence. Let’s see just how fit I am, shall we?’
The sergeant faced the men. ‘Right, let’s get this started. Any man I see tripping, pushing or obstructing another will regret it. Is that clear?’
‘Yes, Sergeant,’ they chorused.
‘Play fair, or I will make your lives a misery. Get ready … Go!’
Dan started several paces behind the enthusiastic men, pacing himself over the first few obstacles. Then, finally, feeling good, he increased his speed, overtaking one man, and then another. The sergeant was running beside them, yelling comments at the top of his voice. Not all of them complimentary.
It was only in the last few yards Dan managed to overtake the last of the men. He was bent over, gasping for breath, when the team of soldiers gathered round, moaning with exhaustion.
‘Well done, sir,’ one of them gasped. ‘We couldn’t stay with you.’
Dan grinned, straightening up, elated with the way it had gone. ‘I wasn’t sure I could beat you. Thanks for giving me the chance to try.’
Steve wandered up. ‘That was impressive, Dan. How does the leg feel?’
‘Good. It held up well.’
The soldiers were now looking at the tall officer in amazement. ‘You did that with a gammy leg?’ one of them asked.
‘It’s healed now.’ Dan turned to Steve. ‘What do you think, Doc, will they let me return to active duty?’
‘No doubt about it. I’ll send in a report as well, to make sure of it. You’ll be back with your regiment by the end of the month. Your men will be relieved to see you.’
A cloud crossed Dan’s face. ‘I’ll know some that survived, but there will be a lot of replacements I don’t know.’
‘They will have all heard about the exploits of Major Chester, and they will be just as relieved to see you back. No one thought it would be possible, Dan. But you always were a stubborn bastard.’
One of the soldiers whispered to the others, ‘What did he do?’
‘Dunno,’ another replied, ‘but I think the sergeant has been hiding things from us. He damned well knew we were going to be beaten!’
All comments stopped as Grace walked into view, accompanied by the corporal and the examiner.
‘Ah.’ Dan strolled over. ‘How did she get on, Andy?’
‘I gave her the same test as a military driver, and she passed easily. I’ve been trying to persuade her to join the ATS, but I haven’t been successful.’
Dan di
dn’t comment on that, but smiled at Grace. ‘Well done!’
‘Thank you, sir.’ Her eyes shone with amusement as she looked at him. ‘I see you’ve managed to find some mud.’
‘Are you jealous?’ he asked, and they both laughed at the private joke. ‘As it’s our last visit here, and as a celebration of you passing your test, I thought you might like to have a go at the assault course with me.’
‘Dan!’ Steve exclaimed. ‘You can’t ask a girl to tackle that!’
‘Why not? I’m sure she’d like to have as go. Wouldn’t you?’
She eyed the monstrosity, and thought for a moment. The glint in his eyes told her he really wanted to do this. Things had obviously gone well for him today, and she could see his relief. He knew he was on his way back to active duty, so perhaps this would be a fitting way to bring their short time together to a close – with laughter. She smiled at him. ‘You’re on!’
He took hold of her arm and placed her in front of the first obstacle. ‘I’ll tell you how to deal with each stage of the course. Trust me and go for it. I won’t let you hurt yourself.’
She nodded, wondering why on earth she had agreed to this.
‘Run as fast as you can!’
It was bedlam. Everyone there was running beside them, shouting encouragement. The first obstacle wasn’t too bad, and her balance was good when she reached the pole across the water, but there was a high wall in front of her now.
‘Keep your speed up,’ Dan instructed, ‘and be ready to grab the top of the wall.’
When they reached it she was lifted off her feet, and thrown to the top. She made a desperate grab and held on with all her might. Suddenly, Dan was also up there with her.
‘Right. Now, get your legs up.’
The yelling from the onlookers was deafening as Grace struggled to sit astride the wall. She looked down and saw the sergeant waiting on the other side, urging her to swing down.
The rest of the course was negotiated in the same way, with willing hands helping her along, and enthusiastic encouragement from all sides.
By the end, she was dirty, exhausted, and probably bruised, she thought. But it had been fun, and she had never seen Dan laughing so much.
‘Well done, Grace! That was a valiant effort. I’m proud of you.’
Everyone was clustered around, having thoroughly enjoyed the sight of a girl trying to tackle their course.
She finally found enough breath to talk, and said, ‘Thank you, sir. I couldn’t have done it without you and the sergeant. You both practically carried me over some obstacles.’
Steve waded in and took hold of Grace’s arm. ‘All right, men, you’ve had your fun. You come with me, young lady.’
‘I’ll see you when we’ve both cleaned up.’
As Steve led her away, he shook his head. ‘That was crazy, Grace.’
‘I know, and I’m sure I’ll regret it tomorrow.’
‘You did it for Dan, didn’t you?’
‘I couldn’t refuse. He is so happy, and it felt right to finish off with some light-hearted fun. He’ll be returning to his regiment soon, won’t he?’
‘He’s going for a full medical in two days, and there’s no doubt he is now fully fit. They will have to declare him fit for active duty. Will you be transferred to another office?’
‘I really don’t know. That’s a bridge I will have to cross when I reach it.’
‘You get on well together. It will probably be a wrench to watch him walk away.’
‘I expect so but, for me, the last few months have consisted of one loss after another. I’m getting used to it.’ Her smile was tinged with sadness. ‘I didn’t want to work for him, you know. I only went to the War Office because my boss had arranged the interview for me when he joined the air force. Now, I’m sorry my time there has been so short.’
An hour later, both scrubbed clean and dressed for business, they were on their way back to London.
‘I’ve invited everyone who has helped us to an evening at the Savoy,’ Dan told Grace. ‘It’s next Saturday, so get out your party dress. We’ll have a celebration.’
Chapter Eight
For the next three days Dan was out of the office most of the time. Grace knew he must have taken the medical, but he hadn’t mentioned it. She would have known if he hadn’t passed, though, because his volatile nature would have erupted. He was sweeping around like a man with a purpose, and whatever he was doing it was personal because he hadn’t asked for her help.
The door opened and the colonel looked in. ‘Do you know where Dan is, Grace?’
‘No, sir. I haven’t seen much of him this week.’
Colonel Askew shook his head. ‘He should let you know where he’s going. Tell him I want to see him when he shows his face.’
‘I will, sir. If he doesn’t come back this afternoon, I’ll leave a message for him. I’m afraid he’s in and out, and prowling around like a tiger.’
The colonel laughed. ‘That’s very apt. The Royal Hampshire Regiment are nicknamed “The Hampshire Tigers”.’
‘Ah, well,’ Grace smiled, ‘he’s in the right outfit.’
‘Now he’s passed the medical he can’t wait to rejoin them. He won’t suffer any delays, either. He’s probably out making sure his return is immediate.’
Now she knew, Grace thought, as the officer left. She could be out of a job after tomorrow. One thing was for sure; she wasn’t going to rush into anything this time. She hadn’t been thinking straight after Brian’s death, but she would take time with her next move.
It was late in the afternoon when Dan swept back in to the office. ‘Make some tea, Grace, and is there anything to eat in this place?’
She nodded. ‘I’ll find you something, sir. What would you like?’
‘Anything.’
Grace soon returned with a plate of cheese sandwiches. ‘This was all I could get.’
‘That’s fine.’ He smiled as he took one from the plate. ‘Thanks Grace. You’re a treasure.’
By the time she had made the tea, the plate was empty. ‘Would you like some more?’
He shook his head as she handed him a cup of tea.
‘Colonel Askew would like to see you.’
‘Right.’ Dan drank the tea, and held the cup out for a refill. That disappeared just as quickly. ‘I’ll go and see him now.’
He swept out of the office, and Grace watched the closing door with amusement. Tiger was indeed apt.
‘You wanted to see me, George?’
‘Oh, you’ve decided to pay us a visit, have you?’ He studied his nephew carefully. Even as a child, Dan had been a force to be reckoned with, and since his experiences in France and Dunkirk, that quality was even more noticeable. ‘Got what you wanted, have you?’
‘I’m off to Lower Barracks, Winchester, on Sunday.’
‘Have you told Grace?’
‘Not yet.’
‘Then you had better do it today, Dan. If I’d known you were going to return to active duty so soon, I would have tried to find her a different position. Assigning her to you was a mistake.’
‘No, it wasn’t!’ Dan exclaimed angrily. ‘I told her right from the beginning that the job probably wouldn’t last long. She’s an intelligent girl. She understood. I’ve done what I could for her. She’s had the very best driving instruction it’s possible to get. I’ve also tried to find her another job here, without success. What more do you and James expect me to do? There’s a bloody war on, Colonel, and I’m going back to my regiment where I belong!’
Dan surged to his feet, ready to storm out of the office and stopped in mid-stride. He was looking into the face of a girl who was not at all happy about what she had just heard.
Grace was not only furious – she was hurt, as well. Her gaze was icy as she looked at the two men. ‘No one has the right to believe they can decide my future! I am quite capable of finding my own way in life, without interference from you. How dare you presume what I should, or should not,
do! And you are wrong, Colonel. You didn’t make a mistake – I did. James should have told me you were almost family. I didn’t want to keep the appointment he had made for me, but, out of loyalty to him, I came. He also had no right to believe I needed looking after. I’m good at my job, and will make my own decisions.’
Grace stepped round Dan, picked up the telephone and dialled a number. ‘General Norton, I have Major Chester for you.’
She turned and thrust the phone into Dan’s hand. ‘He wants to speak with you – urgently.’
As Grace swept out of the office, Dan hesitated, not wanting her to leave like this, but he was trapped. With a frustrated growl, he put the phone to his ear.
‘Chester, sir.’
It turned out to be a lengthy call, and by the time Dan arrived back in his office, there was no sign of Grace. He swore fluently, and spun round, nearly crashing into his uncle.
‘It’s no good tearing after her, I tried to catch her, but she’s gone.’
‘Damn and blast!’
George grimaced. ‘At least that’s milder than the last lot of expletives you used. Stop fretting. Anyone would think you had formed an attachment to the girl.’
‘You’re letting your imagination run away with you, Uncle. She’s been good while she’s worked for me, and hasn’t flinched, no matter what I have thrown at her. I don’t want to leave with a bad feeling between us. That’s all.’
‘There isn’t much we can do tonight, so leave it until tomorrow. She’ll come back. She’s too professional to leave without giving proper notice.’
Dan shook his head. ‘You know I’ve never been able to leave things unresolved. And she’s right. We have no right to interfere in her life, or try to protect her as if she was a child. If James hadn’t sent her to us, would we be acting like this?’
‘I doubt it. James was so insistent in his letter that we look after her, and out of our affection for him that’s what we have been trying to do. A clumsy effort, as it turns out.’
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