‘What do you think?’ she smiled.
‘The other one is a nicer colour,’ he said, indicating the second one she had brought with her.
‘Let’s try that one, then,’ she said, beginning to undo the belt on the jacket. As she did, she glanced at the tag hanging on a short white string that gave the price.
In the end she took neither of them. She thanked the assistant and left the shop.
‘Fancy some coffee?’ she asked.
It was what she always said, to which he always replied, ‘Yes, please’ with the emphasis on the ‘yes’. Then they would both laugh and head for the nearest ABC Tea Shop.
‘Why didn’t you buy one of the swimsuits?’ he asked.
‘I didn’t really like them,’ she said, looking down at him. ‘And anyway, they were very expensive. I could make one for a lot cheaper than those. And we should be making the money that Daddy earns go as far as possible.’
In the ABC, she ordered coffee and a slice of cake for herself. Lewis had his favourite – circular shortbread biscuits with strawberry jam in between and white or pink icing on top. Today she let him have two, one white, one pink. The aroma of freshly roasted coffee was overwhelming and the hissing of the machine that frothed the milk made the place sound like a railway station.
Their order arrived.
‘I wonder what you’ll be when you grow up,’ said Mum, as she lifted her cup and saucer, took a sip of coffee and lowered them again.
‘A soldier,’ he announced immediately.
‘Gosh, I hope not,’ she said, putting an alarmed look on her face.
‘Why not? I like soldiers. It’s my favourite game.’
But suppose something happened to you?’
‘Nothing would happen to me. I should be a good soldier – brave and strong.’
‘But even if nothing happened to you, I should be worried while you were away – in case anything did.’
‘Did you always want to be a mum – when you grew up, I mean?’
She thought for a moment.
‘No, I didn’t actually. But now that I am, I love it. I love you. I wouldn’t have met you if I hadn’t decided to become a mum.’
He thought about this for a moment, realising the truth of it.
‘So what did you want to be?’
‘Well, I had a little dressmaking business before I met your Dad. Just in the front room of your nana’s house, making wedding dresses and things like that.’
Her voice had changed. It sounded distant, dreamy.
‘Or even a musician. When I was younger my piano teacher said that I had a lot of talent. She wanted me to go to music school.’
‘And why didn’t you?’
‘I met your daddy.’
‘And that was more fun than music school.’
‘Yes, it was more fun then,’ she said. ‘He made me laugh. He was great fun to be with.’
‘How did you meet him?’ asked Lewis.
‘He and your uncle John were serving on the same ship. They docked in Chatham and John was coming home for a few days. He asked your Dad if he would like to come along. So they came back to where we lived in Gillingham – you know, Nana and Grandad’s house?’
Lewis nodded.
‘I was out walking my dog and I bumped into them coming from the station.’
‘What was you dog’s name?’
‘He was called Chappie.’
‘And you really liked him?’
‘My dog?’
‘No,’ said Lewis laughing. ‘Dad.’
‘Oh yes,’ said Mum, laughing too. ‘I really liked him.’
‘And so then you got married?’
Lewis could see that Mum was enjoying this conversation.
‘Well not straight away but about a year later. Your Dad was still at sea then. I really missed him when he had to go away again. I did a very silly thing.’
She sounded as though she was about to share a secret with him.
‘He was sailing to New York and back so I said I would follow his progress on a map. Then I would know when I could expect to see him again. He told me the speed of the ship and so every day, I would work out how far they had travelled, measure it and mark it on the map. Well, your Dad showed up one day weeks before I expected him to. I was thrilled but I couldn’t understand how I’d gotten it so wrong. He asked me to explain how I had been working it out. So many knots per hour, I said, multiplied by twelve hours. Twelve, he asked. Why twelve? Well, you have to sleep don’t you, I said? He started roaring with laughter. The ship doesn’t sleep he said. Wasn’t that silly?’
Lewis agreed that it was.
‘After he gave up the sea and started the job he has now, he would often come home unexpectedly. He might be far away on a trip but would do all kinds of things to try to get home. I’d be there – in the last house – and suddenly late at night I’d hear the key in the door and there he’d be. “I sailed through the night,” he’d always say and we’d laugh.’
After they had finished, they went into a material shop and bought some white material with small yellow and blue flowers on it. That afternoon, while a small garrison of his favourite soldiers defended the fort against overwhelming odds, the sewing machine clattered away on the dining room table. In a couple of hours the swimsuit was ready. By then it was getting close to tea time.
‘I’ll just try it on before your father gets in,’ she said. She went out into the kitchen.
‘Don’t come in,’ she called, before emerging with the swimsuit on. She had long legs and these were very white in comparison to her arms.
‘How do I look, Lewis?’
‘You look beautiful.’
‘My little darling,’ she said, extending her arms. He stood up and ran to her, pressing himself against her. He faintly smelled her perfume and his hands could feel her body through the thin fabric. He stayed there until she said, ‘Alright, we’d better start tidying up.’
Outside the window of Mrs Middleton’s guest house, the sky had lightened a fraction. Lewis yawned and turned over. He was sleepy again now. His last thought was how strange it was that he remembered almost nothing of the holiday itself.
15
West continued the briefing. The dugout and its occupants made Lewis think of a pirate’s den.
‘The raiding party will consist of the following. Covering Party – Lieutenant Redman, two NCO’s, two tape men, two blanket men, two ladder men, two scouts with revolvers. Left and Right Blocking Parties – each two NCO’s, four bayonet men, four bombers in each. Body Snatching Party – Lieutenant Friday, two NCO’s, six men. Connecting Points – One NCO and two men. There will be an additional Support Party consisting of Second Lieutenant Harris, one NCO, four bombers, four bayonet men and two men on the Lewis Gun. Alright, so far?’
There was silence and some nodding.
‘You’ll rendezvous at this dugout ‘J’ here in the Support Line at Zero minus one hour thirty minutes. You’ll then proceed along this sap to the front line trench here and assemble in no-man’s-land on our side of the wire, along this line.’
West traced out the various movements with his forefinger. Somebody had picked out their route in little red dashes on the trench map. Lewis pictured them in the darkness going silently along the trench. What if he was killed on Helen’s birthday? It had a terrible irony to it. And not just an irony – but a logic. An awful, warped logic. He began to feel very afraid.
He tried to concentrate as West unfolded the plan. It was the standard one for trench raids. An artillery barrage would box off a section of trench isolating it from the rest of the German trench system. The blocking parties would go into the trench to further ensure that no Germans got through into the boxed-off bit. Then Lewis and his men would capture as many prisoners as they could and return them to the British lines. Everyone would retire, the artillery barrage would stop and that would be that. Despite the fact that it was such a standard operation, there were so many things that could g
o wrong, so many ways it could end in horror.
‘Previous reconnaissance has established a prominent clump of brushwood here’ – West stabbed his finger onto the table emphatically – ‘and this will be the marker for your point of entry.
The Covering Party will take up a position here on the German parapet at the point of entry. They will hold same until all of the other parties have reported clear. It will be the responsibility of the NCO’s in charge of each of the other parties to do this. Lieutenant Redman will accompany and remain in direct charge of the Covering Party.
The Right Blocking Party will enter the hostile trench at the point of entry. Four men each will go to this point and block the front line trench running south and the communications trench running east. Similarly, the Left Blocking Party after going in at the entry point will move towards this point and block the front line trench going north and also block the communications trench. NCO’s will remain at the junction of these two trenches. The bayonet men of both Blocking Parties will watch over the parapet for an overland attack by the enemy.’
A nightmare – trapped in an unfamiliar trench with the enemy coming overland. There would be grenades first and then, if you survived those, the enemy in the trench with bayonets. Dying with a foot and a half of steel in your belly in the dark in a squalid ditch. He didn’t want to die tonight. He didn’t want to die now when it might be just a matter of a few weeks and the killing would stop.
‘The Body Snatching Party will seize all enemy, printed and written papers, any identification and portable articles and bring same back when ordered to withdraw. The Connecting Party will remain halfway along the tape. This party will take the prisoners back and hand them into our trench. It will also guide the other parties back. The Supporting Party will take up a position in our trench and bring such fire as is necessary to protect the raiding party’s right flank. They will remain out until ordered to retire by the OC Raiding Party, Lieutenant Redman. Lewis Guns will accompany the Supporting Party, Second Lieutenant Harris commanding.’
There were no cushy assignments here. Any of them could die. They could all die. Men were going to die between now and any armistice. Why should Lewis not become one of them? There had been so many times since he had arrived in France just before Easter of last year when he had thought that the game was up. Messines, Passchaendale, the German Spring Offensive were the big ones but there had been things every day. A Calvary of days, all equally terrifying and differentiated only by the scale of death and maiming. His first encounter with the enemy had been a night-time trench raid just before the Battle of Messines. It had been petrifying because he hadn’t known what to expect. Everything after that had been terrifying because he had.
‘No time is to be wasted and having entered the trench, each party will proceed to its objective at once. The Body Snatching Party will take as many prisoners as possible, disarm them and immediately pass them back to the Covering Party. These will get them back to the Connecting Party who will get them back to our trench. Lieutenant Smith will be waiting here, and will accompany the prisoners to Centre Company where they will be handed over to the Regimental Police.’
The order to retire will be given by Lieutenant Redman fifteen minutes after Zero.’
All told, it would be less than half an hour. Less than half an hour and it would be over. That’s all it would be. A small number of minutes that could change everything. Oh that it were over. That he was back in his nice warm cosy dugout with whiskey and food.
‘You will retire in this order across the tapes laid. Body Snatching Party, Left Blocking Party, Right Blocking Party. Then will come the Covering Party and the Connecting Points. When all the Raiding Party is in, Lieutenant Redman will withdraw the Support Party. After roll-call in the dugout here, he will proceed to Battalion for debriefing.’
Lewis doubted if it would all turn out to be as neat as that in practice. He had seen trench raids that had turned into routs with men running for their lives.
‘The OC Machine Gun Company has arranged for one of his guns to open fire at plus three minutes on the German front line. They will cease fire at plus seventeen. This will be a protection to the left flank of the Raiding Party and will therefore continue after plus seventeen, if required.
All identification is to be removed from all ranks in the party before leaving the dugout. Each man will wear service tunic with the buttons dulled, trews, puttees, steel helmet and Bomber’s Shield.’
Jesus, the so-called Bomber’s Shield. It was like a padded waistcoat, the padding being about an inch thick and covered in brown muslin. The padding was made up of different layers of tissue, scraps of linen, cotton and silk. The lot was said to be hardened with some form of resinous material but nobody believed that. It might stop a pea from a pea shooter though Lewis wasn’t convinced. Still he would wear it. He would wear anything if he felt it would help him to get through this.
‘Each man will carry a field dressing and two bombs, one in each trouser pocket. Bombers will carry eight bombs in bomb carriers. Riflemen will carry fifty rounds in canvas bandoliers and nine rounds in their magazines. All safety’s to be locked and bayonets fixed. Bombers will carry knobkerries. The two scouts in the Advanced Party will carry a revolver and a wire cutter each. Bayonets will be blackened, faces and hands darkened, all luminous watches to be hidden. Officers to carry revolvers and ten rounds of ammunition. Officers and scouts to carry compasses. Officers of the Raiding Party to carry torches. Rations not to be carried. Six hand ropes to be carried by Body Snatching Party.
Here’s the timetable. At Zero minus one and a half hours, the raiding party will leave the dugout “J”. The rear of the party will pass this point “F”’ – West pointed at it on the map – ‘in the front line trench at minus thirty minutes. The whole party will be on our side of the wire, in no-man’s-land, ready to go forward at minus three. Zero hour and the signal for the attack will be the beginning of the artillery barrage. Machine gun fire will commence at plus three. I expect everybody to be back in their own trenches by Zero plus fifteen at which time the artillery fire is scheduled to cease. The code word to withdraw will be “Whitby”. Zero hour will be at one thirty ack emma tomorrow.’
‘Fifteen minutes, gentlemen,‘ put in Ogilvy. ‘Fifteen minutes. That’s all it should take from the time the artillery starts. Five minutes should be more than enough to gain entry to their trench, five minutes to find the people you want and get them out, five minutes to get back to our lines. There’s plenty of contingency in there. Major West?’
West looked around at the circle of faces.
‘Any questions, gentlemen? No? Well, in that case it only just remains for me to wish you good luck and to synchronise our watches.’
‘And remember,’ said Ogilvy as they broke up. ‘The thing is to bring back prisoners, not casualties.’
He looked around at them over his glasses again as if to emphasise the point.
‘Good luck gentlemen.’
16
In the end, Lewis didn’t go to the beach either. He went for a long walk in the morning and had lunch in a pub. He spent the whole time thinking about her. He looked endlessly at his watch and was repeatedly surprised at how little time had gone by. When would it be time to go back to Mrs Middleton’s and get ready?
He returned there about three – much earlier than he had intended, but he just couldn’t wait any longer. He bathed, washed his hair and shaved, even though he had shaved yesterday and didn’t really need to. Then he put on fresh clothes. He agonised briefly over whether or not to wear a tie, but in the end he decided he should. Dad had always said that it was better to err on the side of caution in things like this. Anyway, Lewis could always take it off later.
He told Mrs Middleton he wouldn’t be back for dinner and whatever she thought about this and the way he was dressed, all she said was, ‘Alright, m’dear, see you later on.’ Lewis found a florist’s and bought a bouquet of flowers. He knew nothing about
flowers so he asked for a mixture and the florist arranged them beautifully. He carried the flowers cradled in his arms. It was very warm and he hoped they wouldn’t wilt before he got there. As he left Fowey he was in a fever of excitement. Helen might be much older than him, but she didn’t seem like that. She seemed young, carefree, full of fun. And she treated him as though there were no age difference between them. And she was so beautiful. He tried to picture her face now but found that he couldn’t, other than a generally pretty face framed by blonde hair. He would be more observant when he was there this time.
When he arrived he pushed through the gate and came round to the back of the cottage. The back door was ajar.
‘Hello,’ he called, and a few moments later he heard her coming through the house and she appeared in the little porch. Her hair seemed to shine when she stepped into the sunlight. She wore a white blouse and a light blue skirt that came down below her knees.
‘Lewis!’
She came to him and kissed him on the cheek. He could smell her perfume and her hair which had a fragrance of its own. Then she said, ‘My, you are looking smart.’
‘I wasn’t sure how posh we were going to be,’ he said, but it was more in good humour than embarrassment.
‘I shall have to change,’ she said, picking up the thread.
‘Or I could take my tie off,’ he said.
‘Better idea,’ she confirmed.
He had almost forgotten that he was holding the flowers.
‘Oh, these are for you,’ he said, handing them over as though he were passing a baby.
‘Oh Lewis,’ she said. ‘They’re beautiful. Thank you. You’re such a darling. Come in. Let’s put them in water.’
She led the way through. There was a small porch and then a large room. It had a kitchen part that had a sink under a window, a range against one wall and a table and chairs. Then, beyond that, were a fireplace, a couple of armchairs, a small sideboard and an open stairs. On the table was an empty vase.
Starlight (The Four Lights Quartet Book 1) Page 8