Chapters (52)
- Cover
- Margaret Dickinson
- Dedication page
- Contents
- Part One
- One
- Two
- Three
- Four
- Five
- Six
- Seven
- Eight
- Nine
- Ten
- Eleven
- Twelve
- Thirteen
- Fourteen
- Fifteen
- Sixteen
- Part Two
- Seventeen
- Eighteen
- Nineteen
- Twenty
- Twenty-One
- Twenty-Two
- Twenty-Three
- Twenty-Four
- Twenty-Five
- Twenty-Six
- Twenty-Seven
- Twenty-Eight
- Twenty-Nine
- Thirty
- Thirty-One
- Thirty-Two
- Thirty-Three
- Thirty-Four
- Thirty-Five
- Thirty-Six
- Thirty-Seven
- Thirty-Eight
- Thirty-Nine
- Forty
- Forty-One
- Forty-Two
- Sow the Seed
- Note
- ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
- Copyright page
‘What’s all that smoke?’ she asked Gordon, watching the huge pall of black smoke ahead of them on the shore billowing and spreading, clouding the coastline for miles until it seemed like dusk, in stark contrast to the bright blue sky over the sea behind them.
‘Oil storage tanks. They’ve been bombed. And the whole town’s on fire.’
From out of the smoke hurtled three enemy planes, diving down towards the boats, the rattle of their machine-guns audible even above the engines. Ships’ guns were turned on them and those soldiers on the decks who still had rifles pointed them skywards. Even though it was perhaps a futile gesture, nevertheless it was a display of defiance.
Defenceless, Danny, Kate and Gordon watched as the planes swooped directly towards them. Instinctively, Kate’s arms tightened around the airman.
It was then that she felt him move. He gave a spluttering cough, then a groan, and opened his eyes.
The planes shot past them, spattering bullets into the water only two feet from the boat, and Kate felt the cold splash of sea water on her cheek. Then they banked away and were gone.
Gordon winked at Kate and said, ‘Well now, young feller, back in the land of the living.’
They propped him upright and from the bag, Kate brought out more bread and cheese. ‘See if you can get him to eat something – and have some yourself. We’re getting close to the men in the water now. I’d better take the tiller for Danny.’
As she turned away to move along the boat, Gordon, his mouth full, said, ‘By, this cheese is good. Long time since I tasted proper cheese. You do live on a farm, then? Where?’
‘Fleethaven Point. It’s on the Lincolnshire coast, near the Wash.’
‘Good Lord! You come all that way down here?’
‘Yes, Danny’s boat was commandeered, so he decided to bring it himself. I came too – so here we are.’
‘And thank the good Lord for you, lass. For you both – you and your man.’
Yes, she thought wryly, Danny was her man. Still, despite the knowledge of their true relationship, deep in a corner of her heart, locked away, he was still ‘her man’.
Nineteen
The little fishing boat all the way from the Wash went back towards the sinking ship, now listing heavily to port and obviously beyond salvage. The men in the water were exhausted. After days and nights on the exposed beaches, under fire from the enemy, then standing in human piers stretching into the cold water of the Channel, they had dared to believe themselves rescued. To be thrown back into the water had sapped the strength and resolve of even these brave men.
Still the enemy aircraft swooped and dived above them. Every three-quarters of an hour or so they were back, splattering bullets across the water and dive-bombing the ships laden with soldiers.