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
As if reading her thoughts, he said urgently, ‘One day, we’ll be together. I promise you, Kate.’
He was a man of honour who was compelled, at this moment, to put duty before his own happiness; yet she knew he would not make such a promise lightly. She knew he truly believed he would be able to keep his pledge.
As they walked back towards the station, he said again, ‘You never did say why you’re not in uniform.’
Kate’s heart hammered. ‘Oh, I – er – thought it might be less conspicuous for you. Me being’, her voice broke a little, ‘a lowly corporal meeting a Group Captain.’ And when he said, ‘That was thoughtful of you, darling,’ she hated her lie all the more.
‘I’ll write to you,’ he said suddenly.
‘Oh er, yes, c-could you send the letters to my relatives in Lincoln? I’ll give you their address.’ She felt her cheeks grow hot as he glanced down at her.
‘Of course, if you’d rather.’
‘Only your letter took several days to reach me and – and I never did get the other two you mentioned. Besides . . .’ I might as well make it convincing now I’ve started, she told herself. ‘There are too many prying eyes at the camp . . .’
‘That’s true. You can write to me, though, at my new station. There’s no problem my end.’
When they parted two hours later on the platform, he said, ‘We’ll try to meet again . . .’
For a moment she clung to him and then, tears blinding her, she turned away and stumbled on to the train. As it pulled away, Kate sat huddled in the corner of the carriage, unable to bring herself to wave goodbye to him.
Forty-Two
Every day, Kate watched for the postman until even Mrs Godfrey remarked upon it. ‘Are you expecting a letter, dear?’
‘No . . . yes . . .’ Kate sighed. ‘Not really.’
‘Still hoping to hear from your mam?’ Mrs Godfrey asked gently.
Kate sighed heavily and forced a wry smile.
Mrs Godfrey shook her head. ‘I really don’t know what the woman can be thinking of. I’m sorry, Kate. I know she’s your mother, but honestly . . .’
Kate shrugged her shoulders in sad agreement. She could not tell even the kindly Mrs Godfrey everything that was locked away in her heart. She seemed to have lost everyone; Danny, Philip, and even her family at Fleethaven Point. If asked, she would have been hard-pressed to say which loss hurt the most.
The following day, they heard footsteps coming down the passage at the side of the house to the back door.
‘Now, who can that be, just as we’re sitting down to dinner?’ Mrs Godfrey grumbled, but without real rancour as she, more than anyone else in the house, loved visitors to call and relieve the monotony of her day.