Cover

The Brave Daughters

Mary Wood

Dedication page

For my late, much-loved eldest brother, Charlie, who showed me that in life you have to strive for what you want to achieve. Love and miss you always, and I know that you would have been so proud of me.

Family Tree

PART ONE

Britain and France,
1939

The Families

CHAPTER ONE

Blackburn

Sibbie and Marjie

As the car that had fetched her from the station travelled the long drive towards Feniscowles Manor, Sibbie felt the usual excitement grip her, on seeing the lovely house with its many windows gleaming and reflecting the sunlight. The ivy covering its walls seemed to shimmer a welcome in the August heat, and its backdrop of the beautiful hills of Bowland provided the perfect setting for this, her second home.

On arriving outside the house, her anticipation rose so much that she was out of the car and running up the steps before her Aunt Mags’s driver had time to alight and assist her. As she reached the door, it opened.

‘Sibbie! How lovely to see you, darling. Come on in. Marjella, Beth and Belinda are in the garden, taking advantage of this lovely day. They’re all excited to be seeing you again.’

‘Hello, Aunt Mags, how are you? I’ve missed you. It seems ages since I left for the summer holidays. Oh, and Aunt Betsy and Mum said I’m to give you their love.’

Sibbie found herself enclosed in her aunt’s arms, having seen in her lovely, big brown eyes the same underlying concern that marred everyone’s lives right now – an overwhelming fear of what might happen in the near future. This was disconcerting to Sibbie, as Aunt Mags, a close family friend – whom Sibbie loved dearly and had called ‘Aunt’ all her life – was a strong and capable businesswoman who headed the board of the largest mill in the area and rarely indicated that anything unnerved her.

Tall and slender, Mags was the epitome of the lady of the manor. She always wore her light-brown hair, now peppered with grey strands, in a bun at the nape of her neck, which added to her elegant appearance.

Holding Sibbie at arm’s length, Aunt Mags kept her voice light. ‘Dear Betsy and Susan, I’ll ring them later to let them know you’ve arrived safely. Now, let me look at you. Being back in Portpatrick for the summer has done you good. You were looking peaky when you left. Those long hours in the classroom had taken their toll.’

‘I had a lovely time, being spoilt by everyone, but I’m ready to get back to studying.’