everything in my power to ferret out what really happened to those men."
"I know you will." He looked down at her hand resting on his arm, then reached for it. Slowly he raised it and pressed his lips to her fingers. "I don't know what I'd do without you now. You make it all bearable."
Unexpected tears stung her eyes. "I'm glad." She pulled her hand from his grasp. "Don't stay away so long next time."
"I'll try not to." He looked down at her for a long moment, until she thought she would suffocate from holding her breath. Then, with a muttered "Good night," he twisted away from her and disappeared through the door.
It wasn't until an hour or so later that she realized shehadn't told him about the three musketeers Alfie had talked about. Ah well, it would give her a good excuse to talk to Earl again soon. Right now she was ready to grasp every opportunity she could get.
"I swear this place gets more bloomin' crowded every time we come down here." Sadie lifted a glass tankard of foaming beer and gulped several mouthfuls of it before putting it back down.
Seated across from her, Polly looked on in amazement. She'd never liked the taste of beer, and couldn't understand how Sadie managed to drink so much of it. She'd be peeing all night long if she drank half that much.
"It's getting noisier, too." Sadie twisted her head to scan the room. "Can't see anything interesting yet, can you, Marl?"
Marlene shrugged. "Not much, no."
Sadie narrowed her eyes. "That bloke over there looks a bit of all right. Got a nice bum, he has. Wouldn't mind putting my hands on that."
Marlene looked shocked, while Polly giggled. "Gawd, if Ma heard us talking like that she'd take the poker to us," she said. "Anyway, I thought you was bringing Winnie down here with you tonight."
Marlene stared at her sister. "Who's Winnie?"
"Winston Churchill hisself, that's who." Polly pointed a finger at Sadie. "Ask her how she met him."
Marlene turned her astonished gaze on Sadie. "You met Winston Churchill?"
"I didn't say as how I met him," Sadie said, glaring at Polly. "I said as I how I
seen
him. Up on the cliffs. I said good morning to him, but he didn't answer me. Just sort ofnodded, you know the way he does, then went on walking with his head down."
"Can't see as how you did that," Polly said scornfully, "when he spoke on the wireless last night. He'd have to fly down here to get here that fast."
"Well, maybe he did," Sadie said smugly. "After all, if anyone can get a ride on a plane it would be our Winnie, right?"
"Well, I don't believe you saw him, so there."
Marlene shook her head. "It couldn't have been him, Sadie. What would he be doing in Sitting Marsh?"
Sadie raised her shoulders and let them drop. "How the bloody hell do I know? Watching for an invasion, more than likely. He's always talking about one, ain't he?"
Marlene's mouth tugged into a smile, then she exploded into a fit of giggles. "Maybe he just wanted a paddle in the sea."
"He'd have to pick his way through the land mines," Polly said, joining in the laughter.
Sadie's cheeks turned pink. "I don't care what no one says, I saw him and that's that. Anyhow, I'd rather have my hands on that Yank over there than Winnie anytime."
Polly followed Sadie's gaze to where a group of GIs lounged against the bar. "Which one is he, anyway?"
"That one on the right." Sadie jerked her head in that direction. "The tall one with the blond hair."
Polly looked. "He's all right, but he's nothing next to my Sam." The ache was back in her stomach. "I wish he was down here. I miss him so much."
Marlene snorted. "What you need is another boyfriend."
Polly shook her head. "Don't want no one but Sam."
"Your sister's right," Sadie said, her gaze still directedat the bar. "The best medicine for a broken heart is a new bloke."
"If I can't have Sam I don't want no one." Polly picked up her gin and orange and threw most of it down her throat. Choking, she had to wait until she got her breath back before
"I know you will." He looked down at her hand resting on his arm, then reached for it. Slowly he raised it and pressed his lips to her fingers. "I don't know what I'd do without you now. You make it all bearable."
Unexpected tears stung her eyes. "I'm glad." She pulled her hand from his grasp. "Don't stay away so long next time."
"I'll try not to." He looked down at her for a long moment, until she thought she would suffocate from holding her breath. Then, with a muttered "Good night," he twisted away from her and disappeared through the door.
It wasn't until an hour or so later that she realized shehadn't told him about the three musketeers Alfie had talked about. Ah well, it would give her a good excuse to talk to Earl again soon. Right now she was ready to grasp every opportunity she could get.
"I swear this place gets more bloomin' crowded every time we come down here." Sadie lifted a glass tankard of foaming beer and gulped several mouthfuls of it before putting it back down.
Seated across from her, Polly looked on in amazement. She'd never liked the taste of beer, and couldn't understand how Sadie managed to drink so much of it. She'd be peeing all night long if she drank half that much.
"It's getting noisier, too." Sadie twisted her head to scan the room. "Can't see anything interesting yet, can you, Marl?"
Marlene shrugged. "Not much, no."
Sadie narrowed her eyes. "That bloke over there looks a bit of all right. Got a nice bum, he has. Wouldn't mind putting my hands on that."
Marlene looked shocked, while Polly giggled. "Gawd, if Ma heard us talking like that she'd take the poker to us," she said. "Anyway, I thought you was bringing Winnie down here with you tonight."
Marlene stared at her sister. "Who's Winnie?"
"Winston Churchill hisself, that's who." Polly pointed a finger at Sadie. "Ask her how she met him."
Marlene turned her astonished gaze on Sadie. "You met Winston Churchill?"
"I didn't say as how I met him," Sadie said, glaring at Polly. "I said as I how I
seen
him. Up on the cliffs. I said good morning to him, but he didn't answer me. Just sort ofnodded, you know the way he does, then went on walking with his head down."
"Can't see as how you did that," Polly said scornfully, "when he spoke on the wireless last night. He'd have to fly down here to get here that fast."
"Well, maybe he did," Sadie said smugly. "After all, if anyone can get a ride on a plane it would be our Winnie, right?"
"Well, I don't believe you saw him, so there."
Marlene shook her head. "It couldn't have been him, Sadie. What would he be doing in Sitting Marsh?"
Sadie raised her shoulders and let them drop. "How the bloody hell do I know? Watching for an invasion, more than likely. He's always talking about one, ain't he?"
Marlene's mouth tugged into a smile, then she exploded into a fit of giggles. "Maybe he just wanted a paddle in the sea."
"He'd have to pick his way through the land mines," Polly said, joining in the laughter.
Sadie's cheeks turned pink. "I don't care what no one says, I saw him and that's that. Anyhow, I'd rather have my hands on that Yank over there than Winnie anytime."
Polly followed Sadie's gaze to where a group of GIs lounged against the bar. "Which one is he, anyway?"
"That one on the right." Sadie jerked her head in that direction. "The tall one with the blond hair."
Polly looked. "He's all right, but he's nothing next to my Sam." The ache was back in her stomach. "I wish he was down here. I miss him so much."
Marlene snorted. "What you need is another boyfriend."
Polly shook her head. "Don't want no one but Sam."
"Your sister's right," Sadie said, her gaze still directedat the bar. "The best medicine for a broken heart is a new bloke."
"If I can't have Sam I don't want no one." Polly picked up her gin and orange and threw most of it down her throat. Choking, she had to wait until she got her breath back before
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