backward.
“Wonderful!” she said. “Where shall we meet? At the foot of Big Ben over at Westminster? Take Birdcage Walk here and just follow it until you see the tower. Give me an hour?”
“Perfect,” Danny said. “We’ll see you there.”
“It was nice to meet you fine folks,” Jack said as he finally lassoed his wife with his arm. “Who knows, maybe we’ll see you back in the States someday!”
With a final wave, they hurried away.
6
Danny and Anya took their time strolling hand in hand the short distance to Westminster, thankful for the clear blue sky above them.
“It’s a little strange, don’t you think? Agreeing to spend the day with a complete stranger?” he asked. “Do you think we blew it? We could be no-shows and stand her up.”
“But that would be rude,” Anya said. “It was kind of her to offer.”
“She’s a feisty little thing, isn’t she?”
“Yes, but you used that same description for me not so long ago. And yet, here you are—married to me.”
“True, and I couldn’t be happier.”
“She said it would give her something to do. It must be awful having to separate so soon after getting married.” Anya stopped, her grip tightening on his hand. “I suppose I hadn’t thought that far ahead, but will we have to separate? Will you have to go and send for me later?”
He noted a trace of angst in her voice. “What? How do you mean?”
“When they send you home, will I go with you?”
“I think—”
Sybil suddenly appeared beside them. “Oh, I can’t begin to tell you how relieved I am you’re here!”
Danny uttered a silent prayer of thanks for the interruption as he turned at the sound of Sybil’s voice. He blinked at the sight of her face; a blotchy, pale canvas beneath tracks of tear-smudged makeup.
“I stopped to freshen my face after Jack’s train left, but I’m afraid it didn’t do much good.” She sniffled, dabbing at her eyes with a hankie. “And I was so afraid I might not get here in time. Or even worse, that you’d changed your mind after I barged my way in on the first day of your honeymoon. Jack says I’ve never met a stranger, and I suppose he’s right. But I truly hope you haven’t changed your mind. We could give it a go for an hour or so, then go our separate ways when you’ve had enough. If that suits you?”
He and Anya nodded in agreement. “Sounds good. We’re grateful you’re willing to show us around. The only other time I was in London was on leave, and I remember staying lost most of the time.”
“Then I shall do my best to give you the finest tour possible.” She straightened, puffing a cleansing sigh of relief.
Anya patted Sybil’s arm. “When will you be able to join your husband?”
“That’s just it. We don’t know. We have to—”
“So what’s the story behind Big Ben?” Danny blurted, desperate to change the subject. He dreaded the conversation he needed to have with Anya, but hoped they could avoid it until after the honeymoon.
“Oh yes, well then. I should probably begin by telling you that Big Ben is the name of the clock’s great bell, not the clock itself, or even the tower, for that matter. Visitors always get that confused. When the war began, the lights of the clock faces were turned off to confuse the Luftwaffe pilots. The tower roof took a direct hit back in 1940 during the Blitz, damaging those two white hands you see up there, but the clock never stopped ticking through the entire war. Well, except for a few hours the following year when a workman accidentally dropped his hammer into the clock’s works while repairing damage. But that was the only time. Otherwise, the clock kept perfect time for the duration of the war. Amazing, isn’t it?”
“Incredible,” Danny said. “You’d think Hitler would’ve targeted the tower from day one.”
Sybil guided them down the footpath. “Funny you should say that. We always knew London was Hitler’s primary
“Wonderful!” she said. “Where shall we meet? At the foot of Big Ben over at Westminster? Take Birdcage Walk here and just follow it until you see the tower. Give me an hour?”
“Perfect,” Danny said. “We’ll see you there.”
“It was nice to meet you fine folks,” Jack said as he finally lassoed his wife with his arm. “Who knows, maybe we’ll see you back in the States someday!”
With a final wave, they hurried away.
6
Danny and Anya took their time strolling hand in hand the short distance to Westminster, thankful for the clear blue sky above them.
“It’s a little strange, don’t you think? Agreeing to spend the day with a complete stranger?” he asked. “Do you think we blew it? We could be no-shows and stand her up.”
“But that would be rude,” Anya said. “It was kind of her to offer.”
“She’s a feisty little thing, isn’t she?”
“Yes, but you used that same description for me not so long ago. And yet, here you are—married to me.”
“True, and I couldn’t be happier.”
“She said it would give her something to do. It must be awful having to separate so soon after getting married.” Anya stopped, her grip tightening on his hand. “I suppose I hadn’t thought that far ahead, but will we have to separate? Will you have to go and send for me later?”
He noted a trace of angst in her voice. “What? How do you mean?”
“When they send you home, will I go with you?”
“I think—”
Sybil suddenly appeared beside them. “Oh, I can’t begin to tell you how relieved I am you’re here!”
Danny uttered a silent prayer of thanks for the interruption as he turned at the sound of Sybil’s voice. He blinked at the sight of her face; a blotchy, pale canvas beneath tracks of tear-smudged makeup.
“I stopped to freshen my face after Jack’s train left, but I’m afraid it didn’t do much good.” She sniffled, dabbing at her eyes with a hankie. “And I was so afraid I might not get here in time. Or even worse, that you’d changed your mind after I barged my way in on the first day of your honeymoon. Jack says I’ve never met a stranger, and I suppose he’s right. But I truly hope you haven’t changed your mind. We could give it a go for an hour or so, then go our separate ways when you’ve had enough. If that suits you?”
He and Anya nodded in agreement. “Sounds good. We’re grateful you’re willing to show us around. The only other time I was in London was on leave, and I remember staying lost most of the time.”
“Then I shall do my best to give you the finest tour possible.” She straightened, puffing a cleansing sigh of relief.
Anya patted Sybil’s arm. “When will you be able to join your husband?”
“That’s just it. We don’t know. We have to—”
“So what’s the story behind Big Ben?” Danny blurted, desperate to change the subject. He dreaded the conversation he needed to have with Anya, but hoped they could avoid it until after the honeymoon.
“Oh yes, well then. I should probably begin by telling you that Big Ben is the name of the clock’s great bell, not the clock itself, or even the tower, for that matter. Visitors always get that confused. When the war began, the lights of the clock faces were turned off to confuse the Luftwaffe pilots. The tower roof took a direct hit back in 1940 during the Blitz, damaging those two white hands you see up there, but the clock never stopped ticking through the entire war. Well, except for a few hours the following year when a workman accidentally dropped his hammer into the clock’s works while repairing damage. But that was the only time. Otherwise, the clock kept perfect time for the duration of the war. Amazing, isn’t it?”
“Incredible,” Danny said. “You’d think Hitler would’ve targeted the tower from day one.”
Sybil guided them down the footpath. “Funny you should say that. We always knew London was Hitler’s primary
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