First Friends by Marcia Willett Page A

arms at
Dolphin’s
New Year’s Eve Ball, ‘that she shouldn’t be out and about yet, let alone dancing. Much too soon!’
    â€˜Cass believes that it never harms you to do the things you want to do,’ said Kate. ‘Much worse for her, she says, to be frustrated in her desires.’
    â€˜I can certainly believe that!’ snapped Felicity.
    W HEN T OM ’ S SUBMARINE SAILED at the end of January, the General drove to Hampshire, packed Cass and his granddaughter into his car and drove them back down to Devon. Cass settled down happily to being spoiled by her father and Mrs Hampton whose son John was now grown up and working in Hong Kong. She missed him dreadfully and poured out all her redundant mother love on Charlotte whom she adored. She spent every moment she could with the baby thus giving Cass, who was only too delighted, the chance to relax and enjoy herself. General Mackworth took her round introducing her to all his new friends in the village.
    It was a charming village, tucked away in a fold on the edge of themoor, with the church and its Georgian Rectory. There was a tiny shop with a Post Office, a cluster of old grey stone cottages, and several larger properties on the outskirts of the village. The Manor House with its farms and estate cottages stood farther out and had belonged to generations of Hope-Latymers as far back as anyone could remember. The present owner, William, a widower, was in his late-forties; his only son, another William, was just sixteen and away at school.
    It was too damp and raw to enjoy the countryside but Cass charmed her father’s friends and basked in their obvious admiration. Before long she began to be a tiny bit bored with the company of mainly elderly people and started to think of rejoining her friends and the social life awaiting her in Alverstoke. She told her father that perhaps she should be getting back. He was far too wise to show his disappointment or to attempt to stop her.
    â€˜Quite right,’ he agreed at once. ‘Got your own life to lead. And Mrs Hampton will spoil that child to death if you stay much longer.’
    Overwhelmed by his generous and uncomplaining attitude, which made things so much easier for her, Cass flung her arms around his neck.
    â€˜It’s been such fun,’ she said. ‘And we’ll come again soon. We’re going to try to find a bigger place so that you can come to stay with us. If only it wasn’t such a bore on the train. Specially now, with the baby.’
    â€˜Ah!’ He returned her embrace and gently put her from him. ‘Wanted to talk to you about that. It’s your twenty-first birthday this year. No, I hadn’t forgotten. I think the best present I could give you would be a little car. Only a little one,’ he added as Cass’s cries of excitement threatened to drown his words, ‘but you’ll be able to get about more. No excuses then, mind, about visiting your old pa when Tom’s away!’
    â€˜Oh, Daddy! It would be absolutely wonderful!’
    â€˜That’s settled then. What d’you say to a trip to Plymouth tomorrow? See what’s going.’
    So Cass and Charlotte returned to Alverstoke, Cass driving them in a little Mini. Kate was quite green with envy.
    â€˜We shall share it,’ declared Cass, as they sat together in Kate’s sitting room, surrounded by babies. ‘We can go shopping together and, in the summer, we’ll have picnics and outings. Imagine the fun!’
    But by the time the summer had come, Mark had been appointed to a submarine running out of Devonport and Tom to a submarine in refit in Chatham.
    â€˜I T ’ S PERFECT HELL HERE ,’ Cass wrote to Kate. ‘There’s hardly any submariners and we have to use
Pembroke’s
Mess. All dreary Supply and Secretariat people. Oh for dear old
Dolphin!
General Service people aren’t a bit like us! Thank God I’ve got the car. The Medway