changed and settled down by now, so don’t get worrying about it.’
She managed a weak smile whilst silently praying that she would never have to meet any of them. They went on to speak of the camp where her father had been training.
‘It’s hard work,’ he said, ‘especially the physical training, and you get shouted at as if you’re still at school, but it’s nothing I can’t cope with. The accommodation leaves a lot to be desired as well. It’s certainly not the Ritz. We sleep in Nissen huts and they’re freezing for most of the time but then we’re all in the same boat and you learn to just get on with it.’
Briony thought how brave her father was, but then he had always been her hero.
‘Do you think there will be an invasion?’ she asked.
He hesitated before answering. The last thing he wanted to do was frighten her. She had more than enough on her plate at present, but then he didn’t want to lie to her either so eventually he said, ‘Hopefully not – but we have to be prepared for one, just in case. Up to now we’ve missed the bombing, but I have a horrible feeling that we might cop it eventually because of the local munitions factories. They’re always going to be a target – and if that does happen then I would sooner you lot were away from here.’
The thought was terrifying but Briony plastered on a smile. She was truly her father’s daughter in every way.
On Sunday James cooked them all a wonderful roast-lamb dinner and Briony wished that time could stand still. Her whole family looked so happy – even Sarah seemed to have perked up considerably – and her mum was positively glowing. As she cleared the table after the meal she tried not to think of what it would be like when her father left again. Once the dishes were washed and put away, Mrs Brindley watched Sarah for them while the others all went for a long walk. They took the tow path from the Cock and Bear Bridge and walked along the canal for miles, and by the time they returned their cheeks were glowing and Alfie was hungry again.
‘I swear that lad has hollow legs,’ James commented as he prepared a pile of meat-paste sandwiches and hot buttered crumpets. They were one of the little boy’s favourites and he tucked in as if he hadn’t eaten for a month. It was nice to see him smile again. Many of his friends had been evacuated and he had been feeling miserable, but having his father home again, if only for a short time, had acted like a tonic on him.
‘I saw Mrs Moreton on Friday on me way home from school,’ he informed them, spraying crumbs all over the fringed chenille cloth. ‘An’ she reckons that she’ll be fetchin’ their Jimmy home again soon ’cos they’re sayin’ this is only a phoney war. She says she wishes she hadn’t let him go an’ be ’vacuated now. If that’s true, you’ll be home for good soon, won’t yer, Dad? An’ we won’t have to keep cartin’ our gas masks an’ our identity cards round with us then, will we?’
A silence settled around the table as they all looked at James expectantly.
‘Well, I’m afraid I can’t rightly say, son,’ he said quietly. ‘But let’s all hope that she’s right, eh?’
Chapter Five
All too soon, it was almost time for Briony’s father to return to his unit and as she made her way home from work that Monday evening, Briony’s heart was heavy. A freezing fog had descended during the afternoon and it was impossible to see more than a few yards from the window of the bus.
‘Cheer up, mate, it might never happen,’ Ruth prompted.
‘Huh! You’re a right one to talk,’ Briony responded. ‘You’ve had a face like a wet weekend on you ever since Ernie went away.’
‘I suppose I have.’ Ruth sighed and blew on her cold hands. ‘But I don’t half miss him, don’t you?’
‘I suppose I do.’ Briony said carefully. It wouldn’t do to let Ruth know that she too had developed feelings for Ernie that went beyond friendship. ‘But
She managed a weak smile whilst silently praying that she would never have to meet any of them. They went on to speak of the camp where her father had been training.
‘It’s hard work,’ he said, ‘especially the physical training, and you get shouted at as if you’re still at school, but it’s nothing I can’t cope with. The accommodation leaves a lot to be desired as well. It’s certainly not the Ritz. We sleep in Nissen huts and they’re freezing for most of the time but then we’re all in the same boat and you learn to just get on with it.’
Briony thought how brave her father was, but then he had always been her hero.
‘Do you think there will be an invasion?’ she asked.
He hesitated before answering. The last thing he wanted to do was frighten her. She had more than enough on her plate at present, but then he didn’t want to lie to her either so eventually he said, ‘Hopefully not – but we have to be prepared for one, just in case. Up to now we’ve missed the bombing, but I have a horrible feeling that we might cop it eventually because of the local munitions factories. They’re always going to be a target – and if that does happen then I would sooner you lot were away from here.’
The thought was terrifying but Briony plastered on a smile. She was truly her father’s daughter in every way.
On Sunday James cooked them all a wonderful roast-lamb dinner and Briony wished that time could stand still. Her whole family looked so happy – even Sarah seemed to have perked up considerably – and her mum was positively glowing. As she cleared the table after the meal she tried not to think of what it would be like when her father left again. Once the dishes were washed and put away, Mrs Brindley watched Sarah for them while the others all went for a long walk. They took the tow path from the Cock and Bear Bridge and walked along the canal for miles, and by the time they returned their cheeks were glowing and Alfie was hungry again.
‘I swear that lad has hollow legs,’ James commented as he prepared a pile of meat-paste sandwiches and hot buttered crumpets. They were one of the little boy’s favourites and he tucked in as if he hadn’t eaten for a month. It was nice to see him smile again. Many of his friends had been evacuated and he had been feeling miserable, but having his father home again, if only for a short time, had acted like a tonic on him.
‘I saw Mrs Moreton on Friday on me way home from school,’ he informed them, spraying crumbs all over the fringed chenille cloth. ‘An’ she reckons that she’ll be fetchin’ their Jimmy home again soon ’cos they’re sayin’ this is only a phoney war. She says she wishes she hadn’t let him go an’ be ’vacuated now. If that’s true, you’ll be home for good soon, won’t yer, Dad? An’ we won’t have to keep cartin’ our gas masks an’ our identity cards round with us then, will we?’
A silence settled around the table as they all looked at James expectantly.
‘Well, I’m afraid I can’t rightly say, son,’ he said quietly. ‘But let’s all hope that she’s right, eh?’
Chapter Five
All too soon, it was almost time for Briony’s father to return to his unit and as she made her way home from work that Monday evening, Briony’s heart was heavy. A freezing fog had descended during the afternoon and it was impossible to see more than a few yards from the window of the bus.
‘Cheer up, mate, it might never happen,’ Ruth prompted.
‘Huh! You’re a right one to talk,’ Briony responded. ‘You’ve had a face like a wet weekend on you ever since Ernie went away.’
‘I suppose I have.’ Ruth sighed and blew on her cold hands. ‘But I don’t half miss him, don’t you?’
‘I suppose I do.’ Briony said carefully. It wouldn’t do to let Ruth know that she too had developed feelings for Ernie that went beyond friendship. ‘But
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