by Jana Petken
“Oh, Kevin, son,” she muttered.
She was obviously disorientated. “Minnie, where has Susan gone?” he asked.
“I buried her yesterday. It’s not right – it’s just not right.”
Kevin’s eyes widened in surprise, and he heard a gasp of disbelief leave his mouth. Leaning in closer, he took both her hands in his and rubbed them. Gazing into her face, he asked, “Are you alone?”
Her watery eyes stared blindly back at him. “No, Anna is here,” she eventually said.
“Is that Danny’s wife?”
“Yes.”
After picking up a blanket that lay on the floor, he covered her with it and then went to the door. Standing at the bottom of the stairs, he shouted, “Anna! Could you come down here, please?” Hoping that she’d heard him, he then went back to Minnie. His heart was racing with an uneasiness that was bordering on panic. Minnie, a strong and opinionated woman who was rarely ruffled, was sitting staring at the wall, looking as though she didn’t know what day of the week it was. With a droning tone, she kept repeating that Susan was dead. He felt her pulse again and then looked at her pupils.
His mouth was dry. “Minnie, what happened? Can you tell me?”
She stared at him, and for the first time, a light sparked in her eyes. “Oh, I’m sorry, son. I can’t seem to get out of this chair to make you a cup of tea. I feel as though someone is holding me down – I’m so tired. Anna will make you a pot.”
“Tea can wait. C’mon now, tell me.”
“I’ve not been to my bed for days. I’m scared. I can’t seem to settle there after what happened to my girl. She went to sleep and never woke up.” Minnie’s face crumpled, and she began to moan.
Kevin went back to the door and sighed with relief when he saw whom he presumed to be Anna rushing down the stairs.
She stared at his uniform, halted suddenly, and gripped the banister. “Who are you?”
“Please don’t be afraid. I’m—”
“Don’t say it.” Her eyes filled up. “Don’t you dare say it! If you’ve come here with horrible news and a telegram, you can turn right around and leave this house.”
Kevin said, “I’m a friend of the family. My name is Kevin. I need you to tell me what’s going on here. Can you do that?”
Anna rushed towards him and then flung her arms around his neck with such force that he almost lost his balance. Weeping, she drew him tightly to her, shocking Kevin, who didn’t know where to put his arms.
“It’s all right – there, there,” he said, stuck for words.
“I knew you’d come!” she cried loudly. “Oh, I just knew it. I told Jenny that you’d forgive her. I said, he’s alive, you know. It’s so wonderful. But it’s all so sad here, just dreadful. I’m Danny’s wife. Jenny will be so thrilled to see you. She loves you. And Patrick has been worried about you.”
Kevin pushed her away gently and for a moment attempted to make sense of the words tumbling from her mouth at great speed. Looking at her properly, he noticed that she was crying real tears from eyes that were already swollen. Her red nose looked raw, as though it had been rubbed with a scrubbing brush, and she was blabbering in an accent that he found hard to follow.
“Anna, I’m happy to meet you but you’ll have to forgive me. We don’t have time for proper introductions. I’m very worried about Minnie … and Susan. Is she all right?”
Anna’s lips trembled. Taking Kevin’s arm, she ushered him into the kitchen. Sniffing loudly, she said, “I’m so sorry to have to tell you, but Susan died five days ago. It was a stroke. The funeral was yesterday. Patrick and Jenny went to London on urgent business. They should be home soon. It happened so quickly, and we’ve only just sent word to Danny …”
Kevin’s eyes welled up. Dear God, it was true. He had not been Susan Carmody’s most fervent admirer, but he was deeply upset to hear about her death. Wiping his eyes, he said, “I’m so very sorry to hear that. Was it very sudden? Minnie said that Susan went to bed and didn’t wake up.”
“That’s right, which makes it even harder for the family to accept. The thought of her being alone, without being able to say goodbye, is awful. Just awful.”
“I’m sure her passing was very peaceful. Only lucky people die that way,” Kevin said. “I’m concerned about Minnie. She doesn’t look well at all.”
“That would be the laudanum. It makes her a bit drowsy. She hasn’t slept much since Susan died, so I thought it best to give her some of the medicine to help her cope. Patrick told me I could.”
“The door was open when I arrived.”
“She had visitors earlier, and I went for a lie-down. They must have left it open.”
“How much medicine did you give her?”
Anna went into the pantry and brought out the bottle of laudanum. Pouring some into a tumbler, she said, “About that much.”
She had gone a bit overboard, Kevin thought. No wonder Minnie was tired. “No more than that?”
“No, of course not.”
Letting out a sigh of relief, he went back to the parlour. Minnie was asleep again, and he didn’t wake her. She had been given at least one and a half doses. She would probably sleep until morning.
The room was freezing. He took off his jacket, rolled up his sleeves, and lit the fire, which someone had already prepared.
“I’ll make us a pot of tea,” Anna whispered, heading towards the kitchen.
Kevin carried on building the fire. Never had he met a family who had endured so much in so little time. He looked affectionately at Minnie, gently snoring in the chair, with her grief numbed by a drug that would soon wear off, and then his eyes wandered to the sideboard. A photograph of Jenny in a silver frame sat at the front, surrounded by photographs of Danny and Patrick. Jenny, head cockily tossed in the air and those eyes that sparkled with boldness, was staring right at him, and she was so beautiful that she took his breath away. It didn’t matter what she looked like now, not to him, he thought. He was overjoyed that she loved him and that he was still alive to reciprocate her feelings. He shook his head and smiled. Yes, he loved her. Sure, he might be a fool for feeling that way, but he was a happy fool, and what man didn’t want to fight for a chance of happiness in this ugly world? Not wanting to awaken Minnie, he put his jacket back on and followed Anna to the kitchen.
“You will be kind to Jenny, won’t you? She really does love you,” Anna said, handing him a cup of tea.
Kevin smiled. “I can promise you that I’m not going to abandon the Carmodys or the only woman I have ever loved.” He took his first sip of tea. “This is the first cup of tea I’ve had in almost a year that actually tastes like tea. You see, there is cause for optimism, Anna, even in the gloomiest of times.”
“There is?”
“Oh, yes, I believe so. The Carmodys have suffered terrible tragedies, but I guarantee you that when Jenny and Patrick get home, I will put a smile on their faces – and yours too.”
“Me? How will do that?”
“I have news for you; it’s about Danny.”
Anna’s eyes widened with expectation.
“I was with him yesterday in Flanders.” Kevin took another sip and then for the next fifteen minutes told her about the previous day’s events. He didn’t hide the severity of Danny’s injuries, but he did omit to mention how he had come to meet up with her husband. No woman should have to hear about the horrific details of a gas attack.
Anna bombarded him with questions, shedding tears of worry and relief, but in her tear-stained eyes a light appeared – a glorious spark of pure happiness and love.
Kevin sat back and watched the anxious yet energised young woman pour tea from the pot into his empty cup and talk without taking a breath about her plans for Danny’s homecoming. And much later, he heard the front door opening. Hearing Jenny and Patrick’s voices in the hallway, he rose from the stool he had been sitting on, smoothed his filthy hair, winked at Anna, and took a deep breath.
“It’s a grand thi
ng to be alive, Anna. A grand thing. Never forget that,” he said as he left the kitchen.
About the Author
Hi. Thanks so much for stopping by.
Jana Petken lives in Dénia, a town sitting at the edge of Spain’s eastern coastline. She joined the British Royal Navy at the age of seventeen. She was a leading Wren Regulator, with the equivalent rank of sergeant, in the military police. After the navy, she went to work for a travel company as an overseas representative and spent seasons in the Balearic Islands, Canary Islands, and North Africa. During the First Gulf War, she was a security guard at BBC World Service, and then she left the BBC for a new job as a bodyguard for a Saudi Princess.
Afterwards, she found a new career as a cabin crew member for British Airways, Worldwide Fleet. Unfortunately, she had an accident on board a flight. The aircraft, a Boeing 747, was flying at thirty-nine thousand feet above Africa when it was caught in clear-air turbulence. As the plane dropped, her body flew upwards and only stopped flying when her head hit the ceiling. The way she sees it, it could have been worse: she could have gone through the ceiling. Because of this accident, she had to have three major operations on her spinal cord at the neck, which heralded the end of her wandering days.
Her first book, The Guardian of Secrets, was published in 2013, and it has a completed screenplay as well. Dark Shadows and Blood Moon, from The Mercy Carver Series, were both published in 2014. The Errant Flock was released in the summer of 2015, and she is now working on the sequel of that book.
The author hopes you enjoyed Swearing Allegiance. It would be lovely and appreciated if you would leave a review on Amazon.
Find out more about her books:
Website: http://janapetkenauthor.com/
Blog: http://janapetkenauthor.com/blog/
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Twitter: https://twitter.com/AuthoJana
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Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gmrLECGgP8I
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The Guardian of Secrets editorial reviews:
BlueInk Review
Petken masterfully moves the gripping action along by creating credible characters and suspenseful plot twists. Writing in a straightforward manner and infusing scenes with details that inform but don’t overwhelm, she portrays each of the character’s efforts to survive while coming to terms both with the horrors of wartime and personal bouts with excessive pride and passion.
Despite its length, the captivating story succeeds brilliantly and becomes an unforgettable page-turner. This is a must-read for historical fiction fans.
Kirkus Reviews
Suspenseful, Compelling Historical Fiction
The writing is often captivating, with a consistently engaging tone throughout, although the violent scenes are somewhat graphic and disturbing. Celia’s growth as a character truly sets this novel apart as more than a simple drama: it’s also a commentary on how strong a woman can become when facing adversity.
Amazon review
It has been a long while since a book has pulled me in as much as this one did. Spanning generations and countries, we are taken through WW1, the Spanish Civil War and the build-up to WW2 and beyond, almost a century of history, culture, and creed. From the green fields of Kent to the orange groves of Valencia, we go on a journey with Celia Merrill as she seeks to escape her abusive husband. I cannot begin to describe where this book takes us, for this review will then be pages long, but it is an emotional journey.
The author clearly researched well. I was there for every bomb that fell and smelled the hot air filled with orange blossoms. This is so well written [that] it did not feel as if I was reading; it felt as if I were there, in place and in time. Excellent work.
The title is fitting. Secrets need to be guarded, and this family has a fair share of them. In every generation, there must be someone to keep them close or they will destroy everyone. Even so, the final secret came as a surprise even to me. I thought I had it all figured out and then … enlightenment!
This is a big book in every way; how wonderful to read something with depth and length. Guardian of Secrets deserves each of the five stars and I highly, highly recommend it.
