‘Yes . . . Yes. It’s just . . . I’ve been trying not to think the worst, these last couple of days, yet whatever I did, I’ve been unable to think anything else.’ Trying valiantly to fight back tears, she asked, ‘Do Ma and Polly know?’
‘Yes, I’ve just come from Tregassick.’
‘I’ll go there to see them in a few minutes.’ Gesturing towards the cottage she had just left she said, ‘This is Martin and Polly’s place. I live next door but found it so difficult to settle down to anything I came in here to tidy up. Polly hasn’t been home since she heard.’
A stray thought came to Annie and she asked, ‘How did you find out about Martin before Polly did?’
‘I made a few telephone calls, to France and also to the War Office in London. Someone from there telephoned me back a short while ago and I went straight to Tregassick. I was on my way back to Heligan when I realised that you would be concerned about Martin too.’
‘That was very thoughtful of you, Perys. It really is wonderful news. I . . . I . . .’ Suddenly, Annie began to cry. She reached inside one of her sleeves, apparently seeking a handkerchief.
When she failed to find one, Perys pulled one from a pocket and stepped forward to give it to her. ‘Here!’
Taking it from him she held it up to her eyes, saying, ‘I’m sorry, Perys. I. . . I just didn’t realise what a strain it has been, worrying about Martin.’
‘There is no need to apologise to me, Annie. I was very concerned about him myself.’
She looked up at him as he stood close. Their eyes met - and they held the glance. Perys experienced the same feeling that had come over him more than three years before, when they had fallen off Rupert’s motor-cycle together.
He responded to it now as he had then. Taking a step forward he put his arms about Annie and kissed her.
He was never certain afterwards whether or not she responded initially. If she did, it did not last for long. Suddenly she began struggling against him. When he failed to release her immediately her struggles became more violent until she eventually broke free.
Pushing him away, she said angrily, ‘What do you think you are doing, Perys? Why did you do that?’
‘Why? I thought . . .’ He broke off, lamely. There was nothing he might say that would justify what he had just done, but he tried. ‘ . . . I suddenly remembered the time when we fell off the motor-bike together . . .’
‘That was different. Very different. I wasn’t a married woman then.’ Still angry, she added, ‘ Was that why you did it - or was it because you thought I’d be so grateful for what you’d told me about Martin that I’d behave as Eliza would? Perhaps Pa wasn’t so very wrong about what he thought he saw you and her doing!’
‘That isn’t fair, Annie - ’
‘Fair? Is it fair to kiss a married woman in the hope that she’ll show some gratitude for receiving news that her brother is alive? Is it?’
Annie’s rage was so fierce and unexpected it dismayed Perys, but she had not finished with him yet.
‘Quite apart from your lack of respect for me, it doesn’t say much for the respect you have for the girl you are going to marry . . . Grace, isn’t it?’
Perys realised she knew nothing of what had happened to Grace.
‘What would she say if she knew what you had just done? What would you do if I was to tell her?’
Perys looked at Annie in silence for a few moments before saying, quietly, ‘I only wish you were able to tell her, Annie. You see, she was reported missing last year when the hospital ship on which she was serving was torpedoed. Unlike Martin, she was never found.’
Turning away, he hurried off in the direction of Heligan before Annie could see how distressed he was - by everything.
Watching him walking away from her, Annie was almost equally upset. She realised her reaction to his kiss had been out of all proportion to the deed. She was aware also that her anger was directed as much against herself as at Perys. When he had held her she too had remembered the time they fell off the motorcycle together.
And as on that occasion, she had wanted Perys to kiss her. Her anger had stemmed from her own sense of guilt and confusion.
Turning, she ran back inside Polly’s house. She would not be able to face Jimmy just yet, and knew she would need to compose herself before her mother came to tell her about Martin, as she surely would.
* * *
The following morning Polly called at the cottage to put on her maid’s uniform and tell Annie she was returning to work at Heligan. She still looked pale and wan after the trauma of the past few days, but was happy in the knowledge that Martin was safe, albeit a prisoner of the Germans.
‘I want to thank Perys properly too, for finding out about Martin so quickly,’ she said. ‘Fancy him telephoning all the way to France and London to ask about him. If it hadn’t been for Perys we probably wouldn’t have heard anything for weeks - and I could have been dead from a broken heart by then. Your ma said Perys even called here to tell you the good news before he went back to Heligan last night.’
‘That’s right, he caught me here when I’d just finished tidying up your place. I’m afraid I didn’t quite appreciate how much trouble he’d put himself to in finding out about Martin.’
‘He thinks a lot of Martin,’ Polly said. She was in a happy, chatting mood today. ‘He always has, when I come to think about it, right from the day when he stood up for him against Master Edward. Perys says Martin is probably the best observer he has ever had - and certainly the best gunner. Martin thinks a lot of Perys, too. He says he’s one of the best pilots in the whole of the Royal Flying Corps. Mind you, Martin says that because Perys is always in the thick of the fighting, he would never be surprised if he heard one day that Perys had been shot down.’
Polly was retying a shoelace as she was speaking and never saw the distress her words caused to Annie. Her task completed, she stood up. ‘If I’m perfectly honest, Annie, although I don’t like to think of Martin being locked up in a prisoner-of-war camp, I’m glad he’s out of the fighting. Ever since he went back to France, after we were married, I’d wake every morning dreading that I’d get the telegram that came on Monday . . . But I’d better be getting off to work now there’s no longer a reason for me to stay home.’
Later that day, Annie took Jimmy to Tregassick. He was now able to carry out certain tasks about the farm. He could milk the cows once they had been brought in, help with making cheese, and feed the chickens, geese and some of the other animals. He was also able to sharpen many of the tools in use on the farm.
He seemed to enjoy making a contribution, but when his mother came visiting she complained bitterly that the Brays were taking advantage of her son’s disabilities and using him as ‘cheap labour’.
However, Winnie Rowe was not at the farm today and all went well. Annie and Jimmy remained there all day, and were still there that evening when Polly came to the farm for supper. She had finished work at Heligan early, the usually stern housekeeper sending her home because she looked ‘wisht’.
Not unnaturally, much of the conversation was of Martin, his family wondering what he was doing at the very moment they sat down for a meal together.
It was Annie who suddenly came up with an idea, as though it had just occurred to her. ‘I know, why don’t we invite Perys to come and have a meal here with us? He’s seen far more of Martin than we have during the war years. He’d be able to tell us at first hand something of Martin’s life in the Flying Corps, and what he’s likely to be doing in the prisoner-of-war camp.’
‘Invite one of the squire’s family here to Tregassick to eat with us?’ Walter Bray looked at his daughter in disbelief. ‘What are you thinking of, girl?’
‘You’re living in the past, Pa. The war has changed things. Perys has already been to the house to eat with us - the last time was after he’d been Martin’s best man. I’m sure he’d love to come. He’d certainly enjoy it much more than eating on his own up at the big house.’<
br />
‘It doesn’t really make any difference whether or not he’d like to come here,’ said Polly. ‘He’s not at Heligan anymore. He left this morning, saying it was time he got back to his squadron in France. I doubt if we’ll see him at Heligan until the war’s over - if we see him then. He’ll have no reason to come.’
Of those sitting around the table, only Harriet saw the look of dismay that crossed Annie’s face for a fleeting moment. She shifted her glance to Jimmy, who was spooning food into his mouth, seemingly oblivious of the conversation being carried on about him.
Harriet thought of all that had occurred after the first visit of Perys to Heligan. She would not have wished upon Annie the life she now had but felt it might have become far more complicated for everyone around the table had Perys chosen to remain in Cornwall for a while instead of returning to his squadron.
Chapter 65
Perys was a confused and unhappy man when he rode away from Heligan. He accepted that his behaviour towards Annie had been unforgivable. She was a married woman and she had a husband who had been blinded and disabled in the service of his country.
But he was also confused about his feelings when he was holding Annie. He had believed himself to be in love with Grace. Had she lived they would have married, and he was convinced they would have been very, very happy.
Yet when he held Annie outside Polly’s cottage he felt an emotion he had known only once before - when he had kissed her all those years ago.
For a moment the previous evening he had imagined Annie might have felt the same way, but she had made it very clear that this was not so.
Perhaps it was fortunate for both of them. Had she shown him the slightest encouragement they would have become involved in an affair that would ultimately have destroyed their respect for each other.
By the time Perys arrived at the Central Flying School, he had made up his mind to put the incident - and Annie - behind him once and for all, and to concentrate on the thing he did best - flying a fighter plane in combat against the Germans.
He had hoped the Central Flying School might have had an aeroplane for him to fly to St Omer, but he was out of luck. He was issued with a travel warrant to return to France by train and ferry.
After depositing his motor-cycle at Aunt Maude’s London home and spending a night there, he made his way to Victoria station to catch the afternoon train to Dover. From there he would board the night ferry to Boulogne. It was likely to be a cold crossing. Snow was falling in London and the sky gave every indication of more to come.
The train was already standing at the platform and he settled himself in a first-class compartment with only two elderly nuns as his travelling companions.
The whistle had just sounded for the train to move off when Perys heard the sound of running feet on the platform. The next moment, the door was thrown open by an officer wearing the uniform of a lieutenant colonel in the Royal Artillery.
Sliding a suitcase inside the compartment, he held the door open to allow a young woman to scramble inside. Then, as the train jerked into motion, the door was slammed shut behind her.
Ignoring the disapproving looks of the nuns, the young woman opened the window and, as the train gathered speed, blew kisses to the artillery officer and waved until the rails curved away from the platform and the station disappeared from view. Then she tried to close the window, but she had problems with the leather strap with which it was pulled up. Perys went to her rescue and by the time he succeeded in closing the window she had sat down opposite the seat he was occupying.
She had also left her suitcase on the floor. Anticipating her request, Perys lifted it to the rack above her head.
‘Merci, Monsieur Captain . . . I thank you. You are very kind.’
She spoke English well, but with a strong French accent that he found quite charming.
‘I see you are a pilot, Captain - and a brave pilot. You are going back to the war?’
The young woman smiled at him, ignoring the quite evident disapproval of the two nuns for her forwardness.
‘I am,’ he replied.
‘Ah! It is so sad. My friend . . . the colonel. He too was in the war. Now he is teaching others to fight, here in England. He invited me to London for a few days. It is a wonderful city and we had great fun. It is good to be away from the war for a while, is it not?’
Perys agreed that it was. He guessed that the lieutenant colonel must have paid the young woman’s fare. Her clothes were not those of someone used to first-class travel. Indeed, they were unsuitable for the present cold weather. She wore only a lightweight coat over a simple and not particularly warm dress.
During the journey to Dover, Perys learned that her name was Gabrielle and that she lived in the town of Amiens, where Perys had taken the pilots of his squadron to celebrate the gift of money and property he had received from his grandfather.
Gabrielle was due to catch the same night ferry as Perys and she chattered quite happily all the way to Dover.
In view of the fact that they had travelled together on the train and would both be boarding the same ferry, it seemed natural for Gabrielle and Perys to remain together and that he should pay for a meal for her before boarding the dimly lit boat.
The temperature dropped even further with nightfall, and once on board the ferry it was immediately apparent there was a heating problem in the lounge where they sat on a padded leather seat.
It was not long before Perys became aware that Gabrielle was shivering. He was wearing a greatcoat and, standing up, he removed it and gave it to her. ‘Here, it is not exactly chic, but it will keep you warm.’
‘But no! I cannot take it. If I do, you will be cold.’
Despite her words, she shivered again, this time more violently, and she said, ‘If you insist, we will share your coat. Come, sit. I will cuddle up close and it will keep us both warm.’
Perys sat rather stiffly beside her and she smiled up at him. ‘I think it will be better if you put an arm about me so I can cuddle closer. Otherwise your coat will not cover all of both of us.’
Perys followed her suggestion without protest, aware of envious looks from the many other officers in the lounge. As Gabrielle snuggled up to him he was very aware of her perfume. He knew little of such things, but felt it was probably one of the more expensive makes.
Once the cross-Channel ferry nosed out into the waters of the English Channel, the other passengers soon lost all interest in Perys and Gabrielle. The sea was rough and those who were bad sailors were soon in trouble.
Perys was not particularly uncomfortable with the motion of the vessel and his only concern was to keep a tight hold on Gabrielle.
The French girl was so indifferent to the weather conditions that she fell asleep. Without Perys’s support she would probably have fallen from the padded bench seat.
The journey to Boulogne took almost three hours, by which time conditions in the lounge had deteriorated considerably as more and more passengers succumbed to violent movements of the ferry.
None of this made any difference to Gabrielle. When Boulogne was reached and the ferry was sailing in more sheltered waters, Perys had to wake her.
‘We are there . . . so soon?’ Seemingly reluctant to move, she smiled up at him. ‘I felt very safe with you, Captain Perys.’ Sitting up, she produced a powder compact, looked at herself in the small mirror and gave a sound of disapproval. ‘I look terrible!’
Making no attempt to do anything about ‘looking terrible’, she closed the compact and put it away. Smiling at him once more, she said, ‘You have been very kind, and a charming companion.’
He left the ship with her, carrying her suitcase in addition to his own bag, and as they walked to the station, she asked, ‘Have you ever been to Amiens?’
‘Once. I went there with the pilots of my squadron.’ Amiens was, in fact, on the same railway route as Arras, but he would not be travelling directly to the Arras airfield. He first needed to go to St Omer, to repor
t his arrival and possibly pick up a replacement aeroplane to take to his squadron.
‘You must come to Amiens to sees me . . . please! You will find me at the Restaurant Eugenie. It is where you will enjoy the best food and entertainment.’
‘Thank you, I will try to pay you a visit,’ he promised.
The warmth of her farewell when they reached her train quite literally took his breath away and as she waved to him from an open carriage, he grinned, remembering she had been equally effusive when waving farewell to the artillery colonel at Victoria station.
Chapter 66
Gabrielle was quickly forgotten when Perys returned to his squadron and picked up the routine once more. Rupert would not be returning for a while as he was attending a senior officers course in England.
Meanwhile, new tactics were being planned for the next phase in the air war - and it was becoming increasingly apparent that they were necessary. The Germans were making a determined attempt to regain control of the air over the front-lines, seemingly able to concentrate large numbers of aircraft in specific areas at will. Perys’s squadron had already been involved in some savage fighting with German planes.
To counter this very effective tactic, the RFC began carrying out their raids over enemy territory with fighter escorts in similar strength, making whatever odds they were likely to meet more even.
Then, in March 1918, while the British and French generals were trying to reach agreement on the next attempt to break the stalemate in the war, the Germans took the initiative and launched a major offensive. They attacked on a wide front that encompassed the former Somme battle-field south of Arras.
So successful and unexpected was this attack that the German armies fought their way forward for some forty miles before being brought to a halt. They stopped not so much as a result of the efforts of the opposing armies, but because they had advanced faster than their supplies could keep pace. This was due largely the state of the ground over which they had to be carried. It was a landscape of mud and water-filled craters, the result of more than three years of constant warfare.
The Lost Years Page 32
