The bed had been warmed with a warming pan yet again, making it extremely cosy, and, even though their day had not been particularly strenuous, when their heads hit the pillow, they fell soundly asleep.
XXXII
The dawn chorus again woke them at 5.30am the following morning, and, even though Alex nuzzled Teddy’s neck, she went determinedly back to sleep for the next two hours until they were disturbed by Alice and her jug. This time, however, when the innkeeper’s daughter knocked on the door, Alex called for her to enter, and she was much less embarrassed than previously. She changed the pitcher of water before asking whether they had any clothes that needed pressing for church – neither had – and she smiled demurely before leaving Alex and Teddy to get ready.
‘She’s going to break some hearts before she is very much older,’ predicted Teddy, and Alex knew exactly what she meant.
They washed and dressed before going downstairs for breakfast, over which Alex read in the newspaper about the sinking of the grand old Great War battleship HMS Royal Oak at Scapa Flow, presumably by a U-boat, and there was a great deal of speculation about how the enemy could have penetrated the defences of the Royal Navy’s Scottish deep-water sanctuary. Only one-third of the ship’s company had survived, and over 800 men and boys had lost their lives. It was a hammer blow that rocked the heart of the nation.
A little while later, they walked to church that morning, and unobtrusively took seats with the rest of the congregation. At the appointed hour, the rector claimed the attention of the congregation before announcing that two families of the town should be especially remembered that day as they awaited news of their loved ones who were serving aboard HMS Royal Oak. As a West Country ship, so many local families – particularly in Devonport – would mourn the loss of this great battleship. Two minutes silence was kept for all who had perished, followed by a prayer for times of conflict: ‘Let us commemorate and commend to the loving mercy of our Heavenly Father, the Shepherd of Souls, the Giver of Life Everlasting, those who have died in the service of our country and its cause.’
Teddy found familiarity in the traditional service. She knew the canticles, but in Latin; nevertheless, she soon joined in with the chanting. She knew most of the hymns, and her harmonious and melodic voice soon reached the ears of the vicar, who searched his congregation for the angel who had graced his flock that morning.
As the service drew to an end, Teddy looked at Alex and said, ‘Now I know I am going to be happy here. Let us ask the priest to bless our marriage.’
‘But you are Roman Catholic,’ Alex reminded her.
‘I can soon become an Anglican,’ she decided, ‘and the Anglican church has less of a problem with the Orthodox faith than does the Catholic church. Let’s talk to the priest now.’ There was no stopping Teddy once she had made up her mind.
Teddy and Alex waited until most of the congregation had left the church before approaching the priest to broach the subject as he waited by the door to bid farewell to his congregation. The rector could not have been more helpful and happily agreed to bless their marriage when they were ready.
Alex and Teddy shook hands with the vicar as they prepared to leave, when he ventured, ‘We might also talk about our choir; it would be swelled greatly by a new contralto!’
Teddy smiled and said, ‘That might be nice, we shall talk more. Goodbye, Father.’
As they walked from the church, Teddy announced, ‘I enjoyed that! Today, I felt welcomed and wholly part of that church service, which just confirms the initial feelings that I had when we went to Greenwich.’
‘Oh Teddy,’ Alex declared, then picked her up and swung her around, giving her a kiss as he placed her gently back on the pavement, ‘you are such a funny, little thing, but I love you so very, very much!’
*
Alex had warned Alfred that they would be enjoying his hospitality at lunch before heading back to London in the afternoon, and when they entered the Kings Arms after the church service, they were surprised at how busy the inn had become. They settled themselves in the one remaining table in the alcove and removed the ‘Reserved’ notice before young Alice came to ask if they wanted starters.
‘It’s only my mother’s vegetable soup,’ she said, almost apologetically.
Past experience had shown that the generosity of the innkeeper and his wife was intense, so both Alex and Teddy evaded the soup and elected to have the roast beef. It was glorious: two slices of beef almost as thick as steaks; more than enough roast potatoes; cabbage, carrots and parsnips in abundance; a Yorkshire pudding each that was nearly the size of half a football; a jug of rich, home-made gravy; and both mustard and horseradish sauce. Both Alex and Teddy were glad that they had decided against the soup, and wondered if they would have space for the pudding that, mysteriously, had been called a Cotswold Grunt. This Cotswold Grunt turned out to be a mixed-autumnal-fruit pudding of apples, pears, plums and berries, covered with a cake-like mixture, which had been cooked in the oven, and was served hot with home-made custard; it was very filling but hugely satisfying, and clearly made using fruit from the inn’s own garden.
Both Alex and Teddy felt decidedly overfull by the time it came to pack the Alvis before returning to the capital.
*
They experienced more than a twinge of sadness as the sports saloon headed away from the Cotswolds, and they both looked forward to the time when they could return.
Even though it was Sunday afternoon, the traffic on the road back to London was even worse than it had been the previous Friday; more than once, they were halted by military police officers keen to ensure that convoys reached their destinations promptly. As they approached the outskirts of London, they were even more troubled when they were pulled over to allow a bomb disposal team to rush through, which was identifiable by the red mudguards on the two vehicles. Had there been a real raid during their absence?
Alex and Teddy had decided to spend the night at Cavendish Court until they knew what the arrangements were regarding Onslow Gardens, and, as they pulled up outside the block of flats, Harry came over to congratulate Teddy and Alex on their marriage. He also told Teddy that there had been an enquiry about taking over the tenancy on the flat, so could Teddy contact Miss Carruthers to let her know, as it was a joint tenancy? Teddy agreed that she would.
She said to Alex, ‘I’ll telephone Mary’s mother. She always seems to know how to get hold of her.’
They took their bags up to Teddy’s apartment, and, even though it had only been a couple of days since Teddy had last been there, there was a mustiness in the air, so she opened the windows to freshen the atmosphere.
Alex fixed his wife with a steely gaze. ‘So, countess, where do we go from here?’
‘My liege, I am yours to with as you will,’ she simpered.
‘Then come you hither, wench,’ he commanded, and she came to him. He held her chin, and tilted her head up to look at him. ‘Dost though love thy master, woman?’
‘I do, my lord; tell me what I must do to prove my love for thee, and I shall gladly obey your every command,’ she looked coy.
‘I tell thee truthfully, there is but one service that you can perform for me that will ensure your everlasting veneration in my eyes,’ he said with sternness.
‘Oooh, sire, tell me what it shall be, and your command shall be my pleasure,’ she said lasciviously.
Alex flopped down in the nearby armchair and said, ‘Weak tea, no milk and no sugar!’
Teddy leapt at him, encircling his neck with her hands before kissing him eagerly; after a while, she surfaced for air and asked, ‘Do you still want tea?’
He answered by pulling her back to him, picking her up and carrying her to the bedroom. ‘It can wait!’ he said.
*
Afterwards, Teddy lay on the bed, and looked between her perfectly formed breasts at her stomach. ‘When do you think
I shall start to show?’ she asked.
‘I don’t know,’ he answered, ‘Not yet, though, I would have thought; perhaps only in a month or so?’
‘I suppose I should make an appointment with Dr McLintock,’ she commented. ‘Will you come with me? He’s got such hairy hands, and if he examines me, I’m sure I shall be sick!’
‘Of course, I shall,’ he promised, ‘If you can get to see him tomorrow or Tuesday, I’m sure we can arrange something.’
*
Alex was up and about early the next day, perhaps his heart was still on “country” time, especially as he dressed in a sports jacket and flannels before making his way to the office.
When he arrived, both Simon and Commander Jeffers were quite surprised to see him.
‘I thought you were in the Cotswolds?’ the commander asked.
‘Only until yesterday,’ Alex responded, ‘Besides, I thought I was wanted back to go through the findings. Have there been any developments?’
‘We should get the preliminary findings tomorrow,’ the commander said, ‘until then, there’s little enough to do. I do know that you will be getting one more weekend with your wife. You will now be leaving a week on Tuesday, so you can expect to be taken to the port of embarkation on Monday. Go home, look after your wife and make the most of the time you have together.’
Alex was beginning to feel unwelcome in the office.
Simon said unexpectedly, ‘Incidentally, this will be the last time we shall meet for a while. I am leaving this week to take up my post at the embassy in Stockholm. Of course, it’s only a very junior post – I’ll be a glorified messenger boy, really – but it means that Cordelia cannot come, plus it might also be hazardous if the other side gets wind of what I’m really up to, so perhaps she’s better off staying in London. No doubt the next time we meet will be when you are either in or on your way to Finland during one of your regular check-ins with Stockholm. Good luck, my friend, and take care.’
‘You also, Simon; take very good care of yourself, especially if Sweden capitulates. From what our goldsmith tells us, the Germans are not very tolerant of Jewish people in the countries they conquer.’
‘It’s true… I shall try to take good care while soaking up the cultural ambience of Stockholm.’ Simon grinned.
Alex used Simon’s telephone to call Teddy to see if she had any news about seeing the doctor.
‘He will see me at 5.00pm tonight,’ she said, ‘so I will have a bath presently. Will you be home in time?’
‘Yes,’ replied Alex, ‘I am leaving shortly. Do I have time to call into Onslow Gardens to check the lie of the land?’
‘Of course,’ Teddy agreed, ‘just do not be late for the doctor’s appointment!’
*
As it was, Alex was at Onslow Gardens for a considerably shorter time than he had expected, as his mother had already decamped. That is, her clothes had gone, and so had all of her photographs and knick-knacks, but the house was still furnished as he remembered it. He telephoned Uncle Walter’s house, which his mother answered, and she explained that they had moved her things out of Onslow Gardens so that Alex and Teddy could move in at their convenience. There was no hurry, Alex told her, because Teddy had still got the tenancy at Cavendish Court until the end of November; however, his mother was adamant that, having gifted them the house, it was only fair that she should vacate it as quickly as possible. Alex collected his mail, and he wondered whether or not his mother had taken the maid with her – if so, they would need to see about getting a replacement as quickly as possible.
Alex went straight round Cavendish Court to tell Teddy the news, but even though she was glad, she still seemed a little preoccupied with the prospect of her appointment with Dr McLintock later that afternoon.
*
Alex and Teddy took the Alvis to the doctor’s surgery, so that they could return to Onslow Gardens straight afterwards and park it in the garage.
When they arrived, the doctor told Alex to wait in the waiting room and listened to what Teddy told him; it was probably not the first time that he had been told this story that month, but he was solicitous in taking Teddy through the various symptoms.
Although he was a big man of advanced middle-age, dressed in an impossibly rigid tweed suit and sporting a full beard complete with the bushiest eyebrows Teddy had ever seen, he had surprisingly soft hands, even if they were hairy. He spoke with a soft lowland Scots accent. ‘Your breasts, my dear, do they appear to be getting larger or are your nipples sore?’ he asked.
Teddy confirmed that she thought that her breasts were getting slightly larger and there was a “tingling” sensation occasionally.
‘Have you been feeling sick, particularly in the mornings?’ the doctor queried.
Teddy admitted to feeling a little nauseous occasionally.
‘Are you urinating more frequently?’
Teddy agreed that she was, ‘spending more pennies,’ than usual.
‘Has your diet changed recently?’
‘A little,’ she replied enigmatically, ‘I’m losing my taste for coffee and starting to prefer tea; I hate the smell of fried food, particularly sausages!’
‘Aye, well, jump onto the couch,’ the doctor instructed, and then began feeling Teddy’s pelvis.
Having finished his examination and when Teddy was dressed again, the doctor called Alex into the surgery and asked, ‘Are you the boyfriend?’
‘No,’ Alex replied, ‘I’m the husband.’
The doctor said equally, ‘I’m sorry, I did not know, my records still show Miss Palmer as unmarried.’
‘It was only last week,’ Alex explained.
‘So,’ the doctor addressed Teddy, ‘what is your married name?’
‘Carlton,’ she replied.
The doctor made a note on her file. ‘Well, congratulations to you both,’ he said and then explained to Teddy, ‘I shall need a water sample, but I would be astonished if it did not confirm that you are expectant; about six weeks, I would say. From what you tell me, late May or early June is likely to be the time of the birth. Are you still living at Cavendish Court?’ He consulted his notes to ensure the address was correct.
‘For the moment, yes, but we now have a house, and I shall probably be going to Gloucestershire with my in-laws,’ she explained.
‘That’s doubtless a good idea,’ the doctor agreed, ‘Just let me know which doctor you will be seeing, and I’ll send your notes along. That’ll be a guinea, please.’
Alex paid.
They left the surgery, and Teddy commented, ‘Wife, countess and mother in the space of a week; I wonder what I could do if I really tried?’ She smiled at her husband, feeling fully complete as a woman.
*
Having garaged the Alvis at Onslow Gardens, they caught a taxi back to Cavendish Court.
Harry greeted them on their arrival and handed Alex an envelope, saying, ‘This was delivered earlier by courier, sir.’
Alex thanked him before they went upstairs.
Once back in the flat, Teddy made tea while Alex went into the bedroom to change, where Teddy soon joined him. He took from his pocket the envelope that Harry had given him and opened it carefully to discover a brief, handwritten note from Commander Jeffers explaining that the board of inquiry had been deferred by one week and would now sit in camera on Wednesday 25th October at 10.00am in a committee room in Whitehall. The note also said that Alex’s travel plans had changed correspondingly and further details would be forthcoming when known.
Teddy looked at Alex’s pensive expression and asked, ‘Bad news?’
‘I’m not sure,’ he replied, ‘On the one hand, it’s excellent news, as the board of inquiry is delayed by a week, so my departure is put off yet again. On the other hand, there is no indication of why they have rescheduled the board. I’m not worried, just cautious, b
ut I’m happy that we get another week together.’
Teddy expressed her immediate thoughts. ‘It’s a shame they didn’t tell us earlier so that we could have spent longer in Gloucestershire, but I agree that another week together is an unexpected bonus, no matter where we are.’
‘I know, my love,’ Alex commented, ‘but I am starting to feel a bit of a fraud while wondering whether the efficiency of my department is what I hoped it would be. I can’t even talk to Simon because he’s leaving shortly, but I will go into the office tomorrow in an attempt to discover what is happening. Meanwhile, let us enjoy tonight.’
*
The next morning, Alex presented himself at the offices at Broadway Buildings, where he entered the building under the watchful eye of Jacob Epstein’s Night sculpture, positioned appositely on the building opposite, which housed the headquarters of the London Underground. It was almost as if the sculptor had known of the dark and secretive tasks that would occur through the portal that it surveyed on the other side of the road.
On showing both his military and building pass to the plain-clothed duty sergeant, Alex was told to go to the third floor, where, as the lift doors opened, Miss Willoughby was awaiting his arrival.
‘Good morning, Lieutenant Carlton,’ she greeted him, ‘the commander has about fifteen minutes before his next appointment.’ He followed her along a labyrinth of corridors until she stopped and knocked on a door, then opened it for Alex to enter.
The commander was alone and gestured for Alex to take one of the comfy seats. ‘This is all a bit of a bugger,’ the commander opened, ‘we hoped that you would be on your way soon; Winston’s getting bloody impatient, Colonel Swann tells me.’
‘Why the delay?’ Alex asked, ‘I hope there’s not going to be a problem with their findings. Until the board gives its verdict, I still feel as though the sword of Damocles is hanging over my head, despite all of the assurances and reassurances.’
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