‘Really? Fifty pounds says that you cannot!’ Uncle Walter was game for a wager.
Alex wrote a word on a piece of paper, which he folded and placed on the table. ‘What is for dessert?’ he asked.
‘Kovrizhka,’ his uncle said with a smile, ‘Russian honey cake.’
Alex looked dismayed, and he glanced down at the slip of paper before opening it and showing Teddy what he had written, ‘Коврижка’.
‘What does it mean?’ she asked innocently.
‘It means, my darling,’ he whispered in her ear, ‘that we are £50 richer!’
The food was superb, and the restaurant had even managed to magic up some chilled mors, that delightful fruit cup that he remembered his mother making for him in Finland; it was perfect for Teddy in her condition, and even Alex enjoyed a glass or two himself. The wine, although French, was excellent and complemented the food impeccably, as he knew it would.
As the meal wound down, the waiter produced a bottle of iced vodka for the men, with a glass of champagne for the ladies – well, one would not hurt Teddy, and one most certainly cannot toast with fruit juice – for the countless toasts that were to follow the meal. Most were based around Alex’s safe return, although he did manage to slip in a couple for his wife, mother and uncle.
When they left the restaurant, it was past 10.30pm, with their plans for an early night in ruins, but all agreed that it was a spectacular evening and one that all would remember for many a long year.
As the Rolls-Royce pulled up outside Onslow Gardens, Alex and Teddy exchanged hugs with Uncle Walter and the dowager countess. As they left the car, Uncle Walter gave Alex ten £5 notes in settlement of the wager; he ignored Alex’s protestations and he refused to take it back.
They entered the house to find Klara waiting for them; as they retired upstairs, she locked up the house before going to bed herself.
When Alex and Teddy were alone in the bedroom, he gave her the £50 that Uncle Walter had just given him.
Teddy looked at the money, smiled and said in a mock Cockney accent, ‘Oooh, sir! You are generous! I shall have to be a very naughty girl for you tonight, for all that money, won’t I?’ She pushed him down onto the bed, and she set about making his last night in Onslow Gardens until his next leave a very memorable night, and one that he would remember for even longer than he would remember the meal they had just enjoyed!
XXXVIII
Neither Alex nor Teddy slept well that night. Both were worried about the future; Teddy was still concerned about Alex going off to war despite his reassurances of a safe posting to Scotland; Alex was even more apprehensive about leaving his wife and not knowing when he would see her next. He got out of bed, took the envelope from his jacket pocket and slit it open.
His orders were simple: ‘Lieutenant Alexander Nicholas Carlton is to present himself for duty at RAF Auchterawe near Fort Augustus, Perthshire, Scotland, by 21:00 hours on Sunday 29th October 1939.’ Also, there was a travel warrant for the overnight sleeper service from London Euston to Glasgow, leaving at 17:50 hours on Saturday 28th October 1939, and a further warrant for onward travel between Glasgow Queen Street and Fort William; he would be met at Fort William and driven the rest of the way to RAF Auchterawe. On arrival, Alex was to report to the station commander, Wing Commander Murdoch.
Teddy stirred and asked what he was doing.
‘Just reading my orders,’ Alex responded.
‘And?’ Teddy asked.
‘I leave at 17:50 hours from Euston to go to Glasgow and then to Fort William before going to Auchterawe. I estimate that I shall be travelling for about thirty hours!’
‘My poor baby,’ Teddy sympathised, and, being determined to locate her husband’s destination, Teddy went downstairs and returned with an old atlas of the United Kingdom.
‘How do you spell it?’ she asked.
‘A-U-C-H-T-E-R-A-W-E, but I’m sure you will not find it,’ Alex said as Teddy looked up the name in the index. ‘I’ve looked, and could not find it anywhere!’
‘Here we go.’ She turned to the right page. ‘Oh, my goodness, you are right; it’s in the middle of nowhere! It seems to be in a forest or something, but, look, there’s a loch over there; I bet it’s lovely in summer. Still, I won’t have to worry about you straying; you’ll probably only have a few Aberdeen Angus to keep you company, up there.’
‘Oh, I shall not mind,’ Alex responded, ‘In a certain light, they can be awfully appealing!’
‘Beast!’ she launched herself at him and started to tickle him. In his writhing to escape her fingers, their mouths met, and she stopped tickling; she held onto him tightly and said, ‘I wish you did not have to go.’
‘So, do I,’ he responded, ‘but I must.’
They held each other closely, kissing and being passionate for the last time for many long months.
*
In the morning, they went for a stroll; Teddy told Alex that her clothes were getting a bit tight and that she thought she had felt a flutter in her tummy earlier. Alex was excited, and told Teddy that she must spend last night’s winnings on getting a new wardrobe of clothes; she agreed, but she added that she also wanted to furnish the nursery when they got to Gloucestershire, so that the baby would have somewhere pleasant to start its life. Alex recollected that, for his first few months, he lived in a drawer at Lisbet and Edvard’s house in Finland; they laughed at the thought of being able to close the drawer if the noise of a crying baby became too much for the parents. Alex wondered what had become of the Nylunds; were they still farming in Loviisa? He imagined that they must be quite old by then;- were they even still alive? Perhaps, if he had the chance without compromising security, he would try to find out when he got to the country.
He thought how his life had changed since he was born; now he and Teddy were bringing the next generation into the world. Alex hoped that their child would have a better chance than he had, and that he or she would not face so many dangers.
He was in a most reflective mood when they returned to Onslow Gardens, and Teddy was deep in her own thoughts also. Was this to be the last day with the man who had made her complete? When would she even see him again? What would war do to him? She recalled with horror the hideous sights of some of the men who had barely survived the Great War: limbs missing, burned, coughing continuously from gas poisoning, some half-mad and others entirely so. War, she decided, was very adept at turning beauty into horror, and she prayed silently that Alex would not suffer that ignominy. She even prayed secretly that, rather than bear such mutilation, it might be better not to come back at all than to return half a man, but she put those thoughts quickly from her mind.
They spent the rest of the day relaxing and enjoying each other’s company. They received surprise visitors early in the afternoon, who were Teddy’s parents; the brigadier had come to wish his son-in-law well, and his wife had come to comfort her daughter as she faced an uncertain future without Alex. It was all slightly awkward, and, secretly, Alex was glad when they left, but he appreciated the thought and mused on how his father-in-law’s attitude had mellowed towards him.
*
The day went all too quickly, and it was soon time for them to head to Euston station. Teddy had insisted on taking Alex herself rather than saying their goodbyes at home; she wanted to eke out every possible moment with him, and although she knew it would be difficult watching the train depart, it was something that she wanted to do. She fetched the Alvis from the garage in the mews, and parked it outside the house. Alex loaded his cases and his Swedish typewriter into the back of the car before shaking hands with Klara and charging her with looking after Teddy as well as herself.
Finally, Alex and Teddy got into the car, and they set off. They headed through Knightsbridge, onto Park Lane, up the Edgware Road, turned right onto Marylebone Road, and, eventually, drove under the great Doric arch at the entrance
to Euston station.
Alex and Teddy were early by about half an hour, so, having secured a porter to help with the luggage, they made their way into the Great Hall of the station and found a seat in the first-class lounge to await the announcement for passengers to board the train. Alex bought a platform ticket so that Teddy could come onto the platform, enabling him to postpone that final moment of parting.
Alex and Teddy had just sat down with a cup of tea, when Third Officer Devine found them.
‘Good afternoon, sir,’ she greeted Alex, ‘The commander sent me down to be of assistance.’
‘Good afternoon, Daphne,’ Alex responded, standing up awkwardly, ‘This is my wife Theodora; darling, Third Officer Devine is Simon’s replacement in the department.’
The ladies shook hands by way of introduction.
‘I believe the train is running about ten minutes late in departure,’ Third Officer Devine confirmed, ‘but they are hoping to board passengers shortly. Do you have everything that you need?’
‘Yes, indeed,’ Alex confirmed, ‘Will you join us for tea?’
‘No, thank you, sir; you will want to spend the last few minutes with Mrs Carlton. I know how difficult these times can be, so I will see you when you are ready to board.’ And, with that, she vanished discreetly.
‘She seems a nice girl,’ said Teddy, referring to Daphne as a ‘girl’ even though she was of the same age or even perhaps a little older.
‘Yes,’ responded Alex, ‘diplomatic, too!’
Neither seemed particularly interested in the afternoon tea; the sandwiches and cake remained untouched, and the tea stewed in its pot. They merely sat holding one of each other’s hands, dreading the time that they would have to part, and each wondering how the other would react as the train pulled out of the station.
At 5.45pm, Third Officer Devine returned with the news that the train was about to board, and that they should hurry along to the platform.
‘Has my luggage been loaded?’ Alex asked.
‘Yes, sir,’ Daphne replied, ‘I have ensured that it is in your cabin.’ She passed Alex a key.
‘Thank you,’ Alex said, ‘my wife will be seeing me off from the platform; will you see that she is all right afterwards?’
‘Unfortunately, that will not be possible, sir,’ Daphne was concerned, ‘I am travelling on the same train, but I will see what I can do.’
‘I’ll be all right,’ Teddy said, grateful for Alex’s concern, ‘so please do not worry.’
‘Are you sure?’ Alex queried.
‘Of course,’ Teddy responded, ‘I’m a big girl now!’ She grinned.
They made their way to the platform, and Alex found his cabin in the first carriage after the restaurant car. He threw his coat and hat onto the banquette, and returned quickly to the carriage door, lowering the window so that he could hold on to Teddy’s hand for as long as possible. It was not long enough, and all too soon the guard blew his whistle, waved his flag to the engine driver, and the train lurched forwards.
Alex leaned down to kiss his wife.
She said as clear as a bell, ‘Ya tebya lyublyu moya dorogaya. Bog poydet s vami i skoro vernetsya. [I love you, my darling. God go with you, and come back soon.]’
Alex was so astonished that, when the departing train caused their hands to part, he leaned out of the window, waving, with tears streaming down his face until she disappeared from view. He took a handkerchief from his pocket to wipe his face before returning to his cabin.
*
There is a saying that, ‘the stiffer the upper lip, the slacker the lower,’ and Teddy’s upper lip that evening was rigidly stiff as the train pulled out of the station. As the glimmer of the red oil lamp receded down the track, her lower lip progressively won the battle, and tears welled in her eyes before streaming down her cheeks. She made to turn and leave the station, but, as on that previous occasion, the strength in her legs started to abandon her, causing her to almost collapse before strong masculine hands gripped her under the arms and steadied her.
‘Let us go and find a cup of tea, or something stronger,’ Commander Jeffers said soothingly.
She looked up and smiled at her saviour. ‘Thank you,’ she said, ‘I promised myself that I would not be so foolish as to collapse at Alex’s departure!’
‘You won’t be the last to make that promise, nor the last to fail in keeping it; it is wholly most understandable.’ He steered Teddy towards the lounge.
*
Alex, meanwhile, had settled in his compartment when there was a discreet knock at the door, followed by Third Officer Devine opening the door and letting herself in with a young man of about Alex’s age and general size. ‘Sorry to disturb you, sir,’ she said, ‘this is the man who is going to be you after Rugby, so that a Lieutenant Carlton gets off at Glasgow and catches the connection to Fort William. If you get changed into civvies…’ She then addressed the young man, ‘And you get dressed in Lieutenant Carlton’s uniform, then swap suitcases, it would be most helpful. I will wait outside in the corridor.’
As Third Officer Devine closed the door, the doppelganger extended his hand and introduced himself. ‘Colin Edge,’ he said, ‘second lieutenant and former actor.’
‘Good evening,’ said Alex.
They then started the procedure of swapping Alex’s uniform for a sports jacket and flannels, at the same time exchanging his naval coat and cap for Mr Edge’s trench coat and trilby.
‘Don’t worry, sir,’ said Edge, smiling, ‘you will get these back, just as I hope to get my coat and hat back also.’
‘I don’t doubt it,’ Alex said, glad that he had chosen to wear his service issue uniform rather than the better quality one from Hawkes.
When they had finished, Alex opened the door and allowed Third Officer Devine to rejoin them.
Handing Alex a package, she said, ‘These are your tickets from Rugby to Marylebone; I believe that there is a restaurant car on the train, but I doubt it is up to the standard of the sleeper.’ She smiled. ‘You know the ongoing arrangements from London, already, sir.’
‘Yes,’ responded Alex, ‘I do.’
The train was pulling into Watford Junction, so Third Officer Devine suggested to Alex that he used the confusion of passengers joining to move to the seat reserved for Colin Edge. He collected his cases, and, as the train drew to a halt, he alighted, making his way along the platform to the third-class carriages. He found his seat and concluded that Colin Edge had definitely got the better deal in the transport stakes, particularly as his place was in a smoking compartment.
An hour and a half later, the train pulled into Rugby station. It was unmistakable that this town had grown up around the railway because – for a relatively nondescript, minor Midland’s town – the station was gigantic, having almost as many platforms as most London termini.
Alex collected his belongings and left the train, then changed tracks and platforms so that he could catch the Great Central Railway’s train to Marylebone. Realising that there was an hour before his train was due, he entered the platform buffet and ordered a cup of tea. He was surprised when, after a few minutes, Daphne Devine came into the same café, dressed in civilian clothes, and sat at another table; she did not acknowledge his presence, and neither did he hers.
The train to Marylebone chuffed and wheezed itself into the station, so Alex found a porter to help get his luggage to his first-class carriage. Daphne boarded the train further towards the rear. The train left on time, and Alex lowered the blinds in his compartment to maintain his privacy. Shortly after leaving Rugby station, a steward came through the first-class carriages inviting all those who had joined the train at Rugby and who wish to eat to go to the restaurant car right then for the final service. Alex, who was decidedly hungry by then, left his compartment and followed the steward. No sooner had he sat down than the ticket collector arri
ved, and Alex handed over his ticket for punching.
‘We should be on time tonight, sir,’ the ticket collector assured Alex, ‘unless Adolf decides that tonight’s the night that he starts bombing London!’
Alex thanked him and turned his attention to the menu. It was typically uninspiring, Alex thought, but it was hearty food and designed to fill the eater.
A short while later, on returning to his compartment just as the train was pulling into Aylesbury, Alex realised that he had only completed about half of his journey, so he settled into the corner and dozed for the rest of the trip.
*
It was close to midnight when the train arrived at Marylebone, and Alex carried his cases and typewriter wearily to the entrance hall of the station, where he waited at the appointed place by the booking office. He was soon approached by a neat gentleman who asked if his name was Colin Edge; Alex almost denied it, but just managed to stop himself in time.
‘Yes,’ Alex said in as much of a theatrical voice as he could muster, ‘that is me.’
‘Your car’s waiting, sir,’ the man said, and, taking Alex’s suitcases, made off in the direction of the concourse.
Alex’s first thought was, This fellow could be anybody! But, like a sheep, Alex followed him to a dark Humber car waiting outside the station.
The driver did not say anything; he merely put Alex’s suitcases into the boot of the car and held the door open for Alex to get in.
The car pulled up eventually outside a neat, suburban, end-terrace house in Grays, Essex, and the driver waited for Alex to get out of the car.
Apparently, the porterage service does not extend outside railways stations, Alex thought, as he was left to recover his suitcases and typewriter from the boot of the Humber.
The front door of the house opened, and a man came out to help Alex with his bags.
‘Good morning, sir; Simpkins,’ was all he said, and he carried Alex’s belongings into the house.
Winston's Spy Page 38
