‘Miss Gomez will have her work cut out. Any news of Swordsman, sir?’
‘Oh, yes. Gerahty put his team ashore, they ran into no problems he was aware of, and he’s now off Cape dell’Armi – with three or four days to go. Will you be in the mess this evening, Michael?’
She padded away damp and naked, came back with two small towels and gave him one of them.
‘Really something, Mike.’
‘Understatement of the season. And you’re beautiful all over.’
‘I’ve missed you dreadfully.’
‘So marry me.’
‘Mike, darling.’ Drier, she sprawled beside him. ‘I was beginning to explain – about an hour ago? You back home in – what, four or five months now? – me perhaps in a year, and in the course of that interval you’ve been sent to Australia, Singapore, Shanghai, or –’
‘Don’t want to lose you, Abbie.’
‘Think you would? For lack of a damn ring?’
‘I never had the least inclination to be married to anyone at all. Believe me, never even thought about it – until now, wanting you. Marriage itself isn’t the thing, it’s us belonging to each other and making no bones about it,including making love, all of them assuming it’s what we’re doing anyway – as in the case of whatshisname – I know,wasn’t going to mention him again, you told me and I do believe you, I was thinking about it at sea –’
‘Apart from any other consideration, Nico Cornish has a wife, Mike.’
‘And?’
‘I was thinking when you were away, I should have pointed this out before – it’s something I don’t do and never would. We talked about this, if you remember – not about Nico, in general terms – the Sunday I moved back from the Gravies’,wasn’t it. I think I brought up the subject – morality of having affairs and so forth, and I said as long as people aren’t doing the dirty on other people, meaning wives and husbands, I saw it as a matter of personal choice, both in principle – whether to do it at all – and the specific, individuals concerned and circumstances. My thinking there included him – Nico, married man I liked and enjoyed as a friend, which I can tell you wasn’t all he wanted. In fact I suppose that’s how it is with most of you. I mean, if I had a husband in England or somewhere it wouldn’t stop you trying, would it?’
‘Abbie, I fully agreed with you that afternoon –’
‘So you did.’ She laughed. ‘So you did, my darling!’
‘How’s that funny?’
‘Despite screwing the living daylights out of the wife of the submarine captain you mentioned a while ago?’
He’d frozen. ‘What are you talking about?’
Her slim hand stroked him, on the damp, rumpled single bed. ‘Exceedingly good-looking woman by the name of – oh, Anne, I think?’
‘Ann …’
‘Morals of an alley-cat, by all accounts. Oh, I don’t mean it that way, I mean it’s not all that incomprehensible, you’re attractive, all right, even fairly devastating. Don’t look so ashen, darling, it’s partly what drew me to you – alleged proficiency, might call it. Actually I suppose I was drawn already, but—
‘Allegation by whom?’
‘You won’t be horrid to her for having told me?’
‘Who?’
‘Please don’t say anything to her about it, but – Eleanor Kingsley. You do know her.’
‘Not all that well. Girlfriend of my first lieutenant’s.’
‘The doughty James McLeod.’
‘Yes, and I think you’ve mentioned them before, but how the hell –’
‘He told her. In what circumstances, I know not. Usual routine, though, not a word to anyone, etc. He’s devoted to you, apparently. But he’d met this female at a submariners’ shindig she attended with hubbie – back home, this was – then saw you together at some pub in Scotland when you were supposed to be elsewhere – no doubt of it, apparently, and he was certain it wasn’t a one-off. I don’t know how, didn’t take in all the details – rather doubt Eleanor had either. You must have been pretty damn careless, Mike.’
‘And young McLeod –’
‘He admires you for it, Eleanor said. Thinks you’re the bee’s knees in any case. The lady’s a stunner – right?’
‘With your principles about people not cheating on each other –’
‘– with which as you’ve just mentioned you agree root and branch. In this instance you must absolutely have forced yourself?’
‘I don’t know how it started. In any case that was then.’
‘If you were in London now, though –’
‘No. Absolutely not.’
‘Even with you and I neither married nor engaged?’
‘She’s married – and I do agree with you on that issue. That’s one thing, another is I’m in love with you. No one else even bloody well exists. Believe me, Abbie –’
‘All right, I will. I do.’
‘Thank you. In fact thank heavens.’
Melhuish ran him to earth that evening. Mike had been looking for him again and drawn a blank again, had reread his father’s letter and was in his cabin changing into Red Sea rig for the evening when Melhuish came knocking on the door, looking both sick and slightly hostile.
Maybe they’d always shared what might be described as a natural coolness for each other. He couldn’t remember any time he’d actually been glad to see him.
‘Hello, Charles.’
Stiff nod, expression still not exactly amiable. Melhuish was jealous of him professionally, of course – for some reason or reasons unknown. And Ann might have spoken well of him at some time? While from one’s own point of view there was an impression of excessive self-regard reflected in a somewhat supercilious manner.
Saying now, ‘I had rather assumed you’d be ashore.’
A crack at his relationship with Abbie. Mike nodded equably, ‘I was, for a while. Also spent some time looking for you – as it happens. Heard you’d turned in. Around midday, that was. Sit down, Charles. You had the legs of us last night, uh? But Shrimp mentioned that you’d seemed fairly knackered.’
‘Slightly touch and go for a while, wasn’t it. One of the things I’m here for is to thank you for what you did. Even if I’d come out of it in one piece, I’d have been well and truly put through it. Well, I was, but thanks to your – intervention …’
‘I was curious to see what was going on. Curiosity darn near killed the cat – this one – and by chance happened to get you out of your tight corner. I’m glad of that but I never set out to do anything of the kind.’
‘You had a good hammering, I’m told.’
‘Don’t know what was good about it. That Wop had his depth-settings spot-on, consequently damn near got lucky. A bloody Messerschmitt actually set the ball rolling. I was asking for it, I suppose. Look, if you’d like to compare notes over a gin or two –’
‘Not this evening, if you don’t mind.’
‘Only I told Shrimp I’d be down there – and later I’ve a patrol report to concoct … Are you all right, Charles?’
He looked awful. Eyes dull, with dark rings around them, face pasty-grey, sweaty-looking. Sitting now, at last, fumbling with a silver cigarette case.
Fumbling because his hands were shaking.
‘I had a letter from Ann, Mike.’
Staring at him: declining the offer of a cigarette. Thinking Oh Christ – reacting to the tone of that announcement and the fact Melhuish was still looking down at the rather ornate case he was fiddling with, sooner than meet Mike’s eyes.
Denounced by Abbie earlier on, now about to hear Ann had dropped him in it?
He’d managed a smile. ‘Only one letter? I thought she wrote them in threes?’
No answering warmth. Flare of a match, then, ‘What’s called a “Dear John” letter. If you know what that is. Look, I’m only telling you this because you know us both – or did – quite well. Would you have thought it even possible? That she could? When you saw how we were together? And – well, imag
ine it – feeling a bit rough, opening a letter thinking oh how marvellous, bless her heart – and – well, Jesus –’
‘Dear John meaning she’s – leaving, breaking up with you?’ It had taken a moment to sink in. Shaking his head: ‘Didn’t occur to me that could be – what you meant … I can hardly believe it, Charles. I’m – I was going to say shocked, but it’s you must be in shock. Very, very sorry, Charles – Christ, what else can one say? What is it, some other –’
‘Care to see what she says?’
‘No, not really. Your very private business –’
‘Some Yank Air Force colonel. The greatest thing ever happened to her, she says, she’s never felt so intensely about anything in her whole life – three pages of it begging me to understand, forgive her – and him, would you believe that?’
Staring at the letter open in his hand, head wagging like a metronome. Mike with a hand on his shoulder: thoughts a compound of personal relief and wondering what Ormrod would have made of it. ‘Look – Charles, come on down and have a stiff one …’
* * *
In the wardroom that evening they were talking about the desert war, Montgomery’s breakthrough at El Alamein which had been imminent a week ago when Ursa and the other two had been on the point of departure with their commandos, and was now a fait accompli – Rommel in full retreat and the Eighth Army on his heels, church bells ringing in English villages.
Melhuish had had a few gins, become near-maudlin and finally told Mike, ‘Not up to it, I’m afraid. Any case, thanks for the support. I’m going to hit the sack.’
Shrimp then, joined as he invariably was by his right-hand men and technical specialists, the new Commander (Submarines), others including Mike and at least half a dozen other COs wanting news of their brethren’s latest successes radio’d in from sea. There was a lot going on, and when you’d run out of that you had island gossip. Mike heard Shrimp questioning Sam MacGregor on the subject of Unsung’s defect-list, Shrimp then asking, glancing around, ‘Charles Melhuish not with us this evening?’ and Melhuish’s first lieutenant, Showell, piping up with ‘He’s a bit out of sorts, sir. Was going to polish off the patrol report and then turn in.’
‘Skipping supper?’
Showell had been a brand-new sub-lieutenant in Shrimp’s anti-invasion flotilla at Harwich in which Mike had had his own first operational command; he was stocky, red-headed, freckled. He’d looked at Mike, shrugged slightly as if saying ‘Search me’, and Mike told Shrimp, ‘He was here, sir, had a couple of snorts then skedaddled. But –’ he’d lowered his tone, and there’d been an interruption at that stage, a message to Shrimp from Gravy. Shrimp returned to the subject a minute later: ‘Michael – what were you going to say about Melhuish?’
He checked that they were more or less on their own. ‘Only that he’s out of sorts for private reasons, sir – had a “Dear John” letter from his wife.’
‘Dear John …’ Getting there, then. ‘Oh. I see. But – was this to be expected? You knew them both, I think you told me.’
‘I did, yes. Extremely pretty girl. You’d know Billy Gorst, sir, I expect?’
‘Don’t tell me he’s the –’
‘No.’ Mike laughed. ‘Only that I met the Melhuishes at his wedding.’
‘Is Melhuish likely to get over it reasonably quickly?’
‘Honestly can’t say, sir. Most sincerely hope –’
‘Damnable, in any case. By the way though, Michael, how’s the delectable Miss French? Over the moon at having you back?’
‘Seems quite pleased about it, sir. Entirely mutual, I may say.’
‘You won’t find it too arduous being on the beach eight blooming weeks, then.’
‘Don’t suppose I will, sir.’
‘Greta was asking after you a few days ago. The water’s still swimmable at their Lido, incidentally. Anyway – Lascaris at noon, right?’
He told Abbie next day, ‘Would have been undiplomatic to have spent the night here. First night in – and Shrimp had asked if I’d be in the mess. After all, Lazaretto’s where I’m expected to hang out when I’m not at sea. In the week or so before this last trip I wasn’t there much, was I. Might be what he was thinking about when he asked me that. He’s under orders to treat COs like Derby winners, but I think one shouldn’t take too much advantage of that – for instance have one’s mess-mates ask “Where’s Mike?” or “Where’s bloody Nicholson?” and get the answer “Oh, screwing his girlfriend.” Bad for discipline, my darling, and not terribly good for girlfriend’s reputation. But there’s nothing wrong with mornings and afternoons, is there – actually I’m all for them.’
‘Me too. As a working girl –’
‘If we were engaged, you see –’
‘We’re not, and as I’ve told you once or twice –’
‘If we were, the hypothetical reply to “Where’s bloody Nicholson?”would be “Ashore with his fiancée,as usual.”Totally different sound to it. That’s the point I’m trying to explain.’
‘I wouldn’t say that in practice it’d make much difference. Very weak reason for getting engaged, in any case. To my mind we’re fine as we are – for now, at any rate.’
‘Well, I think the only reason you’re taking the attitude you are taking is that you don’t trust me. The Ann Melhuish business – my feckless womanising? Well, I’ll give you the latest – Ann’s husband, Charles, has had a “Dear John” letter from her. She’s leaving him for some Yank. Doesn’t that tell you something about her natural tendencies?’
‘No. Even if it’s true – the timing’s a little coincidental – wouldn’t mean she’s swept him off his feet – some sod on the make –’
‘Well, thank you –’
‘Not referring to you, you know perfectly well I wasn’t. Mike darling, leave it, can we?’ Her arms slid round his neck, her breasts against his face. ‘Unless you want to make me love you less?’
Shrimp, in their patrol-report meeting in the Castile at noon – Melhuish had been and gone by then – had run his eye over the three or four typed foolscap sheets and had little to add to his previous comments.
‘Shouldn’t have been there in the first place. Well, you’re aware of that. But you made up for it in several ways; and the extensive damage to Ursa is not a major issue, since she’s only to be fixed up for the passage home. And that’s that. Next question – what to do with you for a couple of months. First, you’d better take a week off. Then, the obvious and most useful thing’s the Lazaretto Ops Room,backing up Johnno Broadbent. He could use you, all right – heck of a lot going on, and now a biggish show in prospect, in which we’ll be heavily involved. I’ll be away shortly, by the way – Cairo, by Dakota, with a temporary replacement here. Anything else, meanwhile?’
‘I’ll be working with Broadbent, but also Spare CO?’
‘Technically,but Hugo Short’s ahead of you for any seagoing replacement. He’s been sitting around grinding his teeth for months … That all?’
‘Except that I don’t need a week, sir. Two or three days, perhaps?’
A nod. ‘Fix it with Broadbent, Michael.’
He hadn’t said anything to Abbie at this stage about his projected few days on the loose or the work he’d be doing at Lazaretto thereafter because he had yet to see Johnno Broadbent and tie it all up; and since concluding that rather hurried Castile interview with Shrimp had been giving thought to his best options and/or preferences as he’d put them to the SOO when he did see him. To start with, he needed to be available in his capacity of CO of Ursa for a day or two – paperwork mainly, sailors’ personal documents and the forwarding of requests, dozens of lesser items requiring his signature. This would take him to the weekend, which he’d spend with Abbie if she wasn’t working or whatever – and then – well, Monday to Wednesday he’d take as his three-day leave,and stay with her in her flat. Nights anyway; days, might hike around the island. She might even get a few days off herself. But once he’d started work as Deputy SOO – Thu
rsday onward – he’d be living at Lazaretto. Have to be – so Broadbent could be off the hook occasionally – or when he wanted – and this might not help in the situation vis-à-vis Abbie. Looking down at her sprawled, lovely body, tanned arms and shoulders and a leg thrown across his own; most certainly not wanting to make her love him less, but realising it might happen.
21
Swimming – at the Lido, Pembroke House, practising his crawl to quite a long way out while Abbie and Greta sunned themselves on the rocks. It wasn’t exactly a cloudless day and from time to time they covered themselves, but the sea was still warmish from the long hot summer. The Gravies had invited them – this was a Saturday,Abbie hadn’t been working, and Mike’s colleague Johnno Broadbent had been prepared to look after any crises occurring in the Ops Room, especially with Mike in easy reach by telephone to/from Pembroke House.
Broadbent, lieutenant-commander, was several years senior to Mike but confined to shore duties on account of a problem with his eyes which had been caused by a torpedo warhead exploding in its tube, in 1939. He was an easy-going but very intelligent man with a scarred forehead, prematurely greying hair and a wife and two small children of whom he had leather-framed portraits in his cabin. Mike had co-operated with him in the planning of Operation ‘Backlash’, and they got on well.
Shrimp had been gone a week and there was no date yet for his return: he was with the planning staff in Cairo. His temporary replacement,Captain Andrew Swann DSO,having had only three days taking over from Shrimp was of course heavily reliant on his senior staff, also tended to keep to himself, especially in terms of appearances in the wardroom. Naval tradition was for a ship’s captain to live and mess on his own, whereas Shrimp believed in living amongst his officers, knowing their personalities and problems as well as ensuring that they were aware of his.
Submariner (2008) Page 32
