‘For God’s sake, that’s appalling. Didn’t your mother contradict her? Speak up for you?’

  ‘She did try but was silenced by the tirade coming from that horrible person. I don’t have any regrets about leaving as I doubt I’d have stayed anyway with her there. I am worried about leaving my mother to deal with her without me for support.’

  This made things awkward and he felt guilty for taking Sarah away and making things difficult for her mother too.

  ‘I’m sure your mother will fight back when she’s ready. Don’t forget she spent the last twenty years being the perfect, obedient wife to your father. You can’t expect her to change overnight.’

  ‘I don’t blame her. I’m going to miss her most dreadfully but I can write to her and telephone occasionally. I’m quite sure that woman won’t lower herself to pick up the telephone when it rings.’

  ‘You don’t have to come – I’ll understand if you’ve changed your mind.’

  She was already nestling against his shoulder and he had his arm around her. She twisted and looked at him.

  ‘I love you and I’m an adult and can make my own decisions. Don’t worry, I’ve got it all planned. If you don’t mind, when we get to London and have booked into whatever hotel you’ve reserved for us, I’m going to the Royal Free. I’m hoping, even though it’s the middle of the academic year, that I can join the current cohort of medical students because of my St John’s qualifications.’

  ‘Have you brought the jewellery with you?’

  ‘I have. That will be our second job. Should we go to somewhere like Hatton Garden or find a more disreputable pawn shop somewhere else?’

  ‘Do you have anything to prove they are yours to sell?’

  ‘Actually, I do. I found a letter from my great-grandmother in the bottom of the box stating the jewellery belongs to the daughter of the current Lady Harcourt. As my father was an only child the box was kept for me. It doesn’t say that I have to keep them, just that they are mine.’

  ‘Then Hatton Garden. You’ll get a better price there.’

  Until she’d told Angus what she intended to do, she hadn’t really clarified her thoughts. Speaking them out loud made it easier to see that she’d made the only decision in the circumstances.

  ‘This isn’t how it should have been but it’s how it is. I just wish you were old enough to get married without having anybody’s permission.’

  ‘It’s a good thing I’m not, as I would have said no. The last thing we should do is get married at the moment. It will be so much easier for both of us to consolidate our careers if we don’t have any legal ties.’

  ‘Legal ties? I’m a regular in the RAF – I couldn’t leave even if I wanted to. As for consolidating my career, circumstances will shape that, not me.’

  She wasn’t offended by his comment but nodded. ‘Of course you are. I knew that really and was just talking about myself. You don’t mind that I wouldn’t marry you right now even if I was able to?’

  ‘Why should I? As long as we’re still engaged, I know that when the time’s right you will be my wife, I’m okay with that. The wind from the Channel is making sitting here unpleasant. Let’s get ourselves sorted out, find a café and not worry about the future.’

  ‘I don’t care what anybody thinks, even if they look down their noses at us, as long as we can spend the next three days together. I wore this hat because it makes me look older.’

  ‘It does, and hopefully it’ll do the trick.’

  ‘Who are we going to be? Not Mr and Mrs Smith, I hope.’

  ‘I just thought I’d sign in as Flight Lieutenant Trent and Mrs Trent – it’s almost true, isn’t it?’

  ‘Are you sorry you’re not a squadron leader any more? You were just getting used to having the extra pay and now you’ll be back to the old amount. ‘

  ‘In fact, because I don’t drink or smoke, unlike most the other chaps, I don’t run up a massive bar bill every month. I’ll actually be in charge of a squadron, just not with the rank of squadron leader.’

  Whilst she purchased her ticket, he put their bags into the left luggage office. She noticed there was a station café. She couldn’t see much through the steamed-up windows so pushed open the door an inch or two and an appetising smell of hot toast and bacon drifted out.

  He strode up to her. ‘The bloke in the left luggage recommended this place. It would appear people come up from the town just to eat here. Shall we go in? We’ve got just under an hour before the London train arrives.’

  ‘By that time it’ll be almost lunchtime – it’s already nearly eleven o’clock. We’ll call this meal brunch and then we won’t need to eat again until dinner tonight. Did you reserve a table at the Ritz?’

  ‘Better than that, sweetheart. There’s an afternoon tea dance today and I’ve reserved a table for us. What could be better than dancing, plus tea and cakes to go with it?’

  ‘I doubt that I’ll get to the Royal Free and to Hatton Garden before the dance.’

  ‘We’ve got all day tomorrow to do that and most of Friday; I don’t have to be at the base until five.’

  ‘Then I’ll stop worrying about what might or might not happen and just enjoy your company.’

  The café was half-full, but then it was still early and the breakfast eaters would have gone and the lunch eaters had yet to arrive. A waitress in black, with a white apron and frilly cap, beamed at them.

  ‘Table for two? Just coffee or do you want to eat?’

  ‘We’d like a hot meal if that’s possible – neither of us had breakfast and we won’t be eating again until late this afternoon.’ She’d answered automatically when really she should have allowed Angus to reply, but he was unbothered by her taking over. He was really the most wonderful man and she was so lucky to have him in her life.

  ‘Then I’ll put you where the tablecloths are – they’re the ones for diners.’

  She was about to remove the pins that held her hat in place when she stopped. None of the women had taken theirs off.

  ‘It’s going to be very odd eating a meal with a hat on, but if everyone else is doing so I’d better do the same.’ He took her coat and hung it on the coat stand by the door along with his own greatcoat, the two gas masks and the other outdoor paraphernalia they both had with them.

  They settled for cottage pie with vegetables and then apple crumble and custard for dessert. They decided to have a pot of tea to drink with the meal and coffee afterwards. The waitress had assured them it was the real stuff and not the dreaded Camp, which came out of a bottle and looked like gravy browning – it didn’t taste much better either.

  As they were finishing the delicious meal, he handed her a small leather box. ‘I didn’t buy you an engagement ring so I’ve bought your wedding ring in advance. I’d like you to wear that, then you can have your engagement ring showing as well. Perhaps you can keep it on a chain around your neck until we actually get married.’

  Surreptitiously, she removed her engagement ring with her hand under the table and then pushed the wedding ring on first. ‘That’s absolutely perfect, thank you so much. Let’s pretend we’ve just got married and are going on a honeymoon before you get posted away. It will make it seem more romantic.’

  ‘We’ll start right away – get into character before we get to the hotel where we might be under some scrutiny.’

  Fortunately, the train steamed into the station, alerting them to the fact it would be steaming out again within fifteen minutes. The first-class carriage was already occupied by a businessman in pinstripes and bowler hat – travelling late to his workplace in London for some reason – and a portly matron in burgundy tweed.

  Angus didn’t put their belongings in the overhead rack but piled the two cases and then his kitbag on the seat beside them. They hadn’t bothered to put on coats so he folded these neatly on top of the pile of luggage.

  ‘You will have to move those, young man, if anybody else comes into the compartment. There might well be others who booked seats in first class.’ The middle-aged woman stared pointedly at the two seats he’d obstructed. The businessman kept his head in his paper and didn’t even look up.

  ‘I’ll move everything if I have to, ma’am, but I think putting all three items in the overhead rack might well cause it to collapse. We didn’t have time to put our belongings in the guard’s van.’

  Sarah decided to add authenticity to the story. ‘We’ve just got married and are going to London for a three-day honeymoon before my husband takes up a new posting at Hornchurch.’

  Sarah knew her radiant smile was enough to convince anyone of the truth of her statement. She loved Angus, they were engaged, and one day she would be his wife.

  24

  Joanna wanted to believe Sarah wouldn’t actually go through with it and leave with Angus so spent a relatively untroubled night, although deep down she knew her daughter would do exactly what she wanted regardless of her or anyone else’s opinion. Her mother-in-law was a nightmare but she supposed she’d get used to her in time.

  Betty no longer came in at weekends as Liza and her brother Joe took care of everything apart from the cooking of dinner, which Sarah did.

  ‘Morning, ma’am, miss is out with her horse and the puppy’s gone with her. How do we do breakfast now things have changed?’

  ‘We’ll use the breakfast parlour for the Dowager Lady Harcourt but Sarah and I will continue to eat in the kitchen as it’s more convenient. She will use the drawing room, not the sitting room. There’s no need for you to make up fires, clean and so on, in any of the rooms that she uses as she has her own staff to do that.’

  ‘I don’t mean to speak out of turn, ma’am, but those two what you just mentioned have told us we’ve got to move out of our rooms so they can have them. That ain’t right, is it?’

  ‘It certainly isn’t. How did you prevent them from invading your domain?’

  ‘We locked the doors and played the wireless what you borrowed us ever so loud so we couldn’t hear them shouting.’

  ‘Good for you. I’ll speak to them myself as I expect they’ll be down at any moment. There are half a dozen perfectly usable rooms in the attic and they’ll have to do what you did with yours. My mother-in-law will pay for any changes as I’m certainly not going to.’

  She really shouldn’t be discussing this with Liza but she liked the girl and knew she was loyal to a fault, that she and her brother considered Goodwill House their home – the first decent one they’d had in years, if ever.

  ‘Righty ho, ma’am, we’re snug as a bug in a rug up there and we ain’t budging from there not for no one.’

  ‘And neither should you. My mother-in-law arrived uninvited so must fit in around my arrangements and not the other way round.’

  ‘She’s a terror and no mistake. She’ll keep us on our toes, I reckon.’ Liza busied herself at the Aga and Joanna took her usual place at the table.

  ‘I expect Betty showed the new members of staff where everything is yesterday when she was here so you should be able to get on uninterrupted. Just toast and tea for me today.’

  She finished her breakfast and wondered why Sarah hadn’t come in as she usually did after doing the horses. Oddly, Joe, who enjoyed his breakfast, hadn’t come in either. The kitchen clock showed the time to be almost ten. She was about to go and investigate the absence of her daughter and the boy when a bell rang loudly outside in the kitchen passageway.

  These were connected to all the main rooms of the house but hadn’t been used since she’d lived there and, until now, she hadn’t known they still worked.

  ‘Liza, would you be kind enough to have a look and see where the Dowager is ringing from.’

  ‘Gordon Bennett! Whatever next?’ The girl poked her head outside the kitchen door. ‘It’s the dining room, ma’am.’

  ‘Oh dear, I suppose I’d better go and explain to my mother-in-law how things are done in this house. Would you be kind enough to take a tray of tea and some freshly made toast into the breakfast parlour? Lady Harcourt won’t need anything else this morning.’

  She walked briskly through the house and into the icy dining room where her mother-in-law was siting, back straight, mouth pursed, at the massive table.

  ‘Mother-in-law, your breakfast and your other meals will be served in the breakfast parlour. Obviously, we don’t use the dining room, which can seat more than forty, to just serve one. Secondly, please don’t pull the bell strap as the people working here are employees, not servants – there is a difference, you know.’

  The Dowager remained exactly where she was, her expression glacial, and said nothing. Joanna thought she might as well get the accommodation of the new staff sorted out now as well.

  ‘I think I also need to make it quite clear that as far as I’m concerned the two staff that you employ are responsible for your well-being, your laundry and your rooms. There is adequate accommodation in the attics for both of them but they will have to organise the furniture and so on themselves. What they won’t be doing is evicting Liza and Joe.’

  ‘I am as entitled to live here as you are. I expect to be treated with respect and my dresser and my chauffeur are not employed to do menial tasks.’

  ‘Then I suggest that you find some staff of your own who are prepared to do so. I didn’t invite you here and as you haven’t communicated in any way with your son for the past twenty years then I doubt that he would want you here either. I won’t turn you away but if you wish to remain under this roof you will abide by my rules.’

  Her head was spinning, she felt sick, but she’d said what she wanted to say and was proud of herself. As she crossed the hall, she heard a car driving away and flew to the window. She recognised it immediately – it was the Hillman – Sarah had ignored everything that had been said and gone to spend the weekend with her fiancé.

  She should have stood up for her daughter against her grandmother’s outburst. She admired Sarah for being confident enough to follow her own wishes, even with the threat of not being allowed to return hanging over her. Of course, this wasn’t the case as Goodwill House was her home, however reprehensibly she’d behaved.

  Joanna returned to the kitchen and was surprised to find it empty. There was a letter addressed to her lying in the middle of the table and she recognised at once that it was Sarah’s writing.

  Mummy,

  I am most dreadfully sorry but I can’t live under the same roof as that woman. The fact that you didn’t contradict anything she said about me being a disgrace to the name, to not being allowed to return here, can only mean that you agreed with her.

  Don’t worry, I won’t come back to embarrass you. I shall spend three days with my fiancé and then hope to take up my place at the Royal Free. I will write to you when I have an address you can respond to.

  I do love you but you have let me down badly.

  Sarah

  She read it through twice more before the words fully registered. Whilst she’d been dealing with the Dowager, her daughter had left, possibly forever. This was all her fault – she’d driven Sarah away and forced her to choose between Angus and her family.

  She now understood why Liza and her brother had gone elsewhere whilst she read the letter. They must have known and helped Sarah leave. She slumped onto a chair and dropped her head into her hands, unable to take in what had happened.

  ‘We’re that sorry, ma’am, but we couldn’t tell you,’ Liza said as she made the tea and toast for the unwanted guest.

  ‘That’s all right, I understand. Sarah would have gone anyway in the next few weeks to start her medical training. I just wish it hadn’t been like this.’

  ‘Don’t you fret, ma’am, she ain’t gone for good. She’ll be in touch soon enough and then you can nip up to London to see her.’

  ‘Thank you, that’s exactly what I thought. Joe, you can come in, I won’t bite your head off.’ He’d been hiding behind the pantry door but now emerged looking somewhat sheepish. ‘I’ve made it quite clear that you will remain in your own rooms. Also, Lady Harcourt is responsible for arranging her own staff to take care of her personal needs.’

  ‘We ain’t seen neither of them snooty two since last night. I reckon they might have abandoned ship.’

  ‘They ain’t taken the car, Joe, so if they’ve gone then they’d have had to walk.’

  ‘Please take that tray to the breakfast parlour. Hopefully, my mother-in-law will have deigned to move because if she hasn’t, she won’t get any breakfast.’

  It was April and only six months since David had been recalled to serve with the BEF. How much Joanna’s life had changed in half a year. Her daughter had grown up and started a life of her own and she was happy for her but was going to miss her dreadfully. She had discovered the estate was in financial difficulties but by taking in paying guests and selling the hunters she thought they would be able to keep afloat.

  The arrival of her mother-in-law from the south of France wasn’t ideal, but it was just possible that over the next few weeks they might find a middle ground. At least she wouldn’t be entirely alone. A letter had arrived yesterday from Victory House in London confirming the arrival of six WAAF at the end of the month. They would be staying until Manston completed the necessary arrangements for the girls to live on the base permanently.

  Sarah wasn’t the only one who had grown up, who had found her feet. Before war was declared last September, the only thing Joanna had done of any use was running the WVS – but now look at her.

  Angus was only too happy to join in the play-acting. There was nothing he’d like better than to be Sarah’s actual husband. Anyway, the story of being on honeymoon was received as truth and by the time they got off the train in London he almost believed it himself.