Dominion

When Sarah got back to the house she took off Ruth’s duffel coat, laid it on the sofa and stood looking at it. David wouldn’t be back for hours. She thought in sudden panic, I should get rid of it, if they come after me it could incriminate me. She tried to remember if anyone at Friends House had seen her leave with Mrs Templeman. She didn’t think so, but she wasn’t sure. She was in danger, they might be looking for her, David and her family could be caught up in it all. Her heart started pounding wildly and she took deep breaths to try to calm herself. Then the image of Mrs Templeman falling back onto the road returned to her and she cried out, ‘She’s dead, she’s dead!’ She put her hands over her face and sobbed convulsively in a way she hadn’t since Charlie died.

After a while the telephone rang, the shrill sound making her jump. She went into the hall; it could be the police. Hesitantly, she picked up the receiver.

‘Hello.’

‘Hello, dear.’ It was Irene. ‘Have you both been out? I tried phoning earlier.’

Sarah gasped with relief. ‘David’s had to go to Northampton, his uncle’s in hospital. I’ve been – I’ve been out at a committee meeting—’

‘Are you all right, dear?’ Irene’s voice was suddenly anxious. ‘You sound odd.’

‘No – no. I think I’ve a cold coming, that’s all.’

‘It’s not to do with David, is it? Have you spoken to him about that woman at his office yet?’

‘No. No, I haven’t.’

‘Did you see anything happening in town today?’

‘No.’ A jump of the heart. ‘What do you mean?’

‘Haven’t you heard the news? Apparently they moved all the Jews out of the cities today. To some sort of camps. Mosley’s going to broadcast this evening.’

‘I – I hadn’t heard.’ So it had been publicly announced now.

‘Steve thinks it’s about time. But I hope they’re not being mistreated. We wouldn’t do that, would we?’ Irene’s voice was for once uncertain.

‘I don’t know. Irene, darling, I have to go, David’ll be back soon, I’ve got something cooking—’

‘Oh, all right, dear.’ Irene sounded surprised by her abruptness. ‘Tell David I hope his uncle’s better soon.’

‘Yes. Yes, I will.’ Sarah put down the receiver and stood in the hall. It was starting to get dark; she switched on the light. She would have liked to telephone her father, but she mustn’t tell any of the family. But what about David? She thought, When I stepped out on that pavement I was abandoning him, abandoning them all. She looked through the frosted glass of the front door at the darkening afternoon, thought of uniformed men standing there and felt a desperate need to see David, hear his voice.

She went back into the lounge and sat down. She picked up Ruth’s duffel coat, holding it to her tightly. She wondered where she was, whether she and Joe had made it. She heard the crack of shots in her head again and flinched. She began crying again, not anguished sobbing any more but with a slow, relentless misery.

It was nearly seven when she heard David’s key in the front door. She had been sitting for hours, holding the duffel coat; she hadn’t bothered to light the fire or put the lights on, she was too shocked and exhausted. When David turned the lights on she blinked. At once he came across the room to her, grasping her by the arms.

‘What’s happened?’ he asked urgently, ‘Sarah, what’s happened?’

She said, ‘They’ve taken the Jews away.’

‘I know. I heard.’

She saw that his own face was pale, bleak with anxiety. ‘I saw it. In the Tottenham Court Road. There was a protest, people were shot. Mrs Templeman’s dead, she’s dead . . .’ Sarah gasped and began crying again. He sat beside her and held her close in a way he hadn’t for ages. His strength gave her a feeling of safety, refuge. She told him the whole story. At the end he said, ‘It’s part of some new deal with Germany. It has to be. The bastards.’

‘Where did you hear? At the hospital?’

‘Yes – yes, they were talking about it there. Just that people were being moved.’

‘How’s Uncle Ted?’

‘Better now, they’re going to discharge him next week. He’s grumpy as ever.’ He gave a brief, twitchy smile and looked away from her and something in his tone told her he was lying. Her heart sank again and she thought, I can’t cope, I can’t cope with that, too.

David said, quietly, ‘Do you think they’ll be looking for you?’

‘I don’t know. They never found out who I was, but they saw me. They’ll have found Mrs Templeman’s identity card, they’ll be enquiring at Friends House, questioning her poor husband. She lost a son too, you know, in 1940.’ She frowned. ‘I keep calling her Mrs Templeman but her first name was Jane, I should call her Jane.’

David shook her shoulders, made her turn and look at him. ‘Sarah,’ he said urgently. ‘That duffel coat, it’s evidence. We should get rid of it. I’ll put it in the bin, the dustmen are coming tomorrow.’

‘Yes.’ She sighed. ‘Yes, all right.’

‘I’ll light the fire. Look, darling, you’re frozen. Have you been sitting in the dark all this time?’

‘Yes. I – I couldn’t think what to do.’

‘Sit here and get warm.’

She said, ‘I’m sorry, David, I’m sorry, I’ve put you all in danger—’

His mouth worked, and she could see he was close to tears himself. He said, ‘You did a brave thing, a good thing.’

‘What should we do?’

‘If we get rid of that duffel coat there’s no evidence it was you. We just have to sit tight.’

She could see from his face, though, that he was worried. ‘What if they pick up Joe and Ruth and question them?’

‘Did you tell them your name?’

‘No. Will you stand by me?’ she added quietly.

He grasped her hands, looking at her with pain and, she thought, guilt. He said, ‘Of course I will.’ He glanced at the clock on the mantelpiece. ‘It’s ten to seven. We ought to watch the news.’

She nodded wearily.

When David turned on the television Songs of Praise was on, people standing in a big church, singing lustily, all the women in large hats, a normal Sunday evening service. Then the credits rolled and a voice announced, in serious tones, that a broadcast from the Home Secretary, Sir Oswald Mosley, would follow. And there he was, sitting in a big office, hands folded on his desk. He looked firm and avuncular, beautifully dressed as usual, his Blackshirt badge prominent on his lapel. He began, in his deep, rich voice:

‘Tonight I want to tell you that, after much consideration, the government has decided to move all British Jews into special areas which have been set aside for them outside our major cities. For the present they are being housed in temporary camps, warm and comfortable. More permanent arrangements will be made later. Most were moved earlier today. We believe this step to be necessary because of evidence that terrorists from the so-called Resistance movement have been receiving support from subversive elements within the Jewish population. Keeping them in separate areas will protect us, and also protect the Jews themselves, from trouble and disturbance from these outsiders.’ Mosley smiled reassuringly. ‘Today’s exercise was carried out with typical British efficiency and good nature, proceeding smoothly and quietly throughout the country. Any Jews who have not yet been transferred are required to attend immediately at their nearest police station, bringing whatever hand luggage they wish to take and, of course, their identity cards.’

His voice became stern. ‘This measure is necessary for Britain’s security. The threat from Resistance terrorism is, alas, ever-present. Everyone must be vigilant, for their own sakes and for the country’s. These are trying times, at home and in the Empire.’ He smiled in a fatherly way, his grey moustache twitching. He went on, his tone lighter, ‘However, I can also tell you that following the discussions the Prime Minister had with our German allies last week, as well as the new increase in British forces available for India, which Mr Powell announced earlier today, new economic agreements have also been reached which will allow British firms to trade much more fully with Europe—’

He went on for several more minutes, talking of new joint ventures between British arms firms and Krupps to supply heavy artillery for the war in Russia, and joint commercial projects between ICI and IG Farben. He concluded his broadcast gravely. ‘Together the British people can defeat anarchy and communism. God Save the