taken for the Irish part of me.
‘Where had you been?’
‘Been? I don’t know what you mean, sir.’ I know I sounded stupid, at that moment I felt stupid.
‘Where have you been living?’ he said slowly and loudly.
‘In Ireland, sir.’ I hoped that was a good enough answer. He seemed to be waiting. I dabbed my eyes. ‘My mammy, she died while I was at her bedside.’ I stopped then as Michael had warned me not to say too much. The officer looked at me without expression.
‘Where did you live in Germany?’ It was like a bullet from a gun. Where did I know of in Germany? What would I say? I decided to stay as near the truth as I could.
‘On a farm. Michael was working the land for food for the troops, his mother Mrs Euler was very old, she too died. So,’ I sighed heavily, ‘we went to say goodbye to my family before Michael joined the…’ I didn’t know the word for ‘forces’ so I took refuge in wiping my tears on the edge of my skirt again. The officer averted his eyes from my dimpled knee.
‘That will be all, for now.’ He stood up and I quickly left the room. I don’t know how much of my story he believed, he gave nothing away, but as I was marched back to the cabin, Michael was being taken out. I put my arms around him and pressed my cheek to his.
‘I told them about the farm in Germany,’ I whispered, ‘didn’t give a name to the district.’ I kissed him, savouring his unresponsive lips. ‘
‘We’ll be back home in Hamburg soon,’ he said and kissed me softly. And then they took him away from me and I wondered if I would ever see him again.
Thirty-Four
The smoke that would have blinded most people made little impression on Kate’s eyes, she could see nothing anyway. She did start to cough and, clearing her throat, she shouted as loudly as she could.
‘Maggie! Where are you, you old baggage?’
She heard a sound like a cat mewling and went towards it. She stumbled over some rubble and, on her hands and knees, careless of the tearing of her stockings and the grazing of her shins, she called again.
‘Maggie, keep calling me, I’m coming for you.’
There was no reply but her sharp ears caught the sound of movement and she scrambled towards it. There was the noise of stones, a shower of them falling, and then her hand reached out and touched a warm, human hand. From the sticky feel of it Kate knew Maggie was bleeding.
‘Come on.’ She coughed out the words. The smoke was getting thicker, heavier, and time was limited if she wanted to survive.
Maggie didn’t speak but her hand clung desperately to Kate’s. Following the sound of voices, Kate headed towards the open air dragging Maggie, stumbling behind her. She could breathe. She fell to the ground feeling hands on her, lifting her. She knew, by the scent of him, through the smell of smoke, she was in her husband’s arms, her true but unwedded husband, her wonderful Eddie.
She touched his face. ‘Is it really you, Eddie, you’ve come home again! You’re alive and I’m not dreaming?’
‘It’s me, my darling, it’s me, I’ve come back to you. Don’t worry about me, worry about yourself. You have to go to the hospital, just to be checked, Maggie is going too but mum and the baby are all right.’
Kate seemed to fade then into a mist of a world, a mist inside her head. All she was conscious of was Eddie holding her close, still loving her, he was safe and well and home with her again. It was a miracle and she would bless the Virgin Mother for it every night of her life.
When she opened her eyes again, she was in her own bed. She could hear sounds from downstairs, muted voices, Hilda putting the kettle on the gas, talking baby talk to little Teddy.
Eddie; had she been dreaming she was in his arms, was it lack of air in her lungs causing her to have weird dreams? ‘Please, Virgin Mother, let it be true,’ she breathed.
She stirred and tried to get up but her knees hurt. She felt her legs and they were covered in bandages. Further down, her ankle was swollen and had a sort of stocking on it holding it tight. She must have been unconscious all the time she was at the hospital.
Her hands seemed all right but when she touched her hair it was frizzled and burnt and smelled heavily of smoke and burning wood. She tried to get out of bed though every part of her body ached and once her feet touched the floor, she heard steps on the stairs, the heavy tread of a man.
When he came into the room Kate knew it was true, she knew his scent so well; her dear, darling Eddie was alive, home, safe with her. He took her in his arms and held her gently.
‘How?’ she asked, her hands exploring his face. There was stubble on his chin, he hadn’t shaved in days, but what did it matter? He was in her arms, he wasn’t a dream, a figment of her imagination, he was real flesh and blood.
‘I was missing for a while then I was taken prisoner. Then, one day on a forced march, I took my chance and escaped. Look, none of that matters now, I’m safe, I’m home and I love you my darling little Kate, my beautiful girl.’
She found his lips and kissed him and then, gently, he lay beside her and held her in his arms. ‘I love you so much, Kate,’ he whispered in her ear. Kate wondered for the first time why people whispered when it was love talk: was it for intimacy, privacy, or a desire to hide feelings from the rest of the world?
Later, he helped her downstairs. Hilda silently made tea. She had baked cakes, dry, because there was not enough marge to make the cake light and there was very little fruit, but it was a gesture, a gesture of hope and welcome for the son she thought she’d lost.
Kate was in a dream, she was back in the days when she and Eddie danced without a care in the summer fields, hugged and kissed and made love with the joy of youth.
Hilda coughed. ‘The smoke,’ she explained, ‘it’s still in my chest. You were a brave girl, Kate, to go into the ruins and fetch poor old Maggie out.’
Reality began to trickle into Kate’s euphoria. ‘How
‘In hospital, but she’ll live,’ Hilda said briskly.
‘Eddie, are you home for good?’ Hilda said, her voice hard-edged. ‘If so there are things we have to talk about.’
Reality came closer and Kate tried to push it away even as she listened to Eddie’s answer.
‘I don’t suppose I’ll go back now,’ he said. ‘As of now, I’m unfit for duty.’
‘Thank God for that,’ Hilda said. ‘So you’ll be back here living with us?’
‘Of course, mother,’ Eddie said, ‘where else would I live but with my family?’ He was puzzled by his mother’s attitude and Kate knew she must speak—explain—but the words stuck in her throat.
‘Kate?’ Hilda prompted. ‘Tell him, tell Eddie the truth.’
But she didn’t have to. The door opened and she heard Stephen’s voice, loud and cheerful. ‘I’m home! How’s my wife and my unborn son then?’
The silence was long and hard and edged with fear and Kate felt her happiness dwindling into a tiny sphere that at any moment would just fade away and disappear into nothingness.
Thirty-Five
‘I want you to go to Bletchley Park.’ The Colonel was stooping more noticeably, now he leaned more heavily on his stick. Hari watched as he eased himself into a chair.
‘Sir?’
‘The place where the clever people break codes.’
‘I know what Bletchley is for, sir, I just don’t really want to go away just now, and sir, what use would I be
