‘To Lorraine,’ he said, raising his glass. ‘If you and Alec are as happy as I am with your maman, you will have a beautiful life together.’
‘To Raine and Alec,’ Ronnie and Suzanne chorused.
‘And a toast to the end of the war,’ Raine said. ‘At long bloody last.’ Her eyes flashed. ‘And don’t tell me off for swearing, Pierre. Put it down to being around chaps too long.’
They chatted for a few minutes and eventually Pierre said if he wasn’t needed any more he was going to the dining room for a smoke and read the newspaper.
Raine waited until he left the room before she turned to Suzanne.
‘You haven’t told us your plans yet, Suzy.’
‘No, I haven’t.’ Suzanne bit her lip. ‘You’re right about timing,’ she said eventually.
‘Hmm. Sounds like you’ve something serious to tell Ronnie and me as well.’ Raine’s smile faded as she fixed her gaze on her sister.
‘ENSA has a tour lined up to go to the Far East,’ Suzanne said. ‘And as you say, the war’s not over for our boys there. When they get to hear of all our parties and celebrations, they’re going to think they’ve been forgotten. So if I can help some of them feel closer to home, that’s what I want to do.’
There was a hush.
‘Dear God, you’ve signed up already, haven’t you?’ Raine said, her brow creased with concern.
Suzanne nodded. ‘Don’t look like that. I’m really happy about it. Vera Lynn went out to do her bit in the Far East … and I want to do the same.’
Ronnie gulped. Suddenly she felt sick. It was all very well Suzanne telling them not to worry, but if anything terrible happened …
‘I wish you weren’t going,’ she said. ‘It’s the other side of the world. You might be sent to weird places like jungles.’
‘I know. But I’m really looking forward to it.’
‘What does James say?’ Raine asked.
‘He was worried at first,’ Suzanne admitted. ‘But he said we all have to do what’s in our hearts. He knows I’m pretty sensible.’
‘I don’t feel I’m doing anything half as adventurous as you two,’ Ronnie said pensively.
‘You’re only eighteen,’ Raine said. ‘Look at how you stuck to the canals. It was rotten work for a girl and I know you never told us half of it. You’d still be working on the boats if that blasted doodlebug hadn’t dropped. And Mr Lincoln told me only the other day when I came to see you how grateful he is that you decided to train to be a qualified vet’s assistant. He needs you more than ever with most of the young people in the forces, and the animals definitely do. He said you were the best assistant he’s ever had.’ She wagged a finger at Ronnie. ‘You never tell us any of all that – and by the way, he told me something else. You seem to have your own secret that Suzy and I don’t know about.’
‘Oh.’ Suzanne’s eyebrows shot up as she stared at Ronnie. ‘What’s that?’
‘If you mean what I think you mean, I asked him not to say anything,’ Ronnie said. ‘I haven’t even told Maman.’
‘What’s happened to our pact?’ Suzanne said.
‘Looks like we’ve all broken it.’ Raine gave a rueful smile. ‘Wait for this, Suzy. Mr Lincoln told me Ronnie gives blood regularly.’
‘It’s only once every three months,’ Ronnie said, flushing now her secret was out. ‘You’re not allowed to do it any more than that, so I’ve only done it three times so far.’
‘You’ve saved three people’s lives in as direct a way as anyone could,’ Raine said. ‘If that’s not doing something adventurous and rather wonderful, I don’t know what is. I’d faint if I did it.’
‘It’s nothing really,’ Ronnie said, secretly feeling pleased her sisters now knew. ‘Four of us do it and we have a bit of a laugh in Dr Hall’s surgery. The nurse takes it and then Dr Hall brings us a mug of tea and a tin of really good quality biscuits.’ She giggled. ‘That’s the only reason I do it – to get the biscuits.’
The sisters chuckled.
‘What made you think of it?’ Raine asked.
‘Michael.’ Ronnie felt her cheeks flame as she said his name. ‘He’s given blood for five years now. He started it when he saw his first traffic accident, so I decided I’d like to do it as well.’
‘You should tell Maman,’ Suzanne said. ‘She’d be so proud of you.’
‘She’d worry.’
‘Not now she has her Pierre,’ Suzanne said, her voice softening as it always did when she spoke his name. ‘He’s a wonderful calming influence over her.’
‘He’ll be away again before he’s able to be with her permanently,’ Raine said. ‘But I’m very glad he’ll be around when we all tell Maman our separate news. We need him to help soften the blows. But we’ll wait until she’s home.’
‘And until then,’ Ronnie said, jumping to her feet and going over to the window, ‘I’m taking down these hateful curtains!’
‘You can’t!’ Suzanne said, springing up. ‘It’s not official yet. You’ll have the warden after you.’
‘I don’t care.’ With that, Ronnie tore the blackout curtains off their rings as though she were in a tug of war. She stood back and waved through the windowpane. ‘Come and do your worst, Mr Draper,’ she shouted to the invisible ARP warden.
If the tremendous thunderstorm hadn’t kept her awake practically all last night, then the excitement that the war was definitely going to end today would have done it, Ronnie thought with a rueful grin as she pushed up the sash early the following morning and stuck her head out. She sniffed. The storm had cleared the air. Mmm. She pulled in a deep breath. Even though it wasn’t yet six o’clock there were several people scurrying below,
