‘Is everything all right, Louise?’
‘One of my girls – Tessie – seems to be missing. Never mind, I’m sure she’ll turn up sooner or later.’ Louise pecked Flora on the cheek. ‘If you don’t mind, I won’t join you and Papa for dinner. I’d like to spend the rest of the evening with the girls.’
‘Of course. No sign of Teddy then?’
‘No. Goodnight, Mother.’ Louise herded the girls outside and Flora watched from a window as she marched them down the drive by the light of a lantern. She thought fondly of what a huge help her daughter had been, running the Land Girls single-handedly in a calm and friendly manner, with not a hint of snobbery about her. Flora knew they all adored her.
She headed to the kitchen and, checking inside the range, she saw the meat pie keeping warm along with the mashed potatoes and cabbage Mrs Tanit had left before returning to her own cottage.
Thinking once more how her solitary, servantless existence in the Lakes had prepared her so perfectly for the war years here, she carried a tray of empty cider glasses through from the drawing room and began to wash them up while she waited for Archie – and Teddy – to return. These days, they ate at the table in the kitchen. It was the warmest place in the house, and even though there were trees suitable to be chopped for firewood, both Flora and Archie had agreed that they must not live above those who were suffering deprivation across the world.
Archie arrived through the back door twenty minutes later, his face worn with exhaustion, but his eyes alight. ‘Darling, how are you?’ He kissed her warmly. ‘And how was the party? Forgive me for missing it, but I was in a meeting. And I have some good news.’
‘It was very cheery.’ Flora donned an apron and began to serve up supper, thinking that they would not wait for Teddy or the pie would be spoilt. ‘What is your news?’
‘Suffice to say, I will no longer have the long commute to London. I am to be posted at Ashford airbase, only a few miles away. You know already from the local newspapers that we have squadrons from the RAF and the RCAF. Plus the Yanks, of course.’
‘Yes.’ Flora smiled, remembering the excitement earlier in the year when the Land Girls had heard that Canadian, American and British squadrons were to be stationed there. There had been a number of dances and the girls had arrived back with chocolates and nylon stockings.
‘That’s very good news, darling. What will your role be?’
‘All I can say is, there’s something big coming. I’m to be the liaison officer between the various squadrons, organising flying rotas and the like, and helping with strategy. You know, darling, for the first time today, I really felt as though the end might be in sight.’
‘We’ll be awfully glad if you’re right.’ Flora put a plate in front of her husband and gazed down at him fondly.
‘This looks excellent, thank you,’ he said as he picked up his knife and fork. ‘Are neither of the children joining us tonight?’
‘No, Louise is down at the cottages with the Land Girls and Teddy is . . . out.’
‘As usual,’ murmured Archie.
It was two o’clock in the morning before a sleepless Flora heard the creak of the floorboards and a door closing along the corridor. And knew that her son had finally returned home.
‘Where were you last night?’ Flora asked Teddy as he wandered into the busy kitchen, where both Flora and Mrs Tanit were baking and chopping in preparation for the festive season, carols playing on the radio.
‘Out. Do you have a problem with that, Mother? I am well over the age of consent.’ Teddy swiped two jam tarts cooling on a rack on the table. ‘And how are you this fine day, Mrs Tanit?’
‘I am well, thank you, sir,’ she replied.
Flora had noticed that their housekeeper was one of the only women she knew who refused to succumb to her son’s considerable charms.
‘Excellent.’ He gave Mrs Tanit a bright smile. ‘So, what’s the plan for today, Mother?’
‘We have the villagers’ drinks at lunchtime and then your grandmother arrives at five at Ashford. Perhaps you’d be good enough to collect her from the station?’
‘That depends,’ Teddy replied, ambling across the kitchen to lean against the range, close to where Mrs Tanit was stirring the mulled wine. ‘The boys in the village have asked me to join them at the pub before supper. After all, it is Christmas Eve.’
‘It would help us all if you could collect her.’
‘Can’t that husband of yours do it?’ he asked Mrs Tanit, who flinched as he pressed a hand lightly to her back.
‘Mr and Mrs Tanit have the night off to celebrate Christmas together, as Mrs Tanit will be here tomorrow helping me cook and serve the lunch. I’m sure that your grandmother would appreciate your effort.’
‘Is there any bread?’ Teddy glanced around the kitchen. ‘I’m so hungry, I could eat a horse.’
Flora pointed to the pantry. ‘There are three loaves just baked, but please take no more than a slice. We need them for sandwiches for the villagers.’
As her son went in search of the loaves, Flora sighed. On occasion, even her patience ran out.
‘I think this will be a wonderful Christmas,’ Teddy said as he emerged from the pantry, munching on a fat piece of bread.
‘I hope so.’
‘And of course I will go and pick up Grandmama.’ Teddy smiled suddenly, walked over to his mother and gave her a hug. ‘Only teasing.’
And as it turned out, it was a happy Christmas. Archie seemed more positive than Flora remembered him in a long time, engendered, she was sure, by his new posting to Ashford. Louise was, as ever, a dutiful daughter, facilitating everyone’s comfort and happiness. And even Teddy managed to control his urge to join his friends at the local pub, and remained at home until Boxing Day.
That night, Flora and Archie fell into bed, both exhausted from the yuletide revelry.
‘I feel as though we have entertained the entire neighbourhood – rich and poor – at our expense.’
‘We have,’ Flora chuckled, thinking of all those who had passed through High Weald in the last few days. ‘But that’s the way it should be, isn’t it? After all, Christmas is about giving.’
‘Yes, and it is you who has given the most. Thank you, my darling.’ Archie kissed her gently. ‘And let us hope that the New Year brings the peace that we all deserve.’
38
The winter of 1944 seemed longer to Flora than any other. Perhaps because she, along with the rest of the world, was weary of war, weary of bad news, and weary of the falsely cheerful voice on the radio telling everyone to keep their spirits up.
Besides that, an unusual sense of foreboding hung over her, like the tightly packed snow covering the gardens. The one bright spot during the harsh February had been a letter from William Heelis.
Castle Cottage
Near Sawrey
15th February 1944