We'll meet again

We often went together, and on this occasion had taken in Jack Brayston, a young man of no more than eighteen who had to have a dressing on his leg.

We deposited him at the hospital, parked the car, and were strolling on into the town when we came face to face with Jacques Dubois.

I heard Dorabella give a start of surprise as she cried out: "Look who's there!" She had drawn back slightly, but he had already seen us.

He advanced smiling.

"This is a delightful surprise," he began.

Dorabella replied: "Well, this is a shopping center, you know, and we live just along the cliff. We are the ones who are surprised to see you, aren't we, Violetta? What are you doing here?”

"Making a quick visit," he said.

"Have you just arrived?”

"I came last night. I stay a night at the hotel ... what is it?

The Black Rock. I come to see my sister. This day we shall meet. I return this night.”

"Where are you living now?”

He lifted his hands and shook his head from side to side.

"I am in London... I am here... I am there... But we must talk... in the comfort, eh? Why do we not go into the hotel? We could have a glass of wine, yes?”

I looked at Dorabella. I fancied she was not entirely pleased to have this ghost from the past in her company. I left it to her to decide.

She hesitated and looked at her watch.

"We have certain things to do. I could not stay long.”

"Oh come. It would be such a disappointment. Just for a little, eh?

One glass of wine?”

"Well, I suppose we have to wait for Jack," she said. "He's one of the soldiers staying at the Priory. We have taken him in for a dressing and will have to take him back.”

"Then you will come? That is good. You know this hotel?”

"Yes," I said. "Is it good?”

"The views are superb," he said.

I laughed. "Well, it is wartime," I said. "You can't expect haute cuisine.”

We went into the hotel; he found a corner in the lounge and ordered a bottle of claret.

"Now," he said, "you must tell me how life goes with you.”

"I daresay yours is more interesting," said Dorabella.

"What is happening with the General?" I asked.

"He is very busy. He broadcasts to the French nation. His plan is to get his men together.”

"Are many coming to join him?”

"All the time.”

"You mean they escape from France and get across the Channel?”

"Some do. It is not impossible. Ah, here is our wine."

He watched while it was poured and then lifted his glass.

"To you both, my friends. A speedy end to the war, eh? Then we can all be 'appy again.”

We drank and he savored the wine, implying that he did not think a great deal of it.

"It was so strange," said Dorabella, "that you should land up on our beach. Was it really by accident or design?”

"Well, I had been to that coast, had I not? To cross the Channel where it is most narrow is best... but it is very quiet... very deserted... along this coast. It would not have been easy to slip out from Calais... from Boulogne... Dunkirk. But the quiet coast... it seemed best to try.”

"It must have been very dangerous," I said.

"Mademoiselle Violetta, the danger was there, yes, but there was danger all around... and neither Simone nor I wished to live in France in chains.”

"I never knew until you arrived that you had a sister," said Dorabella.

"So? For the last years we have not met often. She did not live in Paris, you see. She was with our aunt near Lyons. I see her now and then ... but not much. But when she saw what was happening she came to me. She could not live in a humbled France. Nor could I ... so we came together.”

"You were very brave to come in that little boat.”

"The sea was very kind to us and when I landed I rejoiced. I knew I was with friends.”

"Friends?" said Dorabella, a little tersely.

"We should always be friends," he said, smiling smoothly.

"And you came straight to Tregarland. That was a coincidence.”

He smiled at me impishly. "I confess ... I knew roughly where we were. Remember, I had come here to paint. An artist has a special eye ... shall we say. There is this ... this form of the rocks ... exciting... fascinating.”

"It was dark when you came in.”

"I knew ... just a little ... and had an idea... where we were.

I could hardly believe we had come in just beneath Tregarland. I thought we should be farther west ... Falmouth or the Lizard perhaps. But by great good luck we were with friends.”

"It was certainly very clever of you," I said.

"Oh no, Mademoiselle. Just luck. It comes to us in life sometimes, you know.”

"Have you seen Simone?" I asked.

"Not yet. I have heard that she is very happy here. The people, she says, are very kind and she is living with this Mrs "Penwear," I said.

"Yes, Mrs. Penwear, who thinks she is a very brave young lady to leave her country and come to fight for freedom.”

"She seems to be liking working on the land.”

"Simone will adapt herself to whatever must be done.”

"Has she ever done any kind of work like this before?”

"They had a small estate in France ... my uncle and aunt, I mean.

It may be that she learned something of the kind there. More wine?”