We'll meet again

"He is not... cher lui?”

"No," I said.

"Dommage!" she murmured. "Then... you will have a moment to spare? Perhaps we have a cafe together? Just for thirty minutes... twenty... or fifteen?”

"Yes," I said. "Let's do that.”

So we drove down to East Poldown. There was a small place on the front looking over the sea and Mrs. Yelton, who ran the place, came to take our order.

"How be 'ee today, me dears?" she said. "Nice cup of coffee, is it?”

"Yes please, Mrs. Yelton.”

"What they do call a well-earned rest, I'll be bound. You young ladies are doing a good job up there, the both of you. You should hear what some of the boys say about the home, Mrs. Tregarland.

Angels of Mercy, that's what they called the young ladies.”

I laughed. "So, I look like an angel?" I asked.

"To tell you the truth, I always thought you had a bit of the devil in you, Mrs. Tregarland. And, as for you, Mamselle ... coming over here in that boat ... well, that was something.”

We laughed and she went away to get the coffee.

"It's nice here," said Simone, as she stirred the beverage.

"Yes, if they accept you," I replied, thinking of Gretchen.

She knew at once what I meant. That was like Simone. She was always quick to catch my meaning.

"It's wonderful for her to have her husband coming home now and then,”

I said. "It would have been impossible for her to have seen him so often if she had stayed here.”

"And being German did not help her. All is well with you and the good captain?”

"As well as it can be in such times.”

"I see you 'ave the key to the door.”

"Oh yes. He gave it to me. It's quite convenient. I can slip in when I like and, if he is not there, leave a note.”

"He is a thoughtful man. It is so romantic. It is good that we have this romance in wartime.”

"As long as the world goes round, love goes on." Had I made that up, or was I just stating the obvious? It was a real old cliché anyway; but when you consider them, they are very often true.

We sat there gossiping for awhile, then said goodbye to Mrs. Yelton and got into our respective cars.

Returning to Tregarland one early evening, Violetta and I found Nanny Crabtree in what she herself called "a state.”

"I've told them time after time, if I've told them once, I won't have them dashing round the country after dark. It's them imps, Charley and Bert. What they don't seem to understand is that six o'clock in May is not the same as at this time of year. It's the dark I won't have them out in. It's them bikes, that's what it is. Fancy themselves as goodness knows what, I shouldn't wonder. Spy catchers one day, dispatch riders the next. Flying round... I don't know but I won't have it.”

"Were they going anywhere special?" asked Violetta.

"No, they wasn't. I've said to them time and time again. After school, it's home. Then they can get back and wash their dirty selves and sit down to a nice meal. You'd think they'd be satisfied with that, wouldn't you? But no. They must go dashing about the countryside.”

"I expect they'll be back soon, Nanny," I said.

"They'd better be.”

I thought: She loves those boys. That is just how she used to be with us. Dear old Nanny, she is really worried about them.

As a matter of fact, Violetta and I were beginning to get anxious.

Violetta said she had seen Gordon and he thought they should be back by now.

"I hope there's not been an accident," said Violetta.

When we heard the sound of the boys' bicycles in the courtyard, we were very relieved.

They were safe, and, now that she was no longer afraid for them, Nanny was growing more and more bellicose. She went into action without delay. She wanted to know what excuses they had, and I could see from her expression that they would have to be very good to satisfy her.

The boys put their bicycles away and came running upstairs, their faces alight with excitement.

Nanny faced them squarely, with Violetta and I on either side of her.

Charley burst out: "There's been a burglary. Or would 'a bin, if we 'adn't stopped 'em.”

"A burglary?" I cried. "Where?”

"At that cottage by the river.”

"Riverside Cottage?" I asked quickly.

"That's it, Mrs. Tregarland. That's the one. Me and Bert was cycling along, wasn't we? You can cut round the back if you know the way... by the river.”

"That's trespassing," I said.

"It's only a little way. Well, Bert and me was there, wasn't we? You could see the back of the place, and I knew Captain Brent wasn't there, didn't I?”

"Did you?" I said. "How?”

"Well, he wasn't there, was he? Hadn't been for some time. I heard one of the soldiers say he reckoned he'd be away for a bit. I knew it wasn't him, 'cos I saw this torch, didn't I? It was moving about... just like in a film, and I said to Bert, I said: 'P'raps the 'lectricity's off." But then I see the light on the road was on.

Well, we left our bikes and went up to the house and then I see the back door was broke open. Then I knew.”

"What did you do then, Charley?" I asked.

"I said to Bert, 'I reckon they're burglars. We got to catch 'em.”