‘Aunty Alice, when is Daisy coming home?’
Seeing Luke’s forlorn face, Alice said apologetically, ‘She’s staying with Pips for most of the summer holidays, Luke. Her father and I decided that, as she will have to buckle down and work extremely hard for her School Certificate this coming school year, she ought to be allowed some fun first. She loves to go flying with Pips – which we don’t mind.’ Alice smiled as she added, ‘Though we have banned Pips from taking her motor racing other than to watch. There’s no knowing what those two might get up to if we didn’t set some rules. They’re in Belgium at the moment, as you know, but they’re back in London on Monday.’ She touched his arm. ‘I’m so sorry that your granddad wouldn’t let you go with them. Daisy would have loved it and I know William and his family would’ve liked to have seen you again.’
Luke shrugged. ‘Granddad doesn’t believe in holidays. He says the Devil makes work for idle hands.’
Alice chuckled. She remembered her father’s sayings so well from her own childhood. ‘And he had another saying when any of us wanted to go to a party or the theatre in the city. “Always wanting pleasure,” he’d grumble, but the boys would take me anyway. We’d even sneak Harold out of the house when he was still quite young and take him with us, if we could. We were often in trouble when we got home, but it was worth it.’ Her face was pensive as she thought of happier times with the brothers she would never see again.
‘Do you think that’s what I should do? Just – go?’
‘Oh now, don’t involve me, Luke. But you are coming up for eighteen and although you’re not legally of age until you’re twenty-one, you are a working man; a very hardworking man. And you’ve – er – got a motorcycle now, haven’t you? You don’t have to ride Uncle Robert’s any more, do you?’
Luke grinned at his aunt, then his smile faded. ‘It’s Grandma I worry about. I wouldn’t want him to take it out on her.’
Alice wrinkled her forehead thoughtfully. Slowly, she said, ‘I wouldn’t just go off without saying anything. That would worry both of them. Be up front with him. Tell him you’re going away for the weekend. Try it, Luke. You might be surprised.’
On the Friday evening, just before Daisy was due back to London from Belgium, as he helped Len and Sam close up the workshop for the night, Luke said, ‘Granddad, I’d like to take next Saturday morning off. I want to go away for the weekend.’
Sam glanced up but said nothing. Luke had already discussed with his mother what he planned to do but, deliberately, he had not spoken to Sam about it.
‘Oh aye,’ Len growled. ‘And what makes you think you can just take time off when you want? We’ve got that cartwheel to finish for Charlie.’ Charlie Cooper was Luke’s other grandfather and worked on the estate as Henrietta Maitland’s farm manager.
Stubbornly, Luke met his grandfather’s gaze. ‘I’ll work extra hard this week to get it done before I go.’
Luke was far too polite to turn up at Pips’s home in London unannounced and uninvited. So he wrote to Daisy and asked if he might come down to see her over the August Bank Holiday weekend. The letter arrived on the Tuesday, the day after they returned from Belgium. Daisy rang her father at once.
‘Daddy, can you get an urgent message to Luke for me? But don’t let Granddad Dawson know.’
Robert chuckled. ‘Devious schemes afoot, Daisy?’
‘Something like that. I’ve had a letter from Luke. He wants to come down here on Friday night for the weekend. Pips says that’s fine, so we need to let him know. He might not get the letter in time if I write. You could tell Peggy. She knows about it.’
‘I’ll ask Jake to go to their cottage and leave a message for Luke. Will that do?’
‘Perfect. Thanks, Daddy. Oh, and can you tell Luke to ask if he can stay until Thursday or Friday of next week. We want to take him to the race meeting on August Bank Holiday Monday and then there’s a motorcycle race meeting on Wednesday. Uncle Paul’s arranged some motorcycle trials on Test Hill that day. Luke would love to see that and I’m sure it’s high time he took a bit of holiday. I don’t think he’s had any since he started working for Granddad. He’s only had Saturday afternoons to go riding – and Sundays, of course.’
‘Of course I will.’ There was a slight pause before Robert asked, ‘How was Belgium?’
‘Wonderful. Sad, of course, seeing all those graves, but Aunty Pips said it was lovely to see how they’re being so well cared for. William and his boys still look after those near where they live. And Ypres is being rebuilt just as it was before the war. It’s going to be magnificent again. And we saw St George’s church. Pips is going to ask Mummy to embroider a hassock to send out there. And, d’you know, they hold a service at eight o’clock every night at the Menin Gate when they sound the “Last Post”? Would you believe that?’
‘Actually, I would. I wonder how long they’ll go on doing that for?’
‘I don’t know, but it’s a lovely thing to do, isn’t it? Anyway, I’d better ring off. Love to everyone. Bye, Daddy.’
‘Where’s Luke?’ Len greeted Sam harshly on the Saturday morning.
‘He asked me to tell you that he’s taking a few days off, probably until Thursday or Friday. He did ask you last week, Mr Dawson.’
‘Aye, he did, but only for the Saturday and I said “no”.’ Len paused and then groused, ‘Has he gone to Skegness with them? Because I forbade it and if he has—’
‘I don’t think so.’
‘Then where has he gone?’
Luckily, Sam didn’t know the full story. Jake had delivered the message faithfully to Peggy, but she had been shrewd enough to censor it a little and had told Sam only the bare essentials.
‘You can tell Mr Dawson that Luke’s taking a few days off to try out his new motorcycle.’
‘Where’s he gone?’ Sam had asked innocently.
‘Best you don’t know, love. It could put you in an awkward position. But, trust me, he’ll be fine.’
So now Sam was able to say, quite truthfully, ‘I really have no idea. From what Peg said, just riding around the countryside enjoying a bit of freedom on his motorcycle.’
Len glowered at him, grunted morosely and turned away. He didn’t speak to Sam for the rest of the morning.
When Luke rang the bell of the apartment where Pips and George lived, the door was flung open and Daisy launched herself against him. ‘I’m so glad you’ve come. We’ll have such fun.’
She dragged him inside where both Pips and George greeted him.
‘I’ll come down and show you where to put your motorcycle,’ George said.
A little later, when Luke had settled in, they all sat down to dinner. ‘We’re going into the city tomorrow and then on Sunday to Kew Gardens and then on Monday we’re going to Brooklands,’ Daisy told him. ‘You’ll love it.’
‘Can you stay until after Wednesday?’ Pips asked.
‘Well, I’m going to. I’ll just have to face Granddad when I get back.’
‘Don’t jeopardize your future, Luke,’ George said solemnly.
Luke shook his head. ‘I don’t think I will, Major Allender, but even if Granddad sacks me, I’m a good carpenter now. I’d be able to get another job.’
‘He won’t sack you,’ Daisy said confidently. ‘Who else would he leave his business to?’
‘Sam or even Harry.’
‘But they’re not related to him.’
‘But William is,’ Luke said quietly. ‘And look how he treats him.’
There was silence round the table; no one could argue with him.
The weekend was an eye opener for the young man. Tied to the family business, working long days with no holidays and little free time except on Saturday afternoons and Sundays, when he was obliged to attend church with his family, Luke experienced a freedom and enjoyment he hadn’t known existed. The sights of London astounded him; he couldn’t believe his eyes at the magnificence of Buckingham Palace, St Paul’s and Westminster Abbey – and standing in front of the Cenotaph moved him immensely.
On Sunday they visited Kew Gardens, but Bank Holiday Monday was the highlight of Luke’s visit so far.
‘Oh, isn’t it hot!’ Milly exclaimed, fanning her face vigorously as the friends met up at the track. ‘Hello, Luke, how lovely to see you.’ She giggled deliciously. ‘Are you racing?’
He grinned at her. ‘I wish. Aunty Pips is bringing me again on Wednesday to see the motorcycle racing. Cars are great, but . . .’
Milly linked her arm through his. ‘But you just love motorcycles. Now, let’s go and find something to drink, although I bet the bars will be crowded in this heat. Then we must watch the next race.’ As she led the way, she called back over her shoulder. ‘Pips, John Cobb has entered his new car. It promises to be absolutely thrilling.’
‘Wow!’ was all Luke could say as he stood on Members’ Hill a little later and took in the sight around him.
The Byfleet Lightning Short Handicap race was almost too thrilling and could have ended in tragedy when Cobb, driving close to the top of the banking, passed another car. The crowd oohed and aahed as a near-disaster was only just averted. Although he almost touched wheels with the other car, he managed to remain on the track. He won the race, but in a second race he was heavily handicapped and could only manage fifth place.
‘I thought he was going over the top,’ Luke said to Pips.
‘He would probably have been killed if he had,’ she told him solemnly. ‘I’m glad George wasn’t here to see it today. It would only have confirmed his desire not to see me race again. Now, let’s go to the bar. I need a drink after that.’
‘You’ll be lucky.’ Luke grinned. ‘Milly says that the bars in the public enclosures have run dry.’
‘Oh phooey!’
As they met up in the clubhouse with the Brooklands Girls and other friends, Luke could not fail to feel the warmth of their welcome. Soon he was talking about motorcycles to Paul and Jeff.
‘How about bringing your motorcycle here on Wednesday?’ Paul suggested. ‘I’ll get you a pass to try it out on Test Hill.’
Luke’s eyes gleamed. ‘Really?’
‘And I hear from Daisy that you’d love a flight?’ Jeff said.
‘I would – but it’s expensive, isn’t it?’
Jeff tapped the side of his nose. ‘I’ll have a word with Mitch. How about tomorrow?’
Luke nodded, hardly able to speak for excitement. At last he managed to say, ‘That’d be great. I have to go home on Thursday and we’re coming here on Wednesday for the motorcycle racing, so that would be perfect.’
The following day, Pips took Daisy and Luke to Brooklands again, where Mitch and Johnny were waiting to meet them.
The two young men shook hands, a little warily, Pips thought, but it seemed they were both making an effort. They fell into step as they walked towards the aircraft where Jeff was waiting for them.
‘You’ll love it,’ Johnny told him. As they neared the aeroplane he shouted above the noise of the engine, ‘You know Uncle Mitch, don’t you? And I think you met Jeff yesterday.’
Luke nodded. Now he was near the aircraft, his excitement was fever pitch. Far from being nervous, he couldn’t wait to get into the aeroplane and experience all the joys that Daisy described so vividly.
As the aeroplane landed and taxied to a halt, Daisy and Johnny ran across the grass to greet them. They watched as Luke climbed down.
‘So, how was it?’ Daisy said as he came towards them.
‘Fantastic.’ Luke grinned. ‘It’s just so – so free up there, isn’t it? You feel as if you’re on top of the world.’
Johnny laughed. ‘You are. Sort of. I saw Jeff doing a roll with you. Were you OK?’
Luke nodded. ‘To be honest, when he told me what he was going to do, I thought I’d be a bit queasy, but no, I was fine. It was fun.’
‘Then you’re a flier, Luke. You ought to join the RAF with me.’
Luke laughed. ‘Well, if my granddad sacks me when I get back, that’s what I’ll do.’
Daisy stepped between them and linked arms. ‘Come on. Let’s go and find something to eat. I’m starving.’
Luke rode his motorcycle to Brooklands the following day, whilst Pips and Daisy led the way in the car.
‘I’ve got you a go on the hill,’ Paul greeted them. ‘You need to take your motorcycle over there, where all the competitors are lining up.’
‘Is it a competition, Uncle Paul?’
‘Only an unofficial one, Daisy. The one with the fastest time gets a small prize.’
‘We’ll go and stand on Members’ Hill to watch you. Oh, there’s Mitch and Johnny. Come on, Aunty Pips.’
‘Daisy, I—’ Luke began, but Daisy was already out of hearing distance. Luke’s worried gaze followed her.
Oh dear, Pips thought. He’s got the same look in his eyes as George has over Mitch! But aloud, all she said was, ‘Good luck.’ She squeezed his arm. ‘You’ll show ’em.’
And he did. As machine after machine roared up the steep hill, each one having three attempts, Luke’s fastest time was placed second overall.
‘That’s brilliant,’ Johnny told him when they all met up again. ‘Only Petersen beat you and he’s got a bigger engine than you have.’
‘Thanks,’ Luke said a little curtly and then, realizing that he might have sounded ungrateful, he tried to make conversation. After all, they were being very kind to him – even Johnny. ‘Have you got a motorcycle?’
‘No.’ Johnny grinned. ‘Afraid I’m all about flying.’
‘You’re joining the RAF?’
‘Yup. I’ve already applied and will join next April when I’m eighteen.’
Inwardly, Luke smiled, but at Johnny’s next words his heart sank.
‘I’ll be coming to Cranwell in Lincolnshire, so maybe I’ll be able to come up and see you all. I might even invest in a motorcycle. I’ll need something to get around.’
Luke’s heart sank even further.